《Leaving While Pregnant：He Goes Crazy！》


 Chapter 1

    "Congrattions, you''re pregnant. The baby is healthy."


    Eva clutched the report in her hand, her expression somewhat stunned.


    Pregnant? Eva was both surprised and delighted, unable to believe it.


    Upon emerging from the hospital, a gentle drizzle began outside. Eva caressed her abdomen.


    Here, there was already a new life. It was the child of her and Adrian ckwood...


    Her phone vibrated. She took it out and nced at it; it was a message from Adrian. [It''s raining. Bring an umbre to this address.] Eva looked at the address: XX Clubhouse.


    What kind of ce was this? Didn''t he say he had a meeting today?


    However, without hesitating much, Eva immediately had the driver take her to the address.


    The rain grew heavier. After getting out of the car, Eva told the driver to go back first, and she walked to the club entrance with an umbre.


    It was a billiards club, and the decor looked very upscale. Just as Eva was about to enter, she was intercepted.


    "Sorry, miss, please show your club card."


    Eva had no choice but to step back and stand at the entrance, sending a message to Adrian.


    [I''m here. How much longer will you finish your work? I''m waiting downstairs.]


    After sending the message, she stood nearby with her umbre, gazing at the rain, her mind on the pregnancy report.


    Should she tell him about the pregnancy as soon as he came out? Or wait until his birthday to give him a surprise?


    Eva was lost in thought, unaware that she had be the subject of amusement for those upstairs.


    A group of people leaned against the window, looking at the figure below.


    "Adrian, your wife is quite dutiful. You asked her to bring an umbre, and she really did. Does she really think you''d get wet without one?" "She really loves you, doesn''t she?"


    "Nonsense," azy, deep voice came from the corner of the room.


    The man was tall with long legs, a cold and handsome face, and a pallidplexion. His slightly upturned eyes were particrly captivating. Adorned in a bespoke gray suit, he sat with his elongated legs elegantly crossed. He raised his hand slightly, the luxurious and exquisite watch on his wrist catching the eye. He said coldly, "Give it back."


    His friend had no choice but to return his phone. Earlier, they had deliberately yed a prank on Adrian, taking his phone and sending Eva a message to bring an umbre.


    "Is the prank over so soon? Boring," Adrian''s friend sighed.


    "Alright, stop teasing Adrian," said the girl sitting next to Adrian softly. She wore a flowing white dress, her appearance beautiful and gentle.


    "Oh, is Vivian feeling sorry for him?" The friends teased immediately.


    "Indeed, it is Vivian who cares about Adrian most," someone said, covering his mouth andughing. "And Adrian cares most about Vivian too, right?"


    Hearing this, Vivian Morrison instinctively looked at Adrian. Seeing that he didn''t deny it, she shyly lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.


    Seeing this, the onlookers teased even more. Adrian said nothing, lowering his eyes and quickly sending a message back to Eva.


    [The umbre is not needed. You can go back.]


    When Eva received this message, she was a bit puzzled and replied: [Is something wrong?]


    She lowered her eyes and waited for a while, but Adrian didn''t reply.


    Perhaps he was really busy.


    Eva decided to go back.


    "Wait," someone called from behind. Eva turned around to see two fashionably dressed girls walking towards her.


    The taller one nced at her disdainfully and asked, "Are you Eva?"


    Seeing the hostility written all over their faces, Eva didn''t bother to be polite. She replied calmly, "And you are?"


    "Who I am doesn''t matter. What matters is that Vivian is back. If you''re clever enough, then get away from Adrian." Eva''s pupils contracted.


    How long had it been since she heard the name Vivian? So long that she had almost forgotten that such a person even existed.


    "You''ve been ying the fake Mrs. ckwood for two years. Do you really think that position is yours?" The girl rolled her eyes in mockery.


    Eva bit her lower lip, her face pale, and the fingers holding the umbre turned pale from exertion.


    "Are you unwilling to give up? Do you still want topete with Vivian?"


    "Just you?"


    Eva turned and walked away, not listening to them any longer.


    Their cursing was drowned out by the rain.


    When she returned to the ckwood family, the butler was startled by her woeful appearance and eximed, "Mrs. ckwood!" "How did you get so soaked? Come in quickly."


    Eva, numb from the cold, was immediately wrapped in arge towel by the servants as soon as she entered the house. They surrounded her, drying her hair. "Hurry up, prepare a hot bath for Mrs. ckwood!"


    "And make a bowl of Nutrition Soup."


    The servants were in a frenzy because Eva was drenched, so no one noticed a car entering the gate. Shortly after, a tall figure appeared at the door. "What is going on?" A cold voice rang out.


    Hearing this voice, Eva''s eyshes trembled as she sat on the sofa. Why was he back? At this time, he should be with his Vivian, right?


    "Mr. ckwood, Mrs. ckwood got caught in the rain."


    Adrian''s dark eyes fell on the petite figure on the sofa, and he walked over with long strides.


    Seeing her appearance, Adrian frowned with displeasure.


    At this moment, Eva looked like a drowned rat, her soft hair clinging wetly to her pale skin, and her usually rosy lips were devoid of color.


    "What happened to you?" Adrian frowned, his tone not pleasant.


    Eva struggled to control her emotions before looking up and forcing a pale smile at Adrian. She exined, "My phone died, and on the way back, I saw a child without an umbre." Adrian''s gaze suddenly turned cold.


    "Are you out of your mind?"


    Eva''s smile froze on her lips.


    "He forgot his umbre, so you gave him yours and left yourself to the mercy of the downpour? At your age, why engage in such foolish acts? Are you reveling in self-sacrifice, perhaps?" The servants around them exchanged nces, none daring to speak.


    Eva lowered her eyes, a mist of tears blurring her vision.


    She said nothing, holding back her tears with all her might.


    Only when Adrian came over and cradled her in his arms did the tears drop onto the back of her hand.


    Seeing her tears, Adrian froze, his frown deepening.


    "Why are you crying?"

 Chapter 2

    "I wasn''t crying, it was the rain," Eva stubbornly lifted her head, holding back the tears that were about to spill, pretending to be calm.


    "Don''t do such foolish things next time," Adrian said coldly, taking her to the bathroom before leaving.


    Eva kept her head down. After Adrian left, she slowly raised her head and gently wiped away the tears on her face.


    Momentster, she locked the bathroom door and took out the pregnancy report from her pocket.


    The report had been washed by the rain, and the words on it were already blurred.


    She had originally wanted to tell him as a surprise, but now it seemedpletely unnecessary.


    Having been Adrian''s wife for two years, Eva was well aware that he was the type to never be without his phone.


    He wouldn''t be so bored as to ask her to go over, only to send her back again.


    Someone must have taken his phone and messaged her to make her aughingstock.


    Maybe while she was foolishly waiting downstairs with the umbre, there had been a bunch of people upstairsughing at her.


    Eva looked at the report for a long time, then sneered and slowly tore it up.


    Half an hourter, Eva walked out of the bathroom calmly.


    Adrian was sitting on the sofa, his long legs resting on the ground. In front of himy aptop, and he was seemingly engrossed in ongoing tasks. Seeing here out, he pointed to a bowl of Nutrition Soup beside him.


    "Drink it."


    "Okay." Eva walked over, picked up the soup, but didn''t drink it. Instead, she thought of something and called his name, "Adrian."


    "What is it?" His tone was indifferent, and he didn''t even lift his eyes from the screen.


    Eva looked at Adrian''s shapely profile and jawline, her slightly pale lips moved.


    Adrian, growing impatient, finally looked up, and their eyes met.


    Fresh from the bath, Eva''s skin turned rosy, her lips no longer as pale as before. But perhaps because she had been in the rain, she looked somewhat sickly today, making her fragile and adorable. Adrian''s desire was instantly ignited with just one nce.


    Eva, lost in her thoughts, paid no attention to Adrian''s emotions. She was only brewing the words she wanted to say.


    When she finally mustered the courage to speak, "You..."


    Eva had just started when Adrian, as if unable to control himself, grabbed her chin and leaned in to kiss her.


    His rough fingers quickly reddened her fair skin.


    His breath was hot, like a fire. Eva found herself almost suffocated by his kiss. Just as she wanted to push him away, his phone on the table rang.


    The person on top of her paused, his passion instantly cooled. Momentster, Adrian withdrew, lightly grazing her lips with lingering desire, his voice hoarse.


    "Drink the soup and go to bed early." Then, Adrian got up and took his phone outside.


    He went to make a call, closing the balcony door behind him.


    Eva sat for a while before getting up. Instead of going to the bedroom, she walked towards the balcony.


    The ss door was only half-closed, and Adrian''s low voice drifted in with the cool breeze.


    "I won''t leave."


    "Don''t think too much. Go to sleep."


    His voice was as gentle as the wind. But in front of her, he had never been such gentle.


    Eva stood there listening for a while, then chuckled softly.


    So, he could be this gentle too.


    She turned and went into the bedroom, sitting expressionlessly by the bed.


    In fact, their marriage was a mistake from the beginning, just a transaction.


    Two years ago, the Hansen family went bankrupt, and overnight, she fell from grace, bing theughingstock of all New York.


    The Hansen family had once been too prominent, making many enemies, and after their fall, countless people wanted to see them humiliated.


    A group of men, with the intent to humiliation, even secretly bid for Eva to repay the debt with her body.


    At her lowest, most humiliating moment, Adrian returned.


    He dealt with those who had bid, making them pay a terrible price. He paid off the Hansen family''s debts and then said to her, "Let''s get engaged." Eva nced at him in shock.


    "Don''t worry; it''s just a fake engagement. Grandma is sick, and she likes you very much. You and I will fake an engagement to make her happy, and I''ll help you rebuild the Hansen family."


    So it was a fake engagement, just to make his grandmother happy. He didn''t like her at all.


    But even so, she agreed.


    She knew he didn''t have feelings for her, yet she still fell for him.


    After the engagement, Eva felt awkward.


    The two had grown up together, but they had always interacted as friends. The sudden engagement made Eva feel inexplicably ufortable.


    Adrian, however, was very natural, taking her to various banquets and events. A yearter, when Nora ckwood''s condition worsened, they got married, and she became the envy of everyone as Mrs. ckwood. The world was abuzz with talk that the childhood sweethearts had achieved a happy union.


    Coming back to her senses, Eva couldn''t help butugh.


    Unfortunately, there was no happy ending; it was just a mutually beneficial transaction.


    "You''re not asleep yet?" Adrian''s voice suddenly came through.


    Immediately, the space beside Eva sank, and Adrian''s cool scent surrounded her.


    "I have something to tell you."


    Eva didn''t turn her head, already guessing what he wanted to say.


    Adrian said, "Let''s get divorced."


    Even though she had guessed it, Eva''s heart still skipped a beat. She suppressed the surge of emotions, trying to remain calm, "When?"


    Shey there, her expression serene, her voice steady, as if discussing something very ordinary.


    Her demeanor made Adrian frown, but he still said, "Soon, after Nora''s surgery."


    Eva nodded, "Okay."


    Adrian asked, "That''s it?"


    Hearing this, Eva nced at him, "What?"


    Adrian was taken aback by her question, then chuckled reluctantly after a moment.


    "Nothing, you heartless woman."


    After all, Eva had been his wife for these one or two years, but she was so calm when he brought up divorce.


    Well, their marriage was a transaction, each taking what they needed.


    If it weren''t for Grandma, she probably would have distanced herself from him long ago.


    Adrian felt a bit ufortable with Eva''s calmness. He suppressed that strange feeling andy down beside her, closing his eyes. "Adrian," Eva suddenly called out to him.


    Adrian''s eyes snapped open, looking at her, his deep eyes exceptionally clear in the dim light.


    "What do you want to say to me?" His voice was somewhat urgent.


    Eva met his gaze, feeling bewildered. Was he expecting something? Was he hoping she would try to save this marriage?

 Chapter 3

    He was the one who initiated the divorce; no matter how hard she tried to hold on, it was meaningless. Eva looked at his handsome face, her lips parted, and finally, she said, "These two years... thank you." Hearing this, Adrian''s gaze dimmed. After a moment, he tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Nonsense." Eva turned her head, stunned.


    Nonsense? After the divorce, she wouldn''t have such an opportunity to say it again.


    The next day, when Eva got up, she found herself afflicted with a bit of a cold. She took out some medicine from the drawer and poured a ss of warm water. Just as she threw the medicine into her mouth, Eva remembered something, her face changed, and she rushed to the bathroom to spit out the medicine. She leaned over the sink, rinsing her mouth.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? Are you feeling unwell?" A clear voice suddenly sounded at the door, startling Eva. She looked over at him. Adrian frowned at her.


    As soon as their eyes met, Eva quickly looked away. After a moment, she said, "Nothing, I just took the wrong medicine."


    Then she wiped the water stains from her lips and left the bathroom.


    Adrian turned around, looking thoughtfully at her retreating figure.


    He felt that she had been acting strangely since she came backst night.


    After breakfast, the two of them went out together.


    Adrian nced at Eva, whose face was still a bit pale, and said, "Do you want to ride in my car?"


    Eva had been caught in the rain yesterday and indeed felt unwell after waking up today. Just as she was about to nod, Adrian''s phone rang.


    He nced at the caller ID, which showed Vivian. As he was about to step away from Eva to answer the call, Eva walked away on her own. For some reason, seeing her leaving so quickly felt like a stab to his heart.


    He frowned slightly and answered the call.


    Eva observed him from a not-so-distant spot. From his expression, she could already tell who was calling him.


    Adrian''s tenderness was exlusive to Vivian.


    She took a deep breath, suppressing the jealousy in her heart, and took out her phone as she walked towards the garage.


    Five minutester, Adrian finished the call and turned around, only to find the space behind him empty, with no sign of Eva.


    At the same time, a message came through on his phone.


    Eva: [I''m in a hurry to the office, so I left first.]


    Adrian stared at the text message, his eyes darkening.


    Eva forced herself to endure the difort and made it to the office. Upon entering, she immediately settled into the office chair and theny down on her desk. Her head hurt so much...


    But now that she was pregnant, she couldn''t take any medicine carelessly.


    After knowing her pregnancy, she had thought that maybe Adrian would ept this child, and perhaps their marriage could continue.


    But after knowing that Vivian had returned and that his feelings for Vivian were as strong as ever, she changed her mind.


    If he found out she was pregnant, his first reaction would probably be: Get rid of it, this child would impede his marriage to Vivian.


    Reason dictated that she should terminate the pregnancy sooner rather thanter, for ushering an unweed child into the world is also a cruelty unto the child. "Eva." A soft voice sounded, bringing Eva back to her senses. She looked up to see her assistant, Jenny Hall.


    Eva straightened up and gave her a standard smile. "Good morning, you''re here."


    Jenny, however, did not smile but looked at her with concern. "Eva, you don''t look well. Are you feeling unwell?" Hearing this, Eva was taken aback and shook her head. "Nothing, just a poor sleepst night."


    "Do you want to go to the hospital? You really look pale," Jenny said, worried.


    "Really, I''m fine. Let''s get to work."


    "Since you don''t want to go to the hospital, drink some hot water," Jenny said, pouring her a cup of hot water.


    Eva felt warmth in her heart and took a few sips of the hot water. As the warmth spread through her, she felt a bit better.


    But Jenny still looked at her with concern. "Eva, how about I handle today''s report? You can rest in the office."


    Eva shook her head. "No, I can handle it myself."


    If she rested at the slightest problem and let others take over her work, she would bezy over time. She did not allow herself to ck off.


    Eva organized the materials on her desk and then got up towards Adrian''s office.


    She knocked on the office door.


    "Come in."


    A cold, deep voice came from inside, and Eva pushed the door open.


    Upon entering, Eva noticed another figure in the office.


    A white dress outlined Vivian''s slender waist, and her long hair cascaded softly down her sides, making her delicate and lively.


    Seeing who it was, Eva froze.


    "Eva, you''re here." Vivian walked over to her with a smile. Before Eva could react, Vivian leaned in and hugged her.


    Eva''s body stiffened even more, her eyes meeting Adrian''s dark gaze over Vivian''s shoulder.


    Adrian leaned against the desk, looking at her with deep eyes, lost in thought.


    "I''ve heard everything from Adrian. You''ve been through a lot," Vivian said, releasing her and showing a look of concern. "If you need any help, please let me know." Eva hid her inner bitterness and forced a smile. "Thank you. When did youe back?"


    "I arrived on a flight yesterday."


    Yesterday?


    That meant just as she had returned, Adrian had gone to see her.


    Indeed, Vivian was the one he held dear in his heart.


    "By the way, why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell?" Vivian suddenly asked.


    Hearing this, Adrian, who had been casually leaning against the desk, looked up at Eva. After careful observation, he frowned.


    "Is it because you got caught in the rainst night?"


    "Caught in the rain?" Vivian looked puzzled.


    Eva sighed and was about to exin when Adrian coldly said, "Why are you pushing yourself if you''re unwell? Thepany doesn''t need you that badly. Go home and rest." Hearing this, Vivian instinctively nced at Adrian.


    ''Why did he suddenly seem angry? Could it be... Adrian had developed affections for Eva?'' she thought.

 Chapter 4

    Upon realizing this, Vivian''splexion gradually changed.


    Eva, not noticing her expression, said lightly, "It was merely a light shower, I''m fine."


    With that, she stepped forward and ced yesterday''s work report on the desk.


    "This is the summary of yesterday''s work that I''ve organized. I have other things to do, so I won''t disturb your reunion."


    Eva left, but Adrian''s brows furrowed tightly.


    "Adrian?"


    It wasn''t until Vivian called his name that he snapped back to reality.


    Seeing Adrian in this state, Vivian felt uneasy, but she still spoke gently and considerately, "I noticed Eva doesn''t seem to be in good shape. Although she''s working as your secretary now, she was still the youngdy of the Hansen family before they went bankrupt. You mustn''t be too harsh on her."


    Harsh?


    Adrian scoffed inwardly. Who could be harsh on her?


    Meanwhile, Eva, feeling dizzy, returned to her office.


    She was overwhelmed by severe dizziness, resting her head on the office desk, swiftly slipping into a profound slumber.


    Eva drifted into a dream, returning to the year she turned eighteen.


    That day was theing-of-age ceremony for both Eva and Adrian.


    The two families held the ceremony together. Eva wore her favorite blue dress, had her hair styled in big waves, and got her nails done. She nned to confess to Adrian that day.


    She lifted her skirt and went to find Adrian, but overheard a few of Adrian''s friends teasing him.


    "Adrian, you''re an adult now. Do you have a crush? You could consider getting engaged."


    "I think Eva is a good choice. She''s always following you around."


    Hearing this, Eva instinctively stopped in her tracks, eager to hear Adrian''s response.


    However, before Adrian could answer, someone else spoke up, "Eva won''t do. Adrian only sees her as a sister. Everyone knows there''s only one person in Adrian''s heart, and that''s Vivian." Vivian... He liked Vivian?


    Eva cast a furtive nce at Adrian.


    In the night, the young man sat on a stone bench, a faint smile on his handsome face, not denying it.


    "Indeed, Vivian is more gentle and charming, more womanly. Eva is just a little girl. Most importantly, Vivian is Adrian''s lifesaver," said Michael Cooper, one of Adrian''s best friends. "Yes, Vivian saved your life. The river was rushing, and if she hadn''t jumped in to save you, you wouldn''t be here today."


    Young Adrian nodded, finally responding for once.


    His face was pale in the moonlight, "The ce by my side will always be reserved for Vivian."


    Upon hearing this, the color drained from Eva''s face.


    Vivian saving Adrian''s life was a well-known story in their circle.


    But Eva knew little about this.


    Because that year, she had also fallen into the water, had a high fever, and was seriously ill. When she woke up, she had forgotten many things, including how she had fallen into the water. A ssmate said that she fell into the water because she was ying around carelessly.


    Eva always felt like she had forgotten something, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t remember. As the years passed, she forgot the events of that time even more thoroughly. She hadn''t expected Adrian to be so fixated on the person who saved his life.


    If only she had been the one to jump in and save him.


    She felt like a giant stone was weighing on her chest, and her headache grew more intense. Why wasn''t she the one who had saved him?


    If only... if only...


    Suddenly, Adrian''s face emerged before her, his eyes cold and merciless. "Eva, terminate the pregnancy."


    Then Vivian appeared beside him, clinging to Adrian like a vine.


    "Eva, by choosing not to terminate the child, are you trying to ruin our rtionship?"


    Adrian''s gaze grew even colder. He stepped forward and grabbed her chin. "Terminate the pregnancy! Don''t push me to act."


    Eva struggled and abruptly woke up, drenched in cold sweat.


    The changing scenery outside the car window came into view.


    Just now... was it a dream? How could a dream feel so real...


    Eva exhaled a breath.


    "Eva, you''re awake." Eva looked up and saw Vivian''s worried face. "Thank goodness, I was worrying about your well-being throughout the journey." Vivian? What was she doing here?


    Eva quickly realized something and looked to her side.


    Sure enough, Adrian was driving, and Vivian was in the passenger seat.


    Adrian, hearing that she was awake, nced at her through the rearview mirror.


    "Awake? Do you feel unwell anywhere? Tell the doctor when we get to the hospital."


    Eva had just managed to steady her heartbeat, but hearing this, she grew tense once more.


    "No, there''s no need to go to the hospital. I''m fine."


    "Stop being ridiculous. Do you know you have a fever?" Adrian nced at her again.


    Vivian chimed in, "Yes, Eva, your fever is quite high. You need to go to the hospital. I heard from Adrian that you got caught in the rain yesterday. What happened?" What happened?


    Looking at Vivian in front of her, Eva''s pale lips moved, but she didn''t utter a single word.


    Vivian must have been present during yesterday''s fiasco. Was she hinting at something by saying this?


    As she pondered, Vivian''s face showed a hint of concern, and she looked at Eva apologetically. "Was it because of yesterday..."


    Adrian interrupted Vivian, his voice steady, "In any case, we''re going to the hospital first. Take a few days to rest while you''re sick; you don''t need to go to the office for now." Being interrupted, Vivian cast a slightly perplexed nce at Adrian.


    Eva bit her lip and finally spoke after a long pause, "I''m not going to the hospital."


    Her expression was stubborn, and Adrian frowned, feeling that Eva was being particrly willful today.


    "If you fall ill and refrain from seeking medical care, what do you want to do?"


    Eva pressed her lips together, "I know my own body."


    She couldn''t go to the hospital! Otherwise, her pregnancy would be exposed.

 Chapter 5

    Eva did not want Adrian to know her pregnancy. She had not yet decided what to do about the child.


    Upon hearing her words, Adrian furrowed his brows deeply, steering the car in a swift motion to pull over by the roadside.


    Seeing this, Eva thought he meant for her to get out, so she reached out to open the door.


    The next second, the car was locked.


    Adrian stared at her through the rearview mirror with an inscrutable expression.


    "Why didn''t you want to go to the hospital?"


    Since she came back drenched from the rainst night, she had been acting strangely.


    Evaposed herself and said, "If I feel unwell, I''ll go see a doctor myself."


    At these words, Adrian narrowed his eyes displeasingly.


    Vivian, seeing the situation, suggested, "You don''t want to go to the hospital. Are you afraid of hospitals? My friend opened a small clinic after returning to the homnd. How about you go there for a check-up?" Then she looked at Adrian, "Adrian, what do you think?"


    Adrian did not immediately agree but frowned and said, "A clinic? Is it reliable?"


    Vivian felt a bit embarrassed, "Of course, if it weren''t reliable, why would I rmend it? Don''t you trust me?"


    After a moment of thought, Adrian nodded, "Then let''s go there."


    Eva furrowed her delicate brows.


    "I..."


    The next moment, Adrian''s car sped off, leaving her no chance to refuse.


    Vivian continued to persuade her, "Eva, don''t worry. My friend has a great personality and is very patient and gentle with patients. I''ll brief him in advance, and we can discuss it together. How about that?" Eva said nothing more as the car drove off.


    After arriving at the clinic, Vivian helped Eva out of the car, speaking softly, "Are you still feeling dizzy? If you''re ufortable, lean on my shoulder."


    Vivian spoke in a gentle voice, with a faint scent of gardenias, and her movements were very gentle as she supported Eva.


    Eva lowered her gaze, her thoughts drifting introspectively.


    Vivian was not only beautiful but also very excellent. Most importantly, she had saved Adrian''s life.


    If she were Adrian, she would probably fall in love with Vivian too.


    When Vivian''s friend arrived, she went up to talk to him for a while. The man, dressed in a white coat, finally settled his gaze at Eva''s face, nodded, and walked over.


    "Hello, you''re Vivian''s friend, right? I''m Brian Mitchell."


    Eva nodded at him, "Hello."


    "Fever?" Brian took out a thermometer, "Let''s check your temperature first."


    Eva took it.


    From behind, Adrian''s voice sounded, "You know how to use a thermometer, right?" Eva remained silent.


    She ignored him. How could she not know how to use a thermometer?


    However, due to her sickness, her head was a bit dizzy and her movements were slow.


    After that, Brian said they needed to wait a while.


    Seeing this, Vivian took the opportunity to introduce Brian to Adrian.


    "Adrian, this is Brian, whom I mentioned to you on the phone. He''s an expert in medicine, but he prefers freedom, so he opened this clinic after returning home. Brian, this is Adrian, he''s..." She paused for a moment, then shyly said, "My friend."


    "Friend?" This title made Brian raise an eyebrow. His gaze unintentionally swept over Eva''s face before returning to Adrian, "Hello, I''m Brian. Nice to meet you."


    After a long while, Adrian finally raised his hand to shake Brian''s lightly, "Adrian."


    "I know."


    Brian smiled mysteriously and said something ambiguous, "I often hear Vivian talk about you. She speaks very highly of you."


    "Brian..." Vivian''s face instantly turned pink, as if she had been exposed.


    "What? Did I say something wrong? Don''t you often praise him in front of everyone?"


    "Alright, stop."


    As she spoke, Adrian nced at Eva.


    She sat there quietly, her eyelids drooping slightly, with a few soft strands of hair falling over her forehead, covering her eyes and hiding all her emotions. She sat there quietly, detached, like an outsider.


    Adrian''s face instantly darkened.


    Five minutester, Brian took the thermometer and frowned, "The temperature is a bit high. Let''s give you an injection."


    Eva raised her head and said, "No injection."


    Hearing this, Brian nced at her and then smiled, "Are you afraid of pain? Don''t worry, I''m very gentle."


    Vivian also nodded in agreement, "Yes, Eva, your health is important."


    Eva shook her head, insisting, "I don''t want an injection or medicine."


    Her stubbornness made Adrian frown.


    "Then we can only use physical cooling. I''ll go fetch some things. In the meantime, use a wet towel to cool your head. Don''t let the fever get worse." As Brian left, Vivian said, "I''ll go help too."


    Once they were gone, only Eva and Adrian were left in the room.


    Eva felt dizzy.


    She wanted to get a wet towel to cool herself down, but she had no strength at all.


    At this moment, Adrian, who had been mostly silent, suddenly sneered two words. "Drama queen!"

 Chapter 6

    He thought she was pretentious?


    Eva paused, then sneered inwardly a momentter.


    "I am certainly not as understanding as your Vivian." The words slipped out before she could stop them.


    Adrian was stunned, and so was Eva.


    What... was she babbling about?


    Eva secretly regretted her words, but Adrian suddenly lifted her chin, catching her off guard. She looked up and met his deep gaze.


    Adrian''s eyes narrowed slightly, sharp as a hawk''s.


    "Are you jealous of her?"


    Eva''s brow twitched, and she anxiously tried to swat his hand away.


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Eva felt inexplicably guilty and desperately tried to retract her hand. In her haste, she ended up falling backward onto the sofa. And then she couldn''t get up.


    She had no strength.


    Adrian stood there, his gazeplex as he looked at her for a few moments before saying, "Wait here."


    He then went to the bathroom and returned with a stic basin filled with water and a towel, cing them on the chair beside her.


    Adrian soaked the fresh towel in the cold water, wrung it out, and began to wipe Eva down.


    "What are you doing?"


    Seeing him approach with the towel, Eva instinctively dodged.


    Adrian gripped her shoulder, his handsome face frowning, "Don''t move, I''m trying to cool you down."


    Eva wanted to refuse, but as soon as the towel touched her skin, the icy sensation swept over her, making it impossible to say no.


    Her body temperature was high, and it wouldn''t be good if she didn''t cool down.


    It was just physical cooling...


    With that thought, Eva let him continue.


    Adrian wiped the sweat from her forehead, then her cheeks. As he continued, a thought crossed his mind, causing his thin lips to quirk up. In a soft voice, he murmured, "Eva, you''ve been giving me headaches since we were kids." Eva''s eyelid twitched at his words.


    "What did you say?"


    Adrian''s eyes, deep and intense like ck sapphires, let out a soft scoff, "Why pretend ignorance? This is the first time I''ve ever done this for someone. You, as always, remain quite uncooperative, causing me vexation."


    As he spoke, Adrian''s hand moved from her shoulder, pulling open her cor to reveal a patch of fair skin, and the wet towel ventured inside.


    Eva''s expression changed slightly, and she pressed down on his hand, "What are you doing?"


    "I''m wiping inside," he replied with a righteous look.


    Eva, both anxious and shy, pulled her cor back, "No. I can do it myself."


    Adrian frowned at her actions.


    "Why are you holding against me?"


    His hand didn''t move away, still holding the wet towel at her chest. From a certain angle, it looked as if he was caressing her body...


    If someone else saw this, it would surely cause a misunderstanding.


    "I''m not holding against you, I can do it myself."


    Adrian continued to frown, staring at her with displeasure.


    "Are you..."


    Bang!


    Before he could finish, a loud noise came from outside the door. Both Adrian and Eva looked over to see Vivian frantically picking up something she had dropped. Adrian''s hand froze, and after a moment, he withdrew it, his expression unreadable.


    Evay there, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.


    Vivian quickly picked up her things and walked in.


    She smiled gently at Adrian and Eva, as if she hadn''t seen anything just now.


    "My apologies for the mishandling a moment ago. I hope I didn''t startle you?"


    Adrian''s lips pressed together, as if he wanted to say something, but Vivian stepped forward and extended her hand. "Let me take over."


    Adrian could only pass her the wet towel.


    "You may leave this task to me, Adrian. Don''t worry; I shall take good care of Eva."


    Hearing this, Adrian nced at Eva, whoy there motionless, and then nodded.


    He then left the room.


    The door closed, and the room fell silent. After a while, Vivian washed the towel again and walked over to Eva.


    "Eva, shall I help you wipe down?"


    "How about calling a nurse? I don''t want to trouble you," Eva suggested, feeling embarrassed to have Vivian help her.


    Vivian smiled gently. "No trouble at all. Can a nurse be as attentive as I am? As long as you don''t mind me seeing everything." With the conversation at this point, Eva had no choice but to nod reluctantly.


    After she agreed, Vivian leaned in and began unbuttoning her clothes.


    To avoid awkwardness, Eva closed her eyes and didn''t notice Vivian''s scrutinizing gaze as she undid the buttons.


    Vivian pressed her lips together, her expression not exactly pleasant.


    If she hadn''t seen wrong earlier, Adrian had been holding a wet towel, intending to wipe Eva down, right?


    He had even pulled down her cor.


    When had their rtionship be so intimate?


    Could it be that during her time abroad, something had happened that she was unaware of?


    Vivian''s delicate brows furrowed slightly, a sense of unease creeping into her heart.


    She had to admit, Eva had a great figure-ample breasts and tender skin. Even as a woman, Vivian had to acknowledge the allure this body held for men.


    Vivian bit her lower lip lightly and said softly, "Actually, over these years, I need to thank you."


    Eva opened her eyes, meeting Vivian''s beautiful eyes.


    "Thank me?"


    Vivian nodded. "Yes, although on the surface, it seems like the fake marriage helped you through a tough time, I know that over the past two years, your status has shielded Adrian from many romantic advances. Hence, I wish to extend my gratitude to you. Otherwise, if I came back to find him surrounded by a bunch of admirers, it would be quite troublesome for me."


    Eva was taken aback by her words.


    She wasn''t stupid; she could hear the underlying message in Vivian''s words.


    Vivian first expressed her gratitude, then emphasized that Adrian and Eva''s marriage was fake, subtly warning her not to harbor any illusions.


    Eva pressed her lips together and said nothing.


    Vivian continued to wipe her down for a while longer, then buttoned her clothes back up, helped her sit up, and considerately poured her a ss of water. "Have some water."


    Eva drank, finally soothing her throat.


    She looked up at Vivian and conveyed what she had been meaning to say.


    "Actually, you don''t need to worry about Adrian having any feelings for me. The ce by his side is always reserved for you. After all, you are his savior, a benefactor unmatched by any other. You have also been kind to me, and I won''t forget your kindness."

 Chapter 7

    Eva spoke bluntly, and Vivian immediately felt a bit awkward. "I didn''t mean it that way."


    Eva said nothing more; she didn''t care what Vivian meant.


    Before leaving, Brian prescribed some medicine for her and said to Vivian, "Even though your friend is reluctant to take medicine, she should try to take it if she can." The three of them left the clinic and returned to the ckwood family.


    Upon arriving there, as soon as the car door opened, Eva, enduring her difort, walked out.


    She only wanted to go upstairs and sleep.


    But as she got out of the car, she stumbled and nearly fell forward, only to be caught in time by Adrian, who had just stepped out.


    He frowned at her, "You''re in such a state, yet you still refuse to take medicine or get an injection. You really are..."


    Vivian, who had followed them out of the car, saw their hands touch and quickly walked over to support Eva. "Adrian, let me."


    Vivian helped Eva inside, greeting the servants as they passed.


    The servants, upon seeing Vivian, all showed surprise.


    Once Vivian had escorted Eva upstairs, the servants couldn''t help but gather and whisper among themselves. "That seemed to be Ms. Morrison, the one Mr. ckwood likes..."


    "What? Isn''t Mr. ckwood in love with Mrs. ckwood?"


    "Ignorance! Ms. Morrison saved Mr. ckwood; he has been awaiting her all this time."


    "Is that so!" The group was about to say more but a loud cough interrupted them.


    They turned to see the butler, who had appeared unnoticed, sternly standing there. "Don''t you have work to do?"


    The group scattered like birds.


    After they left, the butler, who was over fifty and had graying eyebrows, frowned.


    So Vivian had returned... No wonder Mrs. ckwood seemed offst night.


    Vivian helped Eva back to her room.


    "Thank you."


    "You''re wee," Vivian smiled. "Get some rest."


    "Alright." Eva took off her shoes andy down, noticing Adrian slowly strolling behind them.


    "Shall I take you back?"


    Vivian nodded. After all, this was the ckwood family, and she had no reason to stay here longer.


    "Alright."


    Before leaving, Vivian cast one more nce around the room and suddenly noticed a bespoke men''s suit hanging on the coat rack outside.


    Such a style could only belong to Adrian.


    Vivian''s face paled slightly. She pressed her lips together and quietly followed Adrian out.


    After they left, Eva opened her eyes, staring at the white ceiling, feeling lost.


    What should she do about the child?


    Pregnancy was different from other things.


    For instance, she could hide her feelings for Adrian very well, for one year, two years, even ten years.


    But what about the pregnancy? When the timees, her bump will show, she can''t conceal it at all.


    The more she thought about it, the dizzier Eva felt, and she gradually fell into a deep sleep.


    In her sleep, Eva felt as if someone was unbuttoning her cor. Then, something cold was ced on her burning body, bringing herfort. She sighed and instinctively clung to the person''s arm. Next, she heard a muffled groan and heavy breathing. Her nape was gripped byrge hands, and her lips were covered.


    Something slid into her mouth, teasing her nerves, causing her to softly gasp.


    Eva furrowed her delicate brows and bit down on the intruding object. The taste of blood spread in her mouth, and the man gasped.


    She was then pushed away, her cheeks pinched hard. She vaguely heard the person say, "You''ve really been spoiled, haven''t you?"


    In pain, she mumbled and pushed the person''s hand away, then fell back into a deep sleep.


    When she woke up, it was already night.


    A servant was by her side, and upon seeing her awake, approached with joy.


    "Mrs. ckwood, you''re awake." The servant reached out to feel her forehead. "Thank god, Mrs. ckwood, your fever has finally broken."


    Eva looked at the servant in front of her and, recalling some fragmented memories, asked, "Have you been taking care of me all this time?" The servant quickly nodded.


    Hearing this, a light of expectation dimmed in Eva''s eyes.


    She lowered her eyelids.


    Those fragmented memories had made her think that the person taking care of her was Adrian.


    But it wasn''t.


    As Eva was pondering, she saw the servant bring over a bowl of medicine.


    "Mrs. ckwood, you have just awakened, and this medicine is still warm; you should take it."


    A strong medicinal smell wafted over, and Eva furrowed her delicate brows, instinctively avoiding it.


    "Mrs. ckwood, you should drink it while it''s hot; it''ll get cold soon."


    Eva retreated and turned her face away. "Just leave it there; I''ll drink itter."


    "But..."


    "I''m a bit hungry. Could you go downstairs and get me something to eat?"


    "Alright, I''ll go get you something. Mrs. ckwood, remember to take your medicine."


    Once the servant left, Eva got out of bed, picked up the bowl of dark medicine, and went to the bathroom to pour it out.


    Watching the medicine flush away, leaving no trace, Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Now that she was pregnant, she couldn''t take medicine casually.


    Eva stood up with the bowl, but as she turned, she discovered Adrian''s sudden presence. He was leaning against the bathroom door, his sharp eyes filled with curiosity. "What are you doing?"


    Eva''s heart skipped a beat, and a sh of panic crossed her eyes.


    Adrian took a few steps forward, grabbed her wrist, and pinned her against the wall, his gaze fixed upon her, his expression gradually growing solemn.


    "Recently, you''ve been acting strange. Why won''t you take injections or drink medicine?"


    "I don''t want to. Is that a problem?" Eva met his gaze, trying hard to maintain a calm expression.


    She was pregnant, but she couldn''t let Adrian know now. If he discovered the truth, she couldn''t imagine the consequences!


    But Adrian seemed to have noticed her odd behavior.


    "Eva, yesterday at the club, when you waited for me, was there something you wanted to tell me?" Adrian lifted her chin, staring into her eyes. He didn''t miss any change in her expression. Eva froze. Yesterday, she had just found out she was pregnant and had thought about surprising Adrian, but then Vivian returned...


    She clenched her lower lip tightly, cold sweat breaking out on her back.


    Should she tell Adrian about the pregnancy?


    Next episode preview: Guess what Adrian''s reaction will be when he finds out that Eva is pregnant?

 Chapter 8

    Eva''s heart was in turmoil. Adrian was the father of the child; he should know about its existence. But... she was truly afraid that if she revealed the truth, he would coldly force her to abort the child! These past few days, she had been dreaming frequently, and the scenes in her dreams made her break out in cold sweat. "Since yesterday, you''ve been acting strange," Adrian sighed. "You''re sick, but you neither take medicine nor get injections." "If there''s something going on, you can tell me."


    Eva was contemting how to respond when a servant came in with food, giving her an excuse to go over and eat.


    Since she was still ill, the servant had prepared light food for her.


    Eva had little appetite and only ate a few bites before setting aside the bowl. The servant quickly came over to clean up.


    Adrian watched from the side, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.


    He couldn''t tell if it was just his illusion, but he felt that something was very off with Eva.


    The more Adrian thought about it, the more restless he became. For a moment, he felt ack of adequate venttion in the room and turned to leave. Before bed, the servant brought another bowl of medicine.


    Eva said directly, "I don''t want to drink it. You don''t need to bring me any more medicine in the future."


    The servant blinked in confusion and walked out of the bedroom.


    Adrian did not return.


    The bedroom was quiet, with only her in it.


    He didn''te back...


    It was quite obvious where he had gone.


    Evay on the bed, closed her eyes, and only one thought remained in her mind.


    If she had been the one to save him back then, would they divorce now?


    But... there were no "ifs."


    Eva fell into a deep sleep again, and in the middle of the night, she vaguely felt the bed beside her sink.


    Had hee back?


    However, her consciousness was soon swallowed by the darkness.


    The next morning, when Eva woke up and turned over, her first reaction was to reach out and touch the spot beside her. It was cold.


    Eva pressed her red lips together, the light in her eyes gradually dimming.


    Early in the morning, the servant brought breakfast and another bowl of medicine.


    As soon as she finished washing up, she smelled the strong scent of medicine and frowned.


    "Mrs. ckwood, this medicine..."


    Eva, unable to bear it any longer, spoke sternly.


    "I said I don''t want this medicine. Why is it here again?"


    She was usually gentle, and her sudden sternness left the servant stunned.


    Eva realized she had lost her temper and quickly regained herposure, rubbing her temples. "I''m sorry, I''m not feeling well. Please take it away."


    The servant could only take the medicine downstairs.


    Back in the kitchen, the butler saw the full bowl of medicine being brought back and frowned. "Mrs. ckwood still won''t take the medicine?"


    The servant nodded and recounted what had happened.


    Noting a hint of displeasure in her tone, the butler said sternly, "You know how well Mrs. ckwood usually treats you. She''s probably just in a bad mood because she''s sick. Don''t hold a grudge against her for this." The servant blushed at the butler''s reprimand and quickly shook her head.


    At that moment, a cold voice suddenly sounded.


    "She still won''t take the medicine?"


    The butler and the servant were startled and looked up at the speaker.


    "Mr. ckwood..."


    Adrian stood solemnly, holding his suit and car keys. He had already had breakfast and was about to leave for thepany. As he passed by, he noticed the untouched bowl of medicine on the tray and stopped to ask. The butler nodded. "Yes, Mr. ckwood."


    Then, as if remembering something, the butler asked, "Mr. ckwood, what is the effect of this medicine?"


    "It''s for reducing fever."


    So it was just fever medicine...


    The butler heaved a sigh of relief. He had been worried that something grave had befallen Mrs. ckwood. Given that it was just fever medicine, it wasn''t a big deal.


    However, the servant seemed surprised and blurted out, "So it''s just fever medicine. I was scared. I thought it was..."


    Before she could finish, both the butler and Adrian''s gazes turned to her.


    "What do you mean?" Adrian asked coldly.


    He was always perceptive and immediately sensed that the servant''s unfinished words held significant information.


    "Exin yourself!"


    Startled by his sharp, eagle-like gaze, the servant lowered her head and said softly, "I... I''m not really sure. I just saw what looked like a hospital report in the bathroom trash can yesterday." Hearing this, Adrian narrowed his eyes.


    "What report?"


    The servant shook her head. "I''m not sure. It was torn into pieces and seemed to have been soaked by rain. I only saw the words ''report'' by chance while cleaning."


    Adrian asked, "Where is the report?"


    His intuition told him that this report might be hiding Eva''s secret!

 Chapter 9

    Eva had been acting so strangelytely that Adrian couldn''t help but suspect she was hiding something from him.


    The servant turned pale at Adrian''s tone. "Mr. ckwood, are you looking for that report?"


    "I''m sorry; the report has already been disposed of."


    Adrian''s brows furrowed.


    "What did you say?"


    The servant, frightened by his gloomy demeanor, was on the verge of tears and could only hastily exined, "I''m sorry, Mr. ckwood, I didn''t mean to dispose of it. But the report was in such bad shape that I didn''t think much of it and just..." Her words only deepened Adrian''s frown.


    He knew something was off with Eva!


    The butler, worried, said, "Mr. ckwood, could Mrs. ckwood be feeling unwell?"


    Adrian handed him his car keys and coat. "I''m going upstairs."


    In the room, Eva was about to rest when she received a phone call.


    It was from the deputy secretary of the Hall Group, discussing the recent project.


    Due to her absence from the office all day yesterday, this matter remained unattended to.


    After hanging up, Eva furrowed her delicate brows.


    With the business affairs bustling, after just one day of absence, tasks were piling up.


    It seemed she had to return to work today.


    Eva took out herptop and had just logged into her email when footsteps outside the door reached her ears.


    Thinking it was a servant; she ignored it and opened her emails to start working.


    It wasn''t until the footsteps stopped beside her, and a faint, fresh scent reached her, that Eva realized something amiss. She lifted her gaze and found herself ensnared within the deep, dark pools of Adrian''s eyes. Startled by his sudden appearance, Eva eximed, "What are you doing here?"


    Adrian''s thin lips pressed together as he replied coolly, "This is my room."


    Eva was momentarily stunned and instinctively asked, "Shouldn''t you be out by now?"


    "Do you mind me being in my room?" Adrian said, pausing before adding, "I was homest night."


    Sure enough, Eva''s face showed surprise.


    Adrian stared at her. "Surprised? You didn''t even know I was lying next to youst night?"


    Eva bit her lip and didn''t reply.


    So, the feeling she hadst night wasn''t an illusion; he had reallye back.


    She had been half-asleep and, upon waking, found his side of the bed cold, thinking he hadn''t returned all night.


    Knowing he had been home, Eva felt a subtle change in her emotions.


    "I thought you wouldn''te back."


    Her words plunged them into silence.


    Vivian had only been back for two days, and their rtionship had already be awkwardly distant.


    After a long pause, Adrian suddenly asked, "Why aren''t you taking your medicine?"


    Eva faced theputer screen, nonchntly browsing the disy, and exined calmly, "I didn''t want to take it yesterday, and today I feel much better, so I don''t need it." Herposed demeanor made Adrian''s lips twitch. "Really? Then what''s with the report?"


    At the mention of the ''report,'' Eva''s hand, which had been scrolling the mouse, suddenly stopped.


    She almost thought she had misheard.


    But Adrian''s words echoed in her ears, clearly indicating she hadn''t imagined it.


    Adrian had seen it! The pregnancy report...


    After a moment, Eva seemed to collect herself and looked up at him, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.


    "What report?"


    Adrian stared at her in silence.


    She was performing well; her eyes, expression, and tone were all as usual, just like when they normally spoke.


    If Adrian hadn''t noticed her small reaction, he might have been fooled.


    His gaze followed her, sharp as a de. "I''m asking you, what report?"


    Eva forced herself to calm.


    At first, she had been frightened by his mention of the report. She even wondered if he had seen it and knew about her pregnancy. But soon, Eva regained herposure.


    The trials and vicissitudes of these past two years have wrought a transformation upon her, making her unppable in any situation.


    Even if the report hadn''t been torn up, the rain had washed away the writing, and the paper was ruined.


    So, even if Adrian found it, he wouldn''t be able to make out anything.


    Adrian sat down in front of her, their eyes locking.


    "Eva, do you think I don''t know you?" Adrian suddenly sneered. "You''re lying. Do you think I can''t tell?"


    Eva met his gaze fearlessly.


    "Really? Do you know me well?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm in her smile.


    The next instant, his hand encircled, capturing the nape of her neck, followed closely by the press of his forehead, and their fervent breaths intertwined in an intimate dance.


    "We''ve known each other for over twenty years, shared a bed for two. Eva, if I don''t know you, who does?" Adrian said, his warm breath brushing her face.


    The atmosphere grew increasingly intimate, and Eva was stunned.


    "So, we''ve known each other for that long," she murmured, her eyes dazed. "You im to know me, yet you never knew who I liked..."


    She had liked him for so long, and he had never noticed! All these years, she had carefully hidden her feelings, though sometimes she couldn''t help but show her affection. Had he really never sensed it? "The person you like?" Adrian''s face changed as he heard those words. "Who is it?"

 Chapter 10

    Eva then realized she had misspoken.


    Faced with Adrian''s questioning gaze, she felt a bit at a loss.


    "Do you have someone you like? Why have you never told me?" Adrian pressed on relentlessly.


    "I misspoke, don''t misunderstand," Eva pushed him away, avoiding his intense gaze.


    "Who is that guy?" Adrian, however, wouldn''t let her go, pestering her with questions. Even he himself didn''t realize the urgency imbued within his tone. Evaposed herself and said calmly, "Anyway, that person won''t be you."


    Given that Adrian didn''t like her, it was better that she buried her feelings for him deep in her heart. At least, she wouldn''t feel too embarrassed in his presence. Upon hearing this, Adrian''s brows furrowed tightly, and his expression turned frighteningly grim.


    "Then, what''s with the report?" His tone grew colder. Hearing Eva say she wouldn''t like him made his heart feel stifled, though he didn''t know why.


    Eva, feeling helpless under his persistence, could only say, "I don''t know what report you''re talking about, is it from thepany or something else?"


    "The servant said they found a report in the trash while cleaning. It was found in our room, torn to pieces. Isn''t it yours?"


    Eva made a knowing expression. "Torn to pieces? I remember now, it''s my medical report. What''s the matter?"


    This answer made Adrian let out a low scoff.


    "Do you think I''m stupid? What kind of medical report requires tearing?" Adrian inquired, grasping Eva''s delicate wrist. "Are you hiding something from me? I want the truth." Her unusual behavior must be rted to this report.


    His grip tightened inexplicably, prompting a furrow in Eva''s elegant brow. Then she exined softly, "I didn''t mean to tear it up, but the report got wet in the rain, rendering the writing illegible. Hence, I threw it away." Adrian suddenly froze. It had rained heavily that day, and she had been drenched...


    Seeing him in a daze, Eva spoke up, "Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid it was a pregnancy report?"


    Adrian had intended to deny it, but upon hearing herst words, his breath hitched.


    After that, he scrutinized her, his eyes filled withplex and deep emotions.


    Eva arched an eyebrow, "Why this expression? Are you afraid my pregnancy would affect you and Vivian?"


    Adrian narrowed his eyes. "Are you pregnant?"


    Eva shrugged, "No, otherwise I would have shown you the report. Given our childhood friendship, if I were to terminate the pregnancy, you''d probablypensate me quite a bit, right?"


    Her light-hearted tone and indifferent attitude made Adrian''s expression change slightly.


    "What did you say? You would terminate the pregnancy?"


    "I was speaking hypothetically."


    "If you were really pregnant, would you terminate it?" Adrian''s voice unconsciously rose again.


    Eva instinctively nodded, lowering her eyes.


    "I would."


    She didn''t notice the undercurrent of emotions swirling in Adrian''s eyes as she said this.


    Adrian was infuriated by her indifference, feeling a tumultuous churn within his chest, surrounded by a dense, anxious emotion.


    But soon, Eva''s words brought him back to reality.


    "If I didn''t terminate it, what would happen to you and Vivian?"


    Eva''s words acted as a chilling awakening for Adrian, dousing him with rity and sharpening his senses.


    He scrutinized her for a moment, the emotions in his eyes fading. Adrian rose to his feet, his demeanor noticeably aloof.


    His tone devoid of warmth, almost unrecognizable from moments before, he stated, "You don''t need to go to thepany today, just rest."


    Adrian turned and left the bedroom, his expression icy.


    Eva wasn''t wrong. Even if she were really pregnant one day, she would have to terminate it.


    He couldn''t let Vivian down, and he wouldn''t let Vivian down.


    Years ago, as he slipped and fell into the rushing waters, the current was so swift that even a good swimmer would have faced a near-death experience, let alone those attempting to rescue him.


    He had swallowed several mouthfuls of river water, his limbs grew heavy, and just as he was about to lose consciousness, he saw a slender figure jumping in without hesitation, swimming rapidly towards him! Unfortunately, before she could reach him, he lost consciousness.


    When he woke up, he was already in the hospital and heard that Vivian had been injured while saving him, her hand cut by stones at the riverbed.


    When he went to see her, Vivian was sitting by the bed, her face pale, her hand already bandaged.


    As soon as Vivian saw him, she immediately got out of bed, stumbling towards him, asking if he was alright.


    From that moment on, Adrian decided to treat her well.


    As long as she was willing, the position of Mrs. ckwood by his side would always be reserved for her.

 Chapter 11

    After Adrian left, Eva sat in a reverie for a moment before resuming her tasks.


    Her phone chimed, drawing her gaze. It was a call from Carter Morrison.


    "What is it?" Eva answered the call.


    "Eva, has the deputy secretary of the Hall Group called you?"


    Eva nodded, "Yes, they did. What''s up?"


    "Pass the work that needs handling to me. I''ll handle it for you."


    Hearing this, Eva paused, somewhat puzzled.


    "I heard from Jenny that you''re sick. Why didn''t you tell me?" Carter ''s voice sounded extremely gentle. "If you''re ill, you should rest well. Activate the ''Do Not Disturb'' mode on your phone. Do you truly believe your body is invincible?" Before the Hansens hit rock bottom, Carter was apetent right-hand man at the Hansen Group and within the family.


    Carter had a promising future, but the Hansen family''s bankruptcy blindsided him.


    When the Hansens went under, Eva figured his skills wouldnd him another top job. But instead, he followed her to the ckwood Group.


    Later, Carter treated her very well, like a big brother, taking care of her thoughtfully, and the way he looked at her changed gradually.


    Eva was very clear about his feelings. Unfortunately, her heart already belonged to someone else.


    In this world, how rare was true mutual affection?


    Thinking of this, Eva came back to her senses and declined Carter''s kindness in a calm voice.


    "No need, Carter. It''s just a cold, I''m fine now."


    On the other end of the phone, Carter was silent for a moment before sighing, "Eva, are we really so distant now?"


    Hearing this, Eva paused.


    Carter continued, "Set aside the past favor Mr. Hansen had bestowed upon me. Since we both work at the ckwood Group now, isn''t it normal for colleagues to help each other?" Eva said, "Carter..."


    "Or do you think my help unnecessary? Or do you dislike me now?"


    "That''s not true." Eva denied anxiously, "You''ve been so kind to me, how could I possibly dislike you?"


    For so many years, Eva had always regarded him as her brother. How could she possibly dislike him?


    At the other end of the line, Carter chuckled softly, hisughter low and pleasant.


    "Since you don''t dislike me, then pass the work over."


    Eva lightly bit her red lips and finally agreed.


    "Alright, then I''ll trouble you, Carter. I''ll treat you to dinner another day."


    "I''ll hold you to that."


    After ending the call, Eva forwarded the email to Carter''s email ount. Fearing any oversight, she also typed out a detailed segment of work content and sent it to Carter afterward. It took a while before he replied.


    "Alright, I got it. Don''t worry about it, go rest."


    Having someone reliable to hand over her work to while she was sick allowed Eva to finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    She had originally nned to return to the office today. But now, it seemed she should continue resting at home for another day.


    Moreover, she had a pressing issue to address.


    Eva lowered her gaze to her stomach and couldn''t help but gently caress her abdomen.


    Unbeknownst to her, a new life had already begun to grow there.


    And now, she didn''t know what to do with this child.


    Should she terminate the pregnancy or...?


    Eva''s mind was a chaotic mess.


    She took out her phone and called her best friend.


    "What? Pregnant?"


    In a caf��, the girl seated across from Eva couldn''t help but spit out the half-mouthful of coffee she had just drunk. Her vehement reaction drew the attention of many patrons here. Eva was speechless.


    She nced around and, seeing no familiar faces, sighed in relief. She handed a napkin to her best friend, Emily Jones, and whispered, "Can you not be so loud? Everyone''s looking over here." Emily took the napkin and wiped her mouth, then nodded in agreement.


    "Sorry, I know. I was just too shocked."


    Eva cast a resigned nce at Emily.


    Emily, however, stopped drinking her coffee and leaned on the table, staring at Eva with wide eyes. She lowered her voice and asked, "How did you suddenly get pregnant? Didn''t you and he take precautions?"


    "We did," Eva sipped her coffee and said calmly, "It was an ident."


    "So what now? Are you going to keep it?"


    This question made Eva pause, and after a long while, she shook her head.


    Emily''s face registered surprise, "No, you''re not keeping it? Why? You''ve been married to him for so long. He treats you quite well, always taking you to events. If you hadn''t told me your marriage was fake, I would have thought it was real." Eva''s smile was faint. "Really?"


    Emily asked again, "Does Adrian know?"


    "I haven''t told him."


    "You..." Emily was speechless, "So when are you nning to tell him?"


    Eva pressed her lips together and remained silent.


    "What do you mean? This is such an important matter. Such a significant matter, you surely don''t intend to keep it from him, do you? This child isn''t just yours; it belongs to both of you."


    "What''s wrong with you? How can you remain so calm in a situation like this? Pregnancy is truly significant..."


    "Vivian is back."


    One sentence left Emily stunned.


    And the emotions in Eva''s eyes grew even more subdued.


    "So do you think there''s any point in telling him?"

 Chapter 12

    Emily was stunned for quite a while before she reacted.


    "I, I thought she wasn''ting back."


    For a moment, neither of them spoke.


    Before the Hansen family went bankrupt, as Eva''s close friend, Emily had mingled in high society with her for a long time. Naturally, she also knew about Vivian saving Adrian.


    The two of them, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, were originally a good match. But as Eva''s close friend, Emily still felt sorry for her friend.


    Emily bit her lower lip, feeling indignant on Eva''s behalf.


    "In fact, even if shees back now, so what? She and Adrian aren''t a couple, and besides, you two are married now, and you have a child. I don''t believe Adrian would make you get rid of the baby!" Eva, who had been silent all along, raised her head. "Then you might not know Adrian very well."


    Hearing this, Emily widened her eyes in disbelief. "What do you mean? He would make you get rid of the baby?"


    Eva replied, "He would."


    Emily added, "But you haven''t told him yet, have you? How can you be sure he would?"


    Eva pressed her lips together. "I tested him."


    "Te, tested?" Emily was instantly exasperated. "What''s the point of testing? Why don''t you just tell him now that you''re pregnant and see how he reacts!"


    Eva remained silent.


    Seeing her silence, Emily continued, "Are you hesitating out of fear? I swear on my honor, if Adrian knows about your pregnancy, he would never make you have an abortion. Do you believe me?" Eva was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I don''t see the need."


    After saying that, she picked up her bag and stood up. "Let''s go, I''ll go pay the bill."


    Before Emily could react, Eva had already gone to the front desk.


    Emily, fuming, had no choice but to grab her bag and follow her out.


    After leaving the caf��, Emily walked beside Eva. Noticing her continued silence, she couldn''t help but grab her.


    "Eva!"


    Eva stopped in her tracks and looked at her steadily.


    "Wake up, trust me just this once, okay? If you didn''t like him, I would never persuade you to do this! But you do like him, don''t you? Happiness is in your own hands!"


    "I..." Eva hesitated at her words.


    Seeing her indecision, Emily asked, "Alright, let me ask you a few questions, and you answer me."


    "What questions?"


    "Your pregnancy will be discovered by someone sooner orter, right? The bigger the baby gets, the harder it will be to hide!"


    Eva nodded.


    "Are you afraid of being discovered by others?"


    Eva thought for a moment and nodded again.


    "Since Adrian will find out sooner orter, why don''t you tell him now? What''s the point of dying?"


    "Tell him, he should know about the baby''s existence! Even if the oue is the same, at least you tried, right?"


    "But..." Eva''s pale lips trembled slightly, her eyshes fluttering, "If I don''t tell him, maybe we can still be friends in the future. But if I do..."


    Hearing this, Emily fell silent. After a long while, she sighed softly, "Eva, I know you like him, but if you can''t be together, even being friends will be a torment for you! And don''t you want to know how he feels about you? He treats you so well; I don''t believe he has no feelings for you."


    Yes, sometimes he was really kind to her. But... it was just a transaction.


    If it weren''t for Nora liking her, and Nora just happening to be ill, they would never have gotten married.


    "Anyway, I''ve said all I needed to say. Think it over carefully, the decision is yours." Emily patted her on the shoulder.


    Before leaving, Emily couldn''t help but run over to her before she got into the car and said, "Eva, happiness is something you have to fight for yourself, understand?"


    Eva reached out and pinched Emily''s cheek. "I know, I''ll think about it."


    "Alright, then go back. Remember to call me if you need anything."


    "Okay."


    As soon as Eva returned to the ckwood family, the butler greeted her with concern.


    "Mrs. ckwood, where did you go? How could you run around when you''re not feeling well? What if something happened?"


    The butler''s concern warmed Eva''s heart. "I''m fine."


    "That''s good." The butler looked her over from head to toe, and only after confirming she was alright did he breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Mrs. ckwood, please go upstairs and rest."


    "Okay."


    Eva walked upstairs and returned to her room.


    After the door closed, the surroundings fell into silence. Left alone in the room, all she could think about was what her friend Emily had said.


    Happiness was something you have to fight for yourself. Should she... try one more time?


    Eva gripped her phone tightly.


    She actually wanted to follow Emily''s advice and give it a try. This thought took root in her mind and wouldn''t go away.


    But she didn''t have the courage to tell Adrian face-to-face. Maybe she could send him a message.


    As soon as this idea came to her, Eva''s heart started pounding wildly, as if stirred by some stimulus.


    Her hand holding the phone began to tremble and shake.


    When she tried to unlock it with her fingerprint, it failed several times, and she finally had to enter the password.


    Eva opened Adrian''s contact.


    Once she did, she felt lost again. How should she tell him?


    She stared at the phone for a long time, finally deciding to be direct.


    She wanted to give herself one more chance, and also give Adrian one more chance! If Adrian asked her to get rid of the baby, she would never bother him again. If Adrian wanted to start over with her... Eva''s heart beat faster and faster as sheposed the message: [I''m pregnant.].


    Then, she closed her eyes and hit send.


    Eva stared at the phone screen, her fingertips trembling violently, her heartbeat out of rhythm. ''Adrian, how will you respond? How will you feel when you know about the baby?'' she thought.

 Chapter 13

    When Eva sent the message sessfully, a sudden calm enveloped her heart.


    Now, all she had to do was to wait for a reply.


    However, Adrian didn''t respond immediately.


    Eva guessed he might be in a meeting or his phone might be on silent. Once he finished his work, he would see it.


    She decided to take a nap.


    Eva swiftly changed into her pajamas, drew the curtains, and climbed into bed.


    Meanwhile, in one of the offices at the ckwood Group, Vivian, once calm on the sofa, now trembled visibly, staring at the text message that simply read, "I''m pregnant." Initially, she mistook it for a work-rted message for Adrian or spam. She didn''t expect it to be from Eva.


    Subconsciously, Vivian nced at Adrian, who was busy with his work across the room.


    She couldn''t believe that Adrian and Eva had slept together!


    Sensing her gaze, Adrian looked over, puzzled.


    Vivian was startled and quickly forced a smile before lowering her head.


    Adrian then averted his gaze.


    The office, high above the city, was silent, impervious to the street noise below.


    Without rechecking if the message was indeed from Eva, Vivian deleted it.


    A sense of relief washed over Vivian, though her fists were clenched, the nails digging deep into her palms.


    ''What''s Eva up to? Is she trying to snatch Adrian away from me?'' she pondered.


    With this in mind, Vivian bit her lip.


    Just now, she asked Adrian for his phone under a different pretext. Adrian frowned slightly but quickly handed it over. If he had seen this message...


    A few minutester, Vivian returned the phone to Adrian and said softly, "Thank you, Adrian."


    Adrian took the phone and nodded. "Hmm."


    Vivian couldn''t help but ask, "You hate it when people touch your phone. Why would you lend it to me?"


    Adrian nced at her, "You''re different."


    Vivian felt a surge of contentment.


    Maybe she was just overthinking things. Even if Eva was really pregnant, who knew if the child was Adrian''s? How could Adrian possibly touch her? Suddenly, Adrian stated solemnly, "Vivian, you saved my life. Whatever you want, just ask, and I''ll fulfill it."


    The smile on Vivian''s lips faded slightly, but she nodded. "Thank you, Adrian."


    As she lowered her eyes, a glint of resentment shed across her face, and a sense of frustration grew in her heart.


    He''d been nice to her just because she saved his life! Did he have no other feelings for her?


    Reminiscing the incident years ago made Vivian uneasy.


    The river was rushing that day. Vivian, paralyzed by fear, watched Adrian get swept away.


    As she turned for help, a slender figure rushed over and leaped into the river without hesitation.


    Many years had passed, but it remained vivid in Vivian''s mind.


    The girl was so brave, igniting a longsting resentment in her.


    "What''s on your mind?" Adrian asked, noticing that she seemed lost in thought.


    Vivian forced a smile and shook her head. "It''s nothing."


    She shouldn''t dwell on the past.


    Since Adrian believed that she saved his life, she would just go with it.


    Vivian lingered a bit longer in Adrian''s office, but he was preupied.


    She said reluctantly, "Adrian, I''lle back another time."


    Adrian, still engrossed in work, nodded. "Alright."


    As Vivian prepared to leave, Adrian called out, "Wait."


    "Huh?" Vivian turned around, puzzled.


    Adrian looked at her intently. "Who sent the message?"


    Hearing his question, Vivian froze.


    She had deleted the message without much thought. She never expected that he would ask about it now.


    "It was spam. I deleted it for you," she exined.


    Adrian fell silent.


    Vivian couldn''t help but panic.


    "Are you angry? I''m sorry. I should have let you decide. I apologize. Please don''t be mad at me."


    Her apologies eased Adrian''s frown.


    What was he doing?


    Was it necessary for him to be angry with Vivian for so small a reason?


    But Adrian was always someone with principles, so he said in a deep voice, "I''m not mad at you, but don''t do that again."


    Vivian nodded and lowered her head. "I understand. I''m sorry."


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense.


    After a moment of silence, Adrian spoke up, "I''ll have the driver take you home."


    "Okay."


    Soon, the driver arrived.


    Vivian entered the elevator, her hands clenched into fists.


    Adrian didn''t seem to mind her using his phone, but he got angry when she deleted his message.


    It seemed she was not very special to him.


    Vivian pursed her lips tightly.


    Merely relying on her act of saving his life wouldn''t suffice. She needed to strategize further.


    At least she had deleted the message.


    She believed that Eva would likely not pursue Adrian in person.


    But anyway, she needed to take action.

 Chapter 14

    Eva waited until sunset, but Adrian''s response never came.


    If it weren''t for the full signal, she would have thought her phone was out of service. When she was busy with work, she wished for such silence, longing for a bit more rest. But now...


    It wasn''t until evening that her phone buzzed.


    Startled, Eva quickly picked up her phone, but her eyes went dim in an instant.


    The message was from Emily, "Have you made up your mind? Did youe clean to him?"


    Eva stared at her phone for a long time, then suddenly chuckled softly.


    She had known the oue all along. So why couldn''t she let go?


    Why did she have to expose her wounds for him to see and be met with disdain?


    How could she face him now?


    Eva slowly copsed onto the bed, her eyes closed.


    Where was he now?


    What was he doing?


    How did he react when he found out she was pregnant?


    Would he tell Vivian, and how would Vivian see her?


    In an instant, Eva felt as if all her energy had been drained.


    During dinner, Eva had no appetite.


    At 9 p.m., she put on a coat and went downstairs.


    George stood up upon seeing her.


    "Madam, isn''t it almost your bedtime?"


    Eva nced at the entrance. "Has Adrian not returned?"


    A hint of surprise flickered in George''s eyes, then he quickly replied, "Mr. ckwood''s assistant called and said he''d got urgent business to attend to so he wouldn''t being back." Eva''s heart sank.


    Seeing her pale face, George expressed his concern, "Madam, are you okay?"


    Eva snapped back to reality and forced a smile.


    "I''m fine."


    She turned to head back upstairs. Just then, her phone rang.


    Adrian''s name on the screen caught her eye.


    Didn''t he say he wouldn''t being back? Why was he calling at this hour?


    What did he want to say?


    Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, Eva answered the call.


    "Eva?" said a familiar, sweet voice on the other end of the line. "Adrian asked me to tell you he''s got urgent business to attend to and won''t being home. Make sure to get some rest, okay?" In that instant, Eva felt a lump in her throat. Her heart sank, and her limbs went numb.


    Adrian asked Vivian to call her on his behalf?


    What did he mean?


    "Eva? Are you listening?"


    Eva snapped back to reality and replied with a choked voice, "I see," and then abruptly hung up the phone.


    Vivian breathed a sigh of relief and saved Eva''s number on her own phone before returning the phone to Adrian.


    "Adrian, here you go."


    "Hmm."


    Adrian lifted his head from a pile of files and took his phone, "Is she asleep?"


    "Not yet."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian furrowed his brows slightly, scoffed, and muttered to himself, "Doesn''t she know she''s still sick and needs to get more rest? How stubborn."


    Beside him, Vivian paled at once. She bit her lip, her hands trembling at her sides.


    Perhaps Adrian didn''t realize how gentle he appeared when he said those words.


    "You saved her number?" asked Adrian out of the blue.


    Vivian blinked and replied, "Yeah, can I hang out with her?"


    "Sure, better than her being all absorbed in work."


    Vivian gave an awkward smile. As she turned away, a glint of resentment shed across her pretty face.


    ...


    The next day, Eva woke to find her eyes a bit swollen.


    To avoid drawing attention, she applied some ice to reduce the swelling.


    ncing at her phone, she saw several messages.


    Carter, "Don''t worry. Everything is going smoothly. Just rest, and if you''re not feeling well, make sure to go to the hospital."


    "You awake? How are you feeling? If needed, I''ll apany you to the hospital."


    The first message was sent after she fell asleepst night, and the other this morning.


    There were also messages from Emily.


    "Honey, you haven''t replied to me in so long. Is something wrong? I''m sorry. I gave you bad advice."


    Multiple messages followed, all expressing concern.


    Eva suspected that Emily didn''t sleep well.


    She replied, "I''m fine. Don''t worry."


    Then she thanked Carter for covering her work and offered to treat him to a meal.


    Emily didn''t reply, but Carter quickly responded.


    "How are you feeling?"


    Before Eva could reply, Carter called.


    Hesitating only momentarily, she answered, "Carter."


    Carter''s voice was gentle as always, "Feeling better?"


    "Much better," Eva replied.


    "Your voice is nasal. Still ufortable?"


    Eva didn''t know what to say.


    Carter had always been sensitive about Eva''s health.


    After a moment of silence, he asked, "Didn''t Adrian take you to the hospital?"


    Caught off guard, Eva quickly changed the subject.


    "It''s nothing serious. I took my medicine, and I''m fine now."


    Carter sighed, "Eva, you''re still as stubborn. If your father knew, he would feel sorry for you."


    Eva pursed her lips. "It''s okay. I''ll take care of myself."


    The conversation soon ended, and Emily called as soon as Eva hung up.


    "Eva! You alright? You didn''t reply to me, and I hardly slept till dawn."


    Upon hearing that, Eva felt a little sorry. She shouldn''t have replied to Emily so early.


    "I was so worried about you. Thank goodness you''re okay." Emily sighed in relief, then asked tentatively, "Did you tell him? How did he respond?" Eva felt a pang in her heart.


    She nced at the other side of the bed.


    Adrian didn''te backst night. He must be avoiding her.


    Eva averted her gaze and spoke calmly, "Emily, I''ve decided to have an abortion."

 Chapter 15

    Emily was taken aback. "Why?"


    "Why else?" Eva replied.


    Emily gritted her teeth. "You''ve been with him for two years. Does he really not care about you at all? It''s his child. How can he be so cruel?" Eva fell silent.


    All her illusions about Adrian had died out.


    Emily continued, "And you grew up together. Doesn''t that count for anything? Eva, did you make things clear to him? Maybe..."


    "Emily," Eva calmly interrupted her, "let''s not talk about it anymore."


    It would only make her feel more humiliated.


    She didn''t want Adrian to think she was seeking sympathy and attention on purpose.


    Eva hung up on Emily, then got up to prepare herself to go to work full of energy.


    She drove herself to thepany, where her first task was to check her work. After confirming everything was fine, she took out her phone and made a medical appointment online. If she decided on an abortion, she needed to act fast.


    However, this week waspletely booked, and she could only make an appointment for next week.


    As Eva was about to confirm the appointment, she hesitated.


    An inner voice questioned her, "Are you really going to kill your baby?"


    Another voice replied, "I don''t want to, but what can I do? Why should I raise a child without a father?"


    "Don''t rush to make a decision. You just got pregnant, and it will be a long time before you give birth." "Avoiding the problem doesn''t solve it. I''ll have to face it sooner orter."


    "But this child isn''t just Adrian''s. It''s also yours!"


    "So what? I don''t want my child to grow up in a single-parent home."


    The two voices battled inside Eva.


    One urged her to keep the child, while the other urged her to have an abortion, causing her a tremendous headache.


    "Eva, take a look at this project proposal."


    Jenny walked over.


    Eva quickly ced her phone face down on her desk.


    Jenny was surprised, but as an assistant, she couldn''t pry into Eva''s privacy, so she suppressed her curiosity and handed over the proposal.


    After taking it, Eva noticed that Jenny was still standing there, so she asked, "Something else?"


    Jenny nced at her and asked hesitantly, "Are you well recovered? You fainted the other day, and it really scared me."


    Upon hearing this, Eva became a little curious.


    "You brought him here?"


    Jenny nodded, "Yes, I couldn''t wake you, so I went to find Mr. ckwood."


    No wonder she woke up in Adrian''s car.


    "Eva, you don''t know how worried Mr. ckwood was when I told him you might be unconscious," Jenny added.


    Eva couldn''t quite grasp Jenny''s intention. Was Jenny trying to please her?


    So, she carefully replied, "Really? How worried was he?"


    Jenny gave a sheepish smile.


    "Well, I''ve been with the ckwood Group for many years, and I''ve never seen Mr. ckwood so flustered before. Several executives were reporting to him, but he left them, rushed over, and carried you into his car." Jenny even winked at Eva, "Mr. ckwood definitely cares about you."


    "Is that so?" Eva, spur of the moment, asked, "Didn''t you see any other woman with him yesterday?"


    This singlement doused Jenny''s fantasy of an office romance.


    She stood there awkwardly.


    She had almost forgotten about the woman in Adrian''s office.


    And recently, there were rumors circting in thepany because of that woman.


    Seeing her standing there motionless, Eva rubbed her throbbing temple and softly said, "Go back to work."


    "Oh, alright."


    After Jenny left, Eva picked up her phone and confirmed the appointment.


    "Nothing worth holding onto," she thought.


    At noon, Carter messaged her, inviting her for lunch.


    Mind in chaos, Eva wanted to refuse, but considering that he had handled her work yesterday, she agreed.


    Eva went to wait for Carter at the front entrance.


    He said he would pick her up.


    While waiting, Eva reviewed her afternoon schedule on her phone and suddenly heard some people discussing animatedly.


    "Isn''t that Mr. ckwood''s car? Why is heing at this hour?"


    Eva instinctively looked up and saw the ck Porsche.


    Eva felt a stir in her thoughts, knowing only Adrian would drive that car.


    The Porsche moved fast, but with the windows down, Eva saw Vivian in the passenger seat.


    Vivian was wearing a light blue blouse, her long hair draped over her shoulders. She nced out of the window at Eva standing among the employees.


    Vivian paused, then smiled at her.


    Adrian, in the driver''s seat, was focused ahead and didn''t notice this exchange.


    It wasn''t until the car entered the underground garage that the employees began to talk.


    "Who''s that girl? She''s sitting in Mr. ckwood''s passenger seat! I heard they stayedte working togetherst night."


    "Vivian Morrison, Mr. ckwood''s sweetheart. She got back into the country the other day."


    "But isn''t ckwood married to Ms. Hansen?"


    "You''re so naive. Since when do marriage vows matter in wealthy families? There are rumors Mr. ckwood and Ms. Hansen have a sham marriage. Otherwise, she would have taken his name."

 Chapter 16

    "You got a point."


    "Of course. Where do you see a rich wife working as a secretary?"


    "But I don''t understand. Why did they go through a sham marriage?"


    "I heard Ms. Hansen and Mr. ckwood grew up together. He proposed to her after her family went bankrupt probably to help her so that no one would bully her." "Mr. ckwood is a truly good person."


    "I also heard Mr. ckwood has been waiting for Vivian. They''re really sweet."


    Eva stood there listening calmly as if they were not talking about her.


    Soon, Carter''s car stopped before them. The window rolled down, revealing Carter''s handsome face. "Get in."


    Eva got into Carter''s car.


    After a long moment of silence, those people snapped back to reality.


    "That was... Ms. Hansen?"


    "Yeah..."


    "Did she hear us?"


    "Easy. It''s just what we heard. And she didn''t refute us. She must be nervous!"


    "Maybe she didn''t know how. After all, we all saw Vivian in Mr. ckwood''s passenger seat."


    The crowd continued their discussions as the car faded into the distance.


    Eva rolled up the window expressionlessly and looked at the retreating trees and buildings outside, feeling heavy at heart. The heated discussions of those people still echoed in her ears.


    And she couldn''t stop thinking about the ck Porsche.


    "What''s wrong? You seem distracted," Carter asked.


    Eva came back to her senses and managed a weak smile, "It''s nothing. Probably just some lingering effects of being sick." Carter sighed, "When will you stop hiding things from me?"


    Eva stiffened. "What do you mean?"


    Could Carter know about her pregnancy? But who told him?


    Apart from the doctors, the only person who knew about her pregnancy was Emily.


    This thought was immediately dismissed by Eva.


    Because of her, Emily and Carter had a good rtionship. Both she and Emily regarded Carter as an elder brother.


    But Emily would never tell Carter about her secret.


    So, what was he referring to?


    After a moment, Carter said, "Vivian is back. Why didn''t you tell me?"


    Eva lowered her eyes.


    Her pregnancy had made her paranoid like a startled deer.


    She breathed a sigh of relief and calmly replied, "What does it have to do with you?"


    Carter helplessly nced at Eva.


    He was afraid that she was deliberately speaking in an unpleasant manner.


    "It doesn''t concern me, but what about you?"


    Eva remained silent.


    Carter continued, "I didn''t think it was a good idea when you agreed to marry him. He said those hurtful things, but you still..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, but his tone made his feelings quite clear.


    He felt sorry for Eva.


    Eva felt relieved that he didn''t know about her pregnancy. Otherwise, he would have exploded.


    Perhaps because of her silence, Carter didn''t say anything more. He took her to a restaurant and said after ordering, "Wait here for me. I''ll be back in ten minutes." "Alright," Eva nodded, too weak to probe into his actions.


    Ten minutester, Carter returned with a bag in hand. "Here, take this."


    "What is it?"


    Carter said, "It''s medicine. You should always have some basic medicines on hand. Take them when you''re feeling unwell."


    Eva looked at the bag nkly. "But I''m fine now."


    "Then keep it for next time."


    "Alright."


    Eva epted the bag which contained variousmon medications.


    "Thanks, Carter."


    "You never have to say that to me." Carter tapped her forehead. "Just tell me if anything happens."


    "I will."


    The lunch continued in silence until Carter couldn''t resist asking, "Have you already met Vivian?"


    Eva paused, then nodded. "Yeah."


    "What does she want? Rekindle things with Adrian?"


    It sounded harsh to Eva.


    "No. They didn''t have much of a past together."


    Adrian and Vivian had never been together before.


    Eva was also confused.


    Since Adrian said he would always keep a ce for Vivian by his side and Vivian liked him, they should have been a couple already.


    But it was pointless to dwell on it.


    Carter raised an eyebrow. "You''re still defending him."


    Eva pursed her lips and muttered, "I''m just telling the truth."


    "He brought Vivian to his office and let others gossip about you, and you still care about him?"


    Carter''s frown deepened.


    He heard something in the break room this morning.


    "Did you hear? Mr. ckwood''s girlfriend has returned."


    "Isn''t he already married?"


    "His marriage must be a sham. If it was real, how could he bear to let his wife work as a secretary? I heard this woman saved Mr. ckwood''s life. Her family background is impressive too. She just came back from studying abroad. They''re a perfect match."


    "But what about Ms. Hansen?"


    "That''s a funny question. What can she do? She can only go back to her ordinary life!"


    The group of people burst intoughter in the break room.


    Outside the door, Carter tightened his grip on his cup, his eyes narrowed.


    Was Eva''s sudden illness rted to this?

 Chapter 17

    Carter pulled his thoughts back to the present.


    He nced at Eva across the table.


    She was dressed simply, her shoulder-length hair casually tied behind her ears and her face bare without makeup, offering a kind of pale beauty that invoked a sense ofpassion. Carter knew that he was no match for Adrian.


    When the Hansen family went bankrupt, he sought help far and wide, but to no avail due to hisck of influence.


    A CEO even told him directly, "Carter, you''re talented, and I see great potential in you. You''re wee to join mypany. I believe you''ll choose wisely."


    Many people, rather than offering help, sought to entice him away.


    "The Hansen family won''t rise again. Even if someone were to help now, they''ll never recover their former glory."


    "Think about your future. You''re not part of the Hansen family. There''s no need for you to struggle on their behalf."


    Carter felt chilled to the core, and on his way back, he seriously considered his options.


    He called Eva and offered to pick her up.


    But when he arrived, he saw several children of wealthy families verbally insulting her.


    "Ms. Hansen, when your family was prestigious, you dismissed my advances. Now that it''s fallen, I wonder if you''ve maintained that pride. I''d like to help, but everythinges with a price. How about spending a night with me?" His friends burst intoughter.


    Carter was a breath away from brawling with them.


    All thoughts of his future vanished in that instant, leaving only one resolve.


    He couldn''t abandon the Hansen family.


    He couldn''t confront those men because he wasn''t in a position to do so, so he could only take Eva away.


    Not long after, word got out that those men were beaten up. Their family businesses were affected, and their parents forced them to apologize to Eva.


    It was Adrian''s doing.


    And it was also Adrian who pulled Eva out of adversity.


    But the recent events plunged her into another predicament.


    Carter spoke softly, "I''m not here to lecture you. I just think there are things you need to consider and n ahead."


    Just as Eva was about to speak, her phone vibrated.


    It was a message from Adrian, "Jenny said you went out?"


    The message was sent via WhatsApp with the same casual tone as usual as if he had just noticed her absence and was inquiring casually. Eva simply replied, "Hmm".


    Adrian, probably watching his phone, replied quickly, "When are youing back?"


    Their conversation was innocuous. He didn''t mention her message from yesterday or his absence overnight.


    And she, too understanding, didn''t ask as if nothing had happened.


    Eva replied, "After work."


    Adrian didn''t message again.


    Eva pocketed her phone and said to Carter, "I understand."


    Carter''s gaze lingered on her phone. "Adrian?"


    Eva paused, then nodded.


    The two finished their meal in silence, and Carter escorted Eva back.


    When Eva entered the elevator, Carter followed, and she looked at him questioningly.


    Their offices were not in the same ce.


    Hand in pocket, Carter raised an eyebrow. "I''m going to see Mr. ckwood for an update."


    After exiting the elevator, Carter nced at his watch, then frowned, "It''s ten minutes before work. Maybe I shouldn''t bother Mr. ckwood just yet." Eva offered, "Come to my office."


    "Alright."


    By the time they arrived, Jenny had already started work and immediately got up to make coffee for them.


    "Thank you." Carter took the coffee and asked Jenny, "Was Mr. ckwood here?"


    Jenny seemed a bit surprised but nodded. "Yes."


    Carter raised an eyebrow. "Did hee alone?"


    Jenny fell silent.


    Eva sipped her coffee without saying anything.


    The atmosphere became eerie.


    After ten minutes, Carter put down his cup. "I''ll go see Mr. ckwood."


    He got up and headed towards the door but suddenly turned back to look at Eva.


    "Eva, I need your assistance with the project. Let''s go together."


    Eva instinctively furrowed her brows.


    Carter repeated, "Eva?"


    Eva snapped back to reality and nodded. "Coming."


    She didn''t feel like showing up in front of Adrian and Vivian, but Carter wasn''t giving her that opportunity.


    She knew he was trying to force her to face the reality.


    As they approached Adrian''s office, Carter knocked on the door.


    "Come in." Adrian''s cold voice came from inside.


    Carter smirked and pushed the door open.


    As the door swung open, Adrian looked their way, and a sh of displeasure crossed his eyes.


    "Mr. ckwood." Carter walked forward. "I''m here to report on yesterday''s work."


    "Hmm." Adrian nodded with a cold expression.


    Eva stood behind Carter, watching them discuss work.


    Adrian at work waspletely different from his private self.


    While working, he was rational and aloof.


    His hands were sped together on his knees as he listened to Carter.


    But from time to time, his gaze shifted from Carter to her.


    Eva didn''t know if it was her imagination, but Adrian''s gaze felt chilly.

 Chapter 18

    Under Adrian''s cold gaze, Eva felt a bit uneasy.


    Didn''t hee with Vivian at lunchtime? Why wasn''t Vivian in the office now?


    Lost in thought, Eva didn''t catch what Carter asked her, but she quickly snapped back to reality and responded. Soon the report ended, and Carter offered to leave.


    Adrian gave a cold nod.


    As Carter turned around, Adrian fixed his eyes on Eva.


    Earlier, when she stood behind Carter, she was partially hidden from his view. But now, there was no way to avoid it.


    Just as Carter reached the door, he suddenly turned back and looked at Eva.


    "Eva, shall I pick you up again tomorrow at noon?"


    Eva was taken aback.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow.


    "Mr. ckwood, do you mind if I have a word with Eva?" Carter asked.


    Eva furrowed her brows, wondering what he was up to.


    Before she could react, Adrian coldly replied, "Better not, considering it''s working hours."


    Carter seemed surprised by his response, but he added, "Then I''lle for her after work." With that, he left.


    The office fell into a hushed silence.


    Adrian''s intense gazended on Eva''s face with a tinge of displeasure.


    "So, you went out with him during lunch?"


    Eva nodded. There was no point in denying it. After all, nothing happened between her and Carter.


    Adrian''s brows knitted. "What did you do together?"


    "We had lunch and discussed yesterday''s work."


    Adrian''s frown deepened, but the mention of work eased his tension.


    They both worked for the ckwood Group. It was normal for them to discuss work.


    Still, Adrian harbored some displeasure within him. He pressed his lips together and said, "People might think I''ve been mistreating you." Subconsciously, Eva responded, "And you think you haven''t mistreated me?"


    As soon as the words left her mouth, both of them froze.


    Eva felt annoyed with herself.


    Perhaps it was their childhood together that made her so unrestrained in her speech around Adrian.


    Adrian had seen her at her ugliest, most disheveled, and most childish.


    During her reflections, Adrian abruptly stood up and approached her.


    Though his figure was slim, he exerted a powerful presence, perhaps because of his longstanding position of power.


    Eva instinctively stepped back.


    But Adrian gripped her shoulders and trapped her between his strong chest and the cold wall.


    "What are you doing?" Eva swallowed.


    She wanted to escape, but Adrian held the nape of her neck. Then his warm breath brushed her face.


    "Now, tell me how exactly I''ve mistreated you," he said in a low, melodious voice.


    He even kneaded the nape of Eva''s neck, each touch searingly tender.


    Confusion shed in Eva''s eyes. What was he doing?


    She believed that he would give a cold shoulder to her, especially after he ignored her message yesterday and disappeared for the night. At the very least, it should have been awkward.


    But now he behaved like he had never received that message at all.


    Or perhaps he was pretending as if nothing had happened?


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Adrian pinched Eva''s chin and narrowed his eyes. "What''s wrong?"


    Eva stared into his face, her lips parted, words trapped at the edge of her tongue.


    She wanted to ask him, but she couldn''t utter a single word.


    What if he questioned her, "I was just trying to leave you some dignity. Why can''t you see that?"


    How should she respond?


    She''d better take care of it quietly.


    "It''s nothing," Eva shook her head.


    Adrian''s eyes darkened.


    Eva had been acting strangetely. She suddenly felt distant, unwilling to say anything.


    As he thought about this, the affectionate feeling disappearedpletely. Adrian released Eva''s chin and stepped back.


    Suppressing the lump in her throat, Eva said, "I''ll get back to work."


    As she turned around, she heard Adrian say, "Wait."


    "What?"


    "You haven''t taken your vacation this year, right?"


    Eva paused and nodded. "Yes."


    "Then start your vacation tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow?"


    "Yeah, you''ve been unwell recently. You can have a good rest during your vacation."


    His concern was for Eva''s recent state and fever, prompting him to suggest an early vacation.


    But to Eva, his words could be tranted into a warning.


    She rarely took her vacation at this time of the year, but Adrian asked her to take it early. Was he suggesting that she should get rid of the child during her vacation? Having known him since childhood, Eva understood him too well.


    He was not one to mince words or act pointlessly.


    Despite being aware of this possibility, Eva still felt a chill down her spine.


    After a long while, she replied in a strangled voice, "Okay, I''ll start my vacation tomorrow."


    ...


    Upon hearing of this, Emily got furious and almost swept the utensils off the table and onto the floor.


    "Damn Adrian! How could he be so cruel? I''m going to kill him!"


    Anticipating her outburst, Eva had booked a private room in advance to ensure privacy for their conversation.


    While Emily raged, Eva appeared calm. However, she didn''t touch any of the dishes on the table and just quietly sipped her tea.


    Seeing Emily angry, she advised, "Don''t be mad. We''d have to pay for anything broken."


    "You''re right." Emily quickly put down the cup in her hand, but then she stood up and shook Eva''s shoulders, "Eva, how can you stay so calm? He can''t treat you like this!"


    Eva, feeling dizzy from the shaking, put down her cup. "So what should I do? Force him to take responsibility and let him, Vivian, and everyone elseugh at the Hansen family?" She paused and shook her head. "Our marriage is a mere transaction. At least we should part ways with dignity."

 Chapter 19

    Eva''s words calmed Emily down a bit.


    She knew Eva was always sensible. She should have expected this oue earlier. But even so, she felt sorry for Eva.


    She bit her lip and asked, "But... are you really okay with this?"


    Eva responded indifferently, "Does it help to protest?"


    She was indeed not okay with it and had tried to see if anything could change.


    However, reality pped her in the face and told her not to delude herself.


    "Will you go with me to the clinic tomorrow?" Eva paused and chuckled. "I don''t want to go alone."


    Emily nodded. "Come on. I''m your best friend. Even if I''m busy, I''ll make time, okay? You didn''t have to ask."


    Eva smiled, "Let''s eat then."


    She appeared calm and showed no sign of dissatisfaction.


    Looking at Eva like this, Emily felt like crying.


    Before the Hansen family went bankrupt, Eva was a happy, carefree girl. Now, she was anxious, hesitant, and restrained.


    "Eva, if you feel upset, just cry." Emily sighed. "There''s no one else here. I''m your best friend. It''s okay to be vulnerable." Hearing this, Eva froze.


    Should she cry?


    After the Hansen family''s copse, she cried countless times, and it was during that time that she realized crying couldn''t solve any problems.


    If she cried, those who wanted to bring her down would mock her for sure.


    Since then, Eva decided she would no longer shed tears in front of others, no matter how trustworthy they might be.


    With this in mind, Eva smiled softly. "Silly girl, what''s there to cry about? He made it clear long ago that our marriage was a sham. I helped him appease his grandmother, and he cleared my debts. It was a mere transaction." She said it with a light-hearted tone, but Emily was furious.


    "You''re lying! If it was just a transaction, why would you get pregnant? If he treated it as a transaction, he shouldn''t have touched you. Isn''t abortion risky? What does he think of you?"


    Eva felt a dull ache in her heart.


    In the beginning, their rtionship wasn''t as it appeared now.


    They lived together to avoid suspicion, but Adrian would voluntarily sleep on the couch.


    Eva was only able to climb out of the depths of despair with his help. And on top of that, he was also the man she liked. So, how could she bear to let him sleep on the couch?


    Eva offered to share the bed with Adrian, with a pillow between them on the ample bed, which didn''t affect their sleep.


    They maintained this distance for a long while. The change happened one night.


    Adrian took her to an event and introduced her to important people. Eva used to know those important figures as the heiress of the Hansen family, but that night she was introduced as Adrian''s wife. On Adrian''s ount, no one dared to disrespect her.


    Happy with the proceedings, Eva invited Adrian for a drink, and they discussed work as they drank heavily.


    It took Eva a lot of effort to help Adrian back home, but she identally stumbled and ended up in his arms.


    It seemed to ignite something in Adrian, who firmly grasped her waist and pinned her beneath him.


    Despite his lean figure, he had a strong build. Possibly due to the influence of alcohol, Eva''s face instantly flushed, and she tried to push him away.


    The next second, Adrian''s warm lips pressed against hers.


    Stunned, Eva lost the will to push him away as warmth filled her mouth.


    By the time she realized what was happening, she was kissing him back.


    Adrian held her tight like a fish long deprived of water.


    That night, Eva indulged herself.


    When she woke up in Adrian''s embrace, she saw his furrowed brows. As he was about to say something, she preempted, "We both had too much to drinkst night. It was just an ident." A flicker of surprise crossed Adrian''s eyes as he repeated, "An ident?"


    Eva nodded. "Yes."


    It could only be an ident. If anythingplicated arose, it would surely destroy their current rtionship. He might think that she had ulterior motives and would no longer let her stay by his side. Adrian''s expression briefly turned gloomy.


    After a while, he regained hisposure and asked coldly, "Girls tend to lose out in these situations. What do you want?"


    Eva pretended to be nonchnt. "Why would I want anything? Adults have physical needs, that''s all."


    Adria gritted his teeth and squinted at her. "You think it''s just a physical need?"


    Eva shrugged carelessly, "What else could it be? Don''t overthink it. If you really think you owe me, just give me money."


    That day, she carefully shielded her affection for Adrian, suggesting it was all a transaction.


    She said she wanted ten million dors.


    Adrian''s face sharpened in an instant. Eva had never seen him so angry.


    Still, he gave her the ten million dors.


    Then Adrian gave Eva the cold shoulders for a long time.


    He would avoid her gaze and leave for work early to avoid her and deliberately stayte at the office, so they hardly crossed paths. Their rtionship improved after Mabel''s birthday celebration.


    Snapping back to reality, Eva sighed.


    "It should be settled quickly."


    Once everything was settled, she would leave.


    Once Mabel''s surgery was over, she and Adrian would get a divorce, and then she would be free to go wherever she wished.


    Eva filed a leave request with the HR department, which was quickly approved.


    The next day, Eva woke up early, met Emily, and went directly to the clinic.

 Chapter 20

    Upon arriving at the clinic, Emily looked around with a frown and asked in a low voice, "Why don''t we go to Clevnd Clinic? Is this small one reliable?" Eva calmly replied, "It''s not convenient."


    There were people in Clevnd Clinic who knew Mabel. She hadn''t considered being pregnant, so she went there to get checked before.


    Now that she needed to handle it discreetly, she couldn''t go back to Clevnd Clinic.


    What if someone spotted her and told Mabel?


    To avoid any idents, Eva nned to have an abortion at this small clinic.


    Emily went to register and pay for Eva''s examination.


    While waiting, the two sat on the bench.


    Emily turned her head to look at Eva every now and then.


    Eva couldn''t resist asking, "Why do you keep looking at me?"


    Emily''s eyes turned slightly red. "I was wondering when you became so cold-hearted."


    Eva was taken aback. She was cold-hearted?


    "This child is also yours," Emily whispered.


    Eva unconsciously rested her hand on her belly.


    Yes, this child was hers too.


    She didn''t want to abort, but she seemed to have no better option.


    Seeing her lost in thought, Emily continued, "Eva, you don''t want to give up the baby, right? Let''s think of another solution."


    "Another solution?" Eva stared nkly.


    She felt as if she was caught in a dead end. Was there any other path she could take?


    "Yes," Emily grasped her shoulders firmly. "There must be a way. I know you can''t bear to part with the baby. Just think it through so you don''t regret itter, okay?" Eva was about to nod when the nurse called her name.


    It was still early, and there weren''t many people around.


    Eva instinctively stood up. "I''ll go for the check-up first." Emily nodded, "Alright, go ahead."


    ...


    The clinic was cold and unweing throughout.


    Most people came here for abortions.


    The doctor nced at Eva over his sses with her pregnancy report in hand. "Have you decided on an abortion?"


    Mind in turmoil, Eva hesitated after hearing the question.


    The doctor, ustomed to such hesitancy in this kind of clinic, exined the process of abortion, the costs, and the necessary check-ups with an impassive face. "If you''ve made up your mind, go pay and wait for your turn," he concluded.


    "Thank you," Eva stood up and walked outside.


    Emily was waiting outside and hurried over as soon as she saw Eva.


    "What did they say?"


    Eva was about to speak but suddenly felt her legs go weak, almost falling to the ground.


    Emily, quick on her feet, caught her in time.


    "Are you alright?"


    Eva muttered, "I''m fine..."


    Emily helped her to the bench, full of concern. "Did you skip breakfast?"


    Eva had no appetite at all.


    Lately, she hadn''t been eating properly. It wasn''t ack of desire but rather a sudden loss of appetite that might be rted to an illness or possibly the pregnancy.


    Or maybe it was because of Adrian.


    "You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?"


    "I might have low blood sugar," Eva said.


    "I''ll go get you something to eat. Wait here for me. I''ll be back soon."


    Emily left in a hurry.


    Eva closed her eyes wearily.


    The two voices in her mind started to argue again.


    "What are you thinking? Haven''t you already made up your mind? Why do you hesitate? If you don''t resolve this, you''ll always be in pain. Don''t forget, he''s already asked for a divorce." "So what? You''re an adult. Can''t you support a child on your own?"


    "You think raising a child only requires money? What about emotional and psychological aspects?"


    "If you don''t want the child to grow up in a single-parent home, you can remarry. You''re still so young. You can get a new husband whenever you want."


    Thebination of low blood sugar and these two voices gave Eva an almost unbearable headache.


    An astonished voice suddenly interrupted.


    "Eva? Is that you?"


    At first, the voice didn''t sound clear, and Eva thought she might have misheard.


    However, gradually, the voice became clearer. She opened her eyes and looked towards the source of the sound.


    A woman in her forties stood there, looking at her with a puzzled expression.


    It took Eva a few seconds to recognize who it was.


    Eva''splexion changed slightly, and the pain seemed to disappear as she straightened up.


    "Oh my, it''s really you."


    The woman approached Eva warmly. "I assumed I was mistaken. What are you doing here?"


    Eva''s heart sank.


    She came to this clinic to avoid familiar faces.


    But fate didn''t choose her.


    Most importantly, this woman was Diana Robinson, who spent a lot of time with Adrian''s mother, Margaret ckwood. Eva could only face her calmly.


    "Hi, Mrs. Robinson. I''m here with my friend."


    Emily had gone out and wouldn''t be back soon. Diana didn''t know Emily, so Eva thought she wouldn''t gossip.


    "Is that so?" Diana''s gaze fell on Eva''s belly, suspicion apparent in her eyes.


    Diana was known to be sharp-tongued and gossipy. If she found out someone''s secret, the whole town would know by the next day. It was terrible to run into her.


    Eva pressed her lips together, her expression gloomy.


    As expected, Diana kept ncing at Eva''s belly and sneered, "Where''s your friend then? Why are you here alone? Are you trying to hide something? Margaret said such nice things about you. You''re not going to let her down, right?" Eva couldn''t stand being ndered.


    "Mrs. Robinson, what do you mean? I don''t have anything to hide. If you say that again, I''ll sue you for nder."


    Diana pretended to be frightened. "Hey, I was just joking. Why are you acting like this? Did I hit a nerve?"

 Chapter 21

    Before Diana finished speaking, a young girl emerged from the examination room behind her. "Mom."


    At the sound of the girl''s tender voice, Diana''s smug features softened drastically.


    Eva looked toward the source of the voice and immediately recognized the girl as Pa Robinson, Diana''s daughter. With a medical report in her hand, Pa looked so pale, indicating she perhaps wasn''t feeling well.


    Diana, who had been mocking Eva, abruptly turned and pulled Pa away.


    Their hurried footsteps gave them away.


    Eva, however, never had the inclination to pry into others'' private matters, so she didn''t pay any attention to it.


    Within moments, Diana returned alone, probably having arranged care for her daughter elsewhere.


    She approached Eva again, her face showing unwarranted malice that didn''t suit her well-maintained visage.


    "Ms. Hansen, I think you should know what to say and what not to say."


    Eva had anticipated her return. A faint smile curled the corner of her lips as she gently tossed her hair and spoke softly, "It depends, Mrs. Robinson. If someone makes me ufortable, it may cause mental confusion, and my tongue isn''t easily tamed."


    It was obvious that Pa was here for an abortion at this clinic.


    Upon hearing this, Diana gritted her teeth, her face distorted with fury.


    "Eva, how dare you threaten me!" Diana seethed.


    "Not at all. It''s just an exchange," Eva retorted calmly.


    Diana red fiercely. "The trouble you''re in is far greater than Pa''s."


    Eva replied nonchntly, "Are you sure? If I''m not mistaken, Pa is not of age yet, right?"


    Diana clenched her fists and red at Eva, wishing she couldsh out at the fragile yet beautiful face before her.


    She had thought that the significant news she had learned could devastate the ckwood family.


    She had never been fond of Margaret''s sesspared to hers. Why should everythinge so easily to Margaret?


    Yet at the critical moment, her own daughter had intervened and ruined her ns.


    The vexation was evident on Eva''s face as she saw Diana reluctant to leave. Coupled with her own umted fatigue, she had little desire to engage further with Diana, and she dismissed her, "If it''s too hard for you to bear, feel free to spread the word. At least Pa will be with you. You won''t be lonely."


    "You!" Diana eximed.


    Eva closed her eyes and said in a cold voice, "I''m tired, Mrs. Robinson. Please go ahead with your business."


    She paid no attention to Diana''s reaction. Whether Diana was fury or perhaps grinding teeth, it didn''t concern her anymore.


    A few secondster, Diana left furiously.


    Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Those words were a deterrent, nothing more.


    Even if Diana really exposed her secret, she had no intention of saying anything about Pa.


    Many young girls at that age were naive about love and easily deceived with unstable ideas about the future.


    Pa had already been hurt, and Eva would never inflict further hurt upon her.


    Two minutester, Emily returned.


    "I got sandwiches, oat milk, and some candy. There''s not much in the vending machine, but have these for now."


    Emily unpacked the food and handed it to Eva. "Eat up."


    Eva looked at the considerate Emily with a warm smile. "Thank you."


    Emily shot back a nce sharper than her tone. "We''re best friends. Why should we thank each other? But if anyone should be grateful, it should be me. Without you, I might not have made it to college." Eva smiled and said nothing.


    Their friendship began in high school, and they were epted to the same university.


    But that summer, Emily''s father gambled away their savings and incurred debts that reached their doorstep, pushing Emily to consider dropping out of school to work and pay them off.


    Upon learning this, Eva settled the debts and escorted Emily to the university herself.


    While Eva mused over these memories, Emily floated into her own reminiscences.


    After snapping back, Emily said earnestly, "Do you know how grateful I am to you? Without your help, who knows where I''d be right now, probably hounded to death by debt collectors. You''re not just my best friend. You''re my safer. I''ll never forget that."


    Eva should have been pleased, but Emily''s words led her thoughts to Adrian.


    Perhaps he felt the same about Vivian.


    Looking at Emily, Eva ventured, "Would you marry me if I were a man?"


    Emily blurted out, "Of course, I would. If you were a man, I''d definitely pursue you. But you''re a woman, so we can only be friends."


    Eva lowered her gaze, a mncholic glimmer in her eyes.


    Adrian must think the same.


    People indeed developed a special affection for those who aided them, especially life-savers.


    "What''s wrong?" Emily blinked nkly. Soon she seemed to grasp something and her face changed drastically.


    "Honey, I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean it that way!"


    Emily was well aware of Adrian and Vivian''s past and had frequently discussed it before.


    "How could one confuse life-saving gratitude with romantic feelings? Ridiculous!"


    She believed it firmly yet had answered Eva thoughtlessly.


    "Honey, don''t get me wrong. I said that because I think you''re a good person. You..."


    "Yeah," Eva nodded with a trace of mncholy. "He probably thinks Vivian is a good person too."


    Emily was at a loss. She didn''t mean to trigger Eva''s sorrow.

 Chapter 22

    Eva had no appetite, but at Emily''s urging, she reluctantly finished the milk and took a few bites of the sandwich. Seeing that she couldn''t eat anymore, Emily stopped pushing.


    After tidying up, she sat back down.


    "How are you feeling now? Better, right?"


    "Hmm."


    Emily probed, "Shall we head back for today?"


    Eva didn''t say anything.


    Emily held her hand firmly. "Let''s go."


    "Alright..."


    Eva felt as if she were in a haze, in need of someone to push her forward towards any decision.


    She got up and left with Emily.


    As they passed by a corner, Eva heard an argument.


    "But mom, I like him!" The girl sounded heartbroken.


    "Shut up!" The response was a woman''s angry and harsh voice. "Nonsense! What have I taught you? You''re being deceived, understand?" "Mom..."


    "You''re not allowed to see him again. A pauper like him isn''t worthy of you. If this gets out, you''ll never find a quality match, understand?" Under the woman''s threats, the girl hung her head, her bangs covering her eyes.


    Eva nced at them before quickly averting her gaze.


    Emily sighed at the entrance of the clinic. "The girl seems underage. She''s so foolish."


    Eva didn''t say anything.


    Then her phone vibrated.


    Emily quickly leaned in. "Is that a call from Adrian? Is he regretting it?"


    However, the screen disyed an unfamiliar number.


    Emily asked, "Who is it?"


    Eva had a guess upon seeing the unfamiliar number.


    She hesitated for a few seconds before answering.


    "Is this Eva?" asked a slightly harsh voice.


    Eva didn''t recognize the voice. "Who are you?"


    "This is a friend of Vivian. I''ve learned about something, and I''d like to meet you. I''ll send the address via textter."


    After a brief pause and a chuckle, the voice added, "You''lle, won''t you?"


    Before Eva could answer, the call ended.


    The speaker wasn''t on, and Emily asked curiously as soon as Eva hung up, "Who was it? What did they say?" There was no need to hide anything from Emily. After a moment of silence, Eva said, "A friend of Vivian."


    Emily froze, then clenched her teeth in anger.


    "What does her friend want with you?"


    "She said she knows something and wants to meet."


    No sooner had Eva spoken than her phone pinged with a text.


    The caller sent an address to a caf�� in the city center.


    Emily furrowed her brows.


    "What does she know? Could it be..."


    She then looked at Eva in shock. "Vivian''s friend knows about it too?"


    "It seems so," Eva replied.


    Emily cursed, infuriated, "How does Vivian know? Did Adrian tell her? Damn bastard! He''s decided to give up the child, so why spread the word? Is he allowing Vivian to mock you? How could he be so awful?" Hearing Emily''s scolding, Eva instinctively wanted to defend Adrian, but the words died on her lips.


    The truth was right before her eyes.


    Eva lowered her gaze and remained silent.


    Emily had already made the decision for her.


    "Don''t go. If they want to see you, let theme to you. Why should you go just because they call and give you an address?"


    Seeing how furious Emily was, Eva tried tofort her.


    "I wasn''t nning on going. Don''t be angry."


    "I''m not just angry. I''m worried about you," Emily said with resentment.


    Then, she narrowed her eyes. "Vivian getting her friend to contact you means she''s desperate. She must be afraid you won''t abort the child and willpete with her for Adrian. It seems she''s not so confident in herself after all." Eva pocketed her phone and ignored the message.


    She wouldn''t go to the meeting.


    It was between her and Adrian, irrelevant to anyone else.


    After parting with Emily, Eva returned home.


    She had a long vacation, so she nned to spend the next few days rifying her thoughts and figuring out what she really wanted.


    ...


    At a caf�� in the city center, Vivian picked up her coffee cup, intending to take a sip, but then hurriedly put it back down and looked at her friend across the table. "She''lle, right?"


    Her friend scoffed, "Unless she doesn''t want to resolve this matter. She must be scared. Let''s just wait here calmly. When she''s about to arrive, you go hide inside and don''t show yourself for now." Vivian bit her lip. "What are you going to talk to her? She probably didn''t want this. Be gentle when you speak with her. If she wantspensation, I can..."


    Her friend stared at her in disbelief.


    "Vivian, don''t be too kind, alright? What do you mean she didn''t want this? Could she have gotten pregnant if she didn''t want to? She must have seduced Adrian. You better not underestimate her." Vivian sighed. "I know you mean well for me, but her family went bankrupt. If she needs money, I''ll give it to her. She''s helped Adrian a lot over the past two years."


    Another friend chimed in, "Vivian, you''re just too kind. That b**ch knows Adrian is yours but ended up pregnant. She''s obviously trying to climb thedder. We warned herst time."


    "Exactly. When she arrives, we must warn her again."


    They waited nearly half an hour, but Eva didn''t show up.


    "I can''t believe that b**ch didn''te. Call her and ask what she wants."


    Vivian''s fingers curled slightly.

 Chapter 23

    Vivian had been feeling uneasy ever since the day she deleted that message from Adrian''s phone.


    She had a feeling that since Eva had messaged Adrian, she probably didn''t have the courage to tell him face-to-face.


    But that didn''t ease her worries. She nned to meet Adrian that very day.


    However, Adrian workedte and couldn''t make it.


    Vivian stayed with him at work till he finished and even dragged him to a gathering with friends.


    He went, got drunk, and ended up unconscious.


    During that time, she even called Eva, who hung up in a state of distress.


    Vivian was pleased.


    Eva''s reaction indicated that she was starting to lose hope. All Vivian had to do was hint that Adrian wanted her to get an abortion and that they wouldpensate her. But Vivian couldn''t say it herself, fearing that Adrian would find out and me her.


    So, she mentioned it to her friends and had them confront Eva on her behalf.


    As expected, her friends agreed.


    But Eva didn''t show up.


    ''What is she up to? Is she nning to use the child to threaten Adrian?'' Vivian wondered.


    She didn''t think the child could change anything, but there was always the fear of the unknown, and she had to deal with it promptly.


    With this in mind, Vivian suggested, "If she''s unwilling toe, we could go to her."


    "Go to her? After what she''s done?"


    "Exactly, Vivian. That b**ch shoulde to us."


    Vivian forced a smile. "But we need to resolve this."


    Seeing her wry smile, her friends relented.


    "Alright then, let''s go to her."


    ...


    Back at home, Eva locked herself in her room.


    Adrian was at work, so she was alone.


    After a while, her phone rang.


    Eva nced at it. It was the girl who had called her earlier.


    She stared silently at the ringing phone. A few secondster, she hung up and blocked the number.


    What did Vivian''s friends have to do with this?


    Eva had no desire to waste time on them.


    What upied her mind was Pa''s fragile form in the clinic.


    Despite being so frail, she seemed to possess infinite strength, daring to confront her critical mother and dere her love. She seemed so sure of what she wanted and liked. Eva instinctively touched her belly.


    Though the fetus was tiny and she couldn''t feel anything yet, she knew she was happy and wanted to share the news with Adrian when she first heard.


    In the examination room, a brief pain shed through her heart, signaling that she was looking forward to the child.


    Why abort, then?


    She could raise it on her own. If it had been two years earlier, even supporting herself would have been a struggle, but now she was fully capable of taking care of a child. But she didn''t want the child to grow up in a single-parent family anyway.


    Eva sighed deeply.


    The phone rang again. This time it was another unfamiliar number.


    It must be one of Vivian''s friends.


    As Eva was about to hang up, something made her answer.


    Silence filled both ends before she finally heard Vivian''s voice.


    "Eva, it''s Vivian..."


    So, her friends failed, and now she had to deal with it herself?


    Eva smirked, "Hmm."


    "Can we meet?" Vivian rushed as if afraid of refusal. "Give me your address. I''lle to you."


    Eva pondered for a moment. "I''m at home."


    After a pause, Vivian asked, "W-What do you mean?"


    "You cane over."


    Vivian fell silent.


    Eva shrugged. "I''m tired. I don''t want to go out."


    After a while, Vivian replied, "Alright, I''lle to you."


    After hanging up, Eva made her decision. She would keep the child!


    There could only be one purpose for Vivian''s visit.


    ...


    Within fifteen minutes, a maid told Eva that Vivian had arrived.


    Eva took a shawl and went downstairs.


    "Ms. Morrison, here''s your coffee." A maid handed Vivian her coffee.


    Vivian thanked her before looking up to see Evaing down the stairs.


    Eva looked thinner. The pure white shawl over her light blue dress added a poetic touch. Her makeup-free face looked almost transparent, her lips pale with a hint of pink, creating a certain sickly beauty. Vivian''s fingers clenched at the sight.


    She couldn''t let such a person stay by Adrian''s side.


    Vivian was brought back to reality by the maid''s voice.


    The maid offered Eva a cup of hot chocte with a smile. "Madam, the hot chocte tastes good, and it''s just the right temperature."


    Eva took a sip and praised, "Really nice."


    "Thank you for thepliment, madam. I''ll be off then."


    "Go ahead."


    Delighted by Eva''s praise, the maid left with the tray, paying no more attention to Vivian. Observing the seating arrangement and Eva''s attire, Vivian had a moment of realization.


    To everyone here, Eva was Mrs. ckwood.


    These things should have been hers, but now, they belonged to Eva.


    Vivian''s face showed clear difort.


    If she hadn''t gone abroad, she would be the one being called Mrs. ckwood now.


    Vivian forced a smile. "The servants here respect you a lot."


    Eva looked at her strangely and nodded. "Hmm, they are all very good people."


    The servants, apart from a few selected by George, were mostly picked by Eva herself.


    Vivian''s smile grew even more strained. "Then I should thank you."


    "Thank me?"


    "Yes, for training the servants so well, making it easier for me in the future." Hearing this, Eva paused and raised an eyebrow subtly.

 Chapter 24

    Eva had always perceived Vivian as gentle and charming because she always appeared gracious in public.


    But since her return to the United States, she had mentioned this twice.


    On the surface, it seemed like gratitude, but in reality, it was an assertion of ownership, which Vivian didn''t actually possess.


    If Vivian and Adrian were in a romantic rtionship, her remarks might have been justified.


    But since they were never a couple, Eva was puzzled by Vivian''s current stance.


    Moreover, if they had been in a rtionship, Eva wouldn''t have agreed to a fake marriage with Adrian.


    Nheless, Vivian had offered her help.


    Eva suppressed her difort, offered a slight smile, and remained silent.


    Herck of visible reaction and passive demeanor frustrated Vivian.


    Vivian knew she couldn''t dy any longer and suggested with a smile, "Shall we talk in the small garden?"


    Eva''splete disregard for her friends had unsettled Vivian, so she lowered her voice, "It''s too crowded here, not a good ce for conversation." Eva nodded. "Alright."


    She stood up and headed outside.


    Eva didn''t want to talk to Vivian, but in this world, perhaps nothing was more challenging to repay than kindness.


    In the small garden, Eva led Vivian to a secluded and quiet spot.


    Vivian rxed, sensing that it was safe to speak here.


    However, she still had some concerns. "Nobody''s eavesdropping, right?"


    Eva paused, then shook her head. "The servants rarelye here, and the gardener usuallyes in the morning for watering and pruning." It was almost noon.


    "Good," Vivian let out a sigh of relief and kindly smiled at Eva.


    She then took an envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Eva. "This is for you."


    Eva nced at the envelope but didn''t take it.


    Seeing her pause, Vivian walked up and ced the envelope in her hand.


    It was thin. Eva knew what was inside.


    She held the envelope and gave a wry smile, her heart sinking.


    "What does this mean?"


    Vivian cleared her throat awkwardly. "Eva, you''re so clever. You must understand."


    Eva bit her lip. "If you don''t say it explicitly, I might not really understand what it means." Vivian''s face darkened.


    She didn''t want to discuss Eva''s pregnancy as Adrian was still unaware.


    She came to Eva to solve this issue, but she could only imply without being too explicit.


    What if Eva had a recording device with her, recorded their conversation, and gave it to Adrian? It would ruin her crafted image.


    This wouldn''t work.


    Prior to their meeting, Vivian believed Eva would be easy to deal with.


    Now, her perspective shifted.


    If Eva were easy to deal with, how could she be pregnant?


    Vivian opened the envelope, revealing a check for five million dors.


    A five-million-dor check was presented before them.


    She exined softly, "You''ve worked hard and helped Adrian a lot these past years. He''s praised yourpetence and resilience. You must have gone through a lot since your family went bankrupt. It''s the least we could do. Use it to pamper yourself and take care of your health."


    Vivian tightened her grip on Eva''s wrist and even rubbed her palm.


    Eva looked up and met Vivian''s gaze.


    Vivian let out a sigh and even patted her shoulder as if expressing regret.


    Eva suddenly felt a lump in her throat


    Yesterday in the office, Adrian also advised rest for her health.


    It was an indirect consideration for her dignity.


    Eva''s lips slightly parted. "What should I say?"


    Should she thank them for caring about her health and offering a vacation, money, and well-wishes?


    Rejecting their gesture would seem ungrateful.


    Eva found it absurd. She wrestled with her decisions alone while they plotted her future.


    Vivian, sensing Eva''s sorrow turned to anger, attempted to speak, only to see Eva pushing the check back. "Eva..."


    She didn''t want the money? Why?


    Vivian became flustered. "You think it''s too little? This is all I can offer right now, but I can..."


    "No need," Eva interrupted, dismissing the offer. "I don''t want the money."


    Vivian stood frozen. "Not the money?"


    ''What does she want then? Adrian?'' Vivian couldn''t help but think about this possibility.


    A sh of fierceness crossed her eyes. Her friends were right. Having been Mrs. ckwood for so long, Eva refused to relinquish her position.


    Eva nodded firmly. "I don''t want the money."


    Before meeting Vivian, Eva had already made up her mind.


    She would keep the child and raise it on her own.


    The child would have ties to her alone.


    So, how could she possibly take Vivian''s money?


    Even if Adrian were to give her money now, she wouldn''t take it.


    What if he tried to take the child away from her? What if Vivian couldn''t ept the child?


    For Eva, neither Vivian''s nor Adrian''s financial support held any value.

 Chapter 25

    Vivian was taken aback upon hearing Eva didn''t want the money.


    She could tell that Adrian''s attitude towards Eva had changed.


    Adrian didn''t know about Eva''s pregnancy yet, but if he found out...


    Vivian wasn''t even sure what choice Adrian would make.


    She even had a gut feeling that if Adrian found out about Eva''s pregnancy, he wouldn''t let her go easily.


    Thus, Vivian could only manage a forced smile in front of Eva.


    "Eva, are you worried about what others might say? You shouldn''t be. This money is from my personal funds, and nobody else knows about it. I''m just looking out for you..."


    "Ms. Morrison," Eva sighed. "Thank you for your concern. My family may be bankrupt, but I''ve been working hard these past years. I can support myself and the..."


    She paused and a faint smile formed at the corner of her lips. "You''ve helped me a lot. I can''t take your money."


    "It''s fine. I''m giving it voluntarily."


    "Ms. Morrison, please take it back."


    Eva handed the envelope back to Vivian and took a step back to keep a distance.


    Vivian suddenly realized from Eva''s words and actions what she meant.


    She intended to keep the child!


    The color drained from Vivian''s face in an instant.


    She struggled to maintain her smile, but her eyes turned cold. "Are you serious about this?"


    Eva stared into her eyes.


    Vivian''s reaction wouldn''t affect her decision.


    She pressed her lips together and nodded.


    "Yes, I''m sorry, but I had made up my mind before you came."


    Vivian couldn''t help but scoff. "Why? I don''t see the point."


    Eva was slightly taken aback by the scoff, but she quicklyposed herself. It was understandable for Vivian to be upset.


    "Perhaps you don''t see any significance, but it''s my body, and the decision is mine to make."


    "You..." Vivian, lost for words, stepped forward to grasp Eva''s shoulders. "Maybe you should think it over, Eva. I''m not doubting you or targeting you, but you must understand the consequences of your decision." "I''ve thought it through," Eva responded firmly.


    Vivian loosened her grip. With a sense of defeat, she lowered her gaze and left the small garden in haste.


    Eva nced at the envelope that had fallen to the ground and picked it up with a wry smile.


    Back in the living room, she was informed of Vivian''s departure.


    She resolved not to take the money.


    Since Vivian hadn''t taken it back, she would give the check to Adrian for him to deal with it.


    Ascending the upstairs to her room, Eva chuckled softly. She felt a sense of relief as if a long-standing dilemma had finally found resolution.


    This newfound peace started after her decision to keep the child.


    Eva touched her belly with a faint smile.


    She was about to have another loved one in this world.


    "Baby, Mommy will take good care of you," she muttered.


    ...


    That evening, as Eva packed her belongings and wondered if Adrian woulde back, she heard the sound of the gate opening.


    She walked to the window and nced outside.


    A beam of car headlights illuminated the gate.


    Eva''s heart skipped a beat.


    It was Adrian''s car.


    It was the perfect opportunity to have a clear conversation with him.


    After making her decision, Eva continued packing.


    Her belongings weren''t many since she wasn''t fond of shopping, so she initially thought it would be soon.


    However, over the past two years, her life and habits had subtly merged into every corner of this room.


    The wardrobe, the bed, the dressing table, the bathroom sink, and even the various small items on the coffee table, as well as the ornaments on the shelves. Therefore, she ended up merely packing her clothes and daily necessities.


    The sound of the door being unlocked halted her movements, followed by steady footsteps.


    Eva stood still.


    Adrian had done a lot for her, and she might never be able to repay his kindness in this lifetime, so she couldn''t resent him.


    But the implications from him and Vivian were still humiliating.


    The footsteps drew closer but suddenly stopped.


    Eva took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions.


    She had to face the situation.


    Adrian, frowning at the scene before him, almost thought he had entered the wrong room.


    Two light-colored suitcases were beside the bed. One was packed, and the other nearly so. Eva''s clothes in the wardrobe were half gone.


    For a moment, Adrian wondered if Eva was packing for her vacation. But did she really need so many clothes for a vacation?


    "What are you doing?"


    Eva, who had been facing away, handed him an envelope from the wardrobe.


    Adrian didn''t take it. Instead, he asked, "What is this?"


    Eva replied calmly, "A check."


    "A check?" Adrian''s gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?"


    "It contains thirty million dors from you and five million from Ms. Morrison."


    Adrian questioned, "Why didn''t you spend it?"


    It had been a while since he gave it to her, and she had saved it all?


    But that wasn''t the point.


    "Why did Vivian give you five million dors?"


    Why? Eva, too, wanted to ask why he had to tell Vivian about her pregnancy.


    They had been married for two years. Even if he had no feelings for her, why did he have to humiliate her?


    Eva didn''t answer his question. Instead, she said coldly, "I''ll move to the guest room upstairs tonight, and I''ll leave as soon as Grandma''s surgery is over and we sign the divorce agreement."

 Chapter 26

    Eva''s words hit Adrian like a hammer.


    When he came back to his senses, he was met with Eva''s mocking and pained gaze.


    Before he could take a closer look, Eva lowered her head and continued packing, carelessly shoving her clothes into the suitcase without properly folding them. As she turned around, Adrian suddenly grabbed her wrist, and his icy voice reached her ears. "Why are you moving tonight? Are you that eager?"


    His tone carried a hint of scorn. "Let me guess. Is it because of the lunch you had with Carter today?"


    Eva lifted her head abruptly, staring at him in disbelief.


    "You don''t need to be sarcastic! You know best what my rtionship with Carter is, don''t you?"


    She tried to shake off Adrian''s hand.


    However, Adrian tightened his grip in that instant, preventing her from breaking free.


    He curled his lip in a sneer.


    "Did I say something wrong? If he''s not the reason, what prompted you to pack your things today?"


    He let out a derisiveugh. "You''ve felt trapped for these two years, right?"


    Eva ceased struggling for a moment and stared at him.


    "Adrian, you''re the one who suggested the divorce."


    Adrian replied expressionlessly, "It''s exactly when you want, right? You couldn''t wait to dine out with him, and now, you even want to move out of our room." Eva was speechless.


    If she didn''t know about Adrian''s feelings for Vivian, she might have thought he was jealous. Otherwise, why would he read so much into a simple lunch?


    His behavior now was probably provoked by his wounded male ego. After all, they weren''t officially divorced yet, and his wife was going to sleep in another room. This triggered his possessiveness. Eva didn''t want to argue with a man blinded by possessiveness, lest she start believing his actions stemmed from passion or jealousy.


    She remained silent and tried once again to free herself from his grip.


    Her silence made Adrian grit his teeth. "Why don''t you talk? Did I hit the nail on the head? So you wanted a divorce all along? You never brought it up and waited for me to do it?"


    Eva couldn''t bear it any longer and raised her head.


    "What do you want to say? Don''t you want a divorce?"


    Adrian paused at her question.


    His actions today, intertwined with Vivian''s money, only hardened Eva''s heart, and her words were unkind.


    "Our marriage was fake to begin with. Don''t you remember what you said? You asked me to act along with you and please your grandmother."


    Adrian''s eyes went dim.


    Once she finished speaking, he mumbled, "So for these two years, you''ve been acting along with me, is that it?"


    "Haven''t you been acting too?"


    Eva''s retort silenced Adrian.


    He quietly watched the beautiful woman in front of him. He remembered that on the night he proposed the divorce, she appeared much colder and calmer than now. She didn''t show any reluctance, and now, she was about to move out of their room.


    With this in mind, Adrian slowly loosened his grip.


    Now free, Eva turned back to packing..


    Irritable, Adrian loosened his tie and said impatiently, "If you move to the guest room upstairs now, the servants will get suspicious."


    Eva had thought about this and replied, "It wouldn''t hurt if they did. We''re going to get a divorce before long."


    "What about Grandma?"


    "She won''t find out."


    "How do you know? What if the servants report back to her?"


    Eva paused. She hadn''t considered this.


    After a long silence, she said, "Then we''ll wait until Grandma has her surgery."


    Adrian sneered, "You seem very aggrieved?"


    Eva replied, "Not at all. I''ve been living like this for two years."


    "So you''ve felt aggrieved for two years?"


    Eva fell silent. For the first time, she found Adrian to bepletely unreasonable and intractable.


    She turned away, unwilling to continue the conversation.


    There was no point in arguing with a man blinded by possessiveness. It wouldn''t change the oue.


    Adrian watched Eva for a moment, then mocked, "Why the face? If you don''t want to see me, I''ll stay away." With that, he turned and strode away.


    Once Adrian was gone, Eva copsed onto the bed, feeling utterly deted.


    At the sound of the front door closing, she lowered her gaze.


    After two minutes, George arrived in a state of anxiety.


    "Madam, why did Mr. ckwood leave in such a hurry? Did something happen between..."


    George stopped talking upon seeing Eva''s pale face.


    "Madam, are you alright?"


    Eva didn''t want to take her feelings out on others.


    She forced a smile at George and said softly, "I''m just a bit tired. Maybe a nap will help."


    Seeing her in this state left George more worried, but he knew better than to pry further, heaving a sigh instead.


    "Please get some rest then."


    "Alright." Eva nodded and lowered her head again.


    Before leaving, George spotted the suitcases in the room, which left him shaken.


    "What''s going on? Why did Mrs. ckwood pack her luggage? Is that why Mr. ckwood stormed out?" he wondered.


    Suddenly, he thought of Vivian, who had visited Eva in the afternoon.


    George had been with the ckwood family for many years and had watched Adrian grow up. He appreciated Vivian for saving Adrian''s life, but he never expected Adrian to develop feelings for her. After all, Vivian wasn''t the type Adrian would be interested in.


    But life had its unexpected twists.


    The Hansen family went bankrupt, and Adrian married Eva. George hoped for a happy union.


    However, fate had other ns.

 Chapter 27

    Adrian asked two close friends out for a drink.


    He guzzled liquor as if it were in water.


    John Harrison and Jason Brown looked on in rm.


    "Should we say something?" John signaled Jason with his eyes.


    Jason shrugged. "Do you think we can actually stop him?"


    John frowned solemnly. "He''s had a lot. It''s not good for his health."


    Jason nodded in agreement. "Yes."


    The two of them moved to intervene.


    "Enough, Adrian. Stop drinking. Even if you''re drowning sorrows, you''ve done enough. You''ll pass out soon."


    They warned, albeit only verbally, neither daring to physically stop him.


    Adrian sneered without saying anything. He had drunk his fill for the night, his eyes rimmed red and his aura darkened.


    "What happened?" Jason squinted his eyes. "Vivian''s back. Why isn''t he rushing off to be with her instead of getting smashed here?"


    John figured it out after a brief contemtion. "I think it''s probably because Vivian''s back that this is happening."


    Jason didn''t understand at first, but then he grasped the twisted logic.


    He stared in realization. "You mean..."


    John nodded.


    Joson frowned. "Makes sense. Vivian''s return means Adrian has to divorce Eva. They''ve been together for so long. He must be struggling to let go." While they were discussing, Adrian turned his head sharply, his piercing gazending on Jason.


    Jason felt a chill down his spine and stuttered, "What''s wrong?"


    Adrian squinted at him fiercely. "Who''s struggling to let go?"


    Jason paused for a moment, then pointed to John. "I was talking about him. He can''t let go of his girlfriend."


    With that, Jason poured Adrian another drink.


    "You better just drink quietly. Don''t interrupt our conversation."


    Normally, Jason wouldn''t dare to act like this, but a drunk Adrian was easier to fool than when sober.


    Although Adrian''s gaze was fierce, Jason could tell that he was drunk.


    However, Adrian wasn''t as easily fooled tonight as Jason thought.


    "How dare youmand me?"


    Jason panicked. "I didn''tmand you. You wanted to drink. I was just pouring for you. Did I say something wrong?" Adrian nced at the filled ss in front of him, pressed his lips together with displeasure, and raised the ss to drink again. John couldn''t help but reach out his hand.


    "Stop drinking. Let''s just confront the issue. Drinking won''t help."


    Adrian paused and turned to look at John, his gaze icy.


    Even as a close friend, John faced difficulty enduring Adrian''s anger.


    He was about to retract his hand when Adrian suddenly copsed onto the table with a loud thud.


    Jason eximed, "Is he drunk? No way!"


    Adriany motionless, seemingly asleep.


    "Seems like it," John said.


    "I thought he was sober. I was worried his tolerance had heightened, but it turns out to be the same." Taking advantage of the situation, Jason yed a prank to get back at Adrian for the earlier scare.


    John warned, "If you don''t want to be killed once he wakes up, you better stop."


    Jason quickly stopped.


    "What do we do now? Take him home?"


    Jason, with a glint in his eyes, rifled through Adrian''s pockets for his phone.


    "We never got to handle his phone when he was sober. Let''s see if he has any secrets or chats with Vivian."


    To Jason, Vivian was a goddess of beauty, but knowing her subtle connection with Adrian, he had always restrained himself.


    He was about to sneak a peek at their messages when arge hand blocked the phone''s screen.


    Jason looked up and saw John''s serious expression.


    "It''s private," John warned.


    Jason cowered. "I know. I was just joking."


    "Give me the phone."


    Reluctantly, Jason handed the phone to John. "What are you going to do?"


    "Call his family." John went through the contacts.


    "His family? Who?"


    "Eva."


    Upon hearing this, Jason furrowed his brows in disagreement, "Why call Eva? Call Vivian. She''s the one who can reason with Adrian."


    "Is that so?" John casually asked. "We''ll see."


    Jason watched as John dialed Eva''s number.


    "What are you doing? You know Adrian..."


    The sound from the phone made Jason shut his mouth.


    He didn''t understand what John was thinking. Between Eva and Vivian, he seemed to always favor Eva.


    He should have called Vivian, but he ended up calling Eva.


    The phone rang for a long time.


    Jason muttered impatiently, "Maybe she''s asleep? It''ste..."


    Just as he finished, the call was answered, but no one spoke.


    John understood. Given Adrian had gone out to drink, it was likely he had a falling out with Eva, so of course she wouldn''t be the first to speak when answering the phone. He cleared his throat. "Hello, this is John."


    Eva sounded surprised. "John?"


    John nced at the unconscious Adrian and said softly, "Adrian is drunk, and I had to use his phone to contact you."

 Chapter 28

    Eva changed into her pajamas, ready to lie down for the night.


    Despite her bad mood, she couldn''t let it disrupt her normal routine.


    Since she had decided to keep the child, she needed to take good care of herself from now on. Even if she couldn''t sleep, she had to lie in bed and rest.


    Her phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Adrian.


    Seeing the name disyed on the phone screen evokedplex feelings in Eva.


    After their heated argument in the evening, Eva suspected Adrian had gone to see Vivian.


    She didn''t expect him to call her.


    She considered answering, but then she remembered the call he had asked Vivian to make earlier. Perhaps it was Vivian again. Eva didn''t really feel like answering.


    But the phone kept ringing, and she eventually picked up, only to hear an unfamiliar male voice.


    After wrestling with her thoughts for a few seconds, Eva finally got out of bed, changed out of her pajamas, and headed outside. The temperature outside was very low.


    Stepping out, Eva instinctively shivered.


    Since it waste and everyone was asleep, Eva didn''t bother calling the driver and simply took the car keys to the garage instead.


    As she drove off, John''s words echoed in her ears.


    "Adrian didn''t look well. You bettere over if possible."


    Why didn''t he look well?


    Was it because of possessiveness?


    It was hard for Eva to imagine Adrian turning to alcohol.


    Worse still, she let her mind wander.


    ''Is Adrian behaving so strangely because he''s jealous? No, he cares for Vivian. How could he be jealous? He must feel his male ego is challenged,'' Eva thought.


    A beam of light suddenly caught her attention. Eva quickly maneuvered the car to stop by the roadside.


    She leaned on the steering wheel, catching her breath from the near miss.


    That was close.


    If she hadn''t reacted in time, there might have been a collision.


    Eva took a deep breath and resumed her drive.


    She no longer allowed herself to be distracted with thoughts and soon reached the bar John had mentioned.


    Despite thete hour, the bar was bustling with people, couples intertwined.


    Unable to park outside due to restrictions, Eva had to search for a parking space.


    As she approached the entrance, she suddenly saw a familiar figure sprinting from across the street.


    It was Vivian!


    Vivian didn''t notice her and hurriedly ran into the bar with her bag.


    It was obvious why she was here.


    Eva felt like a bit of an idiot, but she found herself unable to move, frozen in ce.


    It took what seemed like ages before familiar figures finally emerged from the bar.


    Seeing them, Eva instinctively hid in the shadows.


    "What happened? Why did he drink so much? Jason, why didn''t you stop him?"


    Vivian and Jason assisted Adrian out, with John following calmly.


    Jason exined, "I tried, but you know he never listens to us. If you had been there, maybe he''d listen to you."


    Vivian sighed. "How could he let himself end up like this?"


    Together, they managed to get Adrian into the car.


    From the shadows, Eva watched quietly.


    As if sensing something, Adrian abruptly grasped Vivian''s wrist, muttering, "Don''t... Don''t go."


    Vivian paused, then reassuringly patted his shoulder, "I''m not going anywhere. Be good."


    Unable to bear the sight, Eva clenched her teeth, regretting her decision toe here.


    She shouldn''t have answered the call. She should have been sleeping in her bed instead of subjecting herself to such humiliation.


    Why had she allowed herself to get emotionally trampled like this as if her heart needed to be crushed thoroughly before she could give up?


    With a nk expression, Eva turned to leave.


    She missed seeing Adrian suddenly release Vivian''s hand with a forceful push.


    Vivian stumbled, nearly falling, but Jason quickly caught her.


    "Vivian, are you okay?"


    Vivian waspletely dumbfounded.


    Adrian pushed her?!


    Was it an unconscious act or deliberate??


    Regaining her footing, Vivian turned back to see Adrian with his eyes tightly shut, his furrowed brow showing his difort.


    Most importantly, he reeked of alcohol.


    Though embarrassed in front of the two men and appearing somewhat disheveled, she brushed back her hair and forced a smile, "He must have been really drunk to do that." Her statement barely finished when Adrian grumbled, "John, take me home."


    All three of them fell silent for a moment.


    Thinking Adrian had rejected her touch due to his drunken state, Vivian could no longer hide her embarrassment.


    Jason whispered reassuringly, "Vivian, don''t overthink it. Adrian just drank too much and didn''t recognize you, but he definitely remembers you."


    Adrian frowned. "John!"


    John approached and said to Jason, "Leave him to me. You take Vivian home."


    Jason hesitated, "He''s drunk. Can you handle him alone?"


    Before John could reply, Vivian interjected, "Take him to my ce."


    Both men paused and turned to look at her.


    Vivian offered a smile. "He can''t be left alone like this. Take him to my ce, and I''ll take care of him."

 Chapter 29

    Jason immediately nodded.


    "You''re right. We can''t leave him alone like this. Let''s..."


    "Let''s take him to my ce," John interjected calmly. "You heard him earlier. He called out my name. If I fail to keep my promise, he might cause trouble when he wakes up." John had been friends with Adrian for many years, knowing him far longer than Jason and Vivian.


    With his calm demeanor and typically concise speech, he was mostly silent. But once he spoke, it was hard to refuse him.


    Vivian observed John. She couldn''t fathom why, but she felt that he might not hold her in high regard.


    But John was good friends with Adrian. Perhaps it was just her imagination.


    Jason defended Vivian, "Adrian''spletely drunk. He might not even remember what he said tomorrow. John, why take it so seriously?"


    Then he turned to Vivian with a smile. "Nobody can take care of Adrian as well as Vivian. Let''s just take Adrian to her ce."


    John stared at Jason firmly. "I said take him to my ce. If you''re worried, you''re wee to stay and take care of him."


    "John..." Jason started.


    "Jason, let''s just follow John''s suggestion and take Adrian to his ce," Vivian interrupted Jason with a smile. "He''d be a better caretaker for Adrian than me."


    She gave John a friendly smile, though, internally, she was anything but happy.


    John was one of Adrian''s close friends, and she didn''t want to offend him.


    They eventually took Adrian to John''s home.


    John suggested, "It''s inappropriate for a youngdy to stay with three mente at night. Jason, why don''t you take her home?"


    Jason was confused. "But didn''t you say we could stay and take care of..."


    Vivian interjected, "Let''s go, Jason. John is right. It''s not proper for me to stay."


    Jason scratched his head and without further words, he took Vivian home.


    By the time he returned, it was nearly 2 AM.


    Jason copsed onto the couch and asked John as he came out, "How''s Adrian doing? Is he okay?"


    John took a bottle of water from the fridge and took a sip. "He''s been sleeping the whole time. He''s fine."


    "That''s good to hear." Jason breathed a sigh of relief.


    But soon, he mentioned with a grimace, "John, I don''t understand you. You know Vivian and Adrian like each other. Why didn''t you let Vivian take him to her ce?" John gave him a nce.


    "Why should we send a married man to a single woman''s home?"


    "So what? Adrian and Eva were never a real couple."


    John raised an eyebrow, "How do you know?"


    Jason scoffed, "Isn''t it obvious? You told her Adrian was drunk and suggested shee over, but she didn''t even show up!"


    John lowered his eyes.


    Eva didn''t sound like she was unwilling toe. What happened?


    Actually, while Jason was taking Vivian home, John called Eva, but she answered in a cold voice, "What''s the matter?"


    John, surprised by the change in her attitude, asked, "You came, right? Did you see?"


    After a pause, Eva replied, "I didn''t go out. Please take care of him."


    Then she quickly hung up the phone.


    At first, John thought Eva to be heartless, but he reconsidered her words.


    If she hadn''t gone out, her immediate response to his question would have been, "See what?" instead of silence.


    John snapped back to reality and heard Jason stillining.


    "That heartless woman is nothingpared to Vivian! Vivian almost risked her life to save Adrian. She still bears scars on her hand. If I were Adrian, I''d marry her in a heartbeat." "You''re conting gratitude with romantic feelings?"


    "So what? Vivian is so beautiful. Any man would be drawn to her."


    John couldn''t bother to argue further and simply headed back inside.


    ...


    Waking up the next day, Adrian felt a dull headache. He looked at the unfamiliar surroundings and sat up.


    "You awake?" John handed him a ss of water. "Drink this. It''ll help you sober up."


    At the sight of John, a hint of disappointment flickered in Adrian''s eyes but was quickly reced by relief.


    He finished the water and clenched the ss in his hand, his brow furrowed.


    After a while, he looked at John.


    "What happenedst night?"


    "You forgot? You were drunk, so Jason and I brought you here."


    Adrian frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the answer, but remained silent.


    John observed him calmly, wondering how long he could hold out.


    As expected, Adrian quickly looked at him and asked tentatively, "And then?"


    John feigned confusion. "And then? Nothing more."


    Adrian''s eyelids drooped.


    John added as if suddenly remembering something, "Oh, right. She came."


    "She?" Adrian''s somber eyes brightened.


    "Yeah, she offered to take care of you, but you insisted that I bring you here, so I did."


    Adrian furrowed his brows. "Since when were you so obedient?"


    "I couldn''t send a married man to a single woman''s home anyway." John sighed.


    Adrian finally realized that something was amiss.


    "Who are you talking about?"

 Chapter 30

    "Who do you think I''m talking about?" John responded with a question.


    They locked eyes briefly before John asked, "You''re disappointed it wasn''t her, huh?"


    After a brief moment of silence, Adrian scoffed mockingly, "Disappointed? About what? I don''t care at all."


    John raised an eyebrow. "Well, then I won''t mention it."


    And then, he truly remained silent.


    Adrian red at John with evident discontent.


    "If you know something, just spill it. Why beat around the bush?"


    John feigned surprise. "I thought you didn''t want to know. Do you want to hear it?"


    Adrian was speechless.


    Fed up with the conversation, Adrian abruptly tossed the covers aside, climbed out of bed, and slipped on his shoes, rough and agitated.


    Once he hadposed himself, the door was pushed open.


    Jason walked in and greeted Adrian cheerfully. He then shared how Vivian had rushed over the previous night and how worried she was about him. Hearing Vivian''s name softened Adrian''s face slightly.


    "Adrian, Vivian just called asking about you. She wanted me to let her know once you''re up. She''s been worried."


    "Alright."


    Adrian took out his phone to look up the contact but stumbled upon call logs with Eva.


    He swallowed and asked in a hoarse voice, "Did you call her, or did she call me?"


    "Who?" Jason subconsciously nced at the phone screen. "You mean Eva? John called her and told her you were drunk."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at John, who shrugged with a smile.


    Without Adrian asking, Jason spilled everything.


    "No insinuations, but Eva was cruel. John called her, but she didn''t even show up. I informed Vivian, and she rushed over." Jason thought Adrian would be happy, but instead, he pressed his lips together with displeasure.


    "W-What''s wrong?"


    Adrian scoffed, "Nothing."


    Jason scratched his head, somewhat puzzled. "I got breakfast. Want some?"


    "Eat without me."


    Adrian had lost his appetite to anger caused by Eva.


    Upon asking John, Jason got the same response and mumbled before closing the door, "Why''s everyone acting so strange this morning?" Once the room quieted down, Adrian yanked at his already disheveled tie, irritated.


    John, watching in silence, finally spoke after a while.


    "Though it''s just a guess, I still want to clear her name."


    Adrian looked at him. "Who?"


    "Eva. She didn''t show upst night, but something felt off when I called herter," John exined calmly.


    John recountedst night''s events to Adrian, who listened in silence.


    "Maybe she dide but happened to encounter us and Vivian outside the bar, so she chose not to show up," John continued.


    His words struck a chord with Adrian.


    His eyes narrowed slightly, and after a pause, he denied it.


    "That''s impossible."


    John raised an eyebrow. "Why?"


    "Why should she avoid Vivian?" Adrian scoffed. "She simply didn''t want to see me."


    John fell silent, pressing his lips together as if in thought.


    The two of them remained silent for a while.


    Suddenly, Adrian''s phone rang. It was Vivian calling.


    Before Adrian stepped out to answer the call, John sighed. "You still haven''t figured out what you want, huh?"


    Adrian turned back, only to find John already out the door. He stood in ce, staring at the ringing phone in his hand.


    ...


    "So, have you really made up your mind?"


    Emily, who was worried about Eva yesterday, was surprised by the wee news today.


    "Yes." Eva nodded with a smile.


    Previously, her uncertain future looked bleak, but once she made a decision, everything appeared clear, her next steps and her long-term ns. She was moving toward her goal.


    "That''s great." Emily beamed, grasping Eva''s hand. "Eva, I''m really happy for you. Have you thought of a name for the child?"


    Eva chuckled. "It''s too early for names."


    "Not at all! If you think of a name now, you can use it when the baby is born. Also, if you''re raising the child, you''ll have to buy a house for yourself, right?"


    "I n to buy a house after the divorce, but I have to talk to my family. They are all abroad. If they''re supportive, I''ll live with them. If not..."


    She had considered it. If her family couldn''t ept it, she would move to a city without Adrian, buy a new house, and raise the child on her own.


    She had never imagined being a mother as she felt she hadn''t really grown up.


    But now, she had started to picture life with her child.


    Boy or girl, each would require different approaches, and she needed to prepare by reading up.


    "Don''t worry. Mr. Hansen adores you. He''ll surely agree. Raising a child can be quite joyful, don''t you think?"

 Chapter 31

    Emily excitedly said, while propping her chin up, ''Having a baby is so much fun, you know? For example, if it''s a girl, you can dress her up every day, like a living dress-up doll. Have you yed Love Nikki before? You can dress the characters up


    like that!''"


    Eva: "..."


    Eva, who never yed games, looked at Emily in speechless surprise. She didn''t expect that Emily would ever think this way.


    "Oh!! By the way Eva, please let me be the child''s godmother." Emily rubbed her hands excitedly, with a hidden gleam in her eyes. "If you''re busy, I''ll move in with you. Hehehe, I want to rify that I''m not moving in just to y with the child."


    6639


    Eva suddenly understood why Emily wanted her to keep the baby.


    "By the way." Emily suddenly became serious again. "Did Vivian contact you yesterday?"


    "Yeah."


    "Damn, what did she say to you?"


    Eva told her everything that happened yesterday.


    After listening, Emily, who couldn''t hide her joy, started venting again.


    "I can''t believe she has not a single ounce of self-respect. She actually gave you money and acted like she''s the original wife. Does she think she is someone special? Isn''t she only Adrian''s girlfriend? Why is she even acting like she is the main wife?"


    As Emily went on ranting, Eva didn''t bother to stop her. Emily was always like this; once she started venting, no one could stop her from saying whatever she wanted.


    After Emily finished, Eva handed her a tissue and advised, "This time, just let it go. Don''t mention her again."


    "What?" Emily widened her eyes. "After everything she did to you, you''re still defending her?"


    "Emily, she helped me before."


    "When was that?" Emily was confused. "Why don''t I know about it?"


    Eva lowered her gaze.


    "It was a long time ago."


    At the time when the Hansen family went bankrupt, all her cards were frozen, and she only had a few thousand dors left in her WhatsApp ount.


    She didn''t know what had happened, and her father''s phone was constantly busy. She hurriedly rushed home.


    When she arrived home, she found a group of people putting seals on their door, smearing paint, and even confiscating things from the house.


    Her father was trying to stop them but was pushed hard, breaking his leg. Eva was furious and confronted the people, nning to call the police. But during themotion, her phone was knocked out of her hand. The scene was chaotic.


    Finally, the person in charge received a phone call, causing his attitude to be submissive and apologetic.


    "Alright, I understand. We''ll leave now."


    After hanging up the phone, the person in charge walked over and gave Eva a disdainful look.


    "Hmph, consider yourselves lucky. We won''t take this house anymore. We''ll leave it for you."


    After speaking, the person sneered, "If it wasn''t for Miss Morrison knowing our boss, you would never have had this chance. We''re doing this for Miss Morrison, understand?" Miss Morrison...


    A name shed through Eva''s mind.


    "You mean Vivian?"


    "That''s right. Consider yourselves lucky. We''re leaving."


    Eva couldn''t believe that Vivian had helped her that day. Shortly after those people left, Vivian called her.


    "Are you alright? Were you scared? I may have called a bitte. I heard that Uncle was injured. I''ve already arranged for a car toe pick you up. You can head on over to the hospital, I''ve already arranged for a doctor." Eva held her phone, unable to understand.


    "Why did you help me?"


    Her rtionship with Vivian couldn''t be considered good. They met through Adrian''s friends, but they didn''t really get along well at all.


    And after finding out about Adrian''s feelings for Vivian, Eva became even more indifferent towards her. She tried to minimize their contact.


    After all, she never considered herself a magnanimous person.


    She might not resent or dislike Vivian, however she would never be friends with her.


    But unexpectedly, Vivian helped her.


    After hearing her question, Vivian lightlyughed, "Eva, you''re Adrian''s friend. Adrian''s friends are my friends too. Of course, I will help you. You don''t have to feel burdened. Just consider what I did for you as help from Adrian." What else was there for Eva to not understand?


    Vivian helped her because of Adrian''s sake.


    Eva pursed her slightly pale lips, unable to speak.


    At that moment, Mr. Hansen suddenly coughed heavily, and the servant beside him eximed in rm, "Sir, are you alright? Miss, you need to hurry and take your father to the hospital."


    Vivian''s concerned voice came from the phone.


    "Is Uncle alright? Eva, I won''t take up any more of your time. You should hurry and take your father to the hospital. The driver should be there soon.''


    Eva looked at her sweating and pale-faced father and tightly squeezed her hand, almost forming a fist.


    Finally, she let go, seeming to have epted her fate.


    She spoke to Vivian on the other end of the phone, "Consider it as me owing you a favor. Thank you."


    "What are you saying? Didn''t I tell you? Just consider it as Adrian helping you. Now, go take care of your father."


    Vivian quickly hung up the phone.


    Eva put her phone away and quickly walked over to her father''s side to support him. "Dad, are you okay? Hang in there a bit longer. The car will be here soon."


    As soon as she finished speaking, someone came in with the driver, and they all helped Mr. Hansen into the car.


    On the way to the hospital, Mr. Hansen looked at his daughter beside him and cautiously asked, "Eva, who was that one the phone call just now?"


    Eva was the nickname Mr. Hansen gave Eva. She had been raised by her father alone since she was young.


    When Eva was young, she was delicate and soft, wearing a white dress, and she looked like a little sticky rice ball. That''s why Mr. Hansen gave her this nickname.


    He had called her that from a young age.


    Eva paused for a moment before saying, "It was Vivian. She helped us, and I owe her a favor."


    Upon hearing this, Mr. Hansen looked surprised, but then waved his hand and said, "Eva, let''s get off of the car."


    As a father who spent every day with his daughter, how could Mr. Hansen not see through his daughter''s thoughts? She liked Adrian.


    But the incident between Adrian and Vivian was well-known in their circle.


    His daughter had already been held back by this matter, but if she now owed a favor to herpetitor, how would things go in the future?


    That''s why Mr. Hansen wanted to get off the car right away.


    Eva held him back, her face pale. "Dad, don''t get off the car. Even if I get off now, I''ve already taken on this favor. If she hadn''t made that phone call, those people wouldn''t have left." "But you and Adrian..."


    Eva smiled faintly. "It''s alright. Maybe it''s just not meant to be."

 Chapter 32

    Favors are what you owe others in times of need. Eva realized this when she had to ask for help from various peopleter on, and only then did she realize how timely Vivian''s phone call was.


    The Hansen family lost all their assets except for a property. When they started over again, Eva wanted to sell the property and use the money to start anew with her father.


    However, Hansen refused and calmly told her, "Deal with the house however you want. Since I seeded in starting my business from scratch before, I will definitely be able to do it again in the future. You can give those people the house as coteral and invite Vivian out for dinner soon after to see if there is anything she needs your help with, so that we can repay our debts as soon as possible." "Dad..."


    How could one ever fully repay their debts? Hansen patted his daughter''s head warmly.


    "Even if Dad has nothing left now, he cannot let our family bow down in front of our rivals. Don''t worry; even without funds, Dad will find a way eventually. It might take longer than expected but wait patiently for me."


    Eva fell silent for a long time before raising her head weakly.


    "Dad... should we go find Uncle Steven?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, Hansen immediately frowned and said sternly: "No!"


    "I don''t think that Uncle Steven knows about this matter yet; even if he does know about it already, he won''t need us to take initiative because he would have helped me anyway. But Eva, once we ept his help truly someday, what will you do then? The Eva that I raised is the best one in the world; I don''t want you lowering your head in front of anyone else no matter what happens. Rest assured, even without funds, Dad will find a way. It might take longer than expected but, again I ask you, please wait patiently for me."


    That day, Eva cried until her eyes were swollen when she returned to her room. After crying, instead of mortgaging the property back to those people as coteral, she turned it into cash and transferred all of it into Hansen''s bank ount. When she came out of the bank, Eva took out her phone and stared nkly at a photo of herself with Adrian.


    Perhaps her feelings for Adrian weren''t as pure and passionate as she had imagined them to be. She really needed this money now.


    In front of real-life hardships, nothing else mattered.


    -


    Eva and Emily each left after two hours. On the way home, Eva calcted in her heart when they would divorce.


    She had just visited Grandma recently; her condition was good enough that surgery could be performed in about a month or so. When that timees and Grandma has made a full recovery without anyplications for a good time frame post surgery, she and Adrian can then end their superficial marriage. He can also fulfill his promise to Vivian then too. Vivian is gentler than Eva; kinder than Eva; has better family background than hers too - surely Grandma would like Vivian more?


    They both have bright futures ahead of them; there''s no need for her to worry anymore.


    "Madam."


    The driver noticed that Eva was absent-minded through the rearview mirror and reminded her: "What time are we going over to Madam''s ce today?"


    Eva snapped out of it upon hearing him speak: "Oh? Is it Sunday already?"


    Time passed by so quickly!


    Due to work reasons, Granny ckwood only allowed them to visit on Sundays while forbidding visits on other days, and so, they visited on Sundays only, lest she gets angry with them if they do otherwise.


    For these past two years since their marriage began deteriorating, Eva always went together with Adrian every Sunday to visit her.


    He got drunkst night and left with Vivian; who knows what he''s doing now...


    Just then, the driver asked: "Do you want me to call Mr. ckwood?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva came back to her senses and instinctively said: "No need; he''s busy."


    The driver was speechless.


    "I''ll go by myself today."


    All he could do was nod silently before driving on.


    Having stayed at the ckwood family for so long, he could tell that something wasn''t righttely from their atmosphere. He had also heard some rumors going around too. Seeing how Eva looked right now made him feel sorry for her. But they were just hired help - it wasn''t their ce to worry about such things.


    -


    New York''s best nursing home


    As soon as she arrived, a caregiver greeted Eva with a smile and said: "Mrs. ckwood is here! Granny ckwood was just talking about you earlier; our colleague wanted to take her downstairs for a walk but she refused and insisted on waiting in her room instead because she didn''t want you waiting when you arrive."


    Hearing this, Eva couldn''t help butugh. "Actually, it''s okay to make me wait a little longer."


    The caregiver said, "The main thing is that you onlye once a week. The olddy cherishes this time and feels that if she can see you for an extra ten minutes, then she will have seen you for ten more minutes."


    Eva heard this and was stunned for a moment before sensing something.


    "How has her mood beentely? Is she okay?"


    "Her mood seems fine with no major fluctuations."


    Eva asked again, "What about her meals and rest?"


    "It doesn''t seem like there''s anything different."


    "Thank you." Eva nodded. "But I still need your help to carefully check her recent sleep times and meal amounts."


    The medical staff nodded.


    "Okay, no problem. I''ll go check right away."


    "Thank you."


    After thanking them again, Eva turned around and headed towards Granny ckwood''s room.


    When Granny ckwood returned home, under the care of her personal caregiver, she had already sat on the bed resting while waiting for her granddaughter-inw and grandson to visit.


    Although age had left its mark on Granny ckwood''s face over the years, it did not take away from her elegance orposure.


    Hearing footsteps outside the door made Granny ckwood''s face light up with joy beyond what one would expect at her age.


    "It''s almost time; Adrian and Eva must be here now," she said happily.


    As soon as she finished speaking, a familiar slender figure appeared at the door of the room.


    "Eva!"


    Granny ckwood eximed in delight: "You''re here!"


    Eva quickened her pace and walked over to Granny ckwood''s side. "Grandma,"


    "Yes?"


    Granny ckwood immediately grabbed hold of Eva''s hand feeling very happy.


    The smile on her face disappeared as soon as she touched Eva''s hand, reced by shock and concern. "Why are your hands so cold? Are you not wearing enough clothes?" Before Eva could answer, Granny ckwood continued to nag.


    "You''re such a child; you''re naturally weak and afraid of the cold. Why hasn''t Adrian taken better care of you in this weather?"


    It was then that Granny ckwood noticed something else.


    "Speaking of which, where is he?"

 Chapter 33

    Whenever Adrian was mentioned, Eva couldn''t help but think of the scene she saw outside the barst night. Where is he?


    Of course, Vivian had taken him back.


    As for what happenedst night and what they did, it was clear to Eva that it wouldn''t be revealed in front of Granny ckwood anytime soon. She felt angry about it but couldn''t express her feelings in front of her. So, she came up with an excuse for Adrian that would not easily be found out.


    "He stayed uptest night and can''t get up today."


    After saying this, Eva suddenly realized that what she said was actually true. He did stay upte, but no one knew what he did during that time.


    Seeing her good-natured appearance, Granny ckwood sighed. "Only you can tolerate his personality."


    Eva replied softly, "No way."


    She didn''t want to talk about this topic anymore so she suggested taking Granny ckwood for a walk in the garden instead. The olddy agreed.


    The caregiver brought over a wheelchair and helped Granny ckwood onto it. Actually, her leg problem wasn''t serious; she just couldn''t walk long distances and could only take a few steps inside the room before feeling tired. Once seated on the wheelchair, Eva opened the cab door and skillfully took out a thick shawl and nket to cover Granny ckwoodpletely before pushing her outside.


    Granny ckwood snuggled into the furry shawl contentedly and eximed, "This material is reallyfortable! I remember when I was much younger, I used to find this kind of fabric too heavy. Now I like it very much, unfortunately I''m not young anymore."


    Eva sensed some regret in her tone so she quicklyforted her by saying, "Grandma, I think you are more suitable for this kind of fabric now. It matches the traditional dress tailored for you perfectly and makes you look stunningly beautiful. Your beauty and temperament have always been something I admire very much."


    This was the truth.


    All women in the ckwood family were extremely beautiful, including Granny ckwood and her mother-inw.


    The way men from the ckwood family looked at women was quite vicious.


    Eva couldn''t help but add, "Grandma, do you know that when I attended a banquet as a child, I saw you standing next to my mother and thought you two were sisters?"


    At the time she was still young. Seeing these two people standing together with their exquisite features and smooth faces without any wrinkles made them look like an elegant pair of sisters.


    Granny ckwood chuckled at this remark, feeling happy inside. "You are so sweet and say such nice things! You''ve convinced me that I''m not old anymore."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Eva bent down to hug Granny ckwood around her shoulders with both of her hands.


    "Grandma, you''re not old at all. Eva really likes you."


    Granny ckwood had always been very kind to her. And Eva liked her very much too - not because of Adrian or because she became a member of the ckwood family through marriage - but because Granny ckwood had treated her exceptionally well since she was just a little girl.


    Because her own grandmother passed away early on in life and she didn''t have a mother either; Granny ckwood''s love for her felt like it filled up some voids in her heart.


    It felt like...she had found another real grandma again even if one day she would divorce Adrian...


    At this thought, Eva hugged Granny ckwood tighter and said, "You will always be my dear grandmother."


    As they approached the exit, a man walked towards them. He was tall and slender with handsome features but his eyes were cold. When Eva saw him, she stopped in her tracks. "Adrian?" Granny ckwood was clearly surprised to see him here.


    "Grandmother," Adrian called out in a deep voice. His voice had a hint of sexy mncholy to it.


    Eva snorted softly under her breath, almost imperceptibly. But Adrian seemed to have caught on as he looked at her with heavy eyes.


    "What''s going on? Eva said you couldn''t get up because of me. I thought you weren''ting today," Granny ckwood asked Adrian.


    Adrian didn''t expect that Eva woulde up with such an excuse for him. He pursed his lips before using a conciliatory tone towards Granny ckwood and said, "Even if I had stayed up all night, I still muste see my grandmother." "You smooth talker," Granny ckwood yfully threw an insult at him but couldn''t hide the pleased smile on her face.


    Afterwards, Adrian walked over to Eva and said, "Let me push." As he pushing her wheelchair, Eva smelled the fresh scent of soap emanating from his clothes which were neatly pressed unlike yesterday''s outfit where he wore a ck shirt that wasn''t ironed properly - she could guess who did it for him after spending time with someone like Vivian.


    As she pondered this thought process in silence while watching Adrian approach close enough that his hand was about tond on the wheelchair handlebars; she instinctively withdrew her hand and quickly took two steps back away from him as if he were some kinds of ferocious beast or floodwater rushing towards her. Adrian''s natural movement froze in ce. A few secondster, his handsome face turned cold and he exuded a chilly aura. Originally, Adrian had softened up quite a bit after hearing John''s spections but now he realized that he was overthinking things.


    "What''s wrong?" Granny ckwood asked curiously when she saw Adrian standing still for so long.


    Adrian snapped out of his thoughts and curled his lips before saying, "Nothing grandmother, let''s go."


    Then Adrian pushed Granny ckwood towards the garden with Eva following behind them. Usually when they apanied Granny ckwood to the garden, it was either Adrian pushing her wheelchair while Eva held onto his arm or tugged at his clothes like a little tail. But today, Eva kept her distance from Adrian as if they were strangers instead of husband and wife causing Adrian''s expression to be increasingly sour and cold. Suddenly, he stopped walking altogether. "Grandmother, I need to send a message," he said.


    Granny ckwood didn''t think anything was amiss and nodded her head in agreement. Then Adrian took out his phone and began typing on the screen while Eva watched him emotionlessly - probably sending another message to Vivian already? They had only just left each other not too long ago yet here he is unable to bear being apart from her already?


    Eva couldn''t control herself any longer as she felt an acidic sensation bubble up inside of her chest upon seeing the notification pop up on her own phone which read: "Are you trying to make my grandmother suspicious by keeping your distance?" sent by none other than Adrian himself."

 Chapter 34

    "Upon seeing this message, Eva instinctively looked up at Adrian and met his deep ck eyes.


    He was staring at her intently.


    Eva held his gaze for a moment, pursed her lips, and turned away from him.


    Adrian:...


    The phone vibrated again, and Eva picked it up to take a look.


    "Come over."


    No, she didn''t want to.


    "After Grandma''s surgery is done, you can do whatever you want. For now, be good and cooperate with me. Didn''t you say we have a business rtionship?"


    After reading thest sentence, Eva finally came back to reality.


    Yes, they were originally in a business rtionship.


    This was all consensual. Why was she being difficult now?


    With that in mind, Eva took a deep breath and slowly moved towards Adrian despite having mentally prepared herself beforehand.


    When she finally reached him by his side Adrian''s expression could only be described as dumbfounded.


    He looked at the little girl in front of him speechlessly.


    Suddenly he reached out to grab her hand.


    Eva was startled and instinctively avoided it but her speed wasn''t fast enough and Adrian still caught hold of her hand. Then he pulled it down beside his arm with an nk expression "Hold onto me."


    66 39


    Eva looked at him incredulously; did he really just say that in front of grandmal


    She couldn''t refuse anymore since grandma was important after all.


    So reluctantly, she had no choice but to hold onto his hand.


    Only then did Adrian breathe a sigh of relief before withdrawing his gaze helplessly, "Hold on tight and follow me."


    Impatiently, Eva said: "I know."


    Granny ckwood who had been quiet until now couldn''t help but chuckled "Have you made up?"


    "Eh, grandma?"


    "He didn''te with you today, so I felt something was off. Since I''ve been staying at the nursing home, the two of you have nevere separately."


    Hearing this, Eva could only lower her eyes and purse her lips.


    She thought she had acted well enough, but she didn''t expect grandma to be so perceptive; nothing could escape her notice.


    Not only did she not hide it from her, she also didn''t say anything about it.


    How would that work?


    Thinking of this, Eva spoke up: "Grandma, we just had a little misunderstanding. It''s all good now."


    "It''s normal for young people to have some misunderstandings. Just exin things in time. Adrian, you''re a man; you should be more considerate towards Eva, understand?" Adrian: "When haven''t I been considerate towards her?"


    Hasn''t he always done everything ording to what she said? What hasn''t he given in to?


    This answer made Granny ckwood dissatisfied: "I''m telling you what to do and you should agree without talking back."


    Adrian: "...Okay, I got it Grandma."


    Afterwards, the three of them walked around the garden for about twenty minutes. Eva was afraid that Granny ckwood would be cold, so she suggested going back and coincidentally received a call from the hospital. "The doctor is here to do rounds, hurry up and bring Granny back."


    Adrian and Eva then escorted Granny ckwood back.


    During the examination, they couldn''t go in.


    Eva watched as Granny ckwood was pushed into the examination room and immediately let go of her arm held by Adrian and took two steps away from him to keep her distance.


    Seeing Adrian frown at her, Eva said: "I''m going to the bathroom."


    Afterwards, regardless of Adrian''s reaction, she turned around and left.


    Once inside the bathroom, Eva went straight to the sink and found some hand soap.


    She washed her hands over and over again with a cold expression on her face.


    She thought that if it were just touching Vivian alone, she wouldn''t have such a reaction or feel anything towards Vivian. But as soon as she thought about how he had been with Vivianst night, she felt very dirty - psychologically disgusted kind of dirty.


    The weather was already cold, and washing her hands repeatedly like this only made it harder for them to warm up again.


    Eva dried off her hands before turning around to leave but suddenly stopped when seeing Adrian leaning against the doorframe outside waiting for her. He stood there with his eyes slightly lowered staring at ground while his side profile looked incredibly three-dimensional due to his facial features being so refined; you could even see his long eyshes too!


    Hearing movement behind him, Adrian raised his head and looked towards Eva whose hand he noticed had be red from all that washing earlier on.


    A hint of sarcasm shed across Adrian''s eyes as he slightly parted his lips: "Did you wash your hands so many times because you touched something dirty?" Eva pursed her lips and replied, following his words: "Yeah, so I washed them a few more times."


    Hearing this, Adrian''s brows furrowed deeply.


    This woman!


    But Eva couldn''t be bothered to say anything else to him and walked towards the door. However, she had to pass by Adrian on her way to see Granny ckwood.


    Eva deliberately took a few extra steps forward and walked along the opposite side of the wall against which Adrian was leaning.


    Seeing this scene unfold before him, Adrian finally couldn''t take it anymore and quickly stepped forward grabbing hold of her hand tightly.


    "Eva, do you think I have bad habits? Do you think I''m dirty? What did I do that made you feel like that?"


    He exerted great force causing Eva pain as she instinctively tried to break free but he held onto her even tighter instead.


    Eva twisted her eyebrows in difort.


    "Adrian, let go."


    Ignoring what she said he continued staring at her with an intense gaze while tightening his grip further still.


    Despite feeling psychologically disgusted by him now, Eva forced herself not to show any fear or weakness; instead forcing out a stiff smile: "Is there any point in doing this?" They were getting divorced soon anyway - why was he acting like this?


    Adrian pursed his lips as his eyes grew colder still.


    "Don''t find it repulsive? Then don''t act like you''re avoiding me all the time! You think Granny can''t tell?" Hearing this caused Eva to take a deep breath before saying:


    "Okay then...before Granny has surgery done today, or whenever wee back here again for treatment in the future...I promise nothing will happen between us." She added another sentence afterwards too: "Don''t worry about me either; I''ll y my role well."


    Adrian really needed her assurance because his grandmother was an extremely sensitive person who observed everything in great detail. He was genuinely worried that something might happen between them at this time and his grandmother would notice.


    Originally, he just wanted her to cooperate with him but when he heard her say she would y her role well, Adrian''s heart suddenly felt a dull pain - like a rusty knife slowly cutting through it cruelly and relentlessly.


    Even his throat felt blocked up and heavy as he looked at Eva''s small white face before asking in a hoarse voice:


    "Did youe out looking for mest night?"

 Chapter 35

    "Eva instinctively denied it. "No."


    Then she asked, "Who told you?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian narrowed his long eyes and said, "Isn''t it true? Why do you care who told me?"


    "Oh." Eva replied indifferently, "If you want to know who has such strong rumor-making abilities, is it Jason or John? Yes, John called me and said that you were drunk and asked me toe over. Before I could refuse him, he hung up the phone."


    Adrian frowned and looked at her calmly as she spoke.


    "Originally, I wanted the butler to go pick you up. But since most of your staff are older people, like the butler himself, it wouldn''t be good for them if they were woken up in the middle of the night. I thought since both John and Jason were there with you, they would naturally take care of you even if you got drunk."


    "So?"


    Her words sounded seamless as if there was no problem.


    "So, after thinking about it for a while longer," Eva continued staring at him. "I went back to sleep."


    "Then who told me that you came looking for me?"


    "Thank him for me," Eva smiled lightly despite feeling pain from his grip on her hand getting tighter by the second. "And thank him for creating such a good image for myself." Adrian remained silent.


    Eva kept talking non-stop: "By the way, do your two friends still not know about our transactional rtionship? So, I didn''t go because I was afraid we''d argue!"


    Before she could finish speaking though, Adrian couldn''t bear holding onto her hand any longer, so he let go abruptly before walking away with an expressionless face.


    After Adrian left, Eva found herself alone in the hallway again.


    She lowered her eyes and looked at the hand that had just been held tightly by Adrian. She remained silent for a while before finally deciding not to go back to the bathroom to wash her hands.


    It didn''t matter anyway.


    Since it was only a transaction, she needed to be mentally prepared at all times. After all, she woulde over every week to visit Granny ckwood. It wouldn''t be appropriate if she kept going back and forth just to wash her hands each time.


    After adjusting her mindset, Eva turned around and left.


    -


    "Granny ckwood''s recovery is exceptionally faster than I originally estimated. If things continue in this order, we can move up the surgery date."


    As Eva walked towards the door of the consultation room, she heard what the doctor said to Adrian.


    "How much earlier can we do it?" Adrian asked.


    Upon hearing this, Eva decided not to enter and instead leaned against the wall outside listening in on their conversation.


    "It depends on current circumstances. If Mrs. ckwood continues this way, then we can move the surgery up by half a month."


    "Thank you."


    "Mr. ckwood, you don''t have to be so polite with us. It''s our honor that you trust us."


    There wasn''t anything else worth listening in on after that, so Eva went ahead and returned early, as instructed earlier that morning by Granny ckwood''s caregiver, who was waiting for her near the entrance when she arrived there momentster.


    "Mrs. ckwood, you''re here! I got hold of those data records you wanted me to."


    Eva hadn''t forgotten about this task from earlier, she nodded at her before asking, "How did it go?"


    "Follow me," The caregiver replied leading Eva into another room where they proceeded with their discussion regarding Granny ckwood''s health condition which included details about sleep patterns and dietary habits being recorded regrly but were deemed normal until now.


    Eva leaned over to look at the data on theputer screen. Every day''s diet, sleep, andputer usage were recorded in detail because there were too many patients in the nursing home for caregivers to remember everyone''s habits. To better differentiate between them, this nursing home records everything.


    Eva carefully looked at it and found that as the caregiver said, changes were very subtle - so subtle that they could almost be ignored. Generally speaking, they all have a range; if it doesn''t exceed this range, then it is considered normal. Eva pursed her lips and felt heavy-hearted. Perhaps she was just overthinking things? She could feel Granny ckwood''s emotions had changed somewhat but not for the better.


    "Mrs. ckwood, I understand your concern about Granny''s mood but... maybe you''re worrying too much?" The caregiver spoke up.


    Without arguing with her, Eva even went along with what she said: "Hmm... maybe I am worrying too much."


    She always spoke appropriately; seeing her say this made it difficult for the caregiver to exin anything further.


    Eva smiled slightly at her and asked: "Could you do me a favor and print out the data that is more recent?" The caregiver hesitated for a moment before nodding: "Of course."


    "Thank you."


    "You don''t need to be so polite,�� replied the caregiver.


    Although she found Eva''s behavior strange, printing out data was an easy task which she quicklypleted.


    As Eva watched her operate beside her, she thought of something else: "I''lle backter to pick them up before leaving."


    "Okay Miss," replied the nurse


    Afterwards, Eva left to find Granny ckwood again. Adrian was already in Granny ckwood''s room talking with her when she returned. He sat in front of Granny ckwood, his lips curled into a faint smile, and warmth flickered in his eyes. Adrian has always been filial, and Eva knew this.


    "Eva''s back."


    "Granny~" Eva walked over to join the conversation.


    Adrian''s smile faded slightly but quickly returned to normal. From then on, the two of them seemed to have forgotten all their previous unpleasantness outside and became incredibly affectionate in front of Granny ckwood - like a newlywed couple.


    They stayed until it was dark out: "Alright, it''s gettingte now. You two should head back already."


    Eva shook her head when she thought of something: "Granny, there is still time left. I''ll stay with you for a while longer."


    "It''s not early anymore! It will take some time for you both to get back after washing up," replied Granny ckwood


    "It doesn''t matter, Granny. I took vacation time for a few days, I''m very rxed."


    "You took vacation time?" asked Granny ckwood.


    "Yes," nodded Eva. "So, for the next few days, I''lle every day. Please don''t mind me too much."


    At first hearing that she would being every day made Granny ckwood happy but soon enough her eyes lost their light again as she said helplessly: "Forget it; don''te here every day. Everyone here is sick and staying here for too long Isn''t good."


    Hearing these words made Eva feel uneasy but before she could reply Adrian spoke up beside her: "What are you talking about? Grandma isn''t sick anymore; the doctor says your condition is good now and that you can have surgery half a month earlier than nned, which means you won''t need to stay at the nursing home anymore."

 Chapter 36

    Grama ckwood was stunned for a moment before asking, "Surgery''s been moved up?" "Yes."


    After that, Granny ckwood didn''t say anything.


    Eva watched on the side and thought for a moment before speaking up, "Grandma, although surgery sounds scary, the process isn''t as terrible as it seems. You just need to sleep through it and wake up feeling better." As she spoke, her tone was light-hearted and even a bit yful.


    Adrian couldn''t help but nce at her. She hadn''t looked so radiant in a long time.


    Perhaps her emotions had infected Granny ckwood because she startedughing again. "You always know how to make me happy."


    "It''s true, Grandma. If you don''t believe me, you can ask the doctor tomorrow," Eva said with sincerity.


    "Alright, I know you''re worried about me. Grandma isn''t afraid," Granny ckwood replied with a smile.


    When they left the sanatorium, it was already eight o''clock on Adrian''s watch.


    Eva wanted to spend more time with Granny ckwood but she needed rest so they had to leave together instead.


    The two of them who were inseparable walked out of the ward holding hands until they reached some distance away where Eva expressionlessly let go of his hand. She released his hand and Adrian''s face fell too.


    Then Eva said to him: "You go ahead."


    Adrian frowned upon hearing this and questioningly asked: "What else do you have nned?"


    "I want to get Granny ckwood''s recent data," Eva answered truthfully.


    "I''lle with you," Adrian offered immediately without hesitation or any second thoughts whatsoever.


    Eva was taken aback by his offer then shook her head saying: "No need; I can handle it myself."


    "Do you want everyone at the sanatorium talking about how Adrian left you behind tomorrow morning?" he asked with a smirk.


    Eva was speechless for a moment before agreeing to let hime along.


    They went together to get Grandma ckwood''s data. The nurse handed her a thick stack of papers which Eva carefully took and thanked the nurse. "Thank you."


    "Don''t mention it, Mrs. Qin. Are you leaving now?"


    "Yes."


    "Take care then."


    "Okay, thank you."


    After they came out, Adrian looked at the thick stack in her hand and asked: "What''s wrong?"


    Since this matter concerned Granny ckwood, Eva directly told him what she had in mind.


    When she finished speaking, Adrian pursed his lips and nced at her saying: "You do care about Grandma after all."


    Hearing this made Eva pause for a moment before replying firmly: "I care about Grandma not because of you."


    66 39


    Adrian was speechless and said, "Did I do something wrong? Why are you always targeting me?" He said it lightly, but Eva didn''t think much of it.


    "Am I targeting you? I''m just exining." Her tone was calm and she didn''t seem like she wanted to argue with him, which made Adrian feel powerless. "Let''s go home," reminded Eva, and Adrian followed her.


    When they got outside, the ckwood family car was already parked at the gate. Eva looked at Adrian and asked, "Didn''t you call your own car?"


    Adrian looked puzzled as he asked her what she meant by that. Could he not ride in the ckwood family car?


    Upon hearing this, Eva kindly reminded him: "Didn''t you say that you weren''t going home? I thought you would call a car."


    After talking bigst night, Adrian regretted it today and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to step down from his high horse:


    66 39


    Who knew that Eva would not giving him an easy way out.


    Eva smiled slightly and said: "I''ll take my leave then." After speaking, she opened the door and got into the car before mming it shut for the driver to go.


    The atmosphere inside the car became strange; Eva thought that after saying what she did earlier on, about not wanting him in herpany while driving back home, meant he wouldn''te along. Apparently not...


    But she didn''t care either way since those were his words spoken out loud; if anyone had lost face here then it was him rather than herself.


    Eva took out the printed data sheet from inside the car without speaking to Adrian who also remained silent throughout their journey back home, except for when he finally spoke up asking about his grandmother''s condition being abnormal or not.


    This caught Eva off guard momentarily as Adrian seemed upset that he couldn''t even ask about his grandmother''s condition. She looked at him with a ''are you okay?'' expression before replying, "Of course not." Then she handed over the data sheet to Adrian and said, "You can see for yourself."


    Adrian was speechless again but took the data sheet from her anyway since it contained information about his grandmother''s health.


    At first, he wasn''t paying much attention due to Eva''s attitude towards him earlier, but as he read on, he became more engrossed in the details and forgot everything else around him.


    After finishing reading it, Adrian asked Eva how she had noticed such small changes in his grandmother''s diet and sleep patterns when even the staff at the nursing home hadn''t picked up on them. Eva replied that she had sensed a slight change in her mood which made her feel uneasy.


    Adrian lifted his eyes to look at her then asked how she could sense something like that so easily. Eva exined that she was sensitive by nature and could pick up on things others might miss; however, this didn''t necessarily mean that what she felt was always urate.


    Adrian agreed with her reasoning saying that if there were any changes in the data they received then it meant something must have changed somewhere along the line which confirmed what Eva had sensed all along.

 Chapter 37

    "You''re right," Eva said. "The data they gave me has changed, which means my intuition was correct."


    Eva nodded and didn''t say anything else. She simply took the data back and neatly stacked it away.


    After finishing, she remembered something and said to Adrian, "Actually, I think Granny is afraid of having surgery. You shouldn''t have told her that the surgery would be moved up this afternoon." Adrian looked at her in surprise. "Really?"


    "Yes," Eva replied.


    He looked at her serious expression and suddenly realized that what she had said about caring for Granny wasn''t just an act of rebellion.


    She really did consider Granny as her own grandmother.


    Realizing this, Adrian pulled his lips into a smile. "Okay, I understand now. I''llfort herter."


    Talking about Granny seemed to ease the tension between them for a while. But after they finished discussing the topic, silence fell between them once again.


    The driver up front couldn''t help but feel surprised by their behavior inside the car.


    When they got into the car earlier, he thought they were going to have a heated argument any second because of how tense things were between them. But instead of fighting with each other, they started talking amiably about Granny ckwood''s condition.


    The driver shook his head in confusion and decided to focus on driving instead since he couldn''t make sense of their rtionship dynamics anyway.


    When they arrived at The ckwood Family estate...


    Eva got out of the car before Adrian did and walked straight up the stairs and into the house without hurrying or slowing down too much either way - leaving him behind shortly thereafter.


    As soon as Eva entered through the door with an expressionless face, Adrian came in, not long after that, with a nk face too - both went upstairs together.


    Since the wife returned home drenched from the rain that day; the atmosphere in this house seemed to have be very strange. The servants were all working more diligently and carefully, afraid that they might be used as punching bags by their master and mistress.


    After both of them went upstairs, the servants couldn''t help but gather together to discuss what was going on between their employers.


    "Look at how they are acting. They must be getting a divorce soon," one said.


    "What are you talking about? They probably just had a fight. But it''s not like they''re going to get divorced over it," another replied.


    "Didn''t you hear what happened that day? Mr. ckwood only married his wife for show; he has someone else he likes now. If he doesn''t divorce her, how is he supposed to marry the person he really loves?"


    "That may be true, but after being married for so long, there must still be some love between them. Right? I think Mr. and Mrs. ckwood won''t get divorced."


    "Well then I bet that they will definitely get divorced! You''ll see - if not this month, then next month for sure!"


    The group split into two factions and continued discussing the couple''s marriage with great seriousness.


    Eva went back to her room and began preparing for bed.


    Her emotions had calmed down considerably by now since she''d been thinking about things during the ride home earlier.


    Granny''s surgery wasing up soon; Eva didn''t need any unnecessary conflicts with Adrian at this time.


    He had already said before that their marriage was fake anyway; if divorce was inevitable then whatever happened between Vivian and him would be normal too.


    However, what Eva couldn''t understand the most was why Adrian told Vivian about her pregnancy. It was confusing and frustrating for her. But looking at it from another perspective, Vivian was someone he liked, so naturally he would be sincere and open with her. Now Eva understands, but from her own point of view, she still cannot ept it. However, she has to maintain a calm demeanor during this time.


    After she finished washing up, Eva saw Adrian lying on the sofa in the bedroom when she came out. He seemed tired as he had taken off his coat and closed his eyes while lying there. When he heard some noise, he opened his eyes and looked towards Eva''s direction.


    Eva was already looking at him when their eyes met unexpectedly. She felt embarrassed and quickly looked away but Adrian didn''t mind it too much as he casually asked if she had finished washing up.


    Eva responded with a muffled "yes" before Adrian said that he would go wash up too. Half an hourter, Adrian walked out of the bathroom while drying his wet hair with a towel before suddenly stopping in his tracks upon seeing Eva had fallen asleep on the bed.


    She had propped a pillow behind her back and held a book in her hand while reading under the light of a tablemp before falling asleep after only flipping through several pages.


    Adrian watched silently for a while before throwing his towel and walking over to her quietly. As he got closer to her side, Adrian gazed at Eva under the soft light of thempshade which highlighted how beautiful her clear cold eyes were when not smiling like an icy spring found atop snow-capped mountains - or how lively they became whenever she did smile - like ripples on water sparkling brightly under sunlight during autumn afternoons.


    Apart from these two sides of hers that were equally charming in their own ways; there was also another side of her that Adrian found even more captivating. Whenever she looked at him with a certain expression in her eyes, it was enough to drive him crazy.


    Adrian''s hand couldn''t help but reach out and touch the bridge of Eva''s nose before moving downwards towards her eyelids. The warmth from his fingertips instantly spread throughout his body as he felt a sudden jolt in his lower abdomen. He pursed his lips together while his eyes turned pitch ck and deep. Suddenly, Eva''s eyelids twitched under the pressure of Adrian''s fingers which caused him to quickly retract them as if nothing had happened. However, before he could move away, Eva had already opened her eyes and their gazes met once again. Adrian: "


    Eva gave him a strange look since she didn''t notice what he did earlier so she asked curiously: "What are you doing here?"


    Adrian calmly replied: "Just checking if you were asleep."


    Eva realized that she must have fallen asleep during Adrian''s washing up period after all. She coughed lightly before saying: "Maybe I was too tired from today."


    She closed the book and then asked: "Have you finished washing up?"


    "Uh-huh." Adrian sounded muffled while keeping an eye on her every move - trying to guess what was going through her mind.


    Her attitude seems to have improved a lotpared to earlier in day.


    After thinking about it and holding back, Adrian couldn''t resist his desire and asked, "Are you not... angry with me?" "Adrian, let''s call a truce."


    Both of them spoke at the same time. Eva''s words were short and fast, so Adrian couldn''t say the rest of what he wanted to say before she interrupted him. "Truce?"


    He didn''t quite understand her meaning.

 Chapter 38

    "Well, truce." Eva nodded gently. "Can we go back to how things were before?"


    Back to how things were before?


    Adrian''s heart leaped with joy because of her words; he didn''t even realize that he was stuttering. "You mean..."


    Eva nced at him and then lowered her eyes seriously as she spoke: "On our way back just now I thought carefully about it. Grandma''s emotions seem stable now, and those small changes don''t seem like they will cause any problems yet but there is still half a month until surgery. We don''t need to argue at this point in time so as not to let grandma see anything wrong which could affect her."


    Hearing this, Adrian felt like he understood something.


    "What do you mean..."


    "Don''t you understand what I''m saying? This is a critical time for us right now, we need to cooperate well together. Once these two weeks are over, you can do whatever you want without anyone or anything holding you back." Eva felt that she had made herself very clear.


    "You''re smart enough; You should understand what I''m saying."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian pulled his lips up slightly - yes! How could he not understand?


    In other words, she wasn''t trying to make peace with him nor was she angry with him any longer; rather, it was only because of grandma that they had to call a truce.


    But what could he say? After all, she was doing it for grandma''s sake.


    Adrian smiled bitterly in his heart. He was simply throwing stones at himself.


    He lowered his voice and said, "Okay."


    Looking at Adrian''s current appearance, Eva moved her red lips but decided not to discuss the matter of keeping the child with him. She thought that Vivian already knew about her thoughts and would pass them on to him; perhaps he agreed since he didn''t bring up the topic again.


    She gave him some credit for that.


    Eva lifted the covers and then got out of bed. She opened the closet door and looked at the long pillow lying in the corner. This pillow had been used as a boundary between her and Adrian on their bed for quite some time until one day it suddenly disappeared, causing them to be inseparable from each other.


    Now...


    It was going to be used again.


    Eva took it out and put it back in the middle of the bed. Adrian saw this scene, making his already unpleasant expression even more unsightly than before. What exactly was he hoping for?


    Since this woman dered a truce with him earlier, he thought that their rtionship could return to how things were before they fought.


    After finishing, Eva turned around and found that Adrian was still standing there motionless with a seemingly unpleasant expression on his face. She didn''t want to guess what he was thinking anymore, so she could only ask, "Aren''t you going to sleep? I''ll go ahead and sleep then, you can turn off the lightster."


    Without waiting for his answer, Evay down directly in front of Adrian and closed her eyes while covering herself with a nket.


    Adrian: "..."


    He looked at the long pillow in the middle of the bed for a long time before snickering sarcastically. Then he walked over with an ominous expression andy down stiffly like a corpse.


    After turning off the light, the room fell into darkness which made their senses infinitely magnified. Adrian breathed heavily and couldn''t fall asleep at all while hearing Eva''s even breathing beside him after just a short while.


    -


    Unable to resist any longer, Adrian turned his head towards Eva''s direction in the dark for quite some time until he wasn''t sure what he was thinking about.


    After reaching a ceasefire agreement between them, they no longer had cold wars at home. After waking up as usual one day, Eva came over to help tie Adrian''s tie when she saw him getting dressed.


    Adrian''s eyes were full of anger because although she slept soundly next to himst night but it seemed like he himself hadn''t slept well throughout most of it until dawn broke whereupon he finally felt drowsy.


    He dozed off for a while but woke up again upon hearing her get out of bed too.


    Because he hadn''t slept well coupled with her reaction making him unhappy; this unhappiness had nowhere else to vent so Adrian''s movements became somewhat rough when dressing up - especially impatient when tying his tie without much patience left whatsoever.


    Unexpectedly though during such moments is when she woulde over to help him tie his tie.


    "I''ll do it," she said softly.


    Hearing her, Adrian lowered his eyes and stared at her intently. Eva deliberately avoided his sharp gaze and whispered again, "Bend down or I won''t be able to reach."


    Adrian pursed his lips tly while calcting something in his heart but stubbornly refused to bend over.


    Eva couldn''t help looking at him.


    "Finally willing to look me in the eye?" Adrian smirked.


    Eva: ""


    What''s wrong with him? Weren''t they chatting wellst night? What happened now?


    Adrian didn''t know what was going on either; he had be very strangetely - easily irritable, wanting to see her yet not wanting to see her, wanting her to approach him actively but then unable to resist poking fun at her when she did so. "Adrian, don''t be like this. We agreed yesterday that there is only half a month left so we should cooperate."


    Hearing this, Adrian frowned and took a step back before pursing his lips again saying: "No need for that. When there are no servants around next time, you don''t have to act so ''enthusiastically''."


    After speaking he turned away and left.


    Eva stood still for a while beforeughing out of anger. It was simply unreasonable!


    She didn''t wait for Adrian but went downstairs by herself for breakfast instead, after a while he came down too.


    Because of the tie incident earlier Eva was angry upon seeing hime down as well, thus ignoring himpletely. All the maids who were originally in the living room quietly retreated into the kitchen upon seeing Adrianing downstairs. They gossiped together near the door watching as Adrian strode towards Eva''s side before sitting down beside her. Everyone: "??"


    "Have the husband and wife reconciled?"


    "They didn''t have breakfast together before today, but today the husband actually took the initiative to sit next to his wife."


    "Haven''t you heard of a saying? Couples always make up after quarreling. They had such a good rtionship before and slept together every day. They will definitely reconcile."


    Adrian sat down calmly next to Eva with a stern face.


    As soon as he sat down, Eva felt a cold breath emanating from him. She didn''t even need to turn her head to feel how unwilling he was.


    Although Eva felt slightly ufortable in her heart, she quickly suppressed it.


    Half a month left, just half a month.


    She could leave here soon. She endured everything for her grandmother, for her baby, and for herself.


    After preparing herself mentally, Eva gently poured Adrian a ss of milk with a gentle expression on her face. When Adrian looked at her, she smiled slightly and said, "Good morning hubby."


    Adrian: "......"


    He clenched his teeth instantly.


    She really doesn''t care at all, does she?"

 Chapter 39

    That day, Adrian finished breakfast with a scowl.


    As he had his back to the servants, they couldn''t see his expression and could only see the intimate behavior between him and Eva from behind, thinking that they had reconciled again.


    Later on, due to her vacation time, Eva didn''t rush to go back to work and instead went to apany Granny ckwood at the nursing home every day.


    For several days in a row, Granny ckwood''s mood noticeably improved.


    Eva was also feeling quite calm these few days.


    Things seemed to be developing ording to her n and half a month passed quickly in what seemed like only three or four days.


    Sometimes when she was alone, she would gently stroke her belly. Her mentality had actually changed as well.


    When she first found out about the pregnancy, she was still in a state of confusion about this child but as time passed by, Eva could feel more and more that this baby inside her was one with her heart and gradually developed feelings of love for it too.


    Even many things that were inconvenient for her to say to outsiders could be said directly to the baby now.


    This made Eva feel personally that their rtionship was getting better and better.


    Things were originally progressing smoothly ording to n. Eva thought everything would continue calmly until Granny ckwood''s surgery was over and until after she finished her vacation time before returning to work, when Vivian called again wanting an outside meeting with her.


    Sincest time''s incident happened, Eva did not really want to meet Vivian anymore because she knew clearly what Vivian''s intentions were.


    Thinking of this, Eva refused without hesitation, "Miss Morrison, I know why you are looking for me, but unfortunately I have already made my decision, and no matter what happens, I will not change it. So, there is no need for us to meet again."


    Perhaps because she spoke too bluntly, Vivian was quiet for a moment before saying, "Are you really not going to change your mind?"


    "Um."


    "Eva." Vivian''s voice suddenly became gentle. "I remember you told me before that you owe me a favor, right?"


    Hearing this, Eva''s eyes turned cold.


    Vivian continued softly, "What if I use this as a request? Would you still refuse me then?"


    Eva bit her lower lip hard and her eyshes trembled.


    "You don''t have to answer me in a hurry. Maybe we can meet first."


    After hanging up the phone, Eva stood there with a nk mind.


    She had thought about returning favors and repaying kindness but she had thought of other ways.


    As long as she needed help, she could even risk half of her life for it, but Eva did not expect that Vivian would make such conditions at this point in time. At a quiet cafe.


    When Eva walked up to the door, she saw that the sign outside said they were closed.


    Her phone rang just at that moment.


    "Eva, you can just push open the door ande in. This is my friend''s coffee shop. It hasn''t opened yet."


    Eva hung up without showing any expression on her face, and, pushed the door to the caf�� open.


    As soon as she entered, she saw Vivian waiting for her in the corner.


    Seeing her, Vivian waved at her.


    Eva walked over steadily and stopped in front of Vivian.


    There was originally also a scarred man sitting next to Vivian, but he looked fierce and evil.


    However, when he saw Evaing over, he stood up at once, his voice rare softness: "Beauty, you are Vivian''s friend, right? What do you want to drink?"


    The man looked at Eva, stunned by how beautiful she was. Eva didn''t have much interest so only pulled on one corner of her lips: "No need, Thank you."


    Her refusal made the man stunned for a moment, then he heard Vivian say, "Give her a cup of hot milk."


    The man nodded quickly: "Okay, I''ll go make it. You guys talk."


    Vivian looked at Eva''s attire andmented while sizing her up, "He is my friend that I met abroad. He has an open personality and after returning to the USA, he opened this coffee shop. Although he doesn''t have any high ambitions, his life is veryfortable, and he treats his girlfriend seriously and gently too."


    At this point, Vivian paused for a moment before carefully saying, "After you divorce Adrian, if you don''t have anywhere else to go, you can consider him."


    "


    66


    Eva suddenly looked up and couldn''t help but say, "Miss Morrison, do you have to be in charge of my marriage for the favor I owe you?"


    Vivian was stunned at first, then smiled and said, "Of course not. Eva, don''t misunderstand me. I''m not trying to make decisions about your marriage. I just think he''s a good person."


    Eva pursed her lips and asked, "Is that so? Then why don''t you consider him for yourself?"


    The smile on Vivian''s lips gradually faded away.


    How could their rtionship be as harmonious as it seemed on the surface? After the tide receded, what was revealed was the truth.


    Eva didn''t believe that Vivian would sincerely help her because Adrian stood between them. However, she had received some favors from Vivian and had to ept them.


    After a moment of silence, Vivian picked up a spoon and stirred her coffee lightly before saying with a disdainful tone, "I never thought Ms. Hansen would treat her benefactor with such an aggressive attitude."


    Her voice was no longer gentle; it sounded much sharper now with a hint of contempt in her eyes when looking at Eva.


    However, Eva found herself liking this version of Vivian more than before. She smiled back, "Finally stopped pretending? Miss Morrison looks better without pretense. At least it doesn''t look fake."


    "Fake? "Vivian sneered, "Just feel like you''re not worth being treated gently by me. I originally thought even if you weren''t smart, you should still be a good girl. But who knew that you were so ungrateful?"


    "Ungrateful?" Eva rubbed her fingertips slightly while squinting at the person in front of her. "In Miss Morrison''s eyes, I may be an ungrateful person, but I never expected that having gratitude or loyalty ording to Miss Morrison means killing someone."


    The word ''killing'' made Vivian''s face change drastically. "What are you talking about? When did I ask you to kill someone?"


    Eva continued, "So does that mean you won''t use your favor to force me to have an abortion again?"


    This sentence immediately made Vivian speechless for a while. After a long time, she said, "The child is like a ticking bomb. If you were in my position, you wouldn''t be able to ept it either."


    After saying this, Vivian looked at her and asked, "You''re getting divorced anyway. Why do you want to keep the child? You can always have another one after remarriage. What are your real intentions?"

 Chapter 40

    Even without standing in Eva''s shoes, it was clear that she couldn''t ept Vivian''s proposal. But Eva was Eva, not Vivian. She could only think about what had already happened from her own perspective.


    "It''s a shame that I''m not such a great person with a spirit of sacrifice. The child is inside my body, whether to give birth or terminate the pregnancy is entirely up to me. Besides me, no one can decide the life and death of my child." "You..."


    "If you want me to repay your kindness, I can do so by helping you with other things as long as they are reasonable. But this particr matter is out of the question."


    Her baby was her own flesh and blood; she herself couldn''t bear to terminate the pregnancy. How could an outsider decide on the life and death of her baby?


    "I''ll ask you to do something for me, will you do it?"


    "Yes, as long as it''s reasonable."


    Gratitude must be repaid but if her request was too unreasonable then there would be no need for consideration.


    Vivian pondered over this situation.


    Beforeing to meet Eva, she had already anticipated that Eva wouldn''t easily agree with her proposal.


    Adrian was someone who held power within the ckwood family; his wealth, character and personal qualities were all top-notch.


    In Vivian''s eyes there were hardly any men in this world who could match Adrian in terms of these qualities.


    Who wouldn''t covet such a man? Who would willingly let go once they got him?


    And what about Eva? Her family went bankrupt and now she relied on Adrian like he was her savior lifeline; if she became Mrs. ckwood then she would have climbed up onto a branch and directly crossed social sses. If she were willing to let go, then perhaps she wouldn''t have be pregnant at all.


    Now this child might just be a bargaining chip for her to use against Adrian, and Vivian couldn''t let such a chip exist. Otherwise, not only would their future be uncertain but even the possibility of divorce was unclear. But she herself didn''t want to terminate the pregnancy so Vivian had to find another way.


    And currently, the most important thing was to stabilize Eva.


    Thinking about this, Vivian smiled gently and said: "It''s too cruel for you to terminate your pregnancy. I can''t bear it either. So why don''t we sign an agreement instead?" "Agreement?"


    Vivian put on a very ''considerate'' look and pushed a ss of warm milk towards Eva: "You can''t drink anything else right now; the milk is warm, have some."


    Eva nced at her and noticed that she had resumed wearing her mask again.


    "What? Are you afraid that I''ll drug your milk?" Vivianughed: "Eva, rest assured if I wanted to do something as despicable as that then I wouldn''t have met up with you directly."


    Eva withdrew her gaze without continuing this topic and asked directly: "What kind of agreement was it, that you''re thinking off, you mentioned earlier?"


    Vivian smiled: "Looks like you really don''t want me around for long."


    "Why? Don''t you want us to finish things quickly?"


    "Of course, I do."


    As she spoke, Vivian took out a leather bag from her tote bag and handed it over to Eva.


    "This is the agreement; take a look at it."


    Eva took it expressionlessly.


    Seeing how calm she looked made Vivian feel frustrated. Even though there wasn''t any better solution avable at present time but how could Eva remain soposed in such circumstances? What exactly was supporting her? She thought back many years ago when Eva jumped into the river without hesitation despite its danger. Her expression showed no signs of hesitation whatsoever. It waspletely different from Vivian who looked panicked and didn''t know how to handle the situation.


    In every dream where Adrian appeared, darkness corroded her nerves and she could clearly see herselfpared to Eva.


    In front of others, Vivian received praise for sacrificing herself to save Adrian''s life.


    After Adrian''s ident, Vivian was just a clown under Eva''s spotlight. The more she tried to save him without hesitation, the more despicable and shameless she appeared in taking credit for herself.


    Outsiders thought that Vivian was pure and noble with precious character, but in reality...


    Don''t think about it, don''t think about it.


    The incident has passed and now everyone knows that Vivian is Adrian''s savior. Adrian himself also thinks so.


    And the only person who knows the truth, Eva, lost her precious memory during that illness and will never be able to remember it again in this lifetime.


    "I have an issue with this agreement."


    Eva''s clear and cold voice brought Vivian back to reality. Eva''s face ovepped with her past self before separating again.


    The young girl from the past had a delicate and bright face while today''s Eva was somewhat aloof but still stunningly beautiful.


    Vivian forced out a smile. "What issue?"


    Eva nced at her then lowered her head to look at the contract once more.


    Actually, although Vivian''s agreement seemed convoluted on paper, it all revolved around several points:


    Firstly, after divorce she must leave the USA immediately and cannot return within five years;


    Secondly, she is not allowed to bring up their child or use their child as leverage when talking to Adrian;


    Thirdly, before divorce there can be no intimate contact between her and Adrian;


    Fourthly, Vivian would give her money if she wanted to raise their child alone until adulthood.


    Under Vivian''s gaze, Eva lightly tapped on the table with her fingertips before slowly speaking, "Why am I not allowed to talk about our child in front of Adrian?"


    Hearing this, Vivian''s pupils shrank slightly. She added this use recklessly. Eva wasn''t stupid, she would definitely be suspicious upon seeing it. However, Vivian had to use this use to suppress her. Otherwise, if Eva stayed with Adrian every day and identally let slip about their child, what would happen?


    After much thought, Vivian decided to take a gamble. After all, she held evidence against Eva. If she didn''t agree, Vivian still had other means.


    So in order to make Eva believe her, Vivian had already prepared an excuse. She looked into Eva''s eyes and said softly, "I''m doing it for your own good."


    Eva: "?"


    Vivian took a sip of coffee and added disdainfully, "Actually, you two were childhood sweethearts. Even if he doesn''t have romantic feelings towards you, there is still friendship between you both. Otherwise, why would he help you? But in the future, he will be with me. A child that Isn''t his not only stands between us but also acts as a thorn between you two. He cares about this matter very much. Do you understand now? Most importantly..."


    Vivian paused before delivering the final blow.


    "I''m afraid that if you say too much, what if he decides to take the child away from youter on? Eva, I really don''t have any interest in raising someone else''s child."

 Chapter 41

    "Eva remained silent.


    Sitting across from her, Vivian''s heart was pounding, but she pretended to be calm on the surface. She didn''t know if the words she had said would scare Eva or not. She didn''t know much about Eva, but if there was one thing she knew, it was that Eva had a very high self-esteem. So, Vivian could only approach this from that angle and take a gamble.


    Seeing that Eva wasn''t speaking, Vivian''s hands under the table were sweating profusely. She forced a smile and asked, "What? You don''t agree?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva nced at her lightly and said nonchntly, "You seem nervous?"


    "I''m not nervous. I just..."


    Being interrupted by Eva like that almost made Vivian lose herposure. She quickly hit the brakes halfway through and said slowly, "Okay then, you can think about it."


    At this point in time, Vivian really wished that Eva would make a quick decision as she had previously mentioned. Wouldn''t it be great? But instead, Eva fell into deep thought.


    In fact, this agreement meant nothing to her whether signed or unsigned because even without signing it, she could still do everything else except for leaving the country within five years, which is something she hadn''t decided yet. But surely, it will be far away from Adrian.


    "How is it going?"


    Although she told her to take her time thinking, Eva took too long so Vivian couldn''t help but ask tentatively.


    Not knowing whether it was intentional or not, Eva couldn''t resist asking back, "Aren''t you supposed to be calm? Why are you so anxious now? Is there something wrong with this agreement?"


    Vivian: "..."


    Until Eva signs, the best course of action for Vivian was to maintain the smile on her lips. "Okay, you can take your time. I''m just a little impatient."


    Eva nced at her and became even more calm andposed.


    "As long as we follow the conditions above, everything between us will be settled?"


    Vivian immediately nodded, "Yes."


    "Okay."


    Hearing that she said okay, Vivian handed her a pen, "Then sign it."


    Eva looked at the pen for a moment before taking it from Vivian''s hand. But instead of signing it, she yed with the pen in her hand.


    She spun the pen around in different patterns while Vivian held her breath nervously.


    It wasn''t until Vivian''s mental defense line was about to copse that Eva finally raised an eyebrow and said, "I won''t sign this agreement."


    In that instant, Vivian widened her eyes suddenly, "What do you mean? You won''t sign it?"


    Eva threw down the pen in her hand onto the table with a loud sound. She calmly leaned back.


    "Well, I won''t sign this kind of private agreement."


    Without any legal representation or public notarization, Eva would never have signed such an inexplicable agreement. Was it because she owed someone something? She could repay favors, but she wouldn''t sell herself out just to do so. Vivian reacted strongly: "Eva, what does this mean? Are you trying to trick me?"


    "No." Eva shook her head and said seriously, "Although I won''t sign the agreement, I will fulfill all the requirements you mentioned."


    At this point, Eva paused for a moment and then slowly said, "If you didn''t make this agreement to trick me, then it doesn''t matter whether I sign it or not."


    Vivian restrained her anger with an ugly smile.


    "Eva, are you overthinking? How could I possibly trick you? If I wanted to trick you, I wouldn''t have chosen to help you in the first ce. Don''t misunderstand me, okay?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva smiled: "Is that so? Then what are you afraid of?"


    "Afraid?" Vivian didn''t quite understand what she meant.


    "Aren''t you his savior? You mustck confidence in him if you require me to sign this agreement."


    Hearing this mention of her being his savior from Eva''s mouth made Vivian feel uneasy. She was afraid that as she continued talking about it more memories would resurface. Suppressing her anger caused a distortion on Vivian''s usually beautiful face: "If it weren''t for your insistence on keeping this child alive do I need to prepare such an agreement?" After speaking harshly like that Vivian returned to looking gentle again and said to Eva: "Anyway trust me; I won''t deceive you."


    Eva did not expect such a sudden change in attitude today.


    She had never seen anything like it before. After seeing it firsthand she couldn''t help but marvel at how quickly Vivian changed faces.


    Thinking about this made Eva curl up her lips: "Then please trust me too. Even if I don''t sign this agreement, everything else that we talked about earlier will still be done by me." "You!" Vivian did not expect that she was really determined not to sign, "How do I know if after refusing nowter on you won''t change your mind?"


    "Even if I sign it, how do you know that I won''t change my mind? If I really want to do something, what use is the small penalty in Miss Morrison''s contract?" Eva stared at Vivian.


    "So what exactly do you want? You don''t want to abort the child and I agreed with that. Can''t you just sign and ease my worries?"


    Eva frowned.


    "Miss Morrison, there is one thing I hope you understand: when ites to the child, it''s up to me to decide. Not anyone else''s consent matters. To put it bluntly, Adrian and I are legally married now so others have no right to interfere or criticize me, especially not you..."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian turned pale.


    "What exactly do you want?"


    "I don''t want anything; just a favor." Eva said lightly: "I promise all those things that you mentioned earlier will be done."


    "No, I don''t believe you! How can I know ifter on..."


    "In that case there''s nothing more we can do." Eva shrugged her shoulders indifferently: "If you cannot trust me as a person then perhaps helping me was not something that should have been done nor should favors be asked of me." Hearing this finally made Vivian calm down a bit.


    In fact, she thought Eva would be easy to deceive; as long as she first presented conditions which were impossible for her agree upon and then after refusing them present this agreement again under rxed vignce conditions whereupon Eva would sign her name without much thought.


    Who knew her vignce was actually so high!


    It''s really miscalcted. Vivian gritted her teeth and looked at Eva, "Are you sure you can keep your promise?"


    Eva smiled, "It''s a simple matter. If I can''t keep my promise, I wouldn''t havee out today. Otherwise, why would I waste time sitting here with you when I''ve already made up my mind?"


    "Okay, that''s what you said." There was no way she could force Eva to sign the agreement if she didn''t want to. Her main task now was to make sure that Eva didn''t talk nonsense in front of Adrian. The conversation just now should be useful. She reached out her hand to Eva and restored her smile, "I hope you can always keep your promise and have a pleasant cooperation."


    Eva stared at her hand without moving and said lightly, "From now on, I won''t owe you any favors."

 Chapter 42

    After speaking, Eva didn''t want to waste any more time with Vivian. She packed up her things and quickly left the coffee shop.


    Instead of going home, Eva stood on the side of the road, watching the passing cars. The huge stone in her heart finally fell to the ground.


    She couldn''t help but take out her phone and call her father, eager to share with him the news that she had repaid her debt of gratitude. But after ringing for a long time, no one answered on the other end. Eva nced at the time and guessed that her father was probably busy with work, so she didn''t call again.


    For the rest of the day, Eva continued to apany Granny ckwood at the nursing home. Because she had talked about things with Vivian earlier, she was dyed and arrivedter than usual. When she got there, one of caregivers said: "Mrs. ckwood, you''re over half an hourte today. Granny has been waiting for you."


    Hearing this made Eva feel guilty. "I''m sorry I was held up by something on my way here."


    "That''s alright,�� replied the caregiver. "Please go inside now."


    "Okay."


    Eva quickened her pace and soon arrived outside Granny ckwood''s room. It seemed like all caregivers were gone as only Granny ckwood herself remained inside staring nkly at a photo in hand from afar. Although Eva could only see Granny ckwood''s profile from a distance away, she could still sense heavy sadness emanating from Granny ckwood.


    "Granny..." called out Eva softly as she walked into room.


    Hearing footsteps approaching, Granny ckwood snapped back into reality and looked towards Eva without showing any emotion on face. "Eva, you''re here," said Granny ckwood


    Feeling apologetic, Eva exined: "Sorry grandma, I was held up by something on my way here. If I''m everte again, I''ll call ahead of time."


    "Silly Eva, how long could grandma wait for you? It doesn''t matter if you''re a littlete or early. There''s nothing much to do in the nursing home anyway,�� replied Granny ckwood.


    "But that''s not right." Eva shook her head and squatted down with her head resting on Granny ckwood''sp as she coquettishly said: "I want to tell Grandma at least when I''ming over so that Grandma knows while waiting for me."


    "You little rascal..." Granny ckwood was touched by her soft voice and reached out to tidy up the hair strands on Eva''s forehead while asking: "Then why don''t you tell grandma what happened along your way here?"


    Eva paused for a moment before smiling and saying: "It''s just work-rted stuff. Boring things that grandma shouldn''t listen to. How about instead, Grandma tells me one of your stories?"


    After speaking, Eva reached out and touched the photo in Granny ckwood''s hand: "For example, the story behind this photo."


    Granny ckwood hesitated for a moment before lightly tapping Eva''s fair forehead.


    "You clever girl..."


    "Um." Eva hummed softly as she leaned forward with her forehead against Granny ckwood''s palm, "I want to hear grandma''s story."


    "Alright then, I''ll tell you one."


    At noon, Eva received a message from Adrian asking where she was.


    Eva replied briefly: "Nursing home."


    Not long after sending the message, Adrian responded: "I''lle over during lunchtime too."


    Surprised, Eva asked: "Isn''t yourpany busy?"


    Adrian answered back: "Yes, it is, but I''ll make time since it''s important."


    There wasn''t anything else left for Eva to say. She felt grateful towards him for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit his own grandmother at the nursing home. The meeting finally ended.


    After experiencing several hours of Adrian''s sharp-tongued executives in the conference room, everyone walked out with pale faces and looked at each other with heavy hearts.


    Then they shook their heads at each other, sighed softly and left.


    Adrian adjusted his tie and raised his hand to check his watch.


    It was time. He should go to the care home now.


    Adrian walked out of the conference room expressionlessly.


    A graceful figure dressed in white dress and long hair stopped him on the way.


    "Adrian."


    The woman''s voice was soft and clear, attracting the attention of all high-level executives around them.


    Adrian paused for a moment when he saw Vivian holding a insted food container walking towards him.


    Seeing her, there was a touch of warmth in Adrian''s originally cold eyes before he approached her. "Why are you here?"


    Because other high-level executives were still around, Vivian looked shy as she spoke softly: "You''ve been busytely and I don''t think you''ve had anything decent to eat. So, I personally cooked some dishes that you like." Hearing this, people nearby sighed emotionally while looking on curiously.


    "Mr. ckwood is really lucky today."


    "Yes indeed! Mr. ckwood is living it up!"


    Originally intended to tter Adrian but who knew that after they finished speaking, Adrian directly pulled down his face and gave them an icy re which made them feel intimidated instantly before leaving awkwardly without saying another word.


    Standing in front of him, Vivian felt startled by Adrian''s sudden anger. She lifted her head to look at him wondering what went wrong? Those people didn''t say anything wrong, did they?


    But it seemed that Adrian didn''t like those people making jokes about himself or between themselves?


    Most importantly, Vivian suddenly felt embarrassed being pped across her face by Adrian in front of thepany''s high-level executives. She thought she was special, so she dared to wait for him at this time.


    And she also had a little selfishness, which was to dere her sovereignty in front of hispany people.


    Let everyone know that she is the future mistress of this group and not Eva.


    But unexpectedly Adrian suddenly got angry...


    "Adrian, what''s wrong with you?"


    Hearing this, Adrian paused and came back to his senses feeling somewhat dazed.


    Actually, he didn''t know what happened just now. He just couldn''t help getting angry for a moment.


    At this moment, he was extremely upset. He pursed his lips and asked: "It''s nothing. What did youe here for today?"


    Vivian: "..."


    She clearly exined it earlier but how could he forget so quickly?


    Vivian awkwardly repeated what she said earlier.


    However, Adrian still seemed absent-minded while listening. After Vivian finished speaking, he frowned and said: "Thank you for your trouble, Vivian, but I have something to do today, and I need to go out." After speaking, he turned around and instructed his assistant beside him: "I''ll have someone send you back first."

 Chapter 43

    "What, what?" Vivian could hardly believe what she had just heard. This was not at all what she wanted.


    What she wanted was to show Adrian her injured finger after making him a loving lunch and have him be moved and concerned for her. Then they could spend some time alone in the office and deepen their rtionship. Not like this... Vivian couldn''t ept it and awkwardlyughed, "Adrian, where are you going? If it''s not too long, I can wait for you in your office."


    "Sorry Vivian, I''ll be out for a while. You should leave." Adrian replied.


    "I..." The assistant interrupted Vivian before she could finish speaking.


    "Miss Morrison, pleasee with me."


    Vivian bit her lip unwillingly and turned to look at Adrian with slightly reddened eyes. Would he really remain indifferent? However, when the assistant walked past her towards Adrian earlier on, he had already left quickly as if there were something urgent waiting for him outside.


    Vivian stood still watching his figure disappear into the distance until he vanished from sightpletely. The assistant''s voice came from behind her, "Miss Morrison, are youing?"


    Vivian nced at Adrian''s assistant who looked expressionless with unfriendly eyes that made Vivian feel unwee around him. Her intuition told her that he didn''t like her either; everyone in thepany knew about Adrian''s rtionship with Eva but here was Vivian intentionally blocking people''s way by carrying food boxes to meet them during meetings - even a kid would know of such intentions!


    The assistant had been working alongside Eva for so long that he thought highly of Eva''s abilities as well as how friendly she treated others which made him dislike seeing someone like Vivien doing things like this. However, he was just an assistant and only followed Adrian''s orders without saying anything.


    Vivian didn''t want to leave yet; she had worked hard in the kitchen and her wound wasn''t that serious. If she left now, would she have to make it worseter on just so Adrian could see? No way!


    Thinking of this, Vivian smiled lightly at the assistant and said, "Where did Adrian go? Will he be back in the afternoon? If hees back, can I wait for him in his office?"


    The assistant replied with a straight face and loud voice: "I''m not sure about Mr. ckwood''s schedule. As for going into his office when he is not there, I''m sorry Miss Morrison but that won''t be possible as outsiders are not allowed." Vivian''s expression almost copsed but managed to keep her lips stiffly pulled up as she retorted, "But I''m not an outsider!"


    The assistant replied coldly, "I don''t know about that."


    This assistant is really annoying. Once she bes the boss of the ckwood family business, the first thing to do is to rece Adrian''s current assistant. She has no eyesight.


    Vivian cursed in her heart, but maintained a calm and beautiful appearance on the surface.


    "Well then, please send me back. By the way, this lunch was made by me with great effort. Since Adrian didn''t have a chance to eat it, I''ll give it to you."


    Although this assistant is very annoying, she still needs to stick with her for now since she is currently working with Adrian. It would be best if she could be persuaded over to Vivian''s side.


    Unexpectedly, the assistant took a big step back and shook her head.


    "Miss Morrison deserves nothing for doing nothing."


    66


    39


    This infuriated Vivian.


    Finally, Vivian was sent back by the assistant.


    Sanatorium


    Adrian arrived at about the same time as before.


    As he stepped into the sanatorium and saw Eva lying next to Granny ckwood''s legs in rxation after his tense journey here earlier had subsided somewhat.


    Granny ckwood looked at him when she heard noise from behind her wheelchair-bound position and gestured for silence upon seeing him there too.


    Adrian noticed that Eva was actually sleeping beside Granny ckwood''s leg when he turned around after looking at them both in mid-air contact briefly; so he walked up gently bent down and picked Eva up carefully cing her onto an adjacent small bed nearby without waking her up, despite how soundly asleep she seemed already holding onto a soft pillow while subconsciously rubbing against it, before drifting off again soon afterwards, once more wrapped securely in the covers in his arms as theyy together peacefully like two peas in a pod until morning light broke through windows outside their room signaling another day ahead of them all yet again...


    When Granny ckwood saw what happened behind herself, she gestured for Adrian to push her wheelchair out of the room, and heplied.


    After they left the room, Granny ckwood''s voice returned to normal volume.


    "This little girl said she wanted to hear my story, but fell asleep before I could finish. I don''t know if it was because my story was too boring or if she hasn''t been resting welltely."


    "It should be that she hasn''t been resting well." Adrian followed along with what Granny ckwood said. "She has dark circles under her eyes."


    When he pinched Eva''s cheek just now, Adrian noticed that Eva''s dark circles were much heavier than usual. Because her skin is as white as snow, when the dark circles are more pronounced than usual, they be particrly noticeable. "What happened?" Granny ckwood asked: "Why didn''t she rest well? Did you bully her?"


    Adrian helplessly replied: "How dare I bully her? As long as she doesn''t bully me then everything''s fine. When have I ever won against her since we were kids?"


    "Tsk tsk," Granny ckwood clicked her tongue disapprovingly at him being a boy who can''t take a bit of loss sometimes in life without feeling wronged by it all, somehow inside himself still, despite growing up so much over time, together with everyone else around them, both here and elsewhere, beyond their world too perhaps even...


    "Anyway, you''re not allowed to bully her. This girl really cares about me; she isn''t my biological granddaughter, she''s adopted."


    Adrian did not refute this point.


    What someone does is seen by everyone around them after all...


    "Okay."


    Eva didn''t know how long she had slept for; She just felt very tired andfortable sleeping soundly, until waking up again suddenly, only realizing where exactly she was while stretchingzily upon sitting upright in bed. She suddenly realized something and opened her eyes wide, only to unexpectedly meet a pair of smiling eyes staring back at her.


    "Awake?"


    Adrian?


    Eva looked at Adrian sitting on the edge of her bed in surprise, then turned her head to look around. She found that they were indeed in Granny ckwood''s room.


    She sat up: "Where is Granny ckwood?"


    As she asked this question, Eva reached out and covered her forehead with some regret: "How did I fall asleep?"


    "Granny ckwood went for a check-up." Adrian exined before looking at Eva''s face again. "You forgot how you fell asleep? You even fell asleep while listening to a story; it could only be you."

 Chapter 44

    Listen


    to the story.......


    Yes, Eva remembered.


    She was obviously listening to her grandmother''s stories about her youth in the past, and she was actually listening with great interest, but for some reason she suddenly got so sleepyter.


    She was too embarrassed to interrupt her grandmother, so she had to brace her eyelids and spirit to continue to listen.


    As to when she fell asleep, she forgot herself.


    Thinking of this, Eva med herself.


    "I didn''t fall asleep on purpose, will she be upset with me?"


    "Grandma loves you so much, what do you think?"


    Adrian then told the story of Granny ckwood who couldn''t let him wake her up after he came.


    After hearing that, Eva lowered her eyes andughed lightly twice.


    "Also."


    She had just woken up and looked very naive. When Adrian saw her look, he subconsciously raised his hand and flicked her forehead: "What are you thinking about all day long?" Eva was a bit sleepy just now, but now she woke up, she stroked her forehead and looked at Adrian, a bit dazed.


    In fact, sometimes, certain actions of Adrian''s will often make Eva confused, and even give birth to a kind of bubble of their own time together, it is also a little bit like her illusion. This kind of illusion, in the past two years often appear, asionally they sh by, only exist for a moment until Eva recognized the reality.


    But then as time went by and their bodies began to fit together, she gradually became immersed in this feeling and really believed that she would be with him forever. However, reality hit her in the head.


    As long as Vivianes back, his choice will always be hers.


    When she thought about this, Eva''s heart and eyes were colder, she put her hand down and lowered her eyes without speaking.


    The smile under Adrian''s eyes faded a bit.


    Although Eva didn''t say anything, he could feel the sudden coldness in her breath.


    "What?"


    Eva shook her head: "No, I''m just a little dazed from sleep."


    When Adrian saw her get up, he naturally raised his hand and tried to give her a hand.


    As soon as his hand reached out to her, Eva avoided it as if she was electrocuted.


    For a moment, Adrian''s movement froze, and so did Eva.


    "Is this what you call a truce?"


    Eva looked up and found that Adrian''s lips held a cold smile and his eyes were flushed with coolness.


    She snapped back, "Sorry, there will never be a next time."


    After saying that, Eva pressed her palms and sat up by herself.


    However, even if she apologized, there was no use, because her action of avoiding him resulted in the atmosphere between the two bing tense again.


    Eva took a look at his ugly face and sighed softly in her heart.


    Thinking that Grandma wille out after the checkup and may find out what''s going on between them, Eva had to say, "It''s my fault for what happened just now, but Grandma should being out soon, right? Why don''t you go back?" Hearing that, the breath on Adrian''s body suddenly chilled.


    "What did you say?"


    Eva: "..... I''m not kicking you out, do you want grandma to see you now? Anyway, you have to work in the afternoon, I will exin clearly to grandma."


    After saying that, the room fell into dead silence.


    Eva lowered her eyes and did not speak again.


    After a long time, Adrian threw his hands away and left.


    He was probably mad, but he restrained himself from mming the door on the way out, Eva took a deep breath and tried to calm down.


    It seems that once the rift exists, it is very difficult to make a truce.


    Fortunately, there are only a few days left, so it will be good to get over it.


    I just hope that when the timees, Granny will be able to ept this matter calmly.


    After Granny ckwood came back from her checkup, she asked about Adrian, Eva told her he had gone back to work, so she nodded understandingly.


    He even said, "If you hadn''t been here, I guess he wouldn''t havee over here in the middle of the day."


    Hearing that, Eva was still a bit stunned.


    Is that so? He came here because she was here?


    But then Eva shook her head in denial.


    Whether Adrian made the trip for himself or not, it didn''t matter, they would both end up getting divorced.


    There is no point to this process.


    -Adrian


    Adrian returned to the office with a bad look on his face.


    Adrian had been holding his breath so hard on the road that he took off his ck suit as soon as he entered the office and threw it hard on the couch.


    The assistant who came in behind him was startled and was hesitant to rush out, but, thought of something and stood still.


    It took Adrian a long time to calm himself down, and when he turned his head, he found the assistant standing in the office, displeased: "What are you doing here?"


    The assistant shrank her neck with a slightly abashed expression and put the thermos bucket she was carrying on the desktop.


    Adrian frowned: "What is it?"


    He was already annoyed enough.


    "Miss Morrison made Mr. ckwood a love lunch, when I sent her back, she slipped it into my hand when I wasn''t looking and asked me to bring it back to Mr. ckwood."


    When the assistant said this, he was extremely unhappy in his heart.


    He didn''t know what to do for a while, but he had already refused.


    And cannot take it to throw it?


    Eventually the assistant took it back.


    Lunch she made with love?


    Adrian was so angry that he hadn''t had a chance to eat lunch. When he was at the sanatorium, he had sent his grandmother to have lunch, and then he purposely left his stomach empty, wanting to wait for the woman to wake up and then have lunch together, but who knew that he was a hot face to a cold shoulder.


    Not only did he not eat his lunch, but he was also full of anger.


    Now, not to mention the lunch, even if the Michelin chef came, he was also full of anger.


    Thinking of this, Adrian raised his hand to pull his tie loose, pursed his thin lips, and said in a deep voice: " I''ve eaten, you can finish it."


    The assistant nced at him and then shook her head, "No, Mr. ckwood, this is Miss Morrison''s special ''lunch of love'' for you, how dare I eat it?"


    Adrian: "......"


    He turned his head to look at his assistant, he narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold voice, "Who told you to speak in such a shady tone?"


    As soon as his voice turned cold, the assistant instantly wimped out, not daring to be silenced.


    "Get out."


    The assistant bristled, turned around and left the office.


    Adrian ripped off his tie and threw it onto the sofa, then sat down and let out a coldugh. What a good day.


    Not only did Eva not let him in her sights, but even his assistant was starting to get her wings.


    As a result, within minutes of the assistant going out, he knocked on the door again.


    "What is it again?" Adrian looked at her coldly.


    The assistant carried a beautifully wrapped bag in her hand, swallowed her saliva and said, "A restaurant just sent something over, saying that Ms. Hansen ordered lunch for you."

 Chapter 45

    "You''re very idle, aren''t you? Or has your job turned into delivering food? Want to change......"


    Thetter words jerked, and Adrian noticed the key word that had juste out of the assistant''s mouth: Ms. Hansen. "What did you just say, Ms. Hansen?"


    The assistant nodded dully, "Yeah, that''s what the delivery guy said."


    At the end of the sentence, Adrian''s phone came in with a message from Eva.


    "I heard from grandma that you haven''t eaten yet, so I ordered food for you, the restaurant just told me that it was delivered, did you receive it?" Adrian''s originally furious nature, the ck and sullen face, eased a lot after reading this message, but whispered with a still hard mouth:


    "Not shunning me? What''s the point of being sympathetic?"


    After saying that, Adrian passed a look towards his assistant. "Bring in the stuff."


    "Wow."


    The assistant brought the bag in and ced it on the table, next to the lunch that Vivian had made with love, which was an eyesore in any way. After thinking about it, the assistant said, "Mr. ckwood, did you just say Miss Morrison made that for me?"


    "Yes."


    Adrian answered haughtily.


    The assistant had something else in mind, so she said, "But I can''t eat anymore, can I share the food with the rest of the office? After all, it''s not good to waste food when you''ve done it all." Hearing that, Adrian couldn''t help but frown.


    When the assistant looked at him and thought he would refuse, she heard him say impatiently, "It''s all yours, so you can distribute it however you want. "Understood."


    As if afraid that he would regret, the assistant immediately carried the thermos bucket and went out.


    At the end of the day, Vivian came back.


    Because after she went back, she thought about it and was still not sure.


    It was clearly noon, meal time, but what was he doing out at this time? And most importantly, he neglected himself.


    Isn''t she his benefactor, the most important person to him?


    Moreover, he did not inform her himself what exactly he was going out for, which made Vivian uneasy.


    When she passed by the assistant''s room, Vivian saw the assistant working there and other staff members, and lifted her feet to step in. "Brent."


    Adrian''s assistant named Brent looked up at the sound of his voice, saw Vivian, and instantly Brent''s mood soured immediately. Why is this person back again?


    Still, Brent stood up and murmured, "Miss Morrison, how do you do."


    "Hello." Vivian smiled faintly, "Excuse me, I''d like to interrupt slightly, is Adrian back yet?"


    She tried to present herself well, trying to gain the young assistant''s favor and save him from bad-mouthing herself in front of Adrian. Brent paused for a moment, and then replied with a straight face, "Mr. ckwood came back around noon."


    At the words, Vivian was stunned.


    "He came back at noon?"


    If he came back, why didn''t he tell me himself?


    At once, Vivian felt that she had lost some face, so she could only smile dryly and said, "Then I will go to the office to look for him now."


    After saying that, she turned around and was about to leave.


    "Miss Morrison, wait."


    Brent took out the thermos bucket that was ced under the table and went after her.


    "This is what you asked me to give to Mr. ckwood."


    Seeing the thermos bucket, Vivian reinserts a smile and reaches out to take it.


    "Since he came back at noon, did he eat it? Any word on how it tasted?"


    At the words, the expression on Brent''s face became somewhat puzzled.


    "Miss Morrison, when our Mr. ckwood came back, he said he had already eaten and gave me what was here, and it was not good for me to eat alone, so I shared it with everyone in the office." Speaking of which, Brent seemed to recall a moment before saying, "Everyone thought it tasted good."


    "What......


    Hearing Brent''s words, the smile on Vivian''s face could barely be maintained.


    Originally she was going to give the food box to Brent, thinking that Adrian was going to be too busy toe back, so she just gave him a treat and let it go.


    But unexpectedly, Adrian came back.


    But he didn''t eat her own cooking, and even...... distributed these to his assistants and office staff.


    Vivian instantly felt that her heart was trampled on.


    "Miss Morrison, what''s wrong?" Brent looked at Vivian in front of him, "Are you okay?"


    Hearing the words, Vivian came back to her senses and shook her head with a reluctant smile.


    "I''m fine, I''ll go over to Adrian then."


    "Okay Miss Morrison."


    Watching Vivian go to the office, the smile on Brent''s face disappeared.


    Knock-knock...


    "Enter."


    An icy voice came from the office.


    Vivian pushed open the door and walked in, and saw Adrian sitting at his desk with a cold face.


    Adrian at work, there is a different kind of handsome, ck shirt cor slightly messy, tie is torn to where, even the buttons are unbuttoned two, revealing good-looking lines. The screen in front of him a pair of eyes extremely dark and deep, emotions outward he looked particrly severe.


    Vivian has always known that Adrian''s appearance is one in a million, even impable.


    Because his face, whether it is the facial features, or the angr jawline, are all exquisite, the perfect face with the perfect body, plus the amazing family history.


    Such a man, for Vivian to look at.


    She didn''t realize that she was standing in the same ce, until Adrian didn''t hear a sound and looked up with a frown, then she came back to her senses and walked over to him.


    "Vivian?"


    Adrian was dealing with work, a pair of thick eyebrows knitted very tightly, after seeing Vivian, the frown rxed a little, "Why did youe over?"


    The icy aura of Adrian''s body was gradually weakening as he spoke.


    Vivianughed lightly: "When I came to look for you at noon, I saw that you went out in a hurry, so I was a little worried about you, and thought I woulde to see you after work. How is it, is everything okay?" Mentioning the incident at noon, Adrian narrowed his eyes and his tone was light.


    "Yes, next time you don''t have to make a trip yourself, just call."


    Hearing the words, Vivian gave a lurch, and after a moment quietly hung her head, emotionally downcast.


    "Adrian..... I took the initiative toe over to thepany, did I give you any trouble?"


    Adrian looked in front of Vivian''s bowed head, lost in thought of how in order to save him, she defiantly jumped into the river, and was injured and unconscious, and he almost lost his life.


    "What are you thinking about? What kind of trouble can you cause bying over?"


    Hearing that his tone had softened, Vivian raised her head again, Vivian spoke pitifully, "Really? You won''t resent me either?"


    Adrian: "What do you mean by that? How could I possibly resent you?"


    She is the one who saved his life.


    "In the future, the office....... is open to you whenever you want."


    Vivian immediately saw the good and took the initiative to run over and hold Adrian''s hand: "Adrian, you are so good to me."


    "If it wasn''t for you back then, I''m afraid I would have died in the river, so if there''s anything, just mention it, as long as I can do it."

 Chapter 46

    As long as he can do it.......


    Vivian almost made a request to him, but the words came to her lips and she swallowed them back.


    She couldn''t mention it at this time, she had to be calm.


    So, she had to ask about Granny ckwood''s condition instead.


    "I haven''t had a chance to visit her since I returned home, so I''d like to go see her in a few days if that''s okay, okay?"


    Adrian furrowed his brows and refused her.


    "Wait a little longer, I''m worried that it will affect grandma''s condition."


    The smile on Vivian''s lips lightened a few points, still this result, for some reason, Granny ckwood didn''t seem to like her.


    But because she was Adrian''s benefactor, Granny ckwood treated her with all the courtesy she should have, but just very politely, purely as a benefactor only kind of.


    But she treated Eva as if she were her own granddaughter.


    This made Vivian''s heart, indignant.


    In the end, Vivian still nodded obediently.


    "Okay, I''ll do whatever you say."


    There were not many days left anyway, so she did not have to rush.


    -


    Eva finished her vacation and returned to work.


    She took her vacation time in a hurry, and even though she did a good job handover before she took it, the person who took over was notpetent enough, and when Eva came back, she found that there were many mistakes in her work. She just returned to her work, and then she was busy again.


    There are a bunch of things waiting for her to deal with.


    It was not until noon that Eva had time to stop.


    In the middle, Jenny came in to bring her water a few times, and at first, she was given coffee, which Eva picked up and took a sip, after the bitter taste hit her entire mouth, she remembered why, and put down the cup in her hand without drinking it again.


    When Jenny came in again, she found that Eva hadn''t taken a sip of her coffee and it had gonepletely cold in this weather.


    Jenny then said, "Sister Eva, let me give you a new cup of coffee."


    Hearing this, Eva finally looked up from her work and said to her, "Jenny, from now on, take my coffee and rece it all with in water."


    "Huh?" Jenny thought she had heard wrong, "No, no more coffee?"


    "Yes, no more."


    Jenny, always the talkative one, asked., "Why Eva, if you only drink in water, it will not refresh you, right?"


    Thepany''s main goal is to provide the best possible service to its customers.


    Jenny then realized that her words seemed too much, awkwardly scratching her head, "Sorry Sister Eva, then I''ll change to in water for you in the future." "Thanks."


    After saying that, Eva lowered her head and buried herself in her work again.


    In retrospect, she indeed can no longer drink coffee, drink tea also she cannot, she worked a high intensity job, drink up, I''m afraid a day to drink a lot, it is best to drink only in water. After idling, Eva was tired enough to lean back in her chair and gently close her eyes.


    After a few moments, her cell phone rang.


    Eva took it out and looked at it. It was Adrian calling.


    Eva picked up: "What is it? If it''s a business matter, you can use thepany phone internal line."


    Hearing the words, the other side paused, as if choked by her words.


    A few momentster, he said in a cold voice: "It''s not business, did you have lunch? If not,e over. "


    His tone was short and quick.


    Eva looked at the mountain of work on her desk and wanted to refuse when she heard another voice on her phone.


    "Adrian, keep your voice down, Eva, I made you lunch by the way, we''ll wait for you toe over."


    Eva''s eyes went icy cold. I know I''m not imagining that voice: "No, you guys go ahead and eat, I still have work to deal with, no need to wait for me."


    After saying that, Eva hung up the phone.


    At this time, she saw Jenny going out, so she got up and asked, "Jenny, are you going to eat?"


    "Yes, Sister Eva, do you want to join us?"


    "Yes,e along."


    Eva grabbed her phone and bag and followed Jenny to thepany canteen.


    Jenny walked beside Eva and was a little ttered, it was her first time toe to thepany canteen with Eva.


    She was very excited and kept looking for topics with Eva.


    "Sister Eva, are you used to eating in the canteen? If you''re not used to it, we can go out to eat."


    "No need." Eva smiled: "The canteen is quite close, so it''s convenient to go back and deal with work after eating."


    "Ah....." mentioning the work, Jenny instantly med herself to the point of no return, "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault, if I was a little more capable, I wouldn''t have piled up so much work." Hearing the words, Eva looked at her, and did notfort her.


    When she and Adrian divorce, she will also quit this job, she only has Jenny on hand, when she leaves, she will help her advance in her career.


    Eva used to be lenient with her, taking care of most things herself and letting her learn slowly.


    Now it seems that you can''t learn slowly.


    "If you feel apologetic, then start studying for work in extra volume this afternoon." Eva said lightly.


    Jenny froze for a moment, and then nodded her head vigorously.


    "Okay, I will try my best to share my worries for Sister Eva."


    After that the two of them went to line up for their meals.


    When they were eating, there were many people looking at Eva and whispering.


    By the time she sat down, those people were so arrogant that the discussion got louder.


    "What''s wrong with that? A president''s wife, actually followed everyone to the cafeteria, she doesn''t think she''s very pro-people, right?"


    "What''s so personal? Please, don''t call her Mrs. President anymore, who''s the president''s wife as secretary? The future president''s wife is in Mr. ckwood''s office right now."


    The sound of their conversation was loud, as if they thought Eva had lost her momentum, so they deliberately said it to her.


    "You are talking about the Morrison family''s firstdy Vivian, right? I saw her yesterday, she came to bring food to Mr. ckwood yesterday, and she came today, really considerate."


    "I heard that this is the person Mr. ckwood really wants to marry, not only good family, good-looking, more importantly, also saved Mr. ckwood''s life."


    "And someone? Nothing, the family bankruptcy, but also rely on the rtionship with Mr. ckwood, in order to enter the ckwood family business to be a secretary, to our Mr. ckwood, useless." Eva listened quietly to all thesements.


    When she heard thest sentence, she even had a point of agreement.


    It is not wrong, her family in the business, really cannot help Adrian to provide anything.


    Bang!


    Jenny, who was sitting across the table, couldn''t listen anymore and heavily put down her fork heavily, "These people are too much, I''m going to find them!"


    After saying that, Jenny stood up in a rage.


    At this time, Eva said indifferently, "Don''t go."


    "Sister Eva."


    Eva''s tone was light, but the words carried a lot of weight: "Sit down."

 Chapter 47

    In the end, Jenny reluctantly sat down under Eva''s calm expression. She sat down, but she was so upset that she bit her lower lip and said angrily, "Sister Eva, didn''t you hear what they said? It''s too much, I want to go over and tear their mouths off." Eva slowly and methodically asked, "And then what? Because someone else made a scene with a few words, when the time came for people to spread the word, I was not only driven to the canteen to eat, but even fought in the canteen because I was poked by others?"


    Hearing this, Jenny wrinkled up her beautiful eyebrows.


    "Sister Eva, that wasn''t my intention."


    "Of course, I know it wasn''t your intention, but do you think it''s useful to go after them? Whether you fight back or not, you won''t be able to decide the mouth of the bystanders." Jenny bit her lower lip.


    "Then let me listen to Sister Eva being ndered by others like this, I can''t do it either!"


    The way she was indignant on her own behalf, Eva was quite touched, I didn''t expect this assistant to look timid and silent, but she was actually a stubborn cow at the critical moment. Eva sighed, feeling helpless.


    "Actually, it''s not really nder, right?"


    Hearing this, Jenny stared incredulously, "What did you say, Sister Eva?"


    "They''re not wrong either, my family is indeed broke and can''t provide much help to Adrian."


    "That''s not true......" Jenny continued, "Sister Eva is the biggest help in thepany, you are so capable, anypany with you is like a tiger with wings, it''s not what everyone says." "That''s enough." Eva interrupted her to stop her from going on, "Hurry up and eat, you might as well have that energy to go back and learn more."


    Jenny saw that she was full of care, so she couldn''t say anything else, and held her breath to eat.


    After eating, Eva expressionlessly maneuvered Jenny through the crowd, leaving.


    "Look at her, she looks like she doesn''t care, she doesn''t seem to care that Mr. ckwood is with another woman, right?"


    "She pretends not to care, but what good does it do to worry?"


    "It is assumed that once back to the office one will have to cry."


    The crowd continued to talk.


    Unfortunately, Eva is going to let everyone down, she simply doesn''t have extra time to cry her eyes out, she doesn''t even have extra time to grieve in her heart about these things in Spring and Autumn. Because there is really a lot of work, and she is facing leaving soon, so her position must be filled by someone.


    Although she did not intend to interact with Adrian afterwards, but at least he helped her at his most difficult time, and when it''s time for her departure, she wants to leave on good terms. After returning to the office, Eva exined to Jenny a lot of work.


    When Jenny received the work, the whole person was taken aback, "This, so much? What if I can''t finish it?"


    Eva did not pity her.


    "Then work overtime." Jenny: "....."


    She didn''t dare to say anything and didn''t feel that Eva was being harsh on her.


    Jenny has been working with Eva for so long and has hardly suffered any aggravation.


    Now that Eva has given her so much work, she must want to cultivate her, she can''t let Sister Eva down!


    After cheering herself up, Jenny seriously buried herself in her work.


    Knock-knock...


    Jenny looked up and saw a beautiful woman standing at the door.


    She was wearing a white striped dress and her long gentle hair was draped over her shoulders.


    "Hello, I''m looking for Ms. Hansen."


    Jenny took just one look and recognized who the other woman was.


    It was the woman who had stayed in the office with their Mr. ckwood thest time Eva had a fever, and the subject of the recent hot gossip in thepany - Vivian.


    The thought of her frequenting thepanytely, causing Eva to be poked in the back for eating in the cafeteria n, did not make her look good.


    Thepany''s main business is to provide a wide range of products and services to the public.


    Jenny then came back to her senses and said, "What do you want from Ms. Hansen? Our Ms. Hansen is busy working at the moment and may not have time to entertain you." Vivian heard her hostility towards herself, a sh of hostility in her eyes, and just as she wanted to speak, a voice came from inside.


    "Come on in."


    When Vivian went in, Eva was still working on her work, and when she looked up, she saw her holding an insted food box in her hand, and then walked up to her. "Eva, are you so busy at work today? Even if you are busy, you have to eat well. You didn''te over, this is what I saved for you."


    After saying that, she put the food box on Eva''s desk.


    Eva paused, and then said, "Thanks, but I''ve already eaten."


    Vivian lowered her voice.


    "You''re not really worried about me hurting you, are you?" Eva, I would never do such a stupid thing, I just brought the food by the way." Hearing that, Eva gave her a faint look.


    "You think too much, simply ate it, you don''t need to bring me food in the future, I will do what I say, you don''t need to stare at me so closely."


    Eva paused here, and then pursed her lips and said, "If you are really worried, you can keep an eye on your Adrian every day, as long as you keep an eye on him, I can''t get close?" What''s more, she didn''t want to get close either.


    The smile on Vivian''s face disappeared a little.


    "Do you think I don''t want to? Unfortunately for the ckwood family, I can''t get in for now."


    Eva said, "Oh, you can''t get in, won''t you call him out?"

 Chapter 48

    Hearing that, Vivian was slightly stunned.


    She had never thought about it? She had already hinted at it, but she didn''t know whether Adrian didn''t understand or pretended not to understand. Anyway, he didn''t say yes.


    Vivian could not say it too frankly, otherwise Adrian would take her as a slut?


    So, she could only swallow this bitter fruit.


    Seeing that she didn''t answer and was as pale as dirt, Eva raised her eyebrows.


    "Or you couldn''t call him out, so you came to find trouble with me?"


    At her words, Vivian subconsciously lifted her head and stared at her with unhappy eyes.


    Eva, however, met her gaze with a raised eyebrow.


    "What I said is not right? You don''t really have to do all these extra things, obviously hating me but still bringing me food. Do you try to impress him? Then I advise you to save your breath, if the person you like doesn''t like you because you are not a genuine person, then you''d better change before it''s toote."


    Her words revealed Vivian''s heart in a very real way.


    Vivian''s hands were clenched into fists at her sides, and her heart almost wanted to lynch Eva.


    Eva hooked her lips and gave a sweet smile, "I have to work, if it''s okay, you can go now."


    Vivian was so angry that she suddenly regretteding here to pretend to be generous. She wanted to stab Eva a few times, but she was afraid that she would make her angry and go to Adrian to talk nonsense, so she could only force her face back to smile.


    "Eva, in fact, you do not have to be so hostile to me, you agreed to my request, between us also cleared, I now simply want to be friends with you, take care of you just, after all, ording to the age to calcte words, in fact, I think of you as a sister, age-wise.......


    Thetter words were not finished, it was interrupted by Eva coldly: "Miss Morrison, my family only has one daughter." Vivian was silent for a moment, and then said, "Well, it seems that today''s meal is not to your liking, then I''ll leave." After saying that, Vivian took her own food box and left.


    Just as she left, Jenny came running in and asked angrily, "Sister Eva, what is this woman doing here? Did she bully you?" Hearing that, Eva gave a start, "You don''t like her?"


    Jenny nodded her head vigorously.


    "Of course, if it wasn''t for her, Sister Eva wouldn''t be talked about by that group of people in the cafeteria, so I hate her!"


    Eva looked at her in silence for a moment, and then said, "Do you n to work at the ckwood family business all the time in the future?"


    "Yes!" Jennyughed: "I like it here, as long as the ckwood family business doesn''t fire me, then I''ll always work here."


    Hearing that, Eva''s face cooled down.


    "Since you like it here, then don''t bring personal emotions to work."


    Her steeply sunken face and tone caused Jenny to freeze, "Wh, what?"


    "Do you know what kind of rtionship she and Adrian will be in the future? Knowing that you will offend her in the future? Since you want to work here peacefully, you have to stay still instead of putting all your likes and dislikes on your face."


    Eva''s voice sounded harsh and ruthless, reprimanding Jenny to the point of confusion, she stood in ce, her eyes a little red, not even understanding that she was clearly looking towards Eva, but why did Eva reprimand her?


    "Eva sister, I did not mean to put the likes and dislikes on my face, I just...... I just don''t like to hear people say bad things about you, and that woman she ......


    Hearing this, Eva''s eyebrows were wrinkled and her tone became heavier.


    "It seems that you have not understood what I said, so now you listen carefully, in the end you in the ckwood family is just a small staff, and what is my rtionship with you? Do you need to fight for me?" Jenny''s tears were already in her eyes, and she bit her lower lip to keep them from falling.


    The office was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.


    It was only after a long time that a throat-clearing voice sounded outside.


    "Ahem!"


    Eva raised her eyes to look, only to find that Carter hade at some point and was standing right outside the door.


    Eva then said to Jenny in a cold voice, "Go out and work."


    Jenny didn''t dare to disobey and nodded her head.


    When she passed by Carter, Carter saw these tiny bean-sized tears finally couldn''t help rolling down from her eyes.


    When she left, Eva asked, "Carter, what do you need?"


    Carter then walked in, then closed the door with his hand.


    He looked at Eva and said helplessly, "Why are you talking so hard? When the timees, a piece of good intention will be misinterpreted."


    Eva''s expression was light, and she lowered her eyes.


    "It doesn''t matter if she misinterprets me or not, I''m leaving in a short time anyway."


    If she doesn''t get to the point, she''s still immersed in her own world, how can she not grow up?


    She said calmly, but Carter is listening to the steps of a slight pause, put the file in hand on the desktop before pretending not to speak: "ready to go? When?"


    Eva had no reservations about Carter, other than her fake marriage to Adrian and the baby.


    She pursed her lips, then said, "The exact time has not yet been decided, but soon."


    Hearing that, Carter raised his eyebrows and didn''t say anything else.


    Although no time has been set, but the word soon, coupled with her attitude of reprimanding Jenny today can already exin a lot.


    She estimated that she would leave thepany within a month.


    It seemed that he also had to make other ns.


    Looking at Carter''s pensive look, Eva couldn''t help but frown, "Carter, what are you thinking about?" Hearing the words, Carter came back to his senses and quietly looked at her without saying anything. Eva: ""


    "You''re not thinking about leaving your job, are you?"


    Eva felt her scalp tingling at the thought of this possibility.


    She didn''t want to, but Carter smiled in a profound way, "Don''t worry, I''m not thinking about that."


    Eva can''t ask him what he''s thinking about, some questions are too much, and she doesn''t want to find out what Carter''s thinking.


    When she stopped talking, Carter said in a shallow voice, "Well, don''t worry about it, think about yourself first, are you really going to leave like this?" Carter''s eyes shifted.


    "Carter also did not mean to say you, just you and he got along for two years, she came back you left? Isn''t that a little too easy to bully and take advantage of?"


    Here, Carter paused, and then wrinkled his eyebrows and slowly said: "Eva, you used to be not this kind of character to let people pinch, howe when ites to his affairs, you''re ....."


    Hearing the words, Eva silently lowered her eyes.


    Yes, she was at her wits'' end when it came to him.


    It''s not that there is no way to deal with it, it''s just that she knows that the person in his heart is not herself, so what''s the point of forcing it.


    Adrian wouldn''t give up liking Vivian because of her backwardness, and she wouldn''t have the self-respect to like someone who didn''t like her."

 Chapter 49

    Carter stayed in Eva''s office for quite a long time before leaving.


    When he came out, he happened to be bumped into by Adrian and Vivian who had left the office.


    As soon as he saw Carter''s figure, Adrian''s gaze instantly tightened a few points, his body was covered with a cold aura, and he looked at him with displeasure.


    Vivian, who followed him out, felt it instantly.


    She looked at Carter, who came out of Eva''s office not far away, and said thoughtfully, "Mr. Jiang seems to have a good rtionship with Eva, I remember the two of them went out to dinner together a few days ago?" Hearing that, Adrian knitted his eyebrows, his thin lips pursed t, and did not reply.


    The Hansen family went bankrupt and everyone shunned Eva, but he followed her into thepany and still keeps in touch with her. I used to hear that her father was raising Mr. Jiang as his son-inw, and I thought it was a joke. At this point, Vivian stopped and did not go on.


    It was enough to stop at that point.


    She couldn''t sway Eva''s side, so she had to start more from Adrian''s side.


    Sure enough, when she finished, she found that Adrian''s face was already as dark as the bottom of a pot, obviously having taken in what she said.


    But Vivian''s heart is not half happy.


    Because Adrian''s reaction waspletely out of her control and spection, which is why she didn''t dare to let Adrian know that Eva was pregnant.


    It seemed that something had to be done faster.


    -


    Adriante


    Adrian came out of the bathroom after washing up, he had a towel tied around his waist and his upper body was still naked, when he came out he took a towel to wipe his still dripping hair. When he went into the bedroom, he suddenly found the bedroom light was still on.


    Eva is still holding aputer and leaning on the bed to deal with her work.


    She had Bluetooth headphones in her ears.


    "Well, take a look at this ce again and send it to me after you''ve revised it."


    Her voice was shallow, a sentence or two popped up every now and then, and then her white fingers were tapping rapidly on the keyboard again.


    Adrian stopped wiping his hair and watched the scene with a very unpleasant feeling in his heart.


    Only when Eva hung up the phone and didn''t move did he walk over to her.


    "Work cannot be handled during the day?"


    Hearing the words, Eva did not even raise her head.


    "Not finished during the day."


    So, she could only work overtime. Most of all, she wanted Jenny to get started quickly, although it was a bit difficult for her, but this was all she could do for now. Adrian was silent for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Then we''ll deal with it tomorrow."


    At this moment, Eva''s head was lowered, her long eyshes were as dark as raven feathers, covering her pair of soulful and beautiful eyes. She, who had been staring at theptop screen, slowly raised her head after hearing the coolness in Adrian''s voice, and her eyes fell on Adrian''s face.


    Adrian was standing by the bed, looking at her in a downward stance.


    The man''s figure is upright, just after bathing behind him still carries a clean, fresh soap scent, faintly very good smell.


    The Adrian, at the moment, is looking at Eva from above, and there is a cold, cold aura all over his body.


    It seems to be displeased with her.


    Eva only nced at him and probably understood what was going on. She closed the notebook in her hand and knocked down the Bluetooth headset in her ear, "You want to rest, right? Then I''ll go to the study next door." After saying that, Eva directly got up and got out of bed with her own notebook.


    At this moment, her mood was as calm as water, only thinking about how to wrap up the work and how to bring Jenny up, nothing else.


    But as she passed by Adrian, he still said something that stung her.


    "Not enough time in the office during the day for you to handle your work? Or was the work dyed because of other more important things."


    Hearing the words, Eva''s step gave a lurch.


    "What do you mean?"


    She walked over and stood back-to-back with Adrian, not turning around, her notebook clutched under her armpit.


    "What do you mean you''re holding up work because of other, more important things? You don''t think I''m taking my job seriously while I''m at the office?" "Don''t you?"


    Adrian snorted, "If you were serious about your work, why would you bring it back home to deal with it?"


    Eva wrinkled her eyebrows, wondering what Adrian was up to again.


    Neither of them turned around, just standing back-to-back.


    After a long time, Adrian suddenly snorted withughter.


    "No more talking? What? Did you have a good time talking to your brother Carter?"


    Hearing this, Eva gave a start, as if she suddenly understood why Adrian was like this.


    It was his ridiculous male pride at work again.


    Eva still has the same attitude, not bothering to argue with Adrian in this situation, so she does not intend to exin, directly step away and ready to go.


    Adrian grabbed Eva''s slender wrist and dragged her back.


    Eva did not react to anything, the whole person was carried up by Adrian, the sky spun, the notebook fell out of her hands, she was mped by Adrian''s hands, pulled up to the top of the head and pressed to the soft bed. When Eva came back to her senses, she was already pinned down by Adrian.


    "Adrian, what are you doing?"


    She struggled, but Adrian frowned and snapped her hands tighter, raising his knees and squeezing her scurrying legs.


    And Eva, unwilling to be pressed by him, turned her head and bit Adrian''s arm.


    His arm was strong, but Eva''s teeth were sharp, Adrian soon felt pain and frowned.


    "Loosen your mouth."


    "No!" Eva slurred back.


    Adrian: "......Eva! You let go of my mouth!"


    The name Eva put Eva in a trance, and the moment her mouth loosened, her jaw was pinched by Adrian, and then her face was turned around to face Adrian''s face.


    When she bit him, probably because of the recent things angry, so bite up also nonchnt, are biting Adrian''s arm bleeding.


    At this time, Eva, the pink corner of the lips was still stained with some fishy red blood,pared to her pale skin, the little red is quite shocking.


    Adrian took a look at his arm, a clear tooth mark left on it.


    He sneered: "Bite so hard, Eva, do you have a conscience?"


    "You have a conscience, then you let go of me." Eva said back.


    In fact, he hadn''t called out like this for a long time.


    In the past, when they didn''t have this kind of rtionship, he would call her Eva meaningfully when he was angry with her, saying that she was getting bolder and bolder.


    Now......


    Eva looked at Adrian, who was looking at herself from a high position in front of her, and sneered: "Also, what''s it to you if I''m talking with Brother Carter? Are you jealous with this hot and bothered look?"

 Chapter 50

    Jealous?


    Adrian froze, and after a moment, he pressed his fingertips on the little bit of red on her lips, and his voice was very deep, with a hoarse voice. "Even if I''m really jealous, so what? Don''t you forget that legally, you are my wife."


    His voice was hoarse and seductive, with apelling vor, and as he said it, his thin lips pressed closer to her, his hot breath spitting on Eva''s face. As their lips were about to meet, Eva said, "So what if I''m legally your wife, are you entitled to be jealous?"


    Adrian gave a start.


    Evaughed lightly, with a mocking sound: "Or in other words, if you are jealous of me, then where do you put Vivian?"


    The sudden mention of the third person made Adrian''s charming thoughts disappear instantly.


    Probably because he did not expect her to suddenly mention Vivian, Adrian''s eyes were colder.


    "What do you mention her for?"


    Eva: "Can''t mention it? Then why are you mentioning Carter?"


    Adrian: ""


    They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Adrian released his grip on her wrists and rolled out of bed.


    Eva sat up on her hands as well, and she nced down at her wrists, which were already crimson where they had been previously tightened by Adrian''s grip. "Savage."


    She spat in a low voice, then got up to get the notebook that had fallen to the floor.


    Eva had to open theptop to check it, and after a minute, she found that it was broken and would not turn on at all.


    The night''s work was over.


    She could only helplessly take out her phone and text Jenny, "I have a problem with myptop, I''ll stop here today and continue tomorrow at work." After sending, she put theptop away.


    When she was tinkering, Adrian was always standing next to her, although his breath was cold enough to be a refrigerator, but he never went away. Seeing her put away herptop, Adrian even asked, "No more work?"


    If he didn''t ask, Eva said angrily, "I broke myptop, what am I working for? How can I work?"


    Adrian was slightly stunned, and after a moment, he walked over to her and held out his hand, "Let me take a look."


    "No need." Eva refused him, wasn''t he the culprit for the brokenptop? How could he look at it for her?


    Adrian could hear the anger in her voice, his throat rolled up and down, and his voice sank much deeper. "Then I''ll buy you one."


    Evaughed at his words, "I don''t need the money for yourputer?"


    The money for aputer might be enough to buy a bunch of diapers and small toys for her child.


    So she changed her mind and said, "Then you can transfer the money to my WhatsApp right now."


    Adrian was quite surprised at her change.


    She had given him back a check for tens of millions of dors before, but now she was willing to ask for a few thousand dors.


    Thinking about this, Adrian took out his phone and transferred 50,000 dors to her.


    If not for the limit, he would have transferred more.


    Eva received the message, took out a look, found that Adrian transferred 50,000 and wrinkled his eyebrows, "Why did you transfer so much?" Adrian''s thin lips pursed, afraid that afraid she would refuse again, he quickly found an excuse:


    Eva reacted, took his money, and then transferred 40,000 dors back to him.


    "I paid ten thousand for myptop, I''ll just take what I deserve."


    Adrian looked at the forty thousand dors she transferred back and stood in ce in silence, a haze under his drooping eyes.


    Suddenly, she was very clear with herself.


    Even the ount, also to be so calcted clear Vivian?


    Is this because of that person?


    The next day Eva took theptop to be repaired, spent a few hundred dors, barely manageable.


    She didn''t have much time to stay at the office, so there was no need to rece theptop at this time, it was aplete waste of money.


    She and Jenny met for breakfast, and when they sat down at the diner downstairs, Eva was still asking about work.


    Jenny''s expression was depressed as she sucked on her soy milk and looked and looked at Eva who was following her.


    I don''t know if it''s just her, but I feel like Eva has be so put togethertely, and has taught her so many things, all of which took her breath away.


    Thinking of this, Jenny swallowed what was in her mouth and then asked, "Sister Eva, can I ask you a question?"


    Hearing that, Eva looked at her askance.


    "Go ahead."


    Jenny then looked around warily, and then mysteriously came up to Eva.


    "Are you going to leave your job?"


    Eva: "......


    ??


    This little girl, vignce is quite strong.


    She pursed her red lips and didn''t answer.


    On the contrary, Jenny looked at her like this and panicked backwards: "Sister Eva, I didn''t mean to pry into your affairs, I just think you''ve been working too hardtely and have taught me so many things, so that''s why I thought so." It didn''t seem to hurt to tell her now.


    "Right." Eva didn''t deny it, "So you need to learn, there''s not much time left for you."


    Jenny stared incredulously.


    "Sister Eva......"


    Eva finished the matter at hand, closed her notebook, and said faintly, "Don''t pass it out."


    Jenny could only numbly nod her head.


    A great sadness suddenly surfaced in her heart, like a tidal wave rushing to her heart.


    Jenny bit her bottom lip, looked at the expressionless Eva in front of her and asked in a small voice, "Sister Eva, are you going to divorce Mr. ckwood?"


    If you are not going to divorce, how can you think of leaving your job? Just because of that Vivian?


    Eva gave her a look, her eyes were a little helpless.


    "It seems that you didn''t listen to a single word I said yesterday."


    "No, it''s not..... I just....." Jenny''s lower lip was almost bleeding from her bite, "I just can''t stop worrying about you, Sister Eva."


    Eva was silent for a while before she said, "Nothing stays the same forever, that''s just life, and we must let go."


    "But I ......"


    Eva had to interrupt her: "Eat quickly, finish eating and go back to work."


    Listen to the words, Jenny can only silently head down to eat, the expression of mncholy, earlier also eat happy her, this time the food in her mouth is no longer delicious, but more than a few bitter. After breakfast, the two of them went back to the office together.


    When Eva entered the office, she saw the time calendar rolling by on the big screen, and her steps had a slight pause.


    There are only six days left before Grandma''s surgery.


    Time flies.


    I hope that everything will go smoothly.


    Grandma''s surgery went well, and so did her divorce from Adrian."

 Chapter 51

    Although she had already been rejected once yesterday, Vivian came to bring her food again today, and her insistence on being a good person really made Evaugh inside. While she was toozy to break her down, Eva didn''t even want to take care of her.


    "Eva, your body must be quite weak after a serious illness, I even made chicken soup today, are you sure you don''t want to drink some?"


    Eva''s fingers rested on her chin, looking at Vivian in front of her in a good way.


    There are obviously no outsiders here, but she continues to act like one, and Eva is tired of watching her.


    She simply put down the pen in her hand and looked at her calmly.


    "Aren''t you tired of this?"


    Eva asked is not tired of pretending like this?


    It seemed as if Vivian didn''t understand, changing the subject instead: "can personally for their favorite person cooking, watch him finish the food, is a very happy thing, and why would I be tired?" Here, Vivian also stabbed her as if she was not enough, "Eva, when you find someone you like who likes you back, you will understand the feeling I have, the willingness to do this for a lifetime."


    When finished, Vivian stared at Eva, wanting to see how she looked when she was excited by these words.


    Who knew that Eva''s face was calm after listening to it, and threw her a sentence: "Really? Then I wish you the best of luck in getting what you want."


    Vivian instantly felt that she had swung her fist on cotton, so powerless that she was furious inside.


    Why!


    Why is she like this every time, obviously what she said is on her pain point, but she is so light-hearted, as if the person who cares immensely is herself.


    At this time, Jenny pushed in the door, she looked at Vivian, originally wanted to hum her a few words, but thinking of Eva''s reprimand yesterday, those tone words swallowed back, but said to Eva: "Sister Eva, Brent is looking for you." "Let him in."


    Brent walked in, and as soon as he saw Vivian, he immediately showed a surprised smile.


    "Miss Morrison, you''re here too?"


    Vivian was a little ttered by Brent''s enthusiasm.


    Could it be that the meal yesterday had turned him toward himself? If that was the case, then the meal they were invited to didn''t seem too bad.


    "Miss Morrison, you''re cooking again? Is this for Ms. Hansen?"


    Eva didn''t know what was going on with these two, but looking at Brent''s enthusiastic appearance, she probably understood a thing or two.


    Eva was not surprised by such a reaction.


    A smart cookie knows what side his bread is buttered on.


    ording to the current trend and discussion, everyone must have seen that Vivian is the future boss of the ckwood family business, it is normal to get closer to her at this time. She would not me anyone.


    But what happened next took Eva by surprise.


    Because Brent suddenly pointed to the food box and asked Eva: "Ms. Hansen, Miss Morrison''s cooking skills are very good, everyone in our office said it tastes good, don''t you want some?" Eva shook her head, "No, I''ve already eaten."


    "If Ms. Hansen doesn''t want it, can I have this one?"


    Eva gave a start, not expecting him to ask for it, and after looking at Vivian, she nodded: "Feel free."


    "Then I''ll be as polite as you like."


    Brent directly took the food box over, after which he looked at Vivian enthusiastically.


    "Miss Morrison, you are such a great cook, several colleagues in our office can''t forget it after eating it once, can you please bring us more servings/portions every day in the future?" At the words, Vivian was dumbfounded, thinking she had misheard.


    "What, what?"


    Ask her to bring more copies?


    Brent grinned, showing a row of white teeth, smiling brightly: "Don''t worry, we won''t let you do it for nothing, just say how much you need."


    Eva: "


    ......


    ??.


    She looked at Adrian''s assistant Brent a little speechlessly, for a moment wondering if he was trying to butter up Vivian or something else, why did it feel so strange? And Vivian, at this time, the face can no longer be described as ugly.


    How much money do you need to say a number?


    What do they take her for? Nanny? Or an aunt who cooks?


    Vivian thought he had finally understood the trend, but he actually intensified, this is not a mockery of her?


    But the worst part is, she can''t have a fit.


    Because she is not yet the hostess of the ckwood family business.


    Vivian''s smile was extremely ugly, but still tried her best to keep it up.


    "Money is not necessary, if you like it, then I will bring it to you from tomorrow as well."


    "Really?" Brent''s eyes glowed: "It won''t be too much trouble for you Miss Morrison, and will Mr. ckwood disagree? Will we be scolded?"


    Vivian could only say awkwardly, "Of course not, I will talk to him in advance."


    "Then I''ll thank Miss Morrison in advance."


    After this, Vivian couldn''t stay in Eva''s office any longer and turned her head to leave.


    After she left, the office calmed down and Brent immediately put the food box in his hand on the side table with an expression of disgust as if it was hot. Eva: "?"


    "Who wants to eat her food? It''s half-finished and processed, and you have the nerve to say that you made it with your own hands." Brent said with disgust. Eva: "So you were just in?"


    Brent gave Eva a sincere smile.


    "Take it out for you Ms. Hansen, I only recognize you as the president''s wife."


    Eva: "......


    33


    She was not expecting this, Brent is nice, because they are both a secretary and an assistant, each is responsible for their own, work is also really too much, asionally the two will go out together to socialize, Brent cheerful personality, is a good colleague.


    But I never thought he would be on his side.


    "Ms. Hansen don''t worry, no matter what people say, I''m all for you, you mustn''t let me down ah."


    Eva instantly didn''t know what to say, because she was afraid she was going to let him down.


    And he might havepletely offended Vivian with what he just said, but fortunately he has a certain position on Adrian''s side, and Adrian shouldn''t do anything to him.


    However, Vivian has a life-saving grace to Adrian after all, it is not possible to say things.


    Thinking about this, Eva immediately said: "In the future, you do not do this kind of harm to yourself."


    I don''t think I''m doing anything to hurt myself, I''m not mad at her, she took the initiative to invite me to dinner, I thought it was delicious, and I thought she was understanding, so I asked her, and she agreed, so who can say anything about me?"


    "So what?" Eva frowned and said, "You think you''re smart to do that? How many years have you been with Adrian, you don''t know what kind of person he is? In the future, don''t do such a thing again, and don''t say you support me or anything."

 Chapter 52

    When Vivian came out of Eva''s office, her face was already hard to read.


    The hands hanging down on the edge of her skirt were trembling slightly.


    She didn''t expect that just a mere assistant would dare tough at her like this.


    Although she did not have a fit inside, but Vivian felt that she could not swallow this anger.


    So just after she entered the office, Vivian couldn''t help but tell what had just happened. When she said it, her tone was not half resentful, just hoping that Adrian would feel sorry for her after hearing it. Who knows, when she finished, Adrian didn''t respond for a long time.


    "Adrian?"


    Vivian looked at him suspiciously and realized that although Adrian was staring at the notebook in front of him, his gaze wasx, seemingly immersed in his own thoughts.


    Vivian called out to him again, and Adrian snapped back to his senses and looked at her with a frown: "You''re back."


    Vivian: "......"


    How long has she been back?


    He didn''t even know after talking to him for half a day?


    The blood on Vivian''s face disappeared a little and she forced a smile, "Well, I''ve been back for a while, talking to you, you didn''t respond."


    Having said that, she tentatively asked, "Did something happen?"


    Adrian hade back to reality and shook his head lightly at the words.


    "Nothing."


    He saw that the food box was not in her hand, and his brows knitted tighter: "What you sent over today, she asked for it?" Didn''t you get it back yesterday?


    Vivian could only shake her head, "No, she still doesn''t want to eat what I cooked, Adrian, is my food very bad?"


    Adrian is not really picky about what he eats, food is the same as satiating for him, so he can''t tell if it''s good or not.


    But Vivian is the one who has saved him, he naturally won''t be perfunctory.


    "No, don''t overthink it." Adrian can only softlyfort her: "Since she is not willing to make what you eat, then you?"


    In fact, Adrian wanted to ask where the food box had gone.


    And somehow, knowing that Eva didn''t eat what Vivian made, he actually felt a lot lighter in his heart instead.


    Why is it easy, he himself did not understand.


    Vivian could only repeat what had just happened again.


    "So that''s it."


    The food box was actually begged over by Brent, no wonder he didn''t get it back.


    After saying this, Adrian was silent.


    Vivian purposely waited for a while and found that he still did not respond, so she could only call out to him again: "Adrian......"


    Adrian looked over at her, "What?"


    His expression was normal and there was nothing wrong with his eyes, so Vivian had to swallow back the words that came out of his mouth when he saw this look. "No, nothing."


    Then Adrian fell back into his own thoughts.


    He raised his hand and wrinkled his brow as if something was bothering him.


    Vivian suddenly saw a row of teeth marks on his fake arm.


    Her eyes immediately changed, "Adrian, is your arm hurt?"


    Hearing this, Adrian gave a start and followed her gaze to look at his own arm.


    Seeing the tiny teeth marks identally revealed on his arm, Adrian remembered how unkindly a woman had bitten himst night, and felt a vague pain in his temple. Thinking about it, Adrian pulled the cuff down without a trace and said lightly, "It''s okay."


    It''s not okay!


    Vivian saw it all, the wound, although she only half saw it, but she was almost sure that it was a row of teeth marks.


    Why would there be teeth marks on his arm? It can''t be a man''s bite, right?


    So there is only one possibility left........


    Vivian''s face was instantly pale, she didn''t expect her to not keep her promise!!!


    -


    The next day


    Vivian used the name of sending food to Eva to use her when no one was around.


    "Eva, is this how you return favors?"


    She thought she was going to y another good old-fashioned drama today, but instead, Eva, who had heard the usation, looked at her.


    She raised her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"


    "Are you pretending?" Vivian gritted her teeth, her hand glued to the edge of the food box, although full of anger, but still lowered her voice: "We agreed to the agreement before the third, before the divorce can no longer have any intimate behavior with Adrian, this agreement, you remember, right?"


    Eva pursed her lips: "Yes, why?"


    "Remember? Then did you do it?"


    "Yes."


    Eva nodded: "Except for the ces where I needed to cooperate in front of my grandmother, at other times, he and I did not act intimately."


    She thought she had done a good job.


    She didn''t want Vivian to say, "You''re lying! You haven''t kept our agreement at all."


    Her agitated look made Eva''s eyebrows furrow.


    Vivian thenined, "I saw a row of teeth marks on Adrian''s arm yesterday."


    The mention of this made Vivian feel hatred.


    A man and a woman, what kind of situation would the woman bite the man?


    Just thinking about it, Vivian could not stand it.


    Hearing the words, Eva was stunned.


    she had almost forgotten about the bite marks.


    "Why are you not talking? Feeling weak?" Vivian gritted her teeth and said, "Eva, are you just trying to break our agreement?"


    "No." Eva immediately raised her head and denied it, since she was returning the favor, how could she not keep the agreement?


    But the matter of the tooth marks, it was indeed her fault.


    "No? Then why do you still......"


    Eva had no choice but to interrupt her, "There is something I feel I must rify with you, since I made a promise to you, I intend to keep it, but I also hope you understand that some of the physical contact between me and him is passive in nature."


    "Passive?" Vivian finally calmed down a bit.


    Eva nodded, "Granny ckwood hasn''t had her surgery yet, and we can''t show our faces in front of her."


    "I understand this, but you can''t bite Adrian''s hand in front of Granny ckwood, can you?"


    "Oh, that''s really not possible."


    "Then you are admitting that you broke the agreement?"


    "No. If you''re dying to know, then I can only tell you that I acted that way because I resisted, and I didn''t break our agreement."


    As for why she resisted, let her think about it herself.


    Since she had promised Vivian in the cafe that day that she would keep her promise, the two of them had been clear from that day onwards.


    As expected, Vivian was stunned in ce after hearing her words.


    Resist.......


    To resist, she bit Adrian?


    Resist what?


    Vivian stared at Eva with wide eyes and felt that her mind was in a mess.


    "The first thing you need to do is to get a divorce, so you''re saying these things to separate me from Adrian.


    "Is it necessary?" Eva''s face is expressionless: "Besides, is it that easy to divorce him for your saving of his life?"

 Chapter 53

    "Or do you actually have very little confidence in him?"


    Eva curved her lips into a smile, "I''m not even worried about my current situation, what are you worried about?"


    Seeing that she was still standing still, Eva had to say, "Don''t worry, there are still a few days left before Grandma''s surgery, you can bear with it, and soon you will get what you want. As soon as Grandma''s surgery is sessful, I will leave here and won''te back for five years."


    After she reminded her, Vivian gradually calmed down.


    Yes, there were only a few days left, and now, no matter what, in a few days this would all be over.


    The farce between her and Adrian was over.


    At that time, she didn''t have to be afraid as she was now.


    "Okay, then I''ll trust you for now, and I hope you can do what you say then."


    After Vivian left, the room quieted down.


    Eva lowered her eyes and gently brushed her hand on her belly.


    "Baby, bless all the best with mommy, when the timees, mommy will take you to live abroad, there is still your grandfather there, your grandfather will love and adore you."


    Speaking of Hansen''s father, he gave her a call back after that day.


    But Hansen''s father is very busy nowadays, and there are several people talking next to him when he returns the call. Eva saw that he was already busy, so she did not inform Hansen''s father of her affairs.


    So in the end, father and daughter just hurriedly said a few words and hung up.


    -


    The day before Granny ckwood''s surgery, it happened to be a weekend, and Eva and Adrian both spent the whole day at the nursing home with her.


    Eva was worried that Granny ckwood was nervous about the surgery, so she bought her some fun gadgets to cheer her up, and told her some funny stories about thepany and the odd clients'' experiences, which made Granny ckwoodugh.


    While the two of them were talking, Adrian was watching from the sidelines.


    At first, he had no expression on his face, butter he was also infected by Eva and Granny ckwood''sughter, and a bit ofughter came up under his dark eyes.


    Everything seems to be in good shape.


    The doctor gave instructions in advance, and because of the surgery tomorrow, Eva suggested, "Grandma, why don''t I stay and sleep with you at night, if you are nervous and can''t sleep, I can also count sheep with you." "No, don''t." Granny ckwood waved her hand and said, "Granny is not a child, no need forpany, you and Adrian go back to rest together ande back tomorrow." "But......"


    Granny ckwood said nothing to agree with Eva to stay.


    Finally it was Adrian who sped her arm and said in a slow voice, "Since Granny doesn''t agree, then we''lle over early tomorrow."


    "That''s right, you young ones, hurry back, it''s gettingte, don''t disturb my rest here."


    "Okay....." Eva finally could onlypromise, then went up and hugged Granny ckwood: "Grandma, then you sleep well at night, we wille tomorrow morning."


    "Okay, Granny remember." Granny ckwood reached out and pinched the tip of Eva''s nose: "You little girl, you''re not young, but you''re a nag."


    Finally Eva and Adrian left together.


    On the way back, Eva wanted to talk several times, but she had to stop because the driver was still there.


    Adrian didn''t notice her desire to speak either, as he talked to Eva about what to expect tomorrow.


    His voice was clear, steady and strong.


    Eva listened to every sentence and responded asionally.


    When they arrived at home and the driver left, they returned to the room. Adrian took off his suit jacket while saying to Eva in a deep voice, "You go take a shower first and then get an early rest." "Okay."


    Eva also did not push back, turned around to get a change of clothes, thought about it, but finally turned back to ask.


    "There is a question to ask you."


    Adrian had already taken off his jacket, and was now taking off his tie, when he heard the words he stopped moving, his deep ck pupils staring at her. "Go ahead."


    "Should we get the divorce papers tomorrow before Grandma''s surgery, or after her surgery is over?"


    As soon as the words left her mouth, Eva felt a sudden chill in Adrian''s breath.


    Immediately afterwards, he fixed her with a deadly stare with a lurid and harsh gaze.


    Such a look......


    Eva was inexplicably terrified by his stare, her back was flushed with coldness, and she suddenly realized that this question should not be asked at this time.


    After all, grandma is going to have an operation tomorrow, and Adrian''s mood is probably unstable at this moment.


    After thinking it over, Eva apologized to him.


    "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t mention it at this time, or wait until Grandma''s surgery is done, you hurry up and rest."


    After saying that, Eva turned around to leave, but Adrian took a few steps forward to stop her, looked at her gloomily and asked, "You really want to get divorced tomorrow, don''t you?" Eva: "No, I just......''


    "Then it''s what you want."


    Eva froze and stared at him nkly.


    Adrian''s voice and eyes were colder than the snowy Adrian evening.


    "Go tomorrow when the Civil Affairs Bureau opens."


    After saying that, Adrian no longer confronted her, turned and went into the bathroom.


    Eva: ""


    Obviously said let her wash first.


    Boom!


    The bathroom door was thrown open with a loud bang, and silence returned momentster.


    Eva stood quietly for a moment with her eyes downcast, then turned to the safe and fished out their marriage certificate.


    The two marriage certificates were well stored, red in the light, and iparably new.


    Eva''s eyes recalled the day they went to have their marriage license taken.


    When the two were photographed together, she was actually very nervous and her expression and eyes were a little stiff for the camera.


    The photographer took several shots, but they were not very good, and then said to her: "Rx, little girl, you''re taking your wedding photos - be happy and smile."


    By the photographer said so, Eva grew even more nervous, tensing up as if she''d turned to stone.


    Until a pair of hands held her.


    Eva subconsciously looked at the person beside her, and her hand followed and tried to break free at the same time.


    "What are you nervous about? I can''t even touch you?"


    Adrian had a smile on his lips, and as he spoke, he tightened his grip on her hand that was about to break free, and then sped his fingers together.


    Feeling the warmth of his ten fingers clearly transmitted through the knuckles, Eva did not move, standing still.


    After that she heard Adrian say to the photographer: "Sorry, my wife is a bit socially frightened."


    Eva instantly earlobes red a piece, this marriage certificate has not been photographed yet, he called her wife ......


    The first thing you need to do is to get a good idea of what you''re getting into.


    "Don''t be nervous,ter the photographer will let you look at the camera you look at the camera, let you smile, you smile. If you continue to be nervous, we will not be able to shoot the marriage certificate today." After saying that, Adrian suddenly saw her little earlobe, which became pink and lovely because of shyness.


    His eyes sank slightly, and before he could react, his thin lips had already pressed forward and nibbled lightly, followed by a semi-threatening tone: "Do you hear me, Eva."

 Chapter 54

    The actual fact is that you will be able to get a lot more than just a few of these.


    Once recalled.


    The intimacy of those unconscious moments is now like a knife de that is ughtering her one by one.


    Eva''s body leaned against the safe and closed her eyes helplessly.


    But if he likes her even a little bit, she will not be so desperate......


    When she returned with the marriage certificate, Adrian finished his shower. He came out of the bathroom with a sullen face, and when he passed by Eva, he saw the two red marriage certificates in her hand.


    When he passed by Eva, he saw the two red marriage licenses in her hands. His face was already gloomy, and after seeing this scene, he stood stillpletely, and then raised his eyes, looking at her as if his eyes were hardened with ice. Under his eyes, Eva held the two marriage certificates and was at a loss for words.


    After a few moments, Adrian snorted: "You really can''t wait."


    Eva was stunned, her thin lips moved, but finally squeezed the marriage certificate in her hand and lowered her eyes.


    What can be said?


    There seems to be nothing to say, and nothing to say.


    The divorce was proposed by him, and he liked the person who saved his life.


    And she is also returning the favor of his life saver.


    So be it.


    Forget it.


    There is nothing to regret, at least she dominated him for two years.


    These two years are enough for her to look back on.


    Finally, Adrian dropped a sentence, "Tomorrow is the surgery, also do not have to deliberately pretend, I go to sleep in the study."


    Then he took his pillow and left.


    After a few moments of silence, Eva ced the marriage certificate in front of the bedside table, took a change of clothes and went into the bathroom.


    The next day


    Eva woke up to the sound of her phone rm, opened her eyes and turned it off, then sat up with her head in pain.


    She had been up almost all-nightst night.


    She was thinking about her grandmother, the divorce, and the baby.


    She didn''t know what time she fell asleep, but what she dreamed was also linked to these associations.


    After sitting for a while, Eva got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face.


    Once in the bathroom Eva was shocked by her own face in the mirror.


    Her face was pale with two huge ck circles under her eyes, her eyes were full of red blood, and her hair was in disarray, the whole person looked like a disgruntled woman who had a very bad life. Eva: "......


    35


    Such a self is not what Eva wants to see.


    She quickly washed her face,bed the messy hair, and then put on a mask for herself, ready to put on makeupter.


    In such a state, she was afraid that even if she dared to go out, she might scare Granny ckwood.


    She didn''t leave it on for too long, it took off after about ten minutes, then brushed her teeth and washed up, then simply put on a makeup and took a casual outfit.


    After she was done, she stood in front of the mirror again and found that she could look better, only the red bloodshot eyes looked more frightening.


    But there is no way, the red blood she cannot solve for the time being, think about it, finally Eva can only find a rimmed sses to wear, as an essory.


    The phone vibrated, Eva took it out and looked at it, and found that it was a message from Adrian.


    "Wake up ande downstairs, the garage is waiting for you."


    Eight cold words, not feeling any emotion or temperature.


    Eva replied with the word "hmm", and then got up to get a coat and went downstairs.


    When she passed by the lobby, the housekeeper greeted her: "Madam, are you going out so early? Don''t you want to sleep a little more?"


    Eva smiled faintly at him, "I''ve had enough sleep."


    "Then, madam, have some breakfast before you go?"


    Seeing that she had no intention of sitting down without her coat, the butler couldn''t help but ask one more question.


    As expected, Eva shook her head: "No, I have something to do."


    Butler: "......"


    In fact, he vaguely smelled something wrong with Adrian and Eva, and also knew that Adrian slept in the studyst night. When he got up early in the morning, he found that the light in the study was actually on, and when he looked again, it was actually Adrian staying inside.


    His eyes were blue and ck, and his face was ugly, and his voice was hoarse as he asked him, "What are you doing?"


    The housekeeper was instantly terrified by his appearance and did not dare to speak.


    After that, Adrian didn''t even eat breakfast, and went straight to the garage with a cold face.


    Watching Eva walk out, the housekeeper sighed softly in his heart, especially helpless.


    Eva put her coat on as she walked outside.


    It was still early, it was cold outside, and the temperature in the garage was even colder.


    And in such a cold temperature, Adrian actually wore a thin shirt, a cigarette in his hand, just like that leaning against the car.


    When Eva approached, the two images can be said to be a huge difference.


    Adrian is also sleepless Adrian looks a little haggard, and Eva has put on makeup, the contrast is particrly obvious.


    Adrian heard footsteps, raised his head, and sees Eva in this glowing appearance, his eyes darkness and deepened a few points. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Did you sleep wellst night?"


    Once she spoke, Eva realized that his voice was hoarse.


    She was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, quite well, and you?"


    Adrian put out the cigarette in his hand, and his dark eyes stared at her.


    "Pretty good too."


    "Oh, that''s good." Eva saw the blood in his eyes and the bruises and ckness around them.


    What a mess, she thought.


    Fortunately, she had put on makeup and sses.


    After that the two of them fell back into silence.


    Adrian stood there, not intending to speak or drive, just standing there looking at her somberly.


    His eyes were so sharp that Eva felt ufortable being stared at by him, and finally she could only say stiffly, "Shall we go?"


    Adrian asked in return, "Are you in a hurry?"


    Eva: "I''m fine, I''m afraid you''re in a hurry."


    Adrian gave her a look and snickered.


    "What am I in a hurry for?"


    Eva said in a light voice: "How do I know what you are in a hurry for?"


    Her words made Adrian choke, half a day and then stuck out a sentence.


    "Do you have the marriage certificate with you? Don''t say you forgot it when you get to the Civil Affairs Bureau."


    Hearing this, Eva could not help but choke him, "I brought it, I took it out in advancest night and prepared it, how could I forget?"


    After that, she also looked at him, "Didn''t you see itst night?"


    Adrian was speechless.


    "Eva, who has spoiled you to be so cross?"


    Eva nced at him.


    "My father, of course."


    He didn''t think it was him, did he?


    She opened the car door and sat in the car, and then said to Adrian, "Let''s go, the Civil Affairs Bureau should be open already, so go to the sanatorium early after the process."


    As she spoke, Eva had already fastened her seat belt for herself.


    Adrian was silent for a while and got into the car.


    The time is early, so there are not many cars on the road, the car very smoothly all the way to the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    Today is not a special day, so there are no people speciallye to the Civil Affairs Bureau to line up at the entrance, only a few couples.


    Most of them are running to get married, they are intimately attached together, whispering in each other''s ears, rubbing shoulders, and there are Eva and Adrian, who are a world apart from these couples. The two of them look awful, height is particrly eye-catching, plus Adrian is a ck face into the Civil Affairs Bureau, people just need to take a look, they know that the two are to divorce.

 Chapter 55

    The Civil Affairs Bureau did not have many people waiting, but they wereter, so they still had to wait.


    Eva didn''t sleep wellst night and her body felt tired, so she found a ce to sit down.


    Adrian followed and went over, but he still looked pale and did not sit down beside Eva.


    Eva''s mood was still calm as she entered the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    She looked up at Adrian and asked, "Aren''t you going to sit down?"


    "No need."


    Adrian''s voice was so cold that it didn''t have any temperature, and he didn''t even look at her.


    Eva understood, he did not want to talk to her.


    He was about to get a divorce, and he was about to fly with Vivian, so what was he doing with me? Fortunately, she did not expect the two of them to be friends after the divorce.


    At first it was fine, the two stayed for a long time, there was a lot of chattering from around.


    "This atmosphere....... is to divorce, right?"


    "Divorce? Can''t be, these two people have such good looks, can actually also divorce?"


    "I can''t understand, this kind of face value want to find in each other''s same sex again more excellent, estimated difficulty? What''s the point of divorce? What a pity." People always have the habit of gossip, especially about the eye-catching things.


    For example, Adrian and Eva, a man and woman who seem to be extremelypatible in appearance, are highly discussed.


    Word after word, it reached Eva''s ears.


    She could hear it, and naturally Adrian, who was standing beside her, could also hear it, but he still had the same indifferent look and did not react.


    "Hey, you guys say they look so young, do they have any children?"


    Hearing the word about children, Eva''s heart stuttered.


    She was a bit speechless, how could these people associate the topic of children.


    "Such good genes, if you don''t have a few children, it would be a pity oh."


    Hearing this, Eva subconsciously stole a nce at Adrian.


    Sure enough, his face was even worse.


    After the text message that day, and the hint that she was on vacation time, he didn''t ask about it.


    Eva thought that Vivian''s side should have settled the matter with him privately, that''s why he didn''t ask about it.


    After all, she had to imply that she was going to get an abortion, so she certainly wouldn''t ask explicitly.


    But Eva concealed the child from him and kept it.


    This topic can be really .......


    Unfortunately, the group was so gossipy that they didn''t care about anyone else, and the discussion got more heated.


    "Must be born, if it is me, certainly more than a few to keep good genes, even if the future divorce, look at the child, they grow up so good-looking also happy ah, it will be very essence of aplishment."


    "I guess I will, otherwise divorced, not what is nothing? And age is a killing knife, as long as the child''s face is high, you can confirm the beauty and handsomeness of your youth, right?"


    They started a series of topics on the key word of children.


    Eva was dizzy from listening, and just when she couldn''t listen anymore and was about to get up and leave, Adrian suddenly asked in a deep voice, "Are you hungry?" "Hmm?"


    Eva thought she had heard wrongly and looked up at Adrian with some surprise.


    Although he still had an indifferent face, his face didn''t look as stinky as before.


    "Do you want to eat something?"


    Eva subconsciously: "You ask me?"


    Hearing this, impatience clearly appeared in Adrian''s eyes and his voice was cold: "Is there anyone else here besides you?"


    "Oh oh, no, I''m not hungry." Eva shook her head and refused Adrian''s offer.


    After saying that, she lowered her head again, guessing in her mind where Adrian''s change was.


    Obviously before a stinky face, but after hearing the gossip of those people, the face is not so stinky again, and even care about whether he eats or not?


    Is it because..... he thought I had an abortion, so he felt guilty about it?


    "Did you not eat breakfast?" Adrian said again.


    Eva subconsciously nodded, "But I''m not hungry."


    Mostly, she didn''t have much appetite.


    "You''re not hungry now, and you''re not hungryter? After we go to the sanatorium, there won''t be time to buy breakfast on the way."


    Hearing this, Eva understood and she nodded, "Okay, so are we going to get breakfast first?"


    "I''ll go buy it, you wait here."


    After saying that, Adrian walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    Aftering out, he did not rush to buy breakfast, but leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette in the cold wind outside, the whole person was quite sober.


    He leaned against the wall and lowered his eyes, his eyshes covering the emotions in his dark eyes.


    Obviously, he was so angry that he wanted to choke her neck and ask why this woman was so heartless, but in the end, he was still soft-hearted and actually went to ask her if she wanted to eat breakfast........ What the hell is he ...... thinking?


    Eva did not expect that Adrian only just left, the few people who gossiped earlier came around and sat themselves in front of her, as well as the seat beside her.


    "Hey, beautiful sister, the one who just went out, is it your husband or boyfriend?"


    "Are you here to get married, or to get a divorce?"


    "Eh, do you have kids?"


    Eva: ""


    Don''t this group of people think their questions are contradictory?


    Moreover, is it really good to pry into her personal life and gossip casually in front of her like this?


    Eva pursed her slightly pale red lips, but still smiled politely at them, "Sorry, I think these are personal, I refuse to answer?"


    The crowd was stunned, not angry, but just felt a little embarrassed.


    Although she refused, but people''s attitude is modest and courteous, if they get angry at this time, will not it look like they are both gossipy and impolite? "Of course, you do not want to answer, do not answer, you do not me us, we just see you two elegant faces, so we cannot help but want to gossip." "That''s right, it''s because you guys are so good looking."


    Eva smiled politely, "Thank you, you guys are good looking too."


    "Harm, we are not as good as you, your kind of beauty cannot be grown by anyone, take advantage of it."


    Before Adrian came back, they had been talking to Eva about some things, although Eva only answered once in a while.


    But they seem to have be very close to Eva, and even began to talk about their own path of love.


    Until, a cold and thin figure appeared at the entrance of the hall, those women gathered around Eva gossip hurried away and return to their respective seats. Adrian approached, smelled several different intertwined perfumes, and frowned a little unpleasantly.


    "What do they want?"


    He asked while handing her the bag in his hand.


    Eva hesitated for a moment, then reached out to take it, then smoothly brought: "Nothing, just curious whether we are here to get married or divorced."

 Chapter 56

    After receiving the bag, Eva realized that Adrian had bought some instant food, and she didn''t have much appetite at the moment, so she just opened it and took a look at it, and then put it away.


    Adrian stood there, taking in her movements.


    "Don''t you like it?"


    Eva looked back and shook her head, "No, I don''t have any appetite for the moment."


    Adrian stopped talking after that, and after a few seconds he sat down on her side.


    I don''t know if he was underdressed or just came in from outside, but Eva only felt that when he sat down, the temperature around her dropped.


    Eva noticed that he was still wearing only the thin shirt.


    Her lips moved, she wanted to say something, but finally did not say anything.


    The two of them sat quietly.


    Although they were close to each other, they seemed to be far away.


    Eva just watched those girls who came to gossip with her, one by one, lined up with their boyfriends, and then came out with the r marriage certificate, walking, either the man was holding the woman, or the woman was holding the man''s hand, and both sides were smiling happily.


    Looking at it, Eva thought of the way she and Adrian looked when they came to the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    How beautiful the memories are, how different the reality is.


    While Eva was dazed, she heard someone calling her and Adrian''s names.


    After she came back to her senses, she stood still, only her mouth subconsciously opened and said, "It''s our turn."


    Adrian was silent, not knowing what he was thinking.


    He did not get up either.


    Until someone inside called out the names of two people again.


    Only then Eva took a deep breath, stood up and said to Adrian, "Let''s go."


    After saying that, she prioritized stepping away.


    "Wait."


    Adrian subconsciously shouted to stop her.


    Eva steps slightly paused, biting the inside of her lower lip in order to make herself hold back from turning back.


    The taste of blood permeated the entire mouth.


    The pain kept Eva awake.


    She heard herself ask in a shallow voice, "What''s wrong?"


    Her attitude of not even turning her head back made Adrian frown, his thin lips moving slightly, and just as he was about to say something, the phone on his body vibrated.


    And Eva seemed to hear some voice of relief, "You answer the phone, I''ll wait for you."


    After saying that, she moved forward.


    As a result, she only took one step, and her wrist was tightly clutched by Adrian.


    "Wait for me."


    Adrian took out his cell phone while holding her wrist, and frowned when he saw the caller ID, "A call from the nursing home."


    The movement of Eva to break free and move forward stopped instantly and she turned around.


    "Is there something on the grandmother''s side, you answer it."


    Eva nervously held his hand back, urging.


    Adrian at this moment also did not have charming thoughts about the two holding hands together, quickly answered the phone. When he answered the phone, Eva''s face had an extraordinarily tense expression.


    I don''t know why, after hearing Adrian say the phone is the nursing home, she rose a sense of foreboding.


    She watched Adrian answer the phone, and then his face became more and more ugly, and his eyebrows knitted together.


    By the time he hung up, Eva''s unease had reached its peak and she gripped his hand hard.


    "Well?"


    Adrian stood up, moving with some hidden urgency, "Something happened to Grandma."


    66


    ......


    "2


    A minuteter, the two left the Civil Affairs Bureau, while the staff who had been calling names but no one hade over for business before couldn''t help but spit out a couple of words, then continued to call the candidates at the back of the


    line.


    --


    On the way to the sanatorium, Eva was so anxious that she bit her lower lip, twisting her fingers together, a panic going through her.


    She was wrong.


    She shouldn''t havee to the court.


    She should have gone to the nursing home the first time she got up.


    No, she shouldn''t havee backst night, she should have stayed at the nursing home with her grandmother.


    She knew that her grandmother was going to have an operation today, but she actually left as soon as she was rejected, how could she be so stupid?


    Eva''s heart had infinite self-reproach, she leaned back and closed her eyes.


    In her memory, there are blurred yet clear images presenting chaotically in her mind.


    The car was going a bit fast, but it had to obey the traffic rules. The car stopped at a traffic light intersection, and Adrian''s thick eyebrows were always wrinkled. After stopping, Adrian vaguely felt Eva''s aura strange, he turned his head to see her.


    Now he found a little red between her lips.


    Adrian wrinkled his brow and asked, "What''s wrong with you?"


    There was no response.


    Eva''s brow was locked, her face was pale, her eyshes fluttered gently, and her lips were clenched together, as if she hadn''t heard him.


    Adrian''s face changed and he reached out and cupped her chin, trying to break her lips apart.


    She bit her lips so tightly that faint traces of blood spilled out from her lips between her struggles.


    "Eva, what are you doing? Quickly open your mouth." Adrian wanted to push harder but was afraid of hurting her, so he could only try to call back with words.


    But Eva at this moment, was like a person caught in a nightmare, she could not escape.


    Between lightning and fire, Adrian thought of something.


    Eva grew up without a mother by her side, although his father doted on her, even spoiled her, and she acted perfectly outwardly, seemingly not caring about anything.


    But if someone dared to joke with her or mention her mother on purpose, she would turn pale.


    This shows that she is still extremely concerned about her mother who is not around.


    Later, she went to the ckwood family, the ckwood family grandmother simply treats her as her own granddaughter in love, she reaped the pampering in addition to her father''s love, but also feel the difference between men and women. She had a lot of little secrets, and would tell Granny ckwood.


    This is what Adrian himself overheard as a child.


    She was a regr visitor to the ckwood family as a child, at first came to see him more, and then looked for more Granny ckwood, once Adrian came back and heard that Eva was over in the small garden with Granny ckwood, he looked over.


    And then heard the little girlining to Granny ckwood about her menstrual condition.


    She said that she had her period this month, and it was very heavy, and her stomach was a little sore, and she wanted a hug from her grandmother.


    And also mentioned how she identally stained her favorite white dressst time, that dress is her favorite one, but unfortunately the stain cannot be washed awaypletely, she was very heartbroken and so on.


    She spoke to Granny ckwood as if no one else was there.


    Originally, Adrian wanted to go straight to his teenage friends back then, but he heard her words, and was frozen in ce, and then the more listened to, the more red his ears became.


    When would he finally have the courage to go over?


    Returning to the matter at hand, Adrian saw Eva in front of him, almost no need to guess to know that her feelings for her grandmother is not ordinary.


    She should have pinned all her feelings for her mother on her grandmother, the female elder.


    Adrian calmed down and gently patted Eva''s white cheek with his fingertips, "Wake up, Eva, Grandma is fine."

 Chapter 57

    However, no matter how Adrian whispered her name, she didn''t hear her, as if she had closed herself off. Adrian looked at her like this, his heart was a little impatient.


    The red light had changed, but he did not move the car. The vehicle behind him began to honk impatiently. Adrian listened to the incessant honking, suddenly leaned down and picked up Eva''s chin and kissed it.


    As he thought, her teeth closed so tightly that Adrian was unable to invade with much effort.


    He frowned and put a hand around her waist and gave it a gentle, tentative squeeze.


    Eva is ticklish.


    This squeeze, Eva, although not like the usual rmed to avoid, but the stiff body still obviously had a small reaction.


    Adrian then took advantage of this small reaction time to smoothly pry open her snow-white shell teeth.


    The distance-free contact made Adrian smell the heavy smell of blood as well, and before he even had a chance to chastise her for being so unloving, he frowned in pain the next second, followed by a muffled grunt. "Hiss!"


    Adrian was in so much pain that he almost pushed the person in his arms away on reflex.


    In the end, he restrained himself and went to pinch Eva''s waist again, this time with a heavier force than thest time.


    After retreating his mouth, Adrian cupped her chin to prevent another bite and then whispered threateningly...


    Probably because his tone was too harsh, the person in his arms trembled, and then the grip of her teeth gradually loosened.


    Just after she regained consciousness, Eva heard the noisy and impatient sound of the siren, apanied by the driver''s curses floating in from the window.


    What confused her even more was Adrian, who was close at hand, panting slightly.


    His presence was so dominant that it almostpletely overshadowed her, and his bony fingers, still pinched at the top of her pale chin.


    "Finally given up on being awake?"


    Eva blinked twice, her bloodied lips moving.


    She was just about to say something when Adrian let go of the hand pinching her chin and drove the car out.


    After the car stabilized on the road, Eva remembered what had just happened.


    She stole a nce at Adrian and found that there was deep blood on his thin lips, which should have been bitten by her just now.......


    I don''t know if she noticed her peeking at him, Adrian''s cold thin lips suddenly spat out a sentence.


    "Sober up and put yourself in order, lest you go to the sanatoriumter and scare people."


    After all, it was her own fault in this matter, Eva could not say anything, she took out the make-up mirror from her bag, and she was almost shocked by her own reflection.. The corner of her lip and chin was a big mess of blood.


    If she goes straight to the sanatorium like this, it will indeed drive people crazy.


    She had to take out the wet tissue in her bag to wipe it off and tidy it up in a hurry, and just as the tissue was pressed against her lip, Eva sucked in a breath of cold air in pain. "Hiss, it hurts."


    She subconsciously cried out in pain, and then closed her mouth in awareness of what was going on.


    Adrian snickered: "You know it hurts and you just bit it to death? If I didn''t stop you, would you have bitten your tongue off?"


    Eva knew she was in the wrong, so she had to apologize to him.


    "Sorry, I don''t know what happened just now, I suddenly couldn''t control myself at all, is your ..... all right?"


    She omitted the middle word and asked him directly about the situation.


    And when she spoke, the movement of her lips around the wound still hurt, so she forced herself to endure the pain.


    Not wanting Adrian to narrow his eyes, he spoke with dissatisfaction.


    "My what? Why don''t you say it?"


    66


    ""


    Eva pursed her lips, the awkward rtionship between the two of them now, how could she say it?


    "Don''t dare to say it?" Adrian was a bit aggressive.


    Eva lowered her eyes, sullen.


    Adrian was exasperated by her, then said in a cold voice: "Not dead, just almost bitten off by you."


    Hearing the words, Eva raised her head suddenly.


    "It''s that bad?"


    "You look at the wound in your own mouth, no points?"


    66 99


    ......


    It seemed like yes, she just looked at it with a small mirror, she herself was bitten so badly, let alone Adrian.


    She couldn''t refute it, she could only lower her eyes and apologize to him once more.


    "I''m sorry, if there is a next time, you can leave me alone."


    Hearing that, Adrian''s eyebrows knitted fiercely.


    "What do you mean, next time, Eva, you take pleasure in hurting yourself? This kind of thing will not happen again."


    How dangerous would it have been if he hadn''t been there today?


    Eva yelled, "I can''t even control myself, how do I know it won''t happen again?"


    Adrian nced at her, and his face was somewhat grave.


    She was right, no matter how he called her and talked to her just now, she seemed to be deaf, her mind waspletely imprisoned, and only her body was still somewhat responsive to the outside world.


    It seems that we have to wait until this time, find time to take her to see a doctor.


    After making up his mind, Adrian said to her in a deep voice: "Grandma just fainted, the situation is unknown, but her recent health has always been good, even if there are any problems, it may be that the operation cannot be done in the next few days, you do not scare yourself."


    That incident just now had also calmed Eva down.


    She was indeed too flustered.


    When she heard that something happened to her grandmother, she was so scared that she was at a loss for words, now that she thought about it.......Adrian was right, she should be calmer. "Well, I know."


    Nursing Home


    The car just stopped, Adrian opened the door and got out, and Eva followed after him. "Wait."


    Adrian turned around and frowned at her.


    "What?"


    Eva handed him a wet paper towel, "Wipe, there is blood around your mouth."


    Adrian was stunned for a moment, then took it and casually wiped it on his lips a few times.


    But this way, the blood around his mouth has dried, these few times did not wipe clean, Eva had to point to his lips and said: "There is still here, not wiped off."


    At that, Adrian wiped again.


    Eva: "Not here."


    Adrian pursed his thin lips and patiently wiped twice more.


    Eva: "Why do you always wipe the wrong ce?"


    Adrian finally lost his patience, frowned and handed her the wet paper towel in his hand, saying coldly: "You wipe for me."


    Eva: "......"


    If it wasn''t for the fact that he was hurt because he was helping himself, this cold, icy tone would really make Eva want to put a wet paper towel on his face.


    She took the tissue and wiped the blood from Adrian''s lips.


    Because he is tall, Eva tiptoe wipe a little effort, Adrian''s dark eyes sunk, not moving to bend down.


    After discovering this, Eva''s eyshes trembled lightly and she didn''t say anything, seriously wiping the blood from his lips, while measuring his thin lips to see if there were any traumas that needed attention. Because of the downward shift of her eyes, Eva did not notice that while she was measuring him, he was also measuring himself.


    After a long time, Eva heard him suddenly ask, "Didn''t you say, you slept quite wellst night?"

 Chapter 58

    Hearing this, Eva subconsciously raised her eyes to look at him.


    When she met his dark, deep eyes, Eva felt a sense of weakness, she withdrew her gaze and replied, "Yes."


    "Really?"


    Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at her eyes hidden under the lenses, "Then howe you have dark circles under your eyes?"


    After saying that, Adrian looked like he thought of something, "No wonder you''re suddenly wearing sses today."


    35


    66


    Eva took back her hand, with a caring look, said, "Wipe away the blood, and make sure to buy some ointment for your lipter, let''s go, go to grandma."


    With that, Eva turned to go forward, Adrian thought for a moment and followed her steps.


    "You have red blood in your eyes."


    "It means your eyes are tired, did you not sleepst night?"


    Two sentences in a row made Eva couldn''t help but turn her head back and said patiently, "Adrian, that''s enough."


    After saying that, she stomped on her high heels walked forward.


    After asking the doctor, they learned that their grandmother had fainted because she was nervous, and that all her vital signs were now normal and there were no other problems. Both of them were relieved to hear this.


    Fortunately, it was just a fainting spell due to nervousness, and nothing else.


    "At the moment, the patient''s psychological state is not suitable for surgery now." The doctor stared at her eyebrows and suggested softly, "Psychology is also a big problem, her physical condition ispatible, but this mental state will cause problems in all aspects."


    Eva asked nervously, "Then what should we do? Doctor, is there a solution?"


    "Well, first, prescribe some medication for her to adjust and regte, but at the same time, the family should also cooperate with the doctor to do a good job of psychological de-esction." Psychological guidance, Eva understood, in fact, it is still a matter of mentality.


    She pursed her red lips, her mood was very heavy look.


    Adrian next to her took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around her, his voice calm: "Got it, we will do a good job of cooperating, if there is nothing else, we will leave first." "Okay, you guys go ahead and visit Granny ckwood."


    Adrian led Eva, who was a bit lost in thought, out of the office and then headed towards Granny ckwood''s room.


    Her room was guarded by two nurses, and when they saw Adrian and Evaing, they both got up and greeted them both.


    "The olddy is still awake, nothing is wrong at the moment, don''t worry about it, you two."


    Eva nodded with a heavy heart: "Okay, thanks, we''ll keep watch here; you two can get back to work."


    After saying that, Eva sat down beside Granny ckwood''s bed, her movements were very light, and when she sat down, it was like a feather falling to the ground without any sound.


    The sleeping Granny ckwood''s face is quiet, although she stays in the sanatorium every day, but her temperament is unchanged, even if she is lying there quietly, you can feel the difference in her body. Eva and Adrian were both standing by quietly.


    After about half an hour, a cell phone rang in the ward.


    Eva subconsciously looked at Adrian.


    Adrian took out the phone and pressed the ringing button to stop it in time.


    Because both of them were on Granny ckwood''s side of the bed, they were close enough that Eva could clearly see that the caller ID on his phone was Vivian''s name.


    She and Adrian locked eyes for a moment before looking away.


    "You go out and answer it." Her voice was soft.


    Adrian looked at her for a moment in silence, but finally got up and went out to answer the phone.


    After he went out, Eva''s eyes clouded with a touch of gloom, why would Vivian call him at this time? Is it possible that he had informed them that they were going to get a divorce today?


    So, was Vivian is calling at this time to ask him if the divorce has been sessful?


    Outside the hospital room


    Adrian purposely walked away before picking up the phone.


    "Adrian?"


    Vivian''s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    Although Adrian was in a bad mood, he tried to adjust his mood to Vivian, "Well, why are you so early?"


    Vivian said worriedly on the other end of the phone, "Actually, I woke up a long time ago, and I didn''t sleep muchst night, so I was worried. Adrian, I know it''s not a good time for me to make a request, but I''m worried about Grandma, can I ..... go over and take a look? Don''t worry, I definitely won''t let Grandma see me, I''ll be right outside, I''ll leave as soon as she wakes up, I''m definitely not going in."


    Her iparably humble appearance made Adrian knit his brows.


    Obviously, she was his savior, obviously she didn''t deserve this treatment, Adrian wanted to open his mouth and say yes to her, but in the end he stopped because of his grandmother''s condition. "Vivian, Grandma is not yet in the operating room."


    Hearing that, the other side was stunned for a moment, and then said, "So, huh? Is the surgery dyed? Or?"


    "Well, the surgery was dyed, and Grandma fainted from the stress."


    As he spoke, Adrian nced towards the ward where Granny ckwood was, and his voice was clear: "The operation has to be postponed for a while."


    "Ah? Postponed for a while?" Vivian froze as she looked at the wine and steak she had prepared in front of her, and even the scented candles.


    Originally, she had wanted to say that today Granny ckwood finished his surgery, he and Eva sessfully divorced, and then she could celebrate with him. But it was not expected that in this port, such an ident would happen.


    Adrian: "Well, it''s not clear exactly how long to push, Granny is still in aa, I''ll contact youter."


    After saying that, Adrian hung up the phone and put away the phone towards the direction of the ward.


    Beep...


    Vivian listened to the busy toneing from the phone, the whole person froze in ce.


    A friend came out from the next room and saw that she had put her phone on the desktop, so she leaned over with a smile and flirted.


    "What''s up Vivian, you called?"


    Vivian nodded.


    However, her friend didn''t notice her low mood, and she said excitedly, "Wow, congrattions, is Adrianing overter, can we stay and celebrate with you?" "That''s right Vivian, your Adrian can finally get rid of that woman, from now on you are the proper president''s wife, right?"


    "Oh, Mrs. President, Mrs. ckwood, if you''re rich, don''t forget it."


    "Don''t forget to give us a big red packet when the timees, and I want VIP seats when you hold the wedding."


    "I also want I also want a first-ss seat. Vivian, when the timees, throw me the bouquet, I may be married to my boyfriend at the end of the year." "Really? You''re getting married too? Congrattions."


    The group of people are talking to themselves joyfully, not even noticing Vivian''s look and eyes, and even getting more and more excited and emotional. And Vivian at this time, as if she could not stand it anymore, raised her head and said, "Can you guys stop talking?"


    Hearing that, the crowd was a little confused, not understanding why she suddenly lost her temper.


    "Vivian......"


    "Did not even ask others what is going on, there talking about themselves, do not care about what others are feeling, do not you think you are going too far like this?"

 Chapter 59

    Vivian rarely has a fit.


    She has always been gentle and easy-going in front of the public.


    Because of her beauty and good personality, she has always been a goddess in everyone''s eyes.


    So, when she suddenly lost her temper, everyone was confused and looked at her with different expressions.


    The surroundings also instantly silent.


    In the crowd''s gaze and quiet environment, Vivian suddenly came back to her senses and realized what she had just done.


    Her red lips moved, but finally she could only turn into a sentence: "Sorry, I was in a bad mood just now, I lost my temper, I''m sorry."


    In order to maintain her image as a goddess in the hearts of the crowd, Vivian could only keep apologizing to them, while her eyes were red and tears were falling down likerge droplets. The crowd was dumbfounded by herment, but after hearing her apologize and cry, they were all heartbroken.


    "Vivian, what is going on, don''t cry."


    "What''s wrong, just tell us, we''ll help you."


    "That''s right Vivian, didn''t you just talk to Adrian on the phone?"


    Everyone was soothing and handing out tissues, and finally Vivian was made to feel better.


    Vivian is already pretty, when she cries, she is even more stunning. She wipes the corners of her eyes with her white fingertips and says sadly, "Well, I called, they are not divorced for now."


    Granny ckwood had fainted and the surgery was dyed, which naturally meant that Adrian and Eva''s divorce date was also dyed further down the line.


    Although she felt a little humiliated, it was something that simply could not be hidden.


    "What? No more divorce for now? Why?"


    "Yes, didn''t we say before that Granny ckwood would get divorced after the surgery? Why is there another change of heart?"


    "I know, this b**ch Eva must be shameless, hogging Adrian and not wanting a divorce, right?"


    Vivian''s lips moved, as if to exin, another friend said: "I knew this woman was restless, when we went to find her, you remember how she looked? Do you really think that after two years at Adrian''s side, this Mrs. ckwood''s position is hers?"


    "Vivian, don''t worry, if she dares to steal your Adrian, we will make her suffer."


    "We''ll show her a good time."


    Vivian originally thought that Granny ckwood surgery has not yet been done, this time will have to wait, but when she heard her friends say to teach her a lesson, she thought of the baby in Eva''s belly. If......


    If she can use the hands of friends to get rid of the child in Eva''s belly?


    Even if things fell apartter and Adrian knew about it, the baby was gone and the threat naturally disappeared.


    Moreover, the thing is not her doing, she naturally does not have to bear any crime.


    She is still Adrian''s life-saver.


    But Vivian''s superficiality was still very good, she said in a warm voice: "Don''t be like this, I think she should have some kind of hardship."


    "Misery? What kind of hardship can make her dominate someone else''s boyfriend for so long? I think she just wants to be a mistress and doesn''t want to return Adrian to you, the shameless one."


    "Yes, Mrs. ckwood''s position is so good, how can she give up?" Vivian, you are just too kind, when Adrian wanted to fake marriage with her, why didn''t you persuade?" Persuade?


    She also wanted to persuade, just.......


    Vivian lowered her eyes and didn''t say anything.


    "You do not ask Vivian, Vivian has always been kind and generous do not you know? The first time is also to see people Eva family bankruptcy, feel her miserable. This Eva, exploiting her family''s bankruptcy to garner sympathy, is the most shameless woman I''ve ever seen."


    "Vivian, don''t worry, we will definitely get justice for you in this matter."


    "Don''t be like this......." Vivian looked at her friends with red eyes and said softly, "I know you are doing this for my own good, but she has been taking care of Adrian''s grandmother in the hospital recently, so she has a heart." The crowd listened for a moment.


    "Is that so? Then let''s wait for her to finish this period of care well, then we will definitely teach her a lesson and take it out for you."


    Vivian was simply helpless: "You guys don''t do this humiliating thing for me, it''s better to wait until I go talk to her afterwards." After saying that, Vivian wiped away her tears, then piled up an ugly smile at everyone.


    "Well, let''s fix up today''s dinner, fortunately I have more than one ready, I''ll have it brought up again if it''s not enough." "Vivian......"


    "That thing just now, let''s not mention it again, let''s not get drunk tonight and forget about the unhappy things."


    Vivian opened a bottle of red wine, turned around and went to the wine cab and took the sses out.


    The friends looked at her, looked at each other, and nted the seeds in their hearts.


    Eva and Adrian spent the day at the hospital watching over Granny ckwood. All day long, Eva was not in the mood to eat, half-leaning on another bed, the whole person seemed sickly.


    All day long, Eva was not in the mood to eat, half leaning on another bed, the whole person is sickly.


    If you don''t know, you''ll think she''s the one who''s sick.


    Adrian came up and lifted her over.


    "Eat something."


    Eva wrinkled her eyebrows, "I don''t have an appetite."


    Adrian was silent for a moment, and then said, "You want to cultivate immortality?"


    All day long, she had no appetite and didn''t eat anything.


    Adrian even felt that she seemed to have lost a lot of weight recently, and he didn''t know if it was his illusion.


    Seeing her silence, Adrian gave her a bowl of porridge and handed it to her.


    "It''s okay to eat a few bites."


    Eva looked at the bowl of porridge and wrinkled her eyebrows. She wanted to refuse it, but after thinking of something, she reached out and took the spoon and forced herself to eat a few bites. She really wasn''t hungry, and she didn''t have an appetite.


    But she is not alone now, she has a baby in her belly, this is her extra family in this world.


    As a mother, she has to take good care of this baby.


    After she realized this, Eva found her appetite and managed to eat half a bowl, then another.


    Adrian looked at her with raised eyebrows and was quite surprised at the change.


    But this change is good, so he did not say anything, the two finished the meal in silence, Adrian''s appetite wasn''t good. Typically he ate twice as much as Eva, but now he barely matched her portion. After eating, Adrian cleaned up his things.


    Eva sat on the couch and watched him clean up, but she didn''t feel anything.


    She and Adrian had known each other since they were children, and when they were not in the rtionship they have now, she used to hog him and let him clean up, and Adrian was happy to do so without her even asking. The two of them have almost formed a tacit agreement that he will take care of her and amodate her.


    Eva also has always enjoyed this care, never felt anything wrong, and even in this fake marriage, feel that he is good to himself, and for him to develop a heavier and heavier affection.


    But now, looking beyond this marriage, she found that her rtionship with Adrian, whether they were married or not, was essentially the same.

 Chapter 60

    And he takes care of her, probably because of the friendship from childhood to childhood, or maybe because the two families are family friends and he sees her as a sister. So whether there is a marriage or not, he will treat her this way.


    The funny thing is that she was moved by such a rtionship.


    Eva closed her eyes in self-deprecation and stopped looking at Adrian.


    Granny ckwood woke up at 8:00 pm.


    As soon as she woke up, Eva plopped down in front of her bed, eye to eye and nose to nose with her, with a nervous look.


    "Grandma, you''re awake. How are you feeling? Is there anything ufortable? Are you hungry?"


    Granny ckwood looked at her worried round face because she was worried about her, and couldn''t help but curl her lips, then gently shook her head. This little girl is really pleasing to her heart.


    Eva saw her shake her head and did not say anything, so she licked her lips a little nervously and put her hand in front of Granny ckwood with a gesture. "Granny, look at me, what is this?"


    Granny ckwood saw the two fingers Eva was holding up. Her lips moved; she had intended to speak, but instead, she decided to tease Eva and changed her words to "One." Hearing the words, Eva''s face appeared horrified look, "Grandma......''


    ""


    She was just about to turn around to call the doctor when her wrist was clutched by Adrian on the side, Eva looked at him in dismay, "Let go of me, I''ll go get the doctor." Adrian stared at her and didn''t let go, but said helplessly, "Why don''t you ask again?"


    At the end of the sentence, Granny ckwood over thereughed softly out loud.


    "Okay little girl, Granny is teasing you, Granny is fine."


    Eva looked at Granny ckwood and realized that she had a smile on her lips.


    So just now she had deliberately said two as one to tease herself?


    Not only was she fine, but she was in the mood to tease her.


    After thinking through, Eva was finally relieved.


    "Grandma, you''re scaring me to death like that."


    She said, while leaning over to hug Granny ckwood.


    Eva then fed Granny ckwood some porridge.


    Granny ckwood ate very slowly, taking a long time to take a bite.


    After eating only half a bowl, she was reluctant to eat because she had just woken up, and because the elderly have weak digestion, so Eva did not force her, but said, "I will feed youter when you are hungry." Granny ckwood didn''t say anything else and just sat quietly.


    She was very quiet, but Eva was quite busy, she was more delicate and thoughtful, and after Granny ckwood had eaten, she went to the bathroom to get a hot towel to wipe her face and hands.


    When all this was done, Granny ckwood said to the two of them, "You go back."


    Eva''s hands moved, and Adrian frowned.


    "Grandma, what are you talking about?"


    The expression on Granny ckwood''s face was light, and her tone was calm.


    "I am old, you do not waste time for me, young people''s sleep is very important, go back to rest, there are nurses here with you."


    This is said, even Adrian also heard the end.


    "Grandma, what do you mean don''t waste time for you? How can we waste time when we are with you in the hospital?"


    Eva nced at Adrian and clearly sensed that the atmosphere was not right.


    She ced the things in her hand on the side, then walked to Granny ckwood and said softly, "Grandma, we are apanying you, besides being an obligation, or we are doing it willingly ourselves, how can it be a waste of time?" Granny ckwood pped her hand, not meaning to snap at her, but looked at Adrian.


    "Go back, take Eva back to rest, there''s just an escort here with you."


    She had just woken up, and as a result, she resisted theirpany like this, so Eva couldn''t figure it out. After Adrian heard her words, he didn''t move, but sat there with pursed lips, his handsome face had a gloomy expression. "Adrian, are you not listening to your grandmother?"


    Adrian knitted his brows.


    Eva hurriedly stopped in front of him and said softly, "Grandma, do you have any concerns, do you want to talk to us about it?"


    After fainting, she said such words, making Eva more worried.


    "There is no concern, I just feel that I am not as old as I used to be, and I don''t want to trouble you young people to always run around for me." Granny ckwood sighed and treated Eva with an extremely soft attitude, "Eva, actually, for Granny, it''s not very important to move or not to operate."


    Hearing the words, Eva''s face changed fiercely.


    "How can it be unimportant? Grandma, where is not important? Your physical condition is recovering well, and the doctor also said that the operation will be sessful, are you afraid? Then I will stay with you from today until the phone is finished, okay?"


    Once she heard that the surgery wasn''t considered important, Eva panicked, grabbed Granny ckwood''s hand, and squatted down in front of her.


    As if the person doing the surgery was herself.


    Looking at such Eva, Granny ckwood''s heart grew intolerant.


    If she were not older, Granny ckwood would have suspected that she would consider herself as her mother.


    "Grandma, OK?" Seeing that she didn''t answer, Eva then tilted her small face and gazed at her with a smile, "I''ll stay with you at the sanatorium, or ..... or if you don''t like the sanatorium, then we can go somewhere else, the doctor said, as long as you''re not nervous, you can do the surgery anytime."


    The middle phrase finally hit Granny ckwood''s point.


    She pursed her lips, did not refuse, nor did she agree.


    Eva looked at her like this, so she guessed that what she said just now might have poked her in the heart.


    So she thought back carefully,bined with the current situation, and then carefully tests: "Why don''t Adrian and I take you home to live?"


    Adrian, who was listening, also looked at Granny ckwood.


    Granny ckwood still didn''t, just looked at Eva, and then shook her head under her gaze.


    Eva: "Granny?"


    Did she mean wrong?


    She thought Granny wanted to go back to live, she felt as if Granny was a bit repulsed by the ce, probably because she had lived here too long.


    Granny ckwood said faintly: "No, if you go back home, it will affect you when the timees, the home is not like in the nursing home, someone to watch over."


    After saying that, Granny ckwood waved her hand.


    "It''ste today, you guys hurry back, let the caregivere in to keep mepany, Granny is a little tired and needs to rest."


    Seeing this, Eva wanted to say something else, but Adrian held her arm and helped her up from the floor.


    "Good, then Grandma will rest tonight, and we wille back tomorrow."


    Hearing that, Eva looked at Adrian incredulously and tried to push him away, but received a look from Adrian, whose arm was strong and powerful, and quickly took her away from the ward.

 Chapter 61

    After leaving the ward, Adrian took Eva away, and she struggled hard to free herself from him.


    "Adrian, what are you doing?"


    Adrian was staring at her.


    "Let''s go back now."


    Eva furrowed. "Didn''t you see how Grandma ckwood looked just now? She wants to leave the sanatorium. She doesn''t want to stay here."


    After that phone call, Eva spected that Granny ckwood must be worried about causing trouble for her loved ones if she stayed at home, so she had to stay in the sanatorium. She wanted to go back, but she didn''t dare.


    Eva felt frustrated. She visited her every weekend, but she hadn''t noticed her grandmother''s feelings. If she had known earlier, and brought her back home to take care of her, would Grandma have copsed before the surgery today? "I know." Adrian''s voice was low. "But as you saw, she''s emotionally against it.She''s angry at me."


    Thinking of something, Adrian added, "Not at you."


    Hearing this, Eva froze.


    Indeed, earlier when Granny was speaking angrily, it was all against Adrian; she had spoken to Eva kindly and gently.


    Thinking of this, Eva felt even more heartbroken.


    Granny was clearly in a bad mood, yet she restrained her emotions when facing Eva.


    "So, let her calm down tonight. We go back, pack our things, ande to pick her up tomorrow."


    Eva thought for a moment and realized that Adrian was right.


    However, she also worried that Adrian would have nightmares and it would put pressure on Granny who remained alone.


    Thinking of this, Eva suggested, "Can''t we bring her back tonight?"


    "Tonight?"


    "Yes, it''s still early now. Let''s go back, ask the servants to clean up, and then tell Granny that we''lle to pick her up in two hours. Do you think that''s okay? Two hours should be enough for her to calm down."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian thought for a moment and found it feasible, nodded.


    "Alright."


    "Then let''s go tell Granny now."


    After Eva finished speaking, she couldn''t wait and turned to tell Granny.


    After Eva and Adrian left, Granny ckwood sat alone by the windowsill, staring nkly at the moonlight. Suddenly, she heard familiar footsteps. Before she could react, she saw Eva standing in front of her, joyfully saying, "Granny, we''ll go back first and have the servants tidy up the room, and then we''lle to pick you up in two hours. Please wait here for us."


    After saying this, Eva didn''t care about Granny ckwood''s reaction, and immediately turned around to leave. Before leaving, she instructed the nurse to take good care of her, and then left the sanatorium with Adrian.


    On the way back, Eva felt excited, because they were going to bring Granny back home to take care of her. She started thinking about how to decorate the room, asking Adrian various questions along the way. Adrian calmly responded, stopping at a red light and ncing at her.


    Seeing her excited, he thought of the divorce between the two of them.


    But looking at her reaction, she should have already put the divorce out of her mind.


    "Oh, by the way, it might be inconvenient for Grandma to go up and downstairs. Should we let her to stay on the first floor?"


    Adrian nodded. "Hmm, you can call in advance to have someone prepare that."


    "Okay."


    After all, it would take nearly an hour to get back home from here.


    So Eva made a call back.


    Upon learning that Granny ckwood was going back home, the housekeeper immediately sent the servants to tidy up the rooms.


    Although it was nighttime, for the ckwood family, there were too many brand-new sheets and covers in the house. The servants didn''t have much work to do every day, so even the new sheets were all aired on the same day or the day before, making them look new.


    So tidying up was not troublesome.


    After Eva finished her instructions, she hung up the phone. Adrian''s phone immediately started ringing again.


    The catchy ringtone sounded abruptly in the enclosed car.


    Eva smiled, but when she heard this ringtone, she paused momentarily, and then the smile gradually faded away.


    Leaning back in her seat, she turned to look out the window.


    There was no other sound in the car except for the ringtone.


    The cosy atmosphere suddenly vanished, and Adrian also noticed that. He nced at Eva from the corner of his eye and said, "Eva, please answer the call for me."


    Upon hearing his words, Eva paused for a moment, then refused, "You answer it yourself."


    "I''m driving."


    "You can stop the car by the road and answer it."


    Adrianughed at her words, "Is it so difficult for you to answer it for me?"


    "No." Since things were already like this, Eva didn''t mind and said directly, "But I don''t want to help you."


    Seeing her domineering appearance, Adrian wasn''t surprised.


    There happened to be a temporary parking ce ahead. Adrian drove the car over and stopped. After looking at her fixedly for a while, he said, "I owe you, really." After saying that, he took out his phone. Seeing the caller ID, he said, "It''s my mother calling."


    Upon hearing this, Eva, who was originally indifferent, suddenly straightened up a bit and subconsciously asked, "How can it be..."


    The phone rang for too long, and the ringtone automatically stopped.


    Adrian''s eyes fixed on her fair and beautiful face, his voice deep, "Who do you think is it?"


    Eva turned around, changing the subject, "Well, you should call her back quickly."


    Adrian didn''t continued and called his mother Margaret back.


    The call was quickly answered by Margaret. Adrian had put the call on speakerphone, so the sound echoed in the car.


    "Little Adrian, your father and I just got off the ne and we''re heading to the nursing home. How is your grandmother? Has she had the surgery?"


    "She didn''t take the surgery." Adrian briefly recounted what had happened today, then furrowed and said, "Don''t you think you''reing toote?"


    "Sorry, little Adrian. We had some dys during the trip."


    Adrian''s mother, Margaret, has been very busytely. She had to undergo surgery earlier than expected, so both of them had to postpone their work and rush back. Thinking Adrian and Eva at home in China, she believed that there wouldn''t be any problem. However, this time, she was wrong, and she promises that she won''t make the same mistake again.


    Margaret appears to be a strong-willed person to others. But when ites to her family, she is gentle. If you don''t know her well, you would think she is always soft and weak, both outside and inside the family. It was the first time Eva witnessed such a contrast in the ckwood family, and she was astonished.


    A woman who is known for her assertiveness outside is docile like amb in front of her family. Initially, Eva didn''t understand why someone would have two different sides, but when she saw Margaret calm down Adrian''s irritable father instantly, she finally understood.


    Adrian''s mother is intelligent and cares deeply about her family. Their marital rtionship is also very good. In her understanding, apologizing to her husband, children, or elders does not rte to winning or losing. Eva admires this mindset. Unfortunately, in front of Adrian... she couldn''t learn it. And she and Adrian are not truly husband and wife.

 Chapter 62 This is between Me and Her

    Adrian was quickly won over by his mother''s warm and gentle words.


    "Alright, tonight Eva and I will bring her back home. You guys don''t have to go to the nursing home anymore, just go home," Adrian said.


    "Bring Grandma back home?" Margaret seemed a bit surprised upon hearing this news and then asked, "Is Eva with you?"


    Adrian didn''t say whether she was or not, he just winked at her.


    Since the phone was on speaker, she could hear everything herself.


    So Eva called out to Margaret, "Mom."


    Upon hearing that, Margaret immediately let out a tenderugh and said, "Oh, so you''re here too, little girl. Thank you for taking care of Grandma."


    "It doesn''t matter. Thank you for your concern, Mom."


    Although Margaret didn''t treat her as well as Granny ckwood did, she still had proper manners.


    Margaret had never scolded her, and when she found out that they were getting married, she was just slightly surprised. "I didn''t expect you guys to be together so soon. I thought it would take a long time for someone to know their own feelings." And then she agreed.


    At the time, Eva didn''t really understand what Margaret meant by saying that.


    What does it mean to know one''s own feelings?


    Eva thought that Margaret probably misunderstood and thought Adrian liked her, so she said that.


    And because she was only pretend-married to Adrian, she didn''t do well on it.


    "Well, since Grandma has you two taking care of her, your dad and I are relieved. It''ste today, so we won''t bother you. Let''s all have dinner together tomorrow." "Okay," Eva agreed.


    After that, Margaret said a few more words to Adrian and hung up the phone.


    Both of them were quiet on the way back.


    It wasn''t until they were almost home that Eva turned to Adrian, "You''re going to be disappointed."


    Adrian: ?


    Caught off guard by her words, Adrian was confused.


    Eva said casually, "Grandma''s surgery has been postponed, and the divorce will also be pushed back."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s hand holding the steering wheel froze. He pursed his lips and spoke in a cold tone.


    "ording to the original n, it wasn''t supposed to be now anyway."


    Grandma was in good health, so the surgery shifted two weeks earlier, and their divorce date was also brought forward by two weeks.


    Now that Grandma can''t have the surgery, the date can only be pushed back, which doesn''t deviate from Adrian''s original n.


    Besides, given Grandma''s condition, Adrian had already made various ns.


    Eva responded with an "Oh" and then said, "Is that okay? How are you going to exin it to Vivian?"


    Adrian furrowed slightly.


    "This is between me and her."


    Upon hearing that, Eva curled her lips and said, "You''re right."


    When the car arrived at home and Adrian hadn''t even parked the car, Eva got out of the car directly and mmed the door shut. Adrian: "..."


    The butler had heard that the two were going to pick up Granny, so he happily came out to greet them when he heard the car, but what he saw was Eva walking past, deadpan, followed by Adrian with a ck face.


    It took the butler a while to recover himself, then he touched his forehead and mumbled, "What''s happening again these days?"


    Eva went directly to the first floor to tidy up Granny''s room. The servants were fast, and they had already changed the sheets after her phone call.


    The house was usually cleaned, so other than changing the sheets, there was no need to do anything else.


    "Madam, the room for Granny is almost ready. Please let me know if you need."


    Eva looked around and was quite satisfied. "Bring in some green nts. Change the color of the curtains to something elegant, and add some sleep-inducing fragrance." The servants nodded and went to work.


    Over an hourter, the two of them set off to the sanatorium to pick up Granny ckwood.


    During the two hours of waiting, when her grandson and granddaughter-inw told her they would bring her home, Granny ckwood was full of joy andplexity.


    She was happy to finally leave the sanatorium, but she feltplicated because of her current condition. It seemed like she would only cause trouble for them if she went back. After all, no matter how well prepared the house was, it was not a sanatorium. They would inevitably put more effort into taking care of her.


    However, before she could ponder for long, she heard the voice of a nurse.


    "Granny ckwood, Adrian and the Madam are here to pick you up."


    Upon hearing this, Granny ckwood instantly became a little nervous.


    But the two nurses were happy and smiled, saying, "Granny ckwood, we''ve packed your belongings for you."


    Granny ckwood didn''t have much, and everything was packed in two suitcases.


    She was somewhat worried and wanted to speak, but Eva and Adrian had already walked in.


    "Granny?"


    Seeing that the two nurses had already packed the luggage, Eva instinctively said to Adrian, "You go carry Granny''s luggage."


    Adrian raised an eyebrow but didn''t refuse. He walked over and took the luggage in his hands.


    Eva went forward to push the wheelchair.


    "Granny, your room has been prepared by the house staff. You can rest when we get there. Did you have time to freshen up before we left?" Granny ckwood shook her head.


    She was too anxious and didn''t even have the mood to take a shower.


    "It''s okay. You can shower once we get home."


    After saying that, Eva didn''t give Granny ckwood a chance to think about anything else. She pushed her wheelchair outward, exchanging a nce with Adrian.


    Adrian stood in ce and couldn''t help but slightly curled his lips, then he picked up the luggage and followed.


    Granny ckwood and Eva sat in the backseat of the car.


    Although it waste at night, Granny ckwood was too restless and couldn''t sleep.


    However, her eyes are eagerly looking at the constantly retreating city scene outside the window.


    Eva saw the longing on her face.


    Indeed, no matter how high-ss the sanatorium is, staying there for a long time can make people feel scared and bored.


    Eva held her arm and leaned gently on Granny ckwood''s shoulder, whispering, "I''ll take you to the supermarket in a few days."


    Granny ckwood was pleasantly surprised. "Can I go to the supermarket?"


    "I''ll ask the doctor in advance. I think only going for one or two hours should be fine."


    Granny ckwood didn''t say anything more, but Eva could feel her mood improving.


    The atmosphere in the car became much better.


    Eva originally thought that this good atmosphere couldst for a long time, but little did she know that when the car approached the gate of the ckwood family mansion, she saw a familiar and slender figure in the distance. It was Adrian. That person still insisted on wearing a white dress and stood at the gate,municating with the security personnel.


    Afterwards, the security personnel noticed something and pointed in their direction. The slender figure turned around and looked over.


    The car lights shone on Vivian''s beautiful face, clearly illuminating her features.


    Eva thought of Granny ckwood beside her, and her heart instantly tightened.


    "Who is that girl? She seems... quite familiar."

 Chapter 63 A Stranger

    Eva''s heart missed a beat, and for a moment, she didn''t know how to respond to Granny ckwood.


    She shifted her gaze towards Adrian. They both saw Vivian in the back seat, not to mention Adrian who was driving in the front. Moreover, Vivian was someone he liked, so he should be more concerned. As expected, in the next second, Adrian slowed down the car and stopped in front of the vi.


    As soon as the car stopped, Vivian walked around to the driver''s seat with her bag in hand and extended her small hand to knock on the window.


    The car window rolled down and Vivian smiled charmingly, her voice gentle. "Adrian, you''re back. How is Granny ckwood? Sorry, even though you told me not to worry, I still wanted toe and ask in person."


    After speaking, Vivian casually nced towards the back because she didn''t see Eva in the passenger seat and guessed that she must be in the back seat. While still feeling proud, she noticed there were two people in the back seat. One was Eva, and the other...


    When she realized who it was, Vivian''s face changed drastically. Granny ckwood! How could she be here??


    Vivian had originally wanted to show off and assert her dominance, but all those thoughts disappeared. The smile on her lips froze for a moment, and she didn''t know if her words just now would make Granny ckwood misunderstand or affect her and Adrian''s progress. While her face was bewildered, Granny ckwood was also observing her with a look of doubt in her eyes.


    Eva calmly exined, "Granny, don''t you remember her? She''s Vivian, the one who saved Adrian when he was a child. She''s Adrian''s savior."


    Upon hearing this, Granny ckwood finally understood. "So, it''s you. You''ve grown up so much. I didn''t recognize you just now. Please don''t be angry with me." Once she knew who Vivian was, Granny ckwood''s tone became gracious and treated her like a savior.


    Vivian shook her head with a smile. "Granny ckwood, how could you say that? I would never be angry over such a trivial matter. Speaking of which, it''s my fault for noting to visit you for such a long time. I was really busy studying abroad before. I hope this doesn''t make us distant, Granny ckwood. I asked Eva about your situation before. I didn''t expect to see you so soon."


    Vivian nced at Eva and was about to say something when Adrian raised his chin, "Get in the car. Let''s talk inside." The weather now is too cold outside, and she was only wearing a thin dress, standing in front of Adrian. In the wind, their faces were turning pale from the cold. It was heart-wrenching to see.


    Vivian smiled and shook her head, her nose red. "It''s toote. I won''t go in. It''s not very convenient, and I mainly came to see Grandma after her surgery. Since Grandma is fine, I can safely go back." She didn''t get on the car, but instead stood in the cold wind, enduring the cold.


    Eva looked at her, deep in thought, as she noticed Vivian wearing only a white dress. Ever since she saw Vivian''s real character that day, she didn''t believe that Vivianing out like this was a coincidence. Eva guessed that Vivian must have been anxious after hearing that she and Adrian couldn''t divorce temporarily, so she didn''t hesitate to run over here.


    However, Eva didn''t expect to run into Granny ckwood here. She was just leaning against the window, talking intimately with Adrian. Eva was now toozy to care about the two of them and only hoped that this situation wouldn''t affect Grandma.


    In times like this, Adrian would definitely not leave her alone here. But if Vivian were to ask him, Eva was afraid that he would reveal the truth, so Eva took the initiative and said, "It''s not toote, we should get in the car first. Grandma went home today. Let''s sit inside for a while, and I''ll have the driver take you backter."


    She invited Vivian in a calm tone. Vivian nced at Eva, obviously not expecting her to take the initiative, but she quickly figured out why and nodded. "Eva, thank you," said Vivian.


    After speaking, she went to the backseat and opened the door. The three of them were all slim, so there was no problem sitting in the backseat.


    Since Eva had been sitting next to Granny ckwood after getting in the car, her seat was in the middle, leaving arge space beside her.


    After getting in the car, Vivian greeted Granny ckwood with even more enthusiasm. Eva was relieved to see that she didn''t sit in the passenger seat. Fortunately, Vivian was clever enough.


    "Vivian, thank you for making a special trip for this olddy," Granny ckwood said politely to her as they whispered to each other.


    The car drove into the vi and stopped in the garage. The butler had pushed the wheelchair out in advance and prepared it. As soon as the car door opened, Adrian came over and carefully picked up Granny ckwood, cing her in the wheelchair.


    After Vivian got out of the car, she watched Eva naturally go to push the wheelchair. The whole family seemed to be in harmony, and her hands involuntarily clenched the delicate hem of her dress. But soon, she figured out what was going on and regained her smile, following behind them.


    The butler and the servants were happy to hear that Granny ckwood wasing back, so they greeted her at the door. However, when they saw Vivian, an ''unexpected guest'', standing beside the family of three, their expressions froze and many exchanged nces. But before they could react, their expressions quickly returned to normal as they greeted everyone.


    It is well a servant of a rich family, so when Granny ckwood approached, they all returned to their usual state.


    "Wee back, madam!"


    Everyone put on a warm disy, and even prepared a short performance that they immediately showcased for Granny ckwood.


    Granny ckwood had seen all kinds of performances before, even national and world-ss ones, before she entered the nursing home.


    But after spending a long time in the nursing home, everything became boring. So now, seeing a few servants performing a small show, she surprisingly found it very interesting.


    Eva stood by and saw the uncontroble joy on her face, and her cherry-colored lips curled up as well.


    This scene made Adrian blink slowly, and after a moment, his mouth also curled up, as he asked Eva in a low voice, "Did you arrange this?"


    Upon hearing that, Eva instinctively shook her head and said, "No, it should be the butler''s arrangement."


    "Well." Adrian looked at Granny ckwood''s cheerful appearance and felt quite delighted himself. "He is quite thoughtful."


    "Don''t underestimate him. Do you think just anyone can be the butler of the ckwood family?"


    Adrian didn''t respond, but smile revealed his emotions.


    Vivian was already behind them, keeping her distance on purpose so as not to reveal herself in front of Granny ckwood.


    But even so, she could still hear Adrian and Eva speaking quietly. The attractive appearance of the two of them, as well as their matching dark outfits today, made them seem like a perfect couple, as if they were meant to be. And she, like an outsider, stood by the side, feeling lost.


    Vivian finally bit her lip and her eyes shed with resentment.

 Chapter 64 Do you need me to spare the room tonight?

    After the performance, everyone went inside the house. The butler had prepared a meal for Granny ckwood in the kitchen, strictly following the standard lines, but because it was gettingte, Granny ckwood ate very restrained and put down her spoon after a few bites.


    "Thank you all for your kind gestures."


    Afterwards, Granny ckwood prepared to freshen up, and Eva wanted to help but was gently patted by Granny ckwood.


    "What help do I need? It''s just freshening up. I''m not really incapable of showering myself," Granny ckwood said.


    Eva wanted to say something more, but Granny ckwood had already turned her head towards Vivian and whispered, "Vivian, it''s gettingte. Why don''t you stay here tonight? Let Eva call the household staff to prepare a guest room for you." Vivian, who had been absentmindedly eating, was suddenly called out and immediately shook her head, saying, "Thank you, Granny ckwood. But it''s not quite appropriate for me to stay here."


    Granny ckwood said, "Why not appropriate? We have plenty of guest rooms here. It''s not difficult to prepare. Besides, you are a great benefactor to the ckwood family, so feel free to stay."


    She had said these words and Vivian didn''t feel it was right to refuse anymore.


    And deep down, she actually wanted to stay.


    If she stayed here, she would be closer to Adrian.


    Before she could speak again, Eva smiled faintly and said softly, "Uncle Butler, find a few people to help Miss Morrison tidy up the room."


    The butler could only nod helplessly and said, "As you wish, madam."


    Throughout, Adrian had remained silent in his seat.


    After everyone dispersed, the remaining few people in the living room were just the three of them.


    The remaining servants, who felt the subtle atmosphere, left as well.


    Once there were no other people around, Vivian nced at Eva and then turned back to Adrian, asking softly, "Adrian, would it be alright if I stayed? Or... should I just go back?" Eva, seeing that she said she wanted to go back but didn''t move, remained seated.


    Adrian, with no expression on his face, said lightly, "It''s fine for one night."


    "Then..."


    Vivian turned to Eva, "Eva, you wouldn''t mind me staying, would you?"


    Eva hesitated, she didn''t expect Vivian to bring the question to her after asking Adrian. Vivian knew there was no way Eva could say she minded, but Vivian still asked in a strange tone. Upon realizing this, Eva tugged at her lip, appearing at ease and graceful, "Of course not. I would be happy for you to stay."


    She finished speaking and even tilted her chin, asking, "Do you need me to spare the room for the night?"


    Listening to this, Adrian, who was originally expressionless, frowned deeply and looked at Eva with cold eyes. Vivian was taken aback and it took her a while to speak awkwardly, "Wh-What do you mean?" Eva casually flicked her long hair with her finger and rxed her posture, "The literal meaning, Miss Morrison. Take your time to think, and you''ll understand."


    After saying that, she stood up directly, toozy to continue pretending, and left with a remark, "Call me if you need anything. I''ll cooperate."


    And then she left.


    Adrian watched her departing figure, his face suddenly turning cold, while Vivian sat there dumbfounded, never expecting Eva to say such words.


    She had only wanted to provoke Eva, but she never expected her to say something like that in front of Adrian!


    Vivian looked at Adrian with a pitiful expression, "Adrian, did I say something wrong just now? I''m sorry. I didn''t know she would get angry. Maybe I should go back." After speaking, Vivian stood up in a hurry, stumbling and rushing towards the exit.


    When passing by Adrian, her arm was grabbed by him, and he furrowed and said, "I told you to stay, so stay. You don''t have to care about what she says." "But..."


    "Sir, Miss Morrison''s room has been prepared." The butler suddenly ran over from a distance and interrupted.


    What? The room has been prepared?


    Vivian looked at the butler in surprise. They had just left a few minutes ago, how could it be prepared so quickly? Did they really clean it properly?


    "Yes," Adrian didn''t pay attention to this at the moment, he lowered his head and said to Vivian, "Go to your room with the butler. It''ste. Get some rest." After speaking, Adrian walked quickly towards the direction Eva left.


    "Adrian..."


    Vivian''s call went unheard, leaving her with a cold back.


    Vivian stood still, feeling a bit resentful. She resented Eva''s inexplicable words just now, but before she could think about it, the butler''s cold and mechanical voice sounded again. "Miss Morrison, would you like me to take you to the guest room?"


    Although she was dissatisfied with his attitude, Vivian had no choice at the moment and could only force a smile, "Thank you, Uncle Butler."


    But who knew that the butler seemed to ignore her words, turned around without expression, and walked forward.


    Vivian had to suppress her dissatisfaction and quickly followed.


    After Eva went upstairs and returned to her room, she closed the door and entered the bathroom. She leaned on the washbasin, looking at herself in the mirror.


    Well, when she spoke those words just now and saw the astonished look on Vivian''s face and the expressionless face of Adrian, she felt quite satisfied.


    Indeed, magic can defeat magic.


    Isn''t Vivian ying with her emotions?


    Then she can also use such a method, y with her emotions and go back without getting angry at all.


    Pretending to be pitiful and acting generous, who can''t do that?


    In the midst of contemtion, the bathroom door was pushed open by someone.


    Eva was startled and turned her head to see Adrian walking in.


    He was tall with long legs, and the spacious bathroom instantly became narrow when he entered.


    Seeing him, a slight frown formed on Eva''s forehead.


    Adrian stared at her with deep eyes and his voice was icy, "What did you mean by what you said just now?"


    Eva shrugged, "It''s just to fulfill your wishes. What else could it mean?"


    Upon hearing her words, Adrian''s frown deepened and the pressure around him noticeably decreased.


    Eva wanted to leave because she didn''t want to stay in the same space with him. But since Adrian was blocking the doorway, she couldn''t go out, so she said, "Please move aside." Adrian didn''t react and stood there like an iceberg.


    Eva furrowed and squeezed through a gap on the left.


    But as soon as she walked past, Adrian suddenly moved, quickly tilting his body in that direction to block her.


    Eva: "..."


    She looked up at him speechlessly and then went around to the other side.


    However, Adrian followed her and blocked her path on the other side, not allowing her to leave.


    After several attempts like this, Eva finally lost her patience and angrily raised her head at him, "What exactly do you want to do? If you''re so idle, why don''t you go find your..." Before she could finish her sentence, Adrian suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pushed her against the cold and hard bathroom wall...

 Chapter 65 Dont Touch Me

    Even though Eva was wearing a thick coat, she could still feel the icy coldness emanating from the bathroom wall. And Adrian grabbed her shoulder, heavy and forceful, holding her tightly, rendering her immobile. Eva struggled with all her might, but to no avail, and she ended up exhausted and panting for breath. She looked up at the man in front of her, ring at him, and then let out a coldugh. "What are you doing? Did I say something and make you angry?"


    Adrian''s face darkened as he stared at her. The woman in front of him had bright, watery eyes, shining like stars under the bathroom lights, exuding a breathtaking beauty. Her nose was straight, and her pink cherry lips had a charming gloss. However, despite her beautiful appearance, her words were particrly sharp, piercing through his heart and causing pain. It made him couldn''t help but want to shut her small mouth forever and prevent her from speaking again. Thinking of this, Adrian suddenly leaned down, kissing her red lips before she could utter another word. "You... mmm."


    Eva sensed a foreboding feeling as he suddenly leaned down, but before she could say anything, a familiar warmth invaded her mouth. Whenever Vivian was not around, Eva never refused Adrian''s kisses. Because she liked him, both in her heart and physically. Although she wouldn''t refuse, she still felt shy at the beginning when kissing someone she liked, especially since Adrian''s kissing style was just as aggressive and dominating as his personality, like a violent storm that left her disoriented. Often, by the time it ended, Eva would realize that she had been thoroughly consumed.


    Just like now, Adrian was probably frustrated and restrained, so he kissed her roughly, adding some pressure to his hand on her face, distorting the soft flesh of her cheeks. The man''s breath was cold, overbearing, and enveloping. His kiss carried a hint of release.


    Using all her strength, Eva pushed him away and pped him across the face. Adrian''s handsome face shifted, and soon a fingerprint appeared on his cheek. His lips had a tinge of red, which added a touch of wickedness to his originally beautiful face. After a brief pause, he turned his head and stared at her with intense eyes.


    Eva red at him, wiping her lips while adjusting her disheveled clothes, and walked away. But before she could take two steps, his big hand pulled her back.


    Adrian''s actions had triggered Eva''s typically good temper, making her speak without thinking. "Adrian, have you gone mad? If you''re in heat, go find the woman you should find and don''t touch me."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s face fell. He raised his hand, gripping her chin tightly, and demanded, "Repeat what you just said."


    Eva followed the force with which he lifted her head and looked into his eyes, emphasizing each word carefully. "I said, if you''re in heat, go find the woman you should find and don''t take me as the target of your frustration."


    Adrian was on the verge of losing his mind. Eva pouted, "Do you need me to remind you? Last time you two had an affair outside, right? Don''t worry. You helped me when I was bankrupt in my home, so if you need it, I can cover for you, and my grandmother will definitely not find out. What do you think?"


    "What do you mean by st time we had an affair outside''?" Adrian narrowed his dangerous eyes, "What exactly did you misunderstand?"


    "Misunderstand?"


    She had seen it with her own eyes, and he actually had the audacity to say it was a misunderstanding?


    Adrian looked at the woman in front of him and realized that her sudden change in mood was because she misunderstood him and Vivian having an affair outside. His chest suddenly didn''t feel as heavy.


    Hisplexion also softened a bit, not as ugly as before. He pursed his thin lips and exined, "It may not be what you think. That night..."


    He was about to exin clearly what happened that night, but Eva quickly interrupted him after hearing him say "that night."


    "I''m not interested in what happened that night at all. You don''t need to tell me specifically."


    Saying that there was no affair with Vivian, that it wasn''t what she thought, did he think he could fool her just because she didn''t go to the scene?


    Unfortunately, he was bound to be disappointed. She went to the scene and saw Vivian picking him up and leaving with him.


    He didn''t return all night and waste to the sanatorium the next day. She didn''t care what he did. The situation had developed to this point, and Eva felt that she was not herself anymore. Yes, she liked Adrian, liked him for many years.


    But she didn''t want to be a madwoman or a shrew in love.


    She didn''t want to experience that kind of horror again, like when she scolded him just now.


    It was too terrifying, not like herself at all.


    After calming down, Eva''s emotional fluctuations quickly subsided and disappeared. She looked at Adrian in front of her, and her clear eyes had obviously regained their calmness. Adrian also clearly felt her change.


    Her calmness, her indifference, all caught Adrian''s attention.


    Seeing her like this, Adrian felt a dull pain in his chest, as if it was being eroded.


    After a moment, he sneered, with a self-deprecating tone.


    "Am I really so worthless in your eyes that I would go and do something like that without settling the divorce procedures?"


    Eva hadpletely calmed down now, calm and without waves, she countered, "Does it really matter whether you are worthless or not in my eyes?"


    Adrian squinted his eyes.


    "It doesn''t matter in your mind?"


    Eva smiled faintly, "Who knows?"


    After saying that, she gently wiped away the bloodstain at the corner of Adrian''s lips with her hand. Her movement was light, like feathers brushing by. "Sorry about earlier. Does it hurt? You can apply some medicer, and if you still need help with you and Vivian''s matter, I can cooperate."


    Adrian grabbed her wrist and gritted his teeth, "Do you have to bring up this matter?"


    "Let go," Eva said calmly.


    Instead of letting go, Adrian held her wrist tightly.


    Eva slightly raised her eyebrows, her demeanorpletely different from before, "Ouch."


    After speaking, she lightly struggled, but seeing that she couldn''t break free, she simply gave up and stood there, allowing Adrian to hold onto her, calmly lowering her gaze and remaining silent.


    The bathroom was quiet.


    Suddenly, there were two knocks outside.


    No one paid any attention.


    Adrian was in a bad mood and couldn''t be bothered to respond.


    Since there was no response after two knocks, the person outside had to knock twice more.


    "What''s the matter?" Adrian asked impatiently, his tone unpleasant.


    Instantly, it became quiet outside, and after a while, Vivian''s soft and weak voice could be heard. "It''s, it''s me..."


    Hearing Vivian''s voice, Adrian furrowed.


    Eva chuckled lightly, looking at Adrian and lightly shaking her hand, she said,


    "If you don''t let go of me soon, your Vivian will worry."

 Chapter 66 What Are You Doing?

    Adrian furrowed, his dark eyes emitting a cold light. The pressure was so heavy that Eva thought he was about to do something again. He turned and left.


    Eva let out a sigh of relief, but couldn''t help but mockingly curl her lips.


    Vivian stood outside the door, anxiously twisting her ten fingers together. If she hadn''t misheard earlier, Adrian''s voice sounded quite irritable. Irritable as if something important had been interrupted.


    This state made Vivian extremely worried.


    And even knowing who knocked the door, Adrian still hadn''te to open the door for a long time, further unsettling Vivian.


    What is he doing in the room? Why hasn''t hee to open the door for so long?


    Vivian''s mind was in chaos, and finally, the door in front of her opened.


    She raised her head abruptly to look at Adrian, carefully looking at him.


    Hmm, he was still wearing the same clothes as before he went upstairs. The coat was still on, though it seemed a bit wrinkled. Vivian quickly told herself in her mind that it was normal for clothes to have a few wrinkles and didn''t mean anything.


    After reassuring herself, Vivian raised her head and froze after seeing a small wound on Adrian''s thin lips..


    The wound was very faint, and if she hadn''t been close and observed carefully, she wouldn''t have noticed it at all.


    Adrian didn''t notice her astonishment and casually asked, "Why did youe here?"


    Vivian recovered herself and awkwardly tugged at her lips.


    "I, I didn''t have a suitable nightgown, so I wanted toe over and borrow one from Eva."


    Borrow a nightgown from Eva?


    Adrian couldn''t help but furrow. "Didn''t the servants prepare one for you?"


    Vivian shook her head.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian pursed his lips, seemingly displeased.


    Afraid that he might get angry, Vivian quickly said, "Adrian, don''t be angry. I just arrived today, so it''s normal for them not to prepare in advance. I''ll just borrow from Eva. I''m just not sure if it''s convenient for her." Adrian frowned, thinking of someone wreaking havoc in the bathroom.


    Perhaps she wouldn''t be willing, and even if she did lend the clothes, after Vivian left, she might say something sarcastic to provoke him.


    While pondering, Eva''s voice came from behind.


    "Don''t say that, Vivian. It''s my pleasure. Come in."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian instinctively turned his head.


    Eva was standing there, smiling slightly towards Vivian. She had already tidied up. Her hair was freshlybed, and the clothes that had been wrinkled were now smooth, revealing no signs of anything amiss. But as a woman, how could Vivian not notice that Eva had lipstick on her lips before going upstairs, but now there was no trace of it?


    And Adrian had a wound on his lips...


    Vivian had to make an effort to maintain a smile and followed Eva inside.


    "Follow me."


    Walking and surveying the area, their bedroom was quiterge, and the bathroom was equivalent to an ordinary person''s bedroom. Vivian came from a wealthy family, so she didn''t find this kind of construction strange. However, when she followed Eva into the walk-in closet that upied one-third of the bedroom, and saw that the entire closet was filled with luxury brand clothes, bags, and jewelry, she felt a little ufortable. Eva stopped in front of a section.


    "Take a look for yourself. If there''s anything suitable, you can take it. You can also take the clothes you want to change into tomorrow morning."


    Both of them had simr height and weight, so Eva wasn''t worried that the clothes won''t fit.


    Only the tow of them stood in the spacious walk-in closet.


    Vivian looked at her but didn''t hurry to pick clothes.


    Seeing that Vivian was staring at her, Eva guessed that she had something to say. Since Vivian didn''t speak up, she just waited.


    Sure enough, a few secondster, Vivian couldn''t hold back and whispered, "Eva, you broke your promise."


    Hearing this, Eva paused.


    "When did I break my promise?"


    Vivian stared at her red lips with unwavering eyes.


    "Before going upstairs, you applied lipstick."


    Upon hearing this, Eva finally understood that Vivian meant her lipstick was gone.


    Indeed, that had happened, and she didn''t seem to have any way to deny it.


    "So, you broke the agreement. Eva, you''re not trustworthy at all."


    "No." Eva shook her head. "I am trustworthy. If it weren''t for Granny, I wouldn''t have voluntarily approached him."


    This statement deeply affected Vivian, and she immediately sneered, "So what you''re saying is Adrian approached you voluntarily?"


    Eva didn''t confirm or deny it.


    "Don''t joke around. He couldn''t possibly do something like that."


    She hade back, so how could Adrian still be entangled with Eva?


    Hearing this, Eva helplessly shrugged her shoulders. "Miss Morrison, if I were untrustworthy, you probably wouldn''t have the opportunity to stand here. I don''t even need to do anything. I can simply report this to Granny ckwood." As soon as Granny ckwood was mentioned, Vivian''s face changed.


    "Why did Granny ckwood suddenly decide not to have the surgery? Did you say something to her?"


    Everything had been fine before, so why did she suddenly change her mind? Vivian always suspected that Eva might have disclosed or hinted something to Granny ckwood.


    Hearing this, Eva''s expression turned cold.


    "I want Granny to be well more than anyone else."


    Her serious demeanor left Vivian stunned for a moment. After a moment, she sneered in her heart. What was she pretending for? Did she really care about Granny if it wasn''t because of Adrian?


    Some things need to be broken in order to be rebuilt. Eva didn''t like how Vivian always caused trouble for her, so she cut the chase, "If you really don''t trust me, then our agreement can be canceled." Canceled?


    How could that be possible?


    She shouldn''t even think about it!


    "Eva, don''t be angry. I misunderstood earlier, so I was a little anxious. I still trust you a lot, or why would I let you do me a favor? I got a little impatient and said something irrational because I really like Adrian. But don''t worry. I''ll try not to bring it up again in the future."


    After finishing her words, Vivian took a few steps forward, as if wanting to hold Eva''s hand.


    Eva took two steps back, avoiding her touch.


    "What are you doing?" Adrian''s cold voice echoed outside the dressing room.


    Vivian''s face changed and she quickly replied, "We were choosing clothes. We''ll be out soon."


    After saying that, Vivian didn''t care about maintaining a rtionship with Eva anymore. She randomly picked a few items in the dressing room and then opened the door to leave.


    Once outside, Adrian''s gaze fell on Vivian''s face. "Did you get it?"


    Vivian smiled faintly at him. "Yes, I got it. I''ll go back to my room now."


    Adrian nodded solemnly.


    Due to being in the ckwood family, they didn''t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so Adrian didn''t go to see Vivian off. She quickly left.


    After she walked away, Eva emerged from the dressing room.


    Adrian pursed his lips, his gazeplex as he stared at her.


    "What were you both talking about there?"

 Chapter 67 Morning Sickness

    Upon hearing this, Eva nced at him.


    "It''s none of your business"


    "Just because we were only there for two or three minutes, you are afraid I would be bullied by her?" Eva asked with amusement.


    Adrian frowned, clearly displeased.


    "That''s not what I meant."


    "What did you mean then? Do you expect me to report every conversation I have with other girls?"


    Eva had little patience for him now, and her changing attitude now and before was significant. Apart from the need to put on a show in front of her grandmother, she treated him like a stranger. This did not sit well with Adrian.


    They used to get along just fine before they had this kind of rtionship.


    Seeing that he remained silent, Eva went to wash.


    After finishing her morning routine, she went straight to bed to rest, ignoring Adrian as if he didn''t exist.


    Adrian washed up with a ck expression and then got into bed, still with a frown.


    Though they shared the same bed, there was a long pillow ced in the middle like a boundary, keeping them apart like national boundary, each in their own area.


    Because she hadn''t slept well the previous night, Eva fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.


    After adjusting her mindset, Eva slept peacefully.


    When she woke up, the spot next to her was empty.


    Eva nced at the clock and realized it was already past eight in the morning. She couldn''t help but furrow, realizing she had overslept.


    She quickly got out of bed, tidied up a bit, and went downstairs.


    As she went downstairs, she noticed that everyone else was already gathered around the dining table.


    But as she walked, Eva suddenly halted, seeing Vivian sitting next to Granny ckwood, attentively taking care of her.


    Vivian was ingratiating herself with Grandma, paving the way for the future.


    Though Eva felt ufortable in her heart, she resigned herself to the fact that she would eventually divorce Adrian and someone else would rece her as Granny''s daughter-inw. When she approached them, Granny ckwood was the first to notice her and waved at her.


    "Eva, you''re up. Are you hungry? Have some breakfast here."


    The servant ced the bowl and chopsticks that had been prepared for her in advance.


    Eva smiled at Granny ckwood and greeted her. "Good morning, Grandma. How did you sleepst night?"


    Hearing this, Granny ckwood sighed. "I think I was too excited when I came back, so I didn''t sleep well."


    Upon hearing this, Eva immediately showed a concerned expression. "Then have breakfast first, andter you can take a nap."


    "Don''t worry." Granny ckwood reassured her. "I''m fine. I''m feeling energetic now, and if I do get tired, I will rest. Don''t worry about me."


    Just at that moment, the servant brought her breakfast. Seeing this, Granny ckwood spoke up. "Go ahead and eat."


    Eva could only nodded, "Okay."


    Granny ckwood''s attitudes towards Eva and Vivian were totally different, which made Vivian quite ufortable


    She can only continue to take care of Granny.


    "Grandmother, this is good for your health. Please try some more."


    "Alright, thank you, Vivian."


    Granny ckwood was very polite to her, although she was also enthusiastic, but it was not as natural and close as talking to Eva.


    Adrian sat there expressionless. Hisplexion was not good, and the dark circles around his eyes were more prominent due tock of sleep for two nights.


    Since Eva appeared, his eyes fixed on her, but she seemed topletely ignore his existence. From the moment she arrived till she sat down, she didn''t even look at him.


    Thinking about this, Adrian became more and more annoyed, pursing his lips.


    Eva was about to drink milk when a servant brought a bowl of fish head soup.


    "Madam, please drink this in the morning."


    In the past, it was rare for soup to appear on the breakfast table. It was usually fruit juice or milk, because Eva cared about her figure. So the meals prepared by the chef at home were mostly calcted for calories. But today, when Eva saw the fish head soup, she was not surprised. Granny ckwood hade back, so the chef should adjust the meals ordingly.


    But this was probably not intended for her, it should be Granny ckwood''s idea to have a servant bring it for her to drink.


    Sure enough, in the moment she was stunned, Granny ckwood smiled and said, "You''re too thin. Have some soup to replenish yourself."


    Eva looked at the bowl of fish soup and nodded.


    "Thank you, granny."


    It''s just one time. It''s okay to gain some weight.


    Besides, she''s pregnant now and she can''t restrain herself like before. It''s necessary to eat a little more nutritious food.


    Thinking of this, Eva picked up the spoon and lowered her head to scoop the fish soup.


    Just as she was about to bring the soup to her lips, her stomach suddenly churned.


    Eva''s face changed and she didn''t have time to react. She dropped the spoon and covered her mouth as she rushed out.


    This action startled everyone present, but they were stunned in ce.


    Only Adrian reacted the fastest, furrowing and getting up to chase after her.


    The next to react was Granny ckwood.


    "What''s wrong? Feeling unwell?"


    Her voice finally made the other servants react, eximing as they followed, while some pushed Granny ckwood.


    Only Vivian stood there holding the bowl, her spoon falling into it without her notice, soup sshing out.


    She had a pale face, like a ghost, with only one thought in her mind.


    Did Eva just have morning sickness??


    Definitely, why else would she feel nauseous with the slightest smell of meat?


    What should she do? No one in the ckwood family knows about her pregnancy. Eva probably won''t tell anyone, otherwise she would have already said something to Granny ckwood. But...


    Granny ckwood is a woman.


    Not only women, but also experienced people, what should they do if she finds out?


    Thinking about this, Vivian anxiously put down the bowl in her hand and followed after.


    -


    There is a restroom on the first floor.


    After Eva rushed in, she leaned over the sink and retched.


    Although her stomach was churning, she had just woken up and had very little intake yesterday, so she couldn''t vomit anything.


    But once the physiological nausea started, she couldn''t stop. In a short while, she broke out in a cold sweat and her face turned pale.


    In the midst of difort, Eva felt a pair of hands covering her back, gently patting her.


    Eva started to cry as she retched.


    She finally calmed down.


    However, the previous bout of retching had drained her of energy. Her limbs felt weak, and she almost stumbled after taking a few steps.


    A pair of hands quickly caught her waist, lifting her up as she became weak and her face turned pale.


    Eva''s legs were hanging in the air, and instinctively, she curled up into his embrace.


    Granny ckwood was also pushed over at this time, looking at Eva with worry in her eyes, "How is she?"


    Adrian held her in his arms, his expression gloomy, "I''m not sure. But don''t worry. I''ll take her to the hospital."


    Vivian happened to run over just in time, and when she heard the word hospital, her face changed. After Adrian walked away quickly, she immediately caught up and said, "I''ll go with you."

 Chapter 68 Lost in Thought

    Who would have thought that because of Eva''s nausea, the room was inplete chaos.


    Eva weakly leaned against Adrian''s chest, her mind still a bit hazy. Meanwhile, Vivian, who was with them, suddenly had an idea and proposed, "Adrian, it takes too long to go to the hospital. How about taking her to my friend''s clinic instead? I suspect Eva might have eaten something wrong."


    Though Vivian appeared calm, she was actually in a panic. If Adrian were to take Eva to the hospital at this moment, it would surely expose her true intentions. If they had to get a check-up, it would be better to go to her friend''s clinic. There, she would still have a chance to salvage the situation if anything were to happen.


    At this point, Vivian suddenly remembered thest time Eva had a fever. On the way, she had adamantly refused to go to the hospital. At the time, Vivian thought that Eva was deliberately throwing a tantrum and seeking Adrian''s attention and sympathy because of her. Vivian had contemptuously believed that Eva was both needy and maniptive.


    It wasn''t until today that she realized the reason why Eva had refused to go to the hospital or take medication back then. Everything had its reasons.


    "A clinic?" Adrian frowned, rejecting Vivian''s suggestion. "Let''s go to the hospital. It''s more formal." It wasn''t that Adrian was intentionally targeting Vivian; he just instinctively felt that Eva''s condition was so severe that she needed to go to a proper hospital for examination.


    Little did he know that Vivian''s expression worsened upon hearing this. She stared nkly at Adrian''s back. Did he think the ce she rmended wasn''t formal enough?


    Unfortunately, Adrian had no spare attention to give her at this moment. All of his thoughts and focus were on Eva.


    Until he heard a weak voiceing from his embrace. "Stop."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian halted his steps and looked down at her.


    Eva had already recovered to some extent, patting Adrian''s hand to signal him to let her go.


    Adrian frowned and didn''t move.


    Helplessly, Eva had to remind him, "Put me down."


    Adrian silently held her tighter, "You''re not feeling well. You should go to the hospital."


    "I''m fine now," Eva replied.


    "Fine? Weren''t you just vomiting?" Adrian''s words were not polite at all. In short, he wasn''t willing to put her down.


    "That''s because I smelled..." Eva wanted to say that she wanted to vomit because she smelled something meaty. But when the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back. In Adrian''s eyes, she might have already had an abortion at this moment. If she mentioned smelling something meaty and feeling nauseous, it might make him suspicious.


    Seeing Eva''s hesitation, Adrian narrowed his eyes, "What did you smell?"


    Before Eva could speak, Vivian quickly rushed over and intervened, smoothing things over for Eva.


    "Perhaps the fish head soup was too fishy. I also felt a bit ufortable when I drank it in the morning, but Eva had a stronger reaction. It''s probably because she doesn''t usually like fish, right?"


    Eva nced at her and realized that she was right. Eva indeed didn''t like fish.


    Sure enough, Adrian doubted and gave her a nce.


    "The fish soup was too fishy?"


    He still didn''t quite believe it. Even if he thought the fish was too strong, it wouldn''t cause nausea like this.


    But Adrian had known since childhood that she didn''t eat fish, so he believed to some extent that she felt sick because of the fish.


    Vivian, who was sitting next to them, added, "I think it tasted a bit fishy, but people who like it usually don''t notice."


    After saying that, Vivian seemed to think of something and continued, "Just like how Adrian doesn''t like sweets."


    Even if you dislike something, it wouldn''t cause nausea like this.


    Adrian nced at Eva in his arms and for some reason, he felt like she was hiding something from him.


    Thinking back to the torn report that the butler mentioned earlier, Adrian''s expression darkened a little.


    But before he could think further, Eva, who was struggling in his arms, interrupted, "Let me down. How many times do you want me to say it?"


    Adrian narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure you don''t want to go to the hospital?"


    Eva took a deep breath.


    "I''m not sick. I just don''t want to drink fish head soup. Do I really need to go to the hospital for that?"


    Eva''splexion had improved a lot by now, and her lips had regained some color. She really didn''t look like someone who was sick.


    Only then did he let Eva down.


    As soon as her feet touched the ground, Vivian approached and held Eva''s hand, expressing concern, "Are you alright? If you felt nauseous just now, then you shouldn''t drink the fish head soupter. Have something light instead. And you just had a fever recently, so your stomach might not be feeling well. It''s better to eat less oily food in the future."


    Though Vivian seemed worried for her, every sentence was hiding something.


    Eva looked at Vivian, pondering something for a moment. But soon, she let it go.


    There was an agreement between the two of them, and Eva had to abide by her part, and Vivian naturally had to keep hers as well.


    "Alright."


    "Then I''ll help you back. If you still feel ufortableter, I''ll apany you to the hospital for a check-up." "Okay."


    Afterwards, Vivian supported Eva and they walked back together.


    Adrian stood in ce, watching the two figures leaning on each other, and his doubts grew stronger.


    When did they be so close?


    -


    When Adrian hurriedly carried Eva out, Granny ckwood had initially wanted to follow, but the butler stopped her.


    "Madam, please don''t worry. With Mr. ckwood here, he will take good care of Mrs. ckwood."


    The butler''s words calmed down Granny ckwood.


    Indeed, with Adrian here, he would definitely take good care of Eva.


    And Granny ckwood sitting in a wheelchair would only cause more trouble, and then Adrian would have to pay attention to take care of her as well. Thinking of this, Granny ckwood decided to stay behind.


    Granny ckwood calmed down.


    "Madam, would you like to eat something else?"


    However, Granny ckwood shook her head. At this moment, her mind was filled with worries, and she had no appetite.


    She wondered how Adrian usually took care of her. Was he feeling unwell, or was it something else?


    If she didn''t think about it, it would be fine. But once she did, Granny ckwood''s heart burned with urgency, yet she had no solution.


    "Oh, Madam, why have youe back?"


    At that moment, the servant suddenly eximed.


    Upon hearing this, Granny ckwood turned around and saw Vivian assisting Eva as they walked in.


    The servant understood Granny ckwood''s emotions and quickly pushed her forward. Eva also seemed to understand Granny ckwood''s worries. As soon as she entered the door, she declined Vivian''s assistance and walked quickly to Granny ckwood''s side. "Granny, did I startle you?"


    Granny ckwood quickly held her hand, feeling its icy coldness, and immediately shook her head.


    "Why have youe back? Weren''t you feeling unwell? Why didn''t you go to the hospital to check?"


    "I''m not feeling unwell." Eva smiled awkwardly and exined, "Granny, I just can''t eat fish. The smell makes me a little nauseous. That''s all." "Nauseous?"


    Even if she doesn''t like it, smelling it shouldn''t make her nauseous, right?


    Granny ckwood''s expression became thoughtful.

 Chapter 69 Why Did You Come Back?

    "Yes, Granny."


    In order not to arouse Granny''s suspicion, Eva had toe up with something to say.


    "I never liked fish when I was little. I thought it was something good. But when I tried it once, I ended up throwing up severely. So when I smelled it today, I immediately felt uneasy."


    Upon hearing this, Granny ckwood''s thoughtful expression disappeared as expected.


    She threw up after eating it when she was little? It seemed normal to have a trauma from it when she grew up. However, she still worried, "Are you sure there''s nothing wrong? Should we go to the hospital for a check-up?"


    "No thanks, Granny. I''m fine now. Do I look like something''s wrong with me?"


    Granny ckwood looked her thoroughly, noticing that she had indeed returned to normal.


    Eva seemed fine, so Granny couldn''t help but reach out and pinch Eva''s soft cheek. "You naughty girl, why didn''t you tell me earlier that you don''t like fish?"


    "Mm." Eva coquettishly murmured, "It''s something you like to drink, so I wanted to give it a try. Maybe I don''t throw up after eating it now that I''m grown up? Who knows... I''m sorry, Granny. I''ll make sure to tell you in advance next time if I don''t like something, so I won''t scare you like I did today."


    "Alright, alright, you little troublemaker. Are you hungry? Go eat something."


    "Okay, I want sweet porridge."


    "I''ll have the servant make it for you."


    "Okay."


    Afterwards, Eva got up and prepared to push Granny ckwood back. Vivian, who was beside her, softly said, "Eva, let me help. You vomited earlier, so you probably don''t have much strength right now."


    Eva nced at her and knew she wanted to impress Granny, so she didn''t refuse.


    While Vivian pushed Granny ckwood away, Eva was about to follow when she heard a deep voice behind her.


    "You threw up after eating fish when you were little?"


    Only then did Eva realize that Adrian had somehowe up behind her.


    She turned her head and saw Adrian staring at her sharply, "Why have I never heard you mention this before?"


    His gaze made Eva feel a bit guilty, so she averted her eyes and didn''t look at him.


    "Why would I tell you such embarrassing things?"


    After hearing that, Adrian chuckled, "I''ve seen all your embarrassing things since you were a child. Why do you feel embarrassed now?"


    They had known each other since they were children, and Adrian had even seen her with milk teeth, speaking with a lisp. Not to mention everything else.


    Eva listened in a daze. Yes, she and Adrian had known each other since they were little, and they were so familiar with each other.


    She even thought that even if Vivian hadn''t saved him, Adrian probably wouldn''t have any special feelings for her.


    Because they were too familiar with each other. He had seen her in all kinds of terrible situations. How could any romantic feelings develop in such circumstances?


    But even so, Eva remained stubborn, "You haven''t seen everything."


    After saying that, Eva no longer paid him any attention and walked straight ahead. Adrian stood still, watching her figure disappear.


    After pondering for a moment, he followed along.


    After that, Eva didn''t touch greasy food anymore, trying to eat light, fearing that she would reveal any traces of it. And Adrian noticed that.


    After breakfast, Eva suggested taking Granny ckwood out for a walk, and Vivian said she wanted to go as well.


    So the two of them followed Granny ckwood out together.


    Adrian originally wanted to go with them, but a work call stopped him, so he could only tell them not to stay out for too long.


    The butler immediately offered, "Sir, let me follow them from behind. There shouldn''t be any problems, just going for a walk nearby."


    "Hmm." Adrian nodded. "Take good care of them."


    Granny ckwood hadn''t left the nursing home for a long time, so being outside, under the sun, felt morefortable than in the nursing home garden. Looking at the people passing by on the vi district roads, as well as the renovations of the vis, she found it all quite fascinating.


    Eva followed behind, watching Vivian push Granny ckwood, smiling and chatting with her, patient and gentle.


    It must be said that Vivian was very good at ying the gentle and amiable role, and she knew how to cheer Granny ckwood up.


    Throughout the morning, Vivian made Granny ckwoodugh heartily several times.


    It''s almost eleven o''clock. Granny ckwood finally felt tired. Seeing this, Vivian whispered, "Granny ckwood, are you tired? Shall we go back and rest? It''s already noon, and if you want toe out and y, I cane to apany you tomorrow."


    Granny ckwood was indeed tired and nodded in response.


    Then Vivian pushed Granny ckwood forward, Eva strolled behind, and the butler slowed down his pace as well.


    "Madam." He called out to Eva.


    Eva looked at him in confusion. "Jack, what''s wrong?"


    Seeing that she still looked puzzled, Jack couldn''t help feeling frustrated, but he lowered his voice and said, "Madam, you should be more proactive."


    "Hmm?"


    At first, Eva didn''t quite understand what the butler meant by being more proactive, but she realizedter and smiled faintly.


    "As long as Granny ckwood is happy."


    Upon hearing this, Jack frowned in disagreement. "If you apany Granny ckwood, she will also be happy, and since you are the daughter-inw, she will be even happier."


    Eva looked at Jack with surprise, seeing his indignation and frustration in his eyes.


    Seeing that she remained calm, Jack continued, "Madam, you can''t be so passive. She originally cared about the ckwood family, and now she''s making an effort to please the olddy. If you continue like this, she''ll-" "gradually take your position."


    Gradually take her position?


    Eva mocked herself silently in her heart. The position of the ckwood family''s second wife had never belonged to her, so how could it be said that it would be taken away?


    ording to the agreement of their fake marriage, that position had never belonged to her.


    However, to outsiders, she was Mrs. ckwood, but she herself knew very well what she truly was.


    The butler tried to persuade her a few times, but he found that Eva''s expression remained calm, without any ripples caused by his words, nor any anxiety or impatience. Could it be that Mr. and Mrs. are really getting divorced?


    Jack actually liked Eva very much. She had no airs and treated people sincerely.


    As for that Vivian, even though she was Mr. ckwood''s benefactor, a benefactor was just a benefactor. How could Mr. ckwood mix it with emotions?


    If a life-saving grace was to be rted to emotions, then who would dare to help others in the future, and who would dare to be helped easily?


    Moreover, Jack could also see that Adrian did have feelings for Eva, but it was always hindered by this life-saving grace, making it truly iprehensible. And then there was Vivian...


    If she really had intentions towards Mr. ckwood, then why did she leave two years ago? And why did she back now?


    He really couldn''t understand the young people of today anymore.

 70 For the Sake of the Baby

    After returning and settling Granny ckwood, Vivian looked at Eva and said, "Thank you."


    Throughout the journey, she had been looking for opportunities to get close to Granny ckwood. If Eva had wanted to stop her, she had the chance and ability to do so, but she didn''t.


    "I misunderstood you before. I thought you were not someone who keeps promises. I''m sorry."


    Granny ckwood suddenly fainted, and the surgery was postponed.


    Vivian didn''t believe it, when she heard the news at first. Why would someone perfectly fine suddenly faint? In her dark heart, she suspected that Eva might have told the olddy about the pregnancy and her own situation, and then they cooperated to postpone the surgery.


    That''s what she initially thought.


    Vivian also knew that she was a dark person, but only she knew it.


    But for now, it seemed that Granny ckwood knew nothing.


    And Eva indeed did not stop her from getting close to Granny ckwood and winning her over. Vivian bet Eva truly remembers favors and she was right.


    Eva reluctantly pulled her lips without responding.


    "I have to go back today; otherwise, staying here all the time will make the olddy suspect something. However, I still want toe tomorrow. Can you invite me?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva furrowed, "If you want toe, juste by yourself. Why do you need me to invite you?"


    "I''m afraid the olddy will misunderstand me if Ie on my own. But if you invite me, it''s different. The olddy might only think that we are close."


    Evapressed her red lips together and looked at Vivian in a fixed manner, without agreeing or refusing.


    Seeing her expression, Vivian approached a few steps, appearing to have a close rtionship with her. She chuckled softly, "What''s wrong, Eva? Don''t you want Grandma to be sad after you leave? I''m spending more time with her and building a rtionship for her sake."


    A hint of cunning shed in Vivian''s eyes as she whispered, "And as you saw today, Grandma was clearly happy. If she''s in a good mood, she can have the surgery earlier. Then you can leave with your precious baby sooner. Don''t you want that?"


    These few days of being together, Vivian could see that Eva genuinely cared about the ckwood family''s olddy. Although she wasn''t entirely clear if Eva cared for her or because of Adrian.


    All she knew was that she was being good to the olddy because of Adrian. Otherwise, she wouldn''t waste her time pleasing an old person who was one foot in the grave.


    Indeed, her words resonate. Though displeased, she quickly said, "Fine, I understand."


    After speaking, a slightly impatient look appeared on her face, "Is there anything else? If not, I have to go and attend to my duties."


    Vivian has achieved her goal.


    Then, Vivian didn''t care what expression she had and even smiled at her.


    "I''m fine here. You can do your thing. Just don''t forget to call me tomorrow."


    Little did she know, Eva didn''t even listen to her and walked away without a word.


    Vivian was left standing in the same spot, her face turning pale and then red, taking a while to regain herposure before leaving as well.


    After returning to the room, Eva sat down by the bed and felt exhausted.


    It wasn''t toote yet, but she already felt tired, despite wearing sneakers.


    She didn''t think too much about it, as she didn''t have time to rest at that moment.


    Eva grabbed her notebook and made her way to the study.


    She wanted Jenny to quickly pick things up, even though she was also studying diligently, themon problem with quick learning was encountering various issues, which Eva had to clean up after. Sure enough, after Eva turned on theputer and contacted Jenny, she immediately started panicking and crying on the other end.


    "Eva, you finally came... If you didn''te, I might have made a fatal mistake."


    Eva: "..."


    "Why is the work so difficult? I feel like I used to be so happy after these days'' learning. Also, Eva, what kind of life did you have before? Just thinking about it is terrifying enough." After listening to her rambling, Eva finally interrupted her.


    "Alright, don''t panic. Deal with the problems one by one. You''ll always have to face them."


    If Jenny made a mistake now, she still had her to rely on, but if she made a mistake in the future, she''d probably be reprimanded.


    Adrian was not a gentle boss.


    When he brought her to thepany to learn, he was particrly strict, strict to the point where Eva, who grew up with him, felt like he had transformed into a different person.


    In many instances where she made mistakes, he showed no mercy, even bluntly pointing them out in front of their subordinates,pletely disregarding her dignity.


    At first, Eva would get angry and upset, probably because she had a hidden affection for him, so being reprimanded by him made her feel ashamed.


    So she would argue with him, but she didn''t expect Adrian to furrow and say, "You get upset just from a few reprimands? What do you n to learn in the future? Or is it that you''ll only cry when faced with problems?" Eva was infuriated at the time, wiping away her tears and gritting her teeth. She said, "I''ll definitely do better next time."


    Afterwards, she did indeed do better each time.


    He remained strict, strict to the point where he couldn''t find any faults with her anymore. Not only did she be an outstanding secretary, she even learned various negotiation tactics and strategies in the business world. Now looking back, Eva actually felt grateful to Adrian.


    After all, he gave her a tform and opportunity. Even if she left the ckwood family business and left him, she wouldn''t have problems starting her own business with her wealth.


    "Eva?" The voice in her earpiece snapped Eva back to reality. She didn''t think too much and immersed herself in her work.


    After about 15 minutes, Eva finished handling Jenny''s problems and let her continue on her own.


    After sending Jenny away, Eva had originally nned to continue working.


    After staring at theputer for a few seconds, she couldn''t help but yawn repeatedly.


    She covered her mouth while yawning, and even tears of fatigue welled up in the corners of her eyes.


    She had slept reasonably wellst night, so why was she suddenly so drowsy?


    Thinking about it, Eva couldn''t resist reaching out to touch her belly, a doting smile forming on her lips.


    "Baby, are you tired? Mom hasn''t walked far at all, and you''re already this exhausted?"


    To make matters worse, she actually felt hungry, a clear increase in appetitepared to before.


    It makes sense, though. In the past, she only had to sustain herself, but now she had to support the baby as well.


    "Alright, let''s skip work for today for the baby. Let''s go eat something and then rest."


    After saying that, Eva closed herptop and prepared to get up and leave.


    Suddenly, the balcony ss of the study was pushed open, and a tall figure walked in.


    The person had handsome brows and eyes, and their ink-colored irises were as deep as the sea. He walked towards her with straight legs.


    The moment she saw him, Eva''s mind went nk.

 Chapter 71 Believe it or not, I will ruin him.

    Adrian!!


    How could he be here??


    Eva was on the verge of screaming.


    Wasn''t he supposed to be dealing with work? Why was he in the study, and inplete silence? She didn''t hear a sound from him when she arrived.


    Did she just... mention the word "baby"?


    And Adrian happened toe in at that moment. Did he hear the crucial word? Or...


    Eva''s face turned pale as snow. She anxiously stared at Adrian, biting her lip in an attempt to appear calm.


    Adrian didn''t expect her toe to the study.


    Seeing the bewildered expression on her face, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Lately, she had been acting like a startled bird, as if she was hiding something from him. Adrian pursed his thin lips and squinted his sharp eyes, focusing his gaze on Eva''s pale face.


    "Who were you talking to just now?"


    Eva was taken aback.


    Did this question mean that Adrian didn''t actually hear what she said?


    But Eva couldn''t be certain. What if Adrian did hear and was purposely asking to test her?


    Considering this, Eva regained herposure and spoke softly, "Why are you here? I thought you were going to the office."


    She was dodging the question.


    "Video conference. No need to go to the office."


    "Oh." Eva nodded. "I thought you went to the office, so I used your study. Jenny had some questions, so I exined it to her." She believed her tone was calm, without any abnormalities.


    Adrian calmly examined her expressions, not speaking. His gaze seemed to be probing into her inch by inch.


    Those pitch-ck, profound eyes seemed to be able to see into her soul.


    "You seem nervous."


    Eva: "..."


    Adrian walked forward and stood in front of her, almost pressing against her. The scent of his hormones instantly enveloped her. Subconsciously, Eva took a step back.


    But right after she moved, she felt a pair of hands grasp her slender waist, applying just a bit of force. Eva bumped into Adrian''s chest. "It seems I was right. You really are nervous."


    Adrian''s tone was leisurely as he used a little force with the hand on her waist, gently supporting her soft flesh. He narrowed his eyes. "Who were you talking to just now?"


    The same question again!


    Eva wasn''t sure if he actually heard what she said. After all, she thought the study was empty, so she spoke at a normal volume. There was a fifty percent chance that Adrian could hear the content of her words. She didn''t know now, so she couldn''t panic.


    Eva looked up and met his gaze directly. "Didn''t I just tell you? I was handling work, so I had a phone call with Jenny."


    "Really?"


    Adrian didn''t believe it and sneered, "Eva, do you think you''re skilled at deceiving people?"


    Eva''s heart and mind were on edge.


    "Who deceived you?"


    She gritted her teeth and said, "Adrian, if you don''t trust me, then don''t ask me."


    After speaking, Eva forcefully shook off his hand.


    Seeing this, Adrian''s handsome face turned cold, and his eyes stared at her with a gloomy expression.


    "Are you throwing a fit? Looks like I guessed right. Since you say you didn''t deceive me, then dare you show me the call records?"


    "Call records?"


    This request made Eva show an expression of speechlessness and choked for a while before saying, "How old are you? Are you immature, asking to see call records?"


    Her chin was held by Adrian. His voice turned cold as he said, "You mind your own business."


    "Funny." Eva shrugged her shoulders, "who said I''m minding your business? It''s up to you how you want to be."


    Adrian spread his hands towards her, expressionless. "Alright then, show me the call records."


    "Adrian, are you crazy?"


    "Didn''t you say it''s up to you what you want to do?"


    "I said it''s up to you what you want to do, not what you want to do to me. Is it so hard to understand?"


    "What? Didn''t you have a conversation with Jenny? Why you can''t show me the call records? Or is it that the person you were talking to was actually someone else?"


    Adrian asked, "Is it your brother, Carter?"


    "


    Eva finally understood why he was probing her and why he was acting so strangely.


    He could only hear himself talking but couldn''tprehend the actual content. So, when he saw her in a panic, he misunderstood that she was talking to Carter instead of Jenny. Carter...


    This was the third time Adrian had gone mad because of him.


    And this reason made Eva silent, at the same time, she let go of the anxiety hanging in the air.


    If that was the case, then she didn''t care anymore.


    Seeing her silence, Adrian''s expression became extremely ugly.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    Silence meant he''s right. Could it be that she really was talking to Carter on the phone just now?


    Although Adrian couldn''t clearly hear what she was saying, he could sense her gentle tone, which was different from her usual interactions with him.


    Even vaguely, he heard words like baby, eating, and resting.


    Combined, it was probably her calling the other person baby and telling them to go eat and rest!


    Just thinking of the woman in front of him, who was still sharing a bed with him, calling another man baby, made Adrian''s anger almost reach its peak.


    And what made him even angrier was Eva''s indifferent attitude. After hearing his questioning, she even shrugged her shoulders nonchntly.


    "Because there''s nothing else to say. Whatever you say, you''re right."


    Earlier, she had confidently imed that she was talking to Jenny, but after being exposed, she suddenly became indifferent.


    Thinking of this, Adrian squeezed her chin, causing Eva to furrow in pain.


    This time, he didn''t call her by her nickname but coldly addressed her by her full name.


    "Eva, before we get divorced, if you dare to have any unclear rtionship with other men, do you believe me when I say I''ll ruin him?"


    Eva was originally toozy to bother with him, but she didn''t expect him to say such things. She was speechless.


    "When did I ever have an unclear rtionship with other men? And who are you to say that? Fine, even if it''s true that I have unclear rtionships with other men, it''s none of your business. Do you think your rtionship with Vivian is pure and innocent?"


    If he really wanted to argue about this, Eva didn''t think she couldn''t win against him.


    "You should be very clear about the rtionship between me and Carter, from childhood to now. But what about you and Vivian? She has alreadye to visit you, so is your rtionship with her clear?"


    Adrian frowned at these words.


    "She came to me because she knows the truth."


    "What truth does she know? The truth about our fake marriage? If she cane to you because she knows the truth about our fake marriage, then why can''t Cartere to me? Adrian, she cane to your doorstep, even wear my clothes, but I can''t make a phone call with a man. Is that what you mean?"

 Chapter 72 Change in Appetite

    Eva''s lips kept moving as she spoke, and Adrian found himself unable to argue with her. He had witnessed the power of Eva''s mouth before.


    When he first brought her along for a business negotiation, she was a bit hesitant and nervous due to herck of experience and her young age. But with each subsequent asion, she became more confident, able to control the meeting with her words, and her logic and intellect were sharp enough to refute any opposing arguments.


    Just like now, she was treating him in the same way.


    And Adrian found himself speechless.


    Vivian did indeed show up at their doorstep, wearing Eva''s clothes.


    Seeing Adrian''s silence, Eva smirked and said, "Why aren''t you saying anything now, Adrian? How about if I bring another man here and have him wear your clothes?" Adrian, "..."


    Just hearing Eva say such things, Adrian felt powerless to ept them, let alone...


    Seeing that he remained silent, Eva took the opportunity to push past him, grabbed her notebook, and left.


    Back in her room, Eva finally let out a sigh of relief. She hadpletely overwhelmed Adrian with her words, and he probably wouldn''t probe any further. Anything was fine, as long as he didn''t discover her secret.


    She tidied up her notebook and then casually walked downstairs to the kitchen to find something to eat.


    The chef was preparing ingredients for lunch and greeted her when he saw her.


    Taking a quick look around, Eva nodded and asked, "Chef Kane, did you make any desserts this morning?"


    "Sure." The chef known as Chef Kane quickly turned around and opened a cab, taking out a te of beautiful little desserts and handing them to Eva.


    Eva''s eyes sparkled. It was a te of plump and round tiramisu and cream puff with ice cream.


    Seeing her expression, Chef Kane knew he had made the right dessert today, and he smiled, saying, "Please have it, madam. If you like it, I can make more in the afternoon. However, one shouldn''t consume too many sweets in a day, so I''ll have to make something else in the afternoon."


    Eva didn''t refuse because she was quite hungry. She didn''t have much of an appetite for greasy foods now, and anything too fishy would even make her nauseous. But when she saw these sweet treats, she surprisingly found them delicious. She didn''t used to enjoy sweets as much as she did now.


    But now...


    Thinking of this, warmth filled Eva''s eyes.


    It must be because the baby likes them.


    Oh goodness, even at this tiny size, this baby already has a liking for sweets. She''ll have to be careful in the future after the baby is born, making sure not to let the baby have too much sweet food.


    Holding the te of tiramisu and cream puff, Eva walked away in a good mood.


    Seeing this, the other people working in the kitchen couldn''t help but approach Chef Kane and ask, "Chef Kane, did our madam take the whole te of desserts?"


    Chef Kane nodded with a smile.


    "It seems like she likes today''s dessert. Prepare some flour and fruits. We''ll make something else for her in the afternoon."


    "Just make some fruit dumplings please."


    "Sure, but Chef Kane, why has ourdy suddenly changed her taste so much? She wasn''t so fond of sweets before."


    "What''s the problem with that? People''s tastes change with age and time, isn''t that normal?"


    "Chef Kane, I didn''t mean that. What I mean is, could the change in ourdy''s taste be...?" The staff member had a mysterious smile on their face.


    Chef Kane looked puzzled.


    "Could it be what?"


    "Could she be pregnant?"


    Chef Kane, "..."


    "Well, I was just guessing. The fish soup you made this morning, Chef Kane, was so delicious. When I brought it out, there was barely any fishy smell, but ourdy smelled it for a moment and vomited so hard. My sister-inw was the same when she was pregnant. She couldn''t stand any meaty smell, and her taste also changed."


    The more Chef Kane listened, the more terrified he felt.


    Because he actually found this person''s reasoning quite reasonable.


    If hisdy was really pregnant, he would have to make improvements in her diet!


    Chef Kane quickly kept this in mind and made it as a priority.


    -


    After devouring two tiramisus and several cream puffs, Eva patted her satisfied belly.


    Why didn''t she realize how delicious these things were before?


    It seems that the little one in her belly is a little glutton.


    "You have quite insatiable appetite. baby" Eva lightly poked her belly and said in a soft and indulgent voice.


    The baby was still in the early months, her little belly was still t, so there was no visible response yet.


    But even so, Eva enjoyed ying with her baby.


    After a while, Eva felt sleepy. She brushed her teeth andy down on the bed for a nap.


    Originally, Eva only nned to rest for a while, but when she woke up, it was already around two o''clock in the afternoon. Knowing the time, Eva sat up suddenly.


    How did this happen? She actually overslept. The room was quiet, so Eva quickly changed her clothes and went downstairs.


    Downstairs was also quiet. When the servants saw her wake up, they greeted her.


    "Madam, you''re awake."


    "Hmm." Eva turned to her and asked. "Has Mrs. ckwood woken up?"


    "Mrs. ckwood woke up early and has already had her meal."


    Just as Eva was about to ask where the old madam had gone, she was interrupted by the servant, "Mr. ckwood took the old madam out."


    "Where did they go?"


    "Well...we''re not sure."


    Eva was actually a little worried about Adrian, a big man who was careless and not good at taking care of the elderly. So when she wanted to call and ask where they were, the servant suddenly said, "Madam, you just woke up, so you should eat something first."


    It hadn''t urred to Eva until now, but now that it was mentioned, she did feel a little hungry.


    "Then I''ll eat something first."


    "I''ll go and have the kitchen prepare the food."


    Eva sat down at the dining table, and while waiting for the food, she took out her phone to call Adrian.


    "Where are you?" Eva finished editing the text and then thought about the argument in the study before going to sleep.


    They had argued so fiercely. Would it appropriate to send this message now?


    After thinking for a moment, Eva changed it again. "Where did you take Grandma?" After making the changes, Grandma became the subject, and Eva was quite satisfied as she clicked send.


    Adrian didn''t reply immediately, but Chef Kane came in with the food.


    When everything was on the table, Eva noticed that the dishes were mostly light, without anything too rich or heavy.


    She was a bit surprised, even though she had been feeling nauseous in the morning, Eva hadn''t given any instructions to the kitchen. Her situation needed to be kept confidential, and she probably wouldn''t be staying at the ckwood family for long, so it was better to avoid unnecessaryplications.


    She just hadn''t expected the kitchen to be so considerate. When Chef Kane came over, Eva whispered, "Chef Kane, it seems like the dishes have improved recently."


    Chef Kane was an honest person and immediately smiled and said, "It''s for you, ma''am."


    Eva''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, "What do you mean?"

 Chapter 73 Should I Walk on My Own or Should I Carry You?

    The information contained in Chef Kane''s statement was too overwhelming for Eva toprehend. Could it be that Chef Kane had discovered something suspicious about her food?


    Seeing Eva''s puzzled expression, Chef Kane rubbed his hands together in confusion and smiled sincerely. "Madam suddenly had a change in taste, so I made some adjustments ording to your preferences. Is there any problem, Madam?" A change in taste... If others were to hear this, it would raise suspicions. Eva pursed her lips and looked at Chef Kane with seriousness, whispering, "Chef Kane, where did my taste change? I only had a few extra pastries this morning." Chef Kane was taken aback by her response and rubbed his head, realizing she was right. She had only eaten a few extra pastries, so why did he feel that her taste had changed so drastically?


    Feeling embarrassed, Chef Kane quickly apologized, "I''m sorry, Madam. I must have overthought it."


    Eva raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "It''s okay, Chef Kane. It shows that you are responsible. I have been eating greasy food too oftentely, and now that my grandmother is back for recovery and has to have surgery soon, I''d like to have lighter meals in the future."


    Each sentence Eva said made sense to Chef Kane. "No problem, Madam. I will make sure to prepare lighter meals in the future. You have thought of everything."


    Eva smiled without saying a word, keeping her abilities hidden.


    "Oh, by the way, after lunch, would you like to have some dessert? I specially made fruit dumplings for you," Chef Kane asked.


    Fruit dumplings. Eva had never heard of such a dish before, but her mouth responded faster than her brain. "Sure."


    By the time her brain caught up, she saw Chef Kane smiling and saying, "Great, I''ll prepare them for you then," before walking away. Eva, "..."


    She nced down at her small abdomen and silentlyined.


    You little glutton!


    This definitely wasn''t what she wanted to eat!


    Without feeling guilty, Eva med her cravings on the little baby inside her belly.


    Her phone vibrated, and Eva looked down to see a message from Adrian, "Outside."


    Eva: "..."


    Of course, she knew he was outside, but what she had asked was where he had taken his grandmother.


    After a brief moment of frustration, Eva had to send another message.


    "Where are you?"


    This time, Adrian responded rtively quickly.


    "Coming backter."


    Once again, he didn''t answer her question.


    It seemed like he didn''t want to tell her where he was or maybe he was with Vivian?


    Thinking about it, Eva''s eyes filled with mockery.


    "I don''t care where you''re going, but since you''re taking your grandmother with you, you know her condition. Bring her back earlier for some rest." After sending the message, Eva put her phone away.


    "Don''t worry. Just enjoy your meal."


    Actually, she doesn''t need to worry so much. Adrian is actually very filial, and his grandmother is his own grandmother. He wouldn''t do anything that would harm her. All in all, even if there''s a need to worry, it''s not she should be worried.


    After finishing the meal, Eva went upstairs while Adrian didn''t reply to her message.


    -


    The next day


    Because she promised Vivian, Eva suggested inviting her over for breakfast the next day.


    Adrian, who was drinking his coffee expressionlessly, couldn''t help but look at Eva and furrow upon hearing her suggestion.


    Didn''t they just talk about how unclear his rtionship with Vivian was yesterday? Why is she calling her over now? Quickly, a thought crossed Adrian''s mind; Eva probably wanted to provoke him because she was being stubborn. Since they had an argument and a cold war over this issue yesterday, she was probably seeking revenge today. Thinking this, Adrian calmly asked, "Why do you want to invite her over?"


    Eva didn''t expect Adrian to object, and she was a bit surprised. After all, this would be beneficial to him, as he would undoubtedly be with Vivian after divorcing her.


    By then, Vivian and his grandmother would have developed a good rtionship, and he would also avoid some scolding.


    "She gets along well with your grandmother and knows how to make her happy, so I thought it''s a good idea to call her over."


    Adrian pursed his lips and his voice turned cold.


    "You''re just going to call her and she''lle? Doesn''t she have to work?"


    Granny ckwood noticed that something seemed off between the two of them when she woke up this morning, but arguing and fighting wasmon among couples with a good rtionship. So, she didn''t pay much attention to it. Now, hearing them discussing things, she smiled and said, "Yes, Eva. Perhaps she has to work, and she already spent the whole day with me yesterday. It might not be appropriate to ask her toe over again today." Granny ckwood then reached out and patted Eva, saying, "Forget it, Eva."


    Eva had already promised Vivian yesterday, and now she was keeping her promise. However, Adrian stood against it.


    So, it wouldn''t be her breaking her promise.


    Thinking this, Eva nced at Adrian and nodded at Granny ckwood.


    "Well, alright then. Let''s not bother others. I thought she really likes grandma. That''s why I wanted to call her. I guess she won''t refuse."


    Granny ckwood smiled and remained silent.


    Afterwards, everyone continued to have breakfast, but Adrian''s expression became worse and worse.


    Ever since Eva suggested inviting Vivian, there was a constant chill in the air around him. This low atmosphere continued until breakfast ended, and Adrian suggested the butler to take a walk with Granny. The butler agreed and was about to step forward, but Eva interrupted, "Let me do it instead."


    Her hand had justnded on the wheelchair when Adrian grabbed it.


    "Jack, take Granny for a little spin and be back in fifteen minutes."


    The butler nodded as he looked at their sped wrists.


    "Okay, sir."


    With that, the quick-witted butler pushed Granny ckwood''s wheelchair away.


    Eva endured Adrian''s grip on her wrist, as Granny ckwood was present.


    It wasn''t until Jack pushed Granny ckwood out of the room that Eva forcefully broke free from Adrian''s hold.


    "What are you doing again?"


    Adrian''s gaze swept coldly over the servants in the hall. He pressed his thin lips together before lowering his voice. "Let''s talk upstairs."


    Eva didn''t listen to him, her voice faint.


    "I thought we already made ourselves clear yesterday. What else needs to be said?"


    Adrian stared at her with calm obsidian eyes.


    "Do you want to walk up yourself, or shall I carry you?"


    Eva was taken aback.


    "What?"


    "You have three seconds to decide."


    Eva stared at him in silence. Was he really acting this childish now?


    "Two."


    "Adrian, you haven''t-"


    In the next second, Adrian took a step forward, scooping her up horizontally in his arms.

 Chapter 74 Youre Not Allowed to Call Him "Baby" Anymore

    When Eva felt dizzy and disoriented, her mind was consumed by one thought.


    Didn''t they say to count to three? What happened to three??


    Adrian, who was tall and had long legs, quickly returned to the room with Eva in his arms.


    Eva had originally thought that once they got back to the room, he would put her down. But to her surprise, after he entered the room, he stood there stiffly, as if frozen in ce.


    "Put me down," she said.


    As if he hadn''t heard her, he only lowered his head and stared quietly at her with his dark eyes.


    "I''ll make things clear with Vivian," he said.


    Eva: "??"


    What does he mean? Clear about what?


    "You said my rtionship with her wasn''t clear, right? From today, she won''t appear in front of you anymore. I won''t let here to thepany, nor will I let here to the house, and she definitely won''t be wearing your clothes." Upon hearing this, Eva''s heart skipped a beat.


    What did he mean by that?


    Why is he suddenly doing this, not letting Viviane to thepany or the house?


    "Why?"


    Eva asked calmly, no longer angry.


    Adrian''s gaze was heavy as he looked at her.


    Eva felt a little startled by his eyes.


    She didn''t understand why he was suddenly like this.


    "You can''t call him anymore," Adrian suddenly said.


    Eva: "??"


    What??


    "And you''re not allowed to casually call him ''baby'' or care about him," he added through clenched teeth.


    Eva was almost scared to death by Adrian''s words.


    She finally understood why Adrian had gone crazy and said those things in the study yesterday. He had overheard a few words and thought she was calling Carter "baby"!


    It was fortunate that she thought he hadn''t heard anything.


    So now, he must have heard the word "baby" and misunderstood that she was calling Carter that, which was why he brought up Vivian''s matter to discuss with her.


    But... there was nothing between her and Carter. Since she became Mrs. ckwood, she had only asionally been in contact with Carter, and they had even gone without talking for over a month.


    She didn''t know how Adrian became fixated on Carter just because they had gone out for a meal that day.


    "What are you thinking?"


    Just as Eva was lost in her thoughts, Adrian''s cold voice suddenly sounded, and she snapped back to reality to see his intense gaze fixed on her.


    Her lips twitched, and she lightly patted his shoulder, saying, "Can you put me down first?"


    It was unbelievable. From the moment he picked her up until now, he still hadn''t let her go.


    Upon hearing her words, Adrian not only didn''t put her down, but held her even tighter, and still piercingly staring at her.


    Eva sighed helplessly, "Can''t you let me down? Do you think it''s appropriate to talk like this?"


    Adrian''s face remained cold, "It is."


    Eva: ...


    Fine, if you say so.


    Seeing her silence, Adrian became even more angry.


    "Don''t you want to be with him any longer?"


    "Right? Eva, do you know that you''re now a married woman?"


    Since the conversation had reached this level, Eva didn''t want to beat around the bush anymore and directly asked, "And what about you? Do you know that you''re a married man? And do you even realize the state you''re in while saying all these things to me?"


    Towards the end, Eva reminded him again, "Don''t forget. We''re in a fake marriage."


    After saying that, she felt Adrian pause for a moment and his hand seemed to loosen.


    Because Eva was currently being held by him, she naturally had a clear sense of it.


    She lowered her eyes and smiled at herself in self-deprecation.


    He seemed to be well aware of this situation, but had momentarily forgotten, likely clouded by his male ego.


    Ironically, she still had hope for him.


    It''s trulyughable.


    It should have been on the day Vivian returned, when he kissed her passionately but abruptly left upon hearing his phone ring, or the moment heid beside her and proposed divorce. There was no longer any possibility between the two of them.


    Finally, Eva pushed him away,nded both her feet on the ground, and went back to her room to rest without Adrian chasing after her.


    Strangely, Vivian didn''t call her or send her any messages that day. She remained quiet.


    If she didn''te find Eva, then Eva naturally wouldn''t go find her.


    The next day.


    Granny ckwood kept insisting that they didn''t need to take care of her, pretending to be annoyed, afraid of dying their work. Eva couldn''t resist her and had to return to thepany. The truth was, in the past few days, she and Adrian had mostly stayed at home dealing with work, resulting in a lot of unfinished work.


    When she wasn''t at thepany, it was fine, but once she arrived, she was immediately overwhelmed with tasks and barely had any spare time in between.


    Finally, in the afternoon, Eva had some time to rest her head on the desk.


    As shey there, she felt like her eyes couldn''t stay open.


    In the past, she could withstand high-intensity work for one or two days without a problem, but now, even just a morning and she couldn''t handle it. Jenny even had to bring her lunch from the cafeteria. The food in the cafeteria wasn''t tasty, and Jenny probably worried about Eva going hungry, so she ordered meat dishes, which made Eva feel nauseated and she quickly closed the lid. "Eva, aren''t you eating? Did I buy something you don''t like?" Jenny asked.


    "No," Eva shook her head and denied, "I''m just too tired, not in the mood for rice. I''ll go downstairs and buy a vegetable sd instead."


    Jenny immediately volunteered, "Eva, let me go buy it for you."


    "No thanks. I''ll go myself."


    Saying that, Eva got up and left, leaving Jenny alone in the office poking at the white rice feeling frustrated.


    Why did she feel like she couldn''t help with anything at all?


    There was a fast-food restaurant downstairs from thepany, usually crowded in the morning and less busy at lunchtime, so there wasn''t much of a queue when Eva went. "Hi. I''d like a vegetable sd and a custard bun."


    Eva paid with her phone and thought to herself that the food cooked by the chef at home was indeed delicious, as she left the restaurant.


    Next, let Chef Kane make it for her in advance, pack it into a lunch box, and eat it at noon.


    While waiting, Eva was bored, so she stood there holding her phone and looking at the work she had to deal with in the afternoon.


    Just as she was engrossed in her reading, she suddenly felt a piercing gaze on her back.


    Eva paused for a moment, her beautiful eyes scanned the surroundings, lifting her head from the phone screen to look around.


    There were all kinds of people and cars around. Everyone was busy with their own affairs, and it seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary. Perhaps she was thinking too much.


    With this in mind, Eva lowered her head again.


    However, after a while, that ufortable feeling of being watched became even clearer, even more distinct thanst time.


    Eva pursed her lips and looked towards the source of the gaze.


    It was then that she noticed a ck Bentley parked there, its body like a dark mist, perfectly ced in the parking spot.


    Was it just her imagination?


    Why did she feel like someone inside was watching her?

 Chapter 75 True Nature

    While deep in thought, the waiter''s voice interrupted her thoughts.


    "Miss, your vegetable sd and custard bun."


    Upon hearing this, Eva snapped back to reality and saw that the waiter had already packed her food, so she reached out to take it. "Thank you. I''ve already paid."


    "Alright then, take care and wee back anytime."


    Eva carried the bag and turned to leave.


    During this walk, she still felt someone watching her until she entered thepany''s gates and the gaze disappeared.


    Did that ck car earlier have someone in it after all?


    Actually, while walking back, she had the thought of going over to check, regardless of whether there was someone or not, she would know once she looked, right? However, when she thought about it, she felt a chill in her heart and decided not to go.


    Furthermore, the cars in the parking lot shouldn''t have anyone in them during the midday.


    Eva rubbed her eyes and felt that she might have been overthinking.


    Ding-


    The elevator arrived.


    Eva entered.


    When it got busier in the afternoon, this small incident during lunch waspletely forgotten by her.


    At the end of the workday, Jenny came to find her.


    "Eva, the Myers family group invited us for dinner tonight." Jenny nervously twisted her fingers together, her face slightly pale, struggling to say the next sentence. "You don''t dare to go?" Eva could easily tell what Jenny wanted to say.


    Upon hearing this, Jenny nodded slightly and then whispered, "I''m sorry, Eva. I seem to have be a bit timid. I''ll go by myself. Please treat it as if I didn''te." "Wait."


    Eva called out to her, stood up, and said, "I''ll apany you."


    However, it should be thest time.


    "Thank you, Eva. I''ll prepare."


    Because Eva had to apany Jenny to the dinner, she sent a WhatsApp message to Adrian, telling him that she would be working overtime and let him to go home first. Adrian: "?"


    Adrian replied, "Overtime? I don''t remember you need to work overtime today."


    Eva: "Don''t you know about the secretary''s work? I''m assisting the assistant for a cooperation meeting."


    Adrian: "Assist?"


    He probably didn''t understand why she used that term. Shouldn''t it be the assistant apanying her? Why was she apanying the assistant?


    Eva: "Training my sessor. Otherwise, who would take over my work when I''m gone?"


    She didn''t originally want to be so direct, but someone seemed to want to dig deeper, so she can only be straightforward.


    Sure enough, after she sent that message, there was silence on the other side, with no further response.


    -


    Eva and Jenny went downstairs together.


    When they were about to reach the first floor, Eva asked, "Did you call for a car?"


    "Ah? Oh..." Jenny, realizing itte, took out her phone, "Sorry, Eva. I forgot. I''ll call now."


    Eva wasn''t angry either and nodded.


    While waiting for the car, the two of them arrived at thepany''s entrance.


    Eva thought of something and subconsciously looked towards the spot where the ck car was parked at noon.


    Sure enough, the car was no longer there. Instead, there was a white Volkswagen.


    "Eva, what are you looking at?" Jenny asked curiously.


    Upon hearing this, Eva snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head, "Nothing. Did you call for the car?"


    "Yes, it should be here in a few minutes. Sorry, Eva. It seems like I''m always careless."


    Upon hearing this, Eva nced at him and smiled helplessly, "What''s the big deal? Everyone has a first time. Others may not do better than you, and you may not be worse than others. Show some confidence and courage. Don''t be too afraid." "Sure!" Jenny regained her confidence from Eva''s words.


    When Eva turned her head, Jenny secretly observed her. Eva... she''s truly a good and capable person.


    When can I be like her?


    The meeting ce was a bar.


    When getting off the car, Eva frowned at the colorful lights and felt displeased.


    "Who chose this ce?"


    Jenny looked nk, "It''s... it''s from the Myers family."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s frown deepened, "Bars are noisy and not suitable for business discussions. Didn''t you suggest a different location?"


    Being scolded by Eva, Jenny felt dumbfounded.


    "I, I didn''t know. I thought we would go to the ce they suggested."


    Moreover, Jenny didn''t know it was a bar beforeing here. It seemed somewhat informal.


    "When someone suggests a meeting ce, check if it''s suitable for work. If it''s not, choose another location yourself."


    Jenny could only nod dryly, "I understand."


    "What should we do now, Eva? Should we not go in?"


    Eva still clenched her eyebrows and lips.


    "Since we''re already here, let''s go."


    She was relieved that Jenny spoke up. Otherwise, she would havee here alone tonight, like a defenseless rabbit, and most likely be taken advantage of. Before entering, Eva said, "Let the HR department recruit someone to help you in a few days. Find someone smart and resourceful."


    Jenny felt extremely guilty, and no matter what Eva said, she nodded in agreement.


    Afterwards, they found the private room they agreed on, and were led there by the staff of the bar.


    As soon as they opened the door, Eva smelled a strongbination of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and various chemical perfume scents.


    Her face changed, and she almost vomited on the spot. She had to take a few steps back to breathe in fresh air outside.


    What''s going on?


    Has she be more sensitive to smells since she became pregnant, or is it just a psychological reaction that makes her want to vomit upon smelling these scents?


    She had been exposed to these smells before and initially felt ufortable, but gradually got used to it.


    "Oh, look who''s here, our secretary Hansen."


    An exaggerated voice came from inside the private room.


    Kris, the heir of the Myers family, was holding a delicate and fair-skinned woman in his arms.


    The snowy girl whistled towards her position.


    Kris...


    Didn''t expect it to be him.


    "Come on in, all of you. Hurry up and make some room for our Ms. Hansen."


    Kris''s group of friends immediately stood up and made room for her.


    Eva: ...


    She tugged at her lips and looked at Kris, saying, "Mr. Myers, can we find another ce to talk about work?"


    "Another ce?" Kris looked at her in surprise. "Ms. Hansen, why would we need to change locations? Do you know how much I spent on this VIP suite?"


    Eva could only say, "The smoke in here is too strong for me."


    Perhaps he didn''t expect her to be so direct, and everyone in the private room was stunned for a moment. Then Kris smiled slyly and said, "I''ve heard that Ms. Hansen is straightforward, and I finally got to see it today." "Are you going to change or not?" Eva couldn''t be bothered with small talk.


    Kris clicked his tongue, his slender eyes scanning her from a distance, without saying whether they would change or not.

 Chapter 76 Am I here to accompany you?

    Silence.


    A man with a bad tone spoke up in the private room.


    "Secretary, why do we have to change ces? Is there something that we can''t see? Don''t worry, even if we can''t see, we will close our eyes."


    Eva raised an eyebrow.


    She looked at the man, who was speaking in a vulgar manner, her eyes bing sharp.


    Spending time with Adrian, Eva''s aura was bing more and more like his.


    So when she nced over, the man was scared silent, and he shrunk his neck.


    It was only after Eva shifted her gaze away that the man realized what had just happened.


    Damn, what was wrong with him just now? Scared of a little girl?


    Damn, was he bewildered?


    "Secretary Hansen, it may not be convenient to change ces. If you can''t stand the smell, we can open the door, how about that?" Kris said with a smile, resembling a friendly-looking viin.


    He had well-behaved men next to him,manding them, "Did you hear that? Put out the cigarettes. What if our Secretary Hansen gets choked? She''s here for business, if she got anything wrong, you won''t be able to afford it." Eva was annoyed by their insincere tone.


    If it weren''t for Jenny, Eva would leave. After thinking, she walked over with Jenny only when the smell had dissipated.


    Jenny followed behind Eva, but after considering that she would have to handle many things once Eva left, she took a few steps forward to walk alongside Eva.


    There were many people in the private room. You cannot say it is bad, well, not that good. Eva chose a clean spot to sit down.


    Jenny sat down next to her. She took out the contract and said to Kris, "Mr. Myers, this is the contract sample, you can take a look..."


    Before Jenny could finish her sentence, Kris''s friend brought them two cups and filled them up.


    Kris leaned back on the sofa behind him, his legs crossed, watching them with a smirk. "Little beauty, don''t be in such a hurry. Why talk business right from the start when we''re out to have fun? It''s not fun that way. Let''s have a drink and chat." The contract that Jenny had taken out immediately retreated, and, she didn''t know what to do.


    Eva remained still, sitting quietly there, her fair skin and beautiful features bing even more stunning under the lights.


    Kris looked at her, his fingertips curling up, his gaze darkening.


    Even though she was dressed, like the simplest kind, she exuded a deadly sensuality. So attractiveness. Her delicate, slender neck, as white as jade, sitting there like an arrogant swan.


    Kris swallowed, feeling his desire.


    If it weren''t for Adrian meddling, this arrogant swan would have long been his possession.


    "Don''t just stand there, drink up."


    Jenny was timid, and, when they said that, she nned to go and pick up the ss. However, she looked at Eva and hesitated.


    She remembered Eva telling her not to let these people take advantage.


    "What''s wrong?" Kris, let go of the woman in his arms and leaned toward Eva. "Secretary Hansen, are you not even taking a sip?"


    "Yeah, Secretary Hansen, is Mr. Myers any less important? What''s the harm in having a drink?"


    "we''re here to have fun, have a drink."


    Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Eva looked at Kris with a cold gaze, "Am I here to apany you?"


    The smile on Kris'' lips faded.


    If it were before, he might have been cautious because of Adrian, but he heard some rumors.


    Kris smiled again, picked up the drink, and leaned toward Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, even if we have to talk about work, it doesn''t have to be so serious. You work so hard, what have you gained? He even brought a woman to thepany right you. Even in this situation, you have to think about yourself, right?" Eva felt that Kris was too arrogant, and she didn''t expect him to know about this.


    She nced at him, her eyes filled with contempt, as if saying: even if Adrian and I break up, do you think you have a chance?


    The smile on Kris could hardly be maintained.


    He knew that Eva had never thought highly of him.


    Before the Hansen family''s bankruptcy. And no matter how hard he tried to pursue her; she wouldn''t even give him a nce.


    "Why are you looking at me with that look again?" Kris squinted his eyes unhappily, his voice filled with reluctance. "Eva, the Hansen family has gone bankrupt, and you only have your current position thanks to Adrian. Why do you still look down on me? Do you think you''re still the lofty heiress of the Hansen family?"


    What was heckingpared to Adrian? If he could have Eva, he would never be like Adrian, bringing women to thepany and juggling multiple rtionships. But...this woman him just couldn''t appreciate it!


    Even when he was angry like this, Eva still looked at him with a cold gaze.


    "Speak up," Kris gritted his teeth, unwillingly staring at Eva.


    "Are you sure you want me to say it here?"


    "Say it!" Kris''s expression turned excited as she loosened up.


    His friends couldn''t help but exchange nces.


    "I don''t look down on you, I just dislike you," she said.


    Kris'' expression froze, "What do you mean?"


    "Do you remember what you and your friends said at the hot spring vi five years ago?"


    "Five years ago? How am I supposed to remember something so long ago...?"Kris realized something and his expression changed.


    Back then, when he found out that Eva was going to the hot spring, he tried to find her.


    And Kris, he is a master of empty talk, boasting with his friends before leaving the room to find Eva.


    "Bro, someone like Eva, I can easily conquer her with just a few flicks of my fingers, right?"


    His friend mocked him, saying, "Come on, the Hansen family''s heiress is a tough nut to crack. If you want her to pay more attention to you, you''ll have to put in more effort." "Ha, is it worth my effort for just a woman? I''m just ying around,ter I''ll be tired of her, right? Just wait and see, once she falls in love with me, I''ll dump her."


    The words of empty talk became clear in his mind, hitting him like heavy blows.


    No wonder...


    No wonder, even though their families were on good terms initially, when he greeted Eva, she would smile and nod in response.


    But from then on, in the face of his friendly greetings, Eva would only give him a cold shoulder.

 Chapter 77 Mutation

    Eva guessed that he must have remembered something.


    "How about it? Mr. Myers didn''t forget what he said before, did he?"


    Curiously, his friend asked, "What did you say back then, Chen?"


    Kris''s mind went nk. He had always thought that Eva looked down on his family background and wanted to be with someone more powerful and influential. He never expected that she would hear his casual remarks. Just thinking that his words back then might have caused him to miss out on such a wonderful person, Kris wanted to give himself a big p.


    "It''s not like that!" Kris gritted his teeth and exined with red eyes, "Those words was just joking, I didn''t mean that."


    If he had just been joking around, he wouldn''t have gone all the way to find her just because he heard that she was going to soak in a hot spring.


    "Joking around?" Eva tilted her head, as if pondering those two words. After a moment, she spoke, "So, in Mr. Myers'' eyes, those kinds of words are amusing?"


    Kris: "That''s not what I meant! What I meant was..."


    "Alright, Mr. Myers, let''s get back on track. We''re here today to discuss cooperation. If you don''t want to cooperate with the ckwood family, then there''s no need for us to stay here any longer."


    Kris felt unwilling. After finding out the reason, how could he just let it go like this?


    Kris grabbed Eva''s slender wrist. "Ms. Hansen, listen to me exin."


    Eva furrowed her eyebrows. "Let go."


    "No, please listen to me and let me exin. Back then, I..."


    Bang!


    The partially concealed private room door burst open with a loud noise, startling everyone inside.


    Several burly men in ck rushed into the room.


    "Who are you? Who let you in?"


    As soon as someone questioned, one of the men grabbed his head, pressed it against the cold floor.


    As the host of this event, Kris''s face changed. He had to release Eva''s hand and stand up. "What are you trying to do? Do you know where this ce is? Do you know who I am?" Boom!


    Kris''s face got punched, and he was sent flying.


    "Ah!!" The girl sitting next to Kris screamed in fright.


    Jenny also grabbed onto Eva''s clothes, scared.


    Eva didn''t expect to encounter such a situation when she came out today. Whom did Kris offend? It seemed that she couldn''t stay here any longer. Eva nced at the door, her expression turning worse.


    Several big men blocked the door, sealing it off. If she stood up now and tried to leave with Jenny, would they let them go?


    Eva didn''t dare to act recklessly. She held onto Jenny''s hand and signaled her not to move. Jenny was terrified and could only shrink behind Eva.


    The people at the scene also noticed that these men who came in were tough, they had just sent Kris flying with one punch.


    No


    Steeling themselves, everyone else in the private room remained silent, too afraid to speak. A strange and heavy atmosphere permeated the room.


    Just as Eva was contemting whether or not to take action, the burly man who had sent Kris flying approached her and bowed.


    "Ms. Hansen, hello."


    Eva: "?"


    What''s going on?


    Does he know me?


    Eva looked at him, "Who are you?"


    "Ms. Hansen, our Sir would like to see you."


    The man maintained his gentlemanly demeanor, but did not disclose who their Sir was.


    Well, it was clear that the man would not harm her, and Eva let out a sigh of relief. She pursed her lips but did not move.


    "Ms. Hansen, is there a problem?"


    Eva looked at Jenny beside her and asked, "Can she go first?"


    The burly man paused, then smiled and said, "Of course."


    Since their Sir had only requested Eva, they did not care about the others. Eva felt reassured by this response; it indicated that they did not have any ill intentions and were not enemies. Otherwise, they would have been worried that Jenny would go get reinforcements after leaving.


    "Eva, I''m not leaving," Jenny clung tightly to her arm. "I will stand by your side."


    Eva raised an eyebrow and said, "You go back first."


    She gestured to Jenny, unsure if she understood or not, but Jenny did not persist any further. Jenny cast onest nce before leaving the private room under the gaze of the group.


    As soon as she left, she ran outside and took out her phone to make a call.


    -


    "Ms. Hansen, may we leave now?" the burly man once again extended the invitation.


    Eva remained motionless and asked, "Who is your Sir?"


    At the mention of this, the man fell silent once more. This was Eva''s second inquiry.


    "If you don''t say it, can I choose not to go?" she tested the other person''s bottom line.


    The man hesitated momentarily, torn about something, before saying, "Ms. Hansen, our Sir is an old acquaintance of yours."


    An old acquaintance?


    Someone she knew before?


    Several names instantly shed through Eva''s mind. Judging by the man''s respectful demeanor, she had a few candidates in mind as well. In any case, it seemed that the other party had no malicious intent, and it was better to be with them than to stay here.


    Eva stood up and followed them as they left.


    As Eva departed, the burly men who had previously filled the private room also vacated, leaving it in chaos.


    Eva was led to a luxurious presidential VIP room upstairs. It exuded an air of opulence and was a ce for conducting important business without the irritating smell of alcohol or smoke.


    Eva was surprised to discover such a ce within a bar; it broadened her horizons.


    "Ms. Hansen, I


    "Sir is still discussing matters and wille over after it''s finished. Please wait here."


    After the words fell, someone brought in melons, fruits, and snacks.


    Eva looked at the familiar snacks and fruits on the table, her expression changing because all of them were her favorite.


    It seems that this one... is familiar with her.


    However, who is he?


    Eva thought of the creepy gaze she felt when she went to buy porridge at noon.


    Could those two be the same one?


    She didn''t touch the food on the table and sat bored, even taking out her phone. No one stopped her, not even afraid of her calling the police.


    After taking out her phone, Eva happened to see a message from Jenny.


    "Eva, are you okay?? I''m already outside the bar."


    Eva frowned, "It''s not safe for a girl to stay here sote. You should go back first."


    "No, I want to stand by your side, Eva. Don''t worry, I''ve already called Mr. ckwood, and he will be here soon."

 Chapter 78 Hug him

    Eva didn''t expect herself to be so clever and called Adrian after going out.


    If it were any other time, she would be praising Jenny''s intelligence.


    But recently, she and Adrian were in a quarrel and stay cold to each other, so she couldn''t praise anyone.


    And knowing Adrian''s character, if he found out about tonight''s events, he might scold her again.


    Just thinking about his sternness, which resembled that of an older brother, made Eva feel endlessly annoyed.


    Normally, men are doting and gentle with the women they like, fearing that they might scare them away. But Adrian was always harsh towards her, just like an older brother.


    That was also the reason why Eva felt that he didn''t like her.


    Lost in her thoughts, the sound of steady footsteps outside and the greeting of a big man guarding the door rang out.


    "Mr. Cooper."


    Mr. Cooper?


    This surname made Hansen''s heart skip a beat.


    "Where is he?"


    An unfamiliar yet familiar voice sounded.


    "Ms. Hansen is inside," replied the deep and hoarse voice.


    Eva sat there motionless. Learning who this one was, she was surprised because, in her mind, she had gone through many names when talking about past acquaintances, but she had missed one... Michael. Why would it be him?


    He was the least favorite person from Eva''s childhood, without a doubt.


    Why?


    Although he was one of Adrian''s close friends, Eva never gave him any face because every time they met, this jerk would always pull her pigtails.


    That was not all, he also liked to call her a little girl.


    But what Eva disliked the most was that he talked to her about Adrian and Vivian.


    For example, "Why didn''t youe to Vivian''s birthday party yesterday? Adrian gave her a beautiful ne, have you seen it?"


    Or, "Vivian invited Adrian to a masquerade ball yesterday, and they were chosen as the best partners. Why didn''t youe?"


    And also, "Vivian gave Adrian a custom-made handmade sweater yesterday. She personally drew the design on the back and embroidered the words on the right shoulder. Did you see it?" And so on, Michael would tell her everything about Adrian and Vivian.


    Every time he mentioned it, Eva would earnestly and seriously tell him, "Michael, please don''t tell me about these things anymore. I don''t know, and I don''t want to know, understand?"


    But it seemed like he didn''t understand humannguage. He had to report to her every time.


    Eva became fed up with him.


    Until one day, in the small garden, she overheard Adrian saying that the position beside him would always belong to Vivian.


    Even after Michael told her these things again, she still felt jealous, but she never got angry at Michael anymore.


    All the things she didn''t want to hear had happened. How could she continue to "not mind"?


    "By the way, the position next to him will always be reserved for Vivian. Eventually, Michael realized that Eva remained silent every time Adrian and Vivian were mentioned, so he stopped bringing it up. Shortly after that, Michael went abroad. When he left, everyone went to see him off, except Eva. He sent her a message and asked Adrian to bring her a gift.


    ''Little girl, grow up well.''


    The gift was a silk scarf, in Eva''s taste in terms of color and texture. However, she only nced at it before putting the box away, and never opened it again.


    ''Why haven''t you taken a single bite? Did your taste change, or is it not to your liking?''


    A man''s clear voice sounded behind her, apanied by a faint tobo scent. She turned around to see who it was.


    Five years had passed, and the man had shed the youthful greenness, gaining a sense of stability and sharpness characteristic of a young man.


    His raised eyebrows concealed his shrewdness. He was dressed impably in a white shirt and a dark suit, meticulously essorized with a pastel-colored tie and a gray tie clip.


    Eva''s expression changed. She hadn''t expected that after all these years, he still kept it. Perhaps her gaze was too intense, as Michael raised an eyebrow and smiled, ''What? Don''t recognize me anymore, little girl?''


    The nickname ''little girl'' instantly broke Eva''s facade. She was annoyed and retorted, ''Who is a little girl? Who gave you permission to call me that?'' Observing her flushed cheeks due to anger, Michael couldn''t help but chuckle, ''You''re so puffy from anger, yet you''re still a little girl, aren''t you?'' Pufferfish? Eva looked at him speechlessly. ''Could you please stop giving me nicknames the instant you appear?''


    ''Alright.'' Michael approached with an indulgent smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair, ''Then, give me a hug.'' Hug? Before Eva could react, the man had already opened his arms and bent down. The crisp tobo scent in the air became stronger. Michael embraced the one him and smelled the faint fragrance at the tip of his nose, satisfaction shing through his ink-colored eyes. Five years. It had been five years since hest held her in his arms, but he had yearned for it all this time. If only she hade to see him off five years ago, he wouldn''t have had to wait until now.


    The sense of reality and fulfillment from holding her filled every part of his body, but there was still a slight emptiness in his heart, because... he was afraid of scaring her, so he couldn''t hold her too tight.


    ''Little girl, you''ve grown up, be beautiful, and even lost weight.'' This remark reminded Eva of the message he sent her when he left, urging her to grow up well. After so many years, having someone who cared about her like this, Eva was moved.


    However, it didn''t seem appropriate to be held like this, even though they had been childhood friends. Just as Eva was about to push Michael away, she looked over his shoulder and saw someone standing at the door. It was none other than the one who had received Jenny''s distress call, the one who had been


    Adrian hurriedly arrived, with the buttons on his shirt still undone. He had put in a great deal of effort to find this ce, fearing Eva woulde out. Adrian breathed heavily, his eyes observing the scene before him, his handsome face covered with ayer of frost.


    Since the man had his back turned to him, Adrian had not yet recognized who the one was. He smirked, staring into Eva''s astonished eyes, and said, "Eva,e here!" His impatient tone signaled the end of his patience. Michael also heard the voice, paused, and then realized what was happening, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.


    Sensing that Eva wanted to push him away, Michael''s hand tightened around her waist as he lowered his voice, "Don''t you want to know how he would react if you don''t go over?" What kind of reaction? Eva didn''t need to think to know that Adrian would feel his male dignity bruised.


    She had lost interest in finding out about something that had happened several times before. "I..." Before she could finish her sentence, Adrian, who had been standing at the doorway like an ice sculpture, walked towards them with a gloomy expression. Bang!

 Chapter 79 Resentment in the Heart

    Although he had already prepared himself mentally beforehand,


    Michael didn''t expect Adrian to hit him so hard when his jaw was punched.


    After Adrian beat the other person, he didn''t even bother to see what they looked like.


    Instead, he forcefully grabbed Eva''s delicate wrist and pulled her behind him, then lowered his head and stared at her with a warning and cold gaze. Eva: ""


    He had a ferocious expression on his face, as if questioning her: are you frozen or just stupid, that you can''t push away someone who''s hugging you?


    "Tsk." Michael wiped the blood on the corner of his lips, looking at Adrian with a smile before speaking: "I just came back to the country, and you''re giving me such a grand gift, isn''t that a bit too much, Adrian?" The familiar voice caused Adrian to pause, and then he shifted his gaze away from Eva''s face to look at Michael.


    Their gazes met in the air, with a moment of tension and awkwardness in the atmosphere.


    After a moment, the expression on Adrian''s face returned to normal, and he looked at Michael with a cold attitude: "You''ve returned."


    Michael took out a handkerchief from his pocket and elegantly wiped away the blood on his hands.


    "It seems that someone doesn''t wee me very much."


    Adrian pursed his lips, displeasure hidden in his ink-colored eyes, his aura icy: "What were you doing just now?"


    Michael''s eyes, filled with a teasing gaze, nced over Eva''s fair face before meeting Adrian''s again with a slight smile: "Because I told Eva whether she wanted to see how you would react when I hugged you, Adrian." Adrian: "..."


    After a few seconds of stillness, the cold aura around Adrian diminished.


    So it was to see his reaction, he thought that Michael...


    Michael raised an eyebrow, "Tsk, didn''t expect such a big reaction from you."


    Adrian pursed his lips, not taking the bait, just snorted, then held Eva''s hand while continuing the conversation with Michael.


    "When did youe back? Why didn''t you say anything?"


    Michael nced at the hands of them holding each other, smiling, "I took the morning flight today, arrived around noon."


    For some reason, Eva recalled the ck car downstairs at thepany at noon and the piercing gaze she felt.


    With this thought in mind, she looked at Michael and happened to catch him looking at her.


    Adrian didn''t notice because all his attention was on Eva''s hand. Her small hand was delicate, soft, and her skin was smooth.


    Holding it in his palm was like holding a ball of cotton.


    They hadn''t been close for a long time, so Adrian didn''t even have the chance to hold her hand. Now that he had the chance to do so, he realized that he missed it.


    Later on, Adrian even forced her to intertwine their fingers tightly.


    Eva nced at Adrian; her eyebrows furrowed.


    "Since it''s toote today, I can''t apany you and have a chat. Let''s do it tomorrow when I have time."


    "Alright." Michael nodded with a smile, "See you tomorrow, don''t forget to invite everyone to get together."


    Adrian nodded, "Mhm, it''s gettingte, let''s head back."


    "You guys go ahead."


    "Let''s go."


    Adrian led Eva out of the room.


    Once they left, the smile on Michael''s lips disappeared, and he took out a handkerchief to wipe the cut on his lips. Then he threw the pristine handkerchief into the nearby trash bin.


    -


    After leaving the bar, Eva remembered something, "Where''s Jenny?"


    She came with me, but after I went to meet Michael, Jenny went to find reinforcements, and I don''t know where she is now.


    Adrian replied, "She left."


    "She left?"


    Adrian''s tone was impatient, "Should she have stayed and waited for you? Do you know where we are?"


    Eva paused, not knowing how to respond to his brotherly scolding tone.


    It''s always like this!


    Eva pulled away from his hand and responded defiantly, "Of course I know where we are, but so what? After I leave, only Jenny can take over my position. I have to apany her and discuss our coboration." Adrian''s expression remained cold, "Do you have to discuss coboration in a ce like this?"


    "What else can we do?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    Thinking about what happened tonight, Eva was annoyed.


    Kris has been disrespecting her because Adrian has been bringing Vivian to thepanytely, which has led to a lot of negative rumors about her.


    Now everyone thinks she is just a discarded woman by Adrian.


    Although she knows she shouldn''t feel resentful and shouldn''t have any grounds for resentment, she epted someone else''s affection.


    Adrian always cleans up those who humiliate her, helps her father, and even brought her to thepany to learn, providing her with such a good environment for growth. She should be grateful, full of gratitude. But why...


    Why does resentment grow in her heart? Jealousy takes root, sprouts, and grows in secret ces.


    Eva knows that her feelings are wrong, so she can only suppress and restrain herself, not allow any hatred towards Adrian and Vivian.


    They are people who have helped her.


    But sometimes, when Adrian is gone, and she thinks about the strange stares at thepany, she can''t help but wonder.


    Why?


    Why now, when she just needs to wait for her grandmother to finish her surgery.


    It wouldn''t take long, so why would he bring Vivian to thepany at this time and let people criticize her so much?


    Why did she have to fall in love with Adrian?


    If she didn''t like him in the first ce, everything would be better.


    Adrian, is unaware.


    Eva''s thoughts at this moment were only focused on her standing there, with redness in her eyes.


    he realized that his words just now may have been too harsh.


    But if he didn''t speak sternly, she would have no idea about the treacherous nature of the outside world. If she hadn''t run into Michael tonight, and instead encountered someone else, and if he happened to miss Jenny''s call? What would happen then? The consequences would be unimaginable.


    Adrian softened his voice a bit.


    "Didn''t I tell you to choose a safe ce when discussing work? If the other party refuses, you simply don''t go. You are the young mistress of the ckwood family, and no one dare to bully you." Eva couldn''t help butugh sarcastically.


    "The young mistress of the ckwood family? No one dare to bully me? But what if one day I''m no longer associated with this title?"


    Adrian was surprised.


    Eva watched him; her voice gentle.


    "You tell me, how would those people view me if they knew that our marriage is fake?" The Hansen family went bankrupt long ago, and she has had nothing for a long time.


    She has been working hard in the past two years, trying to prove herself because she urgently wants to show that she is not respected solely because of being the young mistress of the ckwood family.


    But only after putting in all that effort, did she realize that without the title of the young mistress of the ckwood family, she is still nothing.

 Chapter 80 Leave Early

    On the way back, them remained silent.


    Adrian''s face was gloomy, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel with such force that it seemed like he wanted to dismantle it. Thinking about what Eva said before getting into the car, Adrian felt restless.


    He had never thought about this issue before, but now that Eva brought it up, he understood something. Adrian nced at Eva.


    Since getting into the car, she had curled up into a ball, huddled in her seat with her eyes closed, as if shutting out the entire world and only leaving herself. After living with her for so many years, how could Adrian not understand how hard she worked and how much she wanted to prove herself in her career? But today, she had been frustrated.


    On the way here, he had listened to Jenny describe what had happened today, but when she reached the end, she hesitated and stopped talking.


    How smart was Adrian? He pressed her for more.


    Jenny, as expected of someone who had been by Eva''s side, took the opportunity to speak up, "That Mr. ckwood, you can''t me me, and you can''t tell Eva sis that it was me who said it." Adrian frowned, "Nonsense."


    "Well, I''ll say it then!"


    Jenny took a deep breath and then said over the phone, "That Mr. Myers said to tell Eva sis that she doesn''t need to work so hard anymore.


    Mr. ckwood has brought women into thepany, and she''s about to be abandoned and left with no one. the Hansen family has gone bankrupt, so anyone can bully her however they want in the future, and Mr. ckwood won''t stand up for her either."


    Adrian''s brow furrowed as he heard this, "What did you say?"


    Jenny emphasized, "Mr. ckwood, I didn''t say that!"


    Adrian reached out and pinched his temples, making a sound of agreement.


    His thoughts returned, and Adrian felt a headacheing on.


    Half an hourter, the car stopped in the underground garage of the ckwood family mansion.


    Eva, who had been curled up all along, opened her eyes and her gaze met Adrian''s.


    Adrian raised his chin towards her, "You go ahead, Grandma is still awake, waiting for you."


    Eva understood his meaning and nodded, "Alright, I''ll go and tell Grandma."


    After she finished speaking, she unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to get out of the car. "Wait."


    Eva turned around, confused, and saw Adrian leaning over, his familiar cold scent instantly surrounding her.


    As she watched his handsome face draw closer, to the point where she could even see the lines on his lips, Eva''s pupils contracted, and she leaned back.


    Adrian''s movements paused, and after realizing what Eva was doing, ayer of frost formed on his face. "What''s wrong? Avoiding me so much, do you think I want to kiss you?"


    Eva saw that his expression was off and knew that she had misunderstood just now.


    She pursed her lips and turned her head away without looking at him.


    Eva was going to exin, but at this point, any exnation seemed superfluous.


    So Eva simply couldn''t be bothered to exin, instead she asked, "Why did you suddenlye closer?"


    Adrian snorted softly but did not answer. He returned to his seat with a sour expression on his face.


    "Go downstairs, and remember to get rid of the smell of alcohol before you see Grandma."


    Hearing this, what else was there for Eva to misunderstand?


    He hade close to her just now to check if she had the smell of alcohol on her.


    The atmosphere was a bit awkward, but in the end, Eva didn''t say anything and got out of the car. After she left, the inside of the car quieted down.


    Adrian took out his keys, got out of the car, and leaned against it while pulling out his phone.


    -


    His tone was cold: "Check the recent acquisition ns."


    Eva hadn''t been drinking; the smell of alcohol was all from the private room, so she just went back to her room to change her clothes and wash her face before going to report her safety to Grandma. Granny ckwood was indeed still awake, and only after seeing Eva safe and sound did she breathe a sigh of relief.


    "It''s good that you''re fine."


    Granny ckwood held her hand and patted it gently, sighing with heavy emotion, "I don''t know if my surgery will be sessful. If it isn''t, I might not have the chance to see you all again. I''m old and don''t have any particr wishes; I just hope that all you young ones stay safe and sound."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s expression changed.


    "Grandma, what are you talking about? The surgery will definitely be sessful, and you''ll be with us for a long time! You can''t talk like that anymore; otherwise, I''ll be upset."


    The elderly Granny ckwood noticed the change in her tone and expression, and couldn''t help but smile.


    "I knew you cared about me. Alright, alright, I''ll try to be fine." After saying that, she gently poked Eva''s puffed-up cheek, "You girl... let me tell you a little secret."


    "A secret? What secret?" Curiosity appeared on Eva''s face.


    "That boy, as soon as he heard something happened to you, ran out without even dressing properly, all flustered. In such cold weather, he didn''t even wear a coat." Eva paused for a moment.


    She hadn''t expected Granny ckwood to speak for Adrian.


    She must have noticed the recent tension between her and Adrian.


    Sure enough, without waiting for her to respond, Granny ckwood asked, "Hasn''t the awkwardness fromst time been resolved?"


    Eva didn''t want to speak ill of Adrian, so she just pursed her lips and said softly, "No, it''s a new awkwardness."


    "Hmm?"


    Eva bit her lower lip, somewhat helplessly saying, "It''s about work, we have some disagreements, so..."


    There was no other excuse, otherwise, it would be too difficult to convince Granny ckwood.


    But to her surprise, Granny ckwood didn''t seem to fully believe this exnation and instead asked, "Is it just about work?"


    Eva looked at her uncertainly.


    Granny ckwood chuckled softly, "Does it have anything to do with that Vivian Morrison?"


    Eva couldn''t help but reveal her thoughts, despite her efforts to control her facial expressions. "Grandmother..."


    "She is beautiful and with a nice personality. she saved Adrian''s life. Like, a benefactor of our entire ckwood family. It''s normal for you to have some concerns when you see her. But throughout the generations, there hasn''t been a second- marriage man in the ckwood family. Even though someone has passed away, let me earnestly tell you that the men of the ckwood family have always been faithful. If they fall in love, it''s for a lifetime."


    Granny ckwood''s words were meant to ease Eva''s worries and prevent her from overthinking because of Vivian''s presence.


    Eva marveled at Granny ckwood''s keen observation in her heart, while also falling silent because of her words.


    Yes, the men of the ckwood family have always been faithful. If they fall in love, it''s for a lifetime.


    But these words were based on the assumption that Adrian loved Eva.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t know that the one Adrian loved was Vivian. Eva felt even morepelled to leave as soon as possible.

 Chapter 81 No Need to Worry About Me

    However, in the end, Eva nodded and agreed.


    When she returned to her room, she found Adrian sitting on the sofa.


    Thinking about the words her grandmother said, Eva inspected his clothes.


    As her grandmother said, he was only wearing a ck shirt, leaning against the dark sofa, his gloomy aura almost blending with the sofa.


    Eva never expected that things would escte to this point today.


    Even if they weren''t married, they were still good friends since childhood, just without the intimacy of a married couple.


    Beneath thisyer, he had still helped her a lot.


    Eva knew she should lower her head first, but for some reason, she stood there and looked at Adrian for a long time, and in the end, she didn''t say anything and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, Adrian was no longer in the bedroom.


    Instead, her phone had several messages.


    Eva took it out and nced at it, realizing it was from an unfamiliar number.


    "Little girl, this is my phone number, remember to save it."


    Although he didn''t say his name, this nickname could only be used by one person, and Eva knew who it was.


    After saving the number under Michael''s name, she replied, "I''ve grown up, can you stop calling me like that?"


    She didn''t know if Michael had his phone with him or if he happened to be ying with his phone, but he replied quickly, "Then what should I call you?"


    "Name."


    Considering her rtionship with Michael, calling each other by their names was the best option.


    "Name?" Michael''s question mark seemed to be pondering. After a moment, he sent another message, "Alright, let''s go with Eve from now on."


    Eve...


    This nickname made Eva''s expression change. Only Adrian had ever called her this, and even he only called her that when he was angry.


    Just as she was about to reply, Michael sent another message, "Alright, the nickname is settled for now. I still have some work to handle here, so rest up and see you tomorrow."


    Originally, Eva had nned to tell him not to call her that randomly, but when she saw Michael''s message, she abandoned the idea of replying.


    She just nced at the time and realized it was already almost ten o''clock.


    "It''s sote, and he still has work."


    After saying that, she thought about Adrian, who was not in the room, and wondered where he had gone.


    Eva put away her phone andy down on the bed, soon falling asleep.


    ***


    The next day, when Eva woke up, she found the position next to her empty, and it seemed like Adrian hadn''te back at allst night.


    She sat there for a while, lost in thought, before getting up and going downstairs to freshen up.


    When Eva passed by the study, she coincidentally encountered Adrian opening the door and walking out. Their eyes met in mid-air, and they both froze.


    Neither of them expected to meet here.


    After a moment, Adrian looked at her with an expressionless face and casually said, "Good evening."


    "Michael is going to invite everyone to go out and gather, right?"


    His tone was sour and his aura was cold.


    Eva thought that afterst night, them would continue their silent treatment. She was even thinking about what to say if her grandmother continued to ask when they would go eat. But she didn''t expect Adrian to take the initiative to break the ice with her.


    As Eva was surprised, she thought about how she used to argue with Adrian when they were young. They would argue fiercely, and back then, being young, they didn''t choose their words carefully.


    After the argument, Eva would always feel regret, but she couldn''t bring herself to talk to him, so she decided to ignore him. However, he would always be the one to initiate conversation with her, no matter how many times they had the silent treatment. even if he initiated, his expression would still be sour.


    If she ignored him, he would be even more angry and continue to talk to her through gritted teeth.


    Lost in her thoughts, Eva nodded.


    "Alright."


    Adrian''s expression softened.


    After having a meal, them went out together again. Eva intended to drive herself, but when she turned around, she saw Adrian rolling down the car window, looking at her with cold eyes. "Get in the car."


    Thinking about how they would be attending the gathering togetherter that night, Eva didn''t refuse.


    The entire trip was silent, and once they arrived at thepany, they each went to their respective work stations.


    Just as Eva sat down, she received a message from her best friend, Emily.


    "How have you been recently? Granny ckwood''s surgery got postponed, so does that mean your matters will be postponed as well?" "Mhm."


    "Ah, so how long will it be postponed for?"


    "Not sure for now. Granny is currently resting, so it might depend on her decision."


    ""


    Emily replied with six dots.


    Eva knew what she meant.


    "Don''t worry for me, I will handle it properly."


    Even after a while, Emily still hadn''t replied, but Eva didn''t mind. She guessed that Emily was busy with something.


    Coincidentally, Jenny walked in holding a stack of documents.


    "Eva, sis."


    She looked at Eva with a worried expression and cautiously asked, "You and Mr. ckwood are okay afterst night, right?"


    "We''re fine."


    "That''s good." Jenny ced the documents on the desk and breathed a sigh of relief. After Eva got into the carst night, she had asked the taxi to wait outside. Later, she saw theme out, but instead of leaving, they stood by the car and said something to each other.


    After a while, it seemed like they had an argument, but Jenny couldn''t hear what they were saying because she was too far away.


    She felt a bit guilty.


    Last night, when she was badmouthing Kris to Adrian, she exaggerated things.


    She disliked Krisst night, and most importantly, she wanted to keep Eva, so she deliberately said things that would make Adrian sympathize with her.


    As Eva opened the folder, she felt something.


    Raise her eyes to look at Jenny.


    "You seem like you have something to say?"


    Jenny waved her hands.


    "No."


    She awkwardly scratched her forehead, "Then I''ll go out first."


    "Yeah, remember to close the door for me."


    "Okay, sister Eva."


    Jenny walked out with a dejected expression. In fact, she wanted to apologize to Eva for what happenedst night, but...


    She reached the door and closed it on her way out.


    She didn''t dare to apologize because Eva''s expression didn''t look good, so she was afraid to anger her if she said anything.


    But, if it wasn''t because of her, Eva wouldn''t have encountered such a situationst night.


    Jenny leaned against the door, gloomily poking her finger.


    Brent walked over with something in his hand. He saw Jenny standing outside the door and smiled at her, about to speak, when a voice came from inside the room.


    "If it wasn''t for you being pregnant, what would I worry about for you? Handle it properly, how are you handling it? Dragging the days on, won''t your belly grow bigger?"

 Chapter 82 The Secret is Eavesdropped

    When the voice came out of her phone, Eva couldn''t even press the button to cut it off in time.


    By the time she got hold of the phone, the voice message had already finished ying. Eva: "..."


    What was going on? She thought Emily had finished her errands and was going toe back and curse at some boss or another dog. Who would have thought that she was talking about her own affairs? Eva''s face changed and she stood up, opening the door.


    There was no one outside.


    She breathed a sigh of relief.


    She had asked Jenny to go out and close the door behind her. She shouldn''t have stayed, so she didn''t hear that voice message.


    But Eva was still not at ease. She took a few steps forward, exploring her surroundings, and after confirming that there was no one, she went back inside.


    Then she deleted the voice message that Emily had sent just now and criticized her sternly.


    Emily apologized and said she was just too excited and that it wouldn''t happen again.


    not far away in the staircase, a man and a woman stood face to face, breathing heavily, and their faces were filled withplicated expressions.


    The smile on Brent''s lips seemed to freeze, stuck in a half-smile as he stood there, and Jenny, who was standing across from him, was even more out of control. Jenny''s eyes widened, her mouth gaping open, as if she could fit an egg inside.


    They stood there, looking at each other.


    After a minute, Brent, who thought he had better mentalposure, regained hisposure and asked, "Were we here the whole time just now?" Jenny didn''t understand what he meant


    "Huh?"


    "I mean, I didn''t go to Ms. Hansen''s office just now, right?"


    Jenny: "..."


    Brent knew that what happened just now was real.


    He realized that he, the assistant of the boss, and this secretary had stumbled upon an incredible secret unintentionally.


    After a pause, he couldn''t control himself and asked, "Are you saying that Ms. Hansen is carrying Mr. ckwood''s child?"


    In a state of confusion, Jenny replied, "Yes, definitely."


    Brent: "Um, how do you know? It seems like... she doesn''t want anyone to know, right? I mean, maybe even Mr. ckwood doesn''t know."


    He found it strange.


    If he didn''t misunderstand the conversation just now, Eva was pregnant but didn''t dare to let people know, so she was worried about not being able to hide her growing belly in the future. Jenny, who had now realized what was going on, replied, "Isn''t it normal for Mr. ckwood to not know?"


    This statement left Brent speechless, as if his worldview had been shattered.


    A couple, with the wife being pregnant and the husband not knowing, and she even said that it was normal. Brent felt that this assistant had some issues with her way of thinking.


    Just as he was about to say something.


    When Brent was brainwashed and correcting her views, he heard Jenny say seriously and earnestly, "Do you know that thepany has been saying that Mr. ckwood is about to divorce Ms. Hansen because Vivian is the one Mr. ckwood loves. Not only does she visit Mr. ckwood''s office, sit in the passenger seat of Mr. ckwood''s car, but she also brings him meals and soup. If I were Ms. Hansen, I certainly wouldn''t let Mr. ckwood find out."


    Brent felt that she was right! Vivian had beening to thepany every day before, and although Brent didn''t like her, she was useless to him, as he attempted to deal with her in his own way.


    Because the source of the problem lies with Adrian.


    Just now, he was too shocked to think about this.


    Jenny lowered her voice and asked, "Is that right? Don''t you think this is a form of betrayal?"


    Brent had nothing to say.


    Putting himself in Ms. Hansen''s shoes, he could understand and even feel angry on her behalf.


    "You''re not saying anything, so does that mean you agree? Then..." Jenny whispered, "Let''s keep what happened today a secret."


    Brent nodded in agreement.


    "I understand that we shouldn''t be involved in this kind of matter to begin with."


    "That''s good, let''s pretend we didn''t hear anything. Ms. Hansen is already in a pitiful state, and we shouldn''t add to her troubles."


    "However,..." Brent frowned, "I don''t understand why Ms. Hansen doesn''t tell Mr. ckwood. If she did, maybe Mr. ckwood wouldn''t have any contact with Vivian anymore, right?" "Tch." Jenny scoffed, "What century are we in? You still believe in the nonsense of using children to bind a man?"


    Brent felt embarrassed by her response.


    "In any case, we must keep this matter a secret. Whoever spreads rumors will be single for the rest of their life," Jenny said fiercely.


    Brent: "..."


    Being single for the rest of their life, that consequence is too severe, isn''t it? Brent wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. "Can we change it?"


    "No!" Jenny gritted her teeth, "If you care so much, then it has to be this consequence, so that you won''t speak out!"


    "Alright."


    Brent could only assure Jenny, "If I go out and spread rumors, I''ll be single for the rest of my life."


    Jenny nodded in satisfaction.


    After discussing for a while, they both left with different thoughts.


    After returning, Jenny sat in her seat and couldn''t help but turn her head to look at Eva''s office.


    She never expected to find out about this today, and she felt that she would be very guilty when facing Eva in the future. Jenny covered her cheeks and sighed. she felt sorry for Eva.


    Last time in the cafeteria, everyone was talking about her. On the surface, she appeared calm, but in reality, she must have been hiding a lot of pain in her heart. Brent returned to his own workstation with aplicated mood.


    The others curiously asked, "Brent, isn''t this supposed to be for Ms. Hansen? Why did you bring it back?"


    Prompted by everyone''s reminder, Brent just realized that he had forgotten to deliver the documents. He sighed and pped his thigh in despair.


    "Oh, by the way, Brent, Mr. ckwood wants you to go over there."


    Mr. ckwood?


    "Got it."


    Brent had no choice but to entrust someone else with delivering the documents to Ms. Hansen.


    He went to the president''s office.


    Brent saw Adrian sitting behind the desk. He had a handsome face, but his eyes were cold. The straight corners of his lips made him appear sharp, with an immense presence from years of being in power.


    On ordinary days, in Brent''s eyes, Adrian was both beautiful and powerful. Sometimes, he even wondered how the world could have such a perfect man like Mr. ckwood.


    But now he could only feel that Adrian was acting like a ''dog-headed pig-brained'' person. Otherwise, why would he reject someone as good as Ms. Hansen and get entangled with Vivian instead? Adrian was working, but he vaguely felt an angry gaze on him. He furrowed his brows and looked towards the one.


    "What is it?"

 Chapter 83 What Guilty Deed Have You Done?

    "Scum man!"


    "What did you say?" Adrian squinted his eyes displeasingly, his aura bing more hostile. The icy voice snapped Brent back to reality.


    Damn it, wasn''t he just cursing in his mind for his own amusement? How did it slip out?


    Brent felt speechless about himself.


    However, based on his experience in the workce, he came up with a response.


    "Apologies, Mr. ckwood, I wasn''t referring to you. I just watched a trashy idol drama with my momst night, and the male lead in it was a scum man!"


    Yes, that''s right, that''s his exnation.


    An idol drama?


    Adrian furrowed his brows, staring at him. "You''re thinking about this kind of stuff during work hours?"


    Tch, what''s wrong with thinking about this stuff? Weren''t you also fooling around with women during work hours?


    Brent wouldn''t say these words.


    "Not at all, Mr. ckwood. It just came to mind on my way here. The drama was just too trashy, and the male lead was disgusting, entangling himself with two women. Mr. ckwood, would you say that''s a scum man?"


    "I don''t have time to listen to your random nonsense. Handle this acquisition proposal." Adrian threw a file at him, not paying attention to what Brent said about a man entangled with two women.


    Although Brent was still cursing Adrian as a scum man in his mind, he still had to do his job. He picked up the file and muttered, "Alright, I understand."


    The tone of his voice...


    Adrian couldn''t help but raise his gaze and look at him. Not looking was fine, but as soon as he raised his gaze, he saw Brent''s eyes staring at him.


    He had been working with him for so many years, when had he ever looked at him with such eyes?


    Adrian squinted his eyes and asked, "Brent, are you transferring your hatred for the scum man in the TV drama onto me?"


    Brent smirked at his words and said, "Isn''t that right, Mr. ckwood? You don''t know that the scum man in the drama looks so much like you. So whenever I see you, I think of that scum man." Adrian: "..."


    He could associate himself with a TV drama. What should he say? a good subordinate he has?


    "So, Mr. ckwood, you can''t me me for this. If anyone should be med, it should be that actor who looks so much like you. No, it''s not just that he looks like you, he''s also doing scum man things, entangling himself with two women. It''s simply despicable." Even if Adrian hadn''t thought in this direction before, under Brent''s using tone and expression, he understood.


    He narrowed his eyes, staring at Brent.


    "Are you making indirect usations?"


    Brent exaggeratedly denied, "Indirect usations? I didn''t understand. I''m not cursing a scum man."


    Adrian: "......"


    Brent had a look of sudden realization: "I understand now, Mr. ckwood. You don''t think that when I criticize the scumbag in this TV drama, I''m insulting you, do you? That''s impossible, Mr. ckwood. Even though Miss Morrison alwayses to your office and stays with you, I believe that Mr. ckwood would never have anything with Miss Morrison, nor would he do anything to hurt Ms. Hansen. He''s not the scumbag in that TV drama, right?"


    Adrian couldn''t stand listening to his rambling any longer, and interrupted him: "It seems like you''ve been idletely."


    Five minutester


    Brent walked out of the office with several folders in his hand, his face pale.


    He looked down at the documents in his arms, the work he had toplete within the next three days, all because he had pointed fingers.


    Sigh, if only he had endured it.


    But whenever Brent thought about Ms. Hansen being pregnant and not being able to tell Adrian because of his uncertain rtionship with Vivian, he felt a burning anger in his heart. How much pain must Ms. Hansen be in?


    That''s why Brent had already decided that even if Adrian oppressed him like this in the future, he would still scold the scumbag!


    -


    Eva didn''t know what was happening over there, she was still handling her work.


    But she hadn''t been working for long when she started feeling sleepy and yawning theputer screen.


    Jenny brought her water and happened to see this scene, and spoke up with concern, "Eva, are you tired? Let me handle it."


    Her attentive manner surprised Eva.


    "Do you know how?"


    "Eva, you''ve been putting so much effort into teaching metely, I''ve also learned a lot, I should have no problem."


    Jenny simply helped her up, saying, "Eva, go rest for a while, leave this to me."


    Eva wanted to refuse, taking a break during working hours wasn''t ideal.


    But she was so tired that she couldn''t resist, and nodded.


    "Alright, I''ll rest for ten minutes."


    "Sure."


    Eva went into her resting room.


    In her current position, even if she rested here for the entire day, people would only talk behind her back, but they wouldn''t be able to do anything to her. Besides, she was only taking a ten-minute break.


    Once she entered the break room, Eva gently touched her belly and whispered, "Little one, you''re not only greedy for food, but also for sleep."


    After saying that, she grabbed a nket and fell into a deep sleep on the couch.


    Outside the break room, Jenny was sitting at Eva''s desk, fighting hard.


    From now on, she would protect Eva!


    Eva intended to sleep for only ten minutes, but ended up oversleeping. When she woke up, an hour had already passed.


    As she got up and went out, she noticed Jenny still at her workstation. Jenny turned around and gave Eva a big smile.


    "Eva sister, you''re awake! How was your sleep? It''s only been an hour; you should sleep a bit more."


    While speaking, Jenny even pulled over a chair and helped Eva sit down.


    Eva sat down, feeling confused.


    "Eva sister, I bought you a dessert. You must be hungry, have a bite before lunch."


    Dessert...


    Eva nced at the strawberry cake Jenny bought for her. It looked good and delicious.


    However, Jenny''s behavior raised suspicions.


    "Eva sister, what would you like to eat for lunch? Let me buy it for you as well."


    Eva looked at her and couldn''t help but ask, "What guilty secret are you hiding?"


    Why else would she be so attentive? Eva was worried that Jenny had heard the voice message from Emily earlier, so she had to test her now.


    when Jenny heard her question, her expression became unnatural, and she avoided eye contact. "N-nothing,."

 Chapter 84 Cold-hearted

    Is it because she was too much? If she had known, she would have behaved more. But when Jenny found out that Eva was pregnant and Mr. ckwood was involved with other women, she only felt heartache for her and wanted to help,


    without any other thoughts.


    "Hmm?"


    Eva''s heart sank. Could she have heard her?


    Although Jenny is usually timid, her mind is quick.


    Smelling something amiss, she figured it out.


    "it''s because of what happenedst night." Jenny awkwardly touched the back of her head. "If it weren''t for me, Eva sis wouldn''t have been told those things by Chen Shao. I just wanted to make it up to her."


    If she said it like this, Eva sis shouldn''t suspect her anymore, right?


    after Eva''s expression improved a little.


    So it was because of what happenedst night. If that''s the case, then she could understand.


    Eva chuckled: "Last night was an ident, but also a lesson. You must remember it."


    "Yes." Jenny nodded vigorously. "Eva sis, rest assured, I will remember it and promise not to repeat it."


    After making the promise, Jenny changed the topic, "So, what do you want to eat for lunch, Eva sis? I can go buy it for you."


    "No need." Eva had already picked up the dessert Jenny bought for her. "If it''s because of what happenedst night, then consider this cake as an apology."


    She was hungry now, and this little cake was just perfect.


    Jenny felt happy because she didn''t know what to buy for Eva. When she saw this exquisitely made and beautiful cake, she decided to buy it, and it happened to suit Eva''s taste.


    Since she couldn''t buy lunch, she would prepare some snacks for Eva sis in the future. Her mother had said that when pregnant, people often crave for something.


    Fortunately, she reacted just now and mentioned what happenedst night. Otherwise, she would have been discovered.


    -


    At the gathering


    Everyone was chatting and whispering among themselves.


    "Hey, howe I didn''t receive any news about Michael''s return before? When did hee back?"


    "Not sure. Michael used to be very busy, and we lost touch after he went abroad. His sudden return is normal for us not to know."


    They were talking while the main characters hadn''t arrived yet.


    "Do you think Adrian will bring Vivian tonight?"


    "I don''t think so, right? Adrian is with Eva now. If Vivianes, it would be awkward, right?"


    "But didn''t Adrian like Vivian before? Why is he with Eva now?"


    "I heard it''s because the Hansen family went bankrupt. Adrian wants to help Eva, so they got married."


    "Have you heard? Adrian and Eva told you?"


    "They didn''t tell me personally, but everyone outside is saying so, and I haven''t seen them deny it either."


    A group of people were having a heated discussion before the protagonist arrived.


    Until a burst of footsteps could be heard from outside the private room, everyone looked at each other and lowered their voices.


    The door to the private room opened, revealing a tall and slender figure that caught everyone''s attention.


    Michael was wearing a white suit, paired with sses with a gold frame, making him look refined.


    Compared to the youthful Michael from five years ago, he had grown into someone mature and charismatic, making it hard for people to look away. "Michael."


    Everyone stood up to greet him.


    Michael smiled and nodded at everyone, scanning the room but not finding the one he wanted to see, which made him lose some focus.


    If that little girl won''te tonight?


    No, Adrian hasn''t shown up yet. Given her current situation, she shoulde with Adrian.


    Lost in his thoughts, a soft voice came from behind.


    "Excuse me..."


    "Vivian!"


    Someone in the private room called out Vivian''s name, and Vivian realized that this was the ce she was looking for.


    Michael turned around and nced at Vivian, who was dressed provocatively, nodding at her.


    A look of astonishment shed in Vivian''s eyes.


    The familiar features of the man her made her recognize who he was.


    "Michael?"


    With her surprised inquiry, Michael smiled and nodded, taking the opportunity to push his sses up his face. "Hello."


    The few girls who came with Vivian saw Michael''s refined appearance and were amazed.


    He''s too handsome.


    It took Vivian a while to respond, and she took the initiative to extend her hand to him.


    "Long time no see. You''ve changed a lot; I almost didn''t recognize you."


    Michael was surprised, surprise flickering in his eyes behind the sses. He muttered, "Changed a lot?"


    He was not someone who cared about others'' emotions or opinions, but just now, it seemed that everyone''s expressions changed dramatically when they looked at him, including this woman him who was known as Adrian''s goddess. He had changed over the years.


    But if he had changed so much, why didn''t the little girl have any reaction when she saw him?


    Michael still rememberedst night when he appeared Eva, her gaze and expression were calm.


    Perhaps she didn''t notice his changes, or maybe she simply didn''t care.


    Thinking of thetter possibility, Michael''s eyes behind the sses darkened, and his thin lips formed a straight line.


    "It has been a long time."


    With that, he shook Vivian''s hand and then let go.


    Vivian was momentarily stunned, wondering why


    Looking at his hands that pulled back.


    Is it her illusion?


    She feels like Michael seems to despise her.


    And just now, she mentioned that he has changed a lot, and his mood seemed to be not so high after hearing it. Why?


    Vivian''s friend suggested at this time, "Let''s go in first."


    Only then did Viviane back to her senses and nodded.


    Everyone took their seats, and Vivian''s seat happened to be opposite Michael.


    On the surface, Michael looked gentle, but no one dared to sit next to him in the seat next to him, so he was the only one in that seat.


    He spoke confidently and behaved with grace and courtesy, like a modest gentleman.


    This kind of Michael made Vivian lose her mind several times.


    Time passed minute by minute, and almost everyone at the gathering had arrived, leaving only Adrian and Eva.


    Michael had the patience to chat with everyone, butter, he couldn''t help but take out his phone to check the message he sent in the afternoon. That little girl hasn''t replied to him yet. Tsk, she is cold-hearted.

 Chapter 85 Growing Anxiety

    Until someone in the private room asked, "Is Adrianing to Michael''s weing party?"


    "He shoulde, they were good brothers back in the day."


    "Why haven''t we seen him yet?"


    Yeah, why haven''t we seen him yet?


    Vivian nced at her phone. She had messaged Adrian before she left, asking where he was, but he didn''t reply. Vivian guessed that he was driving and it was inconvenient for him to reply. But she had already arrived, and so much time had passed, yet he still hadn''t shown up, nor replied to her message.


    Vivian couldn''t help but feel a bit worried.


    Her friend noticed her holding her phone, a calcting expression flickered in their eyes, then they said everyone, "Vivian, why don''t you give Adrian a call? He''ll answer your call." Vivian looked at her friend who spoke, and her friend winked at her, indicating for her to make the call.


    Vivian understood what her friend meant. They simply wanted to confirm her rtionship with Adrian everyone.


    But... she had messaged Adrian before she left, and he still hadn''t replied. If she called him now, would he answer?


    So making this call might not be safe. What if Adrian didn''t answer? Wouldn''t she lose face?


    Vivian tugged at her lip and said, "Forget it, it''s already thiste. If he''s not in the elevator, he''s driving. Even if I call, he won''t answer."


    Unfortunately, everyone''s curiosity had already been piqued.


    "Just call, just try it out."


    "Yeah, Vivian, we all know how important you are in Adrian''s heart. He''ll answer your call, even if he''s driving."


    Everyone urged her to make the call.


    Vivian felt a little hesitant, and nced at Michael sitting across from her.


    Michael seemed oblivious to themotion, and continued to look at his phone screen, lowering his head.


    "Vivian, make the call, it''s been so long since we''ve heard Adrian''s voice."


    "Yeah, Vivian, just think of it as satisfying our curiosity. Just making one call is fine."


    Satisfy your curiosity?


    Vivian sneered in her heart, who do you think you are?


    If it wasn''t for Adrian''s face, she wouldn''t want toe to this gathering at all.


    Vivian smiled and was about to say something, when the door to the private room was pushed open.


    Everyone looked towards the sound.


    Adrian, wearing a ck coat, walked in looking dusty, followed by Eva, who was also wearing a coat but in a light beige color.


    Eva had tied her waist-length hair behind her head, without any makeup, natural and beautiful.


    But even so, her beauty was not at all affected. She had well-defined facial features,bined with her fair and delicate skin, making her look wless. As soon as she entered the private room, Eva was surprised by the crowd, while Adrian remained indifferent, with no intention of exining.


    Eva had no choice but to speak up: "Sorry, we got stuck in traffic on the way here."


    Her voice was clear and melodious, like flowing water that sounded pleasing to the ear.


    Standing next to Adrian, her slender figurebined with their simr coat styles gave off the illusion that they were a couple wearing matching outfits.


    Several years ago, when they were still teenagers, Eva and Adrian were childhood sweethearts. Wherever Adrian was, Eva would be there too. They often went out together, and everyone had be used to it.


    But precisely because of this, no one had ever considered that there could be anything more between them. Having seen each other''s true selves too much, without any filters, how could they be together? And if they had feelings for each other, they would have been together long ago.


    So it made the onlookers feel a sense of mncholy, unable to help but direct their gaze towards Vivian in the center of the room.


    Vivian was also feeling uneasy at this moment.


    Because the way these two were dressed was like a p to her face.


    Her inner turmoil grew, and the situation was out of her control. But what else could she do? There were so many people present; she couldn''t afford to embarrass herself.


    Vivian got up and walked to Eva''s side, affectionately linking her arm with hers.


    "It''s alright, it doesn''t matter if you''rete. As long as you arrived safely, sit with me."


    Eva had seen her true colors and knew that she liked to put on a performance everyone. When she pulled her over, Eva restrained her gaze and did not refuse, sitting down beside her.


    The crowd was surprised, their gazes shifting between the two faces, their expressionsplicated.


    Adrian took a seat next to Michael.


    "You''re here."


    Although these words were spoken after Adrian had sat down, Michael''s gaze was fixed on Eva.


    "Mhm." Adrian nced at Michael after he sat down and noticed his gaze directed towards a certain direction. Realizing what he was looking at, Adrian also turned his head to look, and he saw Eva. His expression changed, his eyes bing colder, emanating a chilling aura.


    Feeling a gaze filled with coldness on herself, Eva followed the gaze and met Adrian''s icy eyes.


    She hesitated, her delicate eyebrows furrowing.


    Was he looking at her like this because she was sitting next to his beloved white moonlight? Hmph, if she had known, she would have refused his white moonlight everyone.


    But then again, Adrian would be even more infuriated.


    Vivian was also looking at Adrian. His gaze was fixed on Eva, her inner uneasiness grew.


    She lowered her gaze, biting her lower lip, her fingers entwining together.


    The atmosphere among the four of them seemed to be strangely tense.


    After a while, someone shouted to order and asked them what


    "Do you want to drink alcohol?" Michael smiled and replied, "I''vee here by driving, so I won''t drink. You guys go ahead and order."


    Adrian remained silent, and everyone could feel the chilling aura surrounding him. They were always hesitant to ask him anything.


    They were only talking about their experiences throughout the years. However, after a few sses of liquor, people started to be bolder.


    One of the guys, who was wearing sses and had a low alcohol tolerance, was already showing signs of being drunk. However, his gaze kept fixating on Vivian''s face. After a while, he picked up his ss and said, "Vivian, we''ve gathered here, can you and Adrian have a drink with all of us?"


    There was a brief silence in the private room, followed by a lively atmosphere.


    "Yeah, have a drink with us. It''s not easy for you two after all these years."


    "It''s been so many years since west celebrated together. When will you invite us to your wedding?"


    The drunken voice shouted.


    Vivian nced at Adrian and found that he had lowered his eyes, sitting there motionless as if he hadn''t heard what others were saying.


    Vivian could only awkwardlyugh and say, "Please don''t say such things. Adrian''s current status is not something you can casually joke about."

 Chapter 86 Instigation

    Vivian had a gambling element. Recently, Adrian''s behavior has been strange. If it wasn''t for Vivian using the favor owed by Eva to constrain her, she would have to suspect that Eva had told Adrian about her pregnancy. Although Eva is her love rival, Vivian still believes her when ites to credibility. Otherwise... she wouldn''t have gone to great lengths to make Eva owe her this favor!


    after she said that sentence, the crowd''s emotions became even more heightened.


    "What identity?"


    The crowdughed cheerfully, "Vivian, are you saying that Adrian is now a married man?" "Oh my, they have a fake marriage, everyone knows that Adrian only has you in his heart." "That''s right, Adrian and Eva have been childhood friends, there''s no romance between them."


    The crowd exchanged words, causing Adrian to furrow his brow and look at Eva.


    Eva was holding a ss of juice, taking small sips, her eyes brightening as if she discovered the juice tasted good. Then she took another sip, followed by arge gulp. Adrian: "..."


    Eva didn''t expect her taste to change so much after getting pregnant. She didn''t like this kind of juice before. Now... she loves it.


    In less than a minute, the ss of juice was empty.


    Vivian also noticed and furrowed her delicate eyebrows, but rxed them. Tsk, she''s feeling embarrassed now, so she can only hide her embarrassment like this, huh.


    Tonight, most of the people in the private room were drinking alcohol, except for a few who opted for juice. Eva, there was a ss of juice, while Vivian drank in milk, a taste Eva didn''t like. But Michael also had a ss of juice him because he said he didn''t drink alcohol and asked the waiter for juice.


    Eva finished her own ss, feeling a bit unsatisfied as she held the cup. Although it was embarrassing, she wanted another ss at this moment. she couldn''t possibly have her mind on Michael''s ss, right?


    While she was pondering, the people in the private room started cheering.


    "Have a drink!"


    even Vivian''s friends joined in the cheers.


    "Adrian, have a drink with Vivian."


    "That''s right, you''re not afraid of Ms. Hansen getting angry, right? We all know about your rtionship, Ms. Hansen knew from the beginning that you liked Vivian, she won''t get angry, right?"


    Eva sneered inwardly. It''s one thing to y matchmaker, but to bring that bitch''s tricks out her, thinking it would make her look bad? Eva lifted her head and looked at the one who was speaking, curling her lips and saying, "You just said I won''t get angry, so why are you still asking?"


    "What about me?" Eva asked.


    Eva recognized the one speaking as one of the two women who had warned her downstairs at the club.


    The voice, well, it was the same as the one warning her on the phonest time.


    She was a loyal dog by Vivian''s side.


    She hesitated, not expecting Eva to confront her directly. It took a while for her to react, raising her chin and saying, "Of course I have to ask, personally I think you shouldn''t be so petty, but what if you are narrow-minded?" "Hey..." Vivian pulled on her arm and said with an unpleasant expression, "Stop talking."


    "Vivian, why are you pulling me? I''m just having a friendly conversation with her. I believe Ms. Hansen isn''t narrow-minded, right?"


    As she spoke, Eva picked up a ss of red wine nearby.


    She held the stemmed ss gently, causing the red liquid to gleam charmingly in the light.


    This action made Julia''s expression change, "What do you want to do?"


    Eva paused, then turned her head to look at her, looking surprised.


    After a moment, as if sheughed, "What''s wrong? Did you think I would ssh it on you? Rest assured, I''m not narrow-minded enough to make the red wine have a friendly encounter with your face." Although she didn''t do anything, her words were full of innuendo, making Julia''s face darken.


    She wanted to retaliate, but was held back by Vivian beside her, who then gave her a look.


    Julia calmed down, but pouted unhappily, her eyes shing with malice.


    "Eva, I apologize on her behalf, she didn''t mean it, can you forgive her?"


    Eva''s lips curved up, "I am a broad-minded person."


    Vivian: "..."


    Bitch!


    Vivian clenched her fingers.


    The others were ready to watch a show when the blond woman next to Vivian began speaking in a snide manner.


    The blond woman didn''t disappoint them and put on a show.


    However, this performance seemed tock intensity.


    Eva, the original wife, was too calm.


    It gave the impression that although the blond woman was jumping around so high, she was shot down with just one bullet, leaving her unable to kick and struggle again.


    The others cursed the blond woman for being stupid, not knowing how to provoke. Otherwise, this y would be more exciting.


    Just when everyone thought this show was about to end, the blond woman, for some reason, gritted her teeth and said in a resentful tone, "Eva, Vivian has already apologized to you, why are you still being snide?" Eva nced at her.


    "She asked me to forgive you, didn''t she? I have already forgiven you, so how am I being snide? If anyone is broad-minded here, it''s not you, right?"


    "You!" The blond woman was choked.


    Then she sneered, "So what if it was me who said that? You''ve been monopolizing Adrian for so many years, it''s only because Vivian is generous and doesn''t hold it against you, but it doesn''t mean the rest of us friends won''t." "Friends have to swallow their pride and bear with it."


    "Oh?" Eva raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "Swallow their pride? Did Vivian say that to you?"


    "N-No! Don''t confuse right and wrong!"


    "If that''s not the case, why are you using her of swallowing her pride? Are you trying to tarnish your friend''s reputation?"


    Eva remainedposed and calm. Having experience dealing with merchants, even when arguing with a woman, Eva''s logic was clear and organized, and she could even set a trap for the other person.


    As for the girl with dyed hair, due to her own foolishness andck of mental capacity, she fell right into the trap.


    She was so angry that she wanted to scream and her actions were faster than her thoughts.


    She raised her hand and was about to grab Eva. Just a vicious move since she couldn''t win the argument.


    In that moment, she forgot that she was Vivian''s friend and only wanted to teach Eva a lesson.


    "You...!"


    Thud!


    Adrian furrowed his brow and forcefully ced the ss in his hand onto the table.

 Chapter 87 Do you want to make a move?

    The private room fell into silence.


    The people who were causing trouble and spectating earlier were now as quiet as chickens.


    There seemed to be a cold air permeating the atmosphere.


    Adrian sat there, his gaze icy as he looked at that blond girl, his eyes filled with a menacing and sharp sword-like aura.


    The girl''s arrogant demeanor instantly diminished as she cowered, not daring to raise her head.


    Because she made eye contact with Adrian just now, and his gaze seemed as if he wanted to kill her.


    She hid behind Vivian.


    Vivian''s smile on her face couldn''t be maintained anymore, and she nced at Julia, who was hiding behind her, and had no choice but to plead with Adrian.


    "Adrian, don''t be angry. Julia didn''t mean any harm with her straightforwardness. Julia, apologize to Eva."


    Julia''s eyes shed with unwillingness. She would rather be killed than apologize to Eva. But when she thought of Adrian''s terrifying gaze, she could only look at Eva and grit her teeth, saying, "I''m sorry." "Eva, Julia didn''t do it on purpose. Don''t be angry, okay?"


    Eva sat without responding.


    It was Adrian who didn''t let it go. He sneered with cold lips and sarcastically said, "Is an apology enough? What were you nning to do just now?"


    Julia was shocked in her eyes. "I, I wasn''t nning to do anything."


    "Were you nning to make a move?"


    "No, I was just..."


    "Adrian." Vivian nervously called out. She had already pleaded for Julia. Why wouldn''t Adrian let her go?


    Adrian looked at Vivian, feeling a slight fluctuation in his emotions.


    The girl him had reddened eyes, as if tears were about to fall at any moment.


    She was the one who had risked her life to save him before, and the woman he had vowed to protect for the rest of his life. She had pleaded for Julia, so he should just let it go. However,...


    A certain person''s fair and smooth face upied his thoughts at this moment. In Adrian''s eyes, there was almost only Eva''s resolute and indifferent gaze.


    Being embarrassed so many people, and saying so many hurtful words, her eyes didn''t even turn red, as if she didn''t care at all.


    But Adrian remembered that in the past, she would have teary eyes if she felt wronged, clutching his clothes, pitifully looking at him, the little girl hoping to receive his protection. "What do you think those people would think of me if they knew that our marriage is fake?"


    Her words from that night echoed in his ears once again.


    Without even needing to see the reactions of the people at thepany, he knew they would all look down on him once they found out.


    Even the people around Vivian wanted to harm her.


    If today''s incident hadn''t happened, Adrian would never know what Eva''s state of mind was when she said those words that day.


    He thought she was frustrated because she had tried so hard but couldn''t escape thebel of being Mrs. ckwood. But now, he understood.


    Adrian understood what mindset she had when she said those words that night.


    Now, she was like an outsider, stepping out of her own perspective, and casually looking at her own life.


    If she had even the slightest bit of unwillingness, she wouldn''t havee to this gathering tonight.


    But she came...


    Adrian found that her steady heart was a bit shaken.


    He pursed his thin lips and, for the first time, refused Vivian''s plea, saying, "I can let it go, but she can''t appear me again."


    As soon as the words fell, did anyone still not understand?


    This was an order for her to get out of this private room.


    Julia tightly grasped Vivian''s clothes, her eyes widening in disbelief, "Vivian..."


    In fact, she dared to be so arrogant because Vivian held an unshakable position in Adrian''s heart. As long as Vivian pleaded Adrian wouldn''t mind.


    But who knew that things would go wrong today?


    "Vivian, help me," Julia tugged at Vivian''s clothes, quietly pleading with her.


    Vivian was torn in her heart. She wanted to help Julia because she also wanted to prove her position in Adrian''s heart everyone. But now, Adrian was so resolute, he didn''t even look her in the eye. John, who had been silent on the side, couldn''t help but speak softly, "Vivian, stop persuading. He''s still angry right now, it won''t work."


    Vivian reacted and nced at Adrian.


    He lowered his eyelids, his long ck eyshes hiding most of the emotions in his eyes, but they couldn''t conceal the anger emanating from him.


    He was angry.


    Vivian understood deeply that if she were to plead for Julia at this moment, her image in Adrian''s heart would be greatly diminished.


    No, no one should stop her from reaching higher.


    Vivian pushed away Julia''s hand and whispered, "I''m sorry, Julia, maybe you should go back tonight."


    Julia looked at her incredulously.


    Vivian bit her lower lip and gave her a nce.


    Julia didn''t expect Vivian to give up on the problem she made up so easily.


    She felt unwilling and wanted to curse and rage, but she couldn''t afford to offend anyone at the scene, except for Eva.


    Eva!


    Julia red at her with resentment in her eyes, and then left.


    The private room fell silent, everyone felt awkward. The people who had instigated them to drink a toast earlier had sobered up a bit and didn''t dare to drink anymore. Everyone just felt confused.


    Wasn''t it said that Adrian and Eva had a fake marriage? Wasn''t Vivian''s position unshakable in Adrian''s heart?


    Otherwise, why would they dare to be so audacious in ying this joke? It was because they relied on Adrian looking at Vivian


    In terms of face, she won''t get angry.


    it seems that time can change many things, the crowd sighed in their hearts.


    After Julia left, Vivian''s face turned ugly, and the smile on her face was hard to maintain. After sitting for a while, she stood up and said, "Sorry, I need to go to the restroom." After that, she got up and left, and her friends who came with her followed suit.


    The private room fell into a strange atmosphere.


    However, there were still some people who were not affected, such as Michael. After Vivian went out, he picked up the cup of juice him and sat down next to Eva. "Here."


    Eva looked at the cup of juice, surprised.


    "You seemed to enjoy it earlier, and I don''t like sweet drinks. Don''t waste it."


    Eva was surprised and wanted to look in Adrian''s direction, but she restrained herself.


    Anyway, everyone knows about their fake marriage, so why should she worry about him?


    Eva epted the cup of juice and smiled at Michael, "Thank you, I won''t be polite then."


    She had nned to order another ss anyway, but she was preempted; otherwise, she would have already finished drinking it.


    At the moment she took the cup, Eva felt a cold gaze fall upon her, like a knife.

 Chapter 88 Feel with Your Heart

    It was whose gaze it was.


    However, Eva didn''t mind. She held the cup in her hands and lowered her head to take a sip.


    it tasted the same as the previous one she had drunk.


    Being closer now, Michael could see her cherry-colored lips gently sipping from the cup, the color of her lips contrasting with the rim of the cup, making him feel a bit dry. Michael pushed his sses up and forced himself to look away, asking softly, "You don''t mind?"


    Eva paused.


    Michael smiled faintly, lowering his voice.


    "What I mean is, everyone is saying that, and you don''t mind?"


    the two questions are not that different. Only by not minding can one not mind what others say, right?


    Realizing this, she curved her lips and said, "It''s just a fact."


    They were in a fake marriage, so why make a big deal out of it? What use is minding?


    Michael''s eyes hidden behind his sses darkened, not feeling relieved, but instead, this kind of Eva made him speechless.


    After a while, he sighed and couldn''t help but reach out to touch Eva''s head, saying, "You''ve grown up, matured."


    Eva froze and nced at Michael.


    What''s wrong with this one?


    Why is it that after so many years, he still likes to touch her head like this? It was fine when she was a child, but now she''s not a child anymore.


    Just as she was puzzled, Adrian stood up, his gaze fixed on Michael, with an unpleasant tone, "Get out."


    Michael smiled, "Then you can drink first. Adrian might need me for something."


    Eva nodded.


    After they left, the people in the private room exchanged nces, and they just couldn''t help but gossip with Eva.


    "Eva, after all these years, Michael still treats you so well."


    Does he treat her well? Eva hasn''t forgotten that he used to say things she didn''t like to hear, almost making her cry.


    So she just pursed her lips, treating it as a response.


    "Are you and Adrian married, or is it a fake marriage?"


    Someone couldn''t help but ask this question.


    They were curious because when the news of their marriage came out, everyone was shocked. They didn''t expect childhood friends to end up as a couple.


    But then rumors started circting in the industry that they were in a fake marriage because Granny ckwood was seriously ill and favored Eva, so Adrian pretended to marry Eva to fulfill Granny ckwood''sst wish. Everyone realized.


    So that''s how it is. They were right. Wasn''t Adrian always interested in Vivian? How could he marry Eva? So it was a fake marriage.


    But after today''s incident, they felt that the rumors might not be entirely true after all.


    They didn''t dare ask Adrian, so they came to ask Eva instead.


    Before Eva could reply, John beside her chuckled.


    "What are you all trying to say?"


    "Where did you get this information? Are you just saying it without knowing if it''s true? Have you considered the feelings of the people involved?"


    Eva looked at John, surprised. She didn''t expect him to speak up for her. It seemed that he tried to rify things with Adrian that night on her behalf as well. Isn''t he a friend of Adrian''s?


    Logically, shouldn''t he be in favor of the one Adrian likes? Why would he speak up on my behalf?


    Everyone fell silent, feeling embarrassed to ask further questions.


    John raised his ss and smiled as he walked over to Eva.


    "I don''t know who spread these rumors, but Adrian will certainly find out when we get back."


    He was telling her that this matter didn''t originate from Adrian''s side.


    Eva raised her ss to toast him politely.


    "Thank you for helping me clear things up."


    John smiled, "No need to thank me, Adrian is my brother, and you are his wife, it''s what I should do."


    Eva''s eyes flickered. Perhaps John wasn''t speaking up for her at all; he simply didn''t know about her fake marriage with Adrian.


    However, John added, "Perhaps you should give him a little more time."


    Eva was surprised and looked at John.


    John''s voice deliberately lowered, "Before he developed feelings for anyone, Vivian had already saved his life. So, emotions can easily get confused."


    Eva understood what John was trying to convey.


    "Is that so?" She smiled, unaffected emotionally.


    John pursed his lips and sighed, "You grew up with him, so you should know that he nearly drowned when he was little. It was a harsh experience that left a deep impact on him. That''s why Vivian saving him holds a different meaning for him." "I know," Eva nodded.


    It was precisely because she knew that this incident held a different meaning for Adrian that she regretted it.


    She regretted not saving him, and she couldn''t remember what she was doing. And forget why she wasn''t present at the scene.


    She even fell ill after falling in the water, but she couldn''t recall anything. If she had been the one to save him, perhaps things would be different now.


    But sometimes she wondered, would she still like this kind of emotion if it could easily be influenced or even controlled by other emotions?


    "That''s why I said you should give him some time."


    "What should I give him time for?" She didn''t understand.


    "To let him see his own heart," John said.


    When Eva heard this, she couldn''t help but look at John and ask, "Why do you say that? Haven''t you considered the possibility that he has already seen his own heart a long time ago? The debt of gratitude was just an opportunity. Did his emotions get confused all those years ago, and have they continued to be confused all these years? Is it him who can''t see, or is it you?"


    Then she realized and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, "Sorry, I didn''t mean to target you. What I said earlier was just my opinion."


    John, a person with a gentle personality, smiled and said, "It''s okay, I don''t mind. I would be d if I can help you."


    Eva could only force a smile and said, "I''m afraid you can''t help. Although I said a lot just now, I believe I was speaking the truth."


    John let out a long sigh and said, "Even if I can''t help, I will ept it. But I will still try my best. Maybe you haven''t seen it yourself?" "Me?" Eva was once again confused about his meaning. What was he referring to?


    "Yes." John nodded, his voice flowing like a clear spring. "Perhaps you can try to feel it with your heart, and earnestly."

 Chapter 89 Anticipating Future Problems

    Eva scooped up a handful of cold water to wash her face, calming her emotions considerably. With one hand supporting herself on the sink, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, reying John''s words in her mind.


    To sincerely and feel? Feel what exactly? Eva didn''t understand, but since John''s words were vague and the private room was crowded, she didn''t ask further. She just found it absurd that John''s thoughts were different from Adrian''s. If she understood correctly, John wanted to mediate between Adrian and her?


    Why? Even if they were to mediate, shouldn''t it be Vivian?


    Forget it, she didn''t feel like thinking about it anymore.


    Eva grabbed a tissue to dry her hands and walked outside.


    "Vivian, please don''t be upset anymore. Everything turned out this way because of me. If I hadn''t spoken out of turn, Adrian wouldn''t have treated you like this," a familiar voice made Eva pause in her steps. She stood still, speechless, as she looked at the few people standing by the entrance of the restroom.


    It was Vivian and her friends, along with Julia, who had almost gotten into a fight with her.


    Vivian was quietly sobbing, saying, "It has nothing to do with you. You''re just express what you think. I know you are kind, and Adrian understands that too. It''s just... his heart isn''t with me anymore, right?" a sinister expression shed across Julia''s face.


    "It''s all Eva''s fault. She must be taking advantage of being Adrian''s wife on the surface to seduce him. Otherwise, why would Adrian treat you like this? Vivian, don''t worry, I''ll stand up for you."


    "Forget it," Vivian held her hand, tears glistening in her eyes. "I don''t want to drag you into this anymore. You''ve already spoken up for me today, but rest assured, once he calms down, I''ll plead with him on your behalf." "Vivian, we''re good friends. How can this be considered a burden? Standing up for a good friend is something I should do."


    Eva''s eyes shed with sarcasm.


    No wonder there''s a saying not to associate with foolish people. Because foolish people can''t distinguish right from wrong, yet they always think they''re righteous, when most of the time, they''re just being used by others. One had to admit, Vivian had manipted these people well.


    Lost in thought, Eva caught someone''s gaze from their group.


    "Eva?!"


    This name was sensitive, and all the eyes turned towards Eva. Julia''s resentment deepened, as she red at Eva with gritted teeth.


    "Eva! It''s you, why were you eavesdropping?"


    "Eavesdropping?" Eva let out a sigh. "I came to use the restroom, and when I came out, I overheard you all talking by the restroom door. Even from a distance, it was discernible. Does that count as eavesdropping?"


    Julia looked at Eva, who seemed rxed, then turned her gaze to Vivian, tears glistening in her eyes.


    She has bullied me so much, and Eva doesn''t feel a shred of guilt about it. Doesn''t she feel sorry for what she did to Vivian?


    What a wretched one!


    Julia was filled with anger and approached Eva with a dark re in her eyes.


    Eva prepared herself in advance and cautiously took a step back.


    But Julia was irrational, never considering the consequences of her actions. She lunged forward and grabbed Eva by the hair, shouting, "You slut, are you happy and proud of seducing someone else''s man?" Vivian''s friends, including herself, were stunned. They did not expect the conversation to turn physical, with Julia resorting to violence.


    Those who had rtionships with Vivian were from good backgrounds.


    Though their families could notpare to the Morrison family, they were still influential individuals. As their children, they couldn''t afford to lose face outside.


    So they avoided engaging in such petty fights, let alone resort to physical violence.


    However, Julia was impulsive.


    Vivian was also shocked. She did want to teach Eva a lesson and felt a strong dislike towards her.


    But... resorting to physical violence could worsen her rtionship with Adrian. This was never part of her n.


    So when she saw this unfold, she wanted to step forward and intervene.


    However, after taking just a few steps forward, she stopped.


    Wait, why was she trying to stop it?


    Perhaps during this dispute, an ident might ur and harm the baby in her womb??


    While it was still early in the pregnancy, if someone else took care of it, it would eliminate future problems. This seemed like a good idea.


    If it was discoveredter on, she wouldn''t be the one directly involved.


    After giving it some thought, Vivian stood in ce, pretending to be scared and foolish. Her friends, were genuinely shocked and didn''t know how to react. Although Eva had managed to retreat, her hair had unfortunately suffered.


    In that instant, she felt a tearing sensation on her scalp, followed by pain and anger.


    She nced at the triumphant Julia, wondering if this woman thought that others would allow her to bully them without fighting back?


    Eva sneered and, ignoring the pain, stomped on Julia''s toes without any reservations.


    Although Eva wasn''t wearing high heels today, the heel of her shoeing down on Julia''s toes was still enough to cause her considerable pain.


    Julia let out a pained scream, her facial expression instantly distorted and hideous. She reflexively released Eva''s hand, no longer able to grip it due to the pain.


    She red at Eva, attempting to grab her with her other hand, "You...you slut..."


    Eva grabbed her hand, "We''re both women. Do you think I would lose to you if wepeted in strength?"


    Eva applied force with her foot, causing Julia to scream in agony. She also released her grip, defenseless under Eva''s dominance.


    The turn of events was unexpected by everyone else, as Eva, with her beautiful and delicate appearance, seemed like a bankrupt heiress. Who would have known that she could fight so fiercely?


    The others reacted and hurriedly ran forward to break up the fight.


    Eva''s face changed, and she let go and took a few steps back to avoid them.


    Themotion caused by their screams had already attracted the attention of the people in the private room. As Eva stepped back, Vivian, who had sharp eyes, happened to notice and panicked. She caught up and grabbed Eva. Eva didn''t see who was pouncing on her, there were a group of people. She swung her arm when she saw someone rushing towards her, but before she could make a move, the one screamed and fell to the side. "Ah!"


    In a split second, apanied by a scream, Vivian, wearing high heels, tumbled down the nearby stairs.

 Chapter 90 Lets See How You Explain

    When Vivian''s forehead was about to hit the steps, she realized she had gone too far with her yfulness.


    She had only intended to fall, not expecting to disfigure herself.


    Despite reaching out to protect her face, the fall was still disastrous. The sound of a thud resonated, catching the attention of everyone present.


    "Vivian!" Her friends reacted and rushed over. At the same time, the other people in the private room also approached.


    Eva stood in ce, still holding her hand in the same position. She looked at her palm, her gaze narrowed. How did Vivian fall when she didn''t even touch her? Did she twist her foot?


    It wasn''t until a cold voice sounded, "What''s going on?" that Eva found a clue.


    Adrian and Michael came over, and Adrian''s gaze swept over Eva''s disheveled hair.


    His expression changed, reaching out to grasp her shoulders and straightening her body.


    "Did she attack you?" In that instant, Eva froze, incredulously looking at the Adrian her. Was he seeing her first?


    She had always thought that he only had eyes for Vivian. So, was this what John meant by urging her to see with her heart?


    However, before she could delve into this thought, someone called out to him, "Mr. ckwood, Vivian''s face is bleeding!" Eva lifted her gaze to look at Adrian.


    Their eyes met in his deep, dark gaze. He was also looking at her, as if conflicted and struggling.


    Eva pursed her lips and remained calm and silent. See with her heart. If that''s what he meant, then she would give it a try, just this once.


    However, as soon as she had this thought, she felt the strength on her shoulders loosen. Her pupils contracted and her heart sank.


    She nced at his hand with the corner of her eye, and Adrian seemed to have noticed as well.


    He whispered to her, "She''s hurt, I''ll go take a look."


    Oh, so seeing with her heart is the same as this, huh?


    Eva couldn''t help but let out a self-mocking chuckle, taking it as her answer to Adrian''s words.


    Her reaction made Adrian furrow his brows, tightening his grip on her shoulders. He gritted his teeth and said, "Wait for me."


    the pressure on her shoulders eased, and Eva watched as Adrian turned and headed towards Vivian. The strength that had supported her shoulder seemed to have vanished, leaving her with no energy left. a pair of hands reached out from behind and supported her.


    Eva was startled and turned her head.


    Michael caught the subtle pain in her eyes, quietly pushed his sses up, and smiled at her. "Are you okay?"


    Eva remained silent and pursed her lips.


    "Oh..." A stifled sob came from over there, drawing Eva''s attention.


    It was Vivian holding her forehead. The blood seeping through her fingers.


    The red blood flowed from her fingertips and stuck to her fair skin, appearing striking and shocking.


    Eva''s eyebrows furrowed at the sight of so much blood, not expecting her injury to be so severe.


    "It was Eva who pushed Vivian!" someone eximed from the crowd. All eyes turned towards Eva.


    Julia, who was closest to Vivian, red at Eva with malice and said, "That''s right, it was her. Vivian ran over to talk to her, but she pushed Vivian away, causing her to stumble and hit the steps!"


    As others heard this, they also remembered seeing Eva''s hand pushing someone while they wereing towards them.


    Was it Eva who pushed Vivian? If so, her injuries were severe...


    Everyone looked at Eva, who stood there expressionless.


    Adrian picked Vivian up from the ground and said with a cold expression, "Let''s not worry about anything else for now, let''s go to the hospital to treat the wounds."


    He carried Vivian and walked past Eva. Vivian''s friends followed closely behind.


    Julia looked at Eva as she passed by, saying, "Let''s see how you exin this now."


    She limped away. The people who were in the private room earlier looked at each other awkwardly.


    Today was supposed to be Michael''s wee party, but it had turned into such a mess that they could only apologize to him.


    Michael just told them it was alright and asked them to go home. And they can gather again when they had time.


    Everybody found it hard to stay any longer and went their separate ways.


    As people dispersed, Eva also turned and walked towards the exit. Michael reached out and stopped her, saying, "Let me take you home."


    Eva pushed his hand away and replied, "Thank you, but there''s no need."


    Without waiting for Michael''s reaction, she continued walking.


    When she passed a corner, she saw John standing there alone.


    Their eyes met, and though John wanted to say something, Eva smiled at him and said, "I''ll go first, we can meet again next time."


    Those words stuck in her throat, and John nodded reluctantly, "Alright, take care."


    "Thank you."


    John watched that slender figure walking away until it disappeared from sight. He sighed and shook his head, feeling helpless. Was it true that these two had no fate?


    ***


    The wind was strong and made Eva''s face ache as it blew against her.


    She sat alone on a stone bench outside the hotel, with a pair of Bluetooth earphones in her ears, listening to Emily cursing.


    "Damn, these women have no shame. How can they do something like this? And that Vivian, she went all out, risking disfigurement just to frame you! That''s impressive. I understand why it''s so difficult to handle these women." "Why can''t you beat her? She''s so unbothered."


    because Vivian had helped her before, even if Eva treated her as a love rival, it was impossible for them to be friends.


    However, she still had a filter for her and didn''t think Vivian would stoop so low.


    But now, she was certain that her fingertips hadn''t even touched Vivian''s clothes.


    So how did she fall?


    Was it intentional to frame her, or was it an ident?


    Doubts were still lingering in Eva''s mind.


    "Let''s go to the hospital now and see what she says after," Emily said. "It''s obvious. She did it just to frame you and drive a wedge between you and Adrian. She will panic and say it was her own fault, telling Adrian not to me you but her for being unstable. Do you believe it?"


    Eva remained silent.


    "That''s how cunning people are. I''ve seen plenty of them. It seems like I''m speaking up for you, but every single word is pointing at you as the culprit. Think about her motive. If she didn''t want to frame you, why would shee to you?"

 Chapter 91 Does it hurt?

    Eva remained silent.


    Emily sighed when she realized that Eva hadn''t responded for a long time.


    "I know you have a bias feeling towards her because she has helped you. That has confined you within this mindset. But think about it, she had motives even for helping you.


    Although, yes, she did help you and we should repay that favor when the opportunity arises, but let''s be honest, just because she helped you in the past doesn''t mean she won''t harm you now." "I understand," Eva nodded.


    Emily noticed her low spirits and suggested, "Why don''t youe over to my ce tonight? I can keep youpany and we can talk all night. I can even take the day off tomorrow." "No need," Eva shook her head gently. "My grandmother is still at home; I can''t not go back."


    Moreover, what happened tonight had made Eva even more clearheaded. Despite hearing John''s words, she still had a sliver of hope, which has now been shatteredpletely. Whose is at fault?


    She med herself for foolishly nurturing impossible hopes.


    "Alright, then go back quickly. Don''t sit outside the hotel anymore. It''s so windy and the sound of the wind hurts my ears. Aren''t you feeling the cold?"


    Eva couldn''t help but smile at her best friend''s thoughtfulness and replied softly, "Alright, I got it. I''ll go back."


    After Eva hung up the phone, she didn''t leave immediately.


    She closed her eyes and felt the cold breeze of the night.


    It had really cooled down.


    Yesterday, the weather forecast had predicted a significant drop in temperature, with a cold front approaching, warning everyone to keep warm.


    When she went out in the evening, she hadn''t felt the cold air yet.


    But now, she truly and tangibly felt it.


    Eva sniffed.


    It was so cold.


    Suddenly, it seemed like someone sat down next to her.


    A warm coat was draped over Eva''s shoulders, and the scent of tobo lingered on his breath.


    Eva opened her eyes.


    "Does it hurt?"


    Michael''s mellow voice came from beside her. He reached out to touch the wound on Eva''s cheek, but just as his fingertips grazed her skin, she reflexively moved to the side, avoiding his touch. Michael''s fingertips froze in the air.


    That wound was caused by Julia scratching her hair, her nails breaking the skin and leaving a long trail of blood that reached up to her hairline. Earlier, it had been concealed by her disheveled hair. Now that her hair was tucked behind her ear, the wound was exposed.


    Because of the strong wind, Eva hadn''t felt the pain in the wound. It was only after Michael mentioned it that she realized she had a wound on her face too. "I''m fine," she said.


    Only then did Michael retract his hand and looked at her somewhat helplessly.


    "Why didn''t you exin?"


    "Is it necessary?" Eva''s expression remained indifferent. "The person he holds dear, if I told him that she hurt me, would he believe me?"


    Upon hearing this, Michael couldn''t help but smile and say, "You''re right. He has always valued Vivian since they were young. It''s best not to exin."


    After saying that, he couldn''t help but reach out and rub the back of her head. "Let''s go, we haven''t eaten anything tonight, let me treat you to ate-night snack."


    Eva noticed that Michael was different from when he was a child, and he didn''t speak in such a subservient manner anymore.


    "Vivian may have someone to care for her, but don''t forget that you also have me. We grew up together as well."


    Indeed, Michael and Eva did grow up together, but they metter in life. Eva had already known Adrian for many years by the time she met Michael, and she secretly had feelings for him. So, from then on, she considered everyone else as just friends.


    "What are you daydreaming about?" Michael urged. "Get up, aren''t you cold sitting here?"


    Only now did Evae back to her senses. She pursed her lips and said, "Let''s forget about thete-night snack, I''m not hungry, and..."


    "The farewell party turned out like this; don''t you think I''m upset? Can''t you consider it aspensation for me?"


    With that said, Eva did feel a little guilty.


    Tonight, was originally meant to wee him back, but because of her and Vivian''s incident, everyone ended up dispersing unhappily.


    Although, she didn''t start the incident on her own, she did have some responsibility.


    After considering it for a moment, Eva nodded. "Alright."


    Michael curled his lips and asked, "What do you feel like eating?"


    Twenty minutester,


    The two of them were sitting in a seafood restaurant.


    It wasn''t very crowded for ate-night snack at this time, so the restaurant was empty. Eva chose a seat by the window and as she turned around, she noticed Michael standing there, looking somewhat lost.


    Only then did Eva realize something and said, "I forgot, you''ve been abroad all this time, are you not used to eating this? Or do you want to take a look and decide what you want?"


    Upon hearing this, Michael snapped out of his thoughts and smiled as he pushed up his sses.


    "It''s not that I''m not used to it, I''m just used to Western cuisine from abroad, so seeing Chinese dishes suddenly feels warm."


    While talking, Michael pulled up a chair in front of Eva and sat down.


    Eva didn''t know if what he said was true or not, but it was clear that his response was ssy and gentlemanly.


    The waiter came over to take their order after they sat down. Eva had originally wanted to order seafood congee, but when she looked at the pictures, she became worried that she might feel nauseous upon smelling the fishy smell, so in the end, she only ordered a small corn and vegetable congee.


    After taking their orders, the waiter left.


    Michael took out his own tissue, wiped the chopsticks clean for her, and handed them to her naturally, while saying, "Why do you like congee so much?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused and couldn''t help but look up at Michael.


    Thinking of something, Eva asked, "Is that car yours?"


    Michael smiled and nodded. "Yes."


    Eva suddenly realized that the gaze she felt when she went downstairs to buy eight treasures congee that day was him, no wonder she always felt like someone was watching her back then.


    "I thought it was just my imagination."


    Michaelughed. "What imagination? Can you feel realistically, what you feel is pretty much true."


    This sentence made Eva pause and look at Michael with astonishment, feeling that he had something else to say.


    After thinking for a moment, she changed the topic.


    "What about your car? And why don''t you get out of the car? It''s creepy just sitting there and staring at people, you know?"


    "I guess I wanted to surprise you," Michael smiled and sighed.


    "I heard you were working with the ckwood family, so I came straight here after getting off the ne hoping to try my luck and see if I could run into you during your off hours."


    At this point, he paused and smirked. "I''ve been lucky, Eva. It''s not easy to see you after five years, but luckily I''m going to settle down in the country from now on, so we can see each other every day." Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but raise her eyes again, and just happened to see the gray tie clip, the tie clip that Eva had given him.


    To be precise, it was Michael who forced her to spend money on it all those years ago, calling it his birthday gift because it was his birthday, so Eva couldn''t refuse.


    Just didn''t expect that after so many years, he still wore that tie clip.

 Chapter 92 Why didnt you wait for me?

    Upon reflection, Eva shifted her gaze away from Michael''s stare and calmly asked, "Are you nning on staying in the country for the long term?" "Well, I should have everything settled in about two weeks."


    At this point, Eva responded, "Then I congratte you in advance for your return to the country. However, I will probably be very busy with work and won''t have much spare time." How could Michael not understand Eva''s avoidance and refusal in her words?


    However, he was no longer the impulsive young man he was in the past. He was now an adult man who naturally understood that some things couldn''t be rushed.


    After so many years, he had already prepared for a long-term battle, much like boiling a frog in warm water. He wouldn''t be impatient, nor would he shy away because of her polite rejection.


    "It''s alright, we can get together when you have free time. Don''t forget about this old friend just because so many years have passed."


    This response puzzled Eva.


    Did she misunderstand?


    Quickly, Eva reasoned with herself.


    It was not impossible that Michael had already found a girlfriend during his five years abroad. As for why he still kept this tie clip, it was probably just a memento of an old acquaintance, which was normal.


    Just like the gifts her friends had given her in the past, she still kept them because they were special friends, right?


    Aftering to this realization, Eva''s mood rxed a lot, and she became less guarded towards Michael. "Alright then."


    They ate their supper together, but Eva didn''t have much of an appetite. She found the vegetable porridge to be nd and tasteless, so she ate very little. Michael, on the other hand, probably because he had just returned to the country, also didn''t eat much of what he ordered.


    When it was time to pay, Eva quickly scanned the QR code.


    Michael watched on and smiled helplessly, "Is thispensation for the failed farewell party?"


    "Yeah, since the farewell party was a mess, I can''t let you pay for a bowl of porridge, right?"


    After a brief moment of silence, Michael said, "If that''s the case, it seems like I''m at a loss?"


    After leaving the restaurant, Eva couldn''t help butugh and said, "Yeah, you lost a bit. We should have a big meal together sometime."


    "Yeah, I''ll remember that. I owe you one."


    As they got into the car, Eva remembered the incident at the entrance of thepany and asked, "When you went to thepany yesterday, you weren''t in this car, right?"


    "Yeah." Michael nodded and had already gone around to open the passenger door for her. "That car belongs to a rtive."


    Eva thanked him and got in.


    The journey back would take nearly thirty minutes. Initially, Eva thought that they wouldn''t have much to talk about, but Michael turned out to be more talkative than she had imagined. "How is Uncle Shen now? I heard heter went abroad to develop his career?"


    "Yeah, my father said that industry had better prospects overseas, so he wanted to give it a try."


    "When I found out about your situation, it was a littlete, otherwise I wouldn''t have stood by and done nothing. I''m sorry."


    Upon hearing his apology, Eva was quite surprised. Even if he didn''t help her, it wouldn''t have mattered.


    "It''s okay, anyway, everything has been resolved."


    Michael sighed, sounding somewhat self-ming, "It does matter to me though. My friend was in trouble, and I didn''t hear a whisper or offer any help."


    In fact, even though he had left to go abroad years ago, he knew everything about Eva''s family situation, including her personal actions, because he had nted informants in the country who would inform him immediately if anything happened to Eva.


    But by the time he found out about the Hansen family''s bankruptcy, Adrian had already sorted everything out for her.


    Because his so-called "good sister" at the time was worried that this matter would affect his studies, she didn''t let the informant tell him anything and kept it tightly sealed.


    It was only when he felt that something wasn''t right and probed further, did he discover the magnitude of the situation.


    Originally, the little girl had liked Adrian, and he was just a step behind.


    But unexpectedly, he was still a step behind in helping her with this matter.


    "In any case, if you need any help in the future, just ask."


    This time, he wouldn''t be like before, nor would he let go.


    The car smoothly stopped at the front gate of the vi, Eva unbuckled her seatbelt, "Thank you for driving me back, I''ll go in first. Take care and drive safely."


    Michael nodded at her, "Okay, rest early."


    Then he watched as the person in the passenger seat left and walked towards the gate. When she turned back and waved at him, signaling for him to leave, he smiled and nodded, then watched her enter.


    As soon as the slender figure disappeared from his sight, the smile on Michael''s lips vanished instantly.


    His phone rang, he nced at it and found that it was a call from his so-called "sister", coldly sneering, he directly ignored it and drove away.


    After Eva returned, she found Granny ckwood had already gone to sleep.


    Perhaps it was because she had gone out with Adrian in the evening, so the elderly woman was very at ease and rested early.


    Eva breathed a sigh of relief, still worried about how she would exin to Granny ckwood if she came back alone. It was good that she had gone to bed early.


    "How is Granny ckwood''s conditiontely?"


    She chatted with the butler for a while, preparing to go upstairs.


    However, as she was about to go up, she found Adrian standing at the staircase, arms crossed, and a cold, icy gaze fixed on her.


    Eva paused, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes.


    Why was he at home? Wasn''t he supposed to be at the hospital this time, with Vivian?


    Adrian lowered his dark gaze, his aura as chilling as ice in a winter''s moon, "Where did you go? Why didn''t you answer my call?" "You called me?"


    Eva took out her phone from her bag, pressed it twice, but nothing happened, so she could only shrug helplessly, "It ran out of battery."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Adrian took the phone from her and checked it, a motion that caused a self-mocking curl to appear at the corner of Eva''s lips.


    He didn''t trust her.


    He didn''t even trust her when she said her phone ran out of battery. And he still needed her to exin to him.


    After confirming that her phone was indeed out of battery and not intentionally ignoring his call, Adrian''s expression improved slightly. However, he didn''t return her phone to her, instead raising his gaze and locking his eyes tightly onto her. "Where were you? Why didn''t you wait for me?"


    After Adrian finished dealing with Vivian''s situation and went back to look for her, he discovered that Eva had already left. Adrian thought she went home, but he didn''t see anyone there either. Inparison to him, Eva''s reaction was much calmer.


    "Oh, I thought you would stay at the hospital to take care of Vivian."


    Upon mentioning Vivian''s name, a hint of unease shed across Adrian''s face as he said, "The assistant is there."


    "Oh."


    Eva nodded, "That''s good, I''ll go upstairs first."


    After speaking, she prepared to pass Adrian and head upstairs, but her wrist was grabbed by him.


    Adrian furrowed his brow, "Don''t you have anything to exin?"

 Chapter 93 Speak without thinking

    Adrian was about to say something, which should have been followed by, "I saw youing back in Michael''s car." But as the words reached his lips, he didn''t say it.


    Perhaps, she would exin herself, after all, she had been dropped off at the gate.


    However, when Eva heard this, she thought he was going to talk about Vivian''s injuries.


    She was certain she hadn''t pushed Vivian, but would he believe it if she said it out loud?


    He probably would only believe his Vivian, right?


    Thinking of this, Eva looked at him and responded with a question, "What did she tell you?"


    "What?" Adrian didn''t respond immediately because his attention was still focused on the fact that she had been brought back by Michael. After a moment, he realized what Eva was asking.


    "You''re talking about Vivian?"


    Vivian, he said her so affectionately.


    Eva smiled and replied, "Yes, she got injured, right? I said she fell herself; do you believe me?"


    After speaking, Eva didn''t wait for his response and remained calm.


    In her beautiful eyes, there seemed to be a hint of mockery.


    It was as if she was saying, "Although I am exining, I know you won''t believe my exnation, and I don''t care if you believe it or not."


    This appearance made Adrian furrow his brows ufortably. She really had changed a lot.


    Sure enough. Eva raised an eyebrow and said, "If you don''t believe it, then forget it, I was just saying it casually."


    After a moment of silence, Adrian said, "I know."


    Eva asked, confused, "What?"


    Adrian stared at her, his eyes as dark as the night, "Her friend caused trouble for you and she couldn''t stop it or take your side."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s calm expression was shaken, and she looked up at him in disbelief.


    When she finally spoke, Eva realized her voice was trembling, "So, you''ve known all along that she fell herself, but you still covered up for her and med me, right?" Howughable.


    In all the time she had been married to him, Eva had never felt as ridiculous as she did now, like a clown.


    It turned out that even if she didn''t do certain things herself, as long as someone else needed her to do it, then it became her responsibility.


    What was even moreughable was that she had actually listened to John and tried to see things from his perspective.


    In Adrian''s eyes, she must be aplete idiot.


    Feeling that something was off with her emotions, Adrian felt an emptiness in his heart, as if something was about to be lost. In her desperate gaze, he firmly held onto her hand.


    "It''s like this, her injuries are quite serious right now. The doctor says there might be scarring. We just have to keep her calm for now."


    "Serious injuries? Scarring?" Perhaps provoked by Adrian''s words, Eva also spoke without thinking, "Even if she dies, what does that have to do with me, Adrian?"


    As the words fell, Eva forcefully pulled her hand away from his grasp and looked at him mockingly.


    "If you want tofort her, go to the hospital. Don''t stand in front of me, and don''t try to put anything on my head."


    "When she finished speaking, she stopped wasting time with him and quickly went upstairs.


    Adrian stood still, feeling a pounding sensation in his temples from her words. Without thinking much, he turned around and followed her upstairs.


    After Eva went upstairs, she entered the bathroom to wash her face and calm down.


    Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the bathroom, Adrian followed her in. Smelling the mixed scent on him and remembering the nonsense he had just spoken, Eva felt unsettled and red at him, turning her head. ''You go out,'' she said. Adrian squeezed in front of her and spoke in a cold voice, ''Calm down and listen to my exnation.''


    ''Exnation?'' Eva sneered, ''You mean you want to deceive me? I don''t want to hear it. Leave now, I want to take a shower!''


    ''I know you feel wronged about what happened tonight. I promise you that I will...''


    ''Are you leaving or not?'' Eva grabbed a bottle of shower gel and threw it at him. ''Get out!''


    Adrian, who had intended to exin, stood still. It was the first time that Eva had said such harsh words to him.


    Adrian stood in ce, looking at her with a grim expression on his face, his lips showing his emotions.


    Eva stood there coldly, showing an expression that she did not want to see him again.


    After a moment of silence, Adrian finally turned around with a dark face and walked out. After he left, Eva''s shoulders felt weak, almost causing her to fall.


    She reached out and supported herself against the wall, then slowly sat down, closing her eyes. Her anger had doubled at Adrian''s words, causing her to feel a bit dizzy now, and she also felt a bit nauseous. Nauseous?


    Eva suddenly opened her eyes as if she had thought of something.


    Oh no, her fluctuating emotions might affect the baby in her stomach. And she realized that she had been increasingly unable to control her tempertely.


    Every time she tried to calm down, she would always lose control because of something. What was happening to her?


    Eva gently touched her stomach, saying, ''Baby, did mommy scare you? Don''t be afraid, mommy will control her emotions next time.''


    However, she still felt a bit dizzy and ufortable, probably due to the excessive emotional fluctuations.


    The floor of the bathroom was too cold, so Eva could only endure the dizziness and support herself against the wall, then sit on the sofa outside until she felt better enough to get up and continue washing up. After finishing, Eva looked in the mirror and found several broken blood vessels in her eyes.


    It seemed that she had really gotten angry today. She couldn''t do this again next time. Eva quickly adjusted her mindset and went to sleep.


    In hospital, ''Vivian, stop crying. If you keep on crying, your eyes will get puffy.'' Ever since the doctor informed her that the scars on her forehead needed stitches and would leave a scar, Vivian couldn''t control her emotions, and tears kept flowing.


    She buried her face in her arms, filled with regret. If she had known that it would leave a scar, she wouldn''t have done it. She had only intended to lightly hit herself, but she didn''t expect there to be steps next to her, and when she fell, her forehead hit the steps."


    At that moment, a sharp pain almost overwhelmed Vivian''s whole body, causing her to almost faint. It wasn''t until she saw the blood that she realized what had happened.


    Now, she attributed all her hatred towards Eva. How could she have done such a thing? If it wasn''t for her, her forehead wouldn''t be injured.


    Just the thought of having ugly scars on her once smooth and beautiful forehead waspletely uneptable for Vivian, infuriating her to the point where she grabbed something from the table and angrily threw it to the ground. The people beside her who were trying tofort her were startled. "Ah!" "Vivian!"


    After everyone reacted, they hurriedly stepped forward and held her down. "You can''t get agitated, otherwise your wound might open againter."


    Vivian couldn''t take in what they were saying. Anyway, Adrian wasn''t here, so if she didn''t vent her anger now, when would she? And what made her even more angry was that Adrian left after bringing her to the hospital. She didn''t need to think about where he went! Eva!

 Chapter 94 Dont Want to Do it? then Get Lost

    The more Vivian thought about this matter, the stronger the hatred grew in her heart. She ignored everyone''s attempts to stop her and erupted in anger. After finishing work, Li, Adrian''s assistant who had to take a phone call, stood at the door silently watching the people inside getting angry and smashing things. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, helplessly shaking his head at the scene.


    Indeed, the kindness on the surface was just a facade.


    Although Vivian''s forehead was injured like this, and the doctor said it would leave a scar, Li couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.


    After all, disfigurement like this would be a huge blow to a woman.


    However, whenever Li thought about the fact that Mrs. ckwood was already pregnant, he suddenly didn''t feel any sympathy for Vivian.


    And her friends, who kept telling Mr. ckwood that it was Eva who pushed Vivian, resulting in her getting injured like this.


    Listening to this, he felt particrly angry. Eva was even ready to bear the burden of her pregnancy alone, how could she possibly push someone else?


    Even if she did push Vivian, there must be a reason for it.


    Li''s biased scale of judgment leaned towards Eva, so he naturally didn''t like Vivian and her friends.


    While he was pondering, Vivian''s friend suddenly nced over at him.


    "Hey, you there, where''s your Mr. ckwood? Hurry up and call Mr. ckwood."


    The way she addressed him and her tone made Li frown ufortably.


    "What are you still standing there for? Mr. ckwood told you toe and help, but instead, you''ve been standing there the whole time. Are you part of the furniture?" The person speaking was Julia, who had a bad temper.


    Originally, she was angry because she had been kicked out of the private room by Adrian. However, after seeing Vivian getting injured like this, she put all her own affairs aside.


    Compared to the injury on Vivian''s face, her own matters were trivial.


    After hearing Julia''s words, a dark expression appeared on Li''s face.


    "What did you say?"


    "Did I say something wrong? Do you want me to say it again?"


    Li sneered. He already despised this group of women, so he decided not to stay here any longer.


    Thinking of this, Li turned around with a cold look in his eyes and left.


    "Hey, where are you going? Stop, stop, I''m talking to you!"


    However, no matter how much Julia shouted, Li seemed to ignore her words and left on his own.


    After he left, Julia cursed in disbelief, "Is this person crazy? Mr. ckwood clearly asked him toe and help, but instead of doing that, he just stood there, and now he''s just leaving? Vivian, do you think Adrian has really been seduced by that woman, Eva? Now even his subordinates are treating you like this."


    Vivian, who had been angry, listened to these words and became speechless.


    Suddenly calming down, she turned her head to look at Julia.


    "What did you say?"


    Because of crying and anger, her eyes are still red. Julia was shocked by her gaze and took a moment to react.


    "Ah, was I wrong? That person just now, I asked him to call Adrian, but he not only ignored me but also left."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian remembered that Adrian had asked the assistant toe before leaving.


    But because Adrian was not around, she didn''t care about this person at all and momentarily forgot that he was still here, so she got angry just now.


    Now reminded by Julia, Vivian realized what she had done. Would that assistant say bad things about her to Adrian behind her back?


    Thinking of this, Vivian''s face changed.


    "Where is he? Stop him quickly!"


    Vivian stared at Julia displeased, "Why are you speaking nonsense? Since Adrian called him over, he is someone from Adrian''s side. If you are so impolite to him now, what if he speaks ill of me in front of Adrian?"


    Julia stood still, she did not expect that Vivian would me her, "I, I just saw you crying and sad, and your emotions were off, so I thought of asking him to call Adrian."


    Vivian, however, didn''t have the mindset to listen to Julia''s exnation anymore. The current situation was already unfavorable for her, so she had nned to just get a small injury and divert all of Adrian''s attention to herself. But who knew that a small injury would turn into a serious one, she had yed it out.


    It''s one thing to y it out, but the key issue is that she got injured so severely and Adrian actually took the time to leave at this moment.


    This is what Vivian fears the most.


    If she bes disfigured and Adrian doesn''t want her anymore, how can this be?


    Vivian felt panicked, and at this moment, she could only give orders, "No matter what method you use, go and bring him back quickly. Apologize and make amends if necessary." Seeing everyone still standing, Vivian''s tone became stern.


    "Hurry up!"


    Only then did everyone react and turned to leave the ward.


    The assistant was about to leave and bumped into Adrian when he arrived downstairs.


    His face didn''t look good, but he still walked up and greeted him.


    "Mr. ckwood."


    Seeing his pale face and sensing some emotion in his greeting, Adrian furrowed his brows slightly, "Where are you going? Weren''t you supposed to have stayed here?"


    The assistant immediately perked up upon hearing this.


    "Yes, Mr. ckwood, but I am not needed here, so I came down."


    Adrian: "..."


    Narrowing his long eyes, Adrian scrutinized the assistant in front of him. These past few days, he had been feeling strange.


    In the past, he would never have responded like this. He would speak to him with extreme caution, but these days, his tone has been confrontational, and he often stares at him with strange eyes. This is definitely not his normal attitude.


    "I let you guard, did I let you leave?" Adrian''s eyes turned cold, and there was a hint of chill in his voice.


    The indifference in his voice made the assistant shiver unconsciously, he even moved his neck backwards, afraid that Adrian would snap at him.


    But even with this subconscious reaction, the assistant still remained stubborn.


    "You didn''t make me leave, but those women did. They didn''t need me."


    "So, do they pay your sry?"


    Mentioning sry, the assistant felt a bit intimidated, and fell silent.


    Adrian stared at him displeased, "What''s been going on with youtely?"


    The assistant shook his head, "Nothing, Mr. ckwood, there''s nothing going on."


    After speaking, he felt disgusted inwardly.


    It''s all because you''re a scumbag. Your own wife is pregnant, but instead of staying by her side, you run to the hospital to manage other women. Heh, heh, heh. Unconsciously, the assistant had written all his inner thoughts on his face.


    Adrian: "..."


    He couldn''t ask, but it was always the same.


    His expression turned serious, and he sneered, "If you don''t want to work, then get lost. Don''t keep wearing that sour face in front of me all the time."

 Chapter 95 Whats wrong with your injury

    After saying this, Adrian walked calmly towards the upstairs of the hospital.


    Upon hearing Vivian''s words and preparing to go downstairs to find assistant Brent, Julia saw Adrianing back and stopped. "Mr. ckwood, Vivian..."


    However, before she could finish her words, Adrian walked past without looking at them.


    At this moment, Adrian''s mood was extremely bad because of his argument with Eva, and his face was also gloomy.


    Several girls could clearly feel the chill emanating from him, and stood frozen in ce, not daring to approach him or say anything.


    But Adrian suddenly seemed to sense something, paused for a moment, and turned his head to look at the group. "Why are you still here?"


    Julia and everyone stood together, but Julia suddenly felt an icy gaze on top of her head. When she raised her head, she met Adrian''s dangerous and fierce gaze, which startled her and she didn''t know how to exin. "Adrian!"


    Just at that moment, Vivian''s voice came from not far away.


    Everyone looked towards the voice and saw Vivian running over barefoot, her face anxious.


    Although the distance was not close, the blood seeping through the bandage on her forehead still looked shocking on her pale face.


    "Vivian, why did youe down? The doctor said you can''t move."


    Vivian''s other sisters rushed forward when they saw her, but Julia couldn''t move as if she was paralyzed.


    Adrian''s gaze was cold and indifferent, and it wasn''t until Vivian ran up to him that he saw the blood on her forehead and his expression softened slightly.


    "Why did youe down?"


    Vivian nced at Julia and gave her a look, then said in a somewhat flustered tone, "While I was upstairs just now, it seemed like there was conflict with assistant Brent. I heard that assistant Brent got angry and left, so I wanted toe down and take a look, and also apologize to him on behalf of everyone."


    After receiving her look, Julia quickly left.


    Vivian sighed and said, "Adrian, I''m sorry. You left assistant Brent here to help me, and my friends treated him like this. It''s really my fault." Adrian silently looked at her without saying a word.


    Adrian was naturally cold in temperament, and when he looked at you silently without speaking, it made you feel like you were in an icy cave.


    Just like now, as Vivian apologized and exined, Adrian remained silent, looking at her like he saw through all her pretenses.


    How could that be?


    Could it be that Eva said something false to him?


    Thinking of this, tears welled up in Vivian''s eyes, her long and curly eyshes blinked, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She gently pulled at Adrian''s clothes, pitifully saying, "Adrian, you''re not speaking, are you mad at me? Today, in the private room..."


    "I didn''t stop you in time and let you down, right?"


    "But Adrian, it wasn''t that I didn''t want to stop her, I just didn''t expect Julia to say those things. I''m really sorry, please don''t be angry with me, okay?"


    Adrian nced at her tightly holding his fingers, then looked at Vivian, who was crying with a pitiful and tearful appearance. She had been crying, which should have made him feel sorry for her, but for some reason, another face appeared in Adrian''s mind.


    That face hadpletely different features from the person in front of him, delicate and three-dimensional, especially those cold eyes. When she wanted to cry, her tears almost filled her entire eye sockets, but not a drop fell. Finally, her eyes turned red from suppressing the tears, and then she would stubbornly turn her back, hiding all the tears from him.


    Adrian suddenly realized something. He still remembered when she used to cry loudly in front of him, with tears and snot running down her face. There were even times when she would lightly pull his clothing, looking pitifully at him, sniffing her nose, with red eyes.


    When did it start? She no longer shed tears in front of him and hid all of her tears. Adrian finally understood why he always felt lonely in his heart because Eva and him now had a deep barrier between them. She no longer saw him as someone she could share any emotions with.


    "Adrian...are you really angry with me?" Vivian''s gentle voice brought him back to reality.


    Adrian regained his senses and looked at Vivian, who had tears streaming down her face, he pursed his lips and asked, "What happened tonight?"


    Hearing this, Vivian was taken aback.


    "What?" Adrian''s gaze moved up slightly, his tone short, "Your injury, what happened?" Her injury?


    Vivian was a bit surprised at why Adrian suddenly brought up this question. Didn''t her friends tell him that it was Eva who pushed her? Vivian realized that she couldn''t guess Adrian''s thoughts now.


    However, since he came back this time, his emotions seemed to be different, and Vivian had to maintain her kind image, so she could only tentatively speak, "Don''t me Eva for what happened tonight. Although it may leave a scar in the future, I can only ept it myself. If I had been more stable tonight, I wouldn''t have fallen."


    Adrian lowered his eyes and looked at her with a heavy expression. For some reason, Vivian felt a little scared being stared at by that kind of gaze. "Adrian?"


    "So, what you mean is she pushed you, right?"


    Vivian: "..."


    Perhaps she didn''t expect Adrian to dig into the root of the matter like this, so she didn''t know how to answer for a moment.


    Her friend stepped forward and answered on her behalf, "Mr. ckwood, it was Eva who pushed her, otherwise Vivian wouldn''t have gotten hurt so badly."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s expression became even colder.


    He squinted his eyes and dangerously looked at that person.


    "Did you see it happen?"


    The girl was immediately silenced by his icy gaze. "I..."


    Adrian sneered, "With your own eyes?"


    The girl nced at Vivian and dared not speak further.


    What "with your own eyes"? The situation was so chaotic at the time, no one actually saw anything. She was just standing on Vivian''s side.


    Adrian''s attitude made everyone afraid to speak.


    Even Vivian was dumbfounded. She originally thought that Adrian would stand by her in this matter, but she didn''t expect him to be so serious.


    Was he doubting her, or did he simply not want Eva to suffer?


    Thinking of this, Vivian swallowed a mouthful of saliva and gently bit her lower lip, speaking softly, "Adrian, don''t me Eva. It''s all my fault. I didn''t stand properly and was careless." Upon hearing this, Adrian''s gaze finally returned to her. The corners of his straight lips tightened again and he nodded.


    "If you know you were careless, then be more careful next time."

 Chapter 96 Im here

    Vivian was stunned, and the color on her face gradually vanished.


    She never expected Adrian to say this.


    What does he mean by saying that if she knows she was careless, she should be more careful next time?


    So, does he now think that it''s her fault that she fell like this today, and it has nothing to do with Eva? And he doesn''t n to hold Eva ountable, does he?


    No, she shouldn''t think about these things at this moment. What she should be thinking about now is why Adrian had such a change of heart after he went out and came back. It must be because Eva said something to him, right? Thinking of something, Vivian''s face instantly turned pale.


    In that instant, Vivian couldn''t care about anything else and suddenly threw herself into Adrian''s arms, crying softly.


    "I''m sorry, I remember what you said. It''s just that the wound hurts so much, and the doctor told me it would leave a scar, which made me really confused and upset. Adrian, where did you go just now? Did you hear that my forehead will scar? Will you reject me because I''m ugly?"


    The woman in his arms made Adrian''s heart even more restless. He furrowed his brows slightly and subconsciously wanted to push Vivian away.


    But Vivian held him even tighter and asked in a sobbing voice, "Do you know why I was willing to sacrifice my own life and save you when we were children?"


    Upon hearing her words, Adrian''s hand froze.


    Childhood memories always touched the softest spot in his heart.


    Tears welled up in Vivian''s eyes as she buried her face in his chest, embracing his skinny waist tightly. "Because I couldn''t bear to lose you, Adrian. Don''t leave me, okay?"


    Adrian lowered his gaze, looking at the woman in front of him.


    Recalling how she jumped into the river, disregarding her own life and death, to save him when he was struggling and drowning.


    It takes immense courage that not everyone possesses.


    To gain such attention from her, one must hold great value to her.


    Adrian''s tender heart was moved, especially since she actually saved his life.


    Considering this, Adrian gently patted her shoulder that his hand finally fell on. "Don''t overthink it, I''ll take you back and let you rest."


    Noticing that his tone had softened, Vivian breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.


    Indeed, bringing up the fact that she saved him was effective. Fortunately, she had this card to y.


    From this perspective, Eva is not useless.


    If it wasn''t for her sacrificing her life and jumping into the water to save Adrian, Vivian would never have jumped in to save him, and by the time she found someone to help, Adrian might have already drowned. But because Eva saved him, Adrian not only didn''t die, but she also gained the title of his savior.


    Killing two birds with one stone, Vivian smirked discreetly where no one could see her.


    Back in the hospital room, the doctor came over to treat her wounds again and gave her some advice. Vivian couldn''t help but feel sad and upset when she thought about the scar that would be left on her forehead. "Doctor, will it really leave a scar?"


    The doctor, a middle-aged man, sighed at her pitiful appearance.


    "The wound is quite big, so it''s unlikely that there won''t be a scar. If it bothers you, we can explore options for treatment after the injury has healed. Otherwise, you can style your hair to cover it up, which will also serve as a barrier." Vivian already had bangs because her forehead wasn''t very full or beautiful, so she could only let her wavy hair cover it up, enhancing her forehead and appearance.


    Even if she ended up with a scar, her bangs could indeed conceal it.


    However, this didn''t mean that she could tolerate this scar.


    So, after the doctor left, Vivian started crying to Adrian again.


    "Adrian, the thought of having a scar makes me so sad. Do you think I will be ugly if I have a scar in the future? Will you despise me and reject me?"


    Adrian''s thin lips moved, but he couldn''t give Vivian a single answer to her questions.


    In the end, he could only say, "Rest for now and let your wound heal."


    Not hearing the response, she wanted, Vivian felt deeply disappointed. As shey down, she even thought, could it be that in these two years, Adrian has fallen for Eva? No, he was the man she set her eyes on, and she would never let him go. She had to make full use of the favor he owed her and redirect all his attention back to herself.


    When Eva woke up, she felt dizzy and had to lie down for a while. Suddenly, she felt extremely nauseous and had to crawl to the bathroom sink, where she dry-heaved for a long time.


    Finally, her body felt weak, and she leaned against the door of the bathroom.


    Why did she suddenly vomit so severely? Eva lightly ced her hand on her lower abdomen with some concern. Hopefully, the baby wouldn''t be affected.


    After resting for a while, Eva got up, drank some warm water, and called her best friend, Emily.


    Once Emily heard about Eva''s severe vomiting, she immediately said, "You should take the day off today, and I''ll apany you to the hospital."


    "Yes, that''s what I nned to do."


    After hanging up the phone, Eva originally wanted to ask Adrian for leave, but she hesitated and decided not to contact him. Instead, she contacted Jenny and told her that she had something to do today.


    She asked Jenny to wait a little longer and inform Adrian on her behalf when he was back at the office.


    When Jenny received Eva''s message, she had just woken up and was still yawning. But when she saw Eva''s message, she suddenly became wide awake.


    After a while, Jenny suddenly realized that Eva had asked her to take a leave on her behalf? Why didn''t she ask Mr. ckwood directly? Could it be because of that Vivian again? Definitely!


    Jenny angrily gripped her phone and couldn''t help but curse.


    "This scumbag Mr. ckwood!! How dare he bully my sister Eva! I won''t let him off!!"


    In the crowded subway, Emily turned her head to worryingly look at Eva by her side.


    She was leaning there, her paleplexion adding a touch of brokenness to her beautiful face,


    Her lips are very pale, which indicates that she has endured a lot of torment.


    Emily had heard before that some pregnant women have a tendency to vomit and can vomit severely.


    Although she hadn''t witnessed it firsthand, she could imagine the difort of having her stomach turn upside down.


    Now it seems that her best friend is going through something like this.


    Morning sickness, and not just the usual kind, she is vomiting so much that her face has turned pale, as if she were sick. Emily felt worried and took hold of her hand.


    Eva opened her eyes and looked at her.


    "Don''t worry, I''m here," Emily said with determination, squeezing her hand and transferring her warmth to her.


    Eva smiled slightly at her and couldn''t resist leaning towards her.


    Upon seeing this, Emily immediately adjusted her posture, turning her shoulder to provide support for her. Eva rested her head on Emily''s shoulder, relying on her for all her strength. "Thank you, Emily."


    Having a true best friend is really wonderful.

 Chapter 97 Evil Gets Its Reward

    Upon arrival at the hospital, Emily took care of all the registration and payment matters while Eva, feeling unwell, curled up in the corner on a chair, waiting for Emily to finish ande to her. Seeing Eva''s unwellplexion, Emily became increasingly worried.


    "Are you okay? How can being pregnant make you feel so sick?" After speaking, Emily reached out to check her forehead temperature.


    After confirming that she didn''t have a fever, Emily finally felt relieved.


    As she didn''t have a fever, it was probably just due to difort from morning sickness, without any other issues.


    Eva subconsciously rubbed her palm against Emily''s hand and chuckled lightly, "Actually, I''m fine. I just feel very sleepy and don''t feel like eating when I''m nauseous. I just crave sweets." "Sweets? Even during normal times, you shouldn''t eat too many sweet things, let alone during pregnancy. We''ll ask the doctorter."


    Upon Emily''s suggestion, Eva nodded, "Okay."


    Looking at Eva, who agreed to any proposal at this moment, Emily felt that she had be obedient to an extreme degree, reminiscent of their childhood days.


    Emily found Eva''s current demeanor to be somewhat cute, yet also pitiful. It was as if behind the pretense of happiness was hidden loneliness, and behind the obedience andpliance was hidden frustration. Eva probably kept all these feelings buried deep in her heart.


    Initially, all these things should have been taken care of with Adrian by her side.


    But now...


    Adrian was probably at the hospital apanying another woman.


    Thinking this, Emily''s throat tightened and she couldn''t help but reach out and rub Eva''s head. "Don''t worry, no matter what happens, I will always be there for you."


    That damn Adrian... he better not regret it in the future!


    Emily cursed Adrian a hundred times in her mind!


    The two of them spent nearly an hour at the hospital for examination. By the time they left the hospital, it was already noon.


    Already feeling unwell and having spent the whole morning at the hospital, Eva''splexion had be even worse.


    Emily supported her by holding her arm and let her lean against her. "Luckily, you''re not sick. Otherwise, I would have been so worried about you. Let''s find a ce to eat something."


    With a listless expression, Eva replied, "Okay, let''s eat dessert."


    Emily was speechless for a while before finally saying, "We can eat dessert, but did you listen to what the doctor advised? Even if you like it so much, you still can''t eat too much, especially considering the subsequent indicators." After being scolded by Emily, Eva could only helplessly lower her gaze. "I know, but I still want to eat."


    Seeing her like this, Emily could only sigh inside.


    "Well, then. Today, I''ll make an exception and apany you to eat, but you have to be careful afterward, alright? Listen to the doctor''s instructions, got it?" "I know."


    Her voice was soft, somewhat childlike. It was both adorable and heartwarming.


    However, Emily still pursed her lips and looked worried.


    During this period, every time she met with Eva, it seemed that Eva could control her emotions very well.


    But Emily deeply understood that just because certain emotions weren''t expressed didn''t mean they didn''t exist.


    Just like...


    Eva''s inner pain, will it disappear on its own if it is not expressed?


    No, it won''t.


    Emily knew that those things would only umte more and get deeper in some ce.


    And then one day, they would explode.


    Emily couldn''t predict when this day woulde. She nced at Eva and guessed that even Eva herself didn''t know when these emotions would explode.


    With the current situation, Emily only hoped that Eva could leave this ce, leave Adrian, before her heart was broken.


    So, during their meal, Emily couldn''t help but ask, "Although I know it''s not the best time to ask you this, I still want to know, when can Granny ckwood have another surgery? She is no longer in a nursing home, right?" "Yeah."


    Eva didn''t mind Emily asking her these things. After all, she was her only close friend, and she had nothing to hide from her.


    "She''s receiving care at home, but the exact timing for the surgery is not yet set. Because of what happened when she faintedst time, the doctors believe that her mentality still needs adjustment. They hope to give her a little more time to avoid causing additional stress."


    Hearing this, Emily couldn''t help but sigh. "So, this matter will be dyed?"


    "Yeah, Granny''s condition is important, so it''s all we can do."


    Emily was not Eva, so she wouldn''t consider things from Eva''s perspective, only from her own. So, to her, Eva was the most important friend.


    Realizing this, she spoke softly, "Granny ckwood''s condition is important, but your situation is important too."


    She pursed her lips and finally expressed her concerns. "I''m actually worried that people from Vivian''s side might harm you."


    After all, something happenedst night that showed the strong resentment Vivian''s people had towards Eva. It was understandable considering Eva had been by Adrian''s side for two years. But no matter how strong their resentment was, what did it matter?


    To Emily, these emotions seemed unreasonable.


    Eva was not a mistress, and Vivian was not with Adrian. Why should they resent Eva?


    The more she thought about it, the angrier Emily became, and her eating became more forceful.


    Eva, sitting opposite her, noticed her actions and smiled helplessly. "Alright, Emily, I know you care about me. Rest assured, I have a sense of measure."


    "Hmph, just because you have a sense of measure doesn''t mean others do. Not everyone has good principles and qualities. Otherwise, something like what happenedst night wouldn''t have urred. Speaking of which, how is Vivian doing? She had fallen so hard, has she be disfigured?"


    Upon mentioning this, Eva''s eyes narrowed slightly, and her tone became lighter. "Not disfigured, but I heard she got seriously injured. She should have scars."


    "Scars?"


    Upon hearing this, although Emily knew it was immoral, she couldn''t help butugh. "If she has scars on her face, is she now ugly? Vivian brought this upon herself, didn''t she? She must be regretting it now!" Originally, Emily felt relieved when she heard about Vivian getting scarred because she stood up for her friend.


    It turns out that karma is real.


    Even if she tries to me Eva for it, what does it matter? She has now disfigured herself, and no matter how many people she tries to frame, she can''t go back to how things were before.


    "What if she holds a grudge against you for this and continues to frame you?"


    The more Emily thinks about it, the more she worries for Eva.


    "No, no, I think she will definitely hold a grudge against you. Even if she doesn''t, the people around her might, and if she resorts to using others as a scapegoat..."


    Just thinking about it makes Emily break out in a cold sweat.


    Hold a grudge?


    After hearing Emily''s words, Eva also falls into deep thought.

 Chapter 98 Seeing Clearly

    Previously, she and Vivian had made a verbal agreement because both parties had their own demands. But now, it seems that their rtionship will turn sour because of this incident. Regardless of whether Eva pushed her or not, Vivian would probably me herself for this situation.


    It seems that peaceful coexistence is impossible for the future.


    Most importantly, after this incident, Eva realized that she should be wary of Vivian. She is far different from what Eva had imagined at first.


    Initially, Eva thought that Vivian only loved acting like ady and pretending to be weak in front of others. This was nothing, as everyone wants to have a good image in front of others. But if beneath that facade of fragility lies a malicious heart that schemes against others, then it bes apletely different matter.


    Thinking of this, Eva said to Emily, "Don''t worry, I will protect myself, and you see, she tried to harm me this time, but it ended up backfiring on her instead."


    "That''s right," Emily nodded, "Karma always finds its way back. It sounds quite satisfying."


    "Yeah," Eva agreed.


    Just as they finished their conversation, a waiter brought another dessert to Eva''s table.


    Emily noticed and widened her eyes in astonishment. "Oh my god, when did you order another dessert without me noticing? Eva, did you not take the doctor''s advice seriously? You shouldn''t eat too much."


    "I know, I''ll just take a couple of bites," Eva tried bargaining.


    "No, you just had one serving earlier."


    "Just one bite," Eva continued to negotiate.


    "No! Absolutely not!" Emily said firmly.


    After having lunch, the two of them went to the mall to do some shopping and didn''t return home untilte.


    Eva had kept her phone on "Do Not Disturb? mode throughout the day. It was only when they arrived home that she turned off the "Do Not Disturb? mode.


    She saw several messages from Jenny, all of them work-rted. She replied to each one seriously, and after finishing, she noticed that Adrian had also sent her a few WeChat messages.


    The first one said, "Where did you go?"


    The second one came half an hour after the first, probably because she hadn''t replied, so Adrian called her. "Why didn''t you pick up the phone?"


    The third one was in the afternoon, as he couldn''t reach her all this time, so Adrian urged her. "Are you angry because of Vivian''s matter?"


    "Eva, answer the phone, I have something to tell you."


    After that, Adrian probably didn''t send any more messages because he didn''t receive a reply from her.


    Checking her phone, Eva realized that Adrian had called her more than ten times.


    Initially, she thought that Adrian hadn''t called her after the afternoon, based on the WeChat messages. But she didn''t expect that there were actually more than ten calls, with the most recent one being fifteen minutes ago. Eva didn''t anticipate this.


    Just as she entered the house, before she could say anything, the butler hurriedly approached her.


    "Madam, you''re back."


    The butler looked anxious as he scanned Eva from head to toe, making sure she was safe and seeing the shopping bags in her hands. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. "What happened?" Eva asked.


    "Eva asked softly, ''What''s the matter, sir?"" As she spoke, the butler took the initiative to step forward and carry her bags.


    "Madam, did you go shopping today?"


    "Yes, it''s been a long time since Ist went shopping, so I decided to go for a walk."


    In reality, she went to the hospital today and was away from home all day. If she didn''t bring back some things, she would feel guilty when someone asked her what she was doing. Shopping would be the best answer, and with so many bags, others shouldn''t suspect anything.


    "I see. Madam, why didn''t you answer the phone? Mr. Adrian called you multiple times and was very worried."


    Very worried? Eva''s lips curled imperceptibly, a hint of mockery shing in her eyes.


    The choice of words... If she didn''t know that the butler always speaks well of Adrian, she would''ve really thought that Adrian was really worried sick because of her.


    The phone calls were probably made while he was in Vivian''s hospital room, right?


    "I had the do not disturb mode on before I went to bedst night, and I forgot to turn it off." Eva exined in a soft voice.


    Upon hearing this, the butler''s face lit up as if he suddenly understood.


    When the butler was about to take the shopping bags from her, Eva said, "There''s no need for you to carry them. I''m just going upstairs to organize everything; I can carry them myself." "Madam, let me carry them upstairs for you."


    "No need, I can manage on my own." Eva declined the butler''s offer and carried the bags upstairs.


    The butler stood in ce, awkwardly scratching his head, and just as he was about to call Adrian, his phone rang.


    "Sir, yes, Madam just came back."


    Eva, who was already climbing the stairs, heard the butler''s report and pulled a hint of mockery at the corner of her lips.


    He really cares about her. Constantly tracking her phone calls, if you have the ability,e out of the hospital room and say it.


    Eva didn''t turn around and carried the bags upstairs.


    Because she had to organize things, Eva didn''t rush to take a shower. She unpacked the bags and first gave the gifts prepared for her grandmother to her. Then she nned to go back and organize the rest.


    Apart from being a good excuse, the main reason Eva went shopping was because she wanted to buy some loose-fitting clothes.


    Before getting pregnant, her clothes were all fitted styles. Even though her belly was still small, even if she wore fitted clothes, it wouldn''t be noticeable. However, she had to n ahead and slowly rece her wardrobe so as to avoid drawing attention.


    Luckily, it was winter right now.


    Eva put the clothes in a basket. As she nned to take them downstairs to give them to the maid, she almost bumped into Adrian, who was going upstairs.


    Adrian quickly stopped and leaned against the wall, his breathing unsteady as he stared at her.


    Eva didn''t expect him toe back so soon, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "You..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, Adrian grabbed her shoulder, and then she heard him gasping as he asked, "Where did you go? Why didn''t you answer my calls? Do you know how long I''ve been looking for you?"


    His grip was tight, right on Eva''s arm. Instinctively, she frowned and tried to break free.


    "If you''re angry about what happenedst night, then..."


    "I''m not angry." Eva interrupted him, her voice firm.


    He loosened his grip on her shoulder and took a step back.


    With the basket in her hand, Eva calmly exined, "I didn''t answer the call because I forgot to turn off the do not disturb mode, it wasn''t intentional."


    "Then you didn''t look at your phone at all?" Adrian narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing it.


    Eva''s expression remained calm, "That''s right, I really didn''t look at it. I was out all-day shopping and didn''t have time to check my phone."


    Adrian then noticed the clothes basket she was holding, filled with the clothes she had bought today.


    His gaze subtly changed.


    "As for what happenedst night, you don''t have to keep dwelling on it, I''ve already figured it out."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian narrowed his long eyes and stared at her intensely, "Figured out what?"


    Eva smirked, "I think you were right, she couldn''t handle the situation back then, so she shifted the me onto me, which was correct." Adrian''s pupils contracted.


    "What did you say?"

 Chapter 99 Keeping a Distance

    "It''s nothing," Eva smiled and shrugged. "I just thought about things from your perspective, so I understand why you wanted to frame me. You care for her, so you understood her."


    As she spoke, Adrian stared at her intently.


    "So?" He clenched his teeth, his eyes turning sinister.


    "What I mean is, it''s normal for you to put her first," Eva paused, then added, "So I thought about it, and if I were you, I would do the same."


    Eva had never been saved from death, nor had she experienced the despair that Adrian went through. But she could think, even though the emotions she was empathizing with were not even one-tenth of Adrian''s. But when faced with imminent death, the feeling of suffocating in the next second, and suddenly someone reaching out a helping hand to you, who wouldn''t be moved? Adrian''s face turned ashen as he stared at her.


    "What would you do then? Are you sure that I would truly frame you?"


    Eva lowered her gaze, her long and curly eyshes trembling slightly. "That''s not important."


    What was important was that she had already seen through it yesterday.


    In fact, she should''ve realized it long ago. If she still held any delusion yesterday, then there was none left after yesterday.


    She had spent the whole day shopping today, and she only felt calm in her heart.


    She only wanted to do one thing now.


    Wait for her grandma to finish the surgery and then leave him.


    "Is that so?"


    Adrian''s lips curled up slightly as he nced at the clothes she had just bought, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed. "If it''s not important, then let it go."


    Just let it go.


    Even if it didn''t matter, what could she do?


    Eva stood in ce for a while, and when she lifted her head again, Adrian''s figure was no longer there.


    She blinked lightly and left with her basket of clothes.


    After that day, Eva and Adrian''s rtionship entered an entirely different phase.


    Adrian never mentioned what happened that day.


    He was cold, but Eva wasn''t. She returned to the way she used to be with Adrian before Vivian returned to her home country.


    In the morning, she would greet him gently and help him tie his tie. She would even pick up the vegetables for him during meals, and at night, she would prepare his bathwater. She performed the duties of a wife very tenderly.


    In the eyes of others, they appeared harmonious as a couple, and their rtionship seemed explosively good. Even the butler secretly believed that they had made up.


    Only Adrian knew that everything Eva did was an act.


    But she acted so well, like a dedicated actress, impersonating her role for twenty-four hours. If it weren''t for the darkness in her eyes, Adrian might have also believed that they had truly made up. Just like today, after getting up, he put on his coat expressionlessly, tied a tie but hadn''t finished when he heard Eva saying, "Adrian, the color of this tie doesn''t match."


    Upon hearing her words, Adrian paused in his actions, then turned his head to look at her.


    When no one was around, Adrian''s eyes were indifferent, looking at her as if she were a stranger.


    But Eva didn''t mind. She walked over and picked another tie from the box, saying, "This color matches better."


    Adrian coldly epted it.


    "I''ll do it," Eva grabbed the end of the tie and volunteered.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at her for a moment and then mockingly curled his lips.


    "Sure."


    Eva stepped forward and tiptoed to tie it for him.


    The two of them were very close. Adrian looked down with his eyes, and he could see the fine hair on her fair skin and her light pink lips.


    There was also a faint, nostalgic fragrance emanating from her that he was familiar with. He knew she never wore perfume, so it must be the scent of her shower gel mixed with a cold scent. As he sniffed, Adrian had the urge to embrace her.


    Because he used to do it before. But just as he was about to lift his hand, he saw Eva retract her hand, and then she looked up at him and said, "It''s done."


    The ice-cold and indifferent look in her eyes instantly pierced Adrian''s heart.


    All the tender thoughts disappeared in that moment.


    He sneered and said, "You''ve worked hard, acting so realistically."


    Upon hearing this, Eva was initially stunned, but then she casually smiled and said, "It was nothing, it''s what I should do."


    Her reaction was as if throwing a punch onto cotton, neither hurting nor itching.


    Disdainfully, Adrian withdrew his gaze and walked outside expressionlessly.


    "Wait," Eva called out to him.


    Adrian stopped his steps, still not turning around, just standing coldly in ce, waiting to hear what she had to say.


    After contemting for a moment, Eva finally crafted her words and softly probed, "Has the doctor been in touch with you about Grandma''s recent condition?" Initially, Adrian thought she was concerned about Grandma, but when she asked the follow-up question, he had a rough idea of what she meant.


    He mockingly curled his lips.


    "Are you in such a hurry?"


    Not getting angry at his retort, Eva calmly said, "Not exactly in a hurry, I''m just worried that if we dy too long, it won''t be good for Grandma''s health."


    Adrian turned around, his eyes coldly staring at her as he spoke, "Are you worried about it not being good for Grandma''s health, or are you worried about it not being good for you? Eva, are you so eager to get rid of me? Have you found your next target?"


    Eva: "..."


    Adrian continued to taunt her, "It was Carterst time, who is it this time? Michael?"


    What was this?


    Regarding Adrian suddenly mentioning Michael, Eva was quite confused. It made sense for him to suspect Carter, as Carter was previously the person her father tried to match her with. But why did he suspect Michael? Was it because of that hug at the bar that night?


    But didn''t Michael exin everything on the spot?


    His male pride seemed to be getting too much in the way?


    Oh well, it doesn''t matter.


    They were her affairs, in any case, she had already decided to leave, there is no need to get entangled with him because of these things.


    Thinking about this, Eva smiled slightly, "Nobody does, but if you want to think that way, I can''t do anything about it."


    Adrian: "..."


    Sure enough, she used that tactic to deal with Adrian, and he was instantly speechless, only staring at her with a dark gaze.


    Eva stood there calmly, allowing him to look at her, seeming really indifferent to whatever he said about her.


    After a moment, Adrian coldly dropped a sentence.


    "Eva, I don''t care what you think in your heart, but officially, you are still my wife, so it would be better for you to keep your distance from other men and not spread any unpleasant rumors."


    Upon hearing this, Eva blinked innocently and said, "Unpleasant rumors? The unpleasant rumors in thepany, weren''t they all caused by you? Friendly reminder, if you don''t want these unpleasant rumors to one day reach your grandmother''s ears, it would be best for you to also keep your distance from other women."

 Chapter 100 Just Showing Some Concern

    Eva effortlessly pushed Adrian''s buttons without showing any emotions and easily made him leave.


    As he walked away, his face turned as dark as the bottom of the ocean and he mmed the door with a deafening noise.


    Eva shrugged, after he had left, gently caressed her abdomen, whispering softly, "Baby, don''t be afraid. Don''t pay attention to him. When you grow up, you can''t be like him. His temper is really bad." After finishing herments, Eva went to pack her things and get ready for work.


    Just as Adrian arrived at the garage, his phone started ringing.


    He was still quite angry with Eva, his face filled with frustration as he took out his phone. However, as soon as he saw the caller ID, all his emotions disappeared, and he answered the call. "Dr. Oberlin."


    The person calling him was Dr. Luke Oberlin, Granny ckwood''s attending physician.


    "Hello, Mr. ckwood."


    Dr. Oberlin''s voice was just as gentle as the man himself. "I am Dr. Oberlin Bin, Granny ckwood''s attending physician. I apologize for disturbing you at this time. I would like to talk to you about Granny ckwood''s recent condition. If it''s convenient, could you bring her in for a check-up in the next couple of days?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian couldn''t help but tighten his grip on the phone.


    "Today?"


    "Yes, Mr. ckwood, if possible."


    "Alright."


    After hanging up the phone, Adrian sat in the driver''s seat, his thin lips almost forming a straight line.


    He had initially thought that Granny would need more time to recover, but he didn''t expect Dr. Oberlin to call so soon.


    Is it fate?


    Before going downstairs, Eva had asked about this matter, and right after she finished asking, Dr. Oberlin called.


    Does even fate think that things should develop this way?


    Lost in thought, Adrian saw Eva approaching through the rearview mirror.


    It was cold outside, and she was wearing a slightly loose blue down coat, paired with a casual off-white sweater and light-colored pants. On her feet were light beige t sneakers. When did her dressing style change so much?


    As Eva passed by, Adrian lowered the car window and called out to her.


    Eva paused and looked at him with her usual expression, asking, "What''s wrong?"


    As soon as Adrian saw her emotionless face, he felt greatly stimted. He closed his eyes for a moment before saying, "Dr. Oberlin just called."


    Upon hearing this, Eva, who had initially shown no reaction, had a slight change in her expression. "Granny''s attending physician?" "Yes."


    Adrian locked his gaze on her. "Let''s find a time to take Granny in for a check-up."


    Eva had been wondering why Dr. Oberlin hadn''t called, but now she realized that the call hade right after she asked about it. "Sure, I think Granny has been recovering well recently, and her state of mind should be fine. Should I talk to her or would you like to?" Adrian stared at her in silence for a long time.


    Seeing this, Eva took the initiative and said, "If you''re busy, I can talk to Granny."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian let out a self-mocking smile.


    "You''re in a hurry, aren''t you?"


    Eva replied, "... No, I''m not."


    There was a moment of silence between them.


    Eva nced at Adrian''s pitch-ck eyes and sighed inwardly before saying, "Shall we go tell Grandma together?"


    Seeing that he still remained silent, Eva blinked her eyes and asked again, "Or do you want to talk to Grandma on your own?"


    He still didn''t speak, only staring at her with his deep, intense eyes.


    Eva pursed her lips and pondered for a moment before saying, "Well, you can think about it some more. I have to go to work now."


    After speaking, Eva turned around to leave.


    "Come here," Adrian called out to her, coldly saying, "We''ll go together and talk to her. Get in the car."


    Get in the car?


    Eva nced at the passenger seat, to be honest, she wasn''t too keen on sitting there. Couldn''t she just drive herself?


    Seeing her standing still, Adrian furrowed his brows and asked, "What? Don''t you want to peacefully coexist with me? You won''t even get into my car?"


    Hearing this, Eva snapped out of her thoughts and smiled slightly.


    "No, I was just thinking about when we should tell Grandma."


    As she spoke, Eva opened the car door and got in. Just as she was about to fasten her seatbelt, Adrian''s car sped off.


    Adrian''s sudden eleration startled Eva. When she turned her head, she saw him driving with a sullen face.


    Forget it, Eva. As long as Grandma finishes her surgery, you can leave. It''s not your concern if he throws a tantrum now. At this crucial moment, remain calm and avoid unnecessaryplications. After giving herself a pep talk, Eva managed to suppress her anger and fasten her seatbelt.


    As soon as she secured her seatbelt, Eva heard Adrian ask, "Why are you dressed like this today?"


    Eva could handle any other question withposure.


    But this question made her heart skip a beat.


    She nced at Adrian''s handsome profile and felt somewhat speechless. She had only made a slight change in her appearance today, and yet he noticed.


    "What''s wrong with the way I''m dressed?" she asked, feigning calmness.


    "It''s not like you," Adrian replied.


    Eva''s breath hitched, and she deliberately retaliated, "What do you mean not like me? Am I only allowed to dress in one style?"


    "You''ve never worn this style before," Adrian said.


    In reality, what Adrian was concerned about was why she suddenly changed her style without his knowledge. Clothing wasn''t important; what mattered was that she had changed so much without him knowing. "Oh, I haven''t worn it before. Can''t I wear it now?" Eva replied expressionlessly.


    Adrian didn''t say anything more. He seemed to be pondering his own thoughts, or perhaps he couldn''t be bothered to engage with her anymore.


    Eva waited for a moment, relieved that he didn''t continue the topic.


    Shouldn''t this issue be resolved now? It seemed that in the future, if he noticed any changes, she should just confront him directly. That way, he wouldn''t question her.


    With this in mind, Eva silently made a decision.


    When they were nearing thepany, Eva decided to administer another blow to Adrian, hoping he wouldn''t dwell on the issue of her changing style.


    Then, before getting out of the car, she took the initiative to ask Adrian a question.


    "How is Vivian''s face injury?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian paused for a moment and then said in a deep voice, "It''s just alright."


    "Oh. Didn''t you sayst time that she would have scars on her face?"


    "Mmm."


    "So, what''s the n now?"


    The car entered the parking lot, and the surroundings darkened. Eva couldn''t see Adrian''s expression but knew that after a while, the car stopped and his cold voice sounded somewhat displeased. "What n?"


    In reality, Eva wanted to say that if she ended up with scars, when do you n on settling this grudge with me?


    But the words reached her lips and she swallowed them back.


    If she spoke, the two of them would probably argue again here. It''s better to wait until Grandma finishes her surgery before bringing it up.


    So, Eva pursed her lips and softly said, "It''s nothing. I''m just showing some concern."

 Chapter 101 Predestined Fate

    After returning to their respective positions, Eva earnestly immersed herself in her work.


    Before going upstairs, the two of them agreed to take their grandmother to the hospital tomorrow and tell her after work, but they tacitly didn''t mention the topic of divorce.


    Last time, out of anger, they went to the Civil Affairs Bureau early in the morning, but their grandmother''s surgery didn''t go smoothly as a result, but was hindered instead.


    This time, Eva wasn''t in a hurry either. She decided to wait for her grandmother to recover well after the surgery before going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a divorce certificate. It was the same either way. Besides, it was also to prevent any unexpected situations.


    That''s how she thought, and Adrian probably thought the same way.


    By noon, Eva was still going downstairs as usual to buy a bowl of porridge. Today, she wanted to try a different kind of vegetarian porridge.


    However, just as she walked downstairs and was about to talk to the boss, her phone rang.


    When she saw that it was a call from Michael, Eva was somewhat surprised and instinctively turned her head to look at the parking space she had found out about a few days ago.


    Sure enough, a familiar car happened to be parked there.


    Seeing her turn around, the car window rolled down, revealing Michael''s handsome profile. He waved at Eva with his phone in hand, a gentle smile ying on his lips.


    Seeing him here, Eva was still a bit surprised. She hesitated for two seconds, then walked over.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Michael curled his lips and put down his phone. "I happened to be nearby for work, never expected to run into you. Lucky me."


    "Is it really such a coincidence?"


    In fact, Eva had doubts about his exnation. Even if he was here for work, it wouldn''t be so coincidental for him to park his car here and call her just as she was going downstairs. Seeing the tie clip, she had given him, the emotions on Eva''s face faded slightly.


    Michael noticed and raised an eyebrow.


    "Don''t believe me?"


    Eva smiled faintly, neither admitting nor denying.


    Michael didn''t rush to exin, but simply smiled and said, "Since we happened to meet, how about having a meal together?"


    Eva hesitated, feeling like refusing.


    "Didn''t you sayst time that you owed me a recement for the ruined farewell party?" Michael suddenly interrupted her.


    Yes,st time he said he owed her, but then he didn''t eat much when she took him to have porridge.


    It was indeed awkward.


    "Alright then." Eva reluctantly agreed.


    Seeing her agreement, Michael got out of the car. Just as he was about to open the car door for Eva, two well-dressed men passing by quickly walked towards them. "Mr. Cooper."


    The two men seemed to not even notice Eva and kept going towards Michael with great enthusiasm. "Mr. Cooper, I thought you had left. It turns out you''re still here. Would you do us the honor of having lunch with us?" Without showing any signs of difort, Michael took a step to the side, politely saying, "I''m afraid I don''t have the opportunity. I already made ns." "Made ns?"


    The two men paused, then noticed the slender figure standing beside the car.


    They recognized her and realized it was Eva.


    "Mrs. ckwood? How did you end up here? Are you the one who had lunch with Mr. Cooper?"


    Eva nodded and greeted the other person, "Hello, Mr. Jones."


    Michael noticed their acquaintance and became less indifferent towards Mr. Jones. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Eva and I were neighbors when we were children."


    Mr. Jones couldn''t help but sigh, "I see. Since Mr. Cooper has an appointment with a beauty, we won''t disturb you."


    Mr. Jones left with his subordinates shortly after. As soon as they left, Michael opened the car door for Eva. "Get in, little girl."


    Upon hearing this, Eva nced at Michael and didn''t immediately get in the car. "Didn''t we agree not to use that nickname anymore?"


    In the past, when she was younger, Michael would always address her like this as a friend, so she didn''t think much of it. But now, at her age, it felt peculiar to be addressed that way.


    "You''re right, then Eve?" (Trantion: To promise)


    Eva frowned. "That nickname won''t do either."


    "Why?"


    Michael couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    "Would calling you Eve remind you of someone?" Eva: "..."


    "If that''s the case, then I should use it more often."


    Michael said, and seeing her standing still, he tapped her forehead with his hand.


    "Why aren''t you getting in the car? Are you waiting for me to invite you?"


    She reluctantly got in the car. After settling down, Eva repeated,


    "Please don''t call me that way. It''s not suitable for my current identity."


    "What is your current identity?" Michael drove the car out and smiled faintly. "At my farewell party, everyone was talking about your and Adrian''s fake marriage, and some people even think that you''ve taken Vivian''s ce." Eva had no ability to refute him and could only purse her lips and remain silent. Michael nced at her seemingly sulky expression and couldn''t help butugh. "Are you angry?"


    Eva could only say in a muffled voice, "No, you''re speaking the truth."


    "As long as you''re not angry. In your current situation, if you don''t adjust your mindset properly, you''ll easily fall into a predicament."


    "I know." Eva lowered her gaze.


    In fact, she had almost fallen into a predicament before, but luckily, she had a better mindset.


    Otherwise...


    The car had already left thepany''s entrance and entered the busy street. While paying attention to the traffic, Michael asked, "How''s Vivian''s injury? It was so severe when she got hit, will it leave a scar?" "Probably." Eva replied listlessly.


    "What about Adrian? Has he been taking care of her at the hospital these past few days?"


    These questions made Eva automatically furrow her brows. If she didn''t know that Michael didn''te here on purpose today, she would have really misunderstood.


    Even so, Eva directly said, "If you want to know, you should call him yourself and ask."


    Hearing this, Michael couldn''t help butugh. "Calling him myself would only make it feel ufortable."


    "So, you''re not happy with how I approached you?"


    "You said you didn''t care, didn''t you?"


    "


    "1


    ......


    Well, once again, she was left speechless.


    She looked out the window and said in a helpless tone, "Next time, you should probably not coincidentallye over."


    "Why?" Michaelughed cheerfully. "Is it too piercing to hear? Didn''t we maintain it quite well the previous night?"


    Eva did not reply.


    "But what happened between you and him? When I was abroad, I heard the news and thought Adrian had fallen in love with someone else."


    "No," Eva shook her head, her tone indifferent.


    "It''s probably hard to forget a life-saving favor."


    "Actually, gratitude and affection should not be confused. If you don''t like someone, it has nothing to do with gratitude."


    Eva believed the same. There are so many acts of heroism in the world, but how many couples are together simply because they saved each other? Most of it is just gratitude and appreciation. And perhaps falling in love because of it is just destined fate.

 Chapter 102 Poaching

    The car fell silent as Michael''s gaze searched the surroundings, no longer continuing their previous conversation, but asking her what she wanted to eat. Eva didn''t have much appetite for meat and fish, so she wanted to have porridge for lunch.


    But Michael had already had porridge with her the previous night. It would be a bit inappropriate to suggest having it again today.


    In the end, she said, "You decide."


    Michael paused, seemingly surprised by her decision.


    "Are you sure? I haven''t lived in the country for many years."


    Eva calmly replied, "It''s okay."


    After all, she wouldn''t eat much.


    Then, Eva added, "I''ll treat you to anything you want to eat."


    "Oh?" Michael''s lips curled up. "Then I really need to choose carefully."


    In the end, Michael chose a Chinese restaurant.


    When Eva got out of the car, she deliberately nced at the restaurant''s decoration. It was upscale.


    Before the Hansen family went bankrupt, she and her little sisters often dined at simr ces. After that... her group of little sisters scattered.


    The only one left was Emily.


    Before, it was Eva who took Emily to restaurants. After the bankruptcy, it was Emily who took Eva to street stalls or moderately-priced restaurants.


    The first time they went, Emily looked at her cautiously and said, "Eva, even though right now I can only afford to bring you here, don''t worry. Once I make big money, the first thing I''ll do is take you for a fancy dinner." Thinking back, Eva couldn''t help but smile.


    Although she didn''t frequent such high-end cester on, Eva felt more fulfilled in her heart than before.


    And when you''re at a low point, you see things more clearly than before.


    This could also be considered as a form of growth.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Michael''s voice snapped Eva back to reality.


    Eva regained her senses and couldn''t help but smile, saying softly, "Nothing, just suddenly thought of something interesting."


    Hearing this, Michael arched an eyebrow. "What interesting thing?"


    Eva nced at him, not intending to share this thing with him, so she remained silent. Michael was a person who knew his boundaries, so he didn''t ask any further.


    The two of them sat down and ordered their food. Perhaps because Michael had chosen the restaurant, he handed her the menu as soon as he received it.


    "Take a look, see what you want to eat?"


    Eva originally wanted to say anything would do, but she felt that it wouldn''t be appropriate. After all, it was meant to be a farewell gathering, and saying she didn''t mind would seem insincere. So, she took the menu and nned to symbolically choose a few dishes to eat.


    After she finished ordering, she handed the menu back to Michael.


    Michael opened it and nced at it, his eyes shing with surprise as he looked at her.


    "Your appetite seems to have changed a lot? Have you made so many dietary changes?" Without changing her expression, Eva said, "My stomach hasn''t been feeling well recently." Michael looked at her with a smile but remained silent.


    This gaze...


    If it weren''t for the fact that she had known Michael since they were little, knowing his personality, Eva would almost think that he knew something.


    After a moment, Michael finally asked, "If you''re not feeling well, do you need me to apany you to see a doctor after eating?"


    "No need, I''ve already seen one."


    "Tsk, little girl has grown up, always keeping me at a distance."


    After Michael finished speaking, he checked several items on the menu with a pen, and then handed it to the waiter. He added another sentence as he thought of something. "Please bring this youngdy a ss of juice."


    "Of course, sir~"


    Hearing this, Eva paused.


    "How did you know?"


    "Forgot? You drank two sses of juice alone at the farewell party, but I won''t give you more today. One ss is enough, right?"


    Actually, Eva had no intention of drinking juice before she came, and she hadn''t even carefully looked at the menu. She didn''t expect Michael to notice. "Thank you."


    "No need to thank me, it''s your money anyway."


    Almost forgot, it was Eva who was treating him today, and this kind of restaurant actually cost quite a bit of money for a meal.


    For the past Eva, this amount of money was nothing.


    In fact, with her current sry, she could afford to eat at this restaurant, but... if she were to have a baby in the future, there would be many expenses.


    The cost of clothing, food, shelter, transportation, and the resources for further education, she had to save money in advance.


    Just thinking about it, Eva felt overwhelmed. After all, she didn''t n to remarry, she was probably going to raise the child alone.


    If she wanted to provide good resources and conditions for the child, her future work would definitely not be enough.


    "What''s wrong? Do you regret inviting me to such an expensive restaurant?"


    Seeing her deep in thought, Michael asked.


    Eva snapped out of it and raised her eyes, only to meet Michael''s teasing gaze.


    "ording to your sry at the ckwood family, you shouldn''t be so concerned about treating me to lunch."


    Eva couldn''t help butugh at his words, "How is that possible?"


    Michael picked up the tea that had been prepared on the table, brought it to his lips, and took a sip leisurely. He said casually, "Considering that we''ve known each other since we were little, if the ckwood family''s sry is too low for you, you can considering to me."


    "Are you trying to poach me?"


    "Poach you?" This statement slightly surprised Michael, but when he thought of a certain idea deep inside him, he didn''t deny it either.


    Because in a way, he did want to poach her, but it wasn''t the same kind of poaching.


    He didn''t deny it, which also made Eva breathe a sigh of relief.


    If he was trying to poach her to go back to her previouspany through a staged encounter, then she could rest assured, especially since it wasn''t just a coincidence.


    Seeing her like this, Michael''s gaze deepened slightly.


    "You seem nervous? Worried that I would treat you differently? What do you think?"


    Eva suddenly felt embarrassed as her thoughts were revealed. She blinked her eyes and instinctively denied, "No, I wouldn''t think that way. How could you possibly have any thoughts about me?"


    Michael looked at her with warm eyes, his lips slightly curved. He raised his hand to touch his own nose bridge and whispered softly, "But what if I do?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva, who had already calmed down, froze in ce.


    "What?"


    She thought she must have misheard and stared nkly at Michael across from her.


    Michael lightly tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes curved. "Surprised?"


    Seeing the smile in his eyes, Eva finally realized that Michael was just joking with her, and not only did she take it seriously, but she was also scared. She felt a bit speechless, but her mood also settled down.


    "No, but it''s better not to joke around between friends."


    Michael curled his lips, his gaze beneath the lenses full of affection, his tone gentle. "Hmm, I won''t joke like that next time."


    However, when he brings up this topic again next time, it won''t be as mild or joking as it is now.

 Chapter 103 You Will Always Be the One I Love

    Afterwards, Eva took a moment to visit the restroom in order to alleviate her embarrassment.


    When she emerged, she unexpectedly ran into a familiar face in the hallway outside the restroom.


    Eva''s steps halted as she looked at the young girl before her, who wore a sorrowful expression.


    They weren''t exactly familiar with each other, but had met briefly at the hospitalst time. It was Diana''s daughter, Pa.


    When Eva had wanted to go to the hospital for an abortion, she had encountered Diana, and if it wasn''t for her daughter''s situation, Diana would have probably proimed her own affairs to the world long ago.


    Seeing this girl, Eva thought back to that day at the hospital when she had firmly told Diana, "I like him."


    She wasn''t alone here; standing beside her was a tall, slender man who had a good-looking appearance.


    He was bending over, grasping Pa''s shoulders, and pleading with a mournful expression. "Pa, please consider it as my plea to you. Let''s have the child aborted. You''re still young, you can''t just drop out of school and have a child now, can you? Besides, I haven''t even made ns to be a father yet. Give me some more time, let''s wait untilter to have a child, alright?"


    As Eva approached, she finally heard their conversation clearly. She looked at the man speechlessly. However, the two of them were immersed in their own conversation, not having the leisure to notice the people around them.


    "But you didn''t say this before, didn''t you say... if there was a child, we would get married? Don''t you love me? What''s the problem with bing a father?"


    "Pa, I like you, but your parents don''t like me. So, we still need time to work hard. Think about it, if you have a child now, your parents would dislike me even more. Will we still have a chance to be together in the future?"


    Hearing this, Pa seemed to be swayed and didn''t respond. The tall, slender man, seeing her hesitation, continued, "Look, we''re both still young. When would be a good time to have a child if not now? Didn''t you say before that you were willing to do anything for me? This time, it''s my fault, but please, just this once, do it for me, okay?"


    Eva pursed her lips. She hadn''t expected this man to be such a scoundrel. What did he mean by doing anything for him? He really had a high opinion of himself. But after all, this was someone else''s business, and she didn''t want to meddle. Everyone has their own destiny and path to walk.


    Eva walked past the two of them indifferently, going a long way before she heard the girl''s soft voice say, "Fine, I''ll listen to you..."


    Her steps halted, and she sighed internally. Is this how blind one can be when they like someone? She looked back and felt that the girl had been terribly deceived by the man. But what about herself? Did she ever take a step back and see the truth? In the eyes of others, in the position beside Adrian, acting as his fake wife, wasn''t she ridiculous?


    Back at the dining table, Eva sat deep in thought, often spacing out. By the time their meal was nearing its end, Eva went to the front desk to settle the bill in advance.


    "Miss, yourpanion has already settled the bill."


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused for a moment before asking, "How much in total?"


    After returning, Eva told Michael about transferring the money for the meal to him.


    "Transfer?" Michael chuckled lightly, with azy look in his eyes. "If you want to add me on WeChat, you can just say it directly next time. We''ve known each other for so many years, no need to be so subtle."


    Eva replied, "Who wants to add you on WeChat?"


    Michael asked, "Then what do you mean?"


    Eva lifted her chin in the direction of his phone and said, "I meant that you don''t need to add WeChat. Just show me your payment code so I can scan it."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Michael flicked her hand with his finger. "Last time you insisted on paying, and if you seed this time, where would my dignity be?"


    Eva''s eyebrows lightly furrowed. "If you really feel bad, just quit and join Morrison."


    "...Isn''t that topic too far-fetched?"


    "Far-fetched?" Michael lowered his head, appearing to be in thought. "But, as you said, I do want to steal you away."


    "You think a meal is enough to make me switch jobs. Aren''t you dreaming?"


    After speaking, Eva put away her phone and didn''t insist on transferring the money to him.


    Let him pay if he wants to pay, the heir to the Morrison Group doesn''tck that money anyway. As for her money, she''ll save it for her future children.


    "Indeed, a meal might not be enough to buy you. Looks like I''ll have to ''identally encounter'' you a few more times in the future."


    Eva noticed that Michael had be much more humorouspared to before. In the past, he only knew how to infuriate people, and now he seemed like apletely different person. It seems that these years abroad have helped him grow. After a few minutes, Michael suggested giving her a ride back to thepany.


    Without hesitation, Eva directly refused. "No need, it''s not far from here to thepany. I''ll just call a car."


    Michael paused for a moment, and didn''t insist anymore, simply nodding his head. "Alright then."


    The two of them left the restaurant together. When they reached the door, Eva saw the tall and thin young man she had encountered in the hallway earlier, Pa''s boyfriend. They were still here? She nced briefly and her gaze stopped. The woman being embraced by the tall and thin man was not Pa, but a mature-looking female powerhouse. She spoke with amanding tone. "You still haven''t resolved that matter? People followed you to the restaurant, you''re really impressive."


    "My dear, I had no idea she would change her mind like that. We had an agreement before, and suddenly she didn''t want to get an abortion anymore. I really don''t understand." "You don''t understand? When you were fooling around with her, did you understand?"


    "Darling, my dearest, if it wasn''t for her seducing me, how could I have fallen for it? A dried-up little girl like her can''tpare to even one of your fingers, let alone you, who saved me before. You are my savior, and besides you, I wouldn''t be interested in any other girl."


    Thest sentence made Eva''s footstepse to a halt. She gritted her teeth.


    Biting her lip, she restrained herself from impulsively approaching him, but her hand gripping on the side tightened more and more.


    "You are my lifesaver."


    "I won''t like any other girl except for you."


    These two sentences, like incredibly sharp swords, pierced into Eva''s heart, leaving her stunned and in pain.


    "So, please don''t worry. You will always be the one I love the most."


    While the tall and slender man was still expressing loyalty to the gentlewoman, a cool and indifferent yet pleasant voice suddenly sounded.


    "You im to love her the most, yet you can embrace and kiss other girls. Your love is truly cheap."


    Upon hearing this, the tall and slender man was taken aback and as he snapped back to reality, he saw a beautiful girl with delicate eyebrows and clear eyes standing in front of him. "Who are you?"

 Chapter 104 The Woman He Fancies

    The tall and slim man looked at Eva in astonishment, his eyes shing with a hint of amazement. Although the girl in front of him was beautiful, he did not know her. The gentlewoman beside him also tightened her gaze when she saw Eva, then stared at her with caution.


    "Who is she? Did you find someone behind my back?"


    The slim man could only exin hurriedly, "No, love, I don''t know her either. Who knows why she suddenly came up to talk to me? Who are you, by the way?"


    In truth, the slim man had a bad temper and was about to lose it when Eva approached him like this. However, her appearance was too stunning for him to do so, so he felt embarrassed to be harsh with her.


    "Does it matter if you know me or not?" Eva stared at him coldly, her eyes devoid of emotion. "What matters is what you said. You im to love her, but you have a child with another woman. Who do you think you''re fooling?" Hearing this, the slim man''s face turned red. "W-What does it have to do with you?"


    The woman beside him remained silent, her face growing solemn.


    Eva smirked. "I simply can''t stand your pretentious act."


    "Do not think that just because you''re good-looking, I won''ty a hand on you!"


    Perhaps her words had triggered something, as the slim man suddenly raised his hand towards Eva. He didn''t really intend to hit her, just scare her. However, as he lifted his hand, a strong grip seized it. "What the hell?"


    The slim man looked up and met a pair of deep ck eyes, which were hidden behind sunsses. Despite that, those eyes were like deep pools, filled with coldness that sent shivers down his spine. With a gentle twist, Michael caused the slim man to scream in pain, sweat forming on his forehead.


    Upon seeing him in agony, Michael released his grip and pulled out a clean handkerchief from his pocket to gently wipe his fingers. Arching an eyebrow, he said, "This is a lesson for you, for thinking ofying a hand on a woman." After wiping his fingers, he tossed the handkerchief into the nearby trash bin. "Let''s go."


    Michael''s voice softened considerably when facing Eva. She had never seen him like this before, and subconsciously nodded in response. "Okay."


    The two of them left the restaurant together. Even from a distance, they could still hear the tall and slim man hurling vulgarnguage at them. It was not until his voice was drowned out by the bustling city that Eva regained some rity. "Sorry for causing you trouble," she said.


    Hearing her apology, Michael smiled nonchntly. Seeing her look so remorseful, he couldn''t help but reach out to rub the back of her head. Unfortunately, before his hand could touch her, Eva instinctively leaned away, avoiding his touch. Michael''s distinctively-defined hand lingered in the air for a moment, his gaze growing heavy. However, he quickly concealed it, retrieving his hand without a trace and returning to his rxed and warm demeanor. "It''s no big deal."


    Eva felt a bit awkward about their previous interaction. She felt that Michael had just reflexively performed a gesture from their childhood, and he still subconsciously wanted to do it. But did he consider that both she and he were not children anymore.


    Thinking about how he just wiped his hands and threw the handkerchief away, Eva couldn''t help but ask, "After five years abroad, do you have OCD?"


    Just by touching the other person''s wrist, even with clothes in between, he actually took out a handkerchief to wipe it, not only that, he even threw the handkerchief away.


    Hearing this, Michael paused for a moment, then suddenly grabbed Eva''s wrist.


    Although she didn''t dislike Michael, this kind of physical contact still made her feel a bit embarrassed. When she subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, Michael let go and then held his hand out to her. "Do you still think I have OCD like this?"


    Eva: "..."


    So, he was just using this method to prove that he doesn''t have OCD?


    After five years abroad, his personality has changed too much.


    "I just think that he is not clean with those two girls, and I dirtied my hands by touching him."


    Following that, Michael added without a trace.


    Hearing this, Eva''s eyes dimmed.


    She thought of Adrian again.


    Seeing her silence, Michael sighed, "Although I don''t know if I should say too much, everyone in the circle has always known about Adrian and Vivian''s rtionship. As for you marrying him..."


    At this point, Michael paused, "I''m not sure what exactly is going on between you two, but it seems like you don''t like this kind of rtionship now. If it''s painful, end it sooner."


    Although Eva has known Michael since childhood, there has always been a barrier between them, and she doesn''t want to tell him too much about her own affairs.


    So, she just smiled and nodded in response to his advice, "Okay, I understand."


    Michael dropped the subject and didn''t mention it again.


    "Do you really not need me to take you back?"


    "No, go ahead."


    "Alright, then I''ll wait with you here until you get on the bus."


    Eva felt a bit embarrassed to refuse again, so she agreed.


    When the bus arrived, as Eva was about to get on, Michael suddenly took out his phone and opened a QR code.


    Eva nced at it briefly and found that it was a QR code.


    "Weren''t you going to transfer money to me just now?"


    Hearing this, Eva snapped back to reality and quickly took out her phone to scan it.


    But instead of transferring money, it turned out to be the add friend interface.


    Michael looked at her with a gentle expression.


    "If you want to transfer money, add me as a friend first."


    Eva: "Alright, fine."


    Adding him as a friend, she got on the bus and left quickly.


    Michael added her as a WeChat friend, stood on the side of the road watching as the bus drove away, but he didn''t hurry to leave. Instead, he clicked into Eva''s WeChat moments and carefully browsed through it. After finishing reading, he remembered something and made a phone call to his subordinate.


    "Help me check Eva''s recent activities."


    "Yeah, find out where she went specifically and send me a summary."


    However, the most abnormal thing is Eva''s eating habits. He has seen her five times, and three times he saw her eating and drinking juice with enthusiasm, not looking like someone with no appetite. But she seems to be afraid of greasy food. This appearance is simr to his young stepmother who is pregnant but dare not let him know, afraid that he will harm her, hiding and concealing, but unable to hide anything in terms of diet.


    He doesn''t want to suspect Eva. It''s just that he has experienced it before, so when he sees Eva like this, he naturally thinks in that direction. And she is the woman he has chosen.


    Since she is the woman, he has chosen and won''t easily let go, naturally he wants to know everything about her. In fact, after experiencing five years of dark struggles abroad, Michael, who he is now, wants to have absolute control over what he wants and will not easily give in.


    The incident of going abroad five years ago, which resulted in him losing her and letting her be someone else''s wife, will not happen again in the future.

 Chapter 105 Do You Really Not Like Her?

    That evening, Eva and Adrian ryed what Dr. Oberlin had said earlier to Granny ckwood.


    During this time, Granny ckwood had been in a good state of mind at home, herplexion healthier than when she was in the sanatorium, and her spirit high. Upon hearing the news from the two, she wasn''t afraid and nodded cheerfully.


    "Tomorrow for the examination? Of course, no problem."


    Granny ckwood was in a good mood now, probably because she had developed a liking for the lively atmosphere outside. She wanted to finish the surgery early and recover soon. Eva felt relieved after hearing this.


    "Grandma seems happy now?"


    "Yes." Granny ckwood held her hand and sighed. "I thought I would always be confined in the sanatorium, but being able to see the outside world again before the surgery, even if I die on the operating table, I won''t have any regrets." Eva, who was happy because of Granny ckwood''s words, turned pale after hearing thest sentence.


    "Grandma, what are you talking about?"


    But Granny ckwood''s eyes showed no sadness. Instead, she looked at Adrian and beckoned him toe over.


    Adrian walked over with a serious expression.


    "Grandma, don''t say such ominous words. The surgery will be sessful, and you will be able to see more of the outside world in the future."


    "It''s not an ominous thing. Of course, I hope the surgery will be sessful, but unexpected things can happen."


    Adrian''s face turned grim, and he spoke firmly, "There won''t be any unexpected things."


    "Alright, alright." Granny ckwood smiled. "Anyway, if anything happens to me, both of you have to live your lives well. Don''t be too sad because of me, and don''t argue. Adrian, you''re a man, so you should be more considerate towards Eva. Women have it the toughest, understand?"


    Bang!


    Tears streamed down Eva''s face without warning. Because she was leaning against Granny ckwood, the scalding tears fell directly onto the back of her hand. "Eva..." Granny ckwood looked at the glistening tears and froze.


    "Grandma..." Eva pressed her face against Granny ckwood''s hand, tightly hugging her arm with teary eyes. "Please don''t say such gloomy things. The surgery will definitely be sessful, and you have to continue experiencing the colorful world outside. Also, Adrian and I argue often, so we need you to mediate. So please, Grandma, nothing should happen to you, okay?"


    Granny ckwood had only envisioned possible oues, and her state of mind had actually been quite good recently. She used to have some regrets, but now thinking about it, there seemed to be no regrets.


    So, she said these words.


    At that moment, her mood was calm.


    No one wants to die prematurely.


    But if death cannot be avoided, then ept it calmly, there is nothing to be afraid of.


    She just didn''t expect these words to make Eva cry like this.


    Granny ckwood has always known that Eva''s feelings towards her are not just those of an ordinary granddaughter towards her grandmother. She has always loved clinging to her, confiding in her, and sharing many of her thoughts with her. Gradually, Granny ckwood began to realize that this young girl''s feelings towards her were extraordinary.


    Later, she asked and found out that this young woman did not have her mother by her side since she was little. This made her realize a possibility, that the young woman might see her as a female elder she can rely on for emotional support. However, it was only today that she realized just how deep the emotional attachment had be.


    "Grandma..."


    She didn''t respond, but the young woman kept crying.


    "Alright, alright."


    Granny ckwood instantly softened,forting Eva repeatedly.


    "Grandma promises you, no more talk about gloomy things, stop crying, okay?"


    In the end, it turned into Granny ckwood constantly soothing Eva, putting in some effort before finally calming her down. Afterward, she went back to her room to sleep, promising toe back in the morning. Granny ckwood lightly patted the back of her head.


    "Alright, goodnight, go to sleep."


    After she left, Granny ckwood nced at Adrian.


    "Have you two been fighting recently?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian hesitated for a moment and then exined, "She was just ying with you, did you really believe her?"


    "Do you think I''m too old and can''t see the issues between you two?" Granny ckwood snorted coldly. "You know exactly what''s going on."


    "Is it because of Vivian?"


    Unexpectedly, Granny ckwood hit the nail on the head, causing Adrian''s expression to change.


    "Vivian saved your life, so she is special to you." Seeing Adrian''s lips twitch, as if he wanted to deny it, Granny ckwood continued, "Don''t rush to say it''s not, Grandma has sharp eyes. You used to get along so well with Eva, but recently there have been frequent issues. I thought it was just normal arguments between you two until that day when I saw Vivian with that child."


    At this point, Granny ckwood deliberately paused, before saying after a long while, "The night we came back from the sanatorium, Vivian came to find you, didn''t she?"


    Adrian: "..."


    Women who marry into the ckwood family are not easily fooled.


    Seeing her grandson''s silence, Granny ckwood sighed.


    "Just as I suspected. The general idea is, why does she want something with you after she saved your life? Isn''t that too delusional of her?"


    Adrian furrowed his brows slightly and instinctively spoke up to defend Vivian. "No, it''s not her being delusional."


    Upon hearing this, Granny ckwood, who had been rtively calm, finally couldn''t help but change her expression and her tone grew stern. "If it''s not her being delusional, then is it you?"


    Adrian remained silent as his lips pressed into a straight line.


    As Granny ckwood stared at him, her gaze gradually turned sharp and imposing. The aura and look in her eyes didn''t match that of an elderly person, let alone someone who was about to undergo surgery.


    "Adrian, tell Grandma honestly, do you not actually like Eva?"


    Adrian stood frozen in ce upon hearing this. Like? A perplexed expression appeared in his dark eyes.


    The astute Granny ckwood, how could she not see the emotions in his eyes? But the moment she understood, she was almost speechless with anger. However, soon after, she thought of something and the anger dissipated.


    Adrian was someone she had watched grow up since he was young. The main reason Granny ckwood favored Eva as her granddaughter-inw was because of Adrian himself.


    If it weren''t for seeing how well he treated and cared for Eva, Granny ckwood would never have had this dream. After all, Eva was an outstanding woman. If they were to get married, it would naturally be between two people who loved each other.


    Thinking of this, Granny ckwood sighed and said, "After all these years, you still don''t know what you want, do you?"

 Chapter 106 Have you not been enchanted by her?

    Jason, as cool as water, walked through the crowd in the bar and made his way to the counter. Following closely behind him was John. They were called out by Adrian once again.


    When they finally found him, they expected to see Adrianpletely drunk, but to their surprise, he was sitting at the counter in pristine attire, with clear eyes. As for the drink in front of him, he hadn''t even taken a sip. "What''s going on? Didn''t you call us here to drink?" Jason asked, perplexed. He walked up and greeted Adrian.


    "Adrian, what''s happening? You haven''t touched your drink?"


    Hearing the familiar voices, Adrian snapped back to reality and looked up, only to find Jason and John standing together. He gave John a questioning look, as if asking, "Why did you bring him along?"


    Understanding the look, John paused for a moment and quickly realized what had happened. It seemed that tonight, Adrian had only called him.


    But he didn''t know that, so he brought Jason along as well. However, since they were both here, there was nothing they could do. The two men sat down without saying anything.


    Jason, acting carelessly, shouted for drinks and then turned to Adrian, "I have to say, you''re really strange. Thest time you came to the bar to get drunk, it was because of Eva, right? What about this time? Is it also because of her?" Hearing Eva''s name, Adrian felt a knot in his heart and didn''t respond.


    "Hey, I thought you two were doing fine before. How did things turn out like this? Vivian has already returned, so shouldn''t she give up her ce by your side to Vivian?" Jason continued.


    His resentment towards Eva growing stronger after hearing some details from the farewell party. He was deeply unhappy with Eva.


    Not satisfied with his words, he added, "If someone dares to harm Vivian in front of me, I will make sure she regrets it tenfold!"


    Adrian narrowed his eyes, his tone turning cold. "What did you say?"


    Jason shrank his neck but gathered the courage to say, "Am I wrong? A man should protect the woman he loves, right? If she is hurt, shouldn''t you seek justice for her? Scars, you know, they are a big deal for a woman!" Adrian stared at him coldly, "Who told you that?"


    Jason widened his eyes, "Adrian, have you really been enchanted by Eva these past two years? She pushed Vivian and caused her to end up like this. Everyone at the farewell party saw it."


    "It wasn''t her."


    Thinking back to that day...


    On the scene, she had a disdainful look and Adrian instinctively denied for her.


    Jason clearly didn''t believe it: "How is that possible? Everyone who came back that day said that she was the closest to Vivian at the time, and she was the only one who could have pushed Vivian. If it wasn''t her, then who was it?" At this point, Jason said with disdain, "You surely can''t say that Vivian fell on her own, right?"


    Adrian didn''t speak but still had a serious face.


    Jason paused, sensitively realizing something, and turned his head to lock eyes with John.


    John looked at him calmly.


    "What do you mean?" Jason couldn''t believe it, "You don''t also think that Vivian fell on her own, do you?"


    After pondering for a moment, John didn''t say that Vivian fell on her own, but instead asked, "I just want to know, why do you think Eva pushed Vivian? Is it just because she was close to Vivian?"


    "Being close to Vivian is one issue, and another is that everyone is saying it," Jason said.


    "Just because everyone is saying it, does that mean it''s the truth?"


    "Well... If everyone is saying it, then what else could be the truth if not this?"


    Jason looked at John with a dumbfounded expression.


    "John, I don''t understand why every time something happens, you always take Eva''s side."


    "Am I taking her side, or are you too biased towards Vivian?"


    Just then, the bartender brought the drinks over. John picked up one of the sses and swirled it gently. The specially mixed cocktail shimmered beautifully under the light of the bar.


    "If one''s subjective consciousness is always upied by the same ideology, it is easy to neglect other possibilities."


    Adrian, who had been silent all along, slightly contracted his pupils upon hearing this.


    Jason, on the other hand, stared at John with a strange look on his face.


    "What is this all about? Are you suddenly being so profound? And subjective consciousness?"


    John turned his head slightly and smiled faintly.


    "You treat Vivian like a goddess. Can you tolerate the idea of her framing others?"


    Upon hearing this, Jason eximed with disbelief, wide-eyed, "That is absolutely impossible. Vivian is such a kind person; how could she frame someone?"


    "That is your subjective consciousness. Because of your bias feelings towards Vivian, you always perceive her as noble, incapable of doing anything wrong, or even making mistakes. And as soon as there is even a hint of negative news, it bes everyone else''s fault, and at that point, the person closest to her bes the scapegoat in your impression."


    "When did I ever think like that?" Jason shouted with excitement.


    "Isn''t it the case?" John calmly looked at him.


    "Of course not!" Jason denied passionately, "John, you are making me out to be someone I''m not."


    "If that''s not the case, then why do you immediately assume that it was Eva who pushed Vivian without even seeking confirmation? Why do you let Adrian take the me for Vivian without seeking confirmation?" John''s eyes were sharp, his words clear and direct, pointing out the key points.


    "I..."


    Jason was rendered speechless by John''s words, unable to utter a single word for a moment.


    Even more terrifying was the realization that John''s logic was actually correct.


    And what he had said had been easily refuted.


    He indeed did not witness it with his own eyes. On the night of the farewell party, he had something else to attend to, so he didn''t go. After such a big incident happened, Jason regretted not going that night.


    If he had also gone, perhaps Vivian wouldn''t have had to go through such a thing.


    Because he believed that with himself around, everything would revolve around Vivian, with her as the center. Even if someone wanted to harm her, he would protect her and not let her suffer any harm.


    The Vivian he liked was undoubtedly the most beautiful and kind person in the world. How could she possibly do something to harm others?


    With these thoughts, Jason abruptly stood up, his expression determined, and said, "So what if I didn''t go to verify it? John, you say I am biased towards Vivian, but I think you are biased against her. Do you want evidence? Then I''ll go find evidence to show you!"

 Chapter 107 Havent Kissed Her in a Long Time

    Jason left in a huff.


    Only two people remained at the bar.


    John nced at Adrian and saw that he seemed lost in his own thoughts, so he didn''t rush to speak.


    After a moment, Adrian asked him in a deep voice.


    "What do you mean by what you just said?"


    John smirked, "You already have the answer in your heart, don''t you?"


    Hearing this, Adrian looked up at him with a mncholic gaze.


    "What answer?"


    "Adrian, do you remember thest time I asked you here? After all these years, haven''t you figured out what exactly you want?" John said, hooking his lips. Adrian was taken aback, realizing that John had also asked him before.


    No wonder when his grandmother asked him that night, he felt that the phrase sounded familiar. However, when John said itst time, he seemed to have not paid attention, and he didn''t take it to heart.


    Seeing Adrian''s silence, John sighed lightly. "You grew up with her since childhood, witnessed all her joys and sorrows. When the Hansen family went bankrupt, if I remember correctly, you came back immediately when you heard the news, didn''t you?"


    "Yes," Adrian couldn''t deny this.


    At first, he didn''t know about it, but as soon as he received the news, he dropped everything at hand and rushed back.


    Thinking back, John chuckled softly. "I heard that you were negotiating a big deal at that time. Didn''t you even think about finishing the deal anding back in a few days? But why did you throw away all your work on the spot ande back immediately?"


    "Of course, it''s because..." He wanted to blurt out some words, but when they reached his lips, he stopped himself.


    "Because you were worried about her, right?"


    Johnpleted the sentence for him.


    Yes, it was indeed worry. When he heard the news, there was only one thought in his mind.


    "For her, you gave up a billion-dor deal. Have you ever seriously considered what the rtionship between you two really is? Ordinary childhood friends won''t do that, Adrian."


    John''s voice was soft, but for Adrian, it was deafening.


    In that moment, his voice seemed to have been amplified countless times.


    Seriously consider the rtionship between him and Eva?


    "It''s not difficult to see through one''s own heart." Before he could answer, John continued, "But if you find it hard to decide, it''s better to let her go sooner, don''t hold her back, and free yourself as well." After speaking, John patted Adrian''s shoulder.


    Life is always about making difficult choices."


    Eva had already fallen asleep. She put on the pajamas she had just bought, made of fluffy and soft fabric that was lightweight. The warm sunlight made it particrlyfortable to wear.


    But because she had cried so much before bed, she sniffled a few times as she slept before finally settling into a peaceful sleep.


    Adrian stood tall and graceful in front of the bed. A warm yellowmp was lit in the room, casting a soft glow on Eva''s face.


    On her face, she appeared serene and docile in her sleep.


    During this period, their rtionship could be said to be at an all-time low.


    Although they were still chatting and being polite on the surface, Eva''s attitude and gaze were constantly tormenting Adrian''s heart.


    Only when she fell asleep could Adrian feel that the distance between them hadn''t increased, and their rtionship was still the same as before.


    "You already have the answer in your heart, don''t you?"


    John''s words from tonight echoed in Adrian''s mind once again.


    Suddenly, Eva''s tranquil expression wrinkled her forehead.


    Is she having a nightmare?


    Adrian crouched beside the bed and instinctively ced his hand on Eva''s forehead, wanting to smooth out the crease,pletely forgetting that he had spent too much time at the bar and had a few drinks beforeing home, so his hands were icy cold.


    Therefore, when his fingertips touched Eva''s forehead, she shivered and woke up instantly.


    Their eyes unexpectedly met.


    Eva, who had just awakened from her dream, still had a dazed look in her eyes. Under the bedroom light, her cool eyes gained a hint of warmth, captivating Adrian.


    His icy fingertips were still on Eva''s forehead.


    For a moment, Eva snapped back to reality and realized what had happened. She instinctively moved away from Adrian''s touch and sat up, looking at him with a hint of caution. "What are you trying to do?"


    Her cautious expression displeased Adrian, and he furrowed his eyebrows. "What can I do? Why are you so guarded against me?"


    Upon hearing his words, Eva also felt that her reaction just now seemed a bit excessive.


    She could only turn her head and avoid his gaze, saying, "Nothing."


    Even if they weren''t a couple anymore, they had grown up together since childhood. What harm could he possibly cause her?


    The next second, Adrian''s cold palm firmly grasped Eva''s chin, forcing her to turn her head back.


    Adrian''s dark eyes were filled with hostility. "If there''s nothing, then why are you afraid to look at me?"


    As he spoke, Adrian leaned closer to her, and his cold breath quickly enveloped her.


    Eva struggled, but couldn''t break free. She could only put her hands on both sides of her body and looked up at him.


    Being so close, Adrian could even smell the faint fragrance on her body.


    This scent made him somewhat intrigued, and his Adam''s apple involuntarily rolled up and down, revealing a hint of desire in his eyes.


    "Adrian, Adrian, what exactly do you want?" Eva said as her bright red lips opened and closed in front of Adrian. Suddenly, he realized that he hadn''t kissed her in a long time.


    To the point that he had lost interest in listening to what she was saying.


    Eva realized that he was staring at her with his ck eyes, his gaze akin to that of a wolf, as if he was about to devour her in the next second.


    She had a foreboding feeling and tightly gripped the nket while closing her red lips.


    "If you''re not going to sleep, then I''ll go to sleep first... Mm."


    Before she could finish tucking in the covers, everything went ck and Adrian''s presence engulfed her.


    The familiar softness that she hadn''t felt in a long-time left Eva in a daze for a moment, until she suddenly felt warmth in her mouth, snapping her back to reality as she pushed the person in front of her away. Adrian''s kisses were intoxicating, causing him to be caught off guard as she pushed him. When he opened his eyes, desire still lingered in the depths of his gaze as he stared at her swollen lips from the kisses. After a moment, he pulled her back into his embrace, wanting to continue their passionate kiss.


    But Eva pressed her chest against him, asking, "Adrian, what are you trying to do?"


    Adrian''s eyes darkened, his voice husky, carrying a hint of seduction.


    "Why did you push me away? Didn''t you say it was just a physical need?"


    Eva''s face paled and her pupils contracted.


    So, he meant that he has these physical needs now, and that''s why he came to her? What does he think of himself?

 Chapter 108 I Dont Like You at All

    Upon thinking of this, Eva sneered and looked at him coldly.


    "You have physical needs, go find your Vivian."


    Upon hearing this, a shadow crossed Adrian''s eyes, and he bit his lower lip before saying, "I only look for you, not anyone else."


    With these words spoken, he once again leaned in to find her lips, but received a p from Eva.


    "Go away!"


    "Go find your Vivian, don''te near me!"


    "Go away!"


    Eva was so angered that she was trembling, and giving him a p was not enough, she wanted to continue.


    However, Adrian caught her wrist and raised his voice, "Angry? During this period of time, haven''t you been ying the role of a virtuous wife quite well? Why not continue?"


    As Eva thought about how he wanted to use her to fulfill his physical needs, shepletely lost her rationality and had no intention of responding to Adrian''s words, she only struggled hard. Seeing Eva like this, Adrian felt both angry and reluctant.


    Thinking about the words John and Grandma said to him, Adrian tightened his grip on her wrist.


    "These were the words you said back then, why are you angry now? Eva, what are you angry about?"


    When asking this question, Adrian''s eyes remained fixed on her, as if he wanted to confirm something.


    "Are you angry about me saying that I only have physical needs with you, or are you angry about me going to find Vivian?"


    After struggling earlier, Eva finally reacted after hearing Adrian''s words.


    If she didn''t understand why Adrian suddenly acted like this before, she probably knew now.


    So, it turns out he wanted to test her.


    "What do you want to say?" Eva looked at Adrian''s handsome appearance in front of her, and couldn''t help but let out a softugh. It had to be said that every inch of Adrian''s features met her criteria for a partner. Even now, she still thought Adrian was good-looking.


    She had liked him back then, and found him irresistible.


    But that didn''t mean that she would just blindly offer herself without any limits.


    Adrian''s thin lips moved, but he didn''t speak, although it was clear what he wanted to say.


    After being childhood friends for so many years, they could be considered to understand and cherish each other.


    But precisely because they cherished each other, there were certain things that couldn''t be asked.


    Like...liking and caring about each other.


    Once such questions were spoken out loud, it would pierce through a certainyer of window paper and some rtionships would deteriorate.


    They would be impure, and what was more feared was that they would start to deteriorate.


    What could be more embarrassing than me treating you as a friend, only to find out that you actually have feelings for me? It''s possible that in the end, we can''t even be friends.


    So, Adrian could only use this restrained and controllednguage to ask.


    But Eva was different from him.


    Because of their understanding, she understood what Adrian wanted to ask, so she smiled slightly and responded, her tone icy and cool, "Don''t worry. I don''t like you at all."


    "Physiological needs, I did mention that, but that was under the condition that you weren''t messing around with rtionships. But now things are different, you have Vivian, why should I rely on you to fulfill my physical needs? Do I really seem that desperate?" Her words floated lightly, but they pierced Adrian''s heart like knives.


    By the time she finished speaking, Adrian''s gaze had changed. He stared at her with gritted teeth and asked, "Then who do you want to find? Carter or Michael?" Eva remained silent.


    "On the night of the farewell, Michael was the one who brought you back, right?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva furrowed her eyebrows in surprise. How did he know? She thought all of his attention was on Vivian at the time.


    "And yesterday, you went out with him." Upon hearing this, Eva finally sensed that something was off.


    "Adrian, are you following me?" At the same time, rm bells rang in her mind.


    She had been to the hospital recently, even though she went with Emily. But if Adrian really wanted to check, he wouldn''t find anything. "Do I need to?" Adrian retorted.


    Not needed? So, it seems he didn''t have someone follow her?


    "How did you know?"


    When Vivian got injured that day, she could understand. Maybe Adrian saw Michael bringing her to the vi gate.


    But yesterday, when she went out to eat, she didn''t even expect to run into Michael there. How did Adrian know? When she came back, she even took a taxi.


    "Are you nervous?" Adrian sneered. "Eva, have you ever heard the saying, ''leaving no traces unless you don''t act''?"


    Eva remained silent.


    Thinking of something, Adrian''s gaze shifted downward,nding on her pajamas. "And your recent dressing style, is it to cater to their preferences?"


    Eva questioned, "What nonsense are you talking about? It''s winter, am I not allowed to change my dressing style?"


    Feeling speechless, Eva also felt that Adrian was ridiculous. Instead of suspecting something about the child, he thought she was trying to please Carter or Michael. After knowing each other for so many years, Eva felt like she didn''t really understand him. He seemed to think about the opposite of what she worries about.


    And about the child, he didn''t seem to be too concerned from the beginning, he didn''t even ask.


    Actually, no matter how you looked at it, this didn''t seem reasonable.


    Could it be...


    As she pondered, Adrian''s clear breath suddenly approached, interrupting Eva''s thoughts.


    When she snapped back to reality, she saw Adrian''s handsome face erged in front of her, his teeth clenched in anger.


    "Changing styles is of course allowed, but don''t you think the timing is too coincidental? And the person you like is Michael? He held you that night..." Hearing him bring this up, Eva felt a headache. "Can we not discuss this? Who I like... it''s none of your business."


    "Don''t like anything, alright?" After speaking, Eva couldn''t help but yawn. "I''m so tired now, how about I sleep first? We can talk about it tomorrow."


    At this moment, Eva''s thoughts were fully focused on taking her grandmother to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow. She really didn''t want to bother with anything else.


    Upon hearing her words, Adrian stood frozen in ce. He probably didn''t expect such a serious matter, and Eva seemedpletely unconcerned, even suggesting going to sleep. Can she really fall asleep? Seeing him remain silent, Eva said, "If you''re not tired, then I''ll go to sleep first."


    After speaking, she pulled her hand back and adjusted the nket carefully as shey down. Although Adrian stood there like a statue, he didn''te over again, which put Eva at ease. The two of them stayed silently in the room.


    Initially, Eva thought that as long as she ignored him, he would leave. However, Adrian continued to stand there and stare at her.


    Eva pursed her lips. Is he nning to stand there the whole night?


    Is he crazy?


    Forget it, as a person with a baby, she should rest well and not go crazy with him. After making up her mind, Eva turned over to face away from Adrian and quickly fell asleep.

 Chapter 109 Can you bear her leaving you

    After falling asleep, Eva''s breathing gradually became steady and long.


    Adrian moved to the other side of her back and discovered that Eva was really asleep.


    Not only was she asleep, but she was sleeping soundly.


    He raised his hand to touch his face that had been pped, a confused expression on his face. If it wasn''t for the lingering pain on his cheek, he would have doubted whether the whole farce just now was his own illusion. After all, how could someone be angry one second and then sleep carefree the next?


    She has changed so much recently that Adrian can hardly recognize her.


    His heart was not calm, certain emotions couldn''t find an outlet. However, looking at her peaceful sleeping face, he couldn''t say a word.


    Even when Adrian finally left the bedside, his footsteps were lightened.


    Finally, Adrian sat down on the couch outside.


    Even though it was already midnight, his mind was clear. He could only think about the words John said to him before leaving.


    When the two of them left the bar, John stopped him.


    "If you really can''t understand, then I can ask you a different question."


    Adrian''s heart was in turmoil, and he nced at him when he heard this, although his expression and gaze were extremely impatient, he did not take a step away.


    John smiled.


    "It''s simple, just think about whether you can bear Eva being with other men after she leaves you."


    Hearing this, Adrian frowned unhappily.


    "John, what are you trying to say?"


    "If Eva hugs, kisses and go out with other men, would you still bear it?"


    When he heard the word hug, Adrian couldn''t help but frown, not to mention what came after.


    After John finished speaking, Adrian''s brow was already slightly angry.


    As if he had already anticipated it, John''s lips curved up. "I was just saying, and you are already so angry. But what if it actually happens? Adrian, how would you feel? Don''t wait until it''s toote to regret." What if it actually happens?


    Eva is excellent, and as a single woman, she will definitely have many suitors. And after leaving her marriage, she will inevitably be with someone else when she meets someone she likes.


    With her appearance, which man could resist her? They would definitely...


    Just thinking about it, Adrian''s fists clenched.


    After a long time, he leaned back and rested his head on the couch, closing his tired eyes.


    Meanwhile, Eva in the bedroom slept until dawn.


    The next morning,


    When she woke up, she felt refreshed.


    And the small incident fromst night was already forgotten, she stretchedzily as she got out of bed, ready to wash up.


    But when she was putting on her shoes, she suddenly saw Adrian sitting on the couch.


    Their gazes met in the air.


    Eva clearly saw his bloodshot eyes. She hesitated for a moment. Was he sitting here all night without sleeping?


    If he didn''t sleep all night, was he sitting here staring at her all night?


    She shuddered at the thought.


    Today should have been the day to take Grandma to the hospital, but he didn''t sleep all night.


    Oh well, Eva couldn''t be bothered to say anything to him anyway. After all, no matter what she says, it''s his own grandmother, and he should know better in his heart. After realizing this, Eva got up to freshen up.


    When she came out after getting ready, she found Adrian still sitting there, so she couldn''t help but speak up: "Um... aren''t you going to brush your teeth and wash your face? We have to take Grandma for a check-upter." Adrian''s eyes shed with impatience, then he stood up and said, "I know, you don''t have to remind me."


    After that, he walked past her and into the bathroom.


    Eva: "..."


    Oh well, there are only a few days left anyway, so she decided to continue enduring.


    Since she had slept well and didn''t have dark circles, Eva skipped makeup today and changed into her clothes before heading downstairs.


    When she got downstairs, she realized that Mr. and Mrs. ckwood had alsoe. Both of them were in the living room talking to Granny ckwood, who was sitting in a wheelchair.


    Seeing them, Eva wasn''t surprised.


    They had informed herst night that they would being today.


    Last time, when Granny ckwood had surgery, the couple couldn''t make it due to dyed flights. Even though she didn''t undergo surgery that day, the couple still felt guilty about it, so this time they came back early. They hade early today, although they still didn''t know if surgery was needed.


    Just as Eva reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard Granny ckwood sarcastically say to her son and daughter-inw, "If your business is so busy, you don''t have to rush back. Even if I were to die on the operating table, no one would probably care anyway."


    Before hearing the rest of her words, Eva thought that Grandma was speaking the truth. It was only after listening to the whole sentence that she realized she was being sarcastic, which left her a bit amused and exasperated. Eva thought, Grandma is quite cute, isn''t she?


    Mrs. ckwood, who had been sitting on the sofa ying with teacups, immediately put down the teapot and walked up to Granny ckwood, squatting down in front of her and holding her hand.


    "Mom, what are you saying? Even if our business is important, it can''tpare to you in our hearts. You hold the highest ce, and nothing can change that."


    Mrs. ckwood was just as Eva had imagined.


    Granny ckwood, however, withdrew her hand with a look of disdain. "Do you think I''ll believe you just because you say a few nice words?"


    "Oh mom, if a few words won''t do it, then on the way to the hospitalter, I''ll keep saying it to you," Mrs. ckwood replied.


    "Alright, with your mouth, I''ll find it annoying even if you talk the whole way," Granny ckwood said, her face still disying disdain but with a hint of a smile.


    Watching this scene, Eva couldn''t help but feel envious.


    Mrs. ckwood always seemed to be able to handle situations like this well. No matter how bad the person''s mood was at the time, she always managed to bring the atmosphere back to normal. She really had a talent for it.


    She could never


    "Eva?"


    Granny ckwood noticed her and called out to her.


    Mrs. ckwood snapped back to reality and followed Granny ckwood''s gaze, indeed seeing Eva standing still. Delight showed on her delicate face.


    "Eva."


    Eva smiled at her and shyly squeezed out a hint of a smile, greeting each elder one by one.


    "Grandma, good morning. Dad, Mom, why did you alle so early?"


    Mr. ckwood was a very reserved person emotionally, but he had watched Eva grow up since she was little. The rtionship between the two families was extraordinary, and in his eyes, Eva was like a real daughter. Later, she became his daughter-inw, and Mr. ckwood and Mr. Shen became inws, strengthening the familial ties even further.


    He nodded at Eva, revealing a smile that came from deep within.


    "We were afraid of traffic on the way, so your mom and I came earlier."


    Mrs. ckwood stepped forward and embraced Eva.


    "Eva, you''ve worked hard during this time. I heard that you''ve been taking care of Grandma the whole time?"

 Chapter 110 Nature always wants to give her the best

    There was a faint lemon scent on Mrs. ckwood''s body, very refreshing.


    When Eva hugged her, she felt both her body and mind rx, and she hugged her back tightly.


    Female elders always made Eva especially fond of them.


    Mrs. ckwood also felt it and couldn''t help but reach out and flick Eva''s nose, "Are you missing your mom?"


    The term "mom" shocked Eva for a long time, and it took her a while to regain her senses and nod. "Yeah, I miss you all."


    "Tsk, little girl, we miss you too." After speaking, Mrs. ckwood lightly pinched Eva''s cheek, feeling that her skin was incredibly soft. Unable to resist, she pinched it a couple more times, then turned to Mr. ckwood and said, "Did you bring the gifts we got for Eva today?"


    Upon hearing this, Mr. ckwood reached into his pocket and fumbled around, then took out two boxes.


    "I did."


    Mrs. ckwood turned around and fetched them, then handed them to Eva.


    "Here, these are the gifts your dad and I brought for you this time."


    In fact, not just now, even before she married Adrian, Mr. and Mrs. ckwood would always give her gifts every time they saw her, and they were always very valuable.


    If she didn''t ept them, Mrs. ckwood would keep persuading her until she did.


    So, when she received the gifts, Eva''s lips curved into a slight smile, and she reached out to take them with both hands.


    "Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom."


    "Good girl."


    "You have a conscience, knowing to bring gifts for the child," Granny ckwood said.


    "Of course, Mom. Eva takes such good care of you, and she''s, our daughter-inw. Naturally, we want to give her the best."


    Everyone was happily chatting, and Eva put aside all her worries and troubles.


    At this moment, Adrian came downstairs.


    When he saw Mr. and Mrs. ckwood, his originally cold expression softened a bit, but hisplexion wasn''t good.


    He hadn''t been getting enough resttely, and on top of that, he hadn''t slept at allst night, so his eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles around them. He looked extremely exhausted.


    Mrs. ckwood only took a quick nce and her expression changed, but she didn''t say anything in front of Granny ckwood to avoid putting pressure on her.


    It wasn''t until after Granny ckwood was sent off in the car that Mrs. ckwood pulled Adrian aside and asked in a low voice, "What''s been going on with you these past few days? Your dark circles are so heavy. What have you been up to at night?"


    Adrian nced at Eva''s back, who was already getting into the car with Granny ckwood, then withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "Nothing much."


    Upon hearing this, his mother sneered, "Did you forget who gave birth to you? Do you think you can hide things from me? Can you?"


    Adrian didn''t even turn his head, his expression cold.


    "So, what if I can''t?"


    Seeing him like this, Mrs. ckwood couldn''t help but roll her eyes, but because of her status as the ckwood family matriarch, she didn''t show it openly. The minutes ticked by; Adrian remained silent.


    "As expected, what did you do to upset Eva again? Eva has such a good temperament; how did you manage to upset her?"


    A good temperament? Adrian sneered inwardly. She wouldn''t think that way if she had experienced Eva''s irritating way of speaking.


    "Tsk, Adrian, what are you, a big man, arguing with your wife? When she''s angry, go and appease her, if once doesn''t work, try again, and keep persisting until she gives in. There''s nothing you can''t aplish with a little persistence," his mother advised.


    "Like when you pursued my dad?"


    Mother ckwood, who had been happily teaching her son how to reconcile, suddenly found herself on the receiving end.


    "What are you talking about? It was clearly your dad relentlessly pursued me, that''s why we''re here today, don''t you see?"


    Adrian clicked his tongue and decided not to argue with her anymore. Sure, even if his mother had relentlessly pursued his father in the beginning, after all these years, his father, who loved his mother so much, would definitely spin the story and im that he had pursued her first.


    He had witnessed this kind of tactic enough times.


    "What are you clicking your tongue for? Don''t you believe me? If you don''t, let''s ask your father face to face," mother said displeased.


    "Enough."


    Adrian''s expression was indifferent as he said, "Let''s get in the car, we still need to go to the hospital for a check-up."


    Having said that, without caring about his mother''s reaction, Adrian proceeded forward.


    Mother ckwood stood in ce and was almost pissed off by him. She finally understood why he had quarreled with Eva. Her son''s personality was exactly the same as his father''s, he was both silent and gloomy.


    Although others may be cold as an iceberg, her son was like a piece of elm wood. If Eva''s personality wasn''t like her own, then the two of them...


    Mrs. ckwood sighed in her heart and followed suit, getting into the car. - There wasn''t enough room for everyone in the car, so Granny ckwood said she would ride in her son and daughter-inw''s car. Eva immediately followed her to the car. But just as she got on, she heard Granny ckwood say to her, "Eva, you go and sit in Adrian''s car."


    Hearing this, Eva was stunned and a sense of unease rose up in her heart, "Granny?"


    Could it be that she had discovered something? Otherwise, why would she want her to ride in Adrian''s car at this critical moment?


    The next second, Granny ckwood patted her hand as if to reassure her, "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen your mother, and there are some things I want to talk to her about."


    Upon hearing this, Eva breathed a sigh of relief. If it was just to talk to Mrs. ckwood, then it was normal.


    "Then, Granny, I''ll stay here with you and not interrupt."


    "Silly girl, I want to talk to her about some other things, why are you staying here with me? Hurry up and go,"


    Granny ckwood said, making Eva helpless, she could only nod. "Alright then." She had no choice.


    Eva got out of the car and immediately ran into Adrian walking towards her. Their eyes briefly met, and Eva pursed her lips and averted her gaze, then walked towards his car.


    Adrian tookrge strides and entered the car before her. Initially, Eva was nning to sit in the back seat, but after some thought, she decided to get into the passenger seat instead.


    As soon as she sat down and was about to fasten her seatbelt, she heard Adrian''s mocking voice. "Didn''t you say you wouldn''t get in my car? Why get in then?"


    Upon hearing his words, Eva''s movements to fasten her seatbelt froze momentarily, but sheposed herself and securely fastened the buckle.


    "It''s not that I want to get in your car, but maybe this is ourst journey together. Let''s part amicably."


    In fact, before getting into the car, Adrian''s mind full of the things his mother had told him.


    "If she''s angry, go and soothe her. If one time isn''t enough, try again."


    He had mentally prepared himself, but seeing her walk towards the back seat and eventually hesitantly sit in the passenger seat made him feel uneasy. Hence, his words became defensive. And Eva''s response made him clench his teeth in anger. "What did you just say?"

 Chapter 111 Will Also Get Hurt

    Compared to his emotional unrest, Eva remained calm.


    "Let''s drive quickly, don''t dy grandma''s check-up time."


    Without any outsiders present, Eva dropped the act, speaking with a different tone and expression than usual.


    After speaking, Eva noticed that there was no movement beside her.


    She furrowed her eyebrows lightly, originally not wanting to reveal her rtionship with Adrian so quickly, but his words were too infuriating, so she couldn''t help it. Grandma was going for a check-up today, and she couldn''t hold her impatience any longer.


    Realizing this, Eva took a deep breath and was about to turn around to say something to Adrian when the car suddenly sped away at a tremendous speed.


    She was startled and turned her head to look at Adrian, seeing him driving with a gloomy expression, emitting a strong aura of hostility.


    Unexinably, Eva suddenly felt her nose tingling, and a tremendous amount of grievance filled her heart.


    What the heck...


    She clearly... didn''t do anything wrong.


    So why should she bear all this? What does he have to do with Vivian?


    He was the one who proposed marriage, initiated the divorce, and made her have an abortion. Clearly, he was the one controlling everything. Why is he getting angry at her now? Unconsciously, tears began to fill Eva''s eyes.


    Before they fell, Eva turned her head to look outside the window, leaning her head back, allowing the tears to gather in her eyes, not a single drop falling.


    Forget it, let it be.


    Perhaps, in the end, they couldn''t even be friends.


    But what could she do?


    Who made her fall in love with him in the first ce?


    The car drove at high speed for a while before Adrian calmed down, bringing the car back to its normal speed.


    When they arrived at the hospital and got out of the car, Adrian noticed that Eva''s eyes were red, as if she had cried.


    His originally fierce mood disappeared instantly upon seeing her teary eyes.


    As Eva was about to step into the hospital, Adrian grabbed her wrist.


    "You''ve been crying?"


    Eva didn''t even turn her head.


    "No."


    Adrian raised his eyebrows, her voice sounding normal, as if nothing was wrong.


    But her eyes were as red as a rabbit''s.


    Why did she cry? Was it because he was driving too fast?


    Lost in thought, Adrian felt the hand in his palm trying to break free, and he instinctively tightened his grip on Eva''s wrist. Thinking of what his mother had said, Adrian''s lips almost straightened into a thin line, then he said, "It was my fault just now." Upon hearing his words, Eva''s eyes, which had just calmed down, reddened again, and she almost couldn''t hold back her tears.


    "You don''t need to apologize. Let go of me."


    Eva forcefully tried to retrieve her hand.


    But Adrian held on tight, no matter how she struggled, he didn''t let go.


    Whether it was his imagination or not, he always felt that the back of Eva''s head seemed filled with resentment. These past few days, her tormenting emotions had reached its peak at this moment. His thin lips moved, about to say something...


    "Mr. and, Mrs. ckwood, you''re here."


    Coincidentally, two familiar nurses from the sanatorium ran out and greeted them when they saw them.


    Adrian frowned displeased, not expecting outsiders to disturb them at this time.


    Eva took this opportunity topletely free herself from his grip and walked forward to talk to them.


    The two nurses were quickly drawn to her attention and did not notice Adrian''s dark expression.


    After waiting outside for about ten minutes, Adrian''s father''s car arrived. Their driver was in charge of driving, and because Granny ckwood was in the car, he drove steadily.


    As soon as Adrian''s father got out of the car, he angrily nced at Adrian and coldly said, "Why drive so recklessly? It''s one thing if it''s just you, but Eva is still in your car."


    After scolding his own son, Adrian''s father went to check on Eva.


    Adrian''s mother pushed Granny ckwood slowly towards them, casually ncing at her grandson along the way. Seeing his pale face, she clicked her tongue a few times in her mind and then shook her head helplessly. She had taught him the secret, yet he looked so foolish. He deserved it.


    Granny ckwood, sitting in a wheelchair, probably sensed something and couldn''t help but speak up, "It seems like there''s a problem between the young coupletely. They always seem off."


    Hearing this, Adrian''s mother paused for a moment and then understood what Granny ckwood was worried about. After considering for a while, she smiled and said, "Mom, young people just like to make a fuss. You don''t have to worry too much. When I was young, I used to argue with my husband every other day, either feeling that he didn''t care enough for me or that he was not considerate enough. When you''re just starting out, personalities need to be meshed gradually." "You do have a point with that statement, but..."


    Granny ckwood still couldn''t help but worry. After thinking about it, she told her daughter-inw about the situation with Vivian.


    Her daughter-inw was shrewd, and maybe she coulde up with a solution. If it could be resolved, she wouldn''t have to worry about this matter anymore. Vivian...


    Granny ckwood also felt helpless about her.


    If she were just an ordinary girl, it would be fine, but unfortunately, she was someone the ckwood family owed a debt to, making the situation moreplicated. You say ignore her directly? That''s not in line with human rtions at all.


    Not only can you not ignore her, but you also have to treat her with kindness.


    Such a rtionship really made it difficult for them as parents.


    After listening to Granny ckwood''s words, Adrian''s mother didn''t worry too much.


    "Mom, are you worried about this? I don''t think this is something to worry about. Although Adrian is slow to understand things, he definitely knows what he wants." Granny ckwood didn''t feel relieved after hearing this, but instead sighed deeply. "Thest sentence..."


    "I agree, but I am worried about Eva getting hurt," Adrian''s mother responded.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s mother instinctively looked in the direction where Eva was.


    Today, Eva was wearing a sky-blue long coat, paired with a set of off-white inner clothing. Her long hair was tied into a low ponytail at the waist, and when she lowered her head, a few strands of soft, greenish hair fell on her cheeks, covering her fair and beautiful face, highlighting her delicate and small chin.


    The nurse by her side was saying something to her, and she nodded gently, then her red lips curved into a faint smile.


    She seemed to be smiling, but it made people inexplicably feel that she was very sad, not at all happy.


    Seeing this, Adrian''s mother, who had always been optimistic and positive, couldn''t help but furrow her brows.


    Previously, she didn''t worry because she thought her son at least understood what he wanted, so there shouldn''t be a problem.


    But now, reminded by Granny ckwood, Adrian''s mother deeply realized that she had overlooked Eva''s emotions.


    During this period, she would also have emotions, feel unhappy, and get hurt.

 Chapter 112 Not Affectionate Enough

    Only Granny ckwood was allowed to go in for the inspection, and everyone else had to stay outside the door.


    Adrian leaned against the window and subconsciously touched his pocket, but he suddenly realized that he hadn''t touched a cigarette in a long time. However, the habit of wanting to smoke when feeling anxious had not been broken.


    In fact, he didn''t smoke much before, but hepletely quit smoking a year ago.


    Ever since him and Eva identally had a physical rtionship.


    Adrian couldn''t resist her body and scent, as if he had be addicted.


    He would often kiss her spontaneously.


    At various times, in various ces, he didn''t miss any opportunity.


    Once, he had a several-hour-long meeting, and the content of the meeting made Adrian''s mood extremely bad that day.


    He started smoking as soon as he returned to the meeting room.


    After just a few puffs, Eva came in holding some documents and saw him smoking. She asked with concern, "Why are you smoking? Are you feeling bad?" He didn''t answer, just stared at her with his dark eyes.


    At that time, his feelings for Eva were still very good, even if he looked cold and angry, she wasn''t afraid and directly reached out to grab the cigarette from his hand. But instead of grabbing the cigarette, she was pulled into his arms and sat on hisp.


    After sitting on hisp, Eva put her hands on his shoulders and said, "Don''t be angry anymore. Even if you were unhappy just now, it''s all in the past now."


    As she spoke, her little mouth kept moving in front of him, shimmering with a tempting luster.


    Adrian''s gaze also became dark with her movements, and he lifted his hand to hold her chin and kissed her.


    The woman in his arms just paused for a moment before returning his kiss.


    The two of them kissed passionately in the office like that.


    When it was over, she leaned against his chest and whispered, "It doesn''t feel good."


    "What do you mean?" Adrian''s voice became hoarse. His first reaction upon hearing this was that he didn''t kiss passionately enough and she wasn''t satisfied with his performance? Eva''s eyes were watery and her lips were swollen.


    "The cigarette," she said.


    Only then did Adrian realize that she was referring to his cigarette. He immediately extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray with his other hand.


    Upon seeing this, Eva pouted her red lips. "Not like that."


    Adrian''s fingertips caressed her cheek, his finger pads touching the messy lipstick marks. "Not like that, then how?"


    "I mean, stop smoking." Eva said, pulling his tie angrily. "You clearly understand, yet you deliberately ask me."


    "Oh?" Adrian chuckled, leaning closer to her. "So, what you''re saying is, you feel good and really like it when I don''t smoke?" Eva: "!"


    "When did I say I liked it? Don''t tter yourself."


    "Don''t like it? Then who got drunk and pestered me to kiss her before?"


    "Adrian!"


    The girl''s tender andining voice, and the memories of their good times together, seemed like they happened just yesterday. But when he snapped out of it, all that remained was the cold wall in front of him.


    The Cold War has been going on for a long time.


    He looked in Eva''s direction, where she was sitting with his mother. The two of them asionally lowered their heads tomunicate. The phone vibrated in his pocket.


    The ringing made everyone in the room look at him.


    Adrian snapped out of his thoughts and took out his phone.


    After seeing the caller ID, he pursed his thin lips and subconsciously looked towards Eva.


    Coincidentally, she was also looking in his direction.


    Their gazes met.


    A secondter, Eva subtly looked away.


    After the phone rang for a few seconds, Adrian hung up and the surroundings returned to silence. Adrian quickly silenced his phone.


    Adrian''s mother, seeing her son''s reaction, understood what was going on.


    If it was important, he would have picked it up.


    But he nced at Eva before looking at the screen, and then he didn''t pick up the call. What does that mean?


    This person... most likely Vivian.


    Adrian''s mother suddenly grew even more frustrated with him. Looking at Eva, who had her eyes down, she had no idea what she was thinking.


    After Vivian''s call got disconnected, she stood frozen in ce, unable to believe it.


    This was... the first time Adrian hung up her call.


    Why?


    Could it be because she''s going to be disfigured, so Adrian changed his mind?


    But wasn''t she, his benefactor? Even if she really did be disfigured, he shouldn''t treat her like this.


    In the past, he always answered her calls right away.


    Julia, who was next to her, saw that Vivian''s face didn''t look good and immediately cursed, "It must be that bitch Eva seducing Adrian, otherwise how could he not even answer your call." Vivian bit her lip.


    "Stop it."


    "Why don''t you speak up, Vivian? Didn''t she make a promise to you? Look at how it turned out. Eva is clearly an untrustworthy person. Clearly, you helped her, but she actually stole your man. Why did you think she would keep her promise?" Vivian bit her lip, tightly gripping her phone without saying a word.


    "Vivian, you really shouldn''t be soft-hearted anymore. The scariest thing now is that she''s pregnant. Saying that once Granny ckwood has her surgery, she''ll divorce him. Haven''t you thought about why Granny ckwood suddenly postponed her surgery? How did her attitude suddenly change? Wasn''t she pushing her agenda behind the scenes? After being Mrs. ckwood for so long, would she really willingly give up her status like that? Impossible, don''t be naive, Vivian."


    Although these words were harsh, Vivian found them to be true.


    If Eva really wanted to keep her promise, why didn''t she sign a contract with her? If she didn''t want to, that would be evidence that she didn''t intend to keep her word.


    After all, most people go back on their word when they feel like it.


    If she really goes back on her word, what can she do besides condemn her?


    In a trance, the door suddenly pushed open, and one of her friends walked in.


    "Oh no, Vivian, when I came up from downstairs just now, I ran into Alexzander Joyce. He bought flowers and said he wanted to visit you. I don''t even know where he got the news from, so I didn''t let hime up."


    Vivian''s mood was already not good, and hearing Alexzander Joyce''s name left her speechless.


    Beside her, Julia listened and rolled her eyes directly. "Is this Alexzander Joyce crazy? Hasn''t Vivian already rejected him long ago? What is he doing here?"


    Vivian was about to give an excuse to send him away when she heard someone else say, "Yeah, what can this troublemaker do besides causing trouble? I don''t even know how he dares to pursue Vivian. Does he really think Vivian would be interested in him?"


    Upon hearing this, Vivian felt like she had heard the key point.


    Causing trouble.


    There was a sparkle in her originally gloomy eyes.


    She used to dislike Alexzander Joyce very much, always feeling that his pursuit had lowered her status. But at this moment, she felt so grateful for his arrival.

 Chapter 113 A Bit of Expression

    Julia stood up directly.


    "Is he still downstairs? I''ll go send him away. He''s like a toad trying to eat swan meat."


    As she was about to leave, Vivian called her.


    "Wait."


    "Vivian?"


    No one expected Vivian to suddenly smile the next second and softly say, "Let hime up."


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the hospital room looked at her in surprise and spoke in unison. "Vivian!?"


    "Have you forgotten how he treated you before? Alexander is a thug. If you let hime up, then won''t you..."


    "Julia." Vivian''s voice sounded gentle, "No matter how he treated me in the past, he came to the hospital to visit me because he heard about my injury. This shows that he cares about me and has such thoughts. Shouldn''t I be moved? How can I let him leave?"


    The others in the hospital room didn''t agree.


    "Vivian, he doesn''t care about you. He only has one thing in mind. If you pay attention to him, he''ll get excited. Let''s just ignore him, okay?"


    "Yes, Vivian, I know you''re inherently kind and think that he came to visit you with good intentions, but if he didn''t have any ulterior motives, why would hee to visit you?"


    "Don''t be too trusting. What if he ends up doing something to you..."


    However, Vivian stubbornly went against everyone''s expectations today and smiled, saying, "He won''t do anything to me. I know you all have my best interests at heart, but he genuinely came to see me. Let hime up."


    Seeing that everyone wanted to say something else, Vivian lightlyughed and said, "Alright, stop trying to convince me. Just let it be."


    Realizing they couldn''t persuade her any further, everyone went out to call him.


    However, while they were outside, they couldn''t help but gossip.


    "What''s up with Vivian this time? Didn''t she used to dislike Alexander? Why is she letting hime up this time?"


    "Maybe it''s because her injuries are severe this time, so her thoughts have changed? She thinks he genuinely came to see her?"


    "Ah, I don''t understand her thoughts."


    A few people went downstairs and indeed found Alexander still holding flowers waiting. He was a troublemaker and had known Vivian since their school days, but he dropped out early on. However, he had been pestering Vivian ever since she went abroad.


    In terms of looks, he was not bad, but being the kind of guy, whose father drinks and whose mother works at a foot massage parlor, and with no proper job himself, who would associate with him?


    But Vivian was a rich girl, and everyone here listened to her.


    So, they quickly called Alexander upstairs.


    Alexander was overjoyed when he found out that Vivian was willing to let hime up. Holding that bouquet of cheap and mboyant flowers, he followed everyone upstairs at a fast pace. Upon entering the hospital room, Alexander saw Vivian sitting on the bed, her head wrapped in bandages.


    Thick gauze, sitting there pitifully, Vivian.


    "Vivian!"


    He was so excited that he took two steps forward, but thinking that Vivian had been abroad for these years, it was possible that it was his own excessive enthusiasm that scared her away, so he had to stand in ce and watch Vivian excitedly. The enthusiasm in his eyes made Vivian feel nauseous, along with his so-called fashionable and stylish dressing taste, all of which made Vivian despise him.


    If it weren''t for her own purpose, she would never let such a persone into her territory.


    "Vivian, how are your injuries? Are you okay? I... I bought a bouquet of flowers for you; I don''t know if you like them? I originally wanted to buy some fruits too, but I''m not sure what fruits you like to eat." Alexander cautiously spoke to Vivian.


    To Vivian''s ears, his voice was hoarse and his tone was very insecure and unpleasant.


    But she still restrained her regret and smiled.


    "My injuries are fine, just having you here is enough, actually you being here is enough, no need to buy so many things for me."


    "Come empty-handed? That won''t do, I''ll feel embarrassed."


    A look of contempt appeared on the faces of others in the ward.


    "I didn''t ask you toe empty-handed, but even if you buy something, you should buy something better, right? Look at the flowers you bought, what kind of ugly and gaudy color is this? Could it be that you picked them from the roadside?" "Yeah, you''re not worthy of visiting Vivian with your taste."


    Listening to those degrading words, a shadow crossed Alexanders eyes, and the hand holding the bouquet tightened. All of these actions were noticed by Vivian, who pursed her lips and then tentatively spoke,


    "Don''t say that, it''s already a kind gesture for him toe and visit me. Alexander, next time you cane empty-handed, no need to specially buy anything."


    Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, the darkness in his eyes disappeared, and by the time she finished speaking, he was already as gentle as flowing water, "Alright." "Vivian!"


    The others looked disapprovingly at Vivian.


    But Vivian smiled and spoke up for Alexander, and as he listened on the side, the more he listened, the more he felt that his judgement was indeed good. The woman he chose was different from the rest and would never look down on him. Unlike those women...


    Everyone felt that Vivian was particrly strange this time, siding with a hoodlum like Alexander.


    So, they exchanged nces and decided to shift their focus towards him.


    "Hey, you''ve looked and given the flowers, isn''t it time to leave?"


    Alexander: "I..."


    "What? You were allowed toe and visit, but you don''t want to leave? Do you even look at your own situation? Are you worthy of Vivian?"


    "Alright, stop talking, he''s always like this, ah..." Vivian said, suddenly crying out in pain, her body leaning to the side.


    "Vivian!"


    Everyone eximed and hurriedly surrounded her.


    "Vivian, how are you? Is your head hurting again?"


    Vivian half leaned in Julia''s arms, gently closing her eyes, shaking her head palely, and after a while, she reluctantly forced a smile.


    "I''m fine, don''t worry."


    Seeing her weak appearance, a friend clenched his fist unwillingly and said, "It''s all Eva''s fault. If she hadn''t pushed Vivian, Vivian wouldn''t have been injured like this, and she''ll even be scarred."


    Vivian shook her head helplessly.


    "The incident is in the past, you don''t have to mention her again."


    Alexzander Joyce, who was standing by, narrowed his eyes and asked, "What did you say just now? Who pushed Vivian?"


    Vivian was taken aback for a moment, and was about to speak when someone next to her answered, "It was someone named Eva, who used to go to the same school as us. Alexzander, haven''t you meet her before?"


    As soon as they mentioned it, Alexzander remembered.


    However, Julia, who was embracing Vivian, suddenly thought of something, and a smirk appeared on her lips. "Alexzander, haven''t you always said that you like Vivian and are willing to do anything for her? Now you have a chance right in front of you. Eva has harmed Vivian like this. If you really like her, don''t you need to show some initiative?"

 Chapter 114 Endure it for now

    As soon as the words fell, the ward instantly quietened down. Perhaps no one had expected Julia to suddenly say such a thing. And the reason everyone quietened down at the same time was because they suddenly realized that Julia''s words had some usefulness.


    He is a troublemaker, the kind of person who lives a wild and aimless life. Getting rid of people is something he seems most suited for.


    No one had expected Julia''s mind to turn so quickly. It seems that the argument with Eva during the farewell party had truly made her despise Eva.


    After a long silence, Vivian eximed in shock, "Julia, what are you saying? How can we let him do something like this? Alexander, Julia is just talking nonsense. Please don''t take it seriously."


    Alexander tugged at his lips. "What if I said I do take it seriously? Vivian, I haven''t done anything for you in the past, but I swore that I would never allow anyone to hurt you. Whoever dares to harm you will have to deal with me. I will not let them get away with it."


    "Alexander, the situation was chaotic at the time, and it might not have been Eva who did it."


    "Vivian." Julia interrupted; her expression serious. "Don''t speak up for that Eva anymore. How many good things have you said about her? Look at how you''re injured, has shee to see you even once? She doesn''t feel the slightest bit of guilt, okay?"


    Vivian lowered her eyes. "I just..."


    "Enough, Vivian. You don''t need to say anymore. We all know you''re kind-hearted and can''t bear to hurt others. But we''re not as kind as you. When someone bullies us, we won''t let it go."


    Alexander didn''t say anything else, but a deep sense of hostility appeared in his eyes. It was clear that he already had his own ns, and Vivian understood what he might do based on his gaze.


    She felt secretly delighted. She had been worried about whether the people around her would suspect her if she called him up and he really did something to Eva. But Julia spoke up just now, and things became different. She didn''t expect things to develop so smoothly. With Julia as the scapegoat, what else did she have to worry about? She had already advised them, and whether they listened or not was beyond her control.


    Granny ckwood''s test results were all good. After having the nurse take her to rest, Dr. Oberlin called the ckwood family into his office to exin the situation.


    "For now, Granny ckwood is recovering well in all aspects, and her mental state seems to be fine as well. It seems that she is more suited for life outside the nursing home."


    Mrs. ckwood felt relieved and smiled. "Of course, she likes my daughter-inw very much. It must be because my daughter-inw takes good care of her."


    The fact that Eva took care of Granny ckwood was known throughout the nursing home, including Dr. Oberlin. He nodded at her words. "That seems to be the case." "In that case, Dr. Oberlin, can I..


    "When can your mother have the surgery at home?"


    "Prepare here, if it''s fast, it can be done in these two days, and if it''s slow, it will be within this week."


    Adrian''s mother nodded, "Okay, no problem."


    After leaving Dr. Oberlin''s office, Adrian''s mother said to her husband, "If the surgery might happen within this week, why don''t I stay in China and notify you when it''s time?" Although work in thepany is busy, familyes first.


    Adrian''s father nodded, "I will handle things and try toe back within two days."


    "Alright, then I''ll buy you a ne ticket, my husband."


    "Thank you, wife."


    The two of them, affectionate and clingy, continued walking and talking ahead.


    Leaving behind a cold and lonely pair.


    Eva and Adrian went their separate ways. Eva watched his parents walk ahead affectionately, while she and Adrian had no intimacy at all. It might not be appropriate to directly go and find Grandma like this. So, she stopped and said to Adrian, "I''ll wait for you in the car."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian hesitated for a moment, looked at her, and wanted to continue what talking, but Eva had already turned and walked away.


    Adrian''s expression changed, and with a pale face, he caught up with her.


    When Adrian''s mother had finished buying the ne tickets and turned to speak to the two of them, she only saw Adrian chasing after Eva''s departing figure.


    "These two children..." Adrian''s mother shook her head helplessly and then waved her hand,


    "Let''s not mind them and go to my mother first."


    "Yes, I''ll follow your lead."


    Adrian''s father wasn''t really worried about their son. After all, they were already grown-ups and should be able to handle their rtionship problems.


    so, the couple soon left to pick up Granny ckwood.


    Eva and Adrian finished talking and immediately turned and left.


    She walked quickly, afraid that if she walked too slowly, Adrian would catch up.


    As she walked out of the hospital gate, she headed straight for the parking lot.


    Her mind was filled with thoughts of her grandmother''s surgery.


    If the surgery was going to happen tomorrow, should Grandma continue to stay at home or should shee to the hospital? No, Grandma didn''t like hospitals, so she definitely couldn''te again. It would be best to let her wait at home for the news ande when the surgery is confirmed.


    And they couldn''t leave Grandma alone at the hospital likest time. They had to apany her until she entered the operating room.


    Lost in thought, Eva had already reached the car door.


    That was fast.


    Unconsciously, she had actually sprinted over.


    Looking at the car in front of her, Eva suddenly realized a problem.


    She hadn''t asked Adrian for the keys...


    Now, she couldn''t get in and could only wait outside.


    "Eva!"


    A cold voice filled with anger suddenly sounded behind her.


    Eva was startled and before she could turn around, her wrist was grabbed and she was pressed against the cold car body.


    Then, Adrian''s cold aura engulfed her.


    She looked up and saw him


    Adrian''s pitch-ck eyes, anger welling up from the depths.


    Seeing him, Eva was somewhat taken aback and took a while to react.


    "Why are you here?"


    Didn''t he go to his grandmother''s?


    "You followed me here?"


    At a time like this, she could still calmly ask herself questions, which infuriated Adrian.


    Through gritted teeth, he said, "Otherwise? Did I fly here?"


    Eva: "......"


    After a moment, she tried to struggle but, as she had expected, couldn''t break free. She could only sigh softly.


    "Do you have any questions?"


    After asking, she thought of something and said softly, "Actually, even if you have questions, you can endure it for now and not say anything... Can we wait until after Grandma''s surgery is done, okay?" She really didn''t want any moreplications.


    No matter what it was, it had to make way for Grandma''s situation.

 Chapter 115 Critical Moment

    Adrian didn''t really know what he wanted to say.


    There were some emotions umting in his chest, seemingly ready to burst out, but he couldn''t find an outlet to vent them.


    But he knew clearly that Eva was the one causing these emotions.


    This restlessness even made Adrian feel uneasy.


    Eva saw that Adrian was still clutching her wrist, furrowing his brow, seemingly unwilling to let it go just like that, so she said again, "Whatever you want to say now, it''s no different from after Grandma''s surgery, right?" If Adrian really had something to say to her, it would probably be about him and Vivian.


    After the incident where Vivian fell, it seemed like there were no further developments.


    He didn''t bother her again, probably because he had to consider Grandma''s feelings in the ckwood family, but that didn''t mean he had forgotten about it.


    Even though Adrian admitted that day that he knew Vivian tripped because of him, he still didn''t exin or rify it for her in the end, did he?


    So, if Vivian really wanted to do something to him, it would probably be after Grandma''s surgery.


    But by that time, Eva would probably have divorced him, so what else did she have to worry about?


    But right now, she didn''t want to talk to him about Vivian at all.


    She just wanted to focus all her attention on Grandma.


    Thinking of this, Eva tried to struggle again, but unexpectedly, Adrian still held her wrist tightly, and his palm was emitting a scorching heat. Eva: "..."


    Did he still not agree even after she said that?


    Just then, Adrian''s thin lips finally moved, "Can we talk properly after Grandma''s surgery?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva immediately said, "Of course."


    If it was possible, she definitely hoped that they could end things on good terms.


    Seeing her quick response, almost as if she was brushing him off, Adrian carefully looked into her eyes but couldn''t detect any hint of insincerity. They had known each other since childhood, and she wouldn''t lie to him.


    Thinking of this, Adrian didn''t bother her anymore and slowly released his grip.


    The force on her wrist disappeared.


    Eva sighed with relief. With this, they should be able to maintain until after Grandma''s surgery, right?


    After letting go, Eva rubbed her wrist and asked, "Did you tell anyone beforeing here?"


    "What do you mean?" Adrian''s voice was still as cold as before, but his expression seemed to have softened a bit.


    "When you suddenly came over and we disappeared together, won''t Mom and Dad worry? What if something happens to Grandma..."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian sneered and tugged at the corner of his lips.


    "If that''s what you''re worried about, then don''t worry. Grandma would want us to be together."


    This statement made it impossible for Eva to refute.


    Indeed, Grandma did wish for the two of them to be together.


    "Mom and Dad will take care of her."


    "Yeah." Eva nodded.


    Between them, it fell silent again, and the atmosphere seemed to be awkward. After a moment, Eva took the initiative and suggested, "Well, how about we go back now?" Adrian''s dark eyes locked onto her.


    "Alright."


    On the way back, although Adrian didn''t say a word, Eva clearly felt him slowing down the speed of the car. She pursed her red lips and let out a soft sigh in her heart. If only Grandma wasn''t sick.


    In that case, Grandma could have a healthy body and wouldn''t have to endure the pain of surgery, and she wouldn''t have had to fake marry Adrian either.


    If they hadn''t fake married, their rtionship wouldn''t have developed to this point.


    Unfortunately, no one has a way to turn back time.


    After Adrian dealt with Grandma''s matters, he messaged Vivian to tell her about Grandma''s uing surgery, exining why he didn''t answer her phone call. Vivian initially thought Adrian was avoiding her, so even though she had already found someone to seek revenge on her behalf, she was still feeling down without Adrian by her side.


    So, when Vivian received Adrian''s message, her mood instantly became jubnt. If it was because of Granny ckwood that he didn''t answer her call, then Vivian wouldn''t be in vain.


    She cautiously called Adrian again. This time, Adrian answered quickly. "Adrian."


    Adrian''s voice sounded a bit tired.


    "Hmm, these few days, stay well at the hospital, and I''ll make time toe see you."


    "I know you''re busy, so it''s okay if you can''t make it." Vivian''s voice and tone were gentle, like water. "Compared to Grandma''s situation, the injury on my forehead is really nothing. Just focus on taking care of Grandma before anything else." Originally, Adrian was worried that she would develop other concerns because he didn''te over, but hearing her say this made him feel much relieved.


    "Alright."


    "By the way, Adrian, is Grandma going to have surgery in the next few days?"


    After a moment of silence, Adrian replied,


    "Within this week."


    Within this week... Hearing this timeframe, Vivian couldn''t help but curl her lips into a smile.


    "Okay, I got it. I wish Grandma a smooth and safe surgery."


    "Thank you."


    After hanging up the phone, the smile on Vivian''s face disappeared as she clenched her phone tightly. Hopefully, this time, there won''t be any moreplications. But if Grandma has surgery within this week, then... If Alexzander does something to Eva at this time, it would affect her, wouldn''t it? No. Regardless of the situation, Grandma ckwood has to have her surgery.


    As long as she doesn''t have the surgery, Adrian won''t divorce Eva. It seems like she''ll have to wait a little longer before taking action against her.


    However, that bastard Alexzander Joyce probably won''t wait that long. His sinister expression today suggested that he might strike within the next two days.


    Thinking about this, Vivian immediately turned to ask Julia, who was beside her.


    "Do you have Alexander''s phone number?" Julia looked up, a little shocked.


    "Why do you want Alexander''s phone number?"


    "Do you, have it?"


    "The key is, what do you want to do with him? You wouldn''t... " Julia was actually worried that after Vivian was neglected by Adrian, she would lose her mind and pursue a rtionship with Alexander. Vivian could clearly understand the implications behind her words and frowned.


    "What are you thinking? Give me his phone number."


    Helpless, Julia had no choice but to provide Vivian with Alexander''s phone number, which she entered into her own phone.


    Julia bit her lip and nced at Vivian, unable to resist approaching her in the end.


    "Vivian, why do you want to find him? I''m not trying to meddle, but..."


    "Enough." Vivian exined softly, "It''s not something important. I''m just worried about what he might do to Eva, so I want to ask him."


    Upon hearing this, Julia stared in disbelief.


    "Vivian, why are you still trying to help her at this point? Eva deserves to be dealt with. She dared to seduce Adrian, why doesn''t Alexander go and deal with her now?" Vivian''s expression darkened slightly.


    "It''s a crucial moment now. Adrian will only divorce Eva after Granny ckwood''s surgery. If anything happens to Eva at this time, what will happen to the olddy?"

 Chapter 116 Are you prepared to be a mother?

    "Last time, the surgery was dyed. How long did I have to wait? If it wasn''t for the surgery dy, Adrian and Eva would have already divorced, and all these things wouldn''t have happened afterwards."


    Saying this, Vivian held onto Julia''s wrist.


    "Julia, I know you''ve always been thinking of me, but the most important thing now is for Granny ckwood to have a sessful surgery. Only then do I have a chance with Adrian. Otherwise... dragging on without getting divorced is the most dangerous thing. I don''t know if I can persuade Alexzander, but you''ve always been persuasive with your words. Can you talk to him for me? Tell him not to be impulsive and not to do stupid things. When I be Mrs. ckwood in the future, I won''t forget your kindness towards me."


    Upon hearing thest sentence, Julia seemed to have received some kind of promise.


    "Vivian, don''t worry, I will definitely help you."


    Vivian looked at her gratefully.


    "Julia, thank you. You''re my best friend."


    After leaving the hospital, Julia called Alexzander to meet up.


    Because they usually humiliated themselves, Alexzander didn''t have a good impression of other women besides Vivian. If it weren''t for his acquaintance with them through Vivian, he might have beaten someone up. But not beating someone up didn''t mean his attitude was good.


    "What do you want?"


    Vivian wasn''t there, so Alexzander reverted back to his thuggish attitude.


    Seeing his appearance, Julia was almost tempted to scold him, but she remembered Vivian''s instructions and had to suppress her anger.


    "I came to deliver a message for Vivian."


    "Vivian? Why did she look for me?" As soon as he heard Vivian''s name, Alexzander''s expression immediately changed.


    "Vivian asked you not to be impulsive and not to do anything to Eva."


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander sneered and after a moment, said, "After all these years, she''s still so kind-hearted. Is she going to be scarred this time? I have to teach Eva a lesson."


    "I understand your intentions for standing up for her, but this incident just happened. If you rush over to deal with Eva, won''t it cause people to gossip about Vivian? Vivian is such a kind person; she shouldn''t be criticized like this." Hearing this, Alexzander understood.


    "Are you suggesting we wait for some time?"


    "That''s right." Julia smirked, "Wait for some time, then find a ce where no one is around to handle her. Who would know that this has anything to do with Vivian?"


    Alexzander lit a cigarette.


    "Understood."


    Seeing his appearance, which seemed like that of a delinquent, Julia felt a bit disgusted, but thinking about what Vivian had entrusted her with, she suppressed her disgust and said,


    "Although Vivian doesn''t want you to do such things, I''m her friend and I want to avenge her. If you''re really determined, I can tell you the time. What do you think?"


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander looked at her.


    "What''s your motive?"


    Julia was stunned, "What?"


    "Vivian wants me to wait, but I don''t know if you have any ulterior motives in doing this."


    Julia paused, "What do you mean?"


    "Vivian wants me to wait, but I don''t know if you have any ulterior motives in doing this."


    "You are telling me not toy a hand on Eva just yet? Do you and Eva have a grudge?"


    Upon hearing this, Julia''s expression changed slightly.


    "What business is it of yours? If you want to help Vivian, seek revenge, cooperate with me. If not, it doesn''t matter," Alexzander snorted coldly.


    "Tsk," Alexzander Joyce eximed, "You really know how to calcte. I do want to avenge Vivian, but don''t think you can use me."


    "Use you? Even if I have a grudge with Eva, it''s only because of Vivian? Do you dare say you don''t have a grudge with Eva now?"


    After being told this by Julia, Alexzander actually didn''t feel like she was wrong. Ever since he found out that Eva had injured Vivian so severely, they had be enemies.


    He had an impression of this woman. They had attended the same school before, and he remembered her as a girl with delicate features and beautiful appearance. He never expected her to do something so harmful. Sure enough, only Vivian, whom he liked, was kind-hearted. Other women were wolves in sheep''s clothing.


    "Alright, let''s end it here. I''ll contact you that day, do it if you want, forget it if you don''t," Julia said and left directly.


    After she left, Alexzander Joyce spat on the ground and a hint of cruelty shed in his eyes.


    "Stupid woman, once I have Vivian in my hands, none of you will be able to escape."


    Maybe it was because of the conversation with Adrian in the hospital, so after returning home, Eva and Adrian had a rare peaceful time.


    This was their first time experiencing this since Vivian went back to her home country.


    Because Granny ckwood had to undergo surgery, Adrian also didn''t go around randomly. Besides thepany and home, he restricted himself to these two ces. Both of them were in the same state. After the check-up that day, Dr. Oberlin said to wait for further notice.


    Mr. ckwood had gone abroad to handle some matters, while his wife stayed behind and apanied Granny ckwood, taking pictures everywhere they went.


    She was a very enthusiastic person, and when Granny ckwood was with her, she also became ecstatic.


    So, Mrs. ckwood didn''t need to worry about Granny ckwood''s affairs anymore.


    After finishing her morning work, Eva went downstairs and went to the dessert shop, nning to treat herself to a piece of cake today.


    She had Bluetooth earphones in her ears, standing in front of the cake disy cab, choosing while listening to Emily scolding her.


    "Did you finish your morning work? Have you eaten lunch?"


    "I was about to eat."


    "What? It''s already thiste and you''re just thinking about eating now? Eva, are you aware that you''re already a mother now? Even if you''re not hungry, the baby will be hungry, you know?"


    "I know, that''s why I came down early to find something to eat."


    Although Emily''s tone was fierce, Eva felt a warmth within her.


    In such a big city, she had someone she could truly trust, someone who knew about her having a baby and wouldn''t harm her.


    Emily chuckled and coldly said, "You''re quite proud in your tone, huh? It''s already thiste, and my future goddaughter or godson is already hungry, you know?"


    Eva couldn''t help but curl her lips, her voice softening a little.


    "Well, I understand now. I will rest and eat earlier next time." "Hmph, do you dare to have a next time?"


    Eva smiled and pointed to the pink cake in the cab.


    "I want this one."


    Eva had been on the phone since she walked in, and she was smiling so sweetly that the shop assistant guessed she must be talking to her boyfriend. Seeing how tall, beautiful, and well-shaped she was, and how caring her boyfriend seemed to be the shop assistant couldn''t help but be envious.


    When they were packing Eva''s purchase for her, the assistant even picked a beautiful gift box.


    The sound of packing caught Emily''s attention, and she immediately questioned, "Eva, did you sneak some sweets again?"


    "Well, a little bit."


    "A little bit is not allowed. Have you forgotten what the doctor told you, not to eat sweets anymore? If your blood sugar rises after indulging like this, what will you do?"


    "It should be fine, right? I only had a little bit."


    Coincidentally, the shop assistant had finished packing for her. Eva paid and thanked the assistant with mouth shapes before turning and leaving with the bag.


    "I know, you..."


    As Eva opened the ss door to leave, her shoulder was suddenly bumped harshly by someone.

 Chapter 117 Revenge

    Bang!


    Eva''s delicate body collided with the ss door, making a loud noise.


    The shop attendants, witnessing this scene, widened their eyes in shock and hurried over.


    "Miss, are you okay?"


    On the other end of the phone, Emily heard the sound and asked in rm,


    "What happened? Eva, what happened? Are you alright?"


    The pain from her shoulder hitting the door made Eva furrow her brows.


    The shop attendant came over to support her, but Eva''s first reaction was to check her belly, instinctively raising her hand to touch it.


    After realizing that it was only her shoulder that was hurt and there were no other issues, she let out a sigh of relief.


    She then raised her head and looked at the person who bumped into her.


    Who is this person? Couldn''t they have been more careful whening in?


    And it''s been so long, and this person bumped into her without any remorse?


    However, when Eva looked up, she unexpectedly saw a face that was strangely familiar.


    After only a few seconds, Eva instinctively called out the person''s name.


    "Alexzander Joyce?"


    "What? What?" Emily heard her voice and asked in confusion through the headphones, "Whose name is that? Why does it sound a bit familiar? What happened just now? Are you alright?" When the name "Alexzander Joyce" came out of Eva''s rosy lips, even Alexzander Joyce himself was momentarily stunned.


    He probably didn''t expect that someone like her, ady as precious as jade, would recognize him at a nce after all these years, and even urately call out his name.


    After all, in their circle at the top, people like Alexzander Joyce were like ants.


    "I have something going on over here, I''ll talk to youter."


    After saying that, Eva didn''t hang up the phone, and Emily quietly understood, intending to listen to the developments on Eva''s side without speaking.


    "How did you end up here?" Eva asked Alexzander, covering her shoulder, seemingly not caring about being bumped by him earlier.


    This was not at all the scene that Alexzander had anticipated.


    Julia told him to endure a bit longer.


    But as soon as he thought about Vivian getting hurt because of this woman in front of him, and even leaving a scar on her beautiful face, he couldn''t control himself anymore. Wasn''t it fine if he came over and disgusted her a little? With this collision, she wouldn''t be hurt, and by then, he could just say that it wasn''t intentional. Who could do anything to him?


    But he didn''t expect... Eva would have this kind of reaction.


    It left him somewhat at a loss.


    After a while, Alexzander cleared his throat and said, "I came to buy a cake."


    "Oh," Eva nodded, and even smiled at him, taking the initiative for once, "Are you working nearby now? Or did you just arrive recently? I don''t remember ever meeting you before." Alexzander "..."


    After a moment of silence, Alexzander said, "I bumped into you earlier, aren''t you mad at me?"


    Upon his mention, Eva remembered that she had been bumped just now. Her shoulder still throbbed slightly, and the person in front of her hadn''t apologized.


    But she didn''t expect him to be a familiar face.


    Considering her experience, Eva said, "You probably didn''t do it on purpose, it''s fine."


    Upon hearing this, a glimpse of hostility shed in Alexzander''s eyes.


    Who said he wasn''t


    "Is it intentional? Is this woman really naive or just foolish?


    But with the other party''s attitude like this, it makes Alexzander''s situation difficult. Originally, he wanted to teach her a lesson.


    And over the years, whenever he encountered his old ssmates, they either didn''t recognize him or looked down upon him. But someone like Eva, she recognized him at first nce, even after he identally bumped into her, she didn''t hold any grudges.


    Thinking about this, Alexzander felt ufortable in his heart and became curious.


    "How do you know me?"


    He sarcastically smirked, "Shouldn''t a privileged youngdy like yourself despise troublemakers like us? We were problem students in school and have no contribution to society."


    Hearing his words, Eva paused and didn''t respond.


    "Did I hit the mark? Do you despise me like those people?"


    Eva snapped back to her senses and looked at him.


    "What do you think is considered helpful to society?"


    This question caught Alexzander off guard.


    "Everyone has their own jobs and opportunities to contribute. We are all human, so I don''t have any reason to despise you."


    If it were in the past, Eva might not have exined so much to him.


    But ever since the Hansen family went bankrupt, she hade to understand many things.


    After speaking, Eva thought of something, "I have something to do, so I''ll be leaving."


    Afterwards, she didn''t fuss over the incident where Alexzander bumped into her and quickly left.


    Alexzander stood in ce, contemting her departing figure.


    Momentster, he crushed the cigarette between his fingers and left.


    "Who was that just now? Didn''t he even apologize after bumping into you?"


    "Alexzander Joyce."


    "Alexzander Joyce? That name sounds familiar."


    Emily seemed to be thinking about who this person was.


    Eva, holding the cake in her hands, curled her lips slightly.


    "Don''t you remember? He was in the same school as us before."


    Upon hearing the words "same school", Emily suddenly remembered and eximed, "I remember now! I know who he is!" "Hmm?"


    "He was one of Vivian''s admirers."


    "Yes, that''s right."


    "He bumped into you just now?"


    Eva nodded, about to speak, when she heard Emily on the other end say, "Damn, is it possible that he found out about Vivian''s injury and came to get revenge on you?" Upon hearing this, Eva froze in her tracks.


    "Revenge?"


    "Yeah, he really liked Vivian, you should know about that, right?"


    Alexzander Joyce being Vivian''spdog was well-known throughout the school. He had done extravagant things for Vivian in the past, even though she rejected him. But he couldn''t help but be infatuated with her. And because of his identity, he faced even more disdain.


    "I just overheard your conversation; is this the first time you''ve seen him?"


    "Yes."


    "How long have you been with the ckwood family? When did you see him around here? Why did Viviane to you right after her recent injury?"


    "Is it just a coincidence?" Eva pursed her lips and said softly, "Vivian''s injury has nothing to do with me."


    "Darling, of course, I know that her injury has nothing to do with you. But it''s because I trust you that I think Vivian did it to herself. But what about Alexander? He is Vivian''spdog; can you trust him? Not only will he not believe you, but he might even harm you."


    At this moment, Eva stood on the side of the road, watching the passing vehicles and pedestrians, thinking about the scene when she was pushed earlier.


    At that time, she didn''t look to the side, so she didn''t notice whether the person had deliberately bumped into her or not.


    But she had a feeling that couldn''t be wrong.


    That is the clear pain that still lingers in her shoulder at this moment.

 Chapter 118 Are you not mad at me?

    Back in the office, Eva ced the cake she was holding on the desk.


    Before going downstairs, she was in a good mood and had a good appetite.


    But now, her appetite waspletely gone.


    At this moment, all Eva could think about in her mind was the encounter with Alexander downstairs.


    Emily''s words served as a reminder to her.


    Although she didn''t want to specte with malice about others, because it''s possible that the encounter with Alexander today was just a coincidence, after all, the cake shop downstairs has always been doing well, so it''s normal for people from other ces toe here to buy cakes.


    But...


    How could there be so many coincidences in the world?


    It just so happened that she met someone she hadn''t seen for so many years when Vivian got injured, and this person happened to be Vivian''s admirer.


    With this in mind, Eva unwrapped the cake packaging, and a sweet aroma filled the air.


    Eva picked up the knife and fork that the store assistant had prepared for her and took a small bite, all while making a decision in her heart. Regardless of whether it''s a coincidence or not, she would be extremely careful from now on.


    If Alexander really wants to strike back at Vivian, then she can avoid the danger.


    If not...


    Then she can consider it as a case of treating others with suspicion.


    Although Vivian and herself had an agreement not to stop her from keeping the child in her womb, what if Vivian changes her mind?


    What if there are anyplicationster on...


    Eva didn''t dare to think about it, but in any case, she would be extremely careful, even for the sake of the child.


    Before leaving work,


    Eva went to Adrian''s office and coincidentally ran into his assistanting out of his office.


    As soon as he saw her, the assistant approached her as if he had seen a loved one.


    "Mrs. ckwood, are you here to see Mr. ckwood?"


    Eva stopped in her tracks and met his gaze.


    "What''s wrong? Is he busy?"


    "No, not at all." The assistant shook his head like a wave drum. "Mr. ckwood is also about to leave work. Mrs. ckwood, I thought you wouldn''te to see him again."


    Before Vivian appeared, Adrian would wait for Eva to finish work in his office and then leave thepany together.


    But ever since that woman showed up at thepany, Eva hadn''t been to his office except during work hours.


    He thought Eva wouldn''te anymore.


    When this was brought up, a hint of unnatural expression shed across Eva''s face, but she didn''t say anything.


    It''s been a long time since she sat in Adrian''s car to go home. If she didn''t consider safety issues, she probably wouldn''t havee to find him.


    "Mrs. ckwood, please go in and find Mr. ckwood."


    Eva nodded at him and as she passed by the assistant, she heard him say, "Mrs. ckwood, you must do your best and take care of yourself."


    Eva paused: "?"


    Standing in ce with a raised eyebrow, she couldn''t figure it out. The previous sentence, encouraging herself, she could just assume that assistant Brent doesn''t like Vivian, so she was cheering herself on, but what about thetter sentence, "take care of yourself"? It soundedpletely inexplicable, as if he knew something.


    She should have kept her pregnancy a secret, except for when Emily shouted at her in the officest time, but Jenny''s behavior afterwards seemed normal, so she shouldn''t know.


    Oh well, she probably doesn''t know.


    Eva shook her head, not thinking about it anymore, and walked towards the direction of the office.


    Adrian''s office door was closed. Just as she was about to knock, the door opened from inside, and Adrian walked out looking expressionless.


    Adrian clearly didn''t expect Eva toe to him, and there was a slight change in his icy face.


    "You''re looking for me?"


    Hearing this, Eva halted her hand that was raised in mid-air. She nodded, "I''m feeling a bit unwell and I don''t want to drive myself. Can I drive with you tonight?" "What''s wrong?"


    Adrian unintentionally asked about her condition, and his sharp gaze even scanned her from head to toe.


    Eva stiffened for a moment. "Um, that''s not the point."


    The next second, Adrian bent down and held her shoulders. "If that''s not the point, then what is? What''s wrong with your body?"


    Earlier, he had always thought there was something off about her, as if she was hiding something from him. That report... it also made him feel strange. At that time, he thought she was sick, which is why he tore up the report. But the exnation she gave afterwards seemed wless. It was normal for the report to be soaked by rain since it was left in her pocket. And then, she diverted the conversation using other methods, and the matter was put to rest like that. "There''s nothing wrong with my body." Eva narrowed her eyebrows and said, "Adrian, I''ve already said there''s nothing wrong with me, why don''t you believe me? Or... do you actually want something to be wrong with me?" Upon hearing this, Adrian furrowed his brows.


    "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    "If it''s not, then don''t say there''s something wrong with me. I said I feel unwell because I''ve beenzytely and don''t want to drive myself. Can''t it just be that? Must you pry deeper?"


    Her tone became impatient towards the end, and she even shook off Adrian''s hand.


    But Adrian was not upset at all. On the contrary, he sped onto her tightly with his dark eyes.


    "Aren''t you mad at me still?"


    "What?" Eva asked.


    Adrian pursed his lips and calmly said, "It''s nothing."


    But there was a hint of a smile in his pitch-ck eyes.


    Beingzy was just an excuse, right? She actually wanted to reconcile with him, and could only use such a reason.


    Adrian nced at Eva, thinking that she was exactly the same as when she was a child.


    She had a temper and would leave when they argued as kids. No matter how he tried to coax her, she would ignore him. And when he coaxed her to the point of impatience, she woulde back to him like a little animal, but also act very spoiled in various clumsy ways.


    Just like now...


    Despite feeling fine, she made excuses about feelingzy and sat in his car.


    "Let''s go."


    Adrian turned around and walked ahead, carrying the car keys in his hand. The gloomy mood that had been hanging over him for the past few days suddenly lifted, revealing a clear and bright outlook.


    Eva followed behind him, unaware that he had already created an entire scenario in his mind and had imagined himself as the protagonist. Seeing him walk in front, she simply followed.


    However, just as they arrived at the garage, Adrian''s phone started ringing.


    When Adrian took out his phone and nced at it, his expression froze, captivated by something inexplicable.


    Eva noticed this subtle reaction and without needing to look at him, she immediately spoke up, "I''ll wait over there."


    After saying that, she moved away on her own ord.


    Adrian tightened his thin lips, unconsciously gripping his phone tighter.


    Eva waited on the side, feeling bored and restless.


    Her mindset at this moment waspletely different from thest time, when she stood on the side while he answered Vivian''s call.


    Back then, she hadn''t given up on him yet, so when he answered Vivian''s call, Eva felt uneasy and sad.


    But now, she surprisingly felt like it didn''t matter anymore.


    She no longer cared.

 Chapter 119 Delicate and Sensitive

    Adrian answered the phone, and Vivian''s soft voice came through the other end of the line. "Adrian, are you off work? I thought you should be free at this time, so I called you."


    "Mhmm." Adrian nced at Eva, who was standing not far away. "I just finished work."


    "That''s good. I was afraid of disturbing you at work. How''s grandma doing? I''ve been really worried these past few days. I couldn''t rest well even at the hospital. I wish grandma would like me so I can stay by her side." Vivian''s every word revolved around grandma, which made Adrian feel a twinge of guilt. His voice naturally softened.


    "You should stay at the hospital to recover from your injuries. Don''t think about anything else for now."


    "I understand, Adrian. I''m just worried about grandma... How about this? When grandma goes into the operating room, can youe and pick me up? That way she won''t see me, and she won''t get angry." On the day of the surgery?


    Adrian pursed his thin lips, pondered the situation for a moment, and thought it wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    However, the specific details would have to be determined on that day.


    "I''ll let you know on the day of the surgery."


    Vivian hadn''t expected him to agree immediately, but by proposing her idea now, she knew she had a chance.


    "Okay." She softly replied, and then cautiously inquired, "Adrian, do you have time toe over now? I don''t mean to disturb you deliberately, but I miss you a little, and my wounds... they hurt. The doctor came today and said that it might take a long time for my injuries to heal."


    Adrian''s brows furrowed when she mentioned her injuries.


    He did have time now, and he had previously said he would find time to visit her.


    But...


    Adrian nced at Eva standing by his side, then said sternly, "Another day. Rest well for now."


    Vivian had been rejected twice in a row, and herplexion worsened.


    "Okay then."


    Eva had been waiting for about three minutes while Adrian was still on the call. She decided to take out her phone and start arranging tomorrow''s work n. But just as she took out her phone, Adrian silently appeared behind her.


    His voice startled her unexpectedly.


    "Let''s go."


    Eva was taken aback, not expecting him to finish the call so quickly after she had just taken out her phone.


    She could only put her phone away and ask, "You finished the call? That fast?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s face instantly turned dark.


    "Fast? Do you want me to talk for longer?"


    Awkwardly, Eva pursed her lips and changed the subject, "Shall we go then?"


    Her tone slightly rose, clearly asking for confirmation.


    Adrian''s face darkened even further at her words.


    "If we don''t go, do you want to stay here?"


    With that, he drove off with a dark expression.


    Eva stood inexplicably in ce, still not understanding. Hadn''t he just finished a call with the person he liked? Why was he acting like this now? Why is your mood still so bad?


    However, she didn''t want to argue with him at this time, even if it was a quarrel, which would destroy the atmosphere of reconciliation between the two of them. She wouldn''t do anything now. After all, she now needs his protection.


    Eva is with Adrian every day when she goes to and leaves work. Even if someone really wants to retaliate against her, they probably won''t easily take action when they see other people, especially men, around her. Thinking of this, Eva quickly followed him.


    In the following days, besides familiarizing herself with safe locations, Eva always follows Adrian when going to and leaving work. Hees to thepany, and shees to thepany. He finishes work, and she also follows to get a ride. In any case, she hasn''t touched her car at all, and she will never be alone.


    As for her approach, Adrian feels the same as when he was a child, with a little tail behind him.


    He not only doesn''t find it annoying, but even feelsfortable, even... if she is willing, he seems to not mind letting her follow him for the rest of his life.


    These thoughts hidden deep in his heart made Adrian have to reexamine his own thoughts.


    But every time he thinks about these things, another woman''s figure floats into his mind. She is Vivian, pitying and fragile-looking, but risking her life to save him and always thinking of him.


    He also promised her that she will always have a ce by his side.


    Realizing that his brain has started to struggle, Adrian feels that this is simply a joke yed by fate.


    Otherwise, how could one person have two people in their heart?


    Thinking of this, Adrian directly throws the pen onto the desk and no longer has the mood to work.


    On the fourth day, Dr. Oberlin sent a notice, asking Granny ckwood to go to the hospital for hospitalization and then wait for the surgery.


    So, no matter what everyone''s thoughts were at this time, or what important tasks they had at hand, they had to put everything down and focus all their attention on Granny ckwood''s surgery. Adrian''s father also finished his own business and returned from abroad. Everyone gathered together to apany Granny ckwood.


    Afterpleting the hospitalization process, Granny ckwood was pushed into the VIP ward in a wheelchair.


    The hospital ward was well-equipped, with hot water, TV, and heating equipment, all in perfect order, and it is cleaned very thoroughly. There is even a faint smell of disinfectant in the air. "There''s another smell."


    As soon as she entered the ward, Adrian''s mothermented.


    And when she turned her head, she found that Eva had already opened the window for venttion.


    Although it was just a small action, it seemed insignificant, but Mrs. ckwood couldn''t help but give a thumbs up to Eva.


    Her daughter-inw is really proactive.


    Not only is she beautiful, but she''s also capable like this. Her son is really fortunate to marry her.


    And a certain "fortunate" man is answering a phone call outside the ward, causing his mother to give him a cold look from her heart.


    "Mom, this ward is nice, right? It looks bright."


    Granny ckwood


    Upon entering, I looked around the room and nodded in satisfaction. "There''s not much to pick from when ites to the conditions of the hospital. I don''t have anyints," I said. Adrian''s father, speaking rather straightforwardly, said, "There''s no use in being picky. This is the best we can get."


    Adrian''s mother, giving him an irritated look, said, "Can you not speak? If you have nothing to say, just stay quiet."


    After being scolded by Adrian''s mother, Adrian''s father awkwardly touched his nose and remained silent. At this moment, Adrian also entered after finishing his phone call.


    "Dr. Oberlin just said that the surgery can be done tomorrow afternoon," he announced.


    Everyone in the hospital room turned their attention to Granny ckwood. Sensing everyone''s gaze on her, Granny ckwood couldn''t help but smile.


    "Why is everyone looking at me like that?"


    Eva couldn''t help but speak softly, "Grandma, rx. It''s just a minor surgery, very simple."


    Granny ckwood nodded.


    "I know, I''vee to terms with it during this time. I won''t be afraid anymore, so you all can rest assured."


    She originally wanted to say that her mindset had already adjusted and even if she died on the operating table, she had epted her fate.


    However, when she thought about the day, she said those words and saw Eva crying like that, Granny ckwood swallowed those words back.


    Then she sighed as she looked at Eva, who was standing nervously in the hospital room. Ah, this little delicate bundle of joy.

 Chapter 120 Taking Advantage

    "Is the surgery really going to happen in the next few days?" Vivian held her phone, unable to hide her joy and excitement in her tone.


    Finally, the surgery is happening. The olddy shouldn''t cause any more trouble this time, right?


    "That''s great. Granny''s surgery will definitely go smoothly."


    "Thank you."


    While feeling happy, Vivian asked again, "Adrian, about the topic we discussed earlier... If Granny undergoes the surgery, can I go there? Don''t worry, I''ll just wait outside the operating room for a while and leave. You don''t have to pick me up or drop me off. I just want to take a sneak peek, is that okay?"


    However, this time Adrian fell silent.


    After a long pause, he finally said in a deep voice, "Vivian, I don''t want any idents."


    Hearing this, Vivian was stunned.


    "What kind of idents?"


    "After the surgery, Granny will need rest."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian understood everything.


    She bit her lip in dissatisfaction. "But I didn''t n to reveal my identity when I go there. I can pretend to be a friend visiting an elderly person who''s having surgery. Can''t I? Maybe Granny will be happy to see me?" "Vivian, it''s not a regr surgery she''s undergoing."


    Vivian calmed down and it took a while for her to regain herposure.


    "I''m sorry, Adrian. You''re right. I got carried away just now. I''m sorry... I was only thinking about visiting Granny, I was just too worried about her, so I didn''t think it through."


    In the end, Adrian only said one thing to her, "Take care of your injuries at the hospital."


    Vivian had no choice but to hang up the phone.


    She bit her lip and called Julia into the room.


    "I have some good news to share with you."


    Earlier, she asked Julia to leave the room because she needed to make the phone call.


    This made Julia dissatisfied. After helping her so much, what''s wrong with listening to a phone call?


    Nevertheless, despite her dissatisfaction, Julia dared notin. She could only swallow her words and wait outside.


    "What good news?"


    "Adrian''s granny is going to have surgery in the next few days. I guess it will be tomorrow."


    Vivian eagerly tugged at her clothes. "Once Granny ckwood''s surgery is done and Adrian divorces Eva, I shouldn''t have to worry anymore, right?"


    "Of course not." Julia smirked. "You''re Adrian''s lifesaver, after all. He will be grateful to you for the rest of his life."


    At the mention of gratitude, a hint of dissatisfaction shed in Vivian''s eyes.


    After all, what she wanted was more than just gratitude.


    Thinking about this, Vivian lowered her gaze and spoke softly, "But if all he feels for me is gratitude..."


    "How is that possible?" Julia immediately retorted. "Adrian''s attitude towards you is more than just gratitude, right? Trust me, he''s just temporarily confused by Eva. It''s a mistake that many men make. Once Eva is out of his life, he will bepletely devoted to you."


    "Well, thank you, Julia." Vivian''s voice was quiet.


    She raised her head and gave a sweet smile, "By the way, these two days are crucial moments. You have to help me keep an eye on Alexander and make sure he doesn''t mess up, otherwise all our efforts will be in vain."


    Not mentioning this matter, Julia almost forgot about it.


    After leaving Vivian''s ward, she called Alexander.


    "We can start in the next two days."


    Once Granny ckwood has had her surgery, what use does Eva have? Mr. ckwood is still indulging her now, probably just to save face for Granny ckwood. Alexander on the other end of the phone said, "Didn''t you say it would be too fast these two days, and it would give people the wrong impression about Vivian?"


    "That was a few days ago, right? It''s already been several days."


    Alexander: "...Does a few days make a big difference?"


    "Well, are you going to do it or not? If you are, I''ll message you tomorrow."


    After she asked him like that, he fell silent on the other end.


    Julia waited for a while but didn''t get a response, so she narrowed her eyes and said, "Alexander, are you regretting it? Turns out you were just talking big when you said you would help Vivian. I knew that none of you men speak the truth, you only know how to brag. I thought you were capable."


    Perhaps her words had provoked him, as he angrily said, "Who the fuck said I regretted it? Did I say I regretted it? Julia, do you think I won''t hit women?"


    His sudden outburst startled Julia, and it took her a moment to react.


    "I, I thought you didn''t want to help Vivian, so I..."


    "I will help her, but I won''t help you. So, when you talk to me, be more polite, or I won''t mind taking care of you too, understand?"


    After hanging up the phone, the only word left in Julia''s mind was "bandit".


    Alexander was just a bandit, and Vivian got involved with such a person, feeling like she was ying with fire.


    But... he was also a very good person to use.


    After all, someone with his explosive temper, even if he did not something, people would think he did it.


    Personality, background.


    Just by standing there, he made people think he wasn''t a good person.


    The next day,


    Eva could be said to have not slept because of Adrian. In the end, she got up very early and waited for Adrian downstairs, hoping for a ride in his car.


    During breakfast, Adrian noticed that herplexion was more haggard than yesterday.


    Not only that, she seemed to have no appetite for breakfast. She picked up the spoon, brought the food to her lips, as if she was about to eat, but then put the spoon down again.


    This repeated several times.


    Adrian finally couldn''t help but ask her, "Aren''t you afraid of fainting due to low blood sugar while your grandmother is having surgery and you haven''t eaten breakfast?"


    Upon hearing his words, Eva realized that she hadn''t eaten a single bite of her breakfast, while Adrian''s te was already empty.


    "Don''t worry, Doctor Oberlin is very skilled, there won''t be any problems."


    "Well." Eva reluctantly tugged at her lips, "I know."


    But even though she said she knew: her body and heart didn''t listen.


    In the end, she only took a few bites of breakfast, still under Adrian''s supervision. Before leaving, the butler made a cup of red date and wolfberry water for her, added some sugar, and poured it into a thermos for Eva to take with her. As she was about to leave, Eva couldn''t help but say, "Uncle Butler, really takes good care of people."


    Adrian calmly steered the wheel, replying, "That''s because you need someone to take care of you like a child."


    Those words caused Eva to pause. After she divorces Adrian, she probably won''t receive this type of care anymore.


    Lost in thought, Eva suddenly felt a cold gaze fall upon her.


    It felt as if she was being coiled around the neck by a snake, sending a chill down her spine.


    Instinctively, Eva looked in a certain direction.


    At that moment, the car happened to reach the exit, and the direction she was looking happened to be where the dense forest was.

 Chapter 121 The Last Time

    After the car drove away from the ckwood family, Eva finally felt the eerie feeling disappear.


    But even so, that feeling just now made her extremely ufortable.


    After the car drove away, she couldn''t help but turn her head to look at the spot in the forest where she had just been.


    Was there someone there, or was she just being too sensitivetely?


    Recently she had been taking Adrian''s car to and from work, always being by his side, and nothing strange had happened.


    But that moment just now was really bizarre.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Adrian''s voice came from beside her, bringing Eva back to her senses.


    She snapped out of her trance and then shook her head.


    "It''s nothing."


    Eva pursed her red lips, thinking that maybe she was feeling restless because her grandmother was having surgery, causing her to have these unfounded thoughts?


    Adrian nced at her, noticing that herplexion wasn''t as normal as when they left the house, so he nced in the direction Eva had been looking through the rearview mirror.


    She had been looking in that direction the whole time, but Adrian took a few nces and didn''t notice anything unusual.


    In the end, Adrian simply thought that she was worried about her grandmother, and that''s why she reacted that way.


    Perhaps past events had left a shadow on her.


    Adrian''s eyes darkened slightly as he gradually slowed down the car.


    After the car had gone far away, a figure emerged from the forest.


    Alexzander threw the cigarette in his hand to the ground and stomped on it with his foot before taking out his phone to call Julia.


    "Figure out a way to separate Adrian from her."


    Julia was still with Vivian at the moment because Granny ckwood was going to have surgery in the afternoon, so Julia nned to wait until Granny ckwood was in the operating room before sending a message to Alexzander to take action.


    She just didn''t expect him to contact her first.


    She furrowed her brow and asked, "What?"


    "Without separating the man from her side, how can we make a move?"


    Alexzander''s eyes showed a deep rage, not knowing if it was because Eva had realized his intentions after he bumped into her that day. So these past few days, not only did she note downstairs during the day, she didn''t even separate from Adrian when she was alone.


    In these past few days, Alexzander had no intention of touching her, he just wanted to familiarize himself with her movements and the times she was alone. But he didn''t expect that during this time, she had been with Adrian all along. If he decided to make a move today, and she wasn''t alone, then he wouldn''t be able to act either.


    After hearing his words, Julia probably understood his meaning.


    "I understand, I''ll figure something out."


    After hanging up the phone, Julia entered the hospital room.


    Vivian had been holding onto her phone ever since she woke up, as if her phone was a precious treasure.


    "What''s wrong? Who was looking for you?" Vivian raised her head and asked.


    Julia thought carefully for a moment and didn''t tell her.


    Granny ckwood gently squeezed Eva''s hand, trying to reassure her. "Don''t worry, dear. It will all be fine," she said with a reassuring smile. Eva nodded, but her anxiety was still visible in her eyes.


    As they entered the operating room, Granny ckwood underwent various preoperative preparations and theny quietly on the bed, waiting. Eva and Margaret stayed by her side, providingfort and support.


    "You two don''t have to keep staring at me. Take a break," Granny ckwood said, concerned about their well-being.


    Margaretughed and replied, "We''re just here to keep youpany, Granny. We don''t mind."


    Eva nodded in agreement, giving Granny ckwood''s hand aforting squeeze. The tension in the room was tangible as they prepared for the surgery.


    Feeling the strength in her hand, Granny ckwood couldn''t help but nce at her. Eva noticed Granny ckwood looking at her and immediately forced a smile, but even so, Granny ckwood could still sense the stiffness in her smile. "Grandma, don''t be afraid... We''re all waiting for you outside. Just rx and have a good sleep. Everything will be fine when you wake up."


    Granny ckwood noticed a slight tremor in her voice when she said this.


    "You, little girl..." Granny ckwood felt a warm feeling in her heart and reached out to hold her hand back. "I''m not afraid. Don''t worry, stay outside with Adrian and wait for me." "Yes, Grandma, you muste out safely. I''ll be waiting for you."


    "Okay."


    As they approached the operating room, Eva still held onto Granny ckwood''s hand tightly, as if she was in a trance.


    Adrian stepped forward and held her delicate wrist, with his other hand around her waist.


    "Grandma is going in for surgery. Don''t worry, she''ll be fine."


    His voice was deep, right next to Eva''s ear.


    After he finished speaking, he pulled Eva''s hand back.


    Eva finally let go of Granny ckwood''s wrist, but her gaze remained fixed on Granny ckwood''s face. "Grandma..."


    "Eva, don''t worry, I''ll definitely be fine."


    Finally, Granny ckwood was pushed into the operating room.


    If it wasn''t for Adrian holding her back, Eva almost wanted to rush forward and talk to her again.


    But then she realized that she could actually wait until after Grandma''s surgery was done to chat with her.


    Once she realized this, Eva sat back down and anxiously clenched her own fingers, waiting anxiously.

 Chapter 122 When Have I Ever Blamed You?

    The lights in the operating room quickly turned on, and the family members could only wait outside.


    Adrian pulled Eva to a nearby chair and sat her down.


    She sat down, but for some reason, Eva had a special sense of foreboding.


    Her eyebrows were tightly furrowed in difort.


    For some reason, from morning until now, she had always felt that things weren''t quite right.


    But because all of her attention was focused on her grandmother, she naturally didn''t think about anything else.


    And the person sitting beside her, Adrian, hadn''t let go of her wrist since he held it earlier.


    His grip was strong, and the warmth from his palm continuously reassured Eva.


    If it weren''t for Adrian, she probably would have been even more anxious.


    Lost in her thoughts, Adrian''s phone, which he had ced in his pocket, started vibrating.


    Since her grandmother had entered the operating room, Adrian had set his phone to silent mode with vibration. Moreover, his colleagues knew that Granny ckwood was going to have surgery, so they wouldn''t contact him during this time. Who could be contacting him at a time like this...


    Subconsciously, Eva nced at Adrian.


    Adrian pursed his thin lips and met her gaze for a moment before taking out his phone.


    Sure enough, Vivian''s name was disyed on the phone screen.


    Seeing Vivian, Eva inexplicably bit her lip.


    At a time like this, he wouldn''t still want to answer Vivian''s call, would he?


    Lost in thought, Margaret, who was sitting across from them, suddenly spoke.


    "Isn''t it about time to turn off your phone?" she said.


    This statement echoed Eva''s inner voice, and she also looked towards Adrian.


    Whether it was because of Margaret''s words or because Adrian himself realized that it wasn''t appropriate to answer Vivian''s call outside the operating room at this time, he hung up the call. Margaret turned her gaze away and didn''t look at him again.


    Eva breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.


    At the same time, she wanted to retract her hand. After Adrian noticed, instead of letting go, he tightened his grip on her hand.


    She raised an eyebrow and looked at him.


    "Hold it," Adrian said coldly. "So you won''t be afraid."


    Eva was speechless.


    Who said she was afraid?


    But with his hand holding hers, she did feel a bit safer.


    However, she had promised Vivian not to have any intimate actions with him. Does holding hands count as intimate?


    "Grandma has always been a fortunate person," Adrian said again.


    Upon hearing that, Eva snapped back to reality. Even if holding hands counted as an intimate action, she couldn''t think about anything else at this moment. She nodded, "I know."


    "Are you cold?" Adrian suddenly asked.


    Eva shook her head.


    Then, in the next second, Adrian released his grip on her hand.


    In that instant, Eva felt her heart rx.


    But this feeling didn''tst long because Adrian took off his jacket.


    She picked up the coat and draped it over Eva''s body with warmth and a refreshing scent.


    Eva was taken aback.


    She thought, "Didn''t I say I''m not cold? Why is he still..."


    While pondering, Adrian sat down next to her again and held her wrist once more.


    Eva was speechless.


    In front of Kim and Margaret, she didn''t say anything further.


    Everyone waited quietly outside the operating room.


    Unfortunately, the moment didn''tst long. About ten minutester, her phone in her pocket vibrated again.


    Since the coat was draped over Eva, she could feel the vibration clearly.


    Subconsciously, she nced at Adrian and their eyes met his deep, dark eyes.


    "Your phone is ringing again, aren''t you going to answer?" she asked.


    Hearing this, Adrian pursed his thin lips and replied, "It''s in your hands now."


    What does he mean?


    Is he suggesting that she takes the initiative to answer the phone?


    At first, Eva could pretend to ignore it, let him handle it. Did he really think she would give in?


    But as the phone continued to vibrate in her pocket, it started to bother her.


    She looked at Adrian. "If I turn off your phone and we miss something important, would you me me?"


    Adrian''s gaze fell directly on her face.


    "When have I ever med you, from childhood till now?" he said.


    With that, Eva was left speechless.


    "Well, since you said that, I''m turning off your phone. It''s annoying," she said.


    After speaking, Eva took his phone out of his pocket, only to find that it was on silent mode. From the screen, she could see that Vivian had called several times. Calling now...


    Did she want to ask Adrian about Grandma''s surgery?


    While pondering, the phone suddenly vibrated again, but this time it wasn''t a call, it was a text message, and Eva happened to see it.


    "Mr. ckwood, this is Julia. I''ve been calling you, but you haven''t picked up. I don''t know if something is holding you up. But I have something urgent to tell you. Vivian ran away, I don''t know where she went, she''s injured, and she left her phone in the ward. I can''t find her at all, I''m really worried, I don''t know what to do. If you see this message, please help me find Vivian."


    Though the message was long, Eva quickly finished reading it.


    Vivian is missing?


    She disappeared at such an important moment?


    How could she be gone?


    Eva''s eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Adrian.


    Adrian was currently looking in the direction of the operating room and didn''t notice her.


    If...


    If she pretended not to have seen the message, turned off the phone, and if Adrian asked afterwards, she could say she didn''t see it, and he couldn''t me her.


    And even if he thought she saw it, he couldn''t do anything to her. After all, it was his own words that the phone was with her.


    In her hands, the decision rested with her.


    Moreover, even if she got hurt, Vivian was still an adult. Don''t adults know how to take care of themselves?


    Even if something happened, it would be her own fault.


    Eva held the phone, battling with her thoughts.


    She didn''t know how long had passed when Adrian turned his head to look at her. Seeing that she was still holding the phone, he asked, "Did you turn it off?"


    Upon hearing his words, Eva gradually snapped out of her thoughts. She slowly raised her gaze to look at him, then pursed her lips and said, "There''s a message. I think no matter what, you should take a look." After speaking, Eva handed the phone over to Adrian.


    It turned out that all the psychological preparation she had done for herself was in vain, and in the end, she still couldn''t bring herself to ignore it.


    Vivian had injuries on her face. What if she couldn''t handle it?


    And for Eva, she liked Adrian and had even saved him.


    Deep down, Eva was also grateful to Vivian.


    If it wasn''t for her, Eva probably would never see Adrian again.


    "You should go and take a look."


    She heard herself speak in a very soft voice.

 Chapter 123 An Incident

    When she handed him her phone, Adrian could also see the content clearly.


    Eva clearly saw his pupils contract, probably because of Vivian running out and causing tension.


    She turned away, wanting to take off her coat, but at that moment, she heard Adrian say, "I''m going out for a bit."


    Although she had already guessed the oue, hearing him say it out loud made her feel a bit different.


    Eva softly said, "Alright," and then stood up, wanting to take off her coat and give it back to him.


    Adrian''s expression changed, and he held her hand. "No need, you wear it."


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused. "But it''s cold outside."


    "I''m a man," Adrian''s voice was a bit firm. "You wear it, I''ll be back soon."


    After saying that, he turned his head and looked at the operating room''s light.


    "The surgery still has an hour left. I will be back within an hour. If there''s anything, call me."


    Eva pursed her lips and gently said, "Okay, tell your parents yourself."


    "Hmm."


    Adrian nodded.


    Afterward, he let go of her hand and went to find Kim and Margaret.


    When Margaret heard that he was going out, she immediately widened her eyes unhappily.


    "What time is it? Why do you want to go out at this time? Aren''t you worried about your grandmother?" Adrian tightened his lips and remained silent, enduring the scolding.


    Seeing him stay silent, Margaret reached out and poked his chest. "Speak up, what do you want to do?"


    He didn''t say anything, but the expression on his face clearly indicated that he was definitely going out. Seeing this, Margaret chuckled coldly.


    "Did Eva agree to let you go?"


    Only then did Adrian lift his gaze and nod.


    Upon hearing this, Margaret couldn''t believe it.


    "What? She actually agreed?" Margaret then looked in Eva''s direction.


    Receiving her gaze, Eva felt a bit embarrassed but could only turn her face away as if she hadn''t seen.


    Then she heard Margaret sarcastically say, "Well, she sure is generous, actually agreeing to let her husband go out and find someone else at such a time."


    Eva was speechless.


    This was the first time she had been mocked by Margaret. Eva could only feel her ears burning.


    Adrian slightly furrowed his brows. "I have something very important."


    "What important thing could be more important than your grandmother?"


    "Vivian is missing, and I have to find her."


    Upon hearing Vivian''s name, Margaret paused. Truth be told, she extremely disliked her son''s attitude towards Vivian, but unfortunately, Vivian was also the great benefactor of their ckwood family. When faced with a great benefactor, not a single harsh word woulde out of her mouth.


    However, she still asked, "How did Vivian go missing? What happened to her?"


    Adrian raised his hand and nced at the time. "She suffered severe injuries to her face, which will leave scars. Recently,


    "Bad temper."


    Upon hearing that she had suffered a serious injury to her face, the beauty-loving Margaret was momentarily speechless. After all, if Margaret''s face was also injured, she would probably go crazy.


    "I''ll go first." Adrian withdrew his gaze and quickly left when he saw that Margaret and Kim weren''t saying anything else.


    Watching his back, Margaret could only say in the end, "Come back soon, and if that doesn''t work, have your assistant find someone to help."


    Adrian''s disappearing figure was her response.


    After he left, Margaret said helplessly, "Why did it have to be Vivian? It''s making it difficult for us to say anything. If we do, we''ll be ungrateful people." She sat down, sighing in frustration.


    Kim reached out and touched her head, indulgently saying, "Don''t think too much, fate has its own arrangements."


    Upon hearing this, Margaret red at him and pouted. "What are you saying?"


    Kim simply smiled and remained silent.


    However, Margaret thought of something and said to Kim, "Stay here for a while. I''ll go over to Eva."


    "Okay."


    Eva sat there in Adrian''s coat, looking at Margaret as she walked towards her with some resignation.


    Sure enough, after Margaret sat down next to her, she asked, "Aren''t you upset or heartbroken seeing him go find other women?"


    Eva could only softly respond, "He''s going to find someone, not do anything else."


    "Is that really all?"


    Eva remained silent.


    "You''re a married couple, sometimes it''s unnecessary to be so generous. It''s okay to be jealous. If you''re always too understanding, he might think you don''t love him at all." Yes, how could Eva not understand this reasoning?


    But... she and Adrian started with a fake marriage. What right does she have to be jealous?


    Seeing her not saying anything, unaware Margaret felt a little disappointed.


    "Forget it, as long as you two have no problems. As an elder, I won''t say much anymore."


    After speaking, Margaret got up and returned to Kim''s side.


    Eva raised her gaze and saw that after Margaret went back, Kim carefully helped her sit down and adjusted her cor, showing his love throughout the whole process. Indeed, love cannot be hidden.


    Sometimes she truly envied their love.


    Because in this world, there are very few couples who can be mutually in love, stay together for a long time, and whose love does not diminish over time.


    When she was young and had teenage fantasies, secretly liking Adrian, she also wished for a love like Kim and Margaret''s.


    Because of her father''s failed love, Eva felt that love was not so beautiful.


    But when she saw Kim and Margaret, she felt like she could have it too.


    However, fantasies are just fantasies. Reality ispletely different.


    She is her father''s daughter. Her fate will probably be the same as her father''s, unable to find happiness in love.


    Finally!


    Thinking about this, Eva could only sigh in her heart.


    After a moment, she suddenly felt nauseous, probably because she didn''t eat much this morning, and even felt stifled in her heart, wanting to go out for some fresh air. Considering this, Eva got up and said to Kim and Margaret, "Dad, mom, I''m going to the bathroom."


    Upon hearing this, Margaret immediately turned her gaze to her.


    "To the bathroom? Do you want me to apany you?"


    Eva shook her head. "I can go by myself."


    "Okay, be careful then."


    Mainly because she looked a little weak, Margaret was a bit worried about her.


    "Alright."


    Eva smiled at her and then walked outside. When she reached the door, she suddenly remembered that she hadn''t taken off Adrian''s jacket.


    But she was toozy to go back, so she simply put the jacket on.


    The air in the hallway seemed to carry a chilly temperature, and Eva instinctively wrapped the jacket tightly around her.


    The weather has been getting coldertely.


    She nced outside the window and spected that it would likely snow in New York soon.


    Lost in thought, she heard footsteps behind her.


    There were many peopleing and going in the hospital, so Eva didn''t pay much attention.


    But when she heard the sound of those footsteps getting closer to her and that eerie feeling from earlier creeping back. She realized something was wrong and tried to turn around. A pair of hands wrapped around her from behind, covering her mouth and nose.


    Then, a smell reached her.


    Soon, Eva knew nothing.

 Chapter 124 Human Nature Is Unpredictable

    When Eva woke up, she found herself in an abandoned warehouse.


    Her head felt heavy and her body weak, as if she had no strength at all.


    Eva looked around and realized that she was indeed in an abandoned warehouse. The air was filled with the dampness and rotten odor.


    Her hands and feet were bound, and she was surrounded by stacks of discarded cardboard boxes.


    She had a pretty good idea of who was responsible for this.


    Eva pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and felt relieved when she didn''t feel any pain in her stomach. She had been worried about being injured, but apart from where she was tied up, she didn''t feel any other significant pain. As she was lost in thought, she heard a noiseing from outside the warehouse.


    The iron door was pushed open, making a heavy sound, and the dim environment of the warehouse was once again filled with light.


    Eva saw Alexzander walk in, carrying a bag.


    Bang!


    The iron door was closed again, plunging the warehouse back into darkness.


    Alexzander walked up to her, threw the bag aside, and crouched down in front of her.


    Eva calmly locked eyes with him.


    After a moment, Alexzander said, "I can remove the tape from your mouth, but if you dare scream and anger me, I will knock you out immediately."


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused for a moment and then nodded.


    After a few seconds of contemtion, Alexzander tore off the tape from her mouth.


    As soon as the tape was removed, Eva instantly felt that her breathing was much smoother than before. However, the smell in the warehouse was terrible, so she refrained from taking deep breaths. But her unusual behavior surprised Alexzander.


    "Aren''t you afraid?" he asked.


    Upon hearing this, Eva looked at him calmly and asked, "If I say I''m afraid, will you let me go?"


    "No."


    Well, then.


    Eva leaned against the pile of rotten cardboard boxes behind her and remained silent.


    Her disheveled hair and pale face, which had been frozen, looked clean and haggard. Strands of hair fell and covered most of her face, making her look even thinner. Alexzander just stared at her quietly.


    It had to be said that this woman in front of him was very beautiful, but he never expected that such a beautiful woman would have such a venomous heart.


    "What should we do now? You hurt Vivian, so I must seek revenge, but you, the only noble child who recognized me at first sight and even knew my name," Alexzander said.


    Ever since he entered that school, he had been looked down upon because of his identity. Not only were they looking down upon him, but those people had never even nced at him properly. But Eva, on that day, managed to call out her name urately.


    This made Alexzander feel like he had finally be someone.


    Unfortunately, this person turned out to be the woman who hurt Vivian.


    So after bringing her back, Alexzander hesitated and hadn''t taken action yet, as he was conflicted about this matter.


    Unexpectedly, after listening to his words, Eva calmly asked him, "Is Vivian okay?"


    "Did I tell you that I hurt her?"


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander squinted his eyes and raised his eyebrows in denial, "Of course not, how could Vivian directly say such a thing?"


    "So it was said by herpanion?"


    "You are clever. It was said by herpanion, so what? Do you think that just because Vivian didn''t say it herself, you can wash away your guilt of framing her?"


    Eva looked at Alexzander in front of her and suddenly asked, "You like Vivian, don''t you?"


    The fact that he liked Vivian was well-known at school, so Alexzander did not deny it this time.


    "So what if I do? If I don''t like her, why would I have taken you captive for her?"


    "So, you want to sacrifice yourself for her and seek revenge on me?"


    "What are you saying?"


    Eva didn''t look at him, instead she looked out the window, her voice faint. "I remember you telling me once that you thought you had no value in the eyes of society." Upon hearing this, Alexzander''s pupils contracted.


    "Do you remember what I asked you at that time? What do you think would be helpful to society? Is this your answer?"


    Alexzander stood frozen in ce.


    Seeing him like this, Eva sarcastically curled her lips, "Or should I say, what value have you created for yourself? After hearing Vivian''spanion say that I harmed her, did you ever investigate the truth?" "Investigate?" Alexzander had never thought about such a thing, and he never expected Eva to point him in a new direction.


    Eva looked at him with amusement.


    "So, you never thought about investigating beforeing to kidnap me, is that right? Then let me ask you, what about after the kidnapping? Do you think the police won''t find out about you?" Upon hearing this, Alexzander said coldly, "Are you talking about surveince? Do you think I wouldn''t have prepared in advance?"


    Eva shook her head. "No, I''m not talking about surveince."


    Ever since Eva had dealings with Vivian after returning to the country, she hade to understand some things.


    Andbined with the phone call she received in front of the operating room today, Eva suddenly realized that this was actually a scheme by Vivian.


    Setting up a meeting for negotiation and making promises to each other, it was all nonexistent.


    Vivian was afraid of Eva''s child in her belly. As long as Eva was pregnant, she would never be calm. But she didn''t want to carry a bad reputation.


    So these viinous acts had to be done by someone else.


    Last time it was Julia at the farewell party, and this time it was the current Alexzander bing her scapegoat.


    Even Adrian was calcted in her n.


    The disappearance without a trace, leaving only a phone in the hospital, were all carefully thought out by her, right?


    "If it''s not surveince, then what?" Alexzander curiously asked. He couldn''t understand, feeling as if the woman in front of him was speaking in riddles.


    Upon hearing this, Eva snapped back to her senses and said softly, "I''m talking about the unfathomable nature of human hearts."


    Alexzander was puzzled.


    After a while, he finally understood.


    "Are you saying that someone will expose me?"


    "I didn''t say that," Eva''s expression was calm. "But there are always consequences for mistakes, and someone has to bear them."


    As she spoke, Alexzander understood what she meant.


    Eva looked up and her gaze fell on Alexzander''s face.


    "Everyone is born equal, I have never looked down on you."


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander pursed his lips. If these words were spoken by someone else, he would find itughable.


    But unfortunately, these words were spoken by Eva.


    After so many years, she still remembered his name.


    However, on the surface, Alexzander smirked. "Do you think by saying these things, I will spare you?"


    "Whether you spare me or not is up to you, I just want to ask you, are you really determined to sacrifice yourself for Vivian? Even if you end up taking her ce in jail and bing someone who is not only useless to society but also harmful in the eyes of everyone, does it not matter to you?"

 Chapter 125 I Only Have Vivian in My Heart

    Granny ckwood is in surgery, and Kim and Margaret may not notice Eva''s disappearance in time.


    Even if they do, they probably won''t be able to get away.


    Adrian was led away by Vivian, and the situation is unclear, so Eva can only save herself.


    Since theirst meeting, Eva remembers vividly the mocking words she said to Alexzander. Coupled with what he said today, she can tell that Alexzander seems to care a lot about what others think of him. Therefore, she might be able to try approaching him from this aspect and create an opportunity for herself.


    After she finished speaking, Alexzander fell into silence, clearly pondering over this question.


    Beforeing here, he was filled with anger and only thought about seeking revenge for Vivian. But after Eva clearly pointed out the consequences, Alexzander found himself hesitating.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, Eva was speaking the truth.


    When something happens, someone has to bear the consequences.


    And he will definitely be the one to bear those consequences.


    Seeing him moved and lost in thought, Eva knew that she was heading in the right direction to save herself.


    It seems that this Alexzander does indeed care about his reputation more than she imagined.


    Eva felt quite pleased because it turns out that everyone has their own weaknesses.


    "You don''t want to, right?"


    Eva''s voice was gentle, as if it was filled with magic. "Actually, you''re still so young with a bright future ahead. You shouldn''t give up everything for love."


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander seemed to snap out of his dilemma, suddenly lifting his head and ring at her fiercely. "So you just want me to let you go!" His fierce gaze startled Eva, but she quickly calmed down.


    "Yes, I want you to let me go, but my request is for my own sake. What about your request?"


    "My request?" Alexzander looked at her with cold eyes, and suddenly some changes urred. "You hurt Vivian, so how dare you ask me to let you go?" "Have you investigated it yourself?" Eva replied with a question.


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander pursed his lips and remained silent.


    "In other words, you didn''t even bother to verify the facts and readily believed one side''s words to conclude that it was me who did it."


    With this in mind, a bitter smile appeared on Eva''s lips, giving her fair face a touch of mncholy. "In that case, why should I argue anymore?" After saying that, she lowered her eyes, showing no intention to speak further.


    This attitude made Alexzander suspicious, and he narrowed his eyes.


    "You...you really didn''t hurt Vivian?"


    To be honest, Alexzander wanted to believe her. After all, someone who could remember his name didn''t seem... that malicious?


    "Of course not." Eva lifted her head, speaking with utmost sincerity. "I would never stoop so low."


    Just as Alexzander was moved by her words, the warehouse door suddenly mmed open.


    "Zander, don''t believe what this woman is saying, she''s deceiving you," came a familiar voice from outside.


    Eva immediately recognized it as the voice of Julia, who had be her enemy that day.


    She furrowed her eyebrows in recognition.


    Sure enough, when Alexzander heard the sound of her knocking, his expression changed and he looked at Eva uncertainly before turning to open the warehouse door. As soon as the warehouse door opened, Julia eagerly walked in.


    Seeing Eva in a disheveled state, lying amidst piles of cardboard boxes, Julia immediately showed a smug smile. "Eva, you''ve also met your downfall."


    "Why are you here?" Alexzander looked at Julia displeased, probably not expecting her toe over.


    Julia red at him in displeasure.


    "If I didn''te, then would you just let the culprit who harmed Vivian go?" she retorted.


    Alexzander, exposed by Julia, looked visibly embarrassed and clenched his teeth. "What does this have to do with you?"


    "Why does it not concern me? I am Vivian''s good friend. If you can avenge Vivian, can''t I avenge her too?"


    Alexzander couldn''t help butugh coldly.


    "If you want to avenge her, don''t do it through me. Get lost."


    "Get lost? That''s impossible."


    With those words, Julia lifted her leg and kicked Eva.


    When her foot came flying, Eva''s expression changed and she managed to curl up her body.


    Bang!


    Julia''s flying kicknded perfectly on Eva''s leg.


    Pain surged through her.


    Eva was in so much pain that tears instantly streamed down her face.


    "What are you doing?"


    Alexzander''s face changed drastically, and he rushed forward, forcefully pulling Julia away as she was about to kick again. "Have you gone crazy?" Although Julia had gone mad, her strength was no match for that of a grown man. Alexzander quickly pulled her away, leaving her feeling rough.


    "You''re the one who''s crazy. You''ve already captured her, so why are you still pretending here? How about this, could it be that you find Eva quite pretty and have fallen for her?"


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander instantly retorted, "Nonsense! My heart only belongs to Vivian."


    "Your heart only belongs to Vivian? Well then, prove it to me." Julia brazenly crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking at Alexzander mockingly. "Didn''t you always say that you would repay those who hurt Vivian a hundredfold? Now, the person is right in front of you, what do you n to do?"


    Alexzander fell silent instantly.


    He looked at Eva, who was curled up in the cardboard boxes, and furrowed his eyebrows.


    Julia''s kick seemed to be quite heavy just now, and Eva seemed to be in bad shape.


    Watching from the side, Julia kept sneering as she noticed he was staring at Eva for a long time without taking any action. "What''s the matter? Have you still not figured out what to do, or have you developed feelings of pity for her?" Alexzander didn''t say anything, he just stared silently at Eva, seemingly deep in thought.


    Eva saw that he wasn''tpletely hopeless, so she endured the pain and said, "Alexzander, she just wants to use you to get back at me. Do you believe that if you turn around and leave now, she wouldn''t dare to harm me alone?" How could Alexzander not understand the meaning behind Eva''s words? It''s simply suggesting that if he leaves and something happens to her, Julia would be responsible. She wouldn''t dare. "Don''t talk nonsense. You should be grateful that Alexzander is here, or else you wouldn''t even have the chance to speak."


    "Is that so?"


    Eva leaned against the wall, panting lightly with cold sweat on her fair forehead. "Then tell Alexzander to leave now, and you stay behind. Let''s see if you can handle it if something happens to me." "You!"


    Julia was hit where it hurt, feeling angry and embarrassed, but then she had a thought and smirked mockingly, "Right, I can''t run away. I don''t n to run either, so we still have a long time together. Eva, how about we y a game?" Eva looked at her expressionlessly.


    Julia walked towards her, but was stopped by Alexzander halfway. "What are you trying to do?"


    Julia squinted her eyes and stared at Eva. "You''re quite capable. Not only did you enchant Adrian, but also seduced Alexzander. Do you want to snatch everything Vivian has?"

 Chapter 126 He Wont Answer Your Call

    Eva''s eyebrows furrowed upon hearing this. Snatch everything Vivian has? She and Adrian hadn''t confirmed anything between them. Otherwise, how could Eva have been so persistent, liking Adrian and even daring to fake a marriage with


    him?


    Wasn''t it just because he and Vivian hadn''t progressed?


    Thinking of this, Eva sneered, "You say Adrian belongs to Vivian. Did he confess it to you?"


    "Don''t act tough, Eva. Whether Adrian belongs to Vivian or not, you''ll find out soon enough."


    After saying that, Julia brushed Alexzander''s hand away and crouched down in front of Eva.


    "You have your phone with you, right?"


    As she got closer, Eva watched her warily.


    "Don''t look at me like that. It''s just a little test."


    After speaking, Julia flipped Eva over to find her pockets.


    At first, Eva was worried about her belly and didn''t know what she was up to, so she struggled in fear.


    "Don''t move!"


    In the next second, Julia lowered her voice and warned her, "If you move again, I can''t guarantee something won''t happen to you."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s expression changed. "What are you nning to do?"


    "I''m just doing a little test with your phone. Are you worried about that bastard in your womb?"


    Her voice was very low, not even audible to Alexzander.


    She even triumphantly added, "I heard from Vivian that you really want to protect this bastard. How about it? Do you think you can use him to your advantage forever?"


    "Can you keep Mrs. ckwood''s position, bastard?" The use of this term made Eva''s expression fierce. She couldn''t control herself and fiercely banged her head against Julia, who was close by. "Ah!"


    Julia was instantly knocked down and let out a cry of pain.


    "You are not allowed to say that about him!" Eva gritted her teeth and red at Julia with a fierce look. Her previously gentle expression had turned into a menacing one, with eyes so sharp that it seemed like she wanted to fight someone. The transformation was so drastic that it terrified Julia.


    Her head was still buzzing from the impact on her forehead when she managed to get up. She was angry and wanted to retaliate.


    But when she met Eva''s eyes, she was inexplicably intimidated.


    She stood still in ce, not moving, until Alexzander ran over and grabbed her arm, pulling her up. "What are you trying to do?"


    Only then did Juliae back to her senses. She dared not provoke Eva anymore. Although she was now bound, if she were to fight with Eva and identally injure herself, what would she do?


    So she could only turn her head and address Alexzander, "Where is her phone? She cannot have left without her phone, right? What did you do with her phone?"


    Alexzander nced at her with disdain and let go of her hand.


    "What is it to you?"


    "Of course, it concerns me. I need to make a call with her phone." Julia threatened him using Vivian''s name.


    Originally, he was nning to refuse, but Julia knew how to use Vivian''s name to threaten him. In the end, Alexzander could only hand her the phone.


    After receiving it, Julia fiddled with it for a while.


    "What exactly are you nning to do?"


    "Just wait and see."


    Alexzander looked at her with disgust, then his gaze shifted to Eva. She was lying there, her fair forehead now red from the impact. Compared to her pale lips, it looked devastatingly rming. He wondered what Julia had said to Eva. Despite being caught by him, she remained calm.


    Julia scrolled through Eva''s phone and effortlessly found Adrian''s number. Because of the recent attack, she dared not approach Eva directly and only squatted near her. "Guess if I call Adrian right now with your phone, would he answer?" Eva looked at her coldly, with eyes so indifferent that she seemed to want nothing to do with her.


    Seeing her like this, Julia couldn''t help but angrily say, "At this point, do you still think you are some kind of pure and noble fairy? You clearly want to be Mrs. ckwood, yet you still pretend. You''ll have a hard timeter."


    "Whether I want to be Mrs. ckwood or not has nothing to do with you," Eva sneered. "Or could it be that you also want to be Mrs. ckwood?"


    Upon hearing this, Julia''s face turned red, and her words got stuck in her throat.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I was just making a randomment, and you got so worked up. Did I hit the nail on the head?"


    Julia''s entire expression twisted in anger.


    "Eva, don''t regret this!"


    After speaking, Julia dialed Adrian''s phone number directly and smirked triumphantly. "I''m sure you know who Adrian is with right now, don''t you? But I wonder, if his wife were to seek his help at this moment, would hee?" At this point, Julia paused and then pretended to be surprised as she covered her mouth. "Oh dear, I forgot to mention, he might not even answer the call. Not to mention hearing your plea, right?"


    Beep beep the phone connected.


    Beside her, Alexzander already understood what Julia was trying to do and furrowed his brow. "Do you want to summon others? Are you out of your mind?"


    "Shut up! Summon who?"


    Impatiently, Julia said, "Adrian won''t answer Eva''s call right now. He''s with Vivian."


    Upon hearing this, Alexzander''s gaze darkened slightly.


    In other words, he was sacrificing himself for someone who was with another man?


    Thinking about what Eva had said, it wasn''t unreasonable.


    She could never like him, so everything he was doing was in vain.


    Alexzander suddenly felt regretful.


    Beep... But the call made by Julia on Eva''s phone remained unanswered.


    Until finally, a female voice could be heard.


    "Hello, the person you are trying to reach is not avable at the moment. Please try againter."


    Upon hearing the cold, mechanical voice, Julia finally couldn''t help but burst into madughter. "Eva, I told you he wouldn''t answer your call, right? Look, he''s with Vivian now. You don''t matter to him at all." "Eva, you don''t even deserve to bepared to Vivian."


    After talking for a while without getting any response, Julia looked up at Eva.


    This look almost made her lose her temper.


    Eva was calmly looking at her, without showing any sadness or anger due to Adrian not answering the call.


    Julia wanted to get back at her, but if she couldn''t even provoke a bit of anger from her, then what was the point of what she had just done?


    "I don''t believe that you can be so indifferent!"


    Probably angered by her, Julia threw her phone and pounced towards Eva.


    "Julia, what are you about to do..."


    Alexzander had just started speaking when the warehouse door mmed open.

 Chapter 127 The Pregnancy Is Discovered

    Inside the warehouse, the three of them all looked towards the entrance.


    Before they could react, a group of people rushed in.


    Immediately after, Julia''s hands were grabbed and she was pushed to the ground.


    Alexzander suffered the same treatment.


    Because of therge number of people, the already dusty warehouse suddenly became suffocating.


    Eva instinctively closed her eyes.


    "Capture them and take them out!"


    "Ah! What are you doing? Let me go!"


    With her eyes closed, Eva heard Julia''s struggling and screaming gradually getting further away.


    Did she get saved? Eva wondered. The team of people just now didn''t seem like the police. Who saved her?


    While pondering, Eva felt a bit dizzy, even a bit nauseous.


    She didn''t know if it was because of the impact just now or because of the sedative earlier.


    When Alexzander''s hand covered her, she lost consciousness shortly after. She didn''t know if it had any negative effects on her body either.


    While pondering, Eva heard a steady pair of footsteps approaching her.


    She struggled to lift her head, wanting to see who the person was, but she lost consciousness the next second.


    Eva was originally leaning against a pile of cardboard boxes, so even though she lost consciousness, she didn''t fall down. It was just that her head drooped.


    A few secondster, a pair ofrge hands held up her head, gently lifting her up.


    As the girl was carried in the man''s arms, her soft hair brushed against his chest. The man''s gaze instantly turned gentle. But when he looked at his subordinates, his eyes and voice returned to being cold. "Let''s go."


    With those words, he carried her and walked out.


    Just as they left the warehouse, they coincidentally ran into Julia and Alexzander being escorted onto a car.


    Alexzander''s face was pale, seemingly regretting something. Meanwhile, Julia was cursing angrily there, extremely unwilling.


    "What are you people doing? Let go of me already! It''s illegal to forcefully grab me like this."


    "Illegal?" The leader sneered. "So you know that forcefully grabbing someone is illegal?"


    Julia choked on her words after hearing that, and a few secondster, she directly ced the me on Alexzander, who was also being forced onto the car.


    "He did it, it has nothing to do with me."


    Alexzander paused his steps, surprisingly not feeling very surprised. It was normal for Julia to push all the me onto himself.


    "Hear that? He did everything, it has nothing to do with me," Julia imed.


    "Is that so?" The leader raised an eyebrow. "If it has nothing to do with you, then why were you at the scene? When we entered, you even rushed towards Ms. Hansen. Don''t tell me you wanted to save her?" Julia said, "I... of course I wanted to save her. I suspected Alexzander wanted to harm her, so..."


    Upon hearing this, the leader couldn''t help but roll his eyes. It was clear that he didn''t want to listen to her overly foolish remarks anymore. He waved his hand and had someone forcefully stuff her into the car. After everything quieted down, heined, "Where did this idiote from? I''m afraid my own intelligence will decrease after hearing too much."


    He turned his head and met a pair of icy eyes, instantly shrinking in fear, quickly opening the door to another car for him.


    "Mr. Cooper, please."


    "Hmm." Michael calmly and gracefully made a sound, then bent down slightly, carrying the girl into the car.


    The driver for him was named Aron Gibbons, standing behind and watching Michael with eyes that he had never seen before, gently and tenderly cing the person in the car.


    The driver in front obviously noticed and spoke in a consciously lowered voice.


    "Mr. Cooper, where should we go next?"


    Hearing this, Michael nced at the person, as if his eyes were saying, "Do you really need to ask me where to go?"


    The driver, upon meeting his gaze, nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and after a moment, he heard Michael say, "Go to the nearest hospital." "Okay, understood."


    After hearing the destination, the driver no longer dared to dy and quickly started driving.


    However, because Eva was in the car, the driver couldn''t drive too fast, so he could only drive slowly.


    A few minutester, Michael raised his hand and pushed his sses on his face, emotionlessly saying, "If you continue to drive like this and dy her condition when we arrive at the hospital, will you be able to bear the responsibility?" Upon hearing this, the driver''s expression changed and cold sweat began to form on his back. "Yes, I will elerate immediately."


    Ten minutester, the car stopped at the entrance of the nearest hospital. Michael carried the person out of the car.


    After he left, the driver reached out and touched his forehead.


    His hand was covered in cold sweat. Although Michael hadn''t said anything serious today, the cold atmosphere surrounding him made the driver extremely afraid.


    Fortunately, his task was alreadypleted, and now he just needed to hand the person over to the doctors at the hospital.


    Not knowing how long she had been asleep, when Eva woke up, it was already pitch ck outside the window.


    Her head still felt heavy, as if something had struck her causing difort.


    At first, her expression was still dazed.


    Suddenly, Eva thought of something and sat up abruptly from the bed, wanting to get out of bed. However, she identally pulled on the needle for the IV in her hand, causing her to inhale sharply in pain. The noise she made caused Michael, who was sitting on the sofa, to quicklye over and help her up, then call for a nurse.


    Later, the nurse reprocessed the needle in her hand.


    While the nurse was working, Eva said, "Can you remove this for now? I have an urgent matter to attend to."


    "Well..." The nurse nced at Michael standing beside her.


    Michael chuckled lightly, "You can''t remove it. Your body is not well, and both bottles need to be finished."


    "Michael, I am grateful that you saved me, but I really have something important now."


    "If you''re referring to Granny ckwood''s surgery, then you can rest assured."


    Hearing the key words, Eva immediately stopped. "You know? Gr


    "How is Annie ckwood''s surgery?"


    "Don''t worry." Michael ced his hand on her head, with a gentle smile. "The surgery was a sess. You don''t need to worry, she is resting well now."


    Upon hearing the news of the sessful surgery, Eva''s tense heart finally eased.


    Her brows and eyes instantly softened, and she realized that her grandmother wouldn''t have to worry about her illness anymore, nor would she have to stay in the sanatorium frequently. With this in mind, Eva looked up and asked, "Then I want to go see her now. What about this potion..."


    "Eva."


    Michael''srge hand moved from the back of her head to her shoulder, his voice gentle.


    "The most important thing for you now is to take care of yourself, understand?"


    Although he didn''t say anything important in his words, Eva inexplicably felt that he seemed to have something unsaid.


    Eva''s mind began to spin rapidly.


    This was a hospital, and she woke up here. The doctors wouldn''t casually give her an infusion without knowing her condition, so if she received one... it means...


    Thinking of a certain possibility, Eva''s face instantly turned paler, and then slowly raised her head to look at Michael.

 Chapter 128 He Doesn’t Want This Baby

    Through her gold-rimmed sses, Eva observed the deepness in his eyes, as if they were shrouded in a mist that couldn''t be grasped. Meanwhile, Michael maintained his smile on the surface. After a moment of eye contact, Michael raised an eyebrow. "What''s wrong?"


    Upon hearing his words, Eva lowered her gaze and didn''t respond.


    She also didn''t bring up the matter of visiting Granny ckwood again, quietly allowing the nurse to reinsert the needle for her. The intense pain radiating from her hand made Eva more alert. Once the nurse left, there were only the two of them left in the hospital room, and it was a suitable time to discuss certain matters.


    Just as Eva was debating how to start, Michael suddenly crouched in front of her. He held a pure white handkerchief in his hand, gently wiping away the bloodstains that had seeped from her wound, which had been pulled earlier. The nurse had already attended to her wound, and the remaining blood had already seeped into her sleeve, creating faint stains that couldn''t bepletely removed.


    But Michael seemed to have some kind ofpulsion or cleanliness obsession, continuously and slowly wiping at those bloodstains.


    After nearly fifteen seconds of this, Eva couldn''t help but say, "You don''t have to wipe anymore. It won''te off."


    Upon hearing this, Michael''s movements came to a halt. He didn''t continue wiping and after a moment, he said, "Someone will bring you clothester. You can change out of this one then."


    Eva didn''t respond. She couldn''t quite understand what Michael was up to.


    He definitely already knew about her pregnancy. Yet, since the nurse left until now, he hadn''t mentioned a word about it.


    He and Adrian were brothers. Eva didn''t know if he would tell Adrian...


    As Eva pondered all this, she finally heard Michael speak up.


    "You look like you have something to say with that hesitating look. Do you want to talk to me about something?" Eva bit her lower lip, looking at him with difficulty.


    The next second, Michael lightly tapped her forehead with his hand.


    "We''ve been friends for so many years. Do you really have to think so much before talking to me?"


    It wasn''t that Eva was being overly reserved, it''s just that this matter was really difficult to bring up.


    In the end, Michaelughed lightly and said, "Alright, then let me ask you. What are you nning to do?"


    With this question, it meant that he really did know...


    Although the possibility of him not knowing after bringing her to the hospital was very small, Eva still held onto a tiny bit of hope.


    Now that Michael had taken the initiative to bring it up, that tiny bit of hope in Eva waspletely shattered.


    She said with a grayplexion, "So, you knew all along."


    Eva lowered her head. "Will you tell him?"


    For a long time, she didn''t receive a response from Michael.


    After a while, she felt Michael''srge hand rubbing her head.


    This action made Eva''s eyebrows furrow slightly. Why does he still treat himself like a child?


    But immediately after, she heard Michael asked quietly, ''Don''t you want him to know?'' This question caught Eva off guard.


    Logically, as Adrian''s brother, Michael should have been surprised to hear her say that Adrian didn''t know about this. But his response was to ask her if she didn''t want him to know. Thinking about this, Eva looked up and saw Michael putting the handkerchief he had just used to wipe her face back into his suit pocket.


    Another scene shed before her eyes.


    Thest time they left the restaurant, he had touched someone and then used the handkerchief to carefully wipe his hands, before throwing it away. But now...


    For a moment, Eva forgot what she wanted to say and felt her mind spinning.


    "Don''t worry, I will help you."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s mind became even more confused and she looked up at him with a puzzled face. "Help me?"


    Michael smiled slightly. "And also help Adrian and Vivian, this pair of lovers."


    The term ''lovers'' pained Eva''s heart, but in the end, she nodded numbly.


    Although her mind was still in chaos, knowing that he would keep her secret gave Eva some relief.


    "What''s going on between you two?"


    Finally finding an opportunity after ensuring both parties had amon goal, Michael asked her. "You spend your days and nights together. Doesn''t he know about your pregnancy?" Eva involuntarily clenched her hands together.


    "He knows."


    Upon hearing this, Michael''s eyes behind the lenses darkened slightly and his tone changed. "He knows?"


    Eva nodded, thinking of the message she had sent out that had received no response. She instinctively reached up to tidy her stray hair and smiled faintly. "He doesn''t want this child." Upon hearing this, Michael understood everything.


    In other words, Adrian knows she''s pregnant, but doesn''t want the child. However, Eva wants to keep it, so she quietly decided to keep the child without letting Adrian know.


    No wonder she looked so cautious when she went to the restaurant.


    "So, he thinks you have already gotten rid of the child?"


    "Probably."


    Seeing her pale face and forced smile, Michael pursed his thin lips and his eyes became somewhat dark. After a moment, he sighed, "Why are you so foolish? Are you nning to raise the child on your own?"


    "Is that not allowed?" Eva lifted her head to meet his gaze. "Although I''m alone, I''m certain that I can raise the child well. After all, I grew up in a single-parent household myself. I received just as much love from my father as anyone else. I never felt... that I was any different without a mother. I..."


    Her speech speed increased and her voice grew softer, clearly losing confidence as she spoke.


    He held her wrist gently, and Michael said softly, "Alright, it''s just raising a child. You don''t need to exin so much. Just do what you want to do."


    Due to her previous excitement, Eva''s breathing had be heavier.


    After a short while, she calmed down.


    "Sorry, I got a little emotional just now," she said with lowered eyes and a soft voice.


    Michael looked at Eva in front of him, feeling somewhat helpless.


    On the surface, she seemed no different from a normal person, not only physically and mentally healthy but also exceptionally determined.


    However, having grown up without a mother''spany, she was still easily sensitive when it came to single-parent households.


    "It''s not a problem," Michael continued to smile gently. "By the way, I received a call from Adrian before you woke up, and he is probably on his way here. Be mentally prepared."


    Bang!


    As soon as his words fell, the door to the ward was forcefully pushed open.


    Immediately after, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance.


    Before Eva could react, the person rushed to her and grabbed her shoulder, panting heavily and asking, "Are you injured? Are you okay?"

 Chapter 129 Self-awareness Is Necessary

    At this moment, Adrian''s hair was messy, and his face showed anxiety. He still carried the chilling air from outside.


    Eva realized that he hade rushing here for her, but she knew that he had probably been looking for Vivian outside beforeing to find her.


    And, he was simply too busy to have time to answer her call.


    Or maybe it was inconvenient. As for why it was inconvenient, she didn''t want to specte too much.


    So when he came running to find her, Eva''s heart did not flutter.


    But the rtionship between the two still needed to maintain a surface bnce, so she lightly shook her head. "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    Her tone was calm, as if she hadn''t been startled by this, nor disappointed by him not answering the phone.


    But Adrian didn''t have the leisure to dwell on these matters at the moment. He bent over and lifted Eva up.


    Eva suddenly felt weightless and instinctively wanted to reach out and wrap her arms around his neck, but her hand identally touched the needle, causing her pain, which instantly brought her back to her senses and stopped the movement. Before she could say anything, Michael spoke up proactively. "Adrian, what are you doing?"


    Adrian coldly replied, "Taking her for a check-up."


    "The check-up has already been done." Michael calmly responded.


    "I want to do a thorough one."


    Michael''s smile remained unchanged. "Didn''t you see the needle in her hand?"


    Hearing that, Adrian paused and only then did he notice that she was still receiving intravenous therapy. Because he had been too anxious just now, he hadn''t noticed this.


    After realizing this, Adrian also realized that he might have caused her pain when he lifted her up just now, so he quickly put Eva back on the bed.


    "Are you hurt?" he asked softly.


    Eva was ced back on the bed and listened to Adrian''s gentle voice ringing in her ears, feeling a sense of sarcasm.


    When she needed him, he couldn''t even answer a phone call.


    What''s the point of these concerns now?


    Fortunately, she had already figured it out long ago. She and him were not a couple, so he didn''t need to fulfill those responsibilities towards her.


    So she continued to smile symbolically, "I''m fine."


    Her appearance made Adrian unable to help furrowing his brows. He wanted to say something, but because there were other people in the ward, he forcefully held back. "Then rest for now, and when the infusion is finished, I''ll take you for aprehensive examination."


    Eva definitely wouldn''t go for aprehensive examination again. If she were really taken for an examination, her hidden secrets would surely be discovered. But if she refused, then what...


    Just at this moment, Michael, who was standing beside them, timely spoke up.


    "Adrian, don''t you trust me enough? She has already done the necessary examinations, there''s no problem."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at him with a cold and emotionally charged gaze.


    And yet, Michael seemed as if he hadn''t seen it, still wearing a faint smile on his lips.


    After a moment, Adrian thought of something, and his aura became even colder. He proposed in a chilly voice, "Let her rest in the ward, shall we go out?" Michael nodded. "Alright."


    Afterward, the two of them left the ward.


    Before Michael left the ward, Eva exchanged a nce with him.


    Adrian caught sight of it and felt a heavier hostility emanating from him.


    After the door of the ward closed, the two of them walked to the opposite side, making sure that the sound of their conversation wouldn''t reach the ward.


    "What happened?" Adrian''s sharp gaze fell on Michael''s face, filled with deep curiosity.


    Hearing this, Michael took off his sses and gently wiped them before exining with a smile, "I heard Granny ckwood had a surgery, and I got a bit worried, so I decided to go to the hospital to check. When I arrived at the hospital, I saw a familiar figure being taken into a car. However, I couldn''t confirm it without seeing her face. Later, I went to the surgical area and confirmed it was Eva, so I got someone to save her."


    Adrian also wanted to know the process of the situation, so he listened quietly.


    After Michael finished speaking, Adrian frowned. "What about the person whomitted the crime?"


    "They were caught."


    "Who?" Adrian couldn''t understand.


    Eva didn''t have any enemies, so who would target her at this time?


    Hearing his question, Michael fell silent.


    Seeing this, Adrian furrowed his brow and asked, "Michael?"


    Hearing this, Michael raised his gaze and thoughtfully said, "Do you really want to know?"


    This question puzzled Adrian even more.


    Although Eva didn''t seem to have any major problems now, kidnapping is a serious matter. How could he not care about someone who intended harm towards her? Michael put his sses back on and said seriously, "The person who kidnapped her might be quite unexpected for you. You must prepare yourself for a difficult decision." Adrian felt a sense of ominousness as soon as he heard the words "difficult decision."


    Sure enough, before he could ask further, Michael said, "It''s someone from Vivian''s side."


    Hearing this, Adrian''s gaze turned cold.


    "My people have already sent the name. Take a look for yourself."


    Michael handed the phone to Adrian.


    Adrian took the phone and nced at the photos on it.


    Immediately, he recognized them.


    They were the person who had a dispute with Eva at the farewell partyst time and was forbidden from appearing in front of Vivian, as well as another guy who looks like a thug. Adrian nced at thetter, but didn''t recognize him at all.


    "Does he have any connection with Vivian?" Adrian pointed at Alexzander''s photo.


    "ording to the information, he and Vivian were former ssmates and he used to pursue Vivian. How about that, you''ve got yourself a love triangle. You didn''t even know Vivian had a pursuer?" The term "love triangle" didn''t sit well with Adrian, and he frowned.


    Adrian looked at Michael, who seemed to have no trace of anger.


    After being with Adrian for so long, no matter what, he always had a shallow smile on his lips.


    Clearly, he wasn''t like this before, but now it makes people feel...


    Thinking of this, Adrian narrowed his eyes and asked a question that he had been wanting to ask since earlier.


    "Why didn''t you contact me when you found out Eva had been taken away?"


    As Adrian said this, his gaze locked onto Michael, but he found that Michael still had that calm and gentle demeanor.


    "Sorry, Adrian, I didn''t have time back then."


    Upon hearing this answer, Adrian furrowed his brows deeply.


    His voice instantly turned cold and his eyes looked at Michael with a hint of mockery, as he said in a deep voice, "Was it that you didn''t have time, or that you didn''t want to say?"


    Michael''s lips still held a smile, but his words were different.


    "Since you already know, why ask so clearly?"


    Adrian''s breath hitched upon hearing this.


    "Do you like her?"


    Michael smiled without saying a word, clearly implying his affirmation.


    Adrian gritted his teeth. "She is my wife now."


    "It doesn''t matter, you two will get divorced," Michael replied.


    Adrian''s expression changed. "Did she tell you?"


    Michael didn''t confirm or deny, he simply said in a low voice, "Adrian, as a friend, I have to remind you. You need to have self-awareness. Why did you marry Eva, and why are you tangled up with Vivian now? Don''t you know what you want?"

 Chapter 130 I Won’t Go Easy on You

    Adrian''s mind was in chaos.


    Since his youth, he had always found Michael peculiar.


    Always being close to Eva and fond of patting her head, calling her a little girl.


    But Michael always said that Eva was just an immature little girl.


    So Adrian always thought of her as his younger sister.


    Although his subjective thoughts were like that, deep down Adrian always felt something was off.


    This feeling of unease continued until they lost contact after Adrian went abroad.


    However, he never expected that today...


    Michael actually admitted it and admitted it so quickly.


    "Surprised?" Michael chuckled softly. "Haven''t I made my liking for her obvious since we were young? I thought you knew all along." Adrian stayed silent, his lips pressed straight.


    "It seems you just found out. Well, betterte than never."


    Thinking of something, Michael continued, "What are you going to do about Vivian?"


    "What?" Adrian''s concern was solely focused on Michael''s feelings for Eva, and he had no mental space for any other matters. Michael put it delicately.


    "I heard that you left the hospital halfway because someone messaged you saying that Vivian was missing?"


    Both of them were intelligent people, and Adrian couldn''t possibly not understand the meaning behind Michael''s words.


    Although he also found it very coincidental, coincidental to the point of suspicion, he couldn''t believe this considering that Vivian had once risked her life to save him by jumping into the river. His silence made Michael understand his answer.


    "It seems our perspectives differ now. In that case, as a friend, I must inform you in advance: I can''t stand seeing anyone bully her, and if I find out that this matter is rted to Vivian, I won''t go easy on her." Adrian furrowed his brows.


    "What do you mean? Have you already concluded that it''s her?"


    "Just waiting for the results. Don''t you want to know? Considering your feelings for Vivian, you should consider how you''re going to face her if it turns out that she''s involved," Michael said.


    After leaving the hospital, Adrian didn''t go to find Vivian. Instead, he returned to the central hospital.


    His grandmother had already finished her surgery, but she was still in the observation room.


    After Adrian arrived, he asked, "Grandma..."


    p!


    A pnded on Adrian''s face.


    Adrian didn''t dodge, and his face was hit on one side.


    Margaret''s hand was trembling and aching after the p, her pale palm turning red instantly.


    At this moment, she, who had always been refined and beautiful, had lost herposure, ring at Adrian with slightly reddened eyes.


    "I am very disappointed in you!"


    Kim quickly stepped forward to pull her back.


    "Why did you have to do that? Does your hand hurt?" Kim said, while massaging Margaret''s hand, looking concerned.


    Adrian''s handsome face quickly showed a palm print, Margaret almost used her entire strength in that p.


    His eyes dimmed.


    From childhood to adulthood, his mother never hit him. Only this time.


    But he couldn''t even say a word of retort. He was disappointing.


    He ran out when his grandmother was having surgery and only just returned now. He is a jerk.


    After a while, he said, "I''ll go see Grandma first."


    Then he walked away. Margaret stared at his back in anger, and Kim was still trying to calm her down. "Okay, calm down, anyway, things are already like this."


    "What do you mean? I don''t care just because things are like this? It''s because he never cares that he''s so stubborn now!"


    Margaret was so angry that she didn''t have the aura of a sophisticated wealthydy at all.


    "I''m not telling you not to care. It''s just that things are already like this, and it''s useless for you to be angry at yourself. Let''s take it slowly."


    "Take it slowly? Even though things are already like this, we''re supposed to take it slowly? Why don''t you take care of it yourself if you think it''s slow enough? I don''t care anymore." Kim sighed helplessly. "You know I always listen to you. As for our son, what would you do if you were in his shoes? If you heard that someone who saved your life disappeared, could you sit quietly in the operating room?" Margaret remained silent.


    "It''s a dilemma, how do you expect him to choose?"


    "I didn''t say he couldn''t go find them, but why did he take so long? Even Eva... fortunately Michael found her, otherwise Eva would have been in grave danger. So even if he''s in a dilemma, what''s the use?" "Yeah, luckily Michael was there for this. Don''t me Adrian anymore, he''s probably feeling bad too."


    "Let him feel bad. He deserves it. Don''t wait until something happens to realize what''s most important to him."


    However, despite saying that, Margaret couldn''t help but feel heartache when she thought of how Adrian silently walked away after she pped him just now.


    He''s probably feeling bad too. But what can he do?


    Either choice would be painful for him.


    Margaret and Kim can''t even say anything bad about Vivian, otherwise they would be seen as ungrateful.


    In life, we still need gratitude.


    Many things are difficult to bnce, and Eva is the one who suffers the most.


    Thinking of this, Margaret felt even more heartache for Eva.


    Just thinking about what happened today, Margaret felt that she wouldn''t be able to tolerate it if she were in Eva''s shoes.


    She just didn''t know how Eva....managed to endure it.


    After about an hour observing Granny ckwood in the hospital observation room, Adrian stood up.


    "I''m going out for a while."


    Although he was just pped by Margaret, Adrian still informed the two before leaving.


    Margaret immediately frowned upon hearing this.


    "You still want to go out at a time like this?"


    "Hmm, there are some things I need to handle." As Adrian said these words, the sound of "n" was deep.


    Margaret, seeing him like this, originally didn''t want him to go, but after thinking about it, she changed her mind and said, "Alright, then go handle it quickly, handle it early. And also, about Eva..." "Don''t worry, I will handle everything."


    Adrian left.


    Since Vivian returned to the ward, she noticed that Julia wasn''t there. She waited for a long time, but Julia didn''te back.


    Furthermore, her phone was silent, with no calls or messagesing in.


    It was as if Julia and Alexzander had suddenly disappeared from the world.


    She started to feel a little anxious.


    She knew that it was Alexzander who took action at this time.


    She had already put in a lot of effort and taken risks to buy them time. Adrian was an extremely clever person, and he would definitely suspect her eventually. And she could only use her lifesaving favor at this time. And her injury.


    As long as the baby in Eva''s belly disappeared, it would be good.


    She hoped that Alexzander had already resolved this matter, otherwise her efforts would be in vain.


    Just as she was lost in thought, the door of the ward was pushed open.


    "Who is it?"


    Vivian suddenly looked up at the door, thinking it was Juliaing back with good news.


    But what entered her sight was Adrian in a dark suit.


    And at this moment, Adrian had an icy expression and exuded a heavy aura.

 Chapter 131 Doesnt Mean You Can Lie to Me Freely

    Seeing him, Vivian was first startled, then showed a pleased expression and walked towards Adrian after getting off the sickbed.


    "Adrian, why did you suddenlye? How is Grandma''s condition? Was the surgery sessful?"


    However, when she reached Adrian, she found that his face was pale and his eyes were cold.


    Thinking about Julia and Alexzander''s matter, Vivian felt guilty in her heart, but she dared not show it at all.


    She couldn''t lose herposure at this time.


    At this moment, she needed to calm down even more.


    Absolutely cannot let Adrian see her problems.


    Adrian''s voice was indifferent.


    "Grandma is fine, what about you?"


    "What?" Vivian''s heart skipped a beat, thinking she misheard.


    Did Adrian just ask about her?


    "What about your friends?" Adrian looked around the hospital room. "Do you know where they went?"


    "Not very sure." Vivian shook her head and lightly bit her lower lip. "I went out earlier. They probably went to look for me." "Is that so?"


    Vivian wasn''t sure what he meant. She thought Adrian would say something when she exposed herself earlier, but he remained silent. But his gaze made her scalp tingle.


    For the first time, Vivian felt that Adrian was not the familiar man she knew.


    He could also use this vignt and probing gaze to scrutinize her.


    No...


    How could it be like this?


    Vivian felt extremely ufortable in her heart.


    She couldn''t bear for Adrian to look at her with such eyes, so she could only ask in a soft voice, "What''s wrong with you? Did something happen? I''m sorry, is it because I wanted to sneak over to see Grandma that you are angry?" As she spoke, Vivian reached out and gently tugged Adrian''s clothes corner, her voice soft and gentle. "Adrian, don''t be angry with me, okay?"


    Adrian lowered his gaze, looking at the hand resting on his clothes corner, and slowly pulled her hand away.


    After Vivian''s hand was pulled away, she stumbled and almost couldn''t stand still.


    "I''ll ask you again, do you really not know where they went?" Adrian asked.


    "I really don''t know." Vivian shook her head. "Adrian, what are you looking for them for? Did they do something to make you unhappy again? If they did, I can call them and scold them right now. Don''t be angry." Normally, Adrian would probably think that this kind of Vivian was pitiful. If he continued speaking, it would be really forceful.


    But this time, he really crossed his bottom line.


    They actually dared to do something to Eva.


    Thinking of this, Adrian sneered.


    "They did indeed make me unhappy. If you want to scold them, do it in front of me."


    Hearing this, Vivian was shocked. She probably didn''t expect Adrian to be so direct.


    After a moment of silence, Vivian could only ask, "Then, can I...


    "Who should I call?" Adrian''s eyes shed with a hint of mockery. "What do you think?"


    Vivian''s face turned pale.


    "I don''t understand what you mean."


    Facing Adrian''s questioning, although Vivian was nervous and afraid, she was also very excited.


    Adrian''s angry suspicion and interrogation, what does this mean?


    It means that Eva might have really lost the baby!


    Regardless of Adrian feeling guilty or sorry for Eva losing the baby, this hidden danger has finally been eliminated.


    Adrian is not going to divorce her just because she lost a child.


    The more she thought about it, the more Vivian felt that she had made the right choice this time.


    Julia''s temper has always been bad. In other words, she is very foolish. She often confuses right and wrong, which makes her an easy target for maniption.


    That''s why Vivian always kept her around for this purpose.


    Unexpectedly, one day, it really came in handy.


    And Alexander, since he likes her so much and is willing to endure some pain for her, he must be willing to do so himself, right?


    "Don''t understand?" Adrian''s narrowed eyes were cold and chilling, his icy fingers pinching her chin. "Vivian, you saved my life, so I have always trusted you and regarded you as an important person. But that doesn''t mean you can lie to me at will."


    He exerted some force in his hand, and Vivian clearly felt the pain.


    In that instant, aside from his icy fingers, Vivian also clearly sensed the deep and heavy hostility emanating from him.


    This was something that had never happened before.


    Vivian couldn''t believe that Adrian would treat her like this. Didn''t he always trust her? Why did he be like this?


    Her heart ached, and hot tears flowed from Vivian''s eyes.


    In less than five seconds, Vivian was reduced to a crying mess.


    "Adrian, I don''t understand what you''re saying at all. When did I lie? What did I lie about? If you''re referring to me visiting my grandmother without your consent, I have already apologized to you for that. And at that time, I had no intention of letting anyone know, I didn''t even tell anyone when I went out. Even if I secretly went and came back, is that not allowed? Adrian, I really don''t know what I did wrong..."


    Vivian bit her lower lip, her voice choked with tears.


    Seeing her like this, Adrian''s brows slightly furrowed. Could it be that he misunderstood her?


    With this in mind, Adrian let go of her hand and calmly exined what Julia and Alexander had done.


    Initially, Vivian was still upset because of his usation of lying, but after hearing his words, she stood frozen in ce, shocked.


    For a long time, she stared at him in disbelief, then reached out to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes, anxiously grabbing Adrian''s arm.


    "I''m sorry, I had no idea about this. How is Eva now?"


    "Is she okay?"


    Before the words were finished, Vivian let go of Adrian''s hand and walked barefoot towards the door, saying as she walked, "I''ll go and check on her." "Wait."


    After taking only a few steps, Vivian was called back by Adrian.


    She had to stop and turn around to look at Adrian.


    "Sorry, I seemed a little impatient. I''m sorry, I was just worried about Eva and didn''t expect something like this to happen. Adrian, let''s go see her together, okay?" Thinking that Michael was taking care of Eva at the hospital, Adrian''s expression became a little unpleasant.


    "No need, she is being taken care of, resting at the hospital now."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian said, "That''s good, but how is she? Does she have any injuries? I''m really sorry about all this, I didn''t expect Julia and that Alexzander to do such a thing..." As she said these words, Adrian''s gaze remained fixed on her, not missing any expression on her face.


    After she finished asking, he spoke in a deep voice, "For now, it doesn''t seem serious, we will have to wait for further examination."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian paused, "She hasn''t been examined yet?"

 Chapter 132 You Actually Don’t Believe Me

    What does that mean?


    Hasn''t been examined yet?


    So, does that mean she''s fine? Only if she''s fine, she won''t go for a check-up.


    The most important thing is, if she miscarries, there will be bleeding, and the situation will be very serious.


    "She had a check-up."


    However, Adrian''s voice brought Vivian back to her senses.


    Vivian felt her scalp go numb.


    She had a check-up, but nothing was wrong, so... Does Adrian now know that she''s pregnant?


    Then... Have he and Eva already made up and know that she deleted his text message?


    If discovered, what would he do to her...


    Vivian started feeling chills down her spine, as if she was in an ice cave.


    Adrian didn''t let any emotions show on her face. He noticed that Vivian''s expression was off after he mentioned the check-up.


    His narrow eyes narrowed dangerously.


    "What? She didn''t go for a check-up, and you''re worried?"


    Upon hearing this, Vivian snapped back to reality and forced a smile.


    "Of course, I''m worried. After all, this matter... was done by Julia and Alexzander together. Julia usually gets close to me, so I also have a responsibility." No, she can''t lose control.


    Even though she had a check-up, it doesn''t necessarily mean they would find out about her pregnancy.


    At least, until Adrian directly sentenced her to death, she needed to stay calm.


    "You do have a responsibility. I warned youst time not to let here again, didn''t I?"


    Vivian was surprised.


    "Did you forget?"


    Oh no.


    Vivian didn''t even consider this aspect.


    She knew Julia had offended Adrian, so she tried to keep her away whenever Adrian came to the hospital. But Adrian didn''te to the hospital those days, so Vivian didn''t bother with Julia. If Julia wanted toe, she could. After all, Vivian still needs to use her.


    "Adrian, I''m sorry... I didn''t forget. I just thought that she had such a close rtionship with me for so many years, and I was injured again. She just wanted toe and see me. I couldn''t refuse her."


    "And that day, I thought she was just impatient, so I argued with Eva. I didn''t expect her to go as far as kidnapping. Don''t worry, her heart is so evil, I won''t have any further dealings with her."


    After Vivian said a bunch of words to express her loyalty, she realized that Adrian''s gaze towards her was still the same as before.


    Her heart felt colder.


    "Adrian, why are you looking at me like this? Don''t you believe me?" Adrian''s thin lips almost became a straight line, without answering. Vivian looked into his eyes for a moment and thenughed at herself. "So, you actually don''t believe me."


    Only then did Adrian spit out a sentence.


    "If you want to make a move on Eva, it can only happen if I''m not around her. Since that moment is missing, I was forced toe find you to make Eva vulnerable. The time Eva got into trouble coincides with the time you disappeared." "It all matches. Vivian, I have said, you saved my life, so I don''t want to doubt you. If you did this, admit it earlier."


    "Admit what?" Vivian smiled bitterly, "Do I have to admit to things I didn''t do? You said I called you away and left Eva alone, but doesn''t she have Kim and Margaret by her side? Did I somehow know she would leave them ande out?" At this point, Vivian started to cry again.


    "In fact, you just don''t trust me. You think the timing of my disappearance is too coincidental, but... I didn''t deliberately choose that time. When Grandma entered the operating room, I just wanted to take a look in secret!" "Yes," Adrian said calmly, "It was indeed the time when Grandma entered the operating room, and you knew perfectly well that it was the perfect time to cover up what you did."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian''s smile instantly turned pale, and her frail body stood still, on the verge of copse.


    "So, you''ve already convicted me in your heart, you don''t trust me at all. Adrian, why don''t you trust me? Just because I deliberately hurt myselfst time to save face, do you think I''m the kind of wicked woman who would do anything?" Adrian squinted his eyes.


    "So, you finally admit it. You deliberately hurt yourselfst time?"


    Vivian trembled, "I already admitted itst time, didn''t I? I owned up to what I did, but if it''s something I didn''t do, why should I admit it? We''ve known each other for so many years, and I''ve never framed anyone just to save face. I''ve only hurt myself. I even risked my life to save you before. Eva is someone you cherish, and she even pretended to marry you to take care of Grandma and make her feel at ease with the surgery. I only feel grateful for her. How could I possibly harm Eva?" It has to be said that these words moved Adrian.


    Because she did indeed risk her life to save him. If luck had been bad that day, she might have died in the river.


    If she were really such a malicious and selfish person, she wouldn''t have jumped in to save him.


    The fact that she risked her life to save him was still a soft spot in his heart, and Adrian couldn''t bring himself to use her.


    Thinking this, Adrian could only take out a handkerchief and hand it to her.


    "Sorry, I was a little impatient earlier."


    Vivian stood still and didn''t move. Her tears continued to fall. By all ounts, she was crying like this, if he felt guilty, he should havee forward and wiped her tears.


    But now... doesn''t he even have this bit of patience for her? He only handed her a handkerchief and nothing more?


    In the end, he still didn''t trust her, right?


    Vivian was furious.


    She had originally nned to wait for this whole incident to pass, knowing that Adrian would surely have some suspicions about her, so she could only use the fact that she had saved him again.


    He would definitely soften his heart toward her.


    And she was right, when she brought up that incident, he did indeed soften his heart toward her.


    However, the child in Eva''s womb is still alive.


    None of the things were aplished, instead she used another favor for saving her life.


    It was fine to use the favor a few times, but as time goes on, if she keeps mentioning it, maybe Adrian will lose any goodwill he had towards her because of it.


    Thinking of this, Vivian couldn''t help but feel scared.


    After realizing this, she dared not to make any more trouble, she took Adrian''s handkerchief, wiped away her tears in a helpless manner, and softly said, "Adrian, it doesn''t matter if others think that I intentionally set up Eva, I can ignore it. But if you also misunderstand me like everyone else..."


    Vivian lowered her gaze and spoke with a defeated expression, "Furthermore, my face is already disfigured now. If you still don''t believe me, then I really don''t know what meaning there is for me to continue living."

 Chapter 133 Striving for an Early Release from the Police Station

    "Let me go! I am not his aplice. He nned everything alone, you have misunderstood the good person," Julia struggled and screamed continuously.


    It had been a few hours since she was arrested. She thought that once everything was cleared up, she might be released. But she was wrong, from the moment she entered until now, there was no sign of being let out. Not only that, but Alexzander, who was next to her, surprisingly had a look of resignation without any resistance. Not only did he not resist himself, he also admitted to conspiring with Julia.


    "Let me ask you again, did you conspire with thisdy named Julia on this kidnapping case?" Alexzander nodded, "Yes."


    "Besides her, were there any other people involved?" Hearing this question, Vivian''s name instinctively shed through Julia''s mind. But before she could react, Alexzander had already denied it, "No, it was just the two of us." Hearing this, Julia turned her head in disbelief, her eyes filled with shock. The interrogator''s gaze slightly changed, then turned to Julia.


    "Ms. Smith, is what he said true? Was this kidnapping case nned by you and him?" "No, he''s lying. He did it all by himself, it has nothing to do with me," Julia anxiously replied.


    Seeing her agitated state and the temporaryck of progress in the questioning, the police on the other side ordered them to be separated and held in custody until they could be individually interrogated.


    The two of them were quickly taken away. Before leaving, Julia kept shouting, "I want to see Vivian. Vivian is my friend, she can testify for me. Alexzander did this alone. When he said he wanted to seek revenge on Eva, we were all present." The police obtained new information and quickly started investigating.


    At the same time, Evay asleep on the hospital bed. Although she had been given medication, her emotions had been too tense throughout the day. So, after rxing, she fell into a deep sleep.


    Michael stood by the bedside, gently looking at Eva while she slept. After a moment, he bent down and tucked the covers for her. Then he stood up and called a nurse to administer an IV drip.


    While the nurse was administering the drip, Michael stood by, patiently waiting. After the nurse finished, he warmed Eva''s hands in his palms and gently ced them back under the nkets.


    The nurse noticed Michael''s tall and slender figure, as well as his handsome appearance. When he came in carrying Eva earlier, it caused quite a stir among the nurses in the hospital. They were discussing how a particrly handsome man hade in, carrying a beautiful girl. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, and she had a soft waist, resembling a character from a romantic drama.


    After their shifts, many people secretly came to take a glimpse. And to make things more exciting, another man had alsoe.


    What was even more stimting was that the new man was also very handsome, with perfect facial features and a great physique. Two handsome men, one warm and gentle, the other cold and beautiful, attracted a lot of attention.


    In their eyes, the two men were evenly matched.


    Moreover, ording to insiders, these two men were both influential figures in high-level circles, which made them even more admired.


    Taking a secret nce, the nurse averted her gaze, but couldn''t help but speak up: "Sir, you are so good to your girlfriend."


    Upon hearing this, Michael''s movements paused for a moment, and after a while, a faint smile appeared on his lips as he turned to look at her and exined, "Although she is not my girlfriend yet, thank you for your congrattions. I will strive to make her agree to be my girlfriend soon."


    These words instantly made the nurse incredibly envious of Eva.


    She was not even his girlfriend yet, but he was treating her so well. And he was so gentle, speaking softly when exining and thanking her for her congrattions.


    How could there be such a gentle person in the world?


    Lost in her thoughts, the nurse was suddenly interrupted as the door to the ward was pushed open.


    Adrian, with his tall figure, walked in, still carrying the cold air from outside. His handsome face was almost frozen with a cold and indifferent expression.


    As soon as he entered the ward, his gaze fell upon the woman lying on the hospital bed.


    After looking around, his eyes eventuallynded on Michael.


    After a while, he said coldly, "I am here to take her home."


    Home?


    Hearing this word, the nurse was secretly surprised.


    They even used the word "home." Could it be that these two are really a couple?


    Facing Adrian''s straightforward statement, Michael remained calm and gentle as he replied, "If you want to take her home, you can, but we still have to wait until she wakes up and rests properly." Adrian''s face turned ashen.


    Beforeing in just now, he had overheard what Michael had said to the nurse.


    Impulsively, he wanted to go straight up and carry Eva home, but reason told him that if he did so, it would definitely affect her rest.


    But he couldn''t leave her here and trust Michael to take care of her.


    It would be fine if she continued to sleep obediently until he came to fetch her.


    But what if she woke up in the meantime and Michael said something inappropriate in front of her?


    Thinking of this, Adrian stopped overthinking and pulled up a chair to sit on the other side of the hospital bed, face to face with Michael.


    It was impossible for him to go back, especially since this man in front of him was eyeing her.


    And so, the two handsome men sat facing each other around the small hospital bed, much to the surprise of the nurse who hadn''t expected to witness this. She couldn''t help but think she hit the jackpot.


    If it wasn''t for her work, she would have stayed to see how things would develop.


    Unfortunately, she had to go and attend to her duties.


    After bidding farewell, the nurse left the ward.


    Once the nurse was gone, there were only three people left in the ward.


    The room remained quiet, and the gazes of the two men locked in a silent battle while Evay on the hospital bed, sleeping peacefully, unaffected by their conversation.


    After a while, Michael suddenly smiled at Adrian and softly asked, "How are things going?"


    "What did he ask?" His thin lips pursed, expressing displeasure. "This matter has nothing to do with her."


    This result seemed unsurprising to Michael.


    He quirked his lips, "It seems that people are always indulgent and blind when ites to the things and people they love, wouldn''t you agree, Adrian?"


    Adrian looked at him, displeased.


    "What do you mean to say?"


    "Nothing, I just thought that you always cared about Vivian. I had anticipated this result. However, Adrian, I had already warned you before that I would personally investigate this matter. It would be best if it had nothing to do with her, otherwise it might hurt our rtionship."


    His words implied that if it was found to be rted to Vivian, he would deal with her.


    "Are you defending Eva?"


    Michael retorted, "Of course, if you like someone, you defend them, don''t you? Just like you are defending Vivian now."


    Adrian''s eyebrows furrowed at these words, "When did I defend her?"

 Chapter 134 Ill Wear It for You

    Michael chuckled lightly.


    "Adrian, I didn''t mean to me you. I understand why you stood up for Vivian. After all, your feelings for her are just like mine for Eva. It''s only natural to defend her." Adrian frowned and clenched his lips.


    He could tell that almost every sentence Michael spoke revolved around Vivian, always trying to connect him with her while distancing himself from Eva. He was subtly trying to exclude him from Eva''s life.


    As this thought crossed his mind, a hint of resentment flickered in Adrian''s eyes. He lightly bit down on his back teeth, his voice carrying a hint of gritted teeth. But unfortunately, he couldn''t utter a single retort at this moment.


    After a while, Michael seemed to realize something and said, "Sorry, did I speak too frankly just now?"


    Adrian remained silent.


    For the many years that they had been friends, this was the first time Adrian felt such intense anger towards Michael.


    Eva had a dream. She dreamt of being in a hospital room, with Adrian and Michael sitting on either side of her bed, seemingly engaged in a heated argument.


    She could vaguely see their expressions, but couldn''t hear what they were saying at all.


    So she had to rely on their lip movements to try and decipher their conversation. However, it was futile - she couldn''t make out a single word. In the end, she had to give up. But when she woke up, she realized that her dream had ovepped with reality.


    Because as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw two people sitting by her bedside, one on each side, both of them looking at her face.


    Eva paused for a moment, then closed her eyes again.


    Perhaps she had dreamt too much, that''s why she couldn''t distinguish between the dream and reality.


    Adrian noticed that she was clearly awake, but to his surprise, after ncing at him, she closed her eyes again.


    An icy frost formed on his face.


    Did she not want to see him?


    Michael, however, smiled and yfully said to Eva, "Little girl, wake up and get up, stop pretending to sleep."


    The affectionate tone and address made Adrian even more irritated.


    But to his surprise, Eva actually listened to his words and opened her eyes.


    Adrian confirmed that the scene before him was real and not just another dream. Eva covered her head and sat up.


    "Why are you all here?"


    She thought the scene she dreamt of was fake, but it turned out to be real!


    Eva was confused, but if it was a dream, why did she wake up in the middle of it? She remembered that Adrian wasn''t here before she fell asleep.


    "We were worried about you," Michael said softly.


    Before he could finish his sentence, Adrian''s almost rough voice interrupted.


    "If you''re awake, let''s go home."


    Eva turned her head slowly towards Adrian, her expression filled with confusion. "Go home?"


    Her perplexed tone worsened Adrian''s mood, but because Michael was there, Adrian suppressed his anger and didn''t explode. "Hmm, don''t you want to see your grandmother anymore?" When Eva mentioned her grandmother, she immediately fell silent, as if something had caught her throat.


    Meanwhile, Michael had already fetched her coat and cellphone. "Here, Eva''s things."


    Adrian looked at the things Michael handed over, his expression turning extremely unpleasant. However, he didn''t say anything and reached out to take them.


    Sometimes, Adrian really couldn''t understand Michael. He admitted his intentions towards Eva, but now he didn''t even oppose him bringing her back home. He even considerately brought her belongings. But soon, Adrian understood Michael''s intentions. After he handed over the items, Eva gratefully said thank you to him. Michael responded with an indulgent smile.


    "No need to thank me. Rest well when you get home."


    "Mm."


    Adrian''s eyes towards Michael suddenly filled with speechlessness. Howe he never noticed before that Michael was so good at flirting?


    But Adrian couldn''t be bothered with him anymore. Instead, he walked over to Eva with her coat in hand.


    Eva was about to take the coat and put it on herself, but Adrian opened her hand instead.


    Eva was puzzled.


    She didn''t expect Adrian to say the next second, "I''ll help you put it on."


    For what reason would he help her put on her clothes when everything was perfectly fine? Couldn''t she do it herself?


    However, before she could react, Adrian coldlymanded, "Extend your hand."


    Eva wanted to refuse, after all, Michael was still in the hospital room, and he knew that they were on the brink of divorce. After all, her grandmother''s surgery had been sessful...


    At the same time, it also meant that her rtionship with Adrian had reached its end.


    At a time like this, there was no need to put on an act, right?


    But faced with Adrian''s dark gaze, Eva ultimately couldn''t say the word "no." So, she slowly raised her hand under the gaze of the two men, allowing Adrian to bend down and help her put on the coat. The coat had been lying separately for a while, so it was quite cold when she put it on. The chilly feeling enveloped her.


    Reacting to this, Eva shrank a little due to her physical response.


    Upon seeing this, Adrian''s movements paused for a moment, then he took off the coat for her.


    Eva wondered, "What is happening now?"


    Afterward, Adrian threw her coat to the side and began taking off his own jacket.


    Before she could think it through, Adrian had already ced his discarded jacket over her.


    The jacket carried Adrian''s warmth, making it feel cozy.


    Once Eva realized what Adrian had done, she stood frozen in ce.


    So... did he take off his jacket and give it to me because I shrank a little just now?


    Lost in thought, Eva reached out and got off the bed.


    But as soon as her feet touched the ground, Adrian scooped her up in his arms. Instinctively, Eva reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    This scene caused Michael''s eyes, hidden behind his sses deep.


    He looked a little gloomy, but his expression remained unchanged, seemingly unaffected.


    After Adrian picked her up, he couldn''t hold anything with his hands, so he said to Brent who had been waiting outside, "Brent,e in and get something."


    Brent, who was standing outside, heard Adrian call his name and thought to himself that he finally had a chance to be useful, so he rushed in to help carry Eva''s things.


    In front of Michael, Adrian tightened his arms around Eva, and looked at Michael, saying, "Let''s go."


    Michael nodded with a smile. "I won''t see you off then, take care on the way."


    He seemed to be a close friend of the two, as if the man who had just shed with Adrian was not him.


    Adrian nced at him, then looked away, and then left while holding Eva.


    Before leaving, Eva turned around and met eyes with Michael. He nodded at her, and only then did she withdraw her gaze.


    Hopefully, Michael will fulfill the promise he made to her, right?


    Lost in thought, Eva felt her chest vibrate with Adrian''s breath, and then she heard him say, "What''s wrong? Reluctant to leave?"

 Chapter 135 Hold On, Don’t Let Go

    Eva regained her senses and then shook her head quietly.


    Her hand was still hanging on Adrian''s neck. After thinking for a moment, Eva withdrew her hand.


    As soon as she moved, Adrian coldly said, "Hold on."


    To be honest, Eva didn''t want toply.


    Adrian probably noticed her intentions, so when she was about to let go, he deliberately loosened his grip on her hand. Almost as a reflex, Eva tightly sped Adrian''s neck.


    Her wrist was soft, and her fair skin formed a sharp contrast against his neck.


    After realizing what she had just done, Eva''s expression changed.


    Sensing the smoothness of her skin, Adrian''s lips curled up slightly.


    "Hold on, don''t let go."


    This time, Eva didn''t let go, but she fell into her own thoughts, asionally ncing at Adrian.


    Walking while holding her, Adrian effortlessly moved with steady breathing and steps.


    From her perspective, she could see Adrian''s smooth and delicate jawline, as well as his lips that still had a slight curl. She couldn''t understand..


    If she had already given up on him today because he didn''t answer her call, no... it should be even earlier.


    Then what did Adrian''s actions mean now?


    Did he even know what he was doing?


    Both of them were already getting divorced, yet he was still teasing her like this.


    Brent followed behind while holding something, and when he saw Adrian holding Eva, he couldn''t hide his smile.


    This truly was a perfect match.


    Adrian finally came to his senses and directly called him over to bring something, and he even knew to hold Ms. Hansen whileing out. Hopefully, Adrian would cut off ties with that woman named Vivian in the future. He didn''t want the ckwood family to suddenly have a new mistress.


    Brent ced the things in the car, waved goodbye to Adrian and Eva, and watched them leave.


    On the way back.


    The car''s air conditioning was on, and the temperature was much warmer than outside. Eva was wrapped in Adrian''s coat, sitting quietly.


    The car was warm and cozy, making one feel drowsy.


    After sitting for a while, Eva started to feel sleepy.


    She was about to lean against the seat and rest her eyes for a bit when Adrian in the driver''s seat spoke.


    "What do you think of Michael?"


    Hearing him speak to her, Eva''s drowsiness decreased by half, and she turned to look at him.


    "What?"


    Adrian''s thin lips twitched, and he said coldly, "He saved you. Are you grateful to him?"


    Grateful? Eva didn''t think much and nodded.


    "Naturally."


    Michael arrived there and saved her, then took her to the hospital for a check-up. He had been taking care of her attentively during that time.


    And most importantly, he learned about her pregnancy news, but because she didn''t want to tell Adrian, she chose to help her.


    The respect and understanding made Eva extremely grateful.


    Seeing that she admitted almost without any hesitation, Adrian''s brows furrowed harshly.


    "Do you really like him?" Eva thought she heard a big joke and squinted at him.


    "What does my gratitude have to do with liking someone?"


    Adrian pursed his lips and impulsively said, "If you don''t like him, would you let him stay by your hospital bed? And sleep so soundly for such a long time, not afraid that someone else might have ulterior motives towards you?" Upon hearing this, Eva understood everything.


    No wonder he acted so strangely in front of Michael today.


    So he misunderstood that she liked Michael?


    I see... She thought he was teasing her, turns out she was just being imaginative.


    With this in mind, Eva closed her eyes and responded unreservedly, "He saved me, but for the time being, I won''t have any other feelings towards him besides gratitude. You don''t need to worry about that, after all, there are only a few people like you."


    With that, the car fell silent.


    Eva suddenly felt like she may have gone too far with her words!


    But then she thought, if he can specte about her and Michael, then there shouldn''t be a problem with her saying a few things about him.


    If he wants to get angry, then let him get angry. Anyway, Grandma''s surgery is already over, so she doesn''t have much to worry about.


    Sure enough, Adrian remained silent for the rest of the journey, not saying a word. He escorted her back home.


    After parking, Eva didn''t rush to get out of the car, but asked, "How is Grandma''s condition now?" Adrian stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "It''s fine." "That''s good, how long does she need to be observed?"


    "48 hours."


    After this number was mentioned, both of them fell into silence for a long time.


    At this moment, they both thought of the same thing.


    "Then..." Eva looked at Adrian and whispered, "48 hours is a bit rushed, how about three dayster?"


    Hearing this, Adrian looked at her.


    In the dimly lit car, Eva''s expression was calm, and her pale lips gave her a sickly and fragile beauty.


    Adrian''s lips remained straight.


    Just a while ago, she was still in his embrace, intimately hugging his neck.


    Now she''s wearing his coat, but she''s already discussing the day they will get divorced.


    He should agree. After all, they had already agreed that once Grandma''s surgery was over, this fake marriage woulde to an end.


    But for some reason, Adrian''s heart secretly rebelled, as if there was a voice telling him not to get divorced.


    Once they get divorced, he willpletely lose her.


    "Three dayster, by then Grandma''s condition should have stabilized, let''s go get the divorce certificate first, and then..."


    "Let''s wait a bit longer." Suddenly, Adrian interrupted her.


    Upon hearing this, Eva was stunned. "Wait a bit longer?"


    What are you waiting for?


    He shouldn''t be in a rush to divorce and be with Vivian, right?


    "Well." Adrian''s voice was hoarse and his eyes were dark. "Wait a little longer. Grandma needs time to recover after her surgery. If we divorce too soon, I''m worried it will be too much for her." Eva didn''t say anything; she was deep in thought.


    Adrian''s reasoning seemed reasonable, and there didn''t seem to be any problem with waiting a little longer.


    "What''s wrong?" Adrian asked when she remained silent for a while. The color in his eyes deepened. "Can''t you wait a few more days? Are you in a hurry?"


    Hearing his words, Eva snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head.


    "No, I think you''re right. Let''s wait a few more days. I didn''t think it through, and Grandma does need time to recover."


    Her understanding attitude left Adrian speechless once again.


    It was as if she had genuinely considered the consequences and, out of rationality, agreed to postpone the divorce.


    This unfamiliar pain caused Adrian to pause, and a strange feeling spread from his chest.

 Chapter 136 Are You Worried About Me?

    His heart instantly felt numb, to the point where it tingled in his fingertips.


    Unable to hold back, Adrian let out a muffled groan and instinctively ced his hand on his chest.


    Eva heard his pained groan and looked over at him, only to find him leaning against the steering wheel with a pale expression.


    They had known each other for so many years, and Adrian had always been in good health, rarely falling ill.


    This was the first time she had seen him look so bad, so Eva was also startled and reached out to support him.


    "What''s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"


    The dull ache didn''t subside. Instead, it intensified when Eva reached out to support him. The emptiness in his heart also grewrger.


    But when Adrian saw the genuine concern on Eva''s pale face, the emptiness gradually got filled with another emotion.


    Seeing Adrian remain silent but continuously breaking out in a cold sweat on his forehead, looking like he was in extreme difort, Eva panicked and instinctively went to find her phone. "I''ll call an ambnce for you." However, before she could get hold of her phone, Adrian firmly grasped her wrist.


    His hand was hot and powerful, pressing onto her skin like fire.


    He held onto her wrist tightly and suddenly leaned towards her.


    Eva was startled, thinking that Adrian was feeling unwell and was about to lean on her. She quickly reached out to support him.


    Unexpectedly, Adrian leaned towards her until they were only a fraction of an inch away from each other''s lips.


    In the dim light, she saw Adrian''s pitch-ck and profound eyes.


    The pain made his breathing unstable.


    But despite this, Adrian firmly held onto her hand and ced it on his chest, as if this action could relieve the pain.


    Eva lowered her head and nced at where her hand hadnded, right on Adrian''s heart.


    She could even feel Adrian''s heart pounding violently.


    Eva had never seen Adrian like this before.


    "What''s going on with you?"


    Seeing that he was clearly in pain, Eva''s voice was filled with worry.


    What''s the look of bitterness, but why is he so close to her?


    Adrian''s Adam''s apple rolled up and down, pursing his thin lips. "Are you worried about me?"


    "Otherwise?"


    He''s like this, isn''t it normal for her to worry about him?


    Eva didn''t think there was anything wrong with Adrian asking this question, she just felt that his breath seemed more unstable.


    She worried that Adrian would have an ident, so she said, "I should quickly call an ambnce."


    "Don''t."


    Adrian''s voice was hoarse as he used her, "You''re not really worried about me."


    Eva frowned at his words.


    "What are you talking about? Okay, let go of my hand first, I''ll call an ambnce. If you don''t want to take the ambnce, then I''ll take you to the hospital, alright?" Adrian quietly looked at her, his eyes seemed to be confirming something.


    After a while, he slowly let go of her hands.


    "Not going."


    With these words, he sat back in his seat, closed his eyes, and leaned against the chair.


    The dull pain in his heart just now felt incredibly real, but now it had eased somewhat, and the feeling of pain was gradually fading away.


    However, even so, Adrian''s forehead was damp with cold sweat, and a few strands of ck hair stuck to it.


    Seeing him leaning back in his seat, Eva couldn''t help but furrow her brows. "Not going to the hospital? You''re in such difort, why not go?" "Even if I go, it won''t help."


    Adrian said sullenly.


    Hearing this, Eva''s brows furrowed even tighter. "You haven''t gone, how do you know it won''t help? Do you know what the symptoms are?"


    He didn''t answer, hanging his eyes and leaning there. Having just experienced a bout of pain, he appeared somewhat downcast in the dimly lit environment, evoking a hint of pity. Eva didn''t know why she had this thought.


    But honestly, Adrian''s appearance just now really scared her. Even though she had known him for so many years, it was the first time she had seen him in such pain.


    Thinking of this, Eva suddenly squinted her eyes and stared at Adrian.


    "What''s wrong with you? It''s not some incurable disease, is it?"


    Adrian, who had been hanging his head, looked up at her in silence.


    "Incurable disease?" He sneered, "What? Are you hoping for my early death?"


    "Then why don''t you want to go to the hospital?"


    Just a moment ago, he appeared to be in a lot of pain, but now he refuses to go to the hospital. Doesn''t he find this behavior strange?


    Without waiting for his answer, Eva was about to continue questioning, but Adrian suddenly unlocked the car door and hoarsely said, "Get in."


    Eva wanted to say something to him, but seeing his sluggish expression and the look as if he didn''t want to talk to her anymore, she suddenly lost interest.


    Well, even if Adrian''s body really has a problem, it''s not her, a soon-to-be divorced wife, who should care about him.


    Thinking of this, Eva''s heart grew cold and she didn''t say anything else. She unbuckled her seatbelt and prepared to get out of the car. "Wait."


    At this moment, Adrian called her back.


    After that, Eva turned around.


    Regretted? Wanted her to take him to the hospital again?


    In the next second, Adrian directly pressed the car key and coldly said, "I''ll go with you."


    With that, he opened the car door and got out of the car.


    Eva didn''t know what he wanted to do, so she had to follow him and get out of the car.


    After getting off the car, Eva noticed that Adrian had already walked around to her side and was waiting for her. After closing the car door for her, he approached her and picked her up horizontally. "No need." Eva instinctively refused.


    "No need for what?" Adrian nced at her, his voice still a little rough, "You''ve just experienced something like that today, can you go up by yourself?"


    It''s just a few steps, of course, Eva doesn''t think she can''t go up by herself.


    Although her feet were injured...


    Hmm, Julia''s kick was heavy, even though there were no visible wounds on the surface, it hurt internally. She would need several days to recover from the pain.


    But there was no problem walking a short distance, just enduring the pain.


    The most important thing was that he looked so distressed just now, and now he''s carrying her?


    "You should put me down, you just..."


    "Shut up." Adrian interrupted her displeasingly, "I''ll take you up and then you can rest."


    Knowing that he was a stubborn person, Eva stopped talking and just hoped that this journey would end quickly in her heart.


    After Adrian sent her back to the room, he nced at the wound on her leg and said, "If you need to take a shower, have the servantse up to help you." "Yes, I know."


    Eva nodded.


    Adrian looked at Eva sitting on the bed, who appeared quiet and well-behaved on the surface, but in his heart, it felt like a huge stone was pressing against him. After a long while, he finally spoke.


    "I''m sorry about today."


    Upon hearing this, Eva hesitated. She thought this matter could be skipped over. She didn''t expect him to apologize voluntarily.


    "In the future, I will protect you."

 Chapter 137 Finding Excuses for Him

    After saying this, Adrian silently repeated in his mind, "I won''t let anyoney a finger on her."


    Unexpectedly, Eva only smiled lightly after hearing his words.


    "It''s okay, you were looking for someone. If I were you, I would have done the same. Everything was necessary." Upon hearing this, Adrian couldn''t help but smile bitterly.


    What could he say?


    His wife is really generous and tactful, even at a time like this she''s finding a way out for him?


    But her calm demeanor also indirectly implied another thing...


    "Alright, I''m going to rest now. You should rest early too."


    Afraid that things would be more awkward if they continued to talk, Eva decided to end the conversation herself.


    Upon hearing her say she wanted to rest, Adrian didn''t say anything else.


    "You rest first, I''ll go out for a while."


    Eva paused and then nodded. "Okay, be safe then."


    When Adrian left the ckwoods vi and got back into the car, his eyes were deep with secrets.


    There seemed to be something weighing on his chest.


    The thing is stuck there.


    Even though such a big thing happened, she still talked to him politely and softly, as if she had no resentment towards him at all. She even came up with excuses for him not protecting her. Adrian would rather have her get angry at him like she used to, asking him why he ran out at that time.


    But, she probably won''t do such a thing anymore.


    How did they end up like this?


    On the other hand, after Adrian left, Vivian immediately called her father and told him about what happened today, as well as Adrian''s suspicion of her being involved with Julia.


    Ever since Vivian saved Adrian years ago and became the savior of the ckwood family, the Morrison family has received many favors from the ckwood family in the business world.


    The Morrison family, who used to struggle, could never reach a higher level after reaching a certain point, so Vivian''s father has always been distressed about this.


    Unexpectedly, Vivian saved Adrian at this time, and for a moment, the whole upper-ss society knew that the Morrison family became the benefactors of the ckwood family. From then on, the Morrison family would be on good terms with the ckwood family.


    The Morrison family also boarded a big ship from then on, and almost everyone who sought cooperation came knocking on their door. Those who used to hold grudges also came to reconcile.


    Afterwards, the Morrison family kept rising.


    Until today, the Morrison family has be one of the top five enterprises in New York.


    The previous Morrison family couldn''t even make it into the top twenty.


    Vivian''s father is now in New York, feeling like a fish in water, respected by others, and even considering himself as Adrian''s future father-inw.


    So when he heard Adrian starting to suspect his daughter, he panicked and immediately dropped what he was doing to go see his daughter.


    When he saw his daughter in the hospital, with even a bruise on her forehead, he suddenly got angry.


    "Vivian, what happened? How did you get hurt like this?"


    "Dad..." Tears welled up in Vivian''s eyes and she miserably threw herself into his arms.


    Her pitiful appearance made him feel heartbroken, and heforted her for a while. Afterward, Vivian told him everything that had happened recently.


    "I don''t know what to do now, Dad. Adrian is starting to suspect me. Although I said that this matter has nothing to do with me at the time, he didn''t me me anymore, but..."


    "I think after this, he may not treat me as well as before," Vivian said.


    Upon hearing this, Vivian''s fatherfortingly held his daughter''s hand and whispered, "Vivian, you don''t have to worry too much about this. Regardless, you are Adrian''s savior. As long as you remain his savior, he will never mistreat you." As long as she remained his savior, he would never mistreat her?


    Indeed, the ckwood family ced great importance on this point, otherwise the Morrison family wouldn''t have risen so quickly over the years.


    However, Vivian thought of another possibility, that is, if one day Adrian discovered his true savior was actually Eva and not herself.


    Given his personality, he might kill her!


    Just thinking about this possibility made Vivian break out in a cold sweat.


    Fortunately, at that time, there were no other witnesses besides Eva and Vivian. If a third person found out about this, she would be finished.


    "Leave the matter of those two people to me. Don''t worry about it, just make sure to please Adrian."


    Hearing the phrase "please", Vivian felt a bit unhappy.


    "Dad, what do you mean by ''please''? The rtionship between Adrian and me is equal. I am not like those women who try to please Adrian in order to gain a higher position."


    "Yes, yes, of course our Vivian is the best. Adrian likes you more than anything."


    As he said this, he noticed the wound on Vivian''s forehead.


    "As for the wound on your forehead, Vivian, it''s best for women not to have scars. Men, after all, primarily judge based on appearance. If you be ugly in the future, men will change their hearts." Upon mention of the wound on her forehead, Vivian began to feel insecure.


    "I understand, Dad. I will find a way to repair it."


    "Alright, you rest first. Remember to pamper Adrian. Men like it when women act cute. If he is still angry, you will have to figure it out yourself. In any case, you must soothe him, understand?"


    After 48 hours of surgery, Granny ckwood finally transferred from the intensive care unit to a regr ward.


    The ckwood family, who had been keeping watch, finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Eva rested at home for a day, and her leg was no longer as painful. However, when she initially wanted to go to the hospital, Adrian did not agree.


    Kim and Margaret, upon learning that she was injured, also disagreed, insisting that she rest at home for a day.


    "Your grandmother is in the intensive care unit now, even if you go, you won''t be able to see her. It''s better to rest at home for a few more days, and then let Adrian bring you to the hospital when your grandmother is out of the intensive care unit."


    In the end, Eva was persuaded and agreed.


    But the next day, before 48 hours had passed, she already brought up the matter of going to the hospital to Adrian.


    At first, Adrian naturally disagreed, even furrowing his brows on the spot.


    "Is your leg injury healed? Or should you rest at home for a few more days?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva shook her head.


    "No need to rest, I want to visit Grandma now."


    She should have gone to the hospital on the day she returned, instead of dying it until now.


    If it weren''t for Kim and Margaret persuading her as well, Eva wouldn''t have been so obedient. "Are you sure you want to go?"


    Eva pursed her lips and whispered, "If you''re too busy to apany me, then I''ll go by myself."


    Adrian stayed silent for a long while, seemingly lost in thought, before suddenly agreeing.


    "Go change your clothes, I''ll take you there now."


    A smile appeared on Eva''s face.


    "Okay."


    Afterwards, she turned around and happily ran to change her clothes. However, due to her injured leg, her walking posture was a bit awkward.


    Upon seeing this, Adrian couldn''t help but quirk up his lips. "Be careful, don''t aggravate your leg injury."

 Chapter 138 You’re the Presidents Wife

    After arriving at the hospital, Eva looked at Granny ckwood, who had recovered well, and felt very happy. She had been by her side, keeping herpany.


    Seeing Eva''s current appearance, Granny ckwood thought she looked like a teenager, and her mood improved significantly.


    "Granny, are you thirsty? Does your wound hurt? Are you tired? Do you want to eat something, or perhaps sleep a little longer? Or if you can''t sleep, shall I tell you a story?" Perhaps due to being too excited, Eva didn''t notice the contradictory nature of her words.


    Granny ckwood didn''t point it out either. Instead, she said, "I''m not tired. Since Eva wants to tell me a story, I''ll listen for a while before going to sleep."


    After that, Eva began telling Granny ckwood various stories.


    Granny ckwood listened with great interest, a kind smile on her lips.


    Margaret, who was listening to Eva''s gentle voice beside them, couldn''t help but admire her. The more she looked, the more she realized how great of a daughter-inw she had. Because, if it were her, Margaret truly wasn''t sure if she would have the patience to tell stories to the elderly like this, especially without a script, and still be able to speak so clearly. Finally, with Eva''s gentle voice, Granny ckwood fell asleep.


    After she had slept for a while, Eva stopped.


    She was just about to sit down at the edge of Granny ckwood''s bed for a while when she saw Margaret waving at her, seemingly wanting to talk to her.


    Eva followed her to the balcony of the hospital room.


    Margaret closed the ss door, blocking off the sound from both sides, then pulled Eva to sit on the balcony chairs.


    "How are you? Is your leg injury serious? I watched you walk earlier, and it seems to have improved."


    Eva nodded.


    "Yes, it has improved a lot."


    "That''s good. If you''re still ufortable, don''t force yourself. Sit down and rest when you need to." "Okay, I will."


    "Oh, here, take this."


    Margaret suddenly took out a card from her bag and pushed it in front of Eva.


    Seeing this bank card, Eva was stunned for a moment.


    "Mom?"


    "Pocket money for you," Margaret said softly.


    "No, thank you." Eva instinctively refused and pushed the card back.


    "What do you mean ''no''? You''ve been married to Adrian for so long and I''ve never given you any pocket money. What''s wrong with giving you some now? Are you looking down on my money?"


    Hearing this, Eva could only exin in a panic, "It''s not that. I have money. I work in apany and I get my sry every month."


    "So you know it''s a sry. Can a sry be the same as the pocket money I give you? Besides, you''re not an employee of the ckwood family, you''re the president''s wife."


    Upon hearing the title of the president''s wife, Eva seemed a little embarrassed and smiled shyly.


    The president''s wife?


    She probably won''t be in a few days.


    And even now, she is still a fake president''s wife.


    "Take it. It''s for you alone," Margaret said, pushing the bank card towards her again. "Buy something you like. Girls at your age should spend more money on dressing themselves up. You, on the other hand, always dress too inly." Thinking of this, Margaret had the image of Vivian, who hade to the hospital to secretly see Granny ckwood the other day, in her mind.


    To tell the truth, the wound on her forehead looked really shocking, her face was extremely pale, and she was still wearing a patient''s gown. Because she had rushed over, even her hair was messy.


    When she came with Adrian that day, she was just carefully cuddling up to him, not even touching the hem of his clothes. She looked pale and fragile, making her look pitiful.


    That appearance, probably many men would like and feel sorry for.


    And looking at Eva in front of her, Margaret couldn''t help but sigh inwardly.


    It''s not that Eva is bad, it''s just that she is too strong, always solving things on her own.


    But Vivian...


    As a woman, how could she not see the affection Vivian had for her son?


    But Vivian was their ckwood family''s benefactor, so Margaret had to be polite to her on the surface.


    But this politeness was only limited to being a guest.


    If Vivian wanted to take Eva''s position and rece her, she would be the first one to refuse.


    Dressing too inly?


    Actually, before Margaret returned to the country, Eva''s clothes were not in.


    She has always loved beauty, and when the Hansen family had not gone bankrupt, her clothes, jewelry, and bags were all in line with the current fashion trends.


    Thetest model, she is also a very close VIP customer of the brand, receiving specific gifts and invited to various events every year.


    After the Hansen family went bankrupt, she no longer had the thoughts and money to be high-profile.


    Even if Adrian would give her money.


    However...


    Eva''s eyes dimmed, not thinking about it anymore.


    Money, it''s better to spend her own. She and Adrian were originally in a fake marriage, and if she keeps spending his money, she would indeed feel guilty. But on the surface, Eva still smiled and nodded in eptance.


    "Okay, I''ll buy a few more sets then. Thank you, Mom."


    After saying that, Eva did not refuse any further and took the bank card.


    In her heart, she thought that after the divorce certificate was processed, she would give this bank card to Adrian and have him return it to his mother.


    With this thought in mind, Eva felt at ease epting the bank card.


    "Oh, by the way..." However, Margaret, who had given her pocket money, did not intend to let her leave just like that. She mentioned the events of that day only after seeing her take the bank card. "That day, it was Michael who saved you, right?"


    Speaking of that day, Eva nodded, "Hmm."


    "That''s great, this child really cares. I heard that he nned toe and see you after hearing that your grandmother was having surgery, but instead saw you being taken away."


    At this point, Margaret couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Ah, fortunately he saw it, otherwise...we can''t guarantee what would have happenedter."


    "Oh, right." Margaret''s thoughts jumped around. Without waiting for her response, she continued with the next sentence. "After that day, did you get aprehensive check-up?" Another check-up. Eva''s head would ache whenever she heard the word "check-up" now.


    Originally, she had hidden her pregnancy secret very well, but because of this uncontroble incident, Michael had discovered it.


    Fortunately, Michael wanted to help Adrian and Vivian, otherwise, if he had told Adrian about this without her consent, then all the trouble would have fallen on her.


    "I already had a check-up."


    Although she had already said that she had checked, Margaret clearly still wasn''t reassured and whispered, "Alright, when your grandmother has almost recovered in the next few days, I will apany you to do anotherprehensive check in this hospital, don''t let any problems be overlooked."


    In a few days?


    In a few days, she probably wouldn''t be Mrs. Qin anymore.


    Eva nodded.


    "Okay."

 Chapter 139 You’re Always Considerate

    However, Eva did not expect that Margaret''s "a few days" woulde earlier.


    Because just two days had passed, Margaret suddenly grabbed her excitedly and said, "Eva, let''s do a check-up tomorrow." Suddenly hearing this news, Eva was stunned.


    "Mom, why did it suddenly change? Wasn''t it supposed to wait for Grandma to recover for a few more days?"


    Margaret smiled and said, "Because your grandmother''s recovery has been pretty good. The doctor said the situation is good, and these past couple of days, I heard that a very capable doctor ising over. They will probably stay for a few days. You should take advantage of these days and get the examination done. We can show the results to the doctor then."


    Hearing this, Eva finally understood the reason why Margaret wanted her to get the examination done in advance.


    She could only awkwardly try to refuse: "Actually, it''s just a regr examination. Generally, the machines can provide the results, and regr doctors can also interpret them."


    "You''re right, but there''s an opportunity right in front of us. I have already talked to Grandma ckwood in advance, telling her that we will do a check-up these past few days. She has agreed."


    Originally, Eva thought this method wouldn''t work, but Margaret brought up Granny ckwood, leaving Eva speechless.


    She didn''t expect Margaret to have already taken care of things on Granny ckwood''s side as well.


    Her efficiency is really fast, isn''t it?


    If she refuses now, will Margaret find her suspicious? After all, they are both women, so their thoughts should be simr.


    It seems that there is no way to refuse here. Eva can only think of another solution.


    So that night, when Adrian came from work to pick Eva up from the hospital, she took the initiative to bring up the matter on the way home.


    "I heard Grandma has been recovering well recently."


    With just one sentence, Adrian immediately understood what she wanted to express.


    He furrowed his brows and remained silent without responding to Eva''s words. However, the change in his aura made Eva easily notice it.


    For some reason, Eva''s heart sank along with it.


    She pondered on how to approach this matter with him.


    She didn''t expect that at this moment, she still wanted to part ways with him on good terms.


    Although she would be raising the child alone in the future, it is likely that she would never see him again in her life.


    But at this moment, she still wanted to follow her true feelings.


    "What I mean is, we can keep it from Grandma for now, but we can try telling our parents. They are young and optimistic, so they should ept it quickly. What do you think?" He still didn''t say anything. After a while, he finally spoke, "What''s the reason?"


    Adrian''s voice was cold, even colder than she had imagined,cking any warmth.


    "Just say that we can''t continue living together. Say that I''m the one who brought up the divorce, that should be enough."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian sneered, "So you''ve already thought of a reason so quickly, and you''ve thought about it so meticulously, nning to take all the me on yourself." Hearing his words, Eva pursed her lips.


    She didn''t want that, but he did help her when she went bankrupt, and now she wanted to leave with the child, so she felt guilty.


    Her current mindset is that as long as they can divorce, she is willing to take all the me.


    Because dragging it on is just not beneficial for her. They are always together in daily life, and she doesn''t know when she might be exposed.


    Thinking of this, Eva tugged at the corners of her mouth and forced a smile that was hard to maintain.


    "What I mean is, if I initiate the divorce myself, it won''t affect you and anyone else afterward."


    "Being together."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian suddenly turned the car at an intersection, and after the car made a sharp screeching sound, it came to a heart-stopping stop by the roadside. After Adrian stopped the car, he pressed his hand on the steering wheel and looked at her with a sinister gaze.


    "So, you really think about me everywhere, should I thank you, Eva?"


    Finally, he gritted his teeth as he called her name.


    Eva didn''t want to say anything at first, but the words formed on her lips, "No need for thanks, if possible, shall we go to City Hall tomorrow?"


    This time, Adrian remained silent. He had been staring at her since earlier, with eyes burning like a torch, never leaving her even for a moment. Although he clearly heard himself speaking, he just wouldn''t answer.


    Seeing his appearance, Eva felt a bit helpless. She couldn''t understand what Adrian was thinking. Before, it was because of her grandmother''s condition, so she had no choice. But these past few days, her grandmother had clearly been recovering well. It felt like Adrian was somehow reluctant to get a divorce?


    No, that couldn''t be possible.


    He was probably eager to get a divorce so he could marry Vivian.


    If it weren''t for her grandmother''s illness, he would have probably married Vivian a long time ago during this time.


    After thinking this, Eva''s heart turned cold and hard. She didn''t look at him anymore, but turned her head to look ahead.


    "Well, it''s decided then. Let''s find a time to go to City Hall tomorrow."


    She made the decision herself.


    Adrian''s face turned horribly ugly. After she turned away, he remained in the same position, not moving a muscle. The car stayed parked by the roadside without starting. The atmosphere in the car became extremely tense.


    After waiting for a long time and not seeing him start the car, Eva lightly furrowed her eyebrows. Was he nning to stay here tonight?


    "Aren''t we leaving?" she asked.


    Still, she didn''t receive a response from him.


    But his gaze remained fixed on her.


    Eva also didn''t understand what Adrian was nning to do. Whatever, it didn''t matter. After saying so much, she was tired too.


    If he didn''t leave, she wouldn''t either. They could just spend the night here.


    Thinking this, Eva stopped fretting about the issue and instead increased the temperature in the car by two degrees. Then she unbuttoned two buttons on her coat so she would have space to stretch when lying down. She adjusted the seat back, and while doing all of this, she could still feel Adrian staring at her.


    But she didn''t pay any attention to him, quickly adjusted the seat, and theny down and closed her eyes.


    If he wanted to buy time, she would just sleep.


    During this time, Eva could sense that Adrian''s gaze was constantly on her face while she had her eyes closed.


    She could only pretend not to feel anything.


    At first, when his gaze fell on her, she felt a little ufortable.


    But as drowsiness gradually overtook her, Eva no longer felt anything.


    After that, she often feels very tired after bing pregnant and most of the time she doesn''t get enough sleep.


    Not to mention the recent trips to the hospital, which have made her sleep even less.


    So, it didn''t take long for Eva to fall into a deep sleep after lying down.


    Unbeknownst to Eva, after she fell asleep, Adrian listened to her steady breathing and watched her peaceful sleeping face, his face gradually turning pale.


    With such an atmosphere, how could she still sleep?


    But in the end, Adrian couldn''t bring himself to wake her up forcefully.


    As time passed, his gaze became more helpless, and he couldn''t help but lightly touch her fair forehead with his fingertips.


    "Is she really asleep? Does she have no feelings?"

 Chapter 140 He’s Avoiding Her

    The next day, when Eva woke up, she realized that it was already eight o''clock in the morning.


    She nced at the white ceiling and the familiar surroundings, and then carefully felt the soft bed beneath her.


    Finally, she confirmed that she was indeed in her own bed at home.


    After being stunned for a moment, Eva gently touched her head and sat up.


    She never expected that she would sleep until now.


    She clearly fell asleep in the carst night, which means that Adrian must have brought her back.


    She sat there for a while before picking up her phone to check for messages.


    Adrian didn''t leave her any messages, and their chat history remained empty.


    She thought for a moment and called Adrian while walking into the bathroom to freshen up.


    The phone rang for a while before he answered.


    Adrian''s voice was clear and cold, "What is it?"


    Eva had already squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush and was about to put it in her mouth when she heard his voice, so she stopped. "I was talking to you about something yesterday, and today we..."


    Before she could finish speaking, Adrian interrupted her coldly, "I have a very important meeting now, it will probably take three hours." She pursed her lips, suppressing her anger, and said, "Can''t you postpone the meeting? Can''t you spare half an hour?"


    But Adrian replied directly, "No, the meeting is urgent."


    If Eva hadn''t worked at the ckwood family business for such a long time, she might have believed him.


    However, before she could say anything else, Adrian said, "I have to go to the meeting, goodbye," and hung up on her.


    Listening to the busy toneing from her phone, Eva stood still, her face speechless.


    So, yesterday wasn''t just her imagination after all.


    He really doesn''t want a divorce? Why doesn''t he want a divorce?


    With these doubts in mind, Eva quickly freshened up, because she didn''t do itst night.


    As she finished getting ready and went downstairs, she saw Margaret in the living room.


    As soon as she saw her, Margaret immediately walked over.


    "Eva, you''re finally awake." Upon seeing her, Eva remembered that Margaret was supposed to take her to the hospital for an examination today.


    She had originally nned to discuss it with Adrianst night when she got home, but...


    If Adrian agrees to talk about divorce, she can use the excuse to leave with Adrian today and go to get a divorce certificate.


    When shees back, she will be honest with Kim and Margaret about this matter.


    Then, Kim and Margaret will be so absorbed in the news of their divorce that they won''t even think about taking her to get checked.


    Eva had nned it this way. But who knew that Adrian wouldn''t cooperate at all.


    The emergency meeting was all a lie. She feels like Adrian is intentionally avoiding her now.


    "Eva, Eva?"


    Margaret''s voice rang in her ears, bringing Eva back to reality.


    "What''s wrong? You lookpletely lost," Margaret looked at her with great concern, holding her hand. "Did you hurt yourself that day? Judging by the way you look, it seems like the check-up today was spot on." "Mom, I don''t really want to go for the check-up."


    Adrian is avoiding her now, and she can''t go to City Hall alone. She can only refuse the check-up. But Margaret would never let it go. When Eva said she didn''t want to go for the check-up, Margaret immediately frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. "How can you not go for the check-up? When I was just talking to you, you werepletely lost. Could it be that those people hurt you somewhere?"


    Hearing this, Eva could only force a smile.


    "No, I just hurt my calf that day, nothing else."


    And it was Julia who kicked her calf. Although Alexzander was the one who kidnapped her, he didn''t do anything to her. Thinking of him and Julia, Eva became curious about how they were doing now.


    "By the way, Mom, do you know how those two are doing now?"


    Margaret shook her head. "I''m not sure, but Michael said he would take care of it. That kid is reliable, so I''m reassured. And you can rest assured, I heard that little Adrian also paid attention to this matter. He will definitely teach them a lesson." "So, Michael is handling this matter now?"


    "Probably."


    Thinking of this, Eva decided to go see Michael.


    "Let''s go, I''ve already made an appointment with the doctor. Although it''s a bitte today, it''s still fine to go see the doctor now."


    After speaking, Margaret held Eva''s hand.


    Eva really wanted to refuse, but Margaret had already started pulling her towards the exit.


    Finally, Eva followed Margaret to the entrance of the hospital.


    Now, Eva''s heart was truly nervous. Could she escape today? Margaret was not just anyone, if she found out she was pregnant, she would definitely say something. "Mom, I suddenly remembered that I have something else to do, I..."


    "Margaret?"


    A surprised female voice came from behind them.


    This voice...


    Eva turned her head and gradually stopped the bleeding on her lips when she saw who it was.


    Why is it her?


    Margaret, originally named Margaret, is considered the stic sister along with Diana.


    Diana is jealous of Margaret''s excellence and beauty, while Margaret cannot stand Diana''s arrogance and stinginess, so they have always been sisters on the surface.


    All of this is because the ckwood family and the Robinson family have a cooperation, so everyone needs to save face when attending various asions. "Diana?"


    Diana took a few steps forward and looked at Margaret in front of her, somewhat surprised.


    "It''s really you. When did youe back? Why didn''t you tell me? I could have picked you up at the airport."


    Upon hearing this, Margaret sneered inwardly, "I knew you were busy, so I didn''t want to bother you to pick me up at the airport."


    "Why would I be busy? Even if I am, I will make time for you."


    "Oh, next time Ie back, I will definitely let you know in advance."


    "Sure."


    The two of them exchanged insincere pleasantries as if their rtionship was extremely good.


    After the pleasantries, Diana suddenly noticed that Eva was standing next to them.


    Seeing Eva, she couldn''t help but think of the incident where she saw her daughter in the hospitalst time. Her face changed, and she forced a smile, "So Eva is here too? What''s going on? What are you doing at the hospital?" As she spoke, Diana''s gaze kept examining Eva up and down, finallynding on her belly.


    Margaret, unaware of Diana''s scheming, simply didn''t like her and didn''t like how she rudely looked at her daughter-inw, so she directly stood in front of Eva.


    "Diana, what are you doing at the hospital today?"


    Upon hearing this, Diana was reminded of the purpose of her visit. A hint of resentment shed through her eyes.


    She then looked at Eva, who was being blocked by Margaret, and a hint of resentment appeared in her heart.

 Chapter 141 You Still Want to Hide It from Me

    If it wasn''t for meeting Eva in the hospital before, Diana wouldn''t have to be so cautious in her actionster on.


    After all, she didn''t want anyone to know what her daughter had done.


    The Robinson family is prestigious, and her daughter must be paired with the best man.


    At first, Diana became close with Margaret because she saw the only heir of the ckwood family, Adrian.


    If the Robinson family and the ckwood family can be rtives, their development would be unstoppable.


    In short, the Robinson family also wants to board the ship of the ckwood family.


    However, there is still a bit that...


    Suddenly, the Morrison family appeared out of nowhere. Diana had openly and secretly disliked the Morrison family''s daughter for a long time. However, in the end, she was surprised to find out that Eva, not the girl she despised, ended up marrying Adrian. Consequently, Diana redirected her jealousy and resentment towards Eva.


    When Diana saw Eva going to the hospitalst time, she guessed that Eva was probably going there for an abortion. As for why Eva would want to have an abortion, someone from a prestigious family like the ckwood family would surely reveal the truth to them if the child belonged to Adrian. It would have been even better to secure her status as a mother. However, she chose to secretly go to a small clinic and get an abortion.


    Diana never expected that the seemingly untouchable Eva would also cheat on her own husband. If it weren''t for her own daughtermitting something equally disgraceful, she would have wanted to expose Eva''s actions to the world. But she was afraid that Eva would also betray her and sell out her own daughter.


    With these thoughts in mind, Diana tugged at her lips and said, "I haven''t been feeling well recently, so I came to check."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Pa, holding the registration form, walked towards them.


    "Mom."


    Upon hearing her daughter''s voice, Diana''s expression changed.


    "Your daughter is here too?"


    Before Margaret could finish speaking, Diana already said, "I have something to attend to, we''ll talk another day."


    After saying that, she turned and walked away, pulling Pa with her.


    Margaret wanted to ask more, but the two of them had already disappeared.


    After a while, Margaret looked at Eva and said, "Eva, don''t you think Diana is acting strangely? She seems very nervous."


    However, she received no response.


    Margaret had no choice but to look at Eva and found her standing there with her eyes lowered, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. "Eva, Eva."


    Margaret called her several times before finally bringing her back to reality.


    When Eva regained her senses and looked apologetically at Margaret, Margaret sighed helplessly.


    "Eva, why are you so distracted today? Did something happen? Talk to me."


    Eva snapped back to reality and chuckled softly.


    "It''s nothing, I was just lost in thought earlier. Don''t worry about it."


    In reality, when Eva ran into Diana and Pa here, she thought of what happened at the restaurant that day. Perhaps it was because Pa could rte to her situation that she couldn''t help but feel sorry for the girl. Despite considering herself mature, the girl seemed to be trapped under her mother''s control.


    Eva wondered if she knew about the other woman in the man''s heart.


    She really wanted to tell her.


    This thought suddenly crossed Eva''s mind.


    Before this incident, Eva had actually seen Pa a few times. Pa''s personality


    Although introverted, every time she sees her, she will smile shyly at herself.


    Eva couldn''t even imagine that Diana, such a mean person, would have such a shy and lovely daughter.


    "Eva, Eva!"


    Margaret''s voice resounded in her ears again.


    When Eva regained her senses, she realized that she had been absent-minded in front of Margaret for the third time today. She felt embarrassed and guilty.


    "I''m sorry, Mom. I really don''t feel well today. Can I skip the check-up?"


    This time, she was very direct in her words.


    Margaret paused for a moment, and then nodded as if she understood.


    "If you really don''t want to do it, then let''s reschedule."


    "Thank you, Mom." Eva smiled. "I have something else to attend to, so I''ll go to Grandma''s wardter."


    Margaret was a very understanding person, so she agreed when she heard that Eva had something to deal with.


    "Well, go ahead and take care of your business. I can tell that you haven''t been focused all day, and I don''t think you''ll be in the mood for the check-up until you finish everything." After saying that, Margaret waved at Eva.


    "Go quickly, if you ever need my help, just ask." Margaret paused for a moment and added, "If you can treat Grandma as your own grandmother, then you can treat me as your own mother too."


    Eva had originally nned to leave, but she didn''t expect Margaret to say these words. She paused for a moment, feeling some emotions surging in her heart.


    Treat her... as her own mother?


    Such a movingnguage.


    If she had heard it earlier, it would have made her happy for a long time.


    But hearing it now, it didn''t seem toote. At least, from now on, she would always remember these words.


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva suddenly took a big step forward and hugged Margaret tightly.


    Margaret had originally thought that she was about to leave, but she didn''t expect Eva to rush into her embrace. Margaret could feel the intense emotion in this hug.


    For some reason, Margaret felt that something was being hidden from her by Eva.


    Eva held onto her tightly for a long time before finally letting go.


    When she let go, Eva''s face was slightly red, probably due to shyness.


    "Thank you, Mom. I''ll go now."


    "Okay, go quickly."


    Margaret smiled as she watched Eva leave. After she was gone, she took out her phone and called Adrian.


    The phone rang for a while before someone, who should be in an important meeting at the moment, answered the call with azy tone.


    "What''s up?"


    Margaret was already full of doubts, wanting to ask her son about something, but she didn''t expect that he would answer with such a casual attitude.


    Thest incident had already made her extremely displeased.


    So Margaret immediately frowned.


    "What''s wrong? Can''t I call you when there''s nothing urgent?"


    "No."


    After two consecutive denials, Adrian''s voice softened a little and he asked, "What''s the matter?"


    Hearing his tone return to normal, Margaret felt a bit relieved and proceeded to exin the situation.


    "Have something happened between you and Eva recently?" she asked.


    Adrian, who initially had no expression, narrowed his eyes upon hearing her question.


    Soon after, he quickly remembered the words she spoke to him in the car when they came backst night.


    This morning, he tried to avoid her, thinking he could brush it off that way.


    Unexpectedly...


    Realizing this, Adrian furrowed his brows slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Nothing happened, what''s wrong? Did she say something to you?" Ignoring the first part, Margaret instantly sensed that something was wrong with thetter part of his response.


    "You still want to hide it from me!"

 Chapter 142 Are You Planning to See that Man Again?

    Margaret''s reproach made Adrian frown.


    by using her words.


    He almost spilled the beans about their impending divorce, but as the words reached his lips, he remembered his mother''s tactics when she wanted to find out things from him during his childhood. She would trick him into revealing the truth In reality, his mother didn''t know the truth back then.


    This time... could be the same.


    With such thoughts, dark gleams circted in Adrian''s eyes.


    Margaret may still be the same mother she used to be, but Adrian was no longer the child he once was.


    "I didn''t mean to hide it from you. We had a little disagreement, you both knew that, right?" Adrian immediately deflected.


    If Margaret knew about the divorce, it would definitelye to light after his statement.


    As expected, Margaret sounded skeptical after hearing his words. "Just a little disagreement? Your rtionship has be so strained, and that''s just a small disagreement? Or is it that you simply don''t care about Eva, so you think it''s just a small disagreement?"


    Adrian had nothing to say.


    "Don''t me me for saying this, but if you always disregard the conflicts between you and Eva like this, small disagreements will eventually be irreparable major issues."


    Listening to Margaret''s words, Adrian remained silent without any retorts.


    "Never mind, I don''t understand you young people. Just don''t regret it in the future."


    After speaking, Margaret hung up the phone directly.


    Since Eva didn''t need to do any further tests, Margaret had nothing else to do here. Finally, she turned her attention towards Granny ckwood and went to apany her in the hospital room. After Eva left, she secretly followed Diana and Pa.


    Regardless of what others might think, she only had one thing in mind at the moment: to tell Pa the truth.


    As for what decisions Pa would make after knowing the truth, Eva wouldn''t interfere.


    She just wasn''t quite sure why they hade to this big hospital now. Weren''t they always afraid of being caught?


    Do others know?


    While pondering, Eva saw Diana whisper something to Pa, and then she took the registration form and went to the consultation room.


    Meanwhile, Pa waited outside for her.


    After a while, when Diana had note out yet, Eva walked up.


    As Pa heard footsteps, she looked up and a hint of surprise shed across her face when she saw Eva.


    Not surprising, the two had encountered each other at the small hospitalst time.


    After a moment of confusion, Pa, as she did every time they met, smiled shyly with a hint of shyness.


    "Eva."


    Eva also pulled at her lip in response.


    After a moment, she sat down next to her.


    Pa seemed momentarily puzzled as she didn''t expect her to sit down.


    "Are you here to apany your mother to the hospital?"


    After sitting down, Eva softly brought up a topic.


    Thinking it was just small talk while waiting, Pa nodded her head.


    "Yeah, my mom hasn''t been feeling welltely."


    Hearing this, Eva roughly understood why Diana brought Pa here. Pa must feel unwell herself and made the registration for her own visit, so she wasn''t worried about any rumors spreading. From the looks of it, Diana probably wouldn''te out easily, allowing Eva to chat with Pa for a while longer.


    However...


    Eva nced at the people passing by.


    After a moment, she spoke softly, "This isn''t a good ce to talk. Shall we go somewhere else?"


    As soon as she said this, Pa, who had a somewhat shy expression, instantly changed her expression, and the color on her lips disappeared in an instant.


    "Talk, talk about what?" she stuttered.


    Eva smiled slightly.


    "Of course, we''ll talk about life."


    Pa looked confused.


    "Why? Don''t you want to?"


    Seeing how nervous Pa was, even gripping her skirt tightly, Eva couldn''t help but chuckle softly, "Am I that intimidating?"


    "N-no, of course not, I just..."


    "Let''s go."


    Eva stood up already.


    Pa bit her lower lip and remained sitting, a conflicted expression on her face. Observing her like this, Eva guessed that she probably knew what she wanted to talk to her about. She wasn''t in a rush and came up with apromise.


    "There''s a street outside the hospital with an early breakfast shop run by someone from Seattle, do you know about it?"


    Hearing this, Pa was slightly taken aback, but after a moment, she nodded, "I know."


    Eva looked at the time on her wristwatch and said, "I''ll wait for you there for half an hour. If you don''t show up after half an hour, then I''ll leave. During this time, you can consider whether or not toe." Pa didn''t answer immediately.


    After Eva finished speaking, she didn''t stay in ce to disturb Pa''s consideration and quickly left the hospital.


    Pa stared thoughtfully at her retreating figure, her nails digging into her palm inch by inch.


    Go or not go? It seemed she respected herself, and if she didn''t go, Eva wouldn''te looking for her again. "Pa."


    At this moment, Diana came out of the clinic and called for her.


    Pa snapped out of it and quickly approached, asking anxiously, "Mom, how is it? What did the doctor say?"


    Diana''s mood was noticeably better than before.


    "The doctor said it''s nothing serious, asked me if I''ve been overthinking and told me to be more open-minded, there''s no problem."


    Hearing this, Pa couldn''t help but lower her gaze.


    "Is it because of me?"


    "It''s good that you know. I haven''t had much appetite and have lost weight during this period because of you. If you care about me, you should listen to me and not..."


    Diana''s words abruptly stopped here. "Forget it, walls have ears. It wouldn''t be good if someone overhears. In any case, think it through quickly, we can''t let it drag on any longer."


    Pa lowered her gaze, remaining silent and lethargic.


    And so, Diana led her daughter with her murmuring all the way to the hospital entrance. When they were about to get in the car, Pa suddenly said, "Mom, you should go home first, I have something to attend to." Diana, whose mood was already unsettled, immediately turned sour. "Where are you going? Pa, are you going to see that man again?"


    Diana not only said this, but also grabbed Pa''s hand while scolding her.


    "How many times have I told you, you''re not allowed to see him again. Why are you always so shameless? What''s so good about that man? He''s just a poor guy. Look at his appearance, he''s only after your money." Hearing her beloved being insulted like this by her mother, Pa''s expression changed slightly. She wanted to explode, but seeing that it was her own mother in front of her, she managed to control her temper. "Mom, I didn''t intend to see him. Why is it that every time I go out, you assume that I''m going to see him? Is he the only person in my world? Do I have no other friends?"

 Chapter 143 Why Did You Get an Abortion?

    However, Diana simply did not trust her.


    "You told mest time that you weren''t going to see him, but what happened? You went to see him again and came back feeling upset. Was it because of him?" Pa couldn''t refute this statement.


    After a while, she patiently exined, "Mom, I know I was wrongst time. I deceived you, but this time, I''m telling the truth. If you don''t believe me, I promise I''ll be back within half an hour." "Within half an hour?"


    This timeframe made Diana suspicious as she narrowed her eyes, because if Pa were to go see that man, she wouldn''t be able to return within half an hour.


    Could it be that she misunderstood her this time?


    "Mom, I really have something to attend to." Pa nced at the time, her expression somewhat anxious. She was afraid of beingte and Eva not waiting for her there.


    Seeing that Diana was still adamant, Pa became frustrated and said, "If you continue like this, I''ll leave the Zhao family and nevere back again."


    Realizing that her daughter was angry, Diana finally realized that continuing like this would affect the rtionship between the mother and daughter. She could only say, "If you''re not lying..." "Mom, of course I believe you. Pa, go ahead, but make sure toe back within half an hour," Diana said, pausing briefly before adding, "It''s only half an hour, I''ll wait here for you." Pa silently lowered her gaze. No matter what she said, her mother would never believe her.


    "Alright, you wait here for me, I''ll be back soon," Pa said without any hesitation, and left.


    Inside the breakfast shop, Eva had been sitting here alone for almost half an hour. She ordered a bowl of Seattle''s specialty breakfast. She didn''t have much appetite, but it wouldn''t be appropriate to sit here for half an hour without ordering anything.


    So sheter ordered a bowl of soup.


    At first, there were many people in the breakfast shop, but as time went on, there were fewer and fewer people, until only Eva was left.


    Eva raised her hand to look at the time on her wristwatch.


    Only three minutes remained until the agreed-upon time with Pa.


    Almost half an hour had passed, and there was no sign of her.


    As thest few minutes approached, Eva felt that Pa probably wouldn''te.


    It''s not surprising though. At the hospital, she had already shown signs of not wanting toe, and her mother was a very dominant person. It was normal for her not toe back. Eva put down her chopsticks and took a sip of the soup.


    Or maybe she had given her too short of a half-hour.


    Should she wait for another ten minutes?


    As she pondered, a slender figure entered the breakfast shop, and Eva nced to the side, recognizing the familiar figure.


    Their eyes quickly met across the room.


    "Eva."


    Pa quickly walked up to Eva, holding up her skirt.


    "You''re here."


    Eva felt relieved when she saw her.


    "I was worried that half an hour wouldn''t be enough time for you to make it."


    Upon hearing that, Pa sighed softly and said, "Actually, half an hour is plenty. I just took the wrong path and ended up going in a big circle before finding this ce."


    So that was it. It meant that she had already decided toe, but she got lost and that''s why she was dyed for so long.


    "Are you hungry? Would you like to eat something?" Eva asked.


    Pa originally wanted to decline, but seeing the food in front of Eva, she said, "Then give me a bowl of soup."


    "Alright."


    Afterward, they both sat down and Pa took a sip of the soup with a spoon.


    "Don''t you find it strange that I contacted you? And that I actually came?" Eva asked.


    Upon hearing that, Pa nced at Eva discreetly, then put down her spoon.


    "It is a little strange, but... I knew you wouldn''t harm me."


    Eva smiled at her and said, "Since you said that, should I just be straightforward? If you go back toote, your mother probably won''t agree, right?"


    Talking about her mother, Pa could only smile bitterly.


    "Yes, she''s still waiting for me at the hospital. I told her it wouldn''t take more than half an hour."


    Eva wasn''t surprised by this oue at all.


    "Well, let me get straight to the point then."


    "Alright."


    "Perhaps you will find it abrupt, but believe me, I absolutely did not mean to offend you. That day in the restroom of the restaurant, I saw you and your boyfriend." Originally, she thought that Pa had invited her to talk about her pregnancy.


    She didn''t expect Pa to bring up something rted to the restaurant.


    "When I passed by that day, I identally overheard your conversation. I''m sorry."


    Pa pulled her lips and said, "No problem, we were probably speaking too loudly that day, it''s normal for people passing by to hear."


    Seeing Pa force a smile, Eva continued, "After you left, I encountered your boyfriend again at the entrance, and there was another woman with him. I overheard their conversation, they seemed like a couple." At this point, Pa suddenly stood up in excitement, even knocking over the chair behind her.


    Eva was startled by her action.


    Even the owner of the restaurant looked over at them.


    Realizing that her actions affected others, Pa''s fair face turned red all the way to her neck, and she quickly apologized.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry."


    As she apologized, she picked up the chair and sat back down.


    She didn''t say anything, just stared at the tabletop, the embarrassed blush on her face not disappearing.


    "How is this possible?"


    Eva looked at her, afraid that this news would be too devastating for her, so she carefully spoke, "I know that this might be difficult for you to ept at the moment, but I didn''t lie to you."


    At this point, Eva held Pa''s hand and softly said, "You''ve been together with him for so long, didn''t you notice anything?"


    Though Pa didn''t answer, she unconsciously bit her lower lip, a hint of evasion in her expression.


    Seeing her like this, Eva understood in her heart.


    "You knew before, didn''t you?"


    After all, when two people are together, they would naturally put effort into each other.


    But a person''s thoughts and energy are limited, and once a part of it is given to someone else, how could the person they are with not notice?


    She looked at Pa in front of her and spected in her mind.


    Perhaps Pa had known for a long time, but she just couldn''t bring herself to believe it.


    Sure enough, before Eva could ask again, Pa admitted it herself.


    "I had doubts, but I never sought confirmation."


    Hearing this, Eva''s eyshes trembled slightly, "Is it that you didn''t want to confirm or that you didn''t dare to?"


    She didn''t say anything.


    Eva had no choice but to continue, "Since you know now, why would you continue. You and him..."


    Before she finished her sentence, Pa suddenly raised her head.


    "Eva, what about you?"


    "What?"


    "Why did you get an abortion? Only those who are having an abortion would go to that hospital, right?"

 Chapter 144 Cant You Bear to Give Him Up?

    For a moment, Eva was stumped by Pa''s counter-question and sat there dumbfounded.


    Pa gently sniffed her nose, probably feeling embarrassed because someone knew about her boyfriend, her eyes slightly reddened.


    "Eva, even though I didn''t know you before and I don''t like to gossip, I have heard some rumors recently."


    "You are not the only one around him. Can you even manage your own matters?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva finally understood what Pa meant.


    "So you think that because I can''t handle my own affairs, I don''t have the right to tell you about this, right?"


    That was more or less what Pa originally meant.


    Because she believed Eva hadn''t handled her emotions well, and Adrian had other people around him as well, she hadn''t made any decisions either. Of course, she knew that marriages in prestigious families weren''t always up to one''s own desires.


    So if she couldn''t do anything about her own situation, why should shee and try to control it?


    But when Eva said it out loud, Pa felt that she might have been a bit too harsh.


    After all, she was just afraid that Eva wasn''t aware, so she kindly reminded her.


    Thinking this, Pa could only shake her head.


    "That''s not what I meant, Eva, I''m sorry... I just thought..."


    Couldn''t even exin what she thought, Pa herself.


    Seeing her incoherence, Eva probably understood what she meant.


    "Alright, you don''t have to say it anymore, I didn''t me you."


    Pa bit her lip. "Eva, I''m sorry, did my words hurt you?"


    Looking at the girl in front of her, Eva hesitated on whether or not to tell her about her impending divorce, when her phone suddenly rang.


    Eva nced at it, it was a call from Michael.


    At a time like this...


    "Is it an important call? If so, go ahead and answer it."


    Seeing her pitiful appearance, it seemed that she had to take the call, so Eva nodded.


    "Alright, I''ll answer the call first."


    After saying that, Eva went out to answer the phone, leaving Pa alone to contemte. "Hello?"


    Eva had already picked up Michael''s call outside.


    "Eve."


    Even through the phone, Michael''s voice was warm and soothing, like a gentle flowing stream. His voice was pleasant to listen to, whether in person or on the phone.


    Eva had always known this, but even so, when she heard him call her "Eve," she still felt strange and couldn''t fully ept it.


    After all, throughout her life, only two people had called her that.


    Her father and Adrian.


    Adrian always knew her nickname, but he didn''t call her that often, only in certain moments.


    "How have you beentely?" Michael''s voice carried a light smile. "After going back, you weren''t discovered, right?"


    He was asking about her pregnancy.


    And so, Eva''s thoughts were quickly interrupted and returned to this matter.


    "No, I wasn''t."


    "That''s good. If there''s anything you need help with, don''t hesitate to let me know."


    "There''s really nothing to help with..."


    After all, what could a guy like him do to help with this kind of thing?


    "Alright." Michael didn''t say anything else and quickly changed the topic.


    "Didn''t I mentionst time that I can help you? How about we meet and talk?" Meet at this time?


    Eva thought for a moment and shook her head.


    "Today is not convenient."


    "It''s okay, you decide on the time, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow is fine."


    Eva thought for a moment and then said, "Let''s meet in two days."


    She was indeed caught in a dilemma.


    "Okay." Michael quickly agreed.


    After hanging up the phone, Eva returned to the store.


    Pa seemed to have made up her mind. When she saw Evaing in, she didn''t avoid her anymore. Instead, she looked into her eyes and said, "Eva, regarding what you said, I want to think about it myself." Upon hearing this, Eva''s steps slightly paused, and after a moment, she asked, "Are you unwilling to give him up?"


    Pa smiled bitterly.


    "Are you willing to give up Mr. ckwood? I think you can understand my feelings the most now. We are in a simr situation."


    She was referring to both of them being pregnant and the men having another woman by their side.


    Upon hearing this, Eva smiled and said softly, "Do you think our situations are the same?"


    "Isn''t it?"


    "That''s true, on the surface, the situations seem simr. But have you ever thought about our age difference?"


    Upon hearing this, Pa fell into a momentary daze, and then anxiously bit her lower lip. "Eva."


    Looking at Pa at this moment, Eva sighed lightly.


    "You still have a bright future ahead of you. Don''t be lost in certain things. I''ve said everything I can for today, and it''s gettingte. You should go back first, otherwise your mother will be worried." Pa could only nod, and then she got up to leave.


    When Pa reached the door of the store, she suddenly thought of something and turned her head to look at Eva. After a brief silence, she quickly walked up to her and asked in a low voice, "Eva, I have a few questions I want to ask you." Eva replied, "Go ahead."


    "Will you give birth to the child?"


    Looking at the sincere face in front of her, Eva gently pressed her red lips together.


    After a moment, she nodded gently.


    "Yes."


    Upon hearing this, the young girl seemed surprised that Eva actually answered her. She took a deep breath and asked the question she had always wanted to ask. "Then... will you divorce Mr. ckwood? Or..."


    Although the situation had not yet urred, it was not something that should be discussed. But looking at the young girl in front of her, Eva decided to trust her once. After all, she came to find her.


    With this in mind, Eva nodded.


    "Yes."


    Her two answers were both more determined than the previous one.


    "I will give birth to the child and raise it on my own." Eva''s voice was gentle, and her gaze fell on the surprised face of the young girl upon hearing her decision. "This is just my personal decision, we are different, you don''t have to follow my path." Originally, Pa thought that Eva had not left Adrian until now because she didn''t have such intentions at all.


    But through these two questions, Pa saw from Eva''s determination that she must have nned this for a long time.


    Well, it wasn''t something I just started thinking about these past few days. She had already made up her mind, but I stupidly thought she couldn''t let go like me.


    Realizing this, Pa suddenly became aware of how ridiculous she had been before.


    She lowered her eyelids and said softly, "Thank you, I know what to do now."


    Eva nodded.


    "Okay."


    This time, the little girl turned around without hesitation and quickly left.


    Eva thought, perhaps her decision had influenced her.


    But regardless, she still hoped that Pa wouldn''t be blinded by emotions and could find relief and move on.

 Chapter 145 He Will Lose Control Too

    After separating from Pa, Eva went to the hospital to apany her grandmother.


    During that time, Margaret asked her if everything had been taken care of. Eva originally wanted to say yes, but considering the medical examination, she said that she still had some loose ends to tie up. Hearing her words, Margaret understood and didn''t push her to get the examination done.


    That day, Eva spent a long time at the hospital with Granny ckwood. Seeing her recovering well and even looking a bit healthier, Eva felt happy for Granny ckwood. However, when Eva returned home from the hospital that night, she heard that Adrian would be staying at thepany to work overtime and wouldn''t being home. When the butler conveyed this message to Eva and Margaret, Margaret immediately frowned.


    "Is thepany really so busy? He''s been at the office all day and now he''s working overtime at night?"


    The butler looked embarrassed, facing the questioning of the ckwood family''s mistress, he could only awkwardly nod.


    "Don''t be angry, madam. Thepany has indeed been quite busytely, otherwise it wouldn''t be like this."


    However, Margaret still felt ufortable.


    On the other hand, Eva, who heard the news, didn''t think there was a problem.


    Since she couldn''t find him in the morning and he said he had a meeting, even without calling her, Eva guessed that he would probably avoid her in the evening as well. She just didn''t expect that he wouldn''t evene home in order to avoid her.


    Thinking this, Eva chuckled lightly in her heart.


    He can choose not toe home, but can he not go to the hospital?


    Her grandmother was still recuperating in the hospital. Can he not go for a day or even longer?


    Eva decided not to rush anymore.


    Because now, there must be someone more anxious than her.


    Bang!


    A valuable vase was smashed onto the clean tiled floor, and shards scattered everywhere.


    However, the person throwing the vase didn''t seem to find this satisfying.


    In addition to the vase, she also took some valuable ornaments and threw them on the ground.


    The servants trembled outside the door and didn''t dare to stop her.


    It wasn''t until Vivian''s mother arrived and the servants reported, that Vivian stopped throwing things, but her mood was still not good as she turned andy on her own bed.


    "


    "Mom, I''m not in a good mood and don''t feel like talking. Please leave."


    Mrs. Morrison nced at the messy room and walked over to Vivian, whispering, "Quickly get someone to clean up here. Vivian, rest in my room tonight, and I''ll keep youpany and chat with you, okay?" Vivian originally wanted to refuse, but for some reason, she quickly agreed.


    Once shey down with Vivian''s mother, she began to pour out her feelings.


    "We agreed that Adrian would divorce Eva as soon as Granny ckwood finished her surgery. How long has it been since Granny ckwood''s surgery? They''re still not divorced."


    If they didn''t get divorced, that would be one thing, but what made her most angry was that she called Adrian and he imed to be busy, then hung up the phone on her. Vivian felt that in all the years she had known him, she had suffered the most recently.


    "Mom, before I went abroad, things weren''t like this. Adrian never treated me this way before. But now, I don''t know what''s happened. I''m scared. Will he not want me anymore?"


    Vivian''s mother also expressed some concern after hearing this. After all, the Morrison family owed their sess to the ckwood family.


    If Margaret ultimately didn''t want her Vivian, what would happen then?


    Thinking of this, Vivian''s mother spoke softly, "He didn''t want to see you today because he''s busy with work? Have you visited hispany?"


    "No," Vivian felt frustrated. Where would she find the time to visit hispany?


    "Look, you haven''t even verified it yet, but you''re already giving him a death sentence. Granny ckwood has recently undergone surgery, and after surgery, she definitely needs time to rest and recover. Adrian must be busy taking care of his grandmother during this time, so he doesn''t have time to handlepany affairs. Now that he''s free, he''ll handle thepany''s affairs. Isn''t that a normal thing?"


    "But... he didn''t handlepany affairs like this in the past."


    "That was in the past. After all... he has spent all these years with Eva." Vivian''s mother also realized a sense of crisis as she said this. "I disagreed when you wanted to go abroad. You should hold onto such an excellent man. What if someone else snatches him away halfway?"


    "That won''t happen," Vivian replied with frustration. "I saved his life."


    "Silly child, even if you saved his life, what does that matter? Men are supposed to be held in your own hands. Someone like him, if you lose him, you may never find a second one like him." "So what you''re saying is that saving his life isn''t enough? But it''s clear..."


    "Saving his life can make him incredibly grateful to you, but how long will that gratitudest? If you want him to never forget you, then find a way to hold onto him."


    "Hold onto him?"


    "That''s right."


    "Vivian''s mother gave advice to her daughter: ''How far have you and him developed?''


    Vivian remained silent.


    Seeing her like this, Vivian''s mother thought she was shy and unable to speak, so she asked, ''What''s there to be embarrassed about with me? Have you gone further with him?'' Hearing this, Vivian''s expression turned gloomy.


    It would have been better if they hadn''t brought up this topic, but now Vivian felt extremely defeated.


    "Mom, don''t mention it. Right now, he and I have only reached the stage of embracing."


    Hearing this, Vivian''s mother was shocked.


    "Just embracing?? You haven''t even kissed yet?"


    Vivian didn''t want to speak, she closed her eyes, looking hopeless.


    "No, Vivian... You''ve known each other for so long, and you often go to see him. How is it possible that you haven''t even slept together? Is Adrian a normal man?"


    Upon hearing this, Vivian became even angrier.


    Of course, Adrian is a normal man.


    After all, Eva is pregnant.


    But besides being a normal man, Adrian is also extremely restrained. He would never sleep around just because of his power and status, which is also one of the reasons why he is popr with women. But because of his calm restraint, women also feel frustrated because they have no chance to get close to him.


    Except for Eva, who grew up with him since childhood, and Vivian, who saved his life.


    He has always maintained his decency and would never take a step beyond boundaries.


    Vivian acts poised and gentle in front of him, and Adrian doesn''t make a move unless she does. She absolutely cannot lower herself, otherwise, she doesn''t know how Adrian would see her.


    As they interacted like this, Vivian didn''t think there was anything wrong. She even felt delighted because she believed Adrian respected her.


    Until she heard the news of Eva''s pregnancy.


    It felt as if someone had struck Vivian''s head hard.


    So he''s not always calm and restrained. He also has moments of losing control...


    He can also do things with other women besides embracing...

 Chapter 146 You Said You Didnt Hide It from Me

    "Vivian, this won''t do."


    Initially, Vivian''s mother thought her daughter and Adrian would have a future together. As long as Adrian divorced Eva, all she had to do was wait for her daughter to be the rightful Mrs. ckwood. Who would have expected that these two haven''t done anything?


    If Adrian truly liked her, after so many years of being together, how could he not even touch her?


    "Mom, I know it won''t do, but I can''t take the initiative, otherwise how will Adrian see me in the future?"


    Upon hearing this, Vivian''s mother immediately gave advice to her daughter.


    "Who said you should take the initiative? You can seduce him and let him take the initiative. Vivian, not to criticize you, but why didn''t you say this earlier? Could it be that he only has a sexual impulse towards you?" "Is it impulsive?"


    Vivian recalled the details of their rtionship.


    Surprisingly, she didn''t feel anything.


    The only thing she could feel was Adrian''s respect and gratitude towards her.


    The more she thought about it, the more Vivian felt in danger.


    "Vivian, you can''t continue like this, you need to take some action," Vivian''s mother suggested.


    Vivian didn''t say anything, but in her heart, shepletely agreed with Vivian''s mother.


    She also knew that she couldn''t go on like this. She used to act noble, but what happened? She ended up falling into Eva''s trap and getting pregnant with his child.


    She couldn''t just sit and wait for her doom, she had to find a way to get pregnant with Adrian''s child!


    "Mom, don''t worry, Adrian is mine, I won''t let anyone take him away."


    Adrian came home around one or two in the morning.


    Aftering home, everyone went to sleep.


    He quietly returned to his room and looked at the sleeping figure in the bedroom. His eyes darkened even more.


    He had been avoiding her all day today, who knows if she''lle to thepany to find him tomorrow.


    If she really wants a divorce, there''s a high chance he''ll see her at thepany tomorrow.


    Adrian stood by the bed and stared at the sleeping Eva for a long time. Finally, he bent down and gently kissed her smooth forehead.


    He didn''t expect to kiss her like this.


    He just couldn''t help himself as he looked at her.


    Then, he couldn''t control his body and kissed her like that.


    It was a light kiss on the forehead, but as he got closer, Adrian caught a whiff of her faint body fragrance, the fragrance that she always had.


    Suddenly, Adrian didn''t want to leave.


    His hands uncontrobly supported himself on both sides of Eva, and he looked down at her, his gaze sliding from her long, curled eyshes, to her delicate and petite nose, and finally...to her slightly parted and rosy lips because she was asleep.


    Eva''s lips were beautiful, with tiny and cute beads of lips, and his favorite part of their kisses was that little spot.


    Every time, he loved that spot so much, constantly pressing and rubbing against it.


    Thinking of this, Adrian''s eyes darkened even more, and he slowly lowered his trembling lips,nding them softly on her pink lips.


    In that moment when their lips touched, Adrian felt like the suffocation he had been feeling recently disappeared. Some empty ce seemed to be filled with other emotions.


    He knew that he came back in the middle of the night to avoid her. He was afraid that she would mention the word "divorce" as soon as she saw him.


    He shouldn''t have continued kissing her, or else it would wake her up...


    But once his lips touched hers, Adrian seemed to lose control of himself.


    He opened his lips and took in her rosy lips...


    His phone in his pocket vibrated, and Adrian snapped out of it, stepping back.


    In her dream, Eva''s eyebrows lightly furrowed.


    "Adrian woke up with a look of awakening. Before she woke up, Adrian quickly left the bedroom.


    He nced at his phone, which was a junk message, and instantly annoyed, he locked the screen of his phone and threw it onto the table beside him.


    The taste of Eva still lingered on his lips. Adrian leaned back on the couch and lowered his eyelids.


    After a while, he touched his lips with his hand.


    It seemed like he had been enchanted.


    Maybe John was right. Adrian''s eyes sank with contemtion.


    The next day, after Eva woke up, she heard that Adrian hade backte at night.


    But when she asked, she found out he had gone to thepany early in the morning, which made herugh inwardly.


    Was he hiding from her like this? Was it necessary?


    Coming back sote at night was already one thing, but leaving early in the morning too? Did he want to get a divorce or not?


    After breakfast, Eva said to Margaret, ''Mom, you go to the hospital by yourself today, I want to go to thepany.''


    Margaret immediately nodded in agreement. ''Go, go quickly. If you don''t go, Adrian will be furious. He stays at thepany all day, not even going to the hospital. He really has no patience.'' After that, Eva directly took the car from home and went to thepany.


    As if knowing she woulde, as soon as she arrived at thepany, Brent directly said to her, ''Ms. Hansen, are you looking for Mr. ckwood?''


    ''Hmm, where is he?'' ''Unfortunately, Mr. ckwood just went out.''


    Hearing this, Eva frowned.


    She might have guessed that Adrian would try to avoid her in this way, but she didn''t expect... that he actually did it.


    Seeing Eva frown, Brent curiously asked, ''Ms. Hansen, is there anything I can help you with?''


    Hearing this, Eva regained herposure and smiled at Brent before saying, ''No, I will call him myself.''


    Originally, Eva wanted to go to her own office, but after thinking about it, she said, ''Since he''s not in his office, can I just wait in his office?''


    Brent immediately nodded eagerly. ''Of course, Ms. Hansen is our CEO''s wife. If Ms. Hansen can''t do it, then who can?''


    Seeing his ttering appearance, Eva couldn''t help but suppress a smile. ''Alright, I''ll go there first.''


    After that, Eva went straight to Adrian''s office.


    There was no one in the office, so Eva sat directly on the couch and started calling Adrian.


    After dialing the number, no one answered.


    After the first call was cut off, Eva didn''t give up and patiently dialed the second one.


    Still, no one answered. When she emotionally dialed the third one, Adrian finally picked up the call.


    There was some background noise, and Adrian''s voice was clear and cold.


    ''What''s wrong?'' What''s wrong? Eva couldn''t help butugh at this question.


    ''What do you mean what''s wrong? Adrian, are you avoiding me?""


    She asked directly.


    Adrian stood in front of the French windows, with almost the entire city in his sight. However, at this moment, he had no leisure to look at the hustle and bustle of the city. His thoughts werepletely driven by Eva. His lips were pursed straight.


    "Who is avoiding you?"


    Eva chuckled in anger, "You''re not avoiding me? Thene out and meet me."


    "I''m busy."


    "What are you busy with?"


    "A coboration."


    "Okay, then tell me how long you''ll be busy."


    "Not sure."


    "Adrian, you said you''re not avoiding me!"

 Chapter 147 I Really Dont Want a Divorce

    Adrian pursed his lips and did not speak again.


    Even if he was avoiding her, so what?


    "What do you really want? Didn''t we agree on getting a divorce after Grandma''s surgery? After Grandma''s surgery, you said we''ll wait for her recovery. Now that Grandma has almost recovered, you still don''t want to divorce me." She really didn''t understand what he was thinking.


    If before, he had thought there was something between him and Carter, Michael, and his male pride was hurt.


    It was fine to get angry, but what about now?


    Her questioning words fell on Adrian''s ears like countless des, cutting his skin and causing it to bleed.


    The hostility in his eyes burst out, his voice grew colder, and he began to speak without choosing his words.


    "How long has it been since Grandma''s surgery? Are you in such a hurry? Didn''t you say before that you treated her as your own grandmother? Is this how you treat her? You don''t even worry about her finding out about the divorce news, which might trigger a rpse of old injuries? Eva, do you have any conscience?"


    If it was before, Eva might have been intimidated by his words, but not now. It was impossible.


    She smiled mockingly.


    "Yes, I have no conscience. You don''t want a divorce, yet you use Grandma as an excuse. Do you have a conscience?"


    Her own thoughts were stung, and Adrian suddenly stopped. Then he subconsciously retorted.


    "Who said I don''t want a divorce?"


    "If you want a divorce, thene over here. The marriage certificate is in my hands. Let''s get divorced now!"


    "Eva, do you think I won''t do anything to you?"


    "I''m in your office,e and get me. What can you do to me?"


    After speaking, Eva sneered, "If you don''te today, I''ll tell your parents about this!"


    The way she referred to his parents made Adrian narrow his eyes in displeasure. Although he was angry, he deliberately corrected her.


    "Pay attention, they are still your parents."


    Upon hearing this, Eva was momentarily stunned, but quickly agreed in her heart.


    That''s true. She and Adrian were still not divorced, and Kim and Margaret were still her parents.


    "Okay, if you don''te today, I''ll tell them about this in the evening."


    Adrian stopped speaking on the other end, probably lost in thought.


    After a long period of silence, Eva heard Adrianugh lightly.


    "I suddenly feel that what you said earlier is right."


    "What?" Eva felt a thump in her chest.


    "I really don''t want a divorce," Adrian tugged at his tie, his eyes coldly staring at the city. After admitting it, his restless heart unexpectedly calmed down. As if breaking through the clouds and seeing the moon.


    The corners of Adrian''s lips curled up, "Go ahead and tell our parents. I won''t agree to a divorce."


    Eva thought Adrian must have gone mad.


    Or maybe she was the one who had gone mad. Otherwise, how could she hear him say that he didn''t want a divorce?


    After a long while, she finally reacted.


    "What did you say? You don''t want a divorce? But that''s what you said before!"


    "So what? I''ve changed my mind."


    "... Why have you changed your mind?"


    He clearly didn''t like her.


    "It''s nothing. I have something to attend to, I''ll talk to youter."


    Eva sat on the sofa, holding her phone, lost in thought about their conversation just now.


    After a moment, she reached out and pinched her own cheek.


    Ouch...


    So those moments ago weren''t just a dream.


    Adrian really said he didn''t want to divorce her.


    Does he even know what nonsense he''s saying?


    If he doesn''t divorce her, how can he marry Vivian?


    He always said that the ce beside him was meant for Vivian, right?


    Eva sat in his office, staring nkly at her phone, until she heard chaotic footsteps and a voice trying to prevent someone from entering the room.


    "Miss Morrison, I told you Mr. ckwood is not in the office. Even if you go to his office to find him, he won''t be there. There''s simply no one in the office." "Brent, I know you don''t like me, but I can still consider Adrian my friend. It''s not right for you to lie to me and say he''s not here, right?"


    "Why would I lie to you? There''s no benefit in lying. Mr. ckwood really went out."


    "If he''s gone, why don''t you let me take a look? If I don''t see him, I''ll leave immediately."


    In the midst of their argument, they had reached the door of the office. Brent didn''t want Vivian to go upstairs, but if she insisted, he wouldn''t dare to stop her. After all, he was well aware that Vivian held a certain position with Adrian.


    So he could only try to prevent her, but he didn''t expect her to stille up.


    As Vivian approached the door, her eyes widened.


    "Isn''t this door open? Brent, you lied to me!"


    After speaking, Vivian pushed the door open and rushed into the office.


    "Adrian!"


    However, when she entered the office, the person she saw was not Adrian, but Eva sitting on the sofa in a white coat.


    "Why are you here?"


    Vivian was taken aback by her presence.


    After realizing what was going on, she instinctively raised her hand to cover the bandage on her forehead. But then she realized that there was nothing to hide. This is the two met for the first time after Vivian''s injury.


    "Ms. Hansen, Miss Morrison said she was looking for Mr. ckwood, and I told her Mr. ckwood wasn''t here, but she didn''t believe me..."


    "Hmm." Eva nodded at Brent, "I got it."


    Then Eva looked at Vivian and said, "Look around, Adrian is definitely not here today."


    Vivian felt annoyed seeing Eva acting like the hostess.


    If she hadn''t gone abroad in the first ce, would their positions be reversed now?


    With this thought in mind, Vivian smirked lightly.


    "He''s not here, but I came to find you for the same reason, I have something to say to you."


    Since thest time she med herself for her own fall, Eva felt that there was nothing to talk about with her.


    However, Vivian quickly turned to Brent and said, "I want to talk to Eva for a while, is that alright?"


    Brent could only look at Eva, and seeing that she didn''t have any special reaction, he nodded and left.


    After Brent left, Vivian closed the office door with her hand.


    Eva silently watched her actions, silently pursing her lips.


    "Eva, it''s been a long time." Vivian smiled kindly at her, "I haven''t seen you since I got injured. Actually, I felt a little sad because you didn''te to see me." Upon hearing this, Eva asked expressionlessly, "It''s just the two of us here, do you still need to put on a show?"


    Vivian''s smile gradually faded at the corner of her lips, reced by coldness and indifference. She looked at Eva in front of her, her voice and tone sharp. "When exactly did you divorce Adrian?"

 Chapter 148 Neither an Enemy nor a Friend

    "If I remember correctly, it was agreed that you would divorce after Granny ckwood''s surgery, right?" Vivian looked at Eva contemptuously, as if she was looking at some unsightly character, her tone filled with mockery. "But it''s been so long since Granny ckwood''s surgery, why haven''t you divorced yet? Eva, could it be that you''re aiming for Mrs. ckwood''s position and want to vite our agreement by not wanting a divorce?"


    Unable to find Adrian, Vivian came here to taunt herself.


    If it weren''t for Vivian helping her in the past, Eva would probably have already snapped.


    She rolled her eyes in her mind and casually said, "Speaking of this, I also want to ask Miss Morrison, when should I let Adrian divorce me?"


    Upon hearing this, Vivian''s expression changed.


    "What did you say? Let Adrian divorce you?"


    "Otherwise?" Eva raised an eyebrow, "I came to find him for this matter, but he avoids me. Miss Morrison, you and Adrian have a good rtionship, can you help me persuade him?"


    Speaking of this, Eva paused for a moment and then continued, "But we are not friends, are we?"


    Vivian agreed with this point. She had never considered Eva as a friend, not even for a second. Although she knew that Eva was Adrian''s friend, she couldn''t see Eva as a real friend. Adrian''s friendship with Eva was a thorny issue that she was very concerned about.


    Seeing her silence, Eva smiled and said, "It seems that Miss Morrison thinks the same way."


    Vivian did not deny it anymore and simply sat down opposite her, carrying her bag.


    "Tell me, what is going on between you two? Why haven''t you divorced yet?" "Can''t get divorced if you can''t find the person."


    Vivian furrowed her brows at Eva''s answer. Can''t find the person? Does that mean Adrian doesn''t want to get divorced? How else can Eva''s presence in the office waiting for him be exined when Adrian didn''t show up?


    But Vivian couldn''t admit in front of Eva that Adrian was the one who didn''t want to get divorced. It would be embarrassing for her. So she forced a smile and said, "It seems that Adrian has been busy with worktely. Just wait a little longer, I will contact him."


    Eva looked at Vivian in front of her and could infer something from her earlier behavior of forcing her way into the office. It seemed that she couldn''t contact Adrian either, otherwise she wouldn''t have hurriedlye to thepany and insisted on seeing Adrian.


    She lowered her gaze and pursed her lips. Could it be that she misunderstood Adrian? Was he really busytely?


    But what about the statement he admitted today, that he didn''t want to get divorced?


    Forget it, it''s impossible to figure it out.


    Eva stood up directly, "Alright, then please contact him. I''ll leave first."


    After speaking, Eva left the office directly.


    After Vivian watched her leave, she became angry and threw her bag onto the sofa.


    "Damn woman!" she muttered under her breath, her expression full of resentment.


    She had decided toe and find Adrian after listening to her mother''s advice. He said he was busy, so she came to thepany to see if he was really busy. If not, she nned to cry and throw herself into his arms. Before, Vivian nned to maintain herposure, afraid that being too active would make Adrian think she was not dignified enough, that she was a promiscuous woman.


    But if the result of not taking the initiative was losing him, she would definitely not allow herself to lose him like that.


    Even if, in the end, Adrian thought she was promiscuous or whatever, as long as she could have him.


    Adrian could only be hers, without a doubt!


    Vivian, full of anger, and Eva, who had already left thepany, had no idea that their conversation and actions in the office had been recorded by the surveince cameras.

 Chapter 149 Afraid of Owing Me?

    Leaving the ckwood family, Eva received a call from Michael the moment she went downstairs. "Why did youe to thepany today?" Upon hearing this sentence, Eva was taken aback, "How did you know..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, Eva suddenly thought of something and looked in the direction of the previous parking spot.


    Sure enough, she actually saw a familiar car parked there.


    "Why did youe here?"


    "It''s quite a coincidence." Michael chuckled on the other end of the phone, "I came to wrap up thest conversation we had about cooperation." When it came to thest conversation, Eva had no doubts.


    Even if Michael didn''t mention it, she wouldn''t have suspected anything. After all, she hadn''t been to thepany these days, and Michael couldn''t possibly be waiting for her here. He couldn''t possiblye every day, right?


    Since they had met, Eva was ready to go over.


    Unexpectedly, just as she took a step, she heard Michael say, "Don''t move, I''ll have the driver move the car."


    "No need, it''s just a few steps. I can walk over."


    Unexpectedly, at this moment, Michael said, "Don''t you want a divorce?"


    Hearing this, Eva paused her steps, "What does that have to do with anything?"


    "Of course it does."


    Eva couldn''t figure out what Michael was up to. He came in a car while she was walking, and it had something to do with her divorce?


    As she contemted, the car had already started and wasing toward her.


    Eva could only walk to the side and wait for the car toe over.


    While waiting for the car, Eva could still see familiar faces at thepany gate. They would even exchange nces with her and greet her by calling her Ms. Hansen when they were closer.


    It was because of these things that Eva suddenly realized why Michael said that the caring to her had something to do with her thoughts of divorce.


    When the car stopped in front of her, she stood still.


    Sure enough, the car window didn''t roll down as she imagined, but Michael personally opened the door to pick her up.


    "Get in the car." He smiled and said, "If we didn''t meet by chance, how about having lunch together?"


    Since her secret had been discovered by Michael, Eva''s rtionship with him seemed to have inexplicably be closer.


    Sure enough, many people stopped in their tracks and looked inquisitively at them.


    Eva could even feel their enthusiastic gazes, and she could imagine what thepany group chat would be like after she got in this car.


    Reason told her that she shouldn''t get in the car and should maintain her dignity.


    But when she thought about how Adrian could bring Vivian to thepany, and how everyone was gossiping about their rtionship, it was simply causing a stir. The person who was teased the most was her.


    After thinking about it, Eva no longer hesitated and nodded to get into the car.


    "Thank you."


    After Michael gentlemanly closed the car door for her, he also sat down.


    After getting in the car, he pursed his lips and said, "I thought you wouldn''t get in."


    Eva calmly said, "Why not get in when there''s a free ride and lunch?"


    "Are you not nning to treat me this afternoon?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva nced at him.


    "I won''t treat you. In the end, you''ll still end up paying, so why should I bother treating you?"


    "Okay, what do you want to eat?"


    Normally, Eva would say anything, but now that he already knew her secret, it would be too petty if she didn''t satisfy herself in terms of food, right?


    Thinking about this, she immediately mentioned a few things she loved to eat.


    After listening to her description, Michael couldn''t help but chuckle and say, "You really have no manners."


    "Yes, I have a big appetite now. It''s not toote for you to regret it."


    Michael thought for a moment and said, "I can afford it."


    Actually, he wanted to say that he could afford to keep her, but saying that at this moment probably wouldn''t be appropriate and might scare her away, right? He still needed to take things slowly.


    On the way to the restaurant, Michael asked about her and Adrian''s situation.


    Upon learning that Adrian was avoiding her and unwilling to divorce, Michael''s eyes behind his sses showed a hint of surprise, which soon returned to normal, and he smirked. Adrian''s actions were quite unexpected.


    He nced at Eva sitting beside him and asked softly, "So, what do you think now?"


    "What?"


    "If he insists on not divorcing, will you still continue to be Mrs. ckwood?"


    Continue to be Mrs. ckwood?


    Of course not.


    Eva answered in her mind. She wasn''t that desperate. No matter what Adrian''s current thoughts were on not wanting to divorce her, as long as Vivian was his savior, he would never cut off contact with Vivian. How could a rtionship amodate three people?


    Moreover, he had already decided to divorce her, which meant she was never his first choice.


    However, she didn''t say these things in front of Michael. She just smiled lightly at him and didn''t respond.


    Michael was a very tactful person.


    He cared about you, but not to the extent of being overly concerned. He would only ask once, and if you didn''t need it, he wouldn''t ask again.


    However, Michael suddenly thought of something interesting and turned to Eva, saying, "Guess how long it will take for Adrian to find out about me picking you up from thepany?"


    Eva paused. Even if Adrian was avoiding her now, what difference did it make if he found out?


    "Why don''t we make a bet?" Michael suggested. "Bet on whether Adrian wille find you immediately after he finds out that you got in my car."


    Eva stood still in astonishment.


    After a while, she said, "Michael, you can be so childish sometimes?"


    Michaelughed. "Don''t you want to know? Last time, he seemed to mind you being with me."


    Upon hearing this, Eva thought to herself: Just the result of boring male pride.


    But in the end, Eva still asked, "What do you want to bet with me?"


    "Tsk, seems like I can''t deceive you at all."


    "You''re betting on whether he wille to find you."


    "What will you do after he finds you?"


    "If Adrianes, let me help you."


    "What?"


    "Your divorce issue."


    Upon hearing this, Eva remained silent.


    Last time Michael had mentioned whether he should help her or not, and she hadn''t agreed. After all, she felt that this was her own business and involving someone else for no reason would only create another favor to be repaid. She already owed enough favors to others.


    Seeing her silence, Michael smiled faintly and said, "Why aren''t you speaking? Are you afraid of owing me?"


    After hearing his words, Eva snapped back to reality and nodded gently.


    Michael flicked her forehead and then said helplessly, "It''s just a bet. If you lose, you agree to my terms. How does that make you owe me a favor? And when did I make you owe me one?"


    "I..." Eva started to say something, but his action caused her to furrow her eyebrows slightly. But considering that he had also grown up with them, she decided not to say anything. "A bet, right? I guess he should arrive at the restaurant not long after we do."

 Chapter 150 She Doesnt Want to Follow You Anymore

    "That''s impossible."


    If he knew and wanted toe, there might still be a possibility, but Eva felt that the probability of him hurrying over was very low.


    "It seems that we have different perspectives. Let''s make this clear, if hees, I will help you."


    Since the conversation had reached this point, Eva couldn''t say anything else and could only ask, "How will you help me?"


    Michael just smiled but didn''t say anything.


    Eva thought, "What''s with the mystery?"


    The restaurant they had agreed to meet at was quite far away, and it took nearly half an hour to get there. When they got out of the car, Michael still opened the door for her. Eva said, "You don''t have to, I can do it myself."


    "If you''re going to act, you have to do it properly."


    Eva could only follow him out of the car and then entered the restaurant together.


    Beforeing, Michael had already instructed his assistant to make a reservation in advance. The table was on the second floor, a separate and transparent spot by the window. From going upstairs to sitting down and ordering, it took about eight minutes.


    Eva''s mind was preupied with Michael''s words, so she had been absent-minded the whole time.


    She wanted to turn around countless times to see if Adrian would reallye, as Michael had said, but each time she thought about turning around, she restrained herself. She couldn''t turn around.


    Once she turned around and Adrian saw her, he might think she was waiting for him.


    Her goal was originally to get a divorce, something she had decided early in the morning. Some things couldn''t be built without breaking, so there was nothing to be entangled in. "Are you nervous?" Michael suddenly asked.


    Eva snapped back to reality and realized what Michael was asking. She instinctively retorted, "No."


    "You don''t even know what I''m asking, and you said no?"


    Eva was speechless.


    Suddenly, Michael, who was sitting across from her, looked behind her not far away and then smiled, his lips curling up. "You''re going to lose." Eva''s heart skipped a beat.


    "I will fulfill our agreement," she said.


    Immediately after, she saw Michael stand up and walk towards her.


    Before Eva could react, Michael suddenly leaned down and embraced her.


    The crisp scent of tobo surrounded her in an instant.


    As Eva realized what Michael had done, her body stiffened and she instinctively tried to push him away.


    "Don''t move," Michael''s deep voice whispered in her ear. "Adrian is outside right now."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s body became even more rigid.


    And Michael''s words continued to ring in her ear, "You wanted to get rid of her, right? Now is the best chance."


    As he spoke, Michael tightened his grip on her, bringing them closer together. Eva instinctively raised her hand to shield her chest, clearly resisting.


    But Michael didn''t seem to be affected by it.


    Or perhaps, as he had said, he was only helping her without any other intentions.


    "Adrian is a person with a strong sense of self-esteem. As long as you tell him that you are interested in me and want to be with me, he won''t force you," Michael said. Eva fell silent.


    She had known Adrian for so many years and knew that Michael was telling the truth.


    It was also the fastest way to resolve the current situation.


    If she wanted a divorce, there didn''t seem to be a reason to refuse.


    Not refusing meant enduring and entangling herself with him and Vivian.


    Just the thought of having Vivian in the middle, even if they didn''t divorce now, made Eva feel disgusted.


    Vivian was his savior, always having filters and privileges with him.


    What did she have?


    Well, it would be fine like this.


    Using Michael''s method seemed good enough.


    With this in mind, Eva stopped resisting and becamepletely submissive, as if epting her fate.


    Michael also sensed her submission.


    No, it was more urate to say she was like a piece of driftwood that had been floating in the sea for a long time, battered by wind and rain. At this moment, she didn''t want to resist anymore; she just wanted to go with the flow. Watching her like this, Michael felt both helpless and heartbroken.


    Even though she was just a piece of driftwood, she still needed someone to carefully salvage and protect her.


    Unconsciously, Michael held her hand, tightening his grip with care.


    Then, he looked up and directly at Adrian, whose face turned pale as he walked through the tables and chairs, a victorious smile on Michael''s face.


    After knowing each other for so many years, this was the first time Michael had shown such an expression and smile towards Adrian.


    Bang!


    Adrian strode over, his fist like iron, hitting Michael''s jaw and pulling Eva behind him.


    But one punch was not enough to quell the anger in his heart.


    After pulling Eva behind him, he once again grabbed Michael by the cor and delivered another punch, his forehead veins bulging, his eyes red and furious.


    Michael''s lips were oozing blood, and even his sses were knocked off, revealing his narrow and cold eyes. At this moment, his eyes, filled with indifference and anger, met Adrian''s furious ck eyes.


    He really is easily angered, isn''t he?


    Last time at the hospital, he managed to control himself, so why can''t he control himself this time?


    "Why?"


    Adrian''s voice had a hint of gritted teeth, with a raging fire hidden in his eyes.


    But in Michael''s eyes, he could faintly see a hint of amusement, even a trace of mockery.


    "Don''t you already know my intentions towards her?"


    "But I didn''t know you could be so shameless."


    Michaelughed, his smile still stained with blood.


    "What''s wrong with being shameless? As long as I can have her."


    With those words, Adrian became furious and raised his fist towards him once again.


    "Stop!"


    Eva finally reacted and grabbed Adrian''s hand, trying to pull him up.


    Although she exerted force, the difference in strength between men and women was still significant, and Eva couldn''t budge Adrian at all.


    She nced at Michael, with bloodstains on his lips, and a touch of worry shed in her eyes.


    "Adrian, get up."


    Because she wanted a divorce, Michael had helped her, and even used the name of a bet to ensure she didn''t feel guilty.


    But now, she had actually caused Michael to be beaten for her sake.


    She felt even more indebted to him.


    Adrian looked at her, his gaze cold and indifferent.


    "Let go."


    Upon hearing this, Eva instinctively became nervous and shook her head.


    "No, you get up first."


    After saying that, Eva instinctively tightened her grip on Adrian''s hand, afraid that if she let go, his fist would once againnd on Michael''s face. Michael had already taken two hits for her, and if he were to receive another...


    Heaven, how sorry would she feel towards him?


    Adrian stared at her, his eyes pitch ck and intimidating. "I''ll say it again, let go."


    Eva shook her head. "No."


    Adrian, perhaps being provoked by her, kept staring at her, and suddenly stood up, holding onto her hand and pulling her outside.


    His grip was strong, causing Eva to stumble as she followed him. Just as he was about to pull her out, a light voice came from behind. "Adrian, let Eve go."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian paused in his steps, ncing at him with a clear and cold look.


    Michael stood up, wiping the bloodstains from the corner of his lips, and calmly said, "She doesn''t want to go with you."

 Chapter 151 Dont Touch Me

    Adrian squinted dangerously.


    "Since when is it your ce to decide whether she wants to follow me or not?" he said.


    "Yeah," Michael chuckled, not getting angry either, but turned his gaze to Eva. "Then let Eve personally tell you how she feels." Eve was Eva''s nickname.


    Adrian stared at her with sharp eyes.


    Could it be that Michael was the one she ultimately chose? That''s why she allowed him to call her by that name?


    Eva felt a pang in her chest.


    She knew Michael was helping her, allowing her to personally reject Adrian and smoothly divorce him.


    She looked at Adrian in front of her and pursed her lips.


    She really should seize this opportunity.


    With that in mind, Eva''s lips moved slightly, wanting to speak.


    But at that moment, Adrian gritted his teeth and red at her. "Eva, you better think carefully about what you want to say."


    Interrupted by him like this, Eva fell silent.


    Michael raised an eyebrow and casually said, "Adrian, should I remind you that you''re only in a fake marriage? The way you''re acting now, you''re threatening and intimidating her." After speaking, Michael smiled lightly and looked at Eva. "Eve."


    Eva understood that he was urging her to make a decision quickly by calling her name. Otherwise, if she missed this chance, she didn''t know how long she would have to wait for the next one. But no matter how Eva looked at Adrian in front of her, she couldn''t bring herself to speak.


    The words were right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn''t say a single word.


    In the end, Adrian grabbed her hand, his voice cold. "Come home with me. I won''t hold today''s events against you."


    Eva took two steps as he pulled her along, but suddenly, her other wrist tightened. Michael hade forward and grabbed her wrist.


    At this moment, Michael looked less gentlepared to when he wasn''t wearing sses.


    It was also at this moment that Eva finally saw the sharpness hidden in Michael''s eyes.


    Seeing him holding Eva''s hand, Adrian narrowed his eyes and sternly demanded, "Let her go!"


    Perhaps Adrian had been agitated by Eva constantly urging him to divorce, and also witnessing Michael embracing her without her pushing him away, even allowing him to call her by her nickname, Eva. Therefore, at this moment, Adrian was probably driven to the extreme by this situation, no longer as calm andposed as before.


    Seeing that Michael wasn''t letting go, Adrian furrowed his brow and walked over, trying to brush Michael''s hand away.


    But as soon as his hand was raised, a slender figure stood in front of him.


    Adrian''s hand, raised halfway, froze.


    His eyes shimmered with sharpness and coldness, red and filled with the kind of rage thates from being infuriated.


    "Are you protecting him?"


    Facing his menacing gaze, Eva took a deep breath, then turned elsewhere and spoke, "This is between us. There''s no need for you to resort to violence against him, right?" Adrian stared at her intently for a while.


    "So you felt sorry for him when I attacked him, which is why you''re protecting him like this?"


    Eva: "..."


    After a moment, Eva said, "Let''s discuss this when we get back, okay?"


    He had been avoiding her these past few days, and they needed to have a conversation.


    But now, things like a peaceful breakup were no longer possible.


    Adrian chuckled.


    He lowered his hand and then mockingly smirked, "Sure, I''d love to have a ''talk'' with you."


    Seeing his agreement, Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    She could tell Adrian''s emotions were unstable at the moment, and if they continued this way, he might end up fighting with Michael.


    But it was unnecessary for Michael to keep getting hurt because of her decision to divorce him.


    He had already suffered enough from those two punches earlier.


    At that moment, Adrian''s gaze shifted from Michael''s face andnded on his wrist.


    "I''ll say it onest time, let go."


    Upon hearing this, Eva immediately turned to Michael and exined, "Leave this matter to me."


    Michale, upon hearing her words, looked at her quietly for a while, and then a smile appeared on his face once again.


    "Alright, I''ll wait for you."


    After saying that, Michael let go.


    He only loosened his grip a little, and Adrian immediately walked away with his entourage.


    Once they had all left, Michael''s assistant entered the room and handed him a handkerchief.


    "Mr. Cooper, are you okay?"


    Michael took the handkerchief and wiped the corner of his lips expressionlessly, his eyes revealing coldness and resentment.


    He had clearly been injured by Adrian''s attack.


    But he acted as if he couldn''t feel any pain, wiping it off heavily, as if he were a numb corpse. His assistant''s gaze changed slightly as they watched him in this state. Here it goes again.


    Mr. Cooper''s appearance...


    The assistant didn''t dare to speak and could only quietly stand by his side.


    After a while, Michael tossed the handkerchief into the nearby trash can and asked coldly, "Is everything you prepared ready?"


    The assistant nodded, "Mr. Cooper, rest assured, it won''t be dyed."


    After Adrian took Eva away, it felt as if a gust of wind had blown through.


    Before she could react, Adrian had already taken her into the car, and the car sped off quickly.


    When they arrived home, she was still shaken.


    However, Adrian didn''t give her any time to recover. He grabbed her hand and led her towards the bed, and when Eva resisted, he held her wrists and pinned them down on both sides, staring at her with a grimace on his face. "You think you can divorce me and live with Michael? Don''t even think about it."


    As he spoke, his burning breath engulfed her.


    Just as his lips were about to touch hers, Eva quickly turned her head, but Adrian''s soft yet icy lipsnded on her cheek.


    Adrian paused for two seconds, then leaned his head in the direction of her cheek once again.


    Coming to find her lips, Eva had no choice but to dodge while scolding him, "Adrian, what exactly are you doing? Don''t touch me!"


    As a result, she dodged to one side, but Adrian sought after her again from that side. With their entangled bodies, their temperatures rose.


    Eva gasped lightly, "You said you wanted to talk things through with me, didn''t you?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at her and mocked, "Aren''t I having a deep conversation with you right now?"


    While speaking, Adrian''s hand reached around and held her chin, keeping her face in ce. His dark gaze locked onto her red lips, and then he lowered his head and firmly seized them.


    Eva winced in pain and pushed him away with her other free hand. Unfortunately, all her efforts were futile in front of Adrian, who was stimted and angry.


    Her strength was simply not enough.


    Adrian exerted force on her jaw, and their intense kiss became uncontroble, making it almost impossible for Eva to catch her breath.


    It was unclear how long itsted, but perhaps out of fear that she would suffocate, Adrian finally gave her a moment to breathe.


    And during this time, Eva took deep breaths.


    Then, before Adrian could overpower her again, she raised her hand and pped him.


    "I really hate it when you act like this, do you know that?"


    Adrian''s face was knocked to the side.


    "Just who do you think you are? Do you think you can kiss and touch me as you please? On what grounds? We''re only in a fake marriage, after all!"

 Chapter 152 Werent You Planning on Divorce?

    The enchanting atmosphere in the air vanished without a trace.


    Adrian took a while to turn his head and face her squarely. After a moment, something crossed his mind, and a hint of seduction appeared in his dark eyes.


    Once again, he held her chin with one hand, lightly pressing his fingertip against the corner of her swollen lips from the kiss, and tugged his own lips, saying, "The marriage might be fake, but was I faking it when I had you?" Eva could hardly believe what she was hearing.


    "What did you say?"


    "Isn''t that right?" Adrian''s fingertip moved downward along her beautiful neckline, eventually resting on her lovely corbone.


    His throat tightened, and he uttered a provocative remark in a low voice.


    "When you begged me to have you, you didn''t look like this."


    Eva''s pupils slightly contracted.


    After a moment, she raised her hand and pped him again.


    Adrian''s handsome face took another hit, and a few secondster, he coldly sneered, "Keep hitting me all you want, Eva. Do you think I won''ty a finger on you?"


    As he spoke, Eva pped him across the face once more.


    Adrian''s entire face turned dark.


    But as he looked at Eva, red-eyed and angry beneath him, he truly couldn''t bring himself to harm her.


    Thinking of something, Adrian tugged at his lips and said, "It''s alright. The harder you hit me now, the more I''ll make you payback twice as muchter."


    Knowing that he was spouting nonsense again, Eva wanted to give him another p.


    Unfortunately, this time her hand was grabbed by Adrian.


    "You''re quite something, aren''t you? You have no hesitation hitting me, but you protect Michael at the slightest touch from me, huh?"


    Eva struggled a bit but couldn''t free herself. She realized that if Adrian wanted to restrain her when he was angry, she wouldn''t be able to escape.


    Adrian had no way to respond. Eventually, he gave up and stared at the Adrian in front of him, speaking slowly, "Do you know how much I truly dislike you for being like this?" Upon hearing this, Adrian''s face stiffened slightly, then he smirked and lifted his lips mockingly.


    "So, who do you like? Is it Michael?"


    "Yes!"


    Her firm voice silenced Adrian, and the mocking expression disappeared from his lips.


    A few secondster, Adrian questioned her with an ashen face, "Say it again?"


    After uttering those words, even Eva herself fell silent for several seconds. She never expected that she would admit it like this.


    But they were already going to get a divorce, so instead of dragging it out, it was better to resolve it quickly.


    With this in mind, Eva closed her eyes and said, "I like him, I want to be with him, so... let''s get a divorce."


    Her chin was gripped tightly, and Eva heard Adrian''s cold voice, "Open your eyes and look at me while you say it."


    Following his words, Eva opened her eyes and met Adrian''s deep ck eyes, enunciating each word, "I like him, I want to..."


    "That''s enough!"


    Before she could finish, Adrian suddenly seemed to be stimted by something, releasing her chin and abruptly standing up from the bed.


    He stood by the bedside, his previous emotions and desires gone, reced only by endless coldness and darkness.


    Caught in this gaze, Eva felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave.


    Finally, she heard him say, "You want a divorce, right? I''ll grant your wish."


    In that moment, Eva felt as if she heard her heart hitting the ground. Shey motionless, not looking at Adrian, only catching a glimpse of him leaving with the corner of her eye. Then, the door mmed shut.


    The room, previously filled with intense atmosphere, suddenly fell silent.


    The air seemed to still carry the cold breath of a man.


    Eva closed her eyes.


    It''s fine this way.


    Just like this.


    Half an hourter, Michael called her.


    On the other end of the phone, Michael''s tone was full of apology.


    "Sorry, I meant to help you, but it seems like I messed up. Are you okay?"


    Originally, it was him who got punched, and he might even end up conflicting with his brother because of this, yet he was now apologizing to her. Eva felt incredibly guilty. "It''s not your fault." She said firmly, "If anyone should apologize, it''s me for causing you to get hit."


    Upon hearing this, Michael chuckled softly.


    "What''s the big deal? It''s normal for a man to take a few hits."


    "But what about you and him in the future..."


    "Don''t worry, we were brothers after all. At most, he won''t talk to me for a while, but even if he doesn''t, I will go and apologize to him."


    Hearing this, Eva finally felt relieved.


    "That''s good then."


    "So, is everything resolved smoothly?"


    Eva nodded, then remembered she was on the phone and that Michael couldn''t see her, so she switched back to conversation mode. "Yes, temporarily resolved."


    "How are you feeling?"


    Eva was overwhelmed with frustration, and apologizing earlier had already pushed her to her limit.


    Eva could have hung up the phone earlier if it weren''t for Michael''s help.


    But now, she tried her best to maintain a calm tone and said, "Michael, I want some time alone, okay?"


    Michael on the other end of the phone fell silent for a while before saying, "Alright, take your time and let me know if there''s anything you need to talk about."


    After hanging up, Eva threw her phone to the side and curled up on the bed.


    Her emotions made her stomach ufortable, and Eva gently rubbed her belly, whispering to herself, "Baby, be good. Once we''re divorced, we''ll leave this troublesome ce and start a life together, just the two of us." Soon after, Eva fell into a deep sleep.


    She woke up in a daze after a while, finding herself still in the same sleeping position.


    When she tried to get up, Eva realized that her pillow was wet.


    She stared at the tear stains on the pillow, feeling confused for a moment, and then gently touched her own tear-stained eyes.


    They were damp.


    Had she been crying in her dream?


    After sitting for a while, Eva got up to change the wet pillowcase and searched for a new one in the cab.


    Once she finished, she sat back on the bed, lost in her thoughts.


    Unable to sleep, she realized that her heart felt empty and she was in great difort, but there was nothing she could do about it. Lost in her thoughts, she heard footsteps outside the door.


    As soon as she heard the footsteps, Eva immediately tensed up and wiped the corners of her eyes, relieved to find no tears.


    As she got off the bed, she saw Adrian, with a cold expression, walking in.


    He looked at her with cold eyes and a face devoid of warmth, not even his tone had any temperature when he spoke. "Do you have time?"


    Upon hearing that, Eva paused for a moment, then nodded.


    "Yes."


    Adrian remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Is the household register with you?"


    Eva nodded again.


    "And the divorce certificate?"


    Eva hesitated for a moment, then said, "It''s also here."


    As if confirming something, after hearing her admission, Adrian finally curved his lips into a mocking smile.


    "Alright, you''re well-prepared. Seems like you can''t wait to get it over with."


    After saying that, he turned around and walked out.


    Eva stood still, feeling confused.


    What did he mean?


    "Aren''t we getting a divorce? Come with me, we''re going to the Civil Affairs Bureau."

 Chapter 153 Why Still Fantasizing

    Both of them remained silent during the drive to the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    The temperature inside the car was low, and Adrian forgot to turn on the air conditioning, probably because he was angry.


    Eva had rushed out without much thought, only wearing a coat.


    At first, she didn''t feel anything sitting there, but as time went on, Eva started to feel colder. She instinctively shrugged her shoulders and tightened her coat. Adrian, sitting in the driver''s seat, seemed lost in his own thoughts, with his lips pressed into a straight line.


    He noticed her tightening her coat with the corner of his eye but didn''t say anything.


    With a frozen expression on his face, he turned on the air conditioning.


    In no time, the temperature inside the car rose up.


    Eva couldn''t help but turn her head to look at Adrian.


    His lean profile was as delicately crafted as if by a painter, and his three-dimensional features were stunning even from the side.


    The only w was that his face was constantly tense.


    Knowing him for so many years, Eva could tell that Adrian was angry, very angry.


    But despite being so angry...


    He still noticed and turned on the air conditioning because of her small action.


    Eva withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyes.


    Suddenly, she felt that the car was really stuffy, as if she could barely breathe.


    When they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, they still had to wait in line, just likest time.


    While waiting for their number to be called, Eva whispered to Adrian, "After we go back, I''ll talk to my parents, okay?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at her coldly and replied with only two words.


    "No need."


    Eva: "..."


    It seemed like there was no need tomunicate anymore.


    The two of them stood silently in line.


    Suddenly, a familiar couple greeted Eva. She quickly recognized them as the couple she met at the Civil Affairs Bureaust time. Last time she saw them, they were happy, clinging to each other like conjoined twins, always wanting to be together.


    But this time, they seemed distant, looking at each other with disdain.


    "What''s going on with you guys?" Eva felt surprised, although her mood was already low.


    It hadn''t been that long since theyst met, and they had just gotten married. Could they be getting a divorce now? However, the words spoken by the girl shocked Eva.


    "We''re here for a divorce."


    Eva was taken aback.


    Before she could react, the girl wrapped her arms around herself, red fiercely at the boy, and began toin to Eva, "Do you know how disgusting this scumbag is? I just got married to him a few days ago, and I found out he has another woman outside."


    Eva: "..."


    "I can''t believe how sweet he was to me before we got married, it was all a lie. Tell me, how can there be three people in a rtionship?"


    Yes, how can there be three people in a rtionship?


    Eva agreed with this statement, but her mood wasn''t high, so she didn''t respond.


    The girl, as if finding a vent, continued to vent to Eva, "Why are all men in the world so despicable? If he can''t let go of the other woman, why did hee to provoke me? Why didn''t he just marry that woman? He insisted on marrying me, and then he kept entangling with that woman. Does he really think I can''t live without him?"


    After speaking, the girl remembered something and asked Eva, "If I remember correctly, you came here for a divorcest time, right? But it seems like you had something and left before finalizing it. Are you here for a divorce again this time?" Eva nodded.


    "Yes."


    "What''s wrong with your husband?" Due to the imminent divorce, the girl had a great deal of animosity towards men at the moment.


    Without waiting for Eva to answer, she started to rant on her own, "Could he be the same as my husband, fooling around outside..."


    "Is there a woman here?"


    Unfortunately, she guessed right.


    Eva didn''t know what her mindset was, but when she heard this girl insulting Adrian, she actually felt quite satisfied.


    But then she thought about it again. He was different from other men. He had already told her in advance that it was a fake marriage, and it was her secretly liking him.


    She couldn''t me him for being too excellent, could she?


    It was impossible for her to let her scold him, so she could only listen to others scold him.


    "Men are despicable. Why did you bring home a woman you don''t like? Now you can onlye for a divorce. It''s reallyughable."


    The girl treated Adrian as her target of hostility and mocked and insulted him relentlessly.


    At first, Adrian remained expressionless and ignored her.


    But the girl''s mouth was too incessant, which made him slightly displeased, and he furrowed his brows, ring at her with a sharp and cold gaze.


    The girl was scared by his icy stare, immediately silenced, and even unconsciously swallowed her saliva.


    What''s going on?


    Not only does this man have a strong presence, but his gaze is also so fierce...


    In that instant, it seemed like he wanted to kill her.


    Eva also saw Adrian''s nce.


    Well, she was right there watching, and she also found it quite intimidating.


    She just remembered that Adrian''s emotions were unstable today. What if he gets angry and does something irreparable?


    Thinking of this, Eva couldn''t just stand by and watch anymore, and discreetly moved two steps closer to Adrian.


    However, the girl was probably scared by Adrian, and she didn''t dare to say anything more afterwards, not even scolding her soon-to-be ex-husband.


    As long as she remained silent, Adrian still maintained his cold and aloof demeanor, as if everyone owed him money.


    The people in line ahead of them continued with their proceedings, and soon it was their turn.


    The staff looked at Adrian''s sour face, then nced at Eva''s gloomy mood, and urately asked, "Divorce?"


    Adrian stood there, not even shifting his gaze.


    On the other hand, Eva reluctantly put on a smile and handed over the documents, nodding, "Yes, divorce."


    Throughout the entire process, Adrian cooperated, doing exactly as the staff instructed without anyints, even quite efficiently.


    Until thest procedure, the staff looked at them and perhaps couldn''t bear to see such an attractive couple separating like this, so they couldn''t help but speak, "Are you sure you want to divorce? Once the stamp is sealed, there''s no turning back, and you''ll be strangers to each other."


    The mention of being strangers left both of them speechless for a moment.


    Seeing their reaction, the staff continued persuading, "In a marriage, there will always be some unpleasant moments when you''re together, but you should always think about the good times. After all, if you didn''t like each other at first, you wouldn''t have ended up together, right?"


    After speaking, the staff smiled faintly.


    "How about this, you both go back and think about it some more?"


    Adrian frowned, lips pressed tightly together.


    He didn''t say anything, as if waiting for something.


    "Thank you for your advice, we have carefully considered it, please go ahead and help us with it."


    The light in the man''s eyes instantly went out.


    It was all like this, what on earth was he still fantasizing about?

 Chapter 154 Getting Your Emotions Under Control

    Probably not expecting such an answer.


    The staff looked at Eva, then at Adrian, then carefully asked him, "What about what this gentleman means?"


    When she asked just now, she clearly saw the expectation in the man''s eyes.


    However, the man did not even raise his eyelids this time, his voice cold and clear.


    "Do as she says."


    Finished, it seems that this pair should not be able to persuade.


    She did not say anything else, silent to the two of them for divorce procedures.


    After being stamped, the two divorce papers were pushed in front of them.


    Eva and Adrian stood there, both staring nkly at the divorce certificates for a long time, before each took their own.


    Then, they left the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    As soon as she left, Eva felt the cold winter winding on her face, blowing her long hair up, scraping her face like a knife in pain.


    The divorce certificate was cupped in her hand, and then she raised her other hand to Adrian, her voice calm.


    "Thank you for taking care of me all these years."


    "You''re free."


    Adrian didn''t shake her hand, didn''t even look at her, just dropped that one sentence and left.


    Eva was left standing alone.


    The wind seemed to be extra noisy.


    Eva''s soft hair was blown wildly by the cold wind, and even some of it pped on her face, carrying moisture and coolness.


    Without realizing it, Eva was already in tears.


    The tears were like an open faucet, flowing down uncontrobly.


    She had prepared herself mentally these days, originally thinking that she didn''t care anymore, but when it really came to this time, Eva''s heart still felt as if a hole had been ripped out of it. This feeling made her a little breathless.


    Civil Affairs Bureau peoplee and go, there are happy to get married, there is also a face to divorce, like Eva such as crying into tears is also verymon.


    It''s not umon for couples to be disgruntled, but even if they are divorced, they will always weep when they think of all the good things that have happened in the past.


    So it''s not strange to see someone like her standing in front of the Bureau crying.


    It''s just that she is too good looking, wearing a white coat, long hair over her shoulders, skin color like snow, when she cries her eyes and cheeks are red, it looks like her whole person is delicate but fragile. That''s why people passing by couldn''t help but look a few more times towards her.


    Emily called her over.


    Eva was crying up and down on the phone.


    "Well..... divorced, just divorced."


    "Stay there, I''lle over right away," Emily said after hanging up the phone. Emily rushed off to ask her boss for leave.


    However, Eva, who remained standing in ce, didn''t follow Emily''s advice to find a warm spot.


    At this moment, her feet felt as heavy as lead. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to walk, but she simply couldn''t move her feet at all.


    Eva stood there, feeling that she could only start moving when Emily arrived. She didn''t know how long she had been standing when suddenly a figure approached her.


    Hearing the sound, Eva looked up through her teary eyes to see who it was. In her blurred vision, she saw a slender and thin figure, but unfortunately, she couldn''t make out who it was.


    However, after confirming it wasn''t Emily, she lowered her gaze again.


    A few secondster, arge and warm coat was suddenly draped over her, apanied by a sigh. "Crying like this, do you like him that much?"


    This voice... It was Michael''s. Eva raised her head again, tears blurred her vision, and sobbed, "I thought you were a stranger."


    Michael chuckled softly, "A stranger wouldn''t be so kind as to lend you their coat."


    After saying that, Michael took out a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away her tears. Once the tears were wiped away, her vision became clear again.


    Eva saw Michael''s face filled with deep concern and noticed the bruises and cuts on his lips and chin, evidence of Adrian''s attack.


    Not long after, her vision became blurry once again. The tears she had just wiped away started flowing once more. Eva felt extremely embarrassed with Michael in front of her, unlike when she was alone. Crying while apologizing to Michael, Eva said, "I''m sorry, I can''t seem to control myself for now."


    A strange look shed in Michael''s eyes as he continued to gently and silently wipe away her tears. Unfortunately, her tears wouldn''t stop. Soon, the handkerchief Michael had brought was soaked through.


    "It''s too cold outside. Want to go to my car?" Michael couldn''t help but ask.


    Eva continued silently shedding tears, not answering his question. Seeing her like this, Michael originally wanted to embrace her but was afraid she might be startled.


    In the end, he chose to hold her shoulders through their clothes and said, "Let''s go."


    With his support, Eva finally took a step forward. However, after only one step, her foot started hurting. It must have been due to standing for too long, causing her foot to go numb. She almost fell, but luckily Michael reacted quickly and caught her.


    "What''s wrong?" Michael asked with concern. After asking, and seeing Eva still crying, he preemptively said, "Forget it, don''t say anything. I''ll take you up. But since your foot is numb, I might have to offend you a little." After speaking, Michael lifted her up horizontally in his arms. A few minutester, they finally managed to make their way into the car.


    After settling down and finding afortable position, Eva finally let her tears flow freely.


    Eva felt her feet were no longer so ufortable.


    "It''s probably because you stood in the cold wind for too long that your feet went numb."


    Maybe so, standing for too long and the cold both have an effect.


    Eva didn''t reply. The heating in the car was sufficient, and the temperature was high. She felt much better after getting in.


    But she still had some difficulty controlling her emotions.


    Seeing her like this, Michael could only speak softly, "Don''t cry. Even if you''re sad, you should control your emotions, don''t forget that you''re pregnant now."


    Eva, who had been sobbing, stopped immediately upon hearing Michael''s words.


    Yes, she was pregnant now and couldn''t be as willful as before.


    If she continued to cry when she was sad, the baby in her belly would definitely feel ufortable. Thinking of this, Eva quickly wiped away her tears and leaned back in her seat to calm herself down. But she still couldn''t control her tearspletely, so eventually Eva had to close her eyes and rest.


    Finally, when her emotions settled, she fell asleep.


    Listening to her steady breathing, Michael stared at her pale cheeks, once again wiping away the glistening tears at the corners of her eyes, and whispered with a hoarse voice, "If only you could spare some attention for me."

 Chapter 155 Asleep or Avoiding Me?

    The car stopped by the side of the road near the Civil Affairs Bureau. Michael silently watched her for a while. Just when he was about to drive away, Eva''s phone in her arms suddenly rang. But Eva, who was deeply asleep, didn''t hear the sound at all.


    Michael had to pick up the phone and answer the call.


    "Eva, I''ve already arrived at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, but I don''t see you. Where are you?"


    A clear and gentle female voice came from the other end of the phone.


    Upon hearing the voice, Michael looked towards the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    Sure enough, he saw a girl wearing a ck down jacket and carrying a small shoulder bag standing at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, looking around for Eva''s figure. Michael remembered her.


    She was Eva''s best friend, Emily.


    After recognizing each other, Michael lowered his voice and said, "Hello, I''m Michael."


    The girl who had been looking around at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau heard his words and immediately stopped all her movements, asking cautiously, "Michael? Who? Where''s Eva?" Michael was speechless for a moment. Did he even forget himself?


    "Don''t you remember me? I''m the one who used to hang out with Eva when we were kids."


    Upon hearing this, Emily thought about it seriously for a moment before finally remembering.


    "Oh, it''s you. Is Eva with you now?"


    "Yeah, she got tired from crying and fell asleep in the car."


    "In the car?" Emily hesitated for a moment, then started to look around and finally turned her gaze towards him.


    Michael lowered the car window slightly to signal to Emily.


    "I see, is that your car?" Emily asked on the phone.


    "Yeah."


    After Confirming that Michael''s car, Emily immediately ran over, holding her phone. Michael thought for a moment, then opened the door and got out, meeting Emily outside.


    When Emily ran over, she first leaned against the window and watched Eva, who had her eyes closed for a while. After a long time of observation, she suddenly turned her head and asked, "Is she asleep or does she not want to see me?" This question made Michael pause, and then he smiled helplessly and said, "What do you think?"


    Of course, there was no way Eva wouldn''t want to see her. She must be asleep.


    After confirming that Eva was sleeping peacefully, Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Then she started to size up this man named Michael in front of her.


    When he suddenly mentioned his name earlier, Emily felt somewhat familiar with it, but couldn''t remember who he was or where she had seen him.


    Now that she saw this man with her own eyes, Emily suddenly realized that he was Adrian''s brother.


    He was quite handsome, but he had gone abroadter on.


    Because it had been a long time, she had forgotten about him.


    Now that she saw him, she finally made a deep impression and couldn''t help but feel speechless. How did she manage to forget someone who was so excellent and gentle like jade? "Hello."


    While contemting, Michael had already nodded at her in greeting.


    Emily finally came back to her senses and greeted him back, saying, "Sorry about Eva bothering you. But how did you end up here?"


    Emily was always curious.


    Just after Eva''s divorce, another man appeared so quickly.


    Michael smiled slightly and gave a vague answer, "Just happened to pass by and saw her."


    Emily: "..."


    Happened to pass by?


    She couldn''t say anything more, especially since Eva was currently sleeping in his car. Emily was hesitating whether she should wake her up or not. Although Eva knew Michael, Emily wasn''t familiar with him. Leaving her to sleep in a man''s car didn''t seem quite right.


    However, the way Eva was struggling to speak between tears during their phone call earlier left Emily conflicted.


    She had finally fallen asleep, but if she woke her up, would she start crying again?


    Lost in her thoughts, Emily was stuck in this dilemma.


    Just then, she heard Michael say, "Get in the car."


    Hearing that, Emily froze and then turned to look at him.


    Michael smiled slightly, "Where are you going? I''ll give you a ride and let her sleep for a while."


    Upon hearing this, Emily understood everything.


    "Thank you."


    She quickly put away her phone and climbed into the car.


    Since Eva was sleeping in the passenger seat, Emily could only watch her from the backseat.


    After Michael got into the car, they quickly disappeared from the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    After driving a certain distance steadily, and making sure Eva wouldn''t wake up so soon, Michael asked softly, "Where are you heading?"


    Emily in the backseat immediately replied.


    "Bring her to my house."


    At this point, they could only go to her house.


    After all, she had divorced Adrian, so they couldn''t just send her home, right?


    Soon, Emily gave Michael an address, and he responded with an "okay" and adjusted the route.


    Emily watched Michael drive attentively and nced at Eva, who was still sleeping, and pursed her lips, wanting to say something but eventually held back. It''s better to wait until Eva wakes up and ask herter.


    The distance wasn''t far, and the car quickly arrived at Emily''s house.


    When they got off the car, Emily noticed that Eva was still sleeping and couldn''t help but sigh. This sad person seems to be really immersed in sleep.


    Emily originally nned to wake her up but was stopped by Michael.


    "Don''t wake her up. If she wants to sleep, let her sleep a little longer."


    Emily could only give up.


    Afterward, the two got out of the car, and Michael carried Eva horizontally. Emily followed behind, closing and locking the car door, and then they went upstairs together.


    Emily walked quickly in front, taking the elevator and unlocking the door with her keys. Finally, she watched as Michael carried Eva into the house. Originally, she intended to close the door, but after some thought, she left it open, took off her shoes, and walked in.


    New York is developing rapidly, but Emily''s ce is still in the old city area.


    Although the debt at home had been repaid with Eva''s help, and afterward, she only needed to earn money to live while working, Emily still lived cautiously, as if walking on thin ice, renting cheap houses whenever possible.


    The money saved each month umted into a considerable fortune over the years.


    But she only lived like this when she was alone. It wasn''t really suitable to let Eva stay in such an environment.


    Although the Hansen family had gone bankrupt, Eva still came from a privileged background.


    When Michael ced Eva on Emily''s unattractive small bed, Emily made a silent determination in her heart.


    Well, even if it''s just to repay Eva, she must find a nice and spacious house immediately.


    After cing her on the bed, Michael politely avoided staring around and quickly left the room.


    Considering that a man like him could make Emily feel ufortable staying in the house, Michael said his goodbyes quickly.


    After seeing him off, Emily closed the door and sighed, "This man seems quite nice."

 Chapter 156 Thinking About Things She Shouldnt

    As dusk fell, Eva slowly woke up.


    She had slept for a long time.


    As she looked around the dim but somewhat familiar environment after waking up, she quietly observed for a while. When she realized where she was, a warm feeling spread in her chest. It was Emily''s home.


    Lost in her thoughts, she heard a noise outside. Emily pushed open the door and walked into the room. Seeing the stillness inside, she murmured to herself.


    Eva''s face changed upon hearing Emily''s voice and she immediately rushed over. "Emily," she called out.


    Upon hearing her name, Emily''s face lit up and she ran towards her. "You''re finally awake," she said.


    As they spoke, Emily quickly turned on the bedsidemp. Previously, they were only able to see the furnishings in the room with the natural light from outside, so the sudden brightness from themp made Eva squint ufortably for a moment. After adjusting for a while, she regained herposure.


    "Mmm."


    "That''s good. Are you hungry? I made noodles."


    Eva felt a slight emptiness in her stomach, although she didn''t have much of an appetite at the moment. However, she knew that the little one inside her must be hungry. So she nodded and said, "I''m hungry." "Then let''s get up and eat something."


    After speaking, Emily reached out to help Eva sit up. As Eva tried to get up, she suddenly felt a sharp, dull pain in her chest.


    "Ah." The sudden pain made Eva involuntarily make a sound. She quickly covered her chest with her hand, her face turning pale from the pain.


    "What''s wrong?" Emily was startled by her appearance and anxiously asked.


    Eva couldn''t get up due to the pain, so Emily had to help her lie back down. "What happened? What''s wrong? Should I call for an ambnce?"


    As she spoke, Emily anxiously reached for her phone to call for help. However, Eva stopped her as soon as she took out her phone.


    "No, no need to call. It''s just that my chest suddenly felt ufortable."


    After speaking, Eva remained stunned in ce. Why did this scene feel so familiar? It was as if she had experienced something simr not too long ago. Suddenly, she remembered that Adrian had a simr situation in the car.


    A sudden pain and cold sweat made him look unwell, and she was scared next to him, but then he suddenly got better. Could it be that he was experiencing the same thing as her?


    "How are you feeling?" Emily''s voice brought Eva back to her senses.


    After enduring the pain for some time, Eva finally felt better. "Much better."


    Although Eva was no longer ufortable, her voice had changed, and she had sweated quite a bit on her forehead. Emily, who was looking at her, felt very distressed and used her sleeve to wipe her sweat, her eyes slightly red. "I''m d you''re okay. You scared me earlier with that sudden chest pain. It''s not something to joke about, you know?"


    "I know," Eva nodded.


    "I''ve read the instructions, and the pain is so severe. If itsts for a long time, I should go to the hospital, but I seem to be fine now, right?"


    "What do you mean by being fine? Pain is a symptom, otherwise, why would it hurt? You must have been not resting well recently or have too many worries. No, I need to apany you to the hospital for a thorough check-up in a few days to put my mind at ease."


    "Alright, alright." Faced with her nagging, Eva could only agree.


    Last time she didn''t ask Adrian to get a check-up, which wasn''t good indeed.


    I wonder if he has had any pain since then...


    At this thought, Eva''s facial expression suddenly became strange, and she bit her lip.


    They were divorced already and supposed to be strangers with no connections. Why was she still thinking about him at this moment?


    When she saw him at the civil affairs bureau today, he didn''t even want to shake her hand or spare her an extra nce.


    Why was she still concerned about him?


    It''s time to wake up, Eva. You and him were never meant to be.


    "Eva, what are you thinking about?"


    Emily asked curiously when she noticed Eva''s wandering gaze.


    Eva snapped out of her thoughts and a faint but extremely bitter smile appeared on her lips.


    "I''m thinking about something I shouldn''t be."


    There was nothing they couldn''t talk about between her and Emily.


    Hearing her words, Emily immediately understood what she was thinking.


    "If you know you shouldn''t be thinking about it, then stop."


    Emily''s voice sounded depressed. "After all, you two are divorced now, so you''d better think about how to move on." Eva lowered her gaze. "You''re right."


    Seeing her like this, Emily couldn''t help but reach out and touch her head.


    "No matter what, you still have me, and now you''re not alone. You have the baby, and the baby will give you strength."


    "Yeah, I still have the baby."


    If it weren''t for the baby, Eva didn''t think she would have the courage.


    Organizing her emotions, Eva raised her head again and smiled at Emily. "Tomorrow, apany me to pack my things at the ckwood family. Some of my belongings are still there."


    "Okay." Emily nodded. "Are you not going tonight?"


    "Not tonight, tomorrow. After packing, I want to visit my grandmother at the hospital."


    Grandma probably didn''t know about this situation yet, and Eva didn''t know if she would be able to ept it when she found out, but Eva still had to go see her.


    After all, it''s likely to be thest time they''ll ever meet in this lifetime.


    After she leaves, she probably won''te back.


    "Then you can rest at my ce tonight. The conditions here may not be the best, but luckily the people upstairs and downstairs are not noisy, and they won''t make any disturbances. You can have a good rest." "Okay." Eva nodded gently. "Thank you."


    "By the way, what about that Michael..."


    Bringing up this topic, Eva suddenly remembered that it was him who picked her up at the civil affairs bureau andter on, she didn''t know anything after she fell asleep.


    When she woke up, she was already at Emily''s house. He probably dropped them off there as well.


    "Come over here."


    Sure enough, Emily briefly exined the situation.


    After she finished speaking, she gossipingly looked at Eva, but afraid of hurting her, she didn''t dare to ask too much.


    Seeing her expression, Eva could only helplessly say, "There''s nothing between him and me. He helped me purely because he wanted to bring two lovers together, understand?"

 Chapter 157 The Irrelevant Person

    "Lovers?" Emily''s brain short-circuited at the moment and she instinctively asked, "Who?"


    Eva remained silent for a while before saying, "Adrian and Vivian."


    After a moment, Emily said, "Seriously, right now I just want to strangle myself."


    Eva smiled, knowing why she said that, then raised her eyes and said, "Alright, I''m fine. He was right. They are indeed a couple."


    "Nonsense. They''re just two lovers." Emily gritted her teeth and said, "If it weren''t for Vivian saving him, Adrian wouldn''t have paid any attention to her, right? It''s just because of taking advantage of a benefactor." Hearing this, Eva''s gaze dimmed, and she lowered her eyes and said, "Alright, let''s not talk about this anymore. It''s okay."


    "It''s my fault." Emily stuck out her tongue. "You rest well. I''ll go heat up the noodles. You can have themter."


    "Okay."


    After Emily left, the room returned to tranquility. Eva gently wiped away the coldness from the corner of her eyes.


    This was thest time. From now on, she wouldn''t shed another tear for Adrian.


    That night, Eva didn''t go home.


    Margaret waited and waited, feeling somewhat puzzled, so she went to ask Adrian.


    After Adrian came home, he locked himself in the study. When Margaret pushed the door open, he was sitting at the desk, looking at something.


    "Why isn''t Eva here?" she asked.


    Hearing Eva''s name at this moment, Adrian felt like something was tearing inside his chest. He pursed his lips and didn''t answer.


    Margaret, who had already known that their rtionship was not right, could tell from his expression that something had happened. She pursed her lips and asked, "What happened, did things worsen between you two?" Adrian didn''t answer her question, only saying, "I''m busy."


    "Busy with what?" Margaret pointed at the notebook in front of him and coldly remarked, "Busy staring at your ck screen?"


    Since he came back, he hasn''t opened his notebook.


    Adrian frowned and remained silent.


    "What''s going on between you two? Weren''t your rtionship not this bad before? Now she doesn''t evene back. Did you have a fight?"


    As if unable to bear it any longer, Adrian walked outside with a serious expression on his face.


    "Hold on."


    Margaret called out to him, but Adrian walked as if he hadn''t heard her, ignoring her presence.


    Margaret was infuriated by his attitude, so she stepped forward and stopped him.


    "I''m asking you, where is Eva?"


    As if finally unable to tolerate it,


    Adrian frowned and said, "Why would my mother want to find her and not call her directly? Why ask me? Am I her guardian? Do I have to report her whereabouts?"


    Margaret looked at him incredulously and replied, "What are you talking about? If I could reach her on the phone, why would I bother looking for you?"


    Upon hearing that, Adrian smirked sarcastically and said, "Can''t reach her? Then don''t bother trying."


    "You, you, you!" Margaret couldn''t stand his impatient and indifferent attitude. She was infuriated. "Is this how you talk to your mother? Where is your manners? Is your way of handling emotions to take it out on your mother?" After finishing her words, Margaret noticed Adrian''s unchanged expression, which made her lose any desire tomunicate with him further. She said, "Fine, if I can''t reach Eva on the phone and you won''t tell me anything, you better not regret it if something happens to her."


    Margaret turned around and walked away, leaving Adrian alone in ce.


    As Margaret left, the study fell silent. Adrian stood there for a while before returning to his original position.


    Despite sitting still with a gloomy face, his mind was filled with Margaret''sst words before she left.


    "You better not regret it if something happens to her."


    A voice seemed to be telling him that he would regret it if something happened to her, urging him to get up and go find her.


    But then, Adrian found it ridiculous.


    Something happened?


    Wasn''t she nning to be with Michael?


    He had been keeping her in captivity for so long, and recently she had been urging him for a divorce so that she could be with Michael. Now that she was free, she must have already thrown herself into Michael''s arms. Not answering the phone might just mean she was too busy being with him. What could possibly go wrong?


    Although they were divorced now and had be unrted individuals, whenever Adrian thought about the possibility of her being with Michael at this time, a grown man and woman togetherte at night, he could imagine what might happen.


    Adrian''s mind involuntarily conjured up certain scenes.


    "Damn it!"


    Just the thought alone made Adrian unable to contain his anger. He swept everything off the desk with his hand, causing a few heavy objects to hit the ground, and even the sound of broken ss.


    The objects fell crashing in the room.


    Destruction did not alleviate Adrian''s restless mood; in fact, it intensified it. His chest felt like a burning mass of fire, making it hard for him to contain himself.


    Adrian tightly clenched his fists and mmed them on the table.


    "Ring, ring, ring--"


    At that moment, a melodious ringtone emanated from his cellphone. Adrian paused for a moment, then took out his phone. ncing at the screen, it was a call from Vivian.


    The light in his eyes instantly vanished, and he threw the phone onto the table, ignoring the call.


    The phone continued to ring for a while, then paused briefly before ringing again, but Adrian never bothered to answer.


    After a while, a sneer formed on his lips.


    At a time like this, he actually thought she would call him.


    They were already divorced, so what could she possibly have to say on the phone?


    He was truly delusional.


    That night, the members of the ckwood family couldn''t find peace of mind.


    It was the first time in their long marriage that Adrian didn''te home.


    And when Adrian returned, he locked himself in his study, not evening downstairs for lunch or dinner. Every time the servants tried to call for him, they heard objects being thrown and were too frightened to approach. Only the butler had gone in twice, and each time he emerged with a grim face.


    Curiosity got the better of one of the servants who asked in a hushed voice, "Butler, what happened? Is the master still refusing to eat?"


    The butler shook his head.


    "Hepletely ignored me. I have no idea what''s going on between the master and the madam." "That''s true. The madam hasn''t returned either. Did the butler manage to reach her on the phone?" "It was turned off."


    "Turned off?"


    "Why doesn''t our master go out and look for her, then?"

 Chapter 158 Disturbing you?

    In his mind, the butler sighed. With the arguments escting like this, and Adrian''s arrogant and stubborn temper, it would be difficult to convince him to go look for her.


    One of the servants whispered, "When Vivian came to our house before, I felt something was off between the master and the madam. It seemed to have gotten betterter, but not the same as before. Maybe our master and madam... are getting a divorce?"


    Hearing the word "divorce," the butler''s eyelid twitched involuntarily and he scolded, "Nonsense! You can''t casually throw those words around. It''s normal for couples to have conflicts. Even if the master and the madam fight today, they might reconcile tomorrow. If you have nothing better to do, go clean the windows again."


    The rest of the people pouted at the butler''s words and dispersed.


    The butler also had a headache and waved his hand, indicating he didn''t care anymore and wanted to go rest in his room.


    Once the butler left, the servants couldn''t help but gather and whisper to each other.


    "To be honest, I feel like our master and madam have already divorced. If they haven''t yet, they might in a couple of days. Just wait and see. The argument was so intense. How long have we been working for the ckwood family? When have we seen our master lose his temper like this?"


    "That''s true. You didn''t hear it just now when I walked to the door. How loud the voices inside were. But it''s none of our business. Even if they are fighting, let them fight.


    "Too much. And there''s no guarantee that Vivian would be easier to get along with. In my opinion, our current madam is just fine. She never bothers us."


    "You''re right."


    They had initially taken pleasure in Eva''s misfortune and looked down on her as a bankrupt heiress. But after hearing these words of truth, their expressions became gloomy again. Indeed, why do they look down on Eva?


    Even if she leaves, there will still be a newdy of the house, and the new one may not necessarily be better than Eva.


    They may cause trouble for us then....


    Rather than having these uncertainties, it would be better if Eva remained thedy of the house.


    The thoughts of the crowd returned to this, sighing andmenting, hoping that Eva woulde back soon and that their current situation would not change.


    So they waited anxiously all night and the first words they exchanged the next morning were:


    "Did madame backst night?"


    "No, she didn''te back all night."


    The crowd sighed immediately.


    "Could it be that madam will nevere back again?"


    "Oh my, could it be that our master and madam... are really getting divorced?"


    The people fell into sorrow once again.


    ...


    A night had passed. Despite no noisy neighbors and the tranquility within Adrian, Eva remained sleepless throughout the night.


    Emily didn''t sleep well either and had been with her all night.


    Early in the morning, Emily got up to prepare breakfast.


    Evay in bed and suddenly sat up, thinking to herself, and decided to call her father.


    The fact that she and Adrian were divorced was already established, so she should tell him.


    Eva reached for her phone only to realize that it was out of battery and had shut down. She plugged it in to charge.


    After turning it on, she discovered that her phone had received countless missed calls.


    Margaret and the family''s butler had called her many times, especially Margaret, who had made at least ten calls.


    But due to her phone being constantly shut off, Margaret was unable to reach her.


    In the end, Margaret had to send her a series of inquiring andforting text messages, which were quite long. Reading them made Eva''s heart ache and feel uneasy. After finishing reading, she couldn''t help but wonder if Adrian hadn''t told Kim and Margaret about their divorce yet. Why was Margaret still saying these things to her? Before she could ponder further, her phone rang unexpectedly.


    Eva held the phone and saw that the iing call was from Adrian, causing her heart to skip a beat.


    Why would he call her at a time like this?


    Eva hesitated, unsure if she should answer the call.


    They were already divorced, so there couldn''t be anything worse. Taking the call wouldn''t be a big deal, right?


    She took too long to make a decision, and by the time she finally decided to answer the call, it had already ended.


    So Eva took a deep breath and called back instead.


    Once the other side picked up, she exined, "Sorry, I was busy just now."


    Upon hearing her exnation, there was a brief silence on the other end, followed by...


    With a sneer, Adrian said, "Busy with your Michael? Did I disturb you two?"


    Eva remained silent.


    Because there was nothing between her and Michael, Eva''s instinct was to refute when he mentioned himself being with Michael. But she realized that she had already admitted it in front of him. So the words that were about toe out got stuck at her lips.


    Now he must think she and Michael were together, maybe evenst night...


    But it seemed there was nothing left to exin.


    In the end, Eva could only choose to stay silent.


    And her silence, as it reached Adrian, became acquiescence.


    So,st night, she really was with Michael.


    Adrian''s heart turned ashen instantly, his teeth clenched, but he couldn''t speak a word.


    After a moment, he finally heard Eva say, "I still have some things at the ckwood family. Can I go there today to collect them? And about our divorce, did you talk to Uncle Kim and Aunt Margaret...?" At this point, Eva suddenly stopped, realizing that using those titles was inappropriate. So she changed her words, "About our divorce, did you not tell Uncle Kim and Aunt Margaret?"


    She reverted to using the titles she had used before marrying Adrian.


    Uncle Kim.


    Aunt Margaret.


    Adrian''s eyes darkened slightly as he repeated the titles in his mind, then he forced a smile and spoke recklessly, "Eva, this is my family business. What''s your rtionship with me? Is it your ce to interfere?" Hearing his words, Eva''s expression changed slightly, and then she lowered her eyes.


    "Sorry, I crossed a line unintentionally."


    Yeah, they were already divorced. Uncle Kim, Aunt Margaret, and Granny ckwood were no longer her family.


    Marriage is such a strange thing.


    When they were together, his family was her family.


    But once they separated, she instantly lost several family members.


    Hearing her apologize, a twinge of regret shed through Adrian''s heart, but it didn''tst long before it was shattered by her next words.


    "Well then, when would it be convenient for me to go and collect my things?"


    After all, she had stayed with the Hansen family for so long, and she still had some belongings there that she needed to retrieve.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian sneered.


    "Eva, what do you need to clean up? You''re already divorced and moving on to your new life. So tell me, does your currentpanion allow you to bring your old things and stay with him?" Another set of words meant to hurt her.


    Eva bit her lip. "Some things are mine."


    "Well, then find time toe and get them yourself."


    With that, Adrian hung up the phone.

 Chapter 159 Not Returning All Night

    Eva heard the busy signal echoing in her ears through the phone, feeling like a piercing thorn.


    Eva couldn''t help but bend down and give Granny ckwood a deep hug, gazing at her tearful eyes. In a low voice, she whispered, "Grandmother, starting from tomorrow, I won''t be able toe to see you anymore." She spoke so quietly that only she could hear herself.


    She only dared to speak these words when Granny ckwood was asleep.


    "In the future, please take good care of yourself, Grandmother. Nothing is more important than your health. And surely, there will be a better daughter-inw to show filial piety to you."


    After saying that, Eva reached out to wipe away the tears from Granny ckwood''s eyes and nted a gentle kiss on her forehead.


    She stood in ce, lost in thought for a while, before decisively turning around to leave.


    But as she turned, she saw Adrian standing at the door of the ward.


    Their eyes met in the air.


    Time seemed to stand still.


    After a moment, Eva forced a smile and went up to greet him.


    "I came to visit Grandmother..." She paused and corrected herself, "I came to visit Granny ckwood."


    Adrian''s gaze was clear, cold, and devoid of warmth. It was as if he hadn''t even seen her, disregarding her as he brushed past, leaving behind a trail of icy air.


    Eva stood still for over ten seconds, knowing in her heart that she no longer had a ce here, and quietly left.


    After she left, Adrian turned around and nced at the spot where she had been standing before, then slowly retracted his gaze.


    ...


    Eva went home to fetch her belongings.


    As soon as she entered the ckwood family house, the butler and the servants immediately approached her, weing her as if they were seeing a dear rtive. "Madam, you''ve finally returned."


    "Madam, where did you gost night? We missed you."


    "Madam, wee home. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"


    Previously, nobody had treated her with such warmth.


    For a moment, Eva didn''t know what everyone was thinking, but she could only respond calmly.


    After dealing with them, Eva went upstairs to pack her things.


    She didn''t have much to pack, just a few personal items. As for clothes, Eva didn''t n to pack them, to avoid giving any hint away when she went downstairs.


    Margaret wasn''t at home today, and Adrian wasn''t here either. She could quickly leave once she finished packing.


    The servants were chatting downstairs at this moment.


    "Our Madam came back today. Does it mean she has made up with our master?"


    "Maybe, you know how couples always argue before making up."


    However, just as they finished speaking, they saw Evaing down. She was holding a small bag, seemingly ready to leave.


    Everyone was puzzled. She had just returned not long ago, and now she was leaving again?


    They immediately surrounded her, preventing her from leaving.


    "Madam, you just came back. Where are you off to now?"


    Seeing them crowding around her, Eva...


    In that instant, Eva felt grateful in her heart that she hadn''t packed too much luggage. Otherwise, they would have bombarded her with questions. So, all she could do was smile and say, "I have something to attend to." "Madam, where are you going? You just got back not long ago. Don''t you need to rest?" asked the housekeeper.


    Eva shook her head. "I''m not tired, no need to rest. You all can go on with your tasks, stop crowding around me."


    Though everyone had a foreboding feeling about her, Eva didn''t have any luggage in her hands, so it didn''t seem like she was leaving. In the end, they dispersed.


    As they left, Eva prepared to depart and encountered the housekeeper at the doorway.


    "Madam," said the housekeeper.


    Eva halted her steps. "Uncle Housekeeper."


    During her time at the ckwood family, the housekeeper had taken good care of her. Her gaze shimmered, wanting to say something.


    But it seemed like the housekeeper sensed something. He nced at the small bag she was holding and asked softly, "Are you going on a trip, madam?"

 Chapter 160 Does She Still not Know Shes Pregnant?

    Eva was taken aback by the question.


    As she pondered how to respond to the housekeeper''s words, he suddenly continued, "Sincest night, Master hasn''t eaten anything."


    Eva remained silent.


    What use was it to tell her now?


    "Though I don''t know what problems arose between the Master and Madam, you have been together for such a long time. If they can be resolved..." Eva softly interrupted, "They can''t be resolved."


    Upon hearing this, the housekeeper couldn''t speak any further.


    Momentster, he whispered, "If Madam has made up her mind, then I can only wish you a safe journey."


    At first, Eva''s expression was somewhat puzzled, but after a brief moment, she smiled with relief.


    "Thank you, Uncle Housekeeper. Please take care of yourself. As for Granny ckwood..."


    The housekeeper nodded sincerely and seriously.


    "I am the ckwood family''s housekeeper. Even if Madam didn''t say anything, I would still do my duty."


    "Yes, Uncle Housekeeper has always been loyal and responsible."


    Moreover, he was a very intelligent person. Others couldn''t see it, but he could.


    "Take care, Madam."


    Eva left the ckwood family, holding onto the small bag. Before leaving, she stopped and gazed at the ce that had been her home for nearly two years. Initially, she hadn''t expected to stay here for long. She never thought that two years would fly by in the blink of an eye.


    Time flies.


    Before the fake marriage, she and Adrian were friends, childhood sweethearts, the kind of rtionship where they could help each other.


    Now, their rtionship ended in a disastrous divorce, and they had be strangers to each other.


    However... Eva still felt grateful to Adrian for appearing and helping her when she needed it the most.


    She would always remember this act of kindness.


    Eva turned around and left, her slim figure quickly disappearing along the road.


    The End.


    The cold wind mercilessly blew the fallen leaves on the ground, spinning them around the streets, only to bring them back to where they started.


    ...


    Julia had been living a miserable lifetely.


    Ever since she was suspected of being an aplice to Alexzander, she had been imprisoned for a period of time. Later, considering that they were first-time offenders and the victim hadn''t suffered significant harm, they were released. But aftering out, Julia discovered that her home had faced endless retribution.


    Her family''s smallpany relied on the Morrison family for survival, taking whatever the Morrison family left behind for the Smith family.


    In order to get what was left, Julia had often fawned over Vivian in front of her.


    However, this time, their smallpany went bankrupt directly, umting a huge debt. When she returned home, her mother threw herself into her arms.


    "Go and beg Vivian to help us, otherwise your father won''t be able to hold on, and he will jump off the building. Then our whole family will be truly finished." "Yes, your little brother too. The school won''t let him attend anymore. Julia, who did our family offend? How did things end up like this?"


    Julia''s heart sank when she heard this, and she knelt weakly on the ground.


    Who did they offend?


    The person who could be so ruthless must be Adrian!


    When she had a fight with Eva before, Adrian had already warned her not to appear in front of him again.


    But not only did she not listen, she also did something bad to Eva.


    Now, he was retaliating against her!


    After realizing this, Julia had no choice but to immediately go and find Vivian, hoping she could help her.


    However, when she finally went to find Vivian, she was rejected at the door.


    Vivian didn''t even see her, and if she dared to force her way in, someone would throw her out.


    Julia began living a life worse than death.


    Her mother, overwhelmed by the pressure, even wanted to swallow sleeping pills tomit suicide, but her little brother discovered it and stopped her in time.


    In the end, her little brother knelt in front of her. "Sister, I''m begging you. Who did you offend? Please go and plead for mercy. If things continue like this, our whole family will have to jump in the river!"


    Finally, even their mother got down on her knees, pleading with her. "Julia, our family has never mistreated you because you''re a girl. Now that our family is in trouble, who did you offend? Quickly go and apologize to make amends. We can''t continue like this."


    Who did she offend?


    Julia certainly knew who she had offended.


    Driven to desperation, she finally went to the ckwood family mansion.


    Standing outside the gates of the ckwood family, she looked at the towering building before her and thought about the scene of her own home being in ruins, biting her lower lip.


    Her phone rang, and Julia took it out to check. It turned out that someone had mentioned her in the WhatsApp''s chat group.


    "Vivian, let her go out for a walk in the afternoon," Julia said.


    Vivian quickly replied to the person and enthusiastically agreed in the group chat.


    Julia nced at her chat history with Vivian.


    Their chat history was filled with Julia sending her various messages, but there was no response from Vivian.


    No matter how she begged, Vivian remained indifferent.


    While pondering over it, Julia suddenly saw Vivian''s message being retracted.


    This scene made Julia couldn''t help but chuckle coldly.


    It seems like Vivian forgot that she was still in the group and retracted the message to avoid Julia seeing it?


    Originally, Julia thought that Vivian''s absence might be due to some reason. Perhaps it was because of her injury or because Julia had done something wrong, causing Vivian''s family to be angry, and they didn''t agree to let her meet with Julia. But she didn''t expect that it was Vivian who didn''t want to meet her.


    Thinking of this, Julia suddenly looked at the ckwood family gate in front of her and had a wicked thought.


    She dialed Vivian''s number directly.


    As expected, Vivian didn''t answer the call. It rang several times, yet Vivian didn''t pick up. So, Julia leisurely sent her a text message.


    "Vivian, do you know where I am right now?"


    After saying that, Julia took a photo of the ckwood family gate with her phone and sent it.


    Within five seconds, Julia''s phone started ringing. It was Vivian calling her actively.


    Julia stood in ce, watching the phone ring with a self-satisfied smirk on her lips, quietly observing as the call ended without answering.


    However, the other party did not give up. Not long after the call ended, they called again.


    Like teasing a mouse, Julia waited until Vivian called for the fifth time before answering.


    Just as Julia picked up the phone, Vivian anxiously asked, "Julia, what are you doing at the ckwood family?"


    Her anxious tone was full of weight, without a hint of weakness.


    Julia could no longer make up a sick excuse for her. She smiled slowly and said, "Of course, I came here for a reason. What''s the matter, Vivian? Are you worried now that I''m here? Are you afraid that I might identally say something unfavorable to you?"


    Vivian fell into silence for a moment, then awkwardlyughed and said, "What are you talking about? There''s nothing..."


    "Adrian probably doesn''t know about Eva''s pregnancy, right?"

 Chapter 161 Everyone Has the Right to Know the Truth

    With just one sentence, Vivian was instantly stung into silence.


    Her silence satisfied Julia.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything, Vivian? Tell me, what do you think will happen if I tell Adrian about this?" "Julia!"


    Vivian became excited instantly, and I could even hear her footsteps hurrying away. She tried to calm Julia down and said, "If there''s anything, we can discuss it. Please don''t be impulsive, okay?" Upon hearing this, Julia smiled with satisfaction. She had indeed made the right bet.


    "I''m not being impulsive, Vivian. I just want Adrian to know the truth. Everyone has the right to know the truth, don''t you agree?"


    "Julia..." Vivian''s pace slowed, her tone filled with pain. "Are you ming me for recent events? I''m sorry for not contacting you. It''s not intentional. My father ordered me to cut ties with you, or else he would confiscate all my pocket money." "So, you really stopped being in contact with me? Do you remember what you promised me before? You said that when you became Mrs. ckwood, you would repay me. Is this how you repay me?"


    "I''m sorry, I wanted to repay you, but..."


    "Alright then, if you want to repay me now, I want two million. Transfer it to me now."


    "What? Two million?"


    "What''s wrong? Do you think it''s too much?" Julia took two steps forward and stared at the ckwood family''s gate. "Since the Morrison family got on board with the ckwood family, two million is just a small sum for you, right?" "Julia, please calm down and listen to me. This matter..."


    But Julia was too agitated and didn''t want to listen to her babbling.


    "I want two million, and if you don''t transfer it within five minutes, I''ll go inside the ckwood family and expose Eva''s secret."


    After saying that, Julia hung up Vivian''s call directly.


    Standing at the vi''s gate, she felt a sense of relief when she recalled how scared and nervous Vivian had looked just now.


    She thought she would have toe and beg Eva for mercy, but things took a sudden turn.


    Vivian had indeed handed her a very good leverage.


    If possible, she could fully utilize it to control Vivian in the future.


    In the past, she had always ttered Vivian, but even with all the ttery, she didn''t gain much from her.


    A few minutester, a huge sum of money was transferred into her ount.


    Julia nced at it and found that Vivian had transferred one million.


    She wrinkled her brows at the reduced amount.


    Before she could find Vivian, Vivian''s call came in.


    After answering the call, Julia immediately took the lead.


    "Why is there only one million?"


    "Julia, I''m sorry, but I only have one million on me right now. Can I give you the restter after I get it from home?"


    If the reason is that he doesn''t have enough cash on hand, Julia thought she could ept it.


    Among these socialites, there was actually very little cash that she could control.


    If it''s for this reason, Julia could ept it.


    With one million, the crisis at home should be temporarily alleviated.


    As for the rest of the money...


    As long as Adrian doesn''t find out about Eva''s pregnancy, she can keep this leverage, right?


    Sensing that Julia seemed calmer after taking the money, Vivian softly spoke to her, "Julia, are you currently at the ckwood family''s entrance? I''lle find you there, alright?" "Sure."


    Julia readily agreed, "I haven''t seen you in a long time, I''ve missed you."


    Vivian replied, "...Then wait for me there, I''ll be there in a moment."


    Julia found a shady spot and sat down to wait.


    In no time, Vivian''s car arrived. After the car door opened, Vivian quickly ran up to Julia, showing a cautious smile.


    Then she nced at the ckwood family''s gate not far behind Julia and cautiously asked, "You didn''t go in, did you?"


    Julia looked at Vivian in front of her andpared her to the refined and well-dressed Vivian. In these few days, she felt like a destitute inparison.


    The thought of herself bing like this because of Vivian, yet Vivian still had toe see her only after listening to her threats, increased Julia''s resentment.


    "What''s wrong? Miss Morrison afraid that I went in?"


    Vivian''s expression changed, but she forced a smile again.


    "Julia, don''t be mad at me anymore, I had no choice."


    "Oh, you had no choice before, but now you cane out?"


    Seeing Julia reveling in her misfortune, relentlessly stepping closer, Vivian wanted nothing more than to p away this demeanor, but her leverage was in Julia''s hands.


    If she rushed in to find Adrian or bbed something in front of the ckwood family''s gate, everything would be ruined.


    So Vivian could only swallow these grievances and continue to squeeze out a smile.


    "Can we talk in the car, please?"


    However, Julia didn''t move, standing still, staring at her.


    Vivian swallowed her pride and reached out to hold Julia''s hand. "I heard that your family has been having some trouble recently. Why don''t we get in the car and talk about your family''s situation? Maybe there''s something I can help you with, alright?"


    Thinking about her parents and younger brother at home, Julia reluctantly nodded.


    "Fine then."


    After bringing her into the car, Vivian nced at the ckwood family''s gate and finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    For thest few days, Adrian hadn''t been hitting on her.


    Something seemed to have gone terribly wrong between them.


    And where this problem came from, Vivian knew too well.


    His mood seems to be getting worse and worse, and the two of them are dying their divorce, Vivian''s heart even has more than a little other spections.


    Is it possible that Adrian actually..... likes Eva?


    Just thinking about this possibility makes Vivian feel chilled.


    Adrian didn''t even know that the person who saved him in the beginning was actually Eva, but he could still like her, if he knew that the person who saved him was Eva, what would happen then?


    Not to mention the fact that Eva is now pregnant.


    It seems that Julia''s side, she has to stabilize well, this matter must not be leaked out.


    I don''t know when the two of them will get divorced.


    If Adrian''s side couldn''t get off the ground, she''d have to go back to Eva.


    "What are you thinking?"


    While out of her mind, Julia''s voice brought her back to her senses.


    "Vivian, are you thinking about how to get rid of me? Or are you trying to count me out? Let me tell you, I''ve been fully prepared about Eva''s pregnancy for a long time, if you dare toy a hand on me, then someone will immediately tell Adrian about her pregnancy."

 Chapter 162 A Life-Saver

    "You misunderstand." Vivian held her hand, in a manner that the two of them were good sisters, "How could I possibly be counting on you? Originally, after your ident, I wanted to go and help you, but Adrian kept ignoring me, so I was too


    upset to empty my mind to think of anything else."


    Hearing this, Julia heard the point.


    "Adrian he ignored you?"


    No way, how could Adrian ignore her? Wasn''t she Adrian''s savior?


    There was no way Adrian would ignore Vivian even if he ignored anyone, right?


    "Well, he basically doesn''t pay much attention to me now, I''m worried if he doesn''t want me anymore."


    Julia, who was still very proud of herself and thought that she could use Eva''s pregnancy to pin down Vivian, her face changed hard after hearing this news.


    If Adrian really ignored Vivian, or there was no longer anything between him and Vivian.


    Then the handle she thought she had, didn''t seem to be of much use.


    It was so hard for her to rely on this to easily pinch Vivian and get a million dors.


    How could this be?


    "The two of them aren''t divorced now?"


    Vivian shook her head, "I''m not sure what''s going on between them right now, I can''t reach him."


    "Won''t you go to the ckwood family and look for him?" Julia suddenly suggested, "Things are like this, if you don''t go to Adrian, do you want to wait until Eva really takes it as the real Mrs. ckwood before you regret?" Hearing this, Vivian was stunned.


    "I ......"


    She did want to go to Adrian, but she was more afraid that her actions would anger Adrian.Vivian had actually gone to thepany to find Adrian, but he refused to meet her and was frequently absent from work. "He''s frequently absent, so that means he still goes there, right? If I were you, I would definitely go and wait for him there," Julia suggested.


    Vivian remained silent.


    Julia sneered, "What are you thinking? You''re the one who saved his life. He won''t do anything to you."


    Julia''s words seemingly boosted Vivian''s confidence.


    And, most importantly, she had not seen Adrian for a long time.


    After thinking for a moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "I understand now, Julia. I will go to thepany right away. Thank you for reminding me." Julia then waved her phone at her.


    "Don''t mention it, just remember to transfer the remaining one million to my ount, and also take care of my family''s matters..."


    This woman!


    Vivian cursed Julia in her mind, but her face showed no hint of it.


    As long as she could be Mrs. ckwood in the future, these millions would be merely a small amount.


    "Don''t worry, Julia. I won''t shortchange you the remaining one million."


    Just one or two million, she thought. Once she fully captured Adrian''s heart, she would personally send Julia to jail under the guise of ckmail. It''s just a matter of time!


    ...


    Eva returned to the rental house, and Emily greeted her.


    "Why did youe back so soon?"


    After saying that, Emily noticed the bag in Eva''s hand and widened her eyes, "Is this all you packed? Just these few things?"


    Eva smiled lightly, "Just these."


    "What about your other stuff? Clothes and the bags you bought over the years, are you leaving them behind too?"


    "What use are worldly possessions? Anyway, I''m leaving, and many of those things aren''t even mine."


    Many of them were gifts from Adrian during their time together.


    Adrian truly enjoyed buying things for her, especially delicate little trinkets and objects.


    He would bring back something when he went on business trips and buy something for her when he traveled abroad or saw something nice at an auction. Later, they even set up a space in the house specifically for Eva to disy the things Adrian gave her.


    After a while, it became full.


    This time, when she left, she didn''t take anything, not even the engagement ring in the bedroom.


    During the Hansen family''s bankruptcy, she didn''t have any money at all, and everything she had was provided by Adrian.


    Since she was leaving, it only made sense not to take anything.


    "You shouldn''t say that. Even if they are worldly possessions, they still cost money," Emily expressed her concerns.


    Hearing that, Eva suddenly realized and cheerfully said, "You''re right. If I had known, I should have brought more valuable things with me. At least I could exchange them for moneyter." Upon hearing this, Emily immediately changed her mind.


    "Forget it, forget it. Since you''re leaving, it''s better to start anew."


    "I understand that throwing away old things and starting a new life is normal. I''m just a little sad that you still have the mood to joke with me." Eva shrugged, "You said it''s a new beginning, so why wouldn''t I have the mood to joke?" "That''s true, but after all..." Emily couldn''t help but remember how Eva cried like a dog yesterday.


    She softened her voice and said, "We''re sisters, you don''t have to pretend to be strong in front of me. If you want to cry, just cry."


    Hearing this, Eva''s smile faded a little. "Emily, I''m not as fragile as you think. Yesterday''s sadness is already in the past. We need to move forward. Time keeps moving, the world keeps turning, and life goes on. Besides, I have a baby to take care of in the future. I don''t have that much time to be sad, do I?"


    Emily wanted to ask more, but seeing how strong her sister had be, she didn''t want to reopen any wounds.


    Even if it meant pretending to be optimistic, she could maintain it for a while. Eventually, she would genuinely be happy, wouldn''t she?


    Thinking this, Emily also smiled, "Well, you''re absolutely right, philosopher. I should learn from you in the future." The two embraced whileughing.


    After entering the room, Eva transferred her belongings into her bag. Emily watched her and asked, "Should we live together from now on?"


    Before Eva could answer, Emily continued, "If that''s the case, I''ll definitely find a bigger house. Although the neighbors here aren''t noisy, it''s an old area, and safety conditions aren''t that great. When you went out this morning, I looked at a few houses in the new district. They seemed pretty good. So when the timees..."


    Eva stopped packing and looked at Emily.


    "Emily."


    "Hmm? What''s wrong?"


    "I don''t n on renting a house." Hearing this, Emily was momentarily stunned.


    Then she quickly said, as if realizing something, "Don''t worry, I know you''ll need money to raise a child, so you don''t have to pay the rent. I was actually nning on saving some money and moving to a better ce myself. Consider it me being a freeloader sister."


    "That''s not what I mean. I really want to live with you, but... I''ll be leaving in a couple of days."


    "Leaving?" Emily''s eyshes trembled.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Abroad."


    Although she didn''t know where she would settle, her father was abroad, so she had to go find him first.


    "You forgot? I promised Vivian something back then."

 Chapter 163 No Turning Back

    Even though she didn''t sign that agreement in the beginning.


    She was also worried that signing it would lead to unnecessary troubleter on. As for the conditions she promised, since she made the promise, she would do her best to fulfill them.


    Obviously, Emily on the other side didn''t seem to want the same thing as her. "Just mentioning it makes me think she''s shameless. To use something she did to help you as a way to ask you to leave the country. If every person who helps others demands repayment in such a shameless manner, then it''s better not to help in the first ce." Compared to her anger, Emily''s expression turned into one of shock and concern. Eva became much calmer. She just smiled helplessly and said, "There''s no way around it. I owe them, after all."


    Emily wanted to curse, but Eva stopped her.


    "Alright, you know you''re standing up for me, but things have already turned out this way. Let''s stay calm, okay?"


    "Hmm." Emily could only nod in frustration.


    But thinking about Eva leaving, she still felt sad. "If you go abroad in the future, we won''t be able to see each other frequently, right?"


    Eva thought for a moment. "With transportation being so convenient nowadays, it''s not impossible to meet anytime, anywhere."


    "That''s true, but... I will still miss you a lot. Even if we can meet, it won''t be as often as when you''re in the country."


    Seeing her looking at herself longingly, Eva couldn''t help but reach out and rub her head, about to say something when the doorbell rang.


    "Who could it be at this hour? Usually, no onees to see me. Eva, wait here, I''ll go check."


    Emily went to open the door, and Eva started packing her things again.


    While tidying up, she saw the bright red divorce certificate and fell into silence. She remained silent until she heard two pairs of footsteps outside, apanied by conversation. "Yeah, I didn''t expect you to remember the address after just one visit."


    Hearing the noise, Eva quickly put away the divorce certificate and ced it in the innerpartment of her bag. Then she looked up and saw Emily running back in. "Eva, Mr. Cooper is here."


    Approaching the room''s doorway, Michael politely stopped walking.


    Michael? Eva put down what she was holding and stood up.


    As soon as he saw her, Michael reached out and rubbed the back of her head, saying softly, "I thought I would see a crying little girl, but it seems you''ve really grown up."


    Watching the interaction between the two, Emily pursed her lips slightly and said, "I''ll go buy something. You guys can talk. I''ll be backter." After saying that, she left directly.


    Eva knew that Emily intentionally made room for them to chat.


    "What would you like to drink?" Eva originally wanted to get up and pour Michael something in the kitchen, but she was stopped by Michael.


    "No need." Michael held onto her wrist and brought her back. "I came today mainly to ask you about your thoughts for the future."


    Eva lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on their intertwined wrists.


    Although she had known Michael for so many years, Eva still felt ufortable with this kind of physical contact, even though it was through their clothes.


    Luckily, Michael was a person who had good boundaries. After stopping her, he withdrew his hand in a matter of seconds. His movements and demeanor werepletely natural, as if his actions just now were unconscious. Eva pursed her lips and knew it wouldn''t be right to continue having negative thoughts. She didn''t go back to the kitchen to pour water, but sat across from him and said softly, "I don''t have any thoughts."


    "Is it that you don''t have any thoughts or that you haven''t made up your mind?" Michael tapped lightly on the table with his fingertip, his voice carrying a sense of curiosity.


    With a smile, Eva said, "Plus, I need to take care of my child, can''t have no ns."


    Hearing her words, Eva lifted her gaze and met a pair of warm, smiling eyes behind sses.


    "Would you like to help me?" Michael proposed.


    Without thinking, Eva shook her head.


    "No."


    "So quick to refuse? Afraid my conditions aren''t good enough?"


    "It''s not that." Eva shook her head. "Aren''t you nning to stay in the country for the long term? I''ll probably leave in the next two days."


    Upon hearing this, Michael''s expression tightened.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Abroad," Eva replied calmly.


    Michael''s finger bones tightened slightly, then rxed after a moment.


    "Just as I suspected. I thought you would stay."


    "You knew I was going abroad?"


    "Your father is overseas. How could I not know?" Michael said, smiling. "Interestingly enough, I saw your uncle before I returned to the country."


    This news was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for Eva.


    "You met my father? Why didn''t you tell me earlier? How is he doing now?"


    Michael''s fingertip paused, then he said, "Your uncle didn''t want you to worry."


    "What do you mean?" Eva''s expression turned serious. "What happened to my dad? Is something wrong?"


    "Nothing happened," Michael said softly. "Just a small problem at work. Your uncle is capable, and he will solve it quickly."


    "Why doesn''t he tell me on the phone then?" Eva''s eyes turned red in an instant. "He always says everything is going well and never tells me anything. I''m his daughter, but he... he always..."


    "Eva, don''t think like that. It''s precisely because your uncle loves you that he chose not to tell you. If... you''re really worried about him, why not go abroad with me?"


    Hearing this, Eva was taken aback.


    "But didn''t you n to stay in the country for your development?"


    "Yes." Michael nodded. "I did n to stay in the country for my development, but after conducting some investigations recently, I realized that the domestic market has been almost fully divided. If I focus on the domestic market, I''m afraid it will be a loss."


    Eva knew that market research was necessary before settling in. She hadn''t stayed in The ckwood Family in vain for so long.


    "So, I n to spend only part of my time in the country, with the main focus being abroad. Mypany happens to be near your uncle''spany. Do you want to go see him? Perhaps, your sudden visit can give him a nice surprise." However, Eva stared at him.


    "Why are you proposing this to me? Aren''t you Adrian''s friend? You..."


    Before she could finish speaking, Michael tapped her forehead.


    "What nonsense are you thinking? Adrian and I are friends, but we''re not friends anymore because of you? What''s the matter? Are you no longer willing to recognize me as your friend after divorcing him?"


    "That''s not it," Eva rubbed her forehead, feeling frustrated.


    "Then stopining and pack your things. My flight is tonight."


    "So soon?"


    "Yes, there''s a meeting tomorrow."


    "Well, think about it thoroughly if you want to go with my ne," Michael said. Eva sat there in silence for about a minute before nodding. "Alright, I''ll go with your ne." Upon hearing this, Michael''s voice lowered slightly as he pursed his lips. "Once you go abroad, it''ll be difficult to turn back."

 Chapter 164 Dont Forget About Me

    Eva''s smile was faint, and the dim lighting in the room softened her facial features. Strands of hair fell over her beautiful eyes, obscuring her expression.


    Only her gentle voice remained. "I don''t have any other path to turn back to, and I have never thought about going back." The atmosphere suddenly became somber. Michael silently watched her for a while, then sighed and couldn''t help but ruffle her head. "Alright, let''s not dwell on sad matters. After all, they are in the past."


    Eva echoed, "Yes, it''s all in the past, and there''s really nothing left to think about." Thinking too much won''t change anything....


    When Emily returned, she heard that Eva would be leaving with Michael that night. She froze in ce, her eyes gradually turning red.


    She forced back her tears and put on a brave smile. "The flight is tonight? So soon? Have you packed everything?"


    "Yes, I''ve packed everything."


    "Is there anything missing? Let me check for you." Emily turned and walked straight into the bedroom.


    Eva followed behind, watching her rummage through things but finding nothing out of ce. "There''s nothing missing. You forgot, I only brought a small bag from the ckwood family, not even any clothes."


    It meant that even if something was missing, it wouldn''t be at her house, so there was no need to pack. "Look at me, I''m the one who might have forgotten something. Then I''ll make you some snacks. The journey to another country will be long, and now that you''re pregnant, you will get hungry easily. I''ll make a few of your favorite snacks for you to bring on the ne."


    Eva pulled Emily back and said, "No need to fuss. We''ll have airline meals at that time, and I''ll just eat what they serve."


    However, Emily insisted, "The food on the ne can''tpare to what I make. Besides, I''ll make some pastries that taste good even when cooled down. You never know when you''ll get a chance to eat them again."


    Hearing this, Eva felt that it made sense and said, "Alright then, I''ll apany you." After that, Emily made several types of pastries for her.


    Emily was skilled in baking, and with Eva''s sweet tooth during pregnancy, she couldn''t help but sigh as she watched the delicate little pastries being packed into a box. "They are all my favorites. Emily, you really care about me."


    Emily scornfully replied, "Of course, if it weren''t for you going abroad, I wouldn''t have made them for you to eat." Mentioning going abroad, both of them fell silent once again.


    After a while, Emily choked up and asked, "After you go abroad, do you not n oning back?"


    "You can wait for me indefinitely. I''ll make sure toe back someday," Eva responded softly.


    "Come and see me," Eva smiled and said, "Alternatively, after I settle down, you cane and develop your career abroad too. There are many handsome guys overseas. By then, you can find a foreigner and have a mixed-blood child. The child will surely be beautiful."


    "Oh, really?" Emily daydreamed. "Then when the timees, you have to be responsible for introducing them to me. Don''t keep the good ones for yourself, prioritize me."


    "You can have them all."


    "I reluctantly agree."


    The two of them chatted like this, sometimes with substance, sometimes without. In the evening, Michael came.


    "The car is downstairs. Are you ready?"


    Eva nodded. "I''m ready."


    "What about your luggage? Let me help you carry it."


    "No need, really. I have very little luggage. I can handle it myself."


    Michael looked at her helplessly. "Eva, we''ve known each other for so many years, there''s no need to be so polite with me."


    "It''s not about being polite to you, it''s just..."


    At first, Michael didn''t believe it. But when Eva brought out her baggage, he finally understood that Eva was really not being polite to him. Because she only had a small bag.


    Michael looked at her for a while, then finally reached out his hand. "Let me help you."


    Eva was puzzled. "Do I really need the help? It''s just a small amount of stuff."


    However, Michael took the bag from her without saying anything more. Eva remained silent for a while before speaking.


    Emily joined them in the car and they went to the airport together.


    After arriving at the airport, Emily endured the whole day but eventually let her true feelings show. She hugged Eva tightly and burst into tears.


    "Eva, I warn you. You must not forget me. If you dare to forget me, I will buy a ne ticket ande bother you."


    Eva''s eyes also turned slightly red as she hugged Emily.


    "I won''t forget anyone, especially not you."


    "Then promise me, I am your best friend. Even if you go there, you can''t have a better friend than me."


    "Alright, I promise."


    "And if you have handsome male friends, you can''t keep them to yourself. You must introduce them to me." "Alright, I know."


    "I wille to visit you when I have the chance."


    "Yes, I will wait for you there."


    Michael watched the two sisters interacting, and a warm smile formed on his lips. His assistant, who was watching nearby, nced at the time and walked discreetly to Michael''s side, reminding him in a low voice, "Mr. Cooper, time is running out."


    Upon hearing this, Michael''s smile cooled slightly, and he gave the person a cold, sharp look.


    That person instantly felt a chill in his neck and took two steps back, no longer daring to speak. Mr. Cooper... No one could afford to provoke him.


    After all, he was a madman.


    However...


    He looked towards Eva and couldn''t help but purse his lips, his gaze bing more probing.


    None of them would have imagined that this madman, Michael, would go so far for a woman.


    When Eva returned to her home country, she was still very gentle towards this woman. Eva and Emily hugged each other for a long time, but Emily eventually pushed her away, sniffled, and said, "Alright, we can''t embrace each other anymore. The ne is about to take off, so you should leave quickly."


    After speaking, Emily pushed her.


    Eva wasn''t expecting this and took a few steps back. Then, her waist tightened. It turned out to be Michael, who was standing beside her, quickly embracing her to prevent her from falling.


    "Alright, I''m leaving. I won''t watch you go in, or else I''m afraid I''ll cry again."


    After saying that, Emily turned her back, waved her hand casually, and left without looking back.


    Eva stood there, unwillingly watching Emily''s figure disappear.


    It was until Michael''s gentle voice came from above her head.


    "Little girl, let''s go."


    Eva snapped back to reality and nodded gently.


    "Okay."


    As the ne ascended to its highest altitude, Eva sat by the window, looking down at the city that had already drifted away. Adrian''s New York was dazzling, and the distant lights resembled flickering stars on the ground. The longing in Eva''s eyes gradually faded away.


    Goodbye, New York.


    Goodbye, everything from the past.


    Goodbye, Adrian.

 Chapter 165 Cute Kids

    Five yearster.


    On TikTok''s livestream, in Little Sun''s food cooking room.


    "Wee everyone to Little Sun''s food livestream. Today, we''re going to make two seafood dishes."


    In the livestream, two exquisitely cute little kids dressed in cartoon outfits were in front of the camera, handling shrimp.


    Ruby Hansen was carefully picking out the shrimp veins with a toothpick, but her small hand slipped, causing the shrimp to fall to the ground. "Ruby Hansen!"


    Ruby Hansen got scared and quickly bent down to find the shrimp. After finding it, she looked at Dn Hansen, who was slightly taller than her, with a face full of grievances. Her ck eyes looked innocent as she said, "Brother, I''m sorry." Both of them were five-year-old kids. Ruby Hansen was naive and innocent, while Dn Hansen had a maturity beyond his age.


    Although he still had a childlike appearance, it was not difficult to see that he would definitely be charming to thousands of girls when he grew up.


    "Brother." Ruby Hansen saw that Dn Hansen was ignoring her, so she reached out her tender fingers and tugged at his clothes, acting spoiled. "Brother, forgive Ruby, okay? Even if Ruby only eats two shrimp for dinner, she''ll give the rest to you!"


    "You dare to bring that up? Who was it that ate a te of shrimp by yourself a few days ago and ended up with a stomachache? Today, you''re not allowed to eat shrimp anymore!" Dn Hansen said with an expression that left no room for negotiation.


    Upon hearing this, Ruby Hansen pouted her small mouth, but she didn''t dare to have any objections. "Alright then, alright then. If Brother says I can''t eat, then I won''t eat."


    After saying that, Ruby Hansen lowered her head and gently poked her own finger, looking pitiful.


    In the chat, someone typed, "Dn, give Ruby a break. She already suffered from a stomachache after eating shrimpst time."


    Another message followed, "Silly Ruby, when will you understand your brother''s good intentions? He does it for your own sake. Look at how pouty your mouth is. Come to Auntie''s arms quickly."


    The viewers in the live stream room were all fans of the adorable siblings. Whenever they went live, people woulde to watch their interactions.


    As the audience continued toment, one message caught their attention.


    "NightA has joined the live stream."


    NightA was a wealthy individual known by the regr upants of the little ones'' live stream room. He was extremely generous, always showering them with valuable gifts each time he visited. Immediately upon entering the live stream, NightA started sending gifts to the two children. In a matter of moments, he had already spent a substantial amount of money.


    Dn stood in front of the phone screen, watching the gifts pouring in. With a serious expression on his small face, he said, "Uncle NightA, my mommy said you shouldn''t send gifts anymore." This had been mentioned by his mother earlier, stating that their live stream was meant to share their daily lives, and there was no need for people to spend money on gifts.


    But this person named NightA insisted on sending numerous gifts every time he visited, no matter how they tried to dissuade him. Dn felt a bit down.


    On the other hand, Ruby''s face lit up with a smile when she saw the gifts. She clumsily made a heart gesture towards the camera and eximed in a soft, childish voice, "Thank you, Uncle NightA! Uncle NightA is so cool!"


    In the U country, in the capital city, in a quiet and spacious study, a man sat at his desk. His gaze was dark and intense, his thin lips and dark hair added to the coldness that emanated from him.


    However, the live stream of the two adorable children yed on his phone screen, creating a sharp contrast.


    After sending the gifts, the little boy in the video furrowed his brows seriously and said, "Uncle NightA, my mommy said you shouldn''t send gifts anymore." Meanwhile, the little girl beside him cleverly blinked and blew a kiss towards the camera, even making a heart gesture.


    "Thank you, Uncle NightA! Uncle NightA is so cool!" The little girl''s voice was soft and sweet, and even her movements seemed a bit clumsy. But for some reason, it effortlessly touched the soft spot in his heart.


    In an instant, the man''s lips, previously as cold as ice, curved slightly, as if the ice had started to thaw. Comparing the two children, he found himself favoring the little girl.


    Unlike her brother, she didn''t sternly advise against sending gifts but expressed her gratitude with a heart gesture every time. If he had a daughter...


    Lost in thought, Jacob''s office door was knocked.


    His assistant entered and reminded him, "Mr. ckwood, the meeting is about to start. We need to leave." Jacob''s gaze lingered at the corner of Adrian''s lips for a moment before he finally stood up.


    At the moment when his smile was about to fade, he suddenly realized the familiar babyish voiceing from his phone.


    Their Mr. ckwood was watching the live stream of those two adorable kids again.


    The situation was somewhat mysterious.


    A year ago, he apanied Mr. ckwood to the U.S. for a meeting. After the meeting, Mr. ckwood went to a jewelry store to buy a gift for his own mother. During this shopping trip, he encountered two elderlydies, but these twodies were quite special.


    Surprisingly, they were watching a live stream of cute kids while selecting jewelry.


    Jacob could understand if the olddies were doing something peculiar, but what he didn''t understand was why Mr. ckwood stopped in his tracks upon hearing the kids'' conversation. He stood beside the two olddies, listening and observing for a long time.


    In the end, he even approached them for advice, asking how to interpret something.


    This change shocked Jacob.


    After that, watching the live stream of these two adorable kids became a regr urrence for Adrian.


    Whenever the little darlings went live, Adrian would stop whatever he was doing and go to give them support.


    If he was in a meeting, he would enter the live stream, show his support, and then watch the reyter.


    At first, Jacob thought that Mr. ckwood just found these two kids cute and interesting, which is why he behaved like this. He believed that the interest would fade after some time. However, he never expected that this behavior would continue for more than a year.


    Mr. ckwood had not gotten bored of it yet.


    ording to his cousin Brent, who used to be Mr. ckwood''s assistant, Mr. ckwood had been divorced before, and he was the one who drove his wife away. Jacob couldn''t help but wonder.


    Could Mr. ckwood''s current fondness for watching kids'' live streams be rted to his ex-wife?


    Could it be that something unspeakable happened between him and his ex-wife, which led to Mr. ckwood only being able to watch other people''s children on live streams now?


    But all of these were purely spective thoughts in his mind. He dared not mention them openly.


    Lost in his thoughts, Jacob suddenly heard the sound of the kids cheering from Mr. ckwood''s phone. "Mommy''s back!"


    "Mommy!"


    Originally, Adrian was nning to close the live stream and leave for the meeting. But upon hearing the two little ones'' words, he froze in his actions and sat back down in his seat. On the rtively small screen of his phone, he could vaguely see a blurry figure entering through the door.


    Although the woman''s figure was indistinct, the moment Adrian caught sight of her, his heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 166 An Astonishing Resolve

    The corner of the screen only captured a blurred image of the woman, probably only for a few seconds, before her slender figure disappeared. Apanying that was the sound of the two little cuties running towards the woman.


    "Mummy."


    "Mummy, you''re back. You had a long day, Mummy."


    The two little darlings asked the woman with care and concern, but they were too far away to hear her voice clearly.


    Before long, the two little darlings returned to the screen. "Uncle, aunt, brothers, and sisters, our mommy is back. We''ll end the live stream here for today,"


    Dn Hansen exined to the screen after returning. His twin sister started making heart gestures towards the screen again. Though the people in the live chat felt a bit disappointed, as the two little darlings only streamed once or twice a week, they still said goodbye to them.


    The screen went ck, indicating that the host had ended the stream. Adrian stared at his phone for a moment, feeling nk.


    Jacob''s voice came through again. "Mr. ckwood, we don''t have much time left if we don''t leave now." The next second, Adrian turned off his phone and silently walked outside.


    Jacob and the newly hired assistant, who recently joined due to thepany''s workload, were standing by the door. Since there was more than one assistant needed, they both greeted Adrian immediately. "Mr. ckwood."


    "Hello, Mr. ckwood."


    Adrian nodded expressionlessly, his face devoid of emotion, and walked past them. The other two followed closely behind. Adrian tookrge strides, while the other two stayed not far behind.


    The newly hired assistant, a recent graduate, was learning from Jacob and became curious when she noticed the two of them falling slightly behind.


    She asked with curiosity, "Jacob, was Mr. ckwood watching that cute darling''s livestream again just now?"


    Jacob nodded and whispered, "Yes, I could hear the voices from outside the door earlier."


    "I secretly watched itst time too, Jacob. Have you seen those adorable darlings?"


    Jacob nodded. "I''ve seen them."


    "Really?" The intern felt a sense of camaraderie and approached Jacob, speaking in a low voice.


    "Jacob, have you ever noticed that those two children resemble Mr. ckwood?"


    Jacob''s expression changed drastically, and he immediately warned in a low voice, "Don''t spread nonsense."


    "Huh?" The intern was frightened by his serious expression.


    "If Mr. ckwood hears you say that, he will definitely be furious."


    Perplexed, the intern asked, "But why? Doesn''t Mr. ckwood really like those two children?"


    Jacob nced at the slender figure in front of them and exined, "You just joined thepany, so you don''t know. There was a woman who came with a child iming that she had Mr. ckwood''s baby. After examining the child, the staff realized that the child looked a lot like Mr. ckwood."


    "ckwood looked very simr, but upon further investigation, it was discovered that the woman, in order to deceive Mr. ckwood, actually took the child she gave birth to for stic surgery. The child still hasn''t fully recovered in some ces, it''s truly pitiful."


    The intern remained silent.


    Taking a child for stic surgery?


    Has the world gone mad? To resort to such extreme measures to achieve one''s goals?


    "Doesn''t she know there''s something called DNA in this world?"


    "Criminalsmitting crimes also don''t know if they''ll eventually get caught, they all hold on to the hope of luck. Anyway, never say these words in front of Mr. ckwood again." The intern felt a bit frustrated.


    She wanted to say that the two children on the livestream didn''t look like they underwent stic surgery. Even the most refined individuals who had undergone stic surgery would lose their natural aura, but these two children were so sharp-witted...


    However, even if they looked simr, Mr. ckwood couldn''t possibly have two children of that age. After all, how could it be possible for a woman to give birth to Mr. ckwood''s child and not bring them to meet him? Just thinking about it felt absurd.


    So she decided to ask about something else.


    "But has Mr. ckwood never suspected that those simr children might not be a result of stic surgery, but actually his biological children?"


    Upon hearing this, Jacob let out a scornfulugh.


    "What do you think Mr. ckwood is? Even if he''s heavily intoxicated, he wouldn''ty a finger on an unfamiliar woman. That kind of self-control is not something just anyone can do."


    Thinking of something, Jacob added another sentence.


    "Forget about strangers, even Miss Morrison, who has been with Mr. ckwood all these years, called a confidante, and even someone who saved Mr. ckwood''s life, he wouldn''t touch her even if he''s drunk." Having been Mr. ckwood''s assistant for so many years, Jacob had personally witnessed his self-control.


    After witnessing it, the only way to describe it was astonishing self-control.


    The intern widened her eyes in surprise. "Not even Miss Morrison? That''s truly astonishing self-control!"


    She had seen Vivian, that woman was gentle, beautiful, and generous. In the intern''s opinion, Vivianpletely met the standards of a man''s ideal partner, the unforgettable kind of ethereal beauty. Yet Mr. ckwood could resist even her.


    Thinking of this, the intern remembered a gossip that had been circting in the industry and asked hesitantly, "Jacob, I heard that Mr. ckwood has an ex-wife? How is his self-control when ites to his ex-wife?" Upon hearing this, Jacob''s face revealed a hint of regret.


    "I don''t know about that. When I took over for my cousin in this job, Mr. ckwood was already divorced. But from what I''ve observed, it seems that his self-control is quite strong."


    Wood has already divorced. But I guess Mr. ckwood feels the same way about her, after all, they''ve been married for such a long time without getting pregnant."


    "Oh, I see." The intern rubbed her chin, gossiping in her mind.


    "But my cousin told me that Mr. ckwood''s ex-wife was incredibly beautiful."


    "How beautiful? Is she prettier than Miss Morrison?"


    "I haven''t seen her, but my cousin said she is a hundred times, a thousand times more beautiful than Miss Morrison."


    The intern''s eyes widened at this exaggeratedpliment.


    "It seems like your cousin really likes Mr. ckwood''s ex-wife?"


    "Yeah, I heard she treats her subordinates exceptionally well and is also verypetent at work."


    The intern thought for a moment. A woman who could be Mrs. ckwood must be extraordinary.


    With this in mind, she looked ahead and started imagining what kind of woman could stand by Adrian''s side.


    Unfortunately, before she could form a rough image, a chilling voice came from ahead.


    "What are you whispering about? Don''t feel like working anymore?"


    Upon hearing this, Jacob and the intern, who were whispering to each other, were startled by Adrian''s voice and hurriedly walked apart to catch up with Adrian''s pace. The intern was also brought back to her senses by his cold voice.


    She had actually believed that someone as cold-hearted as Mr. ckwood could also experience love. She was truly delusional.

 Chapter 167 Showered with Many Gifts

    Suburbs.


    In a house that wasn''t too big nor too small, with a decor that leaned towards European style. "Mummy! Mummy!"


    After ending the live stream, the two little treasure immediately snuggled up to Eva, one on each side, their small hands reaching out to embrace her, greedily drawing the unique scent of shower gel that belonged to Eva. The woman crouched down, hugging Ruby, with a slender figure and a pair of clear and cool eyes, long eyshes like raven feathers, exceptionally bright.


    "You ended the live stream?" Eva spoke, her voice like a clear spring, clean and bright.


    "Yes." Ruby Hansen rubbed her cheek against Eva''s neck and chin, coquettishly humming.


    Dn Hansen nced at his sister before speaking in a rtively mature manner, "Mummy, that person showered us with many gifts today."


    That person?


    Eva paused for a moment.


    "NightA uncle again?"


    Dn Hansen nodded, pursed his lips, and said, "I told NightA uncle what mummy said, but he didn''t listen at all."


    Upon hearing this, Eva reached out and ruffled Dn Hansen''s hair, giving a faint smile.


    "Let it be, let him shower gifts if he wants."


    Not wanting to dwell on this issue for too long, Eva quickly changed the subject, "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat today?"


    As a food lover, Ruby Hansen immediately started listing her favorite dishes.


    "Mummy, today I want spicy prawns, and also the dessert after dinner..."


    Eva turned to Dn Hansen and asked, "Dn, what would you like to eat?"


    Dn Hansen''s voice sounded muffled as he replied, "Mommy, anything is fine."


    His thinking was simple. If he named a dish, Mommy would have to make an extra one. Although he wanted to help, Dn and Ruby Hansen were too young, so Mommy rarely let them into the kitchen.


    Eva looked at Dn Hansen and sighed lightly. "Is Dn worried that Mommy will work too hard? Don''t worry, Mommy doesn''t need to work tonight, only needs to cook one meal."


    "No, it''s not..." Though Dn Hansen was more mature than Ruby Hansen, he was still just a little kid. Adults could easily see through a child''s mind.


    "Alright, Mommy will go cook. You both can do whatever you want for an hour, okay?"


    "Thank you, Mommy. Mommy is the best." Without any worries, Ruby Hansen kissed Eva on the cheek and went back to her room to y with her dolls. After Ruby left, Dn Hansen whispered to Eva, "Mommy, let me help you."


    "Dn, be good and y, okay?"


    Finally, Dn Hansen had no choice but to return to his own room.


    After calling both children back to their rooms, Eva raised her hand to tie up her long hair, then put on an apron before entering the kitchen.


    These past few years, she had been taking care of the children alone. When she first became a mom, she didn''t know much, even struggled to fry an egg.


    But for the sake of the children, Eva learned many things herself. She wanted to personally take care of them. She worked during the day but spent all her remaining time with them. Being a single parent, she wanted topensate for the absence of another caregiver.


    She used to not know how to cook, but now it was easy for her. Eva prepared the meat she bought, removing any unpleasant odor and marinating it.


    Since marination took time, she went to attend to other tasks. During a break, she remembered something and headed to the living room to grab her phone for livestreaming.


    Today''s livestream had garnered many fans for her two little ones, with new videos receiving praise for how adorable they were. One of the most likedments said, "May I ask how these well-behaved children were raised?" She smiled mischievously and replied, "This is my first time raising children, so I may not have any useful advice to offer."


    After replying, she checked the earnings from today''s stream. To her surprise, NightA had sent many gifts for her two darlings again. Combining the previous earnings with today''s, the amount of money she had received was substantial. Eva had no shortage of money to raise her children. The livestreams of her two children


    It was also their own interest and hobbies, as long as the two cherish it. However, they didn''t expect their earnings from the livestream to be so high. Nevertheless, those viewers are quite cute.


    She told everyone not to give her tips, but if they insisted, they could just send some free small gifts. However, there was this person named NightA who would always give tips, and the amounts were quite substantial.


    After Eva logged out of the backstage, she found NightA''s ount. In fact, they had already followed each other for a while. NightA had given too many tips, so it wouldn''t be right if she didn''t pay attention to him. However, even though they followed each other, NightA''s ount never posted anything, and they were the only ount on each other''s following list.


    It was as if... this ount was specifically created to watch the livestream of her two little darlings. Moreover, despite following each other for so long, they had never spoken.


    Eva had never encountered someone like this before, silently watching the livestream, silently giving tips, and not asking for anything in return. After finding the other person, Eva noticed that he was online, so she opened the chatbox. "Hello, I''m the mother of Dn and Ruby. May I ask how should I address you? Can we chat?"


    Mainly because of the money he had given as tips, she wanted to return it to him. After sending the message, the other person didn''t reply. Eva guessed that he was probably busy, and coincidentally, it was time for her to marinate the meat. She put her phone aside and turned to continue her busywork in the kitchen.


    ...


    In the meeting room, there were many international guests gathered. Adrian sat in the main seat, expressionless, listening to them vividly giving presentations that coordinated with the PowerPoint slides. Not far behind him, Jacob was earnestly organizing the materials, while the intern next to him was somewhat flustered, trying to take notes and record.


    The intern''s forehead was sweating, feeling overwhelmed by the pressure. She realized that she was still too inexperienced. This kind of meeting was truly arge-scale event for her. However, their Mr. ckwood sat there, his face calm and indifferent, as if he were sitting in his own office,pletely at ease.


    She couldn''t help but admire him and give him a thumbs up in her mind.


    Suddenly, Adrian''s phone, which he had ced in his pocket, silently vibrated twice. During the meeting, Adrian never checked his phone messages. It was the same today. So, the phone notification didn''t bother him at all. However, after a moment, he suddenly seemed to think of something and took out his phone right in front of everyone.


    The intern and Jacob widened their eyes at his action. Adrian opened the app and saw that it was a message from that livestream ount. He raised his eyebrows slightly. Since they followed each other six months ago, the ount had never sent him a private message or done anything to please him. Why would they suddenly initiate a conversation?

 Chapter 168 Just like someones childhood

    Seeing the other person iming to be the mother of two adorable kids, Adrian''s gaze turned serious, and he didn''t reply. He simply lowered his eyes, expressionless, and looked at the phone, without any additional movement. Meanwhile, the people in the meeting room discreetly shifted their gaze towards him because of his action.


    Come on, even the person speaking in front of the projector was stumbling over their words.


    The intern had never seen such a situation before and was so scared that they tightly gripped the pen in their hand, wanting to bury their head in the notebook.


    Jacob was initially shocked, but then he remained calm.


    This kind of thing had bemonce for him, actually.


    After all, there had been times in meetings in the past when he would pull out his phone right in front of everyone, simply because those two adorable kids happened to be livestreaming.


    Although there were regtions in meetings that no one was allowed to y with their phones.


    But he insisted on doing so, who would dare to say anything to him?


    Everyone could only turn a blind eye and let it pass. After all, the entirepany was his, right?


    Just like now, Jacob cleared his throat and pretended that nothing had happened, saying, "Let''s continue."


    The next second, Adrian had already casually put away his phone, sping his hands together and cing them on the table, with a cold and sharp look on his face.


    Everyone: "......"


    Being stared at by him with such a icy gaze, they might as well let him stare at his phone. At least then everyone wouldn''t be so uneasy as they were now.


    So, everyone began to regret and secretly hoped that Adrian would look at his phone again soon.


    However, they were disappointed. The meeting continued for several hours without Adrian looking at his phone again.


    When it finally ended, quite a few people were trembling and felt mentally exhausted, almost copsing from the intense focus.


    It was only when Adrian closed the materials, stood up expressionlessly, and left the conference room that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Thank goodness, he finally left. God knows how torturous this meeting was."


    "Same here, my goodness. It felt like my butt was on fire, I didn''t even dare to move. Adrian''s presence is so strong."


    In fact, most of the people in today''s meeting were not from the ckwood family business. It was an international meeting, with many employees from otherpanies.


    But as soon as Adrian showed up, everyone instinctively became fearful.


    "How can anyone be stronger than someone who holds such a high position at a young age and has such amanding style?"


    While chatting, some people started to gossip.


    "Let me tell you something interesting. I heard that our CEO is nning to put a woman in his room tonight."


    As soon as they heard something unrted to work, the gossip fire ignited within the group, and they eagerly leaned in to ask for details.


    "What? Putting a woman in Mr. ckwood''s room? Is this serious?"


    "I heard Mr. ckwood has an amazing self-control, he''s virtuous. What is our CEO thinking?"


    "What else can they be thinking? Obviously, they have a problem with their own mind, thinking that other men are the same as them, so they want to use this method to please Mr. ckwood." "Ha, be careful not to identally make things worse and end up angering Mr. ckwood instead."


    ...


    After dinner, Dn Hansen collected the used bowls and chopsticks and took them to the kitchen, while Ruby Hansen went to the kitchen to get a ss.


    Clean the cloth and then took off her shoes, wanting to step on the chair to help Eva wipe the table.


    "Ruby, it''s good that Mommy is here."


    Eva took the cloth from her hand and at the same time, she picked up Ruby Hansen with one hand.


    Ruby Hansen, who failed to wipe the table sessfully, pouted dissatisfiedly. "But I want to help Mommy."


    "Ruby, I know you care about me, but you are still young. Help Mommy when you grow up, okay?"


    After saying that, Eva reached out and gently tapped Ruby Hansen''s petite and fair nose.


    Listening to her, Ruby Hansen opened her big round eyes. Wearing a milky white pajama, she was as soft and fluffy as a freshly cooked sponge cake. She seemed to be seriously thinking about Eva''s words, and only nodded seriously after thinking it through.


    "Well, when I grow up, I will definitely help Mommy with a lot of things."


    "Okay, it''s settled between Mommy and Ruby. Go and y by yourself."


    "Then, Mommy, kiss kiss." Ruby Hansen pointed at her own forehead.


    Eva couldn''t help but smile, bent down and nted a kiss on the little baby''s smooth forehead. Ruby Hansen then turned around and left satisfied.


    When Dn Hansen came out of the kitchen, this was the scene he saw, and a touch of envy shed in his eyes.


    He took small steps to walk up to Eva''s side, but remained silent.


    Eva lowered her head to wipe the table and found Dn Hansen standing by her feet, looking at her with expectant eyes, but his lips were pursed, like a little adult.


    Eva was stunned for a moment, and after a while, she leaned down and kissed his forehead.


    "Go inside and y with your sister."


    Dn Hansen, who had been a bit upset, visibly brightened up after receiving Eva''s forehead kiss. But even if he was happy, he only slightly raised the corners of his lips before leaving. Watching his figure, Eva couldn''t help but think of someone.


    This child, Dn Hansen... really resembles someone''s childhood.


    That person was like this when he was young too. He wouldn''t openly show his happiness. If you didn''t pay attention, you couldn''t even tell his emotions.


    Indeed, certain genes have a profound influence.


    Actually, Eva never thought she was pregnant with twins. It wasn''t untilter on, when she went abroad with her father, that she had her check-up and established her medical records. Afterwards, the doctor informed her that she was pregnant with twins.


    Then, she put in a lot of effort to give birth to Dn Hansen and Ruby Hansen.


    Dn Hansen had an introverted and reserved personality, rarely spoke, and often furrowed his brows, just like his father.


    On the other hand, Ruby Hansen waspletely outgoing and active, with a passion for food. From birth, she ate more than anyone else and had bright eyes and a loud cry.


    Eva even suspected that her cravings during pregnancy were all because of them.


    Although they were born just a short time apart, Dn Hansen became the older brother and Ruby Hansen became the younger sister.


    Whether it was because of Dn''s title as the older brother or his nature, he always took special care of Ruby. In any case, the birth of these two brought warmth andpanionship to Eva''s lonely life. At the thought of this, a beautiful smile curled up at the corners of Eva''s lips.


    Her phone rang, and Eva nced at it to see that it was a call from her best friend, Emily. Since she was washing dishes, Eva put the phone on speaker and entered the kitchen, talking to Emily as she worked. "Are you free?"


    On the other end, Emily stretchedzily, yawned, and then replied, "Not really."


    "If you''re not busy, why did you call me?"


    "I just wanted to ask you how you''re consideringing back to the country?"

 Chapter 169 Deep Discussion

    Upon hearing this, the smile on Eva''s lips faded slightly. She turned off the faucet and put on her dishwashing gloves. "Look at you, every time I mentioning back to the country, you fall silent."


    Emily was clearly annoyed by her silence. "I really don''t understand what you''re thinking. So many years have passed, even if you had an agreement with her back then, it should be over by now, right?" Eva remained silent.


    Emily continued, "The industry isn''t doing well abroad now. It''s booming in our country, and thepany that invited you is one of the best in the nation."


    "It''s such a good position. If it weren''t for your exceptional skills, they would have been snatched away long ago. Do you know that they even called me and asked me to persuade you? Theirpany doesn''t want to miss out on excellent talent."


    Finally, Eva couldn''t help but chuckle. "So? Did theirpany promise you any benefits in return? That''s why you''re so eager to convince me?"


    "Don''t suspect me!" Emily huffed, "Am I that kind of person? I''m considering the high sry and better future prospects in that profession for you, that''s why I came to persuade you. It''s definitely not because they promised me any benefits, even though the benefits they promised me are indeed quite good."


    "So, what benefits did they promise you?"


    Emily sighed, "Well...they didn''t promise me much, just a small favor. If you join and sessfully work there for a year, they''ll give me a bonus based on your annual sry."


    Evaughed, "The Davis Group is indeed generous."


    "Yeah, The Davis Group is very impressive. And I heard their CEO is young, handsome, and still single. This time, he specifically sent you the invitation. Last time, he even wanted to meet you in person, but you weren''t interested at all." "I''m so busy with work, and I have to take care of the two little darlings at home. When do I have time to..."


    "So much time to meet with a man?"


    "That''s right." When mentioning her two little treasures, Emily softened a lot.


    "What about Ruby and Dn?"


    "They''re both in the living room."


    "Even if you want to take care of everything yourself, you don''t have to do everything by yourself. At least find someone to help you with cooking."


    "I still want to cook personally. As for the housekeeping, didn''t we hire a maid?"


    "But cooking alone consumes a lot of your energy."


    "Emily."


    Eva suddenly called her name with a quiet yet powerful voice. "Which mother doesn''t consume energy? But as long as I''m willing and feel happy myself, then everything is worth it, isn''t it?"


    Upon hearing this, Emily fell silent for a moment before saying, "ording to your perspective, you''re right. But I haven''t been a mother yet, so I can''t understand you. Let''s discuss this topic in detail after I get married and have children in the future."


    Eva smiled and didn''t say anything further.


    However, Emily didn''t let her off so easily.


    "Alright, you''re not going to the Davis Group because of that agreement with Vivian, right? Seriously, the Davis Group isn''t even in New York. What are you afraid of?"


    Emily persistently pestered Eva, leaving her no choice but to say, "It''s not because of her."


    "If it''s not because of Vivian, then what is it? I really can''t think of any other reason."


    "It''s because I want to start my ownpany, Emily."


    "Huh?" Emily thought she misheard, "Start apany?"


    "I was originally nning to tell youter when it''s more concrete. After all, it''s still in the preparation stage, and I don''t even know if it will be a reality."


    "Ah ah ah ah." Emily screamed on the other end of the phone.


    Eva was d that she had turned up the volume beforehand, otherwise her eardrums would have suffered.


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier that you want to start apany? If you had told me earlier, I wouldn''t have asked you to go to the Davis Group. What high-paying job, specially reserved for you? Opening your ownpany is much more liberating!"


    "It hasn''t been finalized yet. If I said it and then it didn''t seed, wouldn''t it disappoint people?"


    "What is there to be disappointed about? I wouldn''t be disappointed. Throughout your life, what have you wanted to do that has failed, Eva? You can do it!"


    Emily continuously cheered her on, and Eva''s lips curled up as she listened.


    "Thank you for your praise, but I''ve also failed many times. Just keep trying, right?"


    "Then work hard, and when yourpany seeds, I''lle over and secure a high-level position."


    "Alright, I''ll save a position specifically for you, okay?"


    "That''s more like it, don''t give it to others."


    The two of them continued to chat aimlessly, and when Eva finished washing the dishes, Emily hung up the phone.


    After tidying up the kitchen, Eva prepared to take a nap.


    Before her lunch break, she reminded herself.


    After giving a few instructions to the two children, she went to the bedroom to rest.


    Before falling asleep, Eva checked her TikTok ount and noticed that NightA had not replied to her message. She didn''t think much of it and quickly put her phone down to rest.


    Eva only had twenty minutes for a nap, and every minute was precious to her. Soon after lying down, she quickly fell asleep.


    In the presidential suite, when the server came to deliver the meal, she couldn''t help but nce a few more times at the man sitting on the sofa, exuding an aura of wealth and power. After Jacob instructed her to ce the food on the table, he dismissed the server and then called Adrian.


    "Mr. ckwood, lunch is ready here."


    "Mmm."


    Though he replied with a low voice, he remained seated on the sofa, focused on his work. Jacob watched him silently, understanding that Adrian was a workaholic who preferred not to be interrupted while working.


    If it hadn''t been past lunchtime for too long, Jacob wouldn''t have arranged for the meal at that moment.


    A few minutes passed, and Jacob ultimately couldn''t resist reminding him.


    "Mr. ckwood, if you don''t eat soon, the food will get cold."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Adrian shot him a sharp nce resembling an arrow. Jacob was instantly intimidated and dared not move. Without saying anything else, he turned and left the room.


    Adrian pursed his lips and continued with his work. It took quite a while before he finished the task at hand. Jacob, seeing this, hurried over to clean up after him. He noticed that Adrian had forgotten his phone when he stood up, so he handed it to him.


    "Mr. ckwood, your phone."


    Taking the phone, Adrian thought of that message. Since the heartless woman had left him five years ago, his life had been nothing but work. The remaining time was spent watching this lively pair of little darlings'' livestream. As to why, even he couldn''t exin it clearly. Perhaps he found the kids adorable, and theirughter and words could dispel the darkness in his heart.

 Chapter 170 Stomachache Attack

    And why would this woman contact him at this time? He could probably guess the reason. She must just want to return the money he had given as a reward.


    If it was such a meaningless reason, why should he bother? The money he had given out would nevere back. The only thing he had gotten back was from that one time five years ago....


    Thinking of returning to the room five years ago, those few checks he gave her and his mother''s bank card, all put together right in front of him, shining brightly. Whether it was what he gave or what she demanded, not a single penny was spent.


    She returned everything to him without reservation, as if dering that from that moment on, they would each go their separate ways, and she owed him nothing.


    Even though five years had passed, every time he thought of this matter... Adrian still had a heavy aura around him.


    A merciless woman.


    The lunch was left out for too long, resulting in a peculiarly bad taste.


    Jacob watched as Adrian only took a few bites before putting down his chopsticks.


    "Mr. ckwood, we have another meeting in the afternoon. Please have a little more to eat."


    But Adrian responded only with the sound of his bedroom door closing.


    Jacob stood there, looking at the remaining dishes on the table, sighed lightly, and then made a call to have the staff remove them.


    By the end of the afternoon meeting, Adrian had grown even deeper.


    When leaving the meeting room, Adrian rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and asked in a deep voice, "Do we have any ns for the evening?"


    Jacob shook his head, his expression somewhat worried.


    "Mr. ckwood, we have no ns for the evening. You can go back to the hotel and rest now. Is your stomach alright?"


    Adrian''s expression remained indifferent. "What could possibly be wrong?"


    However, his unfavorableplexion had already revealed his physical difort. Worrying about Adrian, Jacob started contemting what kind of meal to order for him in the evening.


    On the way back, Adrian closed his eyes to rx, probably due to exhaustion.


    Jacob was organizing the documents from today''s meeting in the car. When he felt overwhelmed, he turned his head to take a look at Adrian.


    Hisplexion was not good.


    It wasn''t great during the afternoon meeting, but now it was even worse.


    Could it be a stomach problem?


    After this thought crossed Jacob''s mind, he became instantly anxious. He wanted to ask but was afraid of disturbing Adrian''s rest. After thinking it through, he decided to keep silent.


    He could only message the intern who had gone out to handle some other matters in the afternoon. She had already returned to the hotel and was asked to prepare Adrian''s stomach medicine in advance.


    Just as they were about to reach the hotel, Jacob unexpectedly received a call from the head of their cooperatingpany.


    "Brent, are you about to arrive at the hotel?"


    "We''re almost there. Is something wrong?"


    The other personughed deeply, sounding like a cunning old fox.


    "No, nothing. I''ve prepared a surprise for Mr. ckwood at the hotel. Let him enjoy it."


    "A surprise?"


    After a tiring day of meetings, what surprise could they possibly prepare at thiste hour? Not to mention that Mr. ckwood seemed to be experiencing stomach issues. Jacob remained speechless and sighed after ending the call. He nced at Adrian and felt a sense of helplessness.


    When they reached the hotel and entered the elevator, Jacob finally ryed the conversation from the phone to Adrian, whose expression had turned grim.


    After hearing the rying, Adrian remained expressionless, and his breath became somewhat unstable.


    Unbeknownst to Jacob, he was genuinely contemting.


    He had no idea what surprise the other party had prepared for their Mr. ckwood. Could it be a gift? But Mr. ckwood already had so much wealth, he didn''tck anything. All those previous coborations...


    In this situation, because they were eager to coborate, many people sent gifts, such as various vintage wines and gemstones.


    But little did they know, when Mr. ckwood discussed coboration, it was purely about the business capabilities and not about the gifts received. Therefore, all those gifts that were sent over were returned in the exact same condition. The coboration was almost finalized, only the contract needed to be signed, yet the other party still insisted on the gift-giving ritual. It was truly baffling.


    Lost in his thoughts, Jacob had already followed Adrian to the hotel room.


    Jacob immediately took out the room card and swiped it for him.


    "Mr. ckwood, please."


    Adrian pursed his thin lips and walked in. However, as soon as he entered the foyer, he came to an abrupt halt.


    Seeing him standing still, Jacob curiously asked, "Mr. ckwood, what''s wrong?"


    Just as he finished speaking, the tall figure in front of him took a few steps back and exited the room. Jacob: "?"


    "The smell isn''t right," Adrian said, his breathing unsteady.


    "Huh? What smell?" The assistant immediately leaned in and took a whiff, but couldn''t detect anything.


    Adrian''s forehead was already perspiring, and he could only say with a stern face, "Go in a bit more."


    Jacob didn''t sense the problem and continued moving forward, sniffing carefully. He said, "Mr. ckwood, it seems like there''s nothing wrong."


    Adrian regarded him with a skeptical gaze. "...Take a few more steps inside."


    "Alright."


    If the boss gave the order, how could he dare not follow? He could only continue stepping forward. Adrian stood outside the door, his gaze cold and indifferent, as if waiting for something.


    After taking a few steps, Jacob started feeling uneasy and turned around to seek Adrian''s guidance through his eyes.


    Adrian raised his chin slightly, signaling him to keep going.


    Jacob could only proceed.


    In fact, up until this moment, he was still clueless about what was happening. Wasn''t the room perfectly fine? What could possibly be wrong?


    Could there be an intruder?


    Lost in thought, Jacob suddenly felt a darkness enveloping him, and a fair figure, emitting a strong fragrance, pounced on him, clinging tightly to his body. Before he could react, the blonde bombshell had already nestled herself in his embrace.


    By the time Jacob regained his senses, he realized that he now had a stunning, golden-haired woman hanging onto him intimately.


    Jacob: "???"


    The blonde bombshell''s hand hooked around his neck, pressing closely against him, her body revealing alluring curves, as she affectionately called out to him.


    His face reddened, and he finally understood what surprise and gift the CEO of the coborating party had referred to!


    So, it was this woman right in front of him!


    He also finally understood why Adrian had mentioned a different smell as soon as they entered the room.


    At this moment, the intoxicating scent emanating from the blonde bombshell overwhelmed him.


    "My dear!" the blonde bombshell affectionately called out to him.


    "Let go of me, let go of me!" Jacob struggled to free himself from the fiery embrace.


    The blonde girl pushed open the door. Adrian, who had been standing outside without entering, frowned slightly and took a few steps back, keeping his distance. His forehead had been sweaty before, but now even the tip of his nose had a thinyer of sweat, and hisplexion was slightly pale.


    Jacob exerted a great deal of effort to pull the girl away, then heard Adrian''s cold voice saying, "Get rid of her quickly." Although Jacob was in a hurry, he could tell that Adrian''s tone and condition were off.


    While holding onto the girl''s wrist, Jacob turned his head and nced at Adrian, who was leaning against the wall, clutching his stomach, his face pale.


    "Mr. ckwood!"

 Chapter 171 Thinking Mr. Blackwood Likes Women Like Her

    Adrian''s condition was poor, and it seemed like he was about to copse any second. The blonde girl, who had been engaged in a struggle with Jacob, followed his gaze and also noticed that something was wrong with Adrian. She immediately stopped trying to please Jacob and approached him with Jacob.


    During this time, she had beenmunicating with Jacob.


    "Is he alright? Should I call an ambnce?"


    After finding out that this woman was sent by the coborator, Jacob wanted to ask her to leave. However, seeing Adrian in this state...


    "Don''t touch me."


    But when the woman tried to help Jacob lift Adrian up after approaching him, she heard Adrian coldly rebuke her. Jacob quickly pped away the blonde girl''s hand.


    "We don''t need your help here. You should go and attend to your own business."


    The blonde girl, however, looked at the seemingly weak but still handsome man in front of her with some reluctance. Such a man was extraordinary. However...


    Looking at his fragile appearance, even if she managed to pique his interest tonight, he wouldn''t be able to follow through. After thinking it through, the blonde girl didn''t insist any longer and left gracefully.


    After she left, Jacobboriously helped Adrian into the room. Once Adrian was lying on the sofa, the intern finally arrived, running into the room without even knocking and carrying a bottle of stomach medicine. "Brent, here''s the stomach medicine."


    Jacob quickly took the medicine, instinctively opened the bottle, and was about to pour it into his palm when he remembered something, immediately turning to the intern and saying, "Water! We need water!" "Oh, water! I''ll go get it right away."


    The intern had no choice but to immediately turn around and run into the kitchen to get water for Adrian.


    Because of Adrian''s stomach condition, the scene was chaotic. Only Jacob and the intern were busy.


    By the time Adrian drank the medicine and was settled in the guest room to rest, half an hour had passed. As for why it was the guest room instead of the master bedroom, it was because the blonde girl had alreadyid on the bed, not to mention the sheets and nkets, even the whole room was filled with a scent of perfume.


    After they came out, Jacob directly ordered, "When Mr. ckwood feels better, go downstairs and arrange another suite."


    The intern nodded immediately.


    "Alright, no problem."


    "But, what''s the deal with that woman? How did a woman enter Mr. ckwood''s room?"


    Jacob said helplessly, "It was arranged by the partner. They thought Mr. ckwood likes this kind of thing."


    The intern said, "Is the person in charge of this partner out of their mind? Haven''t they heard that Mr. ckwood stays away from those things? Just by asking around, it''s easy to find out."


    Jacob didn''t say anything, but his face looked unpleasant.


    "By the way, why did Mr. ckwood''s stomach ailment act up again?"


    "He only had a few bites for lunch and didn''t have time to eat dinner. He already had a stomach ailment, and if he doesn''t eat properly, who do you think it will bother?"


    When this matter was mentioned, Jacob couldn''t help but scratch his head.


    "Mr. ckwood has had this illness for a long time. If it continues like this, who knows if it will develop into something serious. We''ve said it countless times, but he never listens. Instead of eating properly, he''s just a workaholic." The intern couldn''t help but tremble when thinking about Adrian''s unpleasant expression just now.


    "Don''t Adrian''s family members care about him?"


    Upon hearing this, Jacob looked mncholic.


    "It''s useless. If it were useful, it wouldn''t havee to this point."


    "You''re right."


    As they discussed this topic, the atmosphere became heavy.


    Suddenly, the intern remembered something and his eyes brightened.


    "What about Miss Morrison? Haven''t we heard for these many years that there''s nobody by Mr. ckwood''s side except her? Could it be that Miss Morrison doesn''t try to persuade him either?" "Are you talking about Vivian?"


    Jacob sighed, "Don''t mention that. At first, I thought it would work and I even begged Miss Morrison for help, but it waspletely useless."


    The intern said, "If even Miss Morrison couldn''t do anything... then I guess there''s really no way. We''ll just let this continue, but do you think Mr. ckwood will die prematurely?" "Nonsense! You''re an intern, you shouldn''t be saying things like that!"


    The intern pouted at his disdain.


    "Jacob, be honest, am I cursing him? I''m clearly just concerned about Mr. ckwood. I''m saying that if things continue like this, even a healthy person won''t be able to handle it, right?" Jacob sighed.


    "Yes, but his family can''t do anything, so what can we do?"


    The intern fell silent, and both of them remained silent at the same time.


    Two hourster, Adrian got up and changed rooms. The newly assigned room had a fresh and odorless air, and Adrian quickly fell into a deep sleep on the bed.


    Cob opened the window for venttion and said to the intern, "Alright, if there''s nothing else, you can go back first."


    "What about you?"


    "Mr. ckwood isn''t feeling well, so someone needs to stay here tonight."


    The intern pursed her lips and thought for a while before suddenly saying, "Then, does Mr. ckwood eat anything after taking stomach medicine? It''s not good for his stomach, right? Shall I go downstairs and see if I can buy some light food?"


    "When I came back, I saw a restaurant nearby. Maybe they have something? I''ll go take a look."


    After saying that, the intern ran out.


    Jacob originally wanted to tell her not to bother, as even if she bought something, Adrian might not eat it. However, she was so eager that Jacob didn''t stop her and could only sigh and sit down.


    About an hourter, the intern came back, carrying a porcin basin wrapped in several stic bags.


    "Brent, I''m back."


    Jacob immediately stood up.


    "Did you buy it?"


    The intern nodded with a smile.


    "Yes, I bought it. The owner of the restaurant downstairs started cooking a pot of millet porridge as soon as he heard about Mr. ckwood''s stomach problem."


    Upon hearing this, Jacob immediately ran over to take a look and indeed found it to be millet porridge.


    Moreover, the owner somehow cooked it in a way that emitted a refreshing aroma, making it very appetizing.


    "I''ll go get Mr. ckwood. You go to the kitchen and bring a small bowl of it."


    "Okay."


    In fact, Adrian only slept for about two hours.


    Not only did he have poor appetite, but his sleep was also disrupted. Today, it was because of his stomach problem that he had managed to sleep for a few hours. After waking up, whether in his mind or in front of his eyes, there was the sweet smiling face of a certain woman from the past.


    In addition to his stomach, there was another ce that caused him excruciating pain, almost suffocating him.


    A heartless woman.


    Was there anyone else in this world more heartless than her?


    The overwhelming pain in his chest made Adrian''s breath catch. He leaned there and took out his phone, suddenly wanting to check the ount to see those kids.

 Chapter 172 What Do You Want to Talk to Me About?

    It had been a day since he didn''t reply to the woman''s message.


    At this moment, it was alreadyte at night.


    The two kids'' ounts were well-maintained, with no misceneous things on their homepage, and the introductions were simple, even the updates were rare. It was evident that the person managing the ount didn''t have much free time.


    Adrian clicked on one of the videos, and the screen immediately disyed the smiles of the two children.


    As soon as he saw the smiles of these two children, Adrian suddenly felt the restlessness and irritability in his chest dissipate.


    He sat on the edge of the bed, sliding his finger and quietly watching for a long time.


    His mood became calmer and calmer.


    When Jacob pushed open the room door to find him, Adrian''s restlessness hadpletely settled, and his stomach, after taking the medicine, had improved slightly. "Mr. ckwood, why are you awake?


    Jacob hurriedly walked up to him, "I thought you were resting."


    Although Adrian''splexion hadn''t fully recovered, his eyes were noticeably sharper. He nced at the iing person, his thin lips pursed, and asked, "What do you want?"


    It was at this point that Jacob remembered his purpose and quickly said, "Well, it''s like this. Olivia bought some millet porridge in the restaurant downstairs. The owner specially made it after hearing about your condition. It smells delicious, so why not have some, Mr. ckwood?"


    After finishing his words, Jacob rubbed his hands together and continued, "After all, Mr. ckwood, you''ve taken medicine, and it''s better to have something to fill your stomach..." However, before Jacob could finish speaking, Adrian coldly rejected his proposal.


    "No need, take it away."


    Jacob didn''t expect to be rejected so quickly, but he didn''t want to give up either. He stood still, reluctant to leave.


    Adrian nced at him and asked, "Anything else?"


    "No, Mr. ckwood, your stomach is not in good condition. It''s not good for you to keep eating like this."


    "What''s it to you?"


    Jacob pouted.


    He wished it had nothing to do with him. After all, the pain wasn''t his own. But when Mr. ckwood was in pain, wasn''t he the one who got busy? Wasn''t he the one worrying for him?


    And if Mr. ckwood died of illness, he would definitely lose his position, and where would he find such a high-paying job for himself?


    Although, following Adrian meant dealing with a lot of work and Adrian himself was extremely indifferent. But he was different from others. As long as youpleted your work during work hours, he wouldn''t bother you with anything else. The year-end sry and bonus were also generous.


    In short, if he could work for the ckwood family for a lifetime, he wouldn''t consider going anywhere else.


    Thinking of this, he decided to respond to Adrian with a bunch of polite words.


    "Mr. ckwood, you shouldn''t say that. You are my superior, so naturally, I should be concerned about my superior''s health. If you are sick, both Olivia and I would worry."


    However, no matter how he expressed his concern, Adrian seemed to ignore himpletely.


    Seeing him so unresponsive, Jacob couldn''t help but worry. He became frustrated and said, "Mr. ckwood, you already have a stomach condition. Even though you''ve taken medicine, it''s not good to keep refusing food and drink. Even if the medicine is good, it won''t..."


    "Leave."


    "Mr. ckwood!"


    "Leave!"


    Adrian''s expression was icy.


    Jacob stood there for a long time, unable to do anything. He sighed and turned to leave.


    Adrian closed his eyes with a headache. At this moment, a small, tender voice came to his mind.


    "Mummy said that we have to eat properly and on time to have a healthy body. So everyone must eat on time."


    The sound of that little guy named Ruby...


    Who would have thought he would think of that little guy''s voice at this moment? What is he hinting at?


    Although he took stomach medicine, his stomach still hurts.


    Adrian pursed his lips and called out to Jacob before he walked out of the bedroom.


    "Wait."


    Jacob stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him, dejectedly.


    "Mr. ckwood?"


    "You just mentioned congee?"


    Jacob''s eyes, which had lost their light, brightened immediately, and he nodded eagerly like crushing garlic. "Yes, Mr. ckwood, the congee specially made by the downstairs restaurant." Adrian pondered for a moment. "Bring it in."


    "I''ll go right away."


    When Jacob left the room, the intern Olivia was still waiting anxiously outside.


    "Jacob, how is it? Is Mr. ckwood willing to eat?"


    "He is, he is. Hurry, give me the congee."


    "Oh."


    Olivia handed a small bowl of congee to Jacob.


    After receiving it, Jacob hurriedly went towards the bedroom, afraid that he would bete and Adrian would change his mind. In any case, when he wanted to eat, it was better to let him take a bite than not eat at all. The fragrant aroma of congee filled the room, and it was still warm in Jacob''s hands.


    He handed the spoon to Adrian and considerately said, "Mr. ckwood, be careful, it''s hot."


    After Adrian took it, he looked at the white congee in the bowl. Instead of eating it when he brought it to his lips, he looked up at Jacob.


    "How long do you n to stay here?"


    Jacob, who originally intended to watch him eat, had to retract his gaze. "Alright, then I''ll leave first."


    After the bedroom door was closed, it became quiet inside.


    Adrian looked at the bowl of white congee. In fact, he had no appetite at all. He never had much interest in food, as it was only a means to sustain life for him.


    He always ate very little.


    It was a certain woman who used to be by his side who had a deep understanding of food.


    When he was young, especially, every time after school or during weekends, she would drag him and talk about delicious food from different ces, asking him to take her there.


    Being with her, his appetite also increased a bit.


    But after she left...


    Thinking of this, Adrian''s eyes darkened slightly. He pushed away the unnecessary thoughts in his mind, then picked up the bowl, and without using a spoon, he reluctantly finished the congee by drinking straight from the bowl. Now that the food was in his mouth, it was tasteless, like chewing on wax.


    After finishing the congee, Adrian nced at his phone and thought of the message the woman sent during the day. His hand moved involuntarily and he listened to it again.


    Then he stared at the message for a long time before slowly replying.


    Eva was busy with work tonight, and she was about to sleep. Adrian''s stomach was a bit hungry, but she didn''t feel like cooking. She settled for a few pieces of biscuits to fill her stomach, finished washing up, and went to see the two darlings. After making sure that everyone had fallen asleep, Eva nned to go to bed herself. However, at that moment, her phone vibrated. Worried that it might be something important from work, she picked up her phone and checked.


    To her surprise, it was a text message from the man called ''NightA''. It had been a whole day since she messaged him, and he was only replying now.


    "What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

 Chapter 173 Give Me the Entry Code

    Honestly, no matter how she looked at it, his response seemed a little strange. If it weren''t for the fact that he had silently supported Ruby and Dn for so long without expressing any opinions, Eva probably would have ignored him. But regardless, she was the one who reached out to him first. It waste at night, and Eva didn''t want to waste any time, so she directly asked for a convenient way tomunicate.


    She asked directly, "Can we add a more convenient contact method for talking?"


    Adrian looked at her message for a while and then provided his contact information.


    Eva looked at the information he sent and added it to her WhatsApp. The ount she found was simple, with a nickname consisting of a single letter ''A'' and a profile picture of a night by the seaside.


    It matched his TikTok username quite well. She quickly added him as a friend. After Adrian sent the message, he waited for a while but didn''t receive any reply. He pursed his lips, looked at the time, and wondered if the reason for the silence was that it was toote and the other person had fallen asleep.


    He pondered while opening WhatsApp but found a new friend request. He hesitated for a moment and then chose to ept it. After adding each other, the system quickly confirmed that they were friends.


    Adrian subconsciously looked at the other person''s profile picture. Initially, he thought that people with children usually used pictures of their own precious babies as their profile pictures, but he didn''t expect the other person''s picture to be a strand of sunlight blooming in the dawn.


    Looking at this picture, Adrian somehow felt that the person was full of vitality, as if they were born in the sunlight, unlike himself...


    Lost in thought, Adrian saw a sentence appearing above the chat window: "The other person is typing...".


    Soon, the other person''s message came. "Hello, may I ask how should I address you?" Adrian pursed his lips.


    He typed a reply with just one word. "Adrian."


    Adrian? Seeing this word, Eva was momentarily stunned, but soon she felt relieved.


    The world is vast, and over the years, she had heard the same surnames, even the same names and surnames.


    At first, when she heard the same name, her heart would jump. Butter, and now... it was only a momentary astonishment before returning to normal. "Mr. Adrian, hello," she responded.


    It was simr to his TikTok nickname. Mr. Adrian? This address made Adrian''s lips curl slightly, and he remained silent. Then, the other person sent a message. "Give me a message."


    "Thank you so much for liking my two children. Over this past year, you have given them many gifts. Ruby and Dn really appreciate you. But as we mentioned during the livestream, we don''t ept gifts. So, after deducting the tform''s fees, I calcted the remaining amount, and ites out to be this."


    Adrian paused, realizing that she was mentioning something about the money.


    However, he didn''t expect that she would actually keep track of the expenses.


    The number she sent him was surprisinglyrge.


    It wasn''t because he felt like he gave too much and regretted spending the money. It was just that he didn''t expect to have given so much to the two kids over time.


    "Mr. Adrian, this is a substantial amount. Could you please provide me with your ount number? I will return the money to you."


    Adrian silently stared at the screen of his phone.


    Did she really want to return the money to him?


    Although he could tell from the livestream that the two kids came from a well-off family and weren''t in need of money, who in this world, other than a certain foolish woman, would consider money as too little? Eva waited for a long time before receiving a reply.


    She thought he might be looking for his card number, but a couple of minutester, he replied with just two words.


    "No need."


    Eva: "..."


    From the beginning of their conversation until now, it seemed like the other person was extremely economical with their words.


    She wondered if he normally spoke so concisely or if he simply didn''t want to engage in further conversation with her.


    But from his initial behavior, it seemed more likely that he didn''t want to talk to her.


    After all, when she messaged him, it showed as "read" early on, but he didn''t reply.


    He only respondedter in the evening, probably thinking it would be impolite not to respond?


    After figuring that out, Eva dismissed the idea of having further conversation with him. She fell silent for a moment and then left him a message. "It''s gettingte. Mr. Adrian, please rest early. If you have time tomorrow, please send me your ount number. Goodnight and sweet dreams." When Adrian saw this message, he couldn''t help but chuckle softly.


    It was obvious that she was abruptly ending their conversation.


    But the fact that she asked him to provide his ount number in the end caught Adrian by surprise.


    Did she really want to return the money?


    If he were to send his ount number, would she actually transfer the money to him?


    Thinking about the well-behaved and polite appearance of those two adorable kids, it wouldn''t be surprising if she actually dared to transfer the money if he gave her his ount number. However, once he gave something away, he wouldn''t take it back.


    ...


    The next day.


    While Eva was still in a daze from sleep, she seemed to hear some noise in the living room.


    After a moment of silence, Eva quickly woke up, pulled back the covers, and got out of bed, barefoot, to open the door and walk out.


    The morning light seeped through the gaps of the tree leaves, scattered like shimmering fragments.


    The windows of the living room were open, and she could hear the busy chirping of the birds, particrly lively.


    A tall figure was busy at the dining table in the living room.


    He was wearing a pure white shirt...


    Rolling up his sleeves, exposing his strong and sturdy arms, paired with simple ck trousers, he exudes an exceptional charm.


    "Up already?" The man''s warm voice sounded as his gaze fell on Eva.


    But in an instant, the man''s eyesnded on her snow-white feet, and he furrowed his brow lightly, "You''re up but not wearing shoes?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva lowered her gaze and nced at her own feet. Before she could speak, she heard Michael say softly, "Go and put on your shoes."


    "Okay." Eva went back to her room to put on her shoes beforeing out.


    "Why did youe over?" Eva walked over and sat across from him.


    Michael ced the final breakfast on the table and, after putting away the bag, he said, "If I didn''te, were you nning on having sandwiches again today?"


    Eva paused for a moment and then retorted, "I don''t eat sandwiches every day. Isn''t that just asionally when I''m busy?"


    "Even when you''re busy, you should eat properly."


    Eva didn''t say anything and looked at Michael in a somewhat helpless manner.


    Knowing that Eva was busy, he would often have the kitchen prepare meals and send them over. At first, when they were delivered, Eva had to call him. But as time went on, Eva couldn''t stand it anymore and directly told him, "Why don''t you stoping over in the morning? I just want to sleep a little longer."


    Upon hearing this, Michael raised an eyebrow and said, "You can sleep longer if you want. Just give me the door code."

 Chapter 174 Cant Rely on You for Everything

    And so, Michael obtained the entry code to her house.


    Afterward, he would often personally bring breakfast over.


    As the frequency increased, Eva felt embarrassed and said to him, "Actually, you can have your subordinates bring it over." Michael would then rub her head and say, "Don''t you want to sleep longer? If they bring it over, the phone call would wake you up." "Don''t we have the entry code?"


    Upon hearing this, Michael sighed, "Do you really think I would trust someone else with your entry code?"


    "What about your subordinates?"


    "They can''t do it either."


    So unless he was truly busy, he would take care of her without a hitch.


    "Have you washed up?"


    Eva was lost in thought when suddenly she heard Michael ask her from across the table.


    She snapped back to reality and shook her head, "Not yet. Isn''t it because I heard a noise in the living room that I got up to see?"


    "Still not used to it?" Michael ced a cup of warm water in front of her. "Ie and you get up immediately. How is that any different from me calling you?"


    Eva smiled. "There is still a difference. From when you wake me up with a phone call to the time you set up the living room, at least I can sleep a few more minutes." With that said, Michael was amused by her and reached out to tap her delicate nose.


    "Why are you like a little cat?"


    Eva paused, blinked her longshes, and thenughed along, "I''ll go wash up."


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you."


    When Eva finished washing up and came out, Michael was already seated next to her, holding a newspaper in his hand.


    Hearing the movement, Michael looks at you".


    Michael folded up the newspaper and put it into his bag.


    "Here ites."


    Eva nced at her seat and decided to go around and sit in front instead.


    Michael noticed her action, his eyes darkened slightly, but he didn''t show it on his face. He pushed the breakfast towards her.


    "Let''s eat." "Thank you."


    Perhaps it was because she had just gone around and sat across from him, the atmosphere between them became a bit strange. They ate their breakfast in silence. Eva looked at Michael''s handsome features and felt a pang of guilt in her heart.


    He treated her so well, yet she still cared about something as trivial as a seat...


    But after thinking like this, Eva felt a sense of guilt in her heart.


    After swallowing the food in her mouth, she was about to speak and break the awkward atmosphere when she heard Michael say, "How''s the matter going?" Hearing his words, Eva paused, "What matter?"


    "Are you half-asleep?" Michael gently reminded her, "About opening thepany."


    Only then did Eva react.


    "So you''re talking about that."


    She lowered her gaze and said softly, "I''ve figured it out, I just need to make a slight change in the location."


    "Location?"


    "Yes, I n to open thepany in my home country."


    When Michael heard the mention of her home country, his actions momentarily paused, but they were so subtle that you couldn''t see them without a microscope. Let alone the fact that he didn''t look at Eva at all at that moment.


    "Home country?"


    "Yes, I''ve researched the market, and it''s the most suitable in recent years."


    "You''ve grown up. You''ve even learned to research the market now."


    Eva: "..."


    She had already be a mother of two children and it had been five years. Why does Michael always treat her as a little girl?


    After praising her, Michael fell silent for a moment and then spoke slowly, "But isn''t it better to open it overseas? If you open it near mypany, I can help."


    Eva felt a little embarrassed, "You''ve already supported me so much in these five years, I can''t rely on you for everything."


    "Rely on everything?" Michael chuckled lightly at this description, "Eva, if in these five years, you were really willing to rely on me for everything, I wouldn''t have gone through all this trouble." Although she now agreed to let him bring her breakfast, it was the result of Michael''s efforts. Even if he didn''t do these things, Eva could still live her life well.


    "Don''t say that. You have already helped me a lot, if you do more, I won''t be able to repay you."


    "Who said you have to repay me?"


    Michael looked at her with deep eyes, and his voice became lower, "Anyway, it''s all willingly on my part. Even if you don''t repay me, I can''t do anything to you." Eva remained silent.


    He couldn''t do anything to her, after all, he had always respected her.


    But the more she owed, the more guilty Eva felt. If she really couldn''t repay it, she would feel uneasy for the rest of her life.


    "Alright, rx. If you want to go back to your home country, it''s fine. We''ll figure it out."


    "What''s the problem? Worst case scenario, I''ll go back to America with you." Upon hearing this, Eva, who had been looking down, suddenly looked up.


    "You''re going back to America with me?"


    "Why not? You''re going back to start apany, and I should go and help, shouldn''t I?" Eva hesitated.


    In fact, her decision to go back to America and start apany was not only because she had investigated the market, but also for other reasons. The main reason was that she felt Michael had been doing too much for her, and she wanted to go somewhere further away from him.


    She never expected that he would make such a major decision and offer to go with her. "What''s wrong? My words scared you?"


    "You... before..."


    "Don''t worry, did you really think I wanted to go back to America with you? Eva, I''m a businessman. I wouldn''t do anything without benefit. Even if you didn''t want to go back this time, I would still go back. I n to expand my market in America as well. As for the research report, my assistant gave it to mest month. Do you think I did it for you?"


    When Eva heard the mention of the research report, she was relieved, but at the same time, she had her doubts. "Last month? Are you telling the truth?"


    "Don''t believe me?" Michael took a sip of coffee, his lips curling into a faint smile.


    "If you don''t believe me, go to thepanyter and let David show you the report."


    "Don''t think that I''ll believe you just because you say so. I really will go and see it."


    "Sure, go and see. There''s nothing in mypany that you haven''t seen."


    His straightforwardness made Eva realize that she had been too presumptuous. After all, if he hadn''t prepared anything in advance and just went back to America with her, his business abroad would definitely suffer significant losses. How could a businessman let himself lose so much money?


    "By the way..." Michael suddenly remembered something and took out an invitation card from his pocket. "There will be an auction in Chicago early next month. Would you apany me?"


    Eva took the invitation card and opened it, asking, "Is there anything you want?"


    "Well, Grandpa''s birthday ising up, and there''s an antique he is interested in that will be avable at the auction. I n to win it and give it to him as a birthday gift."


    Hearing this reason, Eva nodded. "Alright, I''ll apany you then. I also need to see what gift we should prepare for Granpa Cooper."

 Chapter 175 She Cant Afford This

    After speaking, Eva returned the invitation card. Instead of taking his hand back, Michael held onto the invitation card cover and looked at Eva. "The best gift for Grandpa is probably a daughter-inw." Upon hearing this, Eva froze. She felt that Michael was implying something.


    Just as she was about to speak, Michael added, "Unfortunately, I don''t currently have the ability to fulfill that wish, so I can only temporarily buy the antiques he likes."


    As he finished his sentence, Michael took back the invitation card as well. Seeing Eva still frozen in ce, he asked with a smile, "Is this too much for you?"


    "What''s wrong with you?" Eva came to her senses and awkwardly smiled, "Nothing."


    "Really? You didn''t think I was implying something just now?"


    Eva stuttered, "No, no, I didn''t think that way at all."


    "Even if you did think so, it''s alright. The old man really likes your two children, and you know my feelings for you too."


    Eva pursed her lips and remained silent.


    Two years ago, Michael had actually confessed his feelings to her because of a certain incident, but Eva had rejected him back then. Since then, she had been avoiding Michael until he found her.


    "If you''re hiding from me because of my feelings for you, Eva, then there''s really no need. You''ve seen it for the past three years. I''ve never forced you to do anything. So, are you really going to hide from me and lose a friend over this little thing?"


    His earnest words made Eva feel like she had be a bad person if she continued to avoid him.


    Over the next two years, he continued to treat her well, with no other women appearing by his side. Even if there were some who wanted to get close to him, Michael would reject them.


    In short, Eva was almost the only woman by his side, along with her two children.


    Although he didn''t always confess his feelings to her and ask her to be with him, the more he stayed silent, the more difficult it became for Eva.


    Without him saying anything, she had no way to reject him, and she even wondered if she had influenced his search for a partner.


    "Alright, don''t think too much about it. As someone about to start apany, you should focus all your attention on it."


    Michael''s voice brought her back to reality.


    After regaining her senses, Eva nodded.


    "You''re right. If I want to start my ownpany, I''ll be very busy."


    After having breakfast, Eva packed the remaining food in a lunchbox, left a note, and then took a ride to thepany with Michael.


    It was rare for the two of them toe to work together. Today, their presence as a handsome man and a beautiful woman attracted quite a bit of attention.


    "I never expected Mr. Cooper and Ms. Hansen toe to work together. How unusual."


    "What''s so unusual about that? Everyone in thepany knows that Mr. Cooper likes our Ms. Hansen."


    "But everyone in thepany also knows that Ms. Hansen doesn''t like Mr. Cooper. Otherwise, they would have been together after so many years."


    "Why do you think Ms. Hansen hasn''t agreed to be with Mr. Cooper? Our Mr. Cooper is so outstanding and handsome, and he treats people so kindly. Just looking at him makes me feel weak, let alone how well he treats Ms. Hansen. Can any woman resist such a man?"


    "I heard it''s not that Ms. Hansen doesn''t like Mr. Cooper, but that she has a past that makes her feel unworthy of him. It''s because of this that she has been avoiding being with Mr. Cooper."


    "What happened?"


    "What''s going on?"


    The crowd immediately started gossiping.


    Wherever there are people in this world, there will always be gossip.


    "Ms. Hansen has been divorced and she even has two children."


    Upon hearing this, some were surprised as they thought there might be some love-hate rtionship, but it turned out she had been divorced.


    And not only that, she also has two children.


    "I heard that the Cooper family has strict values. With Ms. Hansen having two children already, Grandpa Cooper would never allow such a woman to enter their home."


    "A woman who has been married twice and has two children, it''s possible to marry an ordinary man, but to marry Mr. Cooper, that''s really reaching too high. Grandpa Cooper definitely won''t agree. No wonder they weren''t together. I guess it''s because she''s not good enough."


    Someone said sarcastically.


    "Where did you hear that from? Mr. Cooper''s father had taken a mistress into their home. Is that what you call strict values?"


    "Yeah, isn''t Mr. Cooper''s stepmother the one who gave birth to his younger brother, who''s only about seven? I heard she treats him terribly."


    It started with gossip about Michael and Eva, but gradually, everyone became more interested in Michael and started discussing his family affairs.


    It wasn''t until the supervisor coughed lightly and interrupted their conversation that they dispersed.


    "All day long, if you put as much effort into your work as you do gossiping and prying into other people''s affairs, you wouldn''t still be in the same position. It''s reallycking ambition."


    The supervisor shook her head and quickly left.


    ...


    Eva was unaware of everyone discussing her.


    Even if she knew, she wouldn''t mind how others talked about her.


    After all, she can''t control what others say since everyone has a mouth. Therefore, all she needs to do is to focus on herself.


    After separating from Michael, Eva went to her own office.


    On her way, she thought of something and deliberately detoured to David''s office.


    David was preparing today''s schedule when he heard the knocking and looked up, his eyes brightened when he saw Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, why did youe over?"


    He immediately stood up and greeted her with a smile.


    "Do you have something to do?"


    Eva nced at him, "Can''t Ie if I don''t have anything?"


    "What are you talking about? You cane anytime if you want."


    David was Michael''s assistant at the airport back then and witnessed Michael''s special treatment towards Eva. In the past five years, he hade to understand it even more.


    In his mind, although he was surprised that Michael hadn''t pursued Eva during these five years, and even somewhat disdainful of Michael''sck of skills in pursuing women, it didn''t stop him from seeing Eva as the futuredy of the house. "I wanted to ask, does Michael have any ns recently to develop in America?"


    After a moment, it dawned on Eva that the market research report Mr. Cooper had asked him to work on was for this purpose.


    "Yes, Mr. Cooper asked me to investigate it before. What''s wrong?"


    "Do you have the research report? Can I take a look?"


    Considering it was all in her head, Eva still wanted to see if the research report truly existed or if Michael had made it up to deceive her.


    She couldn''t handle this situation, really.

 Chapter 176 Neglecting Two Little Treasures in Your House

    Finally, David handed the report to her.


    Eva opened it and discovered that it was indeed the same report Michael had mentioned, dated a month ago. Moreover, it was not an ordinary research report; many details were thoroughly investigated.


    Upon finishing reading, Eva felt a huge sense of relief.


    Fortunately, he had ns to develop abroad and it wasn''t because of her. This made her feel at ease.


    "Thank you, I''ll give it back to you."


    Eva returned the research report to David.


    "Ms. Hansen, don''t you need to take it back and examine it carefully?"


    "No need, I''ve just looked through it."


    "Alright, if you need it, please send me a message, and I''ll bring it to you anytime."


    Peacefully, after bidding Eva farewell, David returned to his seat. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked down at the research report in his hand, thinking about what Michael had said when he asked him to handle it. "Be thorough."


    "Thorough?" David didn''t fully grasp Michael''s meaning, so he couldn''t help but ask again, "Mr. Cooper, how thorough should I be?"


    "As thorough as possible."


    After the research report waspleted, it had been sitting with him for many days without being used. It wasn''t until today when Eva came to retrieve it that David suddenly understood why Michael had stressed the importance of being thorough.


    It turned out, it was all for Eva.


    And not just for her, but without letting her know.


    David couldn''t help but sigh. Was this still the madman he knew? He waspletely different from what he had imagined.


    But a madman was still a madman. Even if he changed for someone, his nature wouldn''t change.


    Thinking about Michael''s crazy methods in the past, David couldn''t help but shudder.


    For a moment, he couldn''t determine whether it was lucky or unfortunate for Eva to be liked by Michael.


    ...


    Ever since deciding to start her ownpany, Eva had been caught up in an extremely busy life.


    Previously, she had time for naps, buttely, she couldn''t even spare time for a lunch break. She was even deprived of sleep at night. There were too many preparations to be made in advance, and she had pulled several all-nighters toplete the initial n.


    It was only today at noon that she finally had a chance to rest.


    Coincidentally, Emily came looking for her.


    They decided to have lunch together.


    Seeing Eva''s exhausted face, Emily had been shaking her head helplessly, Eva said, "Even if I''m starting apany, I don''t have to let myself go like this. Have you looked in the mirror these past few days?" "What''s the point of looking in the mirror?" Eva nonchntly took a sip of coffee and sighed. "Am I that free?"


    "It''s not about being busy, sis. Even for work, you should still take care of your health and appearance, right?"


    Emily looked Eva up and down, "Do you know how you look right now?"


    Eva stared back at her.


    Emily took a while to find words to describe her and finally pulled out a small mirror from her bag, handing it to Eva.


    "I won''t say anything, see for yourself. It might be more intuitive that way."


    Eva had been so busytely that all she wanted was a quiet meal. She never expected Emily to bring a mirror.


    "Emily, stop joking around..."


    But her wordspletely stopped when Emily handed her the mirror.


    She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, pausing.


    "Is it...?" Seeing Eva frozen, Emily couldn''t help butugh. "Do you now see how you look?"


    A few secondster, Eva instinctively covered her face with her hand.


    "I''ve lost my appearance."


    In the mirror just now, she had dark circles under her eyes, busy as she was, she hadn''t even put on makeup, and withck of sleep, herplexion was pale.


    Paleplexion paired with dark circles, and she had lost some weight.


    Forget about others, even she herself was taken aback when she saw it. "Don''t tell me you''ve been like this at thepany for several days." Eva nodded seriously upon hearing that.


    "Yes."


    Emily almost spat out the rice in her mouth. "It''s really true, huh?"


    Seeing Eva''s dejected expression, Emily could only sigh. "It seems that those with high beauty are willful. Even if they disregard their own appearance, they''re still beauties."


    Actually, Eva''s current state was still okay in Emily''s eyes.


    It was just thatpared to her usual refined self, it looked terrible. Moreover, she was naturally beautiful, with good facial features and a good foundation, so the dark circles and paleplexion made her appear fragilely beautiful. Thinking of this, Emily couldn''t help but sigh.


    A fair beauty looking haggard is still a beauty, but in her case... it would probably be a sight to behold.


    "Don''t push yourself too hard. Even if you''re starting apany, it''s impossible to finish everything in a few days. Give yourself some more time, even if it''s a bitter, it won''t make a big difference."


    "I know." Eva nodded, "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of myself."


    Once the topic shifted to thepany, Eva''s attention and focus quickly returned to it. She immediately started asking Emily about some matters that needed attention,pletely putting the matter of her appearance behind. Emily saw her transform into a workaholic and knew that no matter what she said now, it wouldn''t be of any use, so she didn''t try to persuade her again.


    In the end, the two turned their meal into a work discussion.


    When they were about to leave, Emily realized that she hadn''t eaten much.


    But she didn''t mind, as long as Eva was willing to take care of herself.


    "Not a big deal, treated it as a weight-loss n directly."


    "Have you been neglecting your two little darlings at home because of thepany?" Eva felt guilty as she brought it up.


    "Well, but Ruby and Dn have been very well-behaved. I promised to take them to the amusement park once I''m done with work."


    "Amusement park? How about I take them there first?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva looked at her with a skeptical gaze. "Do you have time?"


    Emily raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I do."


    "Did you take time off?"


    Emily smiled. "Yes, I did. It''s a rare opportunity, so I took three days off and moved to your ce."


    Eva wasn''t too surprised by this since every time Emily had a vacation, she woulde over and stay with her. Sometimes she would help take care of the children, sometimes she would cook for her. Their rtionship had been stable for so many years.


    "Alright, then just go straight to my ce. I still have things to do, can you handle it yourself?"


    "I can," Emily waved at her. "If I can''t handle it, I''ll find someone to help me, okay? You go and get busy, don''t let it dy your money-making."


    "Sorry, Emily, I''ll be done soon..."


    "Stop being sentimental, I''m waiting for you to make a lot of money and support me," Emily pushed Eva away. "Go and earn money, I''ll take care of the kids."

 Chapter 177 I Love You to Death

    After entering the room with a password lock, Emily heard the voices of the two little darlings talking.


    Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the two kids were live streaming.


    The words that were about toe out of her lips were instantly halted, as Ruby Hansen and Dn Hansen hadn''t noticed her presence yet and went straight to the kitchen to busy themselves. Emily, who thought Eva would be too busy to even wash dishes these days, entered the kitchen only to find it spotlessly clean.


    Not a dirty dish in sight, even the countertops were immacte.


    And the schedule disyed on a rack next to it showed that today had already been checked.


    "Did the cleaner alreadye?" Emily muttered softly, without dwelling on it further. She left the kitchen and went to the balcony instead.


    She only went out when the two kids finished their live stream.


    "Aunt Emily!"


    As soon as she saw her, Ruby Hansen excitedly rushed over and before Emily could even squat down to hug her, the little girl directly wrapped her arms around Emily''s legs. "Aunt Emily, Ruby hasn''t seen you in so long, really missed you," Ruby said with enthusiasm.


    "Is that so?" Emily dangerously squinted her eyes, then squatted in front of her. Before Ruby could react, Emily reached out and pinched her cheeks several times, rubbing and kneading them. She continued until Ruby''s cheeks turned rosy, then lovingly kissed her on the forehead.


    "Auntie missed you too!"


    Ruby blinked her eyes. "Auntie, you seem a bit strange..."


    "Hehehe, only Aunt Emily can treat you like this. Other than Aunt Emily, nobody is allowed to touch Ruby''s cheeks." Emily, at this moment, smiled mischievously and continued, "talking" "You''re acting like a fool."


    "Oh, okay."


    The little girl''s cheeks were rosy from her teasing and she obediently agreed with her words.


    Seeing this, Emily couldn''t help but kiss her again, adding another sentence.


    "Also, besides Aunt Emily, Ruby''s cheeks are not to be kissed by anyone else, except for your mommy and grandpa, of course."


    At that moment, Dn Hansen also walked over.


    The little one politely called out to her, "Aunt Emily."


    Seeing Dn Hansen, Emily''s eyes lit up again, she let go of Ruby and was about to pounce on him.


    The little one quickly stepped back.


    "Dn!" Emily squinted her eyes and threatened, "Come over and give Aunt a kiss now!"


    Hearing this, Dn Hansen blushed and took a few steps back.


    Emily caught up with him, then dragged him back and put both of them on her left and right sides.


    "No wonder Eva does everything for you two, if I had two adorable kids like you, I would do the same!"


    Unfortunately! It''s been five years!


    She is still single!


    Her best friends have gotten married, gotten pregnant, and even divorced and had babies, while she remains single.


    When she first came out from America, Emily hoped Eva could introduce her to some high-quality resources.


    Dreaming of finding a foreign man and having a mixed-race baby.


    Now, let alone a baby, she finds it difficult to find someone to date.


    All of this is because of her boss!


    Emily''s boss happens to be a mixed-race, with half of his heritage inherited from his mother. At first, when Emily saw him, she had fantasies about him.


    But as they got to know each other, she realized that he was simply a workaholic and constantly exploited her weekends.


    Even when she was on a date with a man, her boss would call her and make her work overtime, threatening to cancel her year-end bonus if she didn''tply.


    She had no choice but to leave the man and rush to work.


    Over time, Emily med her inability to find a partner on her dog of a boss.


    Thinking of this, Emily felt an itch of hatred and said, "You two better pray that Aunt Emily gets married soon and gives birth to a pair of adorable babies like you. Then Aunt Emily won''t only be pinching your cheeks." Ruby Hansen immediately hugged her neck affectionately and said, "Pray that Aunt Emily gets married soon."


    "Oh my, my sweetie, you''re so adorable, I love you to death."


    ...


    As it was almost time to leave work, Michael came to find Eva.


    "Haven''t finished your work yet?"


    In the midst of her busy schedule, Eva didn''t even lift her head but managed to find some time to say, "No, I probably still need some more time."


    After speaking, she suddenly realized who she was talking to and looked up.


    "Why are you here?"


    Michael walked in with his car keys and his suit jacket over one arm, a gentle smile on his lips.


    "To pick you up from work, but it seems like you''re still busy for a while."


    Saying that, Michael went ahead and sat on the couch. "I''m waiting for you here. How much longer will it take?"


    Initially, Eva wanted to refuse him, but in the end, she said, "About an hour."


    "Alright, take your time," he nodded understandingly.


    Michael didn''t say anything else, understandingly sensing her need to focus on her work.


    Eva quickly immersed herself back in her work.


    As it neared the one-hour mark, Michael picked up a book and started flipping through it on the couch.


    At first, he was able to maintain his interest in the book, but after some time, his gaze involuntarily shifted to Eva''s face.


    Eva was very serious about her work, her full attention focused on her notebook. Her slender, white fingers flew across the keyboard, and strands of hair fell on her cheeks without her noticing, as she remained devoted to her notebook. asionally, when faced with a problem that required thoughtful consideration, she would pause, supporting her chin with her hand, her delicate eyebrows lightly furrowing, and her rosy lips pursed.


    Once she figured out a solution after contemtion, her eyebrows would rx, and she would dive back into her work.


    Unbeknownst to Eva, every subtle expression she made while working were all observed by Michael.


    While he appeared to be reading his book, he was actually observing her.


    Waiting for her was not difficult for him. No matter how long it took, Michael was willing to wait. However, watching her work, it was clear that an hour was not enough.


    Because Michael felt like he had the book in his hands for only a short while when Eva finished her work.


    "Alright, I''m finished. We can go now."


    "So soon?"


    Michael nced at his wristwatch and realized it had only been forty-five minutes.


    No wonder he felt like it hadn''t been an hour yet.


    "Hmm, how should I put it? With my boss watching, my productivity doubled, so I finished early."


    Upon hearing her exnation, a faint smile formed on Michael''s lips.


    "It seems like I''ve been putting pressure on you here."


    "It''s pressure and motivation. Let''s go."


    Eva put her notebook into her bag, intending to put on her coat. But before she had a chance to do so, Michael had already picked up her coat and walked over to her, opening his arms to help her put it on. "It''s cold outside, be careful and keep warm. Don''t you realize how thin and fragile you are?"


    Taken aback by his words, Eva felt his breath close by. Before she could react, she heard a low sounding from above her.


    "Give me your hand."


    Hearing this, Eva felt a bit awkward and said, "Shouldn''t I be the one..."


    "Wearing a coat, is that too much?"


    After a few seconds, Eva reluctantly lifted her hand, allowing Michael to help her put on the coat. But when he tried to button it up for her, Eva couldn''t help but stop his hand. "Alright, I can take care of the rest."

 Chapter 178 Ambiguous Atmosphere

    Michael''s hand paused for a moment, and he chuckled softly. However, his hand didn''t retreat; instead, it lingered on her button.


    "Eva," his voice was gentle, "why do you resist me like this?"


    "It''s not that, I just..."


    Eva was still struggling to exin herself when Michael sighed and retracted his hand.


    "Since that''s the case, then you handle it yourself." Eva: "..."


    He pulled his hand back, and Eva quickly turned around to fasten the buttons on her coat. After she finished, she turned back and found that Michael had already picked up her notebook bag and was walking ahead. Eva hurriedly caught up with him. Most of thepany employees had already left, leaving only a few working overtime. Anyone they ran into would greet both of them.


    "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen," someone said.


    Both of them nodded in response.


    Once inside the elevator, Eva started telling Michael about Emily at her house.


    "She''s on vacation? Rare indeed, her boss actually approved her leave."


    As Eva mentioned Emily''s boss, she couldn''t help but suppress a chuckle.


    "Yes, a rare vacation. I was also surprised that her boss agreed for her to take three days off."


    They chatted about trivial matters as they left the parking lot together.


    When they arrived home, Eva and Michael immediately smelled the aroma of food. Under the warm yellow light, Ruby Hansen and Dn Hansen were sitting on the living room sofa watching cartoons. "Mummy! Uncle Michael!"


    The two little ones hadn''t seen Michael for several days, so they were very enthusiastic and wanted him to hold them.


    Michael happily held one in each arm.


    Dn Hansen was more reserved, lightly wrapping his arms around Michael''s neck.


    On the other hand, Ruby Hansen was extremely dramatic, tightly clinging onto Michael''s neck while speaking in a sweet and cutesy voice, "Thank you, Uncle Michael, for bringing my mummy home. Uncle Michael is so nice!" "What if Uncle Michael didn''t bring your mummy home? Then he wouldn''t be good?"


    "No, Uncle Michael has always been good."


    Michael nced at Eva, who had already changed her shoes and went straight into the kitchen without noticing their conversation. He whispered, "If you think Uncle Michael is good, then how about letting Uncle Michael be your dad?" Ruby Hansen made a little sound, tilting her head as if pondering.


    After a moment, she smiled at Michael, revealing her two sharp front teeth. "If Uncle Michael bes my dad, will he be nice to Ruby?"


    "Of course." Michael chuckled softly. "I''ll buy you whatever you want as long as you can say it. Uncle Michael will make it happen." "Really?"


    Michael lifted her up slightly. "Really."


    "Well... Ruby needs to discuss it."


    "With such great conditions, you still need to consider?"


    "Well, even though Ruby really likes Uncle Michael, she also needs to get mummy''s opinion."


    Michael lightly bit his thin lip, intending to say something, but Emily''s voice came from the other side.


    "Michael, you''re here again...


    "Are you shameless, deceiving children?"


    Emily walked out of the kitchen with a tray and overheard the conversation between the two. She decided to yfully tease Michael.


    "Even though you fail every time you try to deceive them, why do you always persist?"


    Michael carried the two children and walked over to Emily, watching as she ced the food on the table. He then put the children down and replied, "If you don''t give up, there will always be a chance." Emily paused for a moment after hearing his words, then smiled and said, "You''re right. Keep going. You know I support you. Take her down soon."


    "Thank you for your kind words. I will work hard."


    At first, when Emily had just met Michael, she wouldn''t have dared to speak to him like this. After all, despite his gentle appearance, he held a high social status, and she couldn''t treat him as an ordinary man.


    However, as they spent more time together, probably because she was Eva''s best friend, Michael treated her very well, and would often bring her good things as well. Over time, Emily had be a part of Michael''s circle, and she would asionally speak up for him.


    Moreover, she genuinely thought highly of him. He had been by Eva''s side for five years, and there had been no other women in his life. A man so devoted, other than Michael, was a rare find. He also didn''t mind Eva being divorced and having children, treating her two children as his own. If this isn''t love...


    "What are you taking down?"


    Just then, Eva also walked out of the kitchen. She had only heard half of the conversation and missed the beginning.


    Emily cleared her throat and lied with a straight face, "What else can we take down? Of course, it''s about taking down a project."


    Michael stepped forward and took the dish from her hands. "I''ll do it."


    Eva let go of his hand.


    "We''re about to have dinner, and you''re still talking about work?"


    "What''s wrong with talking about work? It shows our drive and that work is our life."


    Upon hearing this, Eva turned her head, looking at Emily.


    "Is that so? Then why don''t you call your boss right now and tell them that work is your life?" Emily immediately frowned.


    "Why mention that awful boss and ruin the good atmosphere? Let''s not bring him up!"


    After everyone had sat down, Eva thought about Emily''s expression and found it quite amusing.


    "I feel like you and him can be considered frenemies, don''t you think?"


    "Who''s frenemies with him? Eva, I''m warning you, don''t everpare me to that man. I''ve been single for these past five years, all because of him. He''s the person I dislike the most."


    Eva and Michael exchanged a smile but remained silent.


    "Ruby, Dn, these are specially made c chicken wings by Aunt Emily for you. Eat more, okay?"


    Emily served the food into the bowls of the two children.


    The living room had a warm atmosphere.


    "By the way, how is yourpany doing? When are you nning toe back to the country?"


    "Oh?" Eva pondered for a moment. "I probably have to wait until I finish the project at hand before considering going back to America."


    "You still have a project at hand? Finishing one project takes a long time, won''t you..."


    "Let''s arrange to go back in a few days," Michael said softly.


    Upon hearing this, the two women looked at him simultaneously.


    Michael smiled. "What are you both looking at? Starting apany requires prompt action. Otherwise, how would you know what the market will be like if you procrastinate?" "That''s true, but..."


    "Eva, even if I''m not around, thepany won''t go bankrupt. So don''t worry for me. Just focus on doing what you want to do."


    Eva was taken aback by his sudden words.


    Emily''s mouthful of food suddenly turned into dog food.


    She nced at Eva, then at Michael, and finally rolled her eyes and eximed, "Enough with your lovey-dovey act! Can''t you see we''re having a meal? Do you really have to shove dog food in my face? Don''t make me show you my talent for flipping tables!"


    Eva''s expression changed slightly.


    After his earlier words, the atmosphere had already be ambiguous, and now Emily was saying they were unting their affection, making it seem like there was really something between them.

 Chapter 179 Too Much Reward?

    After dinner, Michael rolled up his sleeves and said, "I''ll wash the dishes."


    "No need, just tidy them up and put them in the dishwasher."


    Unfortunately, Michael''s movements were too quick. Without waiting for Eva''s reaction, he had already taken the dishes away. Emily couldn''t help but tease when she saw this.


    "Alright, Eva, if he wants to do you, just let him. If you don''t agree, how would he perform?"


    "Yeah," Michael chimed in, "I need to show off a bit too."


    With the conversation having reached this point, Eva couldn''t say much more and handed over the remaining tasks to Michael.


    When it was time to rest in the evening, even though Emily had her own room to sleep in, she insisted on cuddling with Eva, holding a pillow.


    Rain was falling outside the window, and the temperature in the room had dropped.


    But with the two of them squeezed together, the warmth inside the nket increased.


    "I remember when we were in school, I often secretly slept over at your ce. However, your bed was so big back then. I kept wondering if all rich families had beds this big," Emily said, reminiscing about the past. "Probably because my dad was afraid I would fall off the bed, so I always slept on a specially tailored size," Eva replied, unable to suppress a smile.


    "When you mention it, I remember rolling around your bed, but no matter how much I rolled, I wouldn''t fall off."


    Recalling the past always evoked a deep sense of nostalgia.


    It turned out we were so happy back then, so many years have passed already.


    Emily talked about past events with great joy, chirping like a little bird.


    "Oh, do you remember when we used to sneak food while still in bed, and we were caught by your family''s nanny?"


    There was no response to that sentence.


    Thinking that Eva had fallen asleep, Emily instinctively looked at her, only to see her with lowered eyes.


    Absent-mindedness.


    "Eva, Eva?"


    Emily called Eva several times in a row before she came to her senses.


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    Eva could only smile, "It''s nothing, I was just lost in thought."


    Unexpectedly, Emily grabbed the back of her head forcefully and sternly said, "After years of being sisters, I know something is bothering you. Come clean with me."


    Hearing this, Eva finally nced at her and pondered for a moment before saying, "Can you stop saying things like that in the future?"


    "What things?" Emily waspletely baffled by the sudden change in topic.


    Knowing she was confused, Eva reminded her proactively.


    "At dinner tonight."


    Upon hearing this, Emily immediately understood.


    "You mean when I joked about you and Michael?"


    Eva fell silent.


    "So you''re absent-minded because of that?" Emily asked, puzzled.


    Eva softly replied, "I feel that it''s not right."


    "Do you mean you feel awkward because of the things I said, or is it because you don''t want to be with Michael, so you think what I said is not good?"


    "I..."


    "Eva, I don''t quite understand." Emily tapped her chin. "It''s been five years, and Michael has been attentive to you in every way. He spoils and amodates you in every regard. Even a stone would have warmed up by now, wouldn''t it?" Eva pursed her red lips and remained silent.


    "But if he were a little ugly, or poorer, or treated you poorly, and you said you didn''t like him, I think I could understand. But no, Michael is one in a million in terms of looks, not to mention his wealth. You must know how he treats you." Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but furrow her delicate eyebrows in disagreement.


    "But rtionships aren''t based on these things."


    "What do they depend on then? Tell me," Emily smiled. "Why don''t you just tell me if there''s someone you''ve liked in these five years? Someone who has shown interest in you, not just Michael."


    "Eva, I have children and I don''t want to consider these things."


    "But those people don''t mind that you have children. Michael treats Ruby and Dn as his own children, doesn''t he?"


    "Yes, I know, I owe him a lot."


    Maybe I''ll never be able to repay him in this lifetime.


    "If I were Michael and heard you say this, I would definitely be heartbroken," Emily couldn''t help but feel sorry for Michael. "I think he''s really great. Handsome, from a good family, and most importantly, he''s faithful, with no other women by his side, just you. If you can like him, you will definitely have a happy life together in the future."


    "Emily..."


    "Okay, okay, no matter how good Michael is to you, and no matter what impression you have of him, you have to believe that I am on your side. I''m only suggesting this because I think he''s a good person. But if you really don''t like him, then we won''t pursue it. It''s not a big deal, I won''t mention it again."


    Thinking that Eva would try to persuade her, she was somewhat surprised to hear this.


    "You''re not trying to persuade me?" she asked.


    "Why should I persuade you? Are you silly? You''re my sister, how could I force you to do something you don''t like? Besides, even if I forced you, it might not work."


    At this point, Eva showed a naive smile, like a little girl.


    After bing a mother, she rarely smiled like this.


    If she had known that saying these words would work, she should have said more. After all, as her best friend, it was her duty to protect her smile.


    ...


    After setting the date to return to their home country, Eva told the two children about this.


    The two babies were very obedient and listened no matter what she said.


    Ruby Hansen even nestled into her arms directly.


    "Wherever mommy goes, Ruby will go too."


    Dn Hansen also shyly said, "Yeah, Ruby''s right."


    Eva reached out and touched the little heads of the two of them and said softly, "Thenter, you can do a live broadcast and tell everyone about our recent news, that we will temporarily stop broadcasting until we settle down and stabilize everything after returning home."


    "Okay, mommy, we''ll do a live broadcastter."


    While Eva was packing, the two children went straight to their room to start the live broadcast.


    When the live audience discovered that today''s live broadcast background of the two cute kids was different from usual, not in the living room but in a warm little room, they began asking in the barrage. "Live broadcast? Why not?"


    Among those who felt confused was Adrian, who was currently sitting in his office, putting down his work to watch the live broadcast of the two cute kids.


    Upon hearing the announcement of no more live broadcasting, Adrian''s eyes immediately changed, and his fingers, with distinct joints, involuntarily tightened. No more live broadcasts?


    Why?


    Adrian''s first thought was: Did they think he gave too much in tips?

 Chapter 180 Respect Choices

    Along with this thought, Adrian thought of Ruby and Dn''s mother, whom they added contacts with but lost touch with because he didn''t reply. Did they not want the tips from him and decided to stop live broadcasting?


    If... he sent his card number?


    Adrian did like those two little guys. Although they didn''t do many live broadcasts, they always managed to dispel the darkness in his life.


    The two kids were adorable, and over the past year, watching them had be a habit for him.


    He hadn''t found anything else that could rece them as a way to ease his mood.


    If they really stopped live broadcasting because of this...


    In an instant, Adrian''s mind went through various solutions.


    However, before he could indulge in his wild thoughts for too long, Dn in the live broadcast corrected Ruby.


    "Not that we won''t be livestreaming anymore, it''s just that we''re moving soon, so we won''t be livestreaming until after the move," Ruby Hansen nodded along. "We''re moving," she added. Adrian breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that they were only moving, not discontinuing the livestreams. It was a good thing it was only a move.


    He clicked into their homepage and checked the location of these few little ones, they were overseas. Adrian was surprised to see that their location was the same as his current one.


    He had never specifically looked up where these two little ones lived, and since he was overseas for a business trip this time, he naturally didn''t realize that they were in the same ce. However, this country was huge, and it didn''t necessarily mean they were in the same city.


    So, there was a bunch of people in the livestream asking where they were moving to, but the two little ones were smart enough not to directly reveal their address. They simply mentioned that they might return to their home country.


    As soon as Adrian heard "returning to their home country," a thought shed through his mind. He wondered if he could pick them up if they returned. But as soon as this thought arose, Adrian himself suppressed it.


    To this family, he was just a viewer who gave tips online. If he randomly offered to pick them up, they might think he was a pervert or that he had mental problems.


    When Jacob came in to find him, the livestream had already ended and Adrian had just put away his phone. He heard Jacob say, "Mr. ckwood, it''s time for your medication."


    Adrian pursed his lips and ignored him.


    After a moment of silence, Jacob, seeing Adrian sitting there indifferent, reminded him once again, "Mr. ckwood, take your medication."


    Hearing this, Adrian finally nced at him with a permissive look. "Are you free?"


    "I''m busy," Jacob walked over directly, opened the drawer, took out the stomach medicine from inside, and then poured a ss of warm water.


    "But at this time, my primary job is to remind you to take your medication. Please take it quickly."


    Adrian...


    He looked at the Jacob in front of him, who had an even more speechless personality than Brent. He couldn''t figure out for a moment why he had agreed to let Brent''s cousin be his assistant.


    "Mr. ckwood? The water is warm, if you leave it for a while, you''ll have to drink cold water in this weather. Please take your medication quickly. Your current health condition won''t be good without taking the medicine." Jacob seemed like he was about to personally pour the medicine into Adrian''s mouth.


    In fact, a few days ago, he didn''t dare to act like this towards Adrian.


    But after Adrian''s mother heard about Adrian''s meeting during a phone call, she got mad and scolded him after his gastric attack.


    "Jacob, from today onwards, I will double your sry. Your other job is to supervise Mr. ckwood and make sure he takes his medication. Don''t worry, if he dares to say anything to you, tell him it was my order."


    "By doing this, if he is dissatisfied with you taking medicine, then he is dissatisfied with me. Feel free to call toin."


    With Margaret backing him up, what is Jacob afraid of? This is the perfect opportunity to assert dominance and make Mr. ckwood drink the medicine.


    The best part is that it''s just making him drink the medicine, and he can also receive double the sry. Isn''t it wonderful?


    "Mr. ckwood, if you don''t drink it, I won''t be able to exin when Mrs. ckwood callster."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jacob felt a cold gaze fall upon his face.


    He suddenly felt a chill down his spine.


    It was at this moment that he finally understood that even with Margaret standing behind him, no matter what, Adrian was Margaret''s son. If he was too arrogant andcent, he would definitely be the one to suffer in the end. However, Adrian''s subsequent behavior surprised him greatly.


    Because he took the medicine right in front of him, even drank the cup of warm water that Jacob poured, and then ced the cup heavily on the table, making a loud sound. "Satisfied?"


    Jacob quickly nodded and bowed, expressing his satisfaction as he left.


    After he left, Adrian seemed to think of something and took out his phone, looking at the finished live stream interface, he pursed his thin lips.


    I wonder when the next live stream will be.


    I hope it can be sooner rather thanter, not toote.


    ...


    "The live stream is over?" Eva had just finished packing some things and putting them in a bag when she saw two kids walking in with their phones.


    "Yes, Mommy." Dn Hansen obediently handed his phone to Eva.


    "Did you tell everyone that you won''t be live streaming for a while?"


    "Yes, Mommy, we''ve already told everyone."


    "That''s good. Let''s tidy up these days, no rush. Once we''re done, we''ll go back."


    Dn Hansen suddenly asked, "Mommy, did you tell Grandpa?"


    Hearing this, Eva paused for a moment, suddenly realizing.


    "Oh, right, I''ve been so busytely that Ipletely forgot about it. We''ll go to Grandpa''s house that night."


    "Okay."


    Five years ago, when Eva had just arrived abroad, Mr. Hansen''spany was barely getting by, and they even had debts.


    Eva used her meager savings to help fill the financial gap, but Mr. Hansen scolded her harshly when he found out.


    Mr. Hansen, who had never easily epted help from others, started to change his mindset after learning about Eva''s divorce from Adrian and her pregnancy.


    He no longer clung to the idea of starting from scratch on his own and began to seek interpersonal connections.


    Many people had received the care and help of the Hansen family when they were in their prime. Mr. Hansen went door-to-door to repay their favors.


    In the end, it would probably take several years to build up a sessful business.


    Si, you flourished within a year.


    Later, Mr. Hansen bought the current house.


    As for why they didn''t live together, it was because in the third year, there was suddenly another confidante by her father''s side.


    She was a woman who had lost her husband and came alone to make a living abroad. She had a son who was much younger than Eva and studying abroad.


    At first, Eva was a bit ufortable with this sudden presence of a woman by her father''s side.


    In her impression, her father had always revolved around her since she was young, so she wasn''t used to sharing him with someone else.


    But after seeing her father''s different gaze and expression towards that woman, Eva decided to respect her father''s choice.

 Chapter 181 The Last Night

    And most importantly, she felt that her father had been alone for too long, and finally there was someone who delighted him and vice versa. If she forcefully broke them apart, it would be too cruel for him. That woman was also very proactive.


    After she discovered their rtionship, she came to her privately and carefully told her.


    "Ms. Hansen, your father has told me about your family to some extent. Your family is special. I can swear that I am with your father not for any ulterior motives. But if you don''t trust me, I can sign an agreement with you privately, guaranteeing that I won''t take anything from the Hansen family. Only the two of us will know about this agreement, and no one else will."


    "Sign an agreement? Alright, let''s do it then."


    So Eva had herwyers at Michael''spany draft an agreement and asked the woman to sign it.


    Surprisingly, the woman didn''t even bother reading the agreement and picked up the pen to sign it. Eva stopped her actions.


    "You''re signing without even reading it. Aren''t you afraid I might trick you?"


    The woman smiled shyly at her. "Mr. Hansen is a good person, and you''re his daughter. You definitely won''t harm me."


    The woman''s generosity convinced Eva. She didn''t want to hurt her father, so she didn''t make her sign the contract in the end. After she put away the agreement, the woman seemed a bit flustered.


    "Ms. Hansen, why did you suddenly change your mind about the contract? Do you disagree with me being with Mr. Hansen?"


    "No." Eva smiled faintly and looked at her. "Just call me Eva from now on. If you want to be with my father, there''s no need to be so formal. Also, next time you have to read the contract carefully. You can''t be easily deceived like today." As for why she made a contract, it was a bit of selfishness as a daughter.


    She came from a single-parent family, and besides her own children, her father was the only family she had. So if someone wanted to be with her father, she also wanted to test the person.


    After they got together, Eva naturally didn''t live with her father anymore.


    She bought a small house for herself and her two children, which was enough for the three of them.


    When they arrived at the Hansen family, servants quickly came out to wee them and picked up both of the little ones.


    "Ms. Hansen, you''re back. Mr. and Mrs. just mentioned you earlier."


    "Where are they?"


    "They just finished dinner and are resting."


    Just as the words fell, a figure appeared at the entrance of the hall. "Eva."


    "Mrs. is here."


    Eva looked towards the person, and it was Grace, who had formed a new family with her father.


    Grace saw Eva, her eyes bright and quickly walked over.


    "Grandma, hello."


    When she approached, Ruby was the first to greet her and reach out her hand, asking for a hug.


    "Hey, lovely Ruby,e to Grandma for a hug."


    Grace happily took Ruby in her arms while the servants assisted with the luggage.


    The person handed Ruby over, and once she was in their arms, they couldn''t let go. She found that Eva took care of the two children very well.


    The feeling in their hands as they held Ruby was soft, and there was a sweet milky scent on her body. Holding her was like holding a piece of milk cake.


    "Why is she so adorable? How did she grow up like this?"


    In fact, these two children are so attractive mainly because of their good genes. However, due to Eva''s difficult marital journey, Grace never dared to mention anything rted to the children''s father in front of her. After Grace held Ruby securely, she pinched Dn''s cheeks before turning to Eva and saying, "It''s windy outside. Let''s go inside first."


    "Okay."


    Eva followed Grace into the house.


    As they walked, Graceined, "Your father just went upstairs to take a shower. I''ve told him many times not to shower immediately after a meal, but he never listens."


    Listening to her chattering andining as if they were old acquaintances, Eva''s lips curled up.


    "It must be tough for Auntie to take care of my father on a regr basis."


    Hearing this, Grace immediately exined on Mr. Hansen''s behalf.


    No, actually, your father takes care of many things by himself. On the contrary, I feel like he''s the one taking care of me."


    "It''s good to support each other."


    Grace looked back at her, smiled shyly, and then put Ruby down.


    "I''ll go upstairs and tell your father to hurry up with his shower."


    "No need, Auntie. We''re not in a hurry to leave today."


    Upon hearing this, Grace''s eyes lit up.


    "Are you staying here tonight?"


    Eva turned her head to Ruby and Dn.


    "What do you think? Grandma is asking if you two want to stay here tonight."


    "We want to!" Ruby immediately hugged Grace''s leg and said, "Then I''ll sleep with Grandma tonight, Grandma." Ruby extended a fair little finger, gesturing, "Thest night." Originally, Grace was happy, but when she heard the words "thest night," she froze in ce.


    "Thest night? What does that mean?"


    Eva said, "Ruby, who taught you to say such confusing things? Do you know you scared Grandma?" Upon hearing this, Ruby tilted her head.


    "Mommy?"


    Eva yfully tapped Ruby''s nose with her hand and said, "It''s ourst night before we return to our country."


    Having been instructed, Ruby immediately corrected herself, "Grandma, it''s ourst night before we return to our country."


    After hearing this, Grace understood everything.


    She looked at Eva in shock and asked, "Are you going back to your country? When?"


    "It will probably happen in the next couple of days."


    "Why are you suddenly going back? I don''t remember your father mentioning it before."


    "We came here today to tell him about this."


    After hearing this, Grace had nothing more to say.


    Upon learning that Eva was going back to start her ownpany in her own country, Mr. Hansen was surprised, "Eve, why would you suddenly..."


    "But do you really have to go back to start apany? If Eve wants to manage apany, I will give you mine," Mr. Hansen''s words left Eva speechless for a moment.


    After a while, she finally managed to exin, "Dad, you worked so hard to build thispany. Are you really just going to give it to me like that?"


    "What''s wrong with that? Dad''spany is Eve''s too."


    Since they were chatting in the study with no one else around, only the two father-daughter duo who had relied on each other since childhood, Mr. Hansen spoke without any reservations.


    "Why do you think I started thispany? It was all for giving you a better life. Eventually, thispany will be yours. Even though I am with Grace now, I have already told her that the shares and everything will be yours. As for Grace, after I go, I will leave her with some shares as a living allowance. She has been with me, and I also want to take care of her for the rest of her life."

 Chapter 182 Whose Child?

    In fact, Eva never thought about having her father leave everything to her. But hearing him say that thepany would be hers in the future, she couldn''t help but feel deeply moved. "So don''t run back to America. Stay here and help me manage thepany."


    Although touched, Eva still raised an eyebrow, saying, "I''m afraid I can''t do that."


    Mr. Hansen was a little confused upon hearing her response. "Why not? Eve, you have two children to take care of and opening apany will be exhausting."


    "I know it will be tiring, but it also brings a sense of aplishment. Dad, I just want to start apany."


    She wanted to rely on herself and provide a better life for her two children. Eva didn''t know what other parents thought, but personally, now that she was a parent, she believed that if she had the ability to give her two precious ones a better life, why shouldn''t she strive for it?


    With this in mind, Eva walked around the table and went to stand beside Mr. Hansen, just like she did when she was a child. She hugged his arm affectionately and said, "And most importantly, Dad, yourpany is thriving now, and it is my strongest support. If I fail to make it outside, I am not worried at all because I know I have you supporting me from behind."


    Her words touched Mr. Hansen deeply. As a father, he was her true pir of support. No matter how she struggled and fought outside, he would always be her safe haven as long as she had a way to retreat. After a long while, Mr. Hansen sighed and said, "Eve, starting apany is hard work."


    Eva had been waiting for his answer. Upon hearing this, she couldn''t help but smile. "Dad, I''m not afraid of hard work."


    Being a mother gave her newfound strength to break through the barriers and do things she didn''t dare or want to do before.


    "Just remember, Eve, I am only your father. Whenever you face any difficulties, just give me a call."


    "I know, Dad."


    A few dayster, the whole family appeared at the airport. Mr. Hansen and Grace bid farewell to Eva and the two little ones with reluctance.


    "When you arrive in America, take good care."


    "Take care of yourself. Taking care of two children all by yourself is not easy. If possible, it would be best to hire a reliable nanny," Mr. Hansen instructed. Eva diligently took note of her father''s instructions. "Alright, I''ll start looking as soon as I get back," Eva replied.


    After Mr. Hansen finished his instructions, it was Aunt''s turn.


    Eva patiently listened.


    Once both of them had finished speaking, Emily leaned in with teary eyes.


    "It has been a long five years since west parted ways. I didn''t expect to say goodbye again this time. Don''t worry, Eva. Once I quit my job here, I''lle to America to help you."


    "Don''t be silly. If you quit such a good job, you might not find something suitable again in the future."


    "This job keeps me so busy that I haven''t even found a boyfriend," Emily replied in dissatisfaction.


    After speaking, Emily noticed something. "By the way, why didn''t Michaele? Doesn''t he n to go back to America with you?"


    "He suddenly had an urgent matter to attend to, so he can''t go back to America with us," Eva replied.


    "An urgent matter?" Emily couldn''t help but mutter softly, "He actually thinks there''s something more important than the three of you, mother and child? What a miracle." "Alright, stop making wild guesses," Eva cast a nce at Emily.


    "But he''s not bad. Since he can''t apany you, he left you with his most capable assistant," Emily said with a smile.


    After speaking, Emily nced at David, who was not far away pulling the suitcases.


    Receiving her gaze, David quickly smiled and nodded at her.


    "David also has something important to take care of this time," Eva said.


    Emily didn''t tease her anymore and they just hugged each other. "Give me a call when you arrive, then I''lle find you." "Okay, I''ve been told that so many times, I remember," Evaughed.


    "Mummy, Ruby needs to use the restroom." Ruby, who was in Grace''s arms, suddenly said.


    Eva handed the suitcases to David for safekeeping and personally took Ruby from Grace''s embrace.


    Then, she looked at her son Dn and asked, "Dn, do you need to use the restroom?"


    Dn thought for a moment and nodded.


    "Let''s go then. I''ll take them to the restroom first."


    Emily immediately said, "Okay, we''ll go to hold a spot for you at the security check. It''s the line in front."


    "Great."


    Mr. Hansen, along with Grace and Emily, three people in total, went directly to save a spot for Eva and her two children.


    Eva took her precious ones and went to find the restroom at the airport.


    Due to Dn''s different gender, Eva didn''t follow Ruby inside but stayed outside, exining things to both children.


    Once she had exined everything clearly, she let the two little ones go into the restroom.


    "If you don''t understand something, just ask the aunties and uncles inside. After using the restroom,e outside and wash your hands. Mommy will be waiting here for you, okay?" Both little treasures obediently nodded and went into the restroom.


    Eva waited outside.


    As soon as Ruby entered, she heard a cry from inside.


    "What a cute child."


    Upon hearing this praise, Eva couldn''t help but smile.


    The restroom at the capital airport was spacious and well-maintained, with airport staffing in every few moments to clean.


    Dn walked in and saw a man in a ck suit, tall and slender, talking on the phone in the clean corridor.


    The elegant profile of his sideways face, cold gaze, and straight lips made his side face appear sharp, exuding a sense of coldness.


    After hearing something from the person on the other end of the phone, the man scoffed.


    Dn blinked and took small steps towards the restroom, passing through arge door from the corridor. Dn reached out and pushed the door, which made a creaking sound, but only opened a small crack.


    Being only five years old, Dn didn''t have enough strength, so he used all his might to push harder.


    The creaking sound echoed in the empty corridor.


    Adrian was on the phone and furrowed his brows involuntarily when he heard the noise. He turned his head and nced at the source of the sound.


    But he didn''t see anyone.


    However, the door continued to make sounds. Adrian looked down and finally saw a child pushing the door with all his might.


    His brows furrowed even deeper.


    Whose child is this? How did they end up in the restroom alone?


    Adrian was usually indifferent and never one to meddle, even with children.


    But at this moment, his hand acted faster than his brain. Without waiting for his brain to give themand, hisrge hand had already pressed against the door, opening it for the child underneath. "Mr. ckwood."


    Just as the voice came through Adrian''s phone, he raised his gaze to answer the call, his hand still on the door.


    Dn pushed for a long time, and suddenly the door was easily pushed open. He looked up and saw therge hand pressing against the door.


    So he immediately expressed his gratitude.


    "Thank you, Uncle."

 Chapter 183 Never Forget

    The familiar voice made Adrian''s hand holding the phone pause. About a few secondster, Adrian suddenly lowered his head.


    But where was the figure of that child? After thanking Adrian, he had already entered the restroom, but now it was unknown which one he was in.


    Adrian pursed his thin lips, standing still with a slight frown.


    He couldn''t hear the person on the other end of the phone anymore, and he wondered if it was an illusion.


    Or was it because the two children announced they wouldn''t be broadcasting for a while, so he started to think about them and heard the voice of the boy named Dn on the livestream.


    "Mr. ckwood, regarding this coboration, I actually have some other ideas. How about we arrange a time..."


    The person on the other end was interrupted by Adrian''s cold voice before they could finish their sentence.


    "Did you hear any noise just now?"


    The interrupted coborator was taken aback.


    "Huh?"


    "I can''t hear anything on my end..."


    "Can you hear me?"


    If it isn''t an illusion, the other person should be able to hear that gratitude.


    The person on the other end of the phone seemed confused for a moment, not understanding what Adrian meant. However, after a moment''s thought, they remembered hearing that Adrian disliked noise. They had heard some unpleasant sounds earlier, but would it be okay to speak the truth directly to Adrian?


    After much consideration, the person ultimately decided not to say anything.


    "Mr. ckwood, I don''t seem to have heard any sound. Is there something happening on your end?"


    The cautious tone of the other person''s inquiry seemed as if nothing had happened just now.


    Adrian narrowed his eyes and stared at hisrge hand ced on the door.


    Could it have all been an illusion?


    He didn''t dwell on it further, as Jacob suddenly rushed in, panting.


    "Mr. ckwood, I just retrieved your documents."


    Adrian cast an annoyed nce at him.


    Jacob immediately straightened up and pursed his lips.


    After a while, he said, "Shall we go through security first? There''s a cafe inside, it''s not convenient to discuss matters here."


    Jacob''s words made the person on the other end of the line change their tone immediately. "Yes, Mr. ckwood, if you''re not avable now, we can wait for you. You can go through security first." After some thought, Adrian nodded and then hung up the phone. He walked out with a grim expression.


    Jacob followed his steps closely.


    People wereing and going outside the restroom. Jacob walked ahead, trailing alongside the cold-faced Adrian, but his gaze unwittingly nced at one particr spot. Regrettably, when he had just entered, he saw a graceful figure. Although she was dressed simply, her figure was stunning. Just her back view alone made Jacob feel mesmerized. But when he entered the restroom, she had her back turned to him, and being the coward he was, he didn''t dare to turn and look at her face.


    He had thought of looking when he came out, but who knew that in just a few blinks, she had disappeared.


    Forget it, it seems he just doesn''t have the luck to see beautiful women.


    Emily, holding her bag, came running towards the direction of the restroom.


    As she neared the restroom, she intended to smile and walk past, but she abruptly halted her steps upon seeing a cold and handsome face, quickly turning her back. "Mr. ckwood, please wait for me."


    It wasn''t until the two walked past her that Emily, shocked, lifted her head and stared at their retreating figures.


    She widened her eyes in disbelief. Was that person Adrian?


    Adrian!


    She never expected to encounter him at the capital airport after all these years.


    If she wasn''t mistaken, that person had juste out of the restroom, right? Oh no!


    "Eva!"


    Emily swiftly ran towards the direction of the restroom. When she was queuing earlier, she had just realized something: Dn is a boy, not Eva.


    She wouldn''t take him into the women''s restroom, and at the same time, she couldn''t follow Dn into the men''s restroom, which would make things very inconvenient and troublesome. That''s why Emily immediately ran over, hoping to wait outside and see if there was anything she could help with. Unexpectedly, she bumped into Adrian.


    Thest time she saw Adrian was a distant memory. Five years had passed, and the current Adrian had the stature and appearance of a mature man, looking much more stable. However, his whole aura was colder and more powerful. Even from a distance, she could feel the coldness emanating from Adrian''s bones. His features were also sharper and more handsome than before. This was why Emily could spot him in the crowd at a nce. He was indeed handsome! No wonder Eva had liked him back then and still couldn''t forget him after all these years. If he wasn''t the man her sister liked, Emily would definitely fall for him because of his looks.


    When Emily finally made it to the restroom, she saw Evaing out with Ruby. She rushed forward, gasping for breath as she spoke. "Eva."


    "Eva?" Eva seemed somewhat surprised to see her. "Why are you here?"


    Because Emily was in a hurry and also nervous, she was almost out of breath. "I thought it might be inconvenient for you to take care of two kids, so I came to find you. Are you alright?" After saying that, Emily even inspected Eva from head to toe and circled around her twice,pletely clueless about what was going on.


    "What about Dn?" Eva handed Ruby over to Emily to take care of and went to wait outside the men''s restroom.


    Ruby suddenly ran out and called for her earlier, so she had to go in for a while. In such a short time, Dn shouldn''te out yet. As expected, she waited for about a minute and then saw a small figure. "Mommy," Dn obediently called


    out.


    Only then did Eva take the two little ones outside to wash their hands. Her movements were subtle, her expression focused, as if she hadn''t been affected by anything.


    As Emily watched from the side, seeing everything going on as usual with Eva, she couldn''t help but ask in a skeptical tone, "Eva, are you really okay?"


    Could it be that she was putting up a brave front?


    After drying the hands of the two babies, Eva looked at Emily. "What could be wrong with me? What happened to you today?"


    "Nothing, actually what I mean is, did you encounter any strange people in the restroom?" Emily''s gaze drifted.


    "Strange people?" Eva narrowed her eyes. "What kind of people would you consider strange?"


    Upon hearing this, Emily feltpletely relieved. She had been worried that Eva would be upset deep down but would pretend to be calm and indifferent on the surface. However, now it seemed that Eva hadn''t run into Adrian. Although she didn''t know why the restroom was so small that they didn''t bump into each other, fate could be so mysterious sometimes. It brought you to the same location but kept you unaware of each other''s presence. And she passed by.


    If Emily hadn''t seen it, perhaps Eva would never have known that she met Adrian at the airport today.

 Chapter 184 The Handsome Man

    Since she didn''t know, there was no need for her to say anything.


    After all, it was just a broken fate.


    And her Eva deserved a better man.


    Thinking of this, Emily''s heart had already calmed down. She smiled and joked, "For example, seeing someone walking a dog, or a beggar."


    Eva: "...Are you okay? Dogs are not allowed in the airport, and beggars won''te in either."


    "Right, maybe I''m just overly sad because you are leaving. How about you stay?"


    Eva couldn''t be bothered to entertain her nonsense.


    She lowered her head to tidy up the children''s clothes, and at that moment, she heard Dn say, "Mommy, I met a very handsome uncle in the restroom. He held the door open for me." Eva didn''t know who he met, so she simply asked, "Did Dn say thank you to this uncle?"


    "I did, Mommy."


    "What a polite little darling," Eva leaned in and kissed his forehead.


    A satisfied expression appeared in little Dn''s eyes.


    Ruby noticed this and immediately joined in. "Mommy, Ruby also wants a kiss."


    Emily watched this family of three and couldn''t help but feel envious.


    If possible, she also wished to be like Eva, having only children and no man.


    Once everything was settled, they prepared to return to the security checkpoint.


    "When we line up, David said there is no need for us to do so. Since you booked first ss, we can just go through the first-ssne. I overlooked that." "Okay."


    After Eva went back, everyone watched as they passed through the security checkpoint.


    When they finished, Emily waved at Eva, feeling a sense of longing. "I''lle find you, Eva!"


    After watching Eva leave, she suddenly remembered something, and the smile on her lips faded a little.


    How could she have forgotten something so important?


    If they could meet at this airport, that means Adrian might also be returning to the country. What if they are on the same flight?


    Someone like Adrian, a businessman, would definitely fly first ss. If they were on the same flight, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    It would be bad enough if the two adults encountered each other, but the crucial part was that Eva was also with two young children.


    Some people might not notice, but how could Emily not see it? The features of those two children were extremely simr to Adrian, especially Dn! It was all his gic makeup.


    Even if they meet, Adrian himself might not recognize them, but what about the people around him?


    With this in mind, Emily quickly took out her phone, wanting to call Eva.


    But just as she was about to dial, Emily also thought, what if they aren''t on the same flight?


    If they aren''t on the same flight, telling Eva all this would be...


    Did she suddenly have some troubles in her heart?


    Who said Adrianing here meant going back to his country?


    He might have flown to another country, and even if he wanted to go back to his country, it should be New York, where Eva and David went, not Chicago. That''s right, after Evanded, she had to attend a charity auction.


    The auction was held in Chicago, so they bought tickets directly to Chicago to avoid anyplications along the way.


    After calming down and thinking it through, Emily wasn''t so nervous anymore.


    Thinking about her own performance just now, Emily felt that she was really panicking unnecessarily.


    In the future, she should remain calm when encountering things.


    "Emily, what''s wrong?"


    Mr. Hansen and Aunt, who had already walked far away, turned around and found Emily still standing in ce. They both stopped and turned to look at her. Their voices brought Emily back to her senses, and she smiled it off.


    "Are you reluctant to part with Eva? You''ll see her soon after taking a flight. Don''t be sad."


    Aunt came forward tofort her.


    "I understand, Aunt, please don''t worry. If I miss her, I will go find her."


    "Let''s go."


    Before leaving, Emily couldn''t help but turn around and look at the security checkpoint.


    She prayed that Eva wouldn''t encounter Adrian.


    Let this doomed fate pass by, just like it did in front of the restroom a moment ago.


    After passing security, Eva led the two children forward without having to carry any luggage.


    Because as soon as they passed security, David immediately said to her, "Ms. Hansen, let me carry the luggage for you."


    "No need, David. I have too much luggage to be handled by just one person. I can handle it myself."


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper asked me to apany you back to the country and help you. If I don''t take care of you during this process, Mr. Cooper will deduct my sry for this trip."


    With the words reaching this point, it seemed that Eva couldn''t refuse to give him the luggage.


    Helplessly, she sighed inwardly, and then gave all the luggage to David, leaving herself and the two children empty-handed.


    The three of them walked ahead, and David, as he had said, kept helping them along the way.


    Looking back, Eva felt that she was very impolite.


    Even if she needed help with the luggage, she didn''t have to let him carry everything.


    After thinking for a while, Eva finally slowed down and waited for him. When he walked up to her, she was about to ask him to carry some of the luggage for her, but David spoke up before her, "Ms. Hansen, please don''t refuse my help, and don''t think that carrying some luggage tires me. If I don''t receive my year-end bonus, it would be a thousand times or even ten thousand times worse than this hardship."


    Eva: "He''s not here, so you could just lie to himter, right?"


    Upon hearing this, David''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Ms. Hansen, if the bonus was obtained through deception, I would feel uneasy about taking it."


    Eva was momentarily speechless.


    After all, this involved her end-of-year bonus, and Eva was well aware that cutting off someone''s financial resources was like killing their parents.


    She didn''t say anything more.


    As they passed by an ice cream shop, Ruby suddenly said, "Mommy, I want to eat ice cream."


    Upon hearing that, Eva hesitated and said, "It''s winter now, eating cold treats is not good for your health."


    "But mommy... I want to eat it."


    Ruby was a little foodie, always longing for whatever she saw to eat.


    If you disagreed with her eating one thing, she wouldn''t be discouraged and would just move on to the next item.


    As long as she kept saying enough, mommy would eventually agree to let her have something.


    Unfortunately, Eva had already figured out her personality since she turned five, so she directly refused her after she finished speaking.


    "No, Ruby. Let''s eat itter on the ne. The flight attendants will also bring us drinks then."

 Chapter 185 Menstruation

    Ruby licked her lips and still felt very hungry.


    But mommy said she couldn''t eat it, so she could only think about the drinks on the ne.


    She blinked her eyes and stared at the pictures of ice cream hanging at the shop entrance.


    David watched her and couldn''t help but find her adorable. He felt like feeding her when he saw her.


    So he spoke up, "Ms. Hansen, sometimes kids have a taste for it. How about I buy a cup for our two little darlings?" Eva smiled slightly.


    "Wasn''t David offering to help us? How about we buy a cup for you instead? After all, you''ve been working so hard." David, "...That''s alright, I don''t need it."


    The group continued walking ahead.


    Eva''s phone made a ding, and she took it out to see a text message from Michael.


    "How''s it going? Have you gone through security?"


    Seeing his message, Eva''s lips curled up.


    "I have."


    Just a few seconds after sending the message, Michael called her.


    "How is it? Is David taking good care of you?"


    When reminded of this, Eva thought about what David had said and couldn''t help butugh, "Did you tell him toe help? Otherwise, they would deduct his bonus at the end of the year?" Upon hearing this, David''s expression changed.


    He had wanted to stop Eva, but he wasn''t as quick as her in speaking.


    By the time Eva finished, David realized it was toote.


    Those words were just meant to keep Eva from taking his luggage, he didn''t expect her to mention it to Michael.


    That crazy woman.


    If it looked like he was intentionally defaming Eva, he might not only have his bonus deducted but also his sry.


    Michael chuckled and admitted, "I''m not by your side, so naturally I had to find someone to take care of you. Why does David think that taking care of you for one trip is a big favor?" Upon hearing this, Eva nced at David, who was hanging his head, and smiled, "Of course, Michael. He helps me a lot."


    "I''m d you asked him to help me, but seeing him struggling with all the suitcases made me feel a little embarrassed. Are you unhappy with my description of your assistant?" David, who was initially hanging his head, thinking that his year-end bonus would probably bepletely deducted, suddenly looked up at Eva with a gleam in his eyes.


    Seeing Eva smiling at him, he immediately understood that she was teasing him.


    Michael on the other end of the phone burst intoughter.


    "Since it was me who asked him to help you, you can make him do whatever you want."


    "Thanks, you didn''t have to be so considerate even if you didn''te." Eva expressed her gratitude.


    "It''s the least I can do. After all, I''m sorry for not being able to go to Chicago to take the pictures for me this time. I have something important that I can''t get away from." Michael sounded apologetic. "It''s okay," Eva replied.


    Being able to help him made Eva feel like she owed him a little less, which actually put her at ease.


    "If there''s anything, just let David take care of it. You don''t have to feel like you owe me. I still have things to handle here, and once I''m done, I''lle to meet you right away," Michael continued. "Okay." After hanging up the phone, Eva just put away her phone when she received a thank you from David.


    "Thank you, Ms. Hansen. If it weren''t for you speaking up for me, I''m afraid I would have been in trouble..." "It''s a small matter..." Eva''s smile suddenly disappeared.


    Because she felt a sudden pain in her lower abdomen, followed by a rush of warmth from a certain ce. Her face changed.


    "Ms. Hansen?" Having been by Michael''s side for a long time, David had learned to read his expressions. Seeing Eva''s unfavorable face, he asked, "What''s wrong?"


    David, after all, was a man, and Eva felt a little embarrassed facing a man.


    But in the current situation, she had to go to the restroom immediately to take care of it.


    She pursed her lips and said, "I''m sorry, I need to go to the restroom."


    "You go with David to your seats first, I''lle find youter."


    After Eva left, David nced at the two children.


    "Will youe with me?"


    Dn''s delicate face showed a worried expression.


    Thinking of something, he asked David.


    "Uncle Jack, what''s today''s date?"


    David nced at his phone and informed him of the date.


    "What''s special about this date?"


    After hearing the date, Dn understood and used his fingers to count, then said, "Today seems to be Mommy''s period."


    Upon hearing this, David''s expression changed, and after a moment, he awkwardly scratched his head.


    It turns out it''s her period.


    His phone vibrated, indicating a new message.


    David took it out and nced at it, realizing it was a message from his boss, Michael.


    "I forgot to tell you, today is her period. Don''t let her catch a cold and avoid anything cold."


    A woman''s period indeed requires special care.


    David looked around and happened to see a store in front.


    saying "concentrate" made Jacob reluctantly shift his gaze back to his work, despite feeling the pain inside. He didn''t expect that he would have to work on the documents here after rushing to catch the ne. "Hello, may I take your order?" a waiter approached and unexpectedly noticed two delicate and beautiful children following behind. The kids were wearing lovely clothes, with big eyes and round faces, but pointed chins, evidencing their parents'' good genes.


    David turned around to look at the two children, who were both looking up at him with their small faces, and said, "Three hot choctes."

 Chapter 186 Youre Gonna Regret It

    "Alright, three hot choctes. Please wait a moment. We have avable seats over there, you can find a spot to sit first." "Okay." David scanned the area and found a window seat, then led the two children. "Come, let''s go over there with Uncle Jack." Ruby immediately ran up to hold David''s clothes.


    David lowered his head and saw a little pink fist holding onto his clothes. That little fist was so small, not even a third the size of his hand, yet it held onto his clothes tightly.


    David, a burly man, suddenly felt his heart soften a bit. No wonder so many people like children.


    So he slowed down his pace, allowing Ruby to keep up with him. Then he looked at Dn.


    Boys are indeed boys. Dn remained reserved and stayed by his sister''s side, walking forward with a calm face like a little adult.


    Since being warned by Adrian, Jacob dared not get distracted again. But when he heard the man dragging the suitcase, he nced up and saw someone astonished by the number of suitcases he was carrying alone. When he walked over this way, he couldn''t help but be distracted and subconsciously wanted to look.


    But remembering Adrian''s warning gaze, he forcefully held back.


    It wasn''t until the man walked past them, pulling a suitcase, that Jacob secretly nced up.


    He had expected to see a bunch of suitcases, but instead saw the silhouettes of two adorable children.


    And these two kids were wearing identical outfits, only the colors were different.


    So, it turned out that he was traveling with children, and now he finally understood why there were so many suitcases.


    "If this issue isn''t resolved, you won''t be boarding theer."


    Unexpectedly, the man across from him coldly warned him again.


    Jacob regained his senses and saw Adrian looking at him with a cold expression.


    His face changed, and he quickly replied, "Right, I won''t be distracted anymore."


    The thought of not being able to board the ne if this issue wasn''t resolved made Jacob dare not think about anything else. He lowered his head and focused on his work, no longer daring to think about anything else. The airport in the capital was huge, and Eva looked for a long time before finding the restroom.


    After entering the restroom, Eva found that her menstrual period had indeed arrived.


    She had been too busy this month and had forgotten that her period was today.


    Fortunately, she always carried the necessary items for travel in her bag.


    After taking care of herself, Eva came out of the restroom to wash her hands.


    Usually, she didn''t feel anything, but when her period came, even the touch of cold water felt unbearable. Every drop of water on her hand felt like shards of ice.


    Her face turned pale, and even her lips lost their color.


    The pain in her lower abdomen was more noticeable than usual.


    It was probably because she had drunk something coldst night.


    During the few days before her period, Eva wouldn''t touch anything frozen, but she had been so busytely that she forgot. Last night, she didn''t think much about it and ate directly. Now it was painful beyond belief.


    She hadn''t brought any painkillers either.


    In the end, Eva could only hold her stomach and walk out with a pale face.


    As she was leaving, she bumped into a middle-aged woman who, upon seeing her appearance, kindly held her up and said, "My goodness, are you okay?"


    Seeing this, Eva showed a friendly smile and shook her head.


    "I''m fine."


    "But dear, you don''t look too good."


    "It''s fine, it''s just my period." The other person paused and instantly understood. "Then you should take care."


    "Thank you." Eva squeezed out a pale smile and thanked her.


    After going out, Eva saw a nearby boarding gate, so she walked over and found a seat, took out her phone, and sent a text message to David.


    "David, are you at the boarding gate yet?"


    When David received Eva''s message, he had already been waiting in the store for quite some time, and the three cups of hot cocoa hadn''t arrived yet, making him a bit impatient. The efficiency of this store is really too low, isn''t it?


    Just then, he received Eva''s message.


    David instinctively replied, "We''re at a nearby caf��..."


    "Your three cups of hot cocoa are ready."


    His words were cutoff.


    Before he could finish, a waiter in the coffee shop shouted towards him.


    "Alright." David reluctantly put away his phone, grabbed his suitcase, and said to Ruby and Dn, "Our hot cocoa is ready, let''s go."


    Then he took the lead and walked forward with the two children following behind.


    When passing by Adrian, Dn, who was walking at the back, subconsciously nced at him.


    With just one nce, Dn recognized him as the indifferent uncle who made a call in the restroom and opened the door for him. He didn''t expect to see him here as well.


    Dn instinctively wanted to greet him, but then David''s voice came from ahead.


    "Hurry up, if I lose you guyster, I''ll be in big trouble."


    Dn''s thoughts were drawn to David, and then he withdrew his gaze and walked forward with his little legs.


    After sessfully getting the hot cocoa and paying for it, David immediately inserted straws for the two kids and ruffled their heads. "Alright, let''s go find your mommy now."


    Ruby took a sip of the warm cocoa and then contentedly curved her beautiful eyes into crescents with a smile.


    "Thank you, Uncle Jack."


    Dn next to her also whispered a thank you while holding the hot cocoa.


    "Let''s go."


    Jacob let out a sigh of relief and looked up from the documents. "Finally, it''s resolved."


    After speaking, he subconsciously wanted to stretch his back, which was his usual action.


    However, when he halfway extended his hand, he suddenly felt a cold gaze. Jacob''s movement froze like a short-circuited robot. Embarrassed, Jacob blinked and slowly put his hand back down, his gaze rolling around trying to conceal his embarrassment.


    Then, as he looked around, he saw the man who had just passed by with two children.


    Previously, he could only see the back of the two kids, but now he could clearly see their profiles.


    With just one nce, Jacob was shocked and widened his eyes.


    Damn!


    Could it be this coincidental?


    Those two kids, aren''t they the ones Mr. ckwood often watched livestreams of?


    He didn''t expect to encounter them here in the airport.


    "Mr. ckwood, something important, I have to tell you."


    As Jacob spoke, he pointed outside. "The two kids who just passed by..."


    Unfortunately, Adrian''s phone rang at that moment.


    With a cold expression, Adrian directly answered the call in front of Jacob.


    Jacob, with the words at his lips, had no choice but to stop himself.


    Then, he looked at Adrian and forcibly pursed his lips, thinking, Mr. ckwood, you will regret it.

 Chapter 187 Why Disturb Others Lives

    The person on the phone happened to be their business partner.


    After the conversation was almost done, Adrian hung up without mercy, leaving the rest of the matter for Jacob to handle.


    cob could only submit to fate and deal with the matter at hand, but he couldn''t stop thinking about the two children he had just seen.


    After careful consideration, Jacob decided to take the risk and mention it to Adrian. "Mr. ckwood, I saw two children just now."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Adrian gave him a warning look. In response to his gaze, Jacob reluctantly continued, "Those two children seemed to be the ones you often watch in live streams." Adrian''s fingertips paused, and he also stopped rearranging his briefcase. Then he abruptly looked up. "What did you say?"


    Jacob scratched his head awkwardly. "I''m not sure, since I only saw one side of their faces. But those two children looked very simr, like a pair of twins. I guess they might be..."


    "Where?" Without letting Jacob finish his sentence, Adrian stood up.


    "Huh? They left..." Jacob pointed outside.


    Just as he said that, the tall figure in front of Jacob disappeared. After a moment of confusion, Jacob finally reacted and quickly packed his things, then followed after him.


    In the vast airport, people wereing and going. By the time Adrian chased outside, there was no familiar figure to be found. Even if parents passed by with children, they were not the same pair of children. Adrian searched several times, but still couldn''t find them.


    It wasn''t until Jacob caught up panting that he said, "Mr. ckwood, it''s not easy to find someone in such a big airport... Maybe we should give up?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at him. That one nce felt as sharp as a knife. "Why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    Indeed, he med Jacob for being too talkative at that time, but now he med him for not speaking up.


    Either way, the me rested on Jacob.


    "Mr. ckwood, I wanted to tell you, but you suddenly received a phone call, and I was afraid of disturbing..." Jacob exined as he scratched his head. "Next time something like this happens, just tell me," Adrian furrowed his brows.


    Upon hearing that, Jacob instinctively asked, "Next time? Will there be a next time?"


    Fate is a strange thing.


    Sometimes, some people only meet once in a lifetime, and they may never meet again.


    They had met this time, but there was no guarantee they would meet again.


    Adrian paused, his gaze slightly lowered.


    Yes, where would there be a next time?


    After a few seconds of contemtion, Adrian pursed his lips and said coldly, "Get ready to board."


    "Okay," Jacob replied, holding his briefcase and keeping pace with him.


    Curiosity got the better of him on the way, prompting him to ask Adrian, "Mr. ckwood, why do you like those two children so much?"


    Adrian''s face darkened, and he didn''t answer his question.


    However, he didn''t seem angry, so Jacob continued to ask, "If you really like those two children, why don''t you contact them? After all, you''ve donated so much money. If you want to meet them, they shouldn''t refuse." Upon hearing this, Adrian finally gave him a nce.


    "Two children? Am I a trafficker?"


    Which trafficker would pay so much money?


    Do they take the traffickers for fools?


    "No, it''s just that the mother of those two children always said not to reward you, right? Did she mention anything about returning the money? If she did, wouldn''t it be a good opportunity to meet her?" Adrian remained silent.


    But Jacob''s words stuck with him.


    Meet her in this opportunity?


    In fact, Adrian couldn''t understand why he was so fond of those two children, maybe because their smiles were too dazzling.


    Looking at them was like seeing sunshine.


    Bright, lovely, vibrant.


    Completely different from him, who lived in darkness.


    He was full of hostility, indifference, and a bad temper, not easy to get along with.


    But if this strange situation reached others'' ears, they might think he had a problem, why he unreasonably liked those two children.


    With this in mind, Adrian closed his eyes and said in a low voice, "No need."


    Just watching them on the phone was enough.


    The fact that the two children lived so vibrantly showed that their upbringing was good. Adrian was just an audience seeking a bit of warmth through their livestream, so why disturb their lives? Perhaps, it would only cause them trouble.


    Jacob suddenly felt a change in Adrian''s aura, instantly turning dark and deep, as if the surrounding temperature dropped several degrees.


    Well, Jacob had already gotten used to Adrian''s easily changeable mood swings over the past five years.


    Eva was waiting for them at the boarding gate.


    David messaged that they wereing to find her, so Eva sat in her seat and waited.


    Carrying their luggage, David saw Eva sitting pale-faced from afar, and his expression changed slightly.


    No wonder Mr. Cooper told them to take care of her. Eva must be feeling really unwell during her period. "Ms. Hansen."


    "Mama!"


    As soon as David approached, he immediately handed the hot cocoa in his hand to Eva.


    "Just bought it, still hot. Ms. Hansen, drink it while it''s warm, it''ll warm your belly."


    Hearing this, Eva paused for a moment, and a few secondster, she realized that David probably guessed her condition.


    She didn''t make a fuss and reached out to ept it. "Thank you."


    "You''re wee, please drink it quickly."


    After drinking a few sips of the hot cocoa, Eva finally felt some relief in her aching lower abdomen. However, the aftermath of eating ice creamst night was still strong, and herplexion remained pale. Dn watched from the side and tenderly ced his own hot cocoa on Eva''s stomach.


    "Mama, let me apply my hot cocoa for you."


    Hearing this, Ruby blinked her eyes, thinking of offering her own hot cocoa, but she saw that it was nearly empty, with just a few sips left.


    At this point, it seemed useless to offer it.


    David watched from the side and sighed.


    David said, "It would be great if we had a hot water bottle at this time."


    He also realized how difficult it is for women during their menstrual period.


    Having to endure and rush to catch the flight, Ms. Hansen must be extremely ufortable.


    With that in mind, David pushed the suitcase in front of Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, why don''t you sit on this, and I''ll push you when we board."


    Initially in extreme difort from the pain in her lower abdomen, Eva looked at the suitcase pushed in front of her, then at David, who was smiling kindly and concerned. She couldn''t help but curl her lips. It''s not necessary, really.


    "Ms. Hansen, please sit up," David continued to beckon her.


    Eva could only awkwardly say, "No need, David, I can manage this short journey myself."


    She was just having menstrual cramps, not a leg injury.


    Besides, sitting on a suitcase while being pushed?


    She still had her pride...


    "You really don''t need to be polite, Ms. Hansen. Please sit up and let me push you," David insisted.

 Chapter 188 Boarding

    "I really can''t," Eva declined, "I really don''t need your help, David."


    But David persisted, "Ms. Hansen, I''m strong enough to push you and carry these suitcases."


    Eva said, "...If you really insist on pushing, Ruby, you go sit on the suitcase, and let Uncle Jack push you."


    "Okay, Mommy."


    Ruby was a clever child. After hearing Eva''s words, she quickly climbed up onto the suitcase. It wasn''t a smooth climb, and she extended her little hand to David while panting, saying, "Uncle Jack, help Ruby up." David instinctively reached out and helped her settle onto the suitcase.


    Only after she was seated did David realize something.


    "No, Ms. Hansen, I meant..."


    "Ruby is tired of walking, so it would be great if David pushed her. Dn, bring your small suitcase and carry it yourself."


    "Okay." The two little ones always listened to Eva. Basically, whatever she said, they did.


    So in the end, David could only push Ruby forward.


    "Thank you, Uncle Jack," Ruby continued to apologize to David in various ways. Facing this little cutie, David could only smile and reply, "Be good, sit tight, and don''t fall off." They had booked first-ss seats.


    Originally, David nned to take Eva to the lounge to rest for a while, but they were dyed outside for too long, causing them to arrive just as they were prompted to board. So, they had to board first.


    At this moment, Eva was eager to board and rest. The temperature on the ne should be higher, and she could ask the flight attendant for a nketter.


    "Mr. ckwood, we can also board now," Jacob reminded, following Adrian.


    Adrian nodded expressionlessly.


    "Mr. ckwood... There''s something I need to report. We have to go queue for ticket check-in." Adrian halted his steps, asking, "What do you mean?"


    "... When I bought the ticketsst night, there were no more seats avable in first ss," Jacob continued, bracing himself under Adrian''s intense gaze. "And there were also no more seats in business ss, so we ended up booking economy ss."


    After Jacob finished speaking, the air and time seemed to freeze. Jacob looked at Adrian, tormented and uncertain.


    "Mr. ckwood, our timing for booking wasn''t great. Normally, these sses wouldn''t be fully booked. I don''t know what happened today. But please don''t worry, Mr. ckwood. Once we''re on the ne, I''ll go to the first-ss section and see if anyone is willing to exchange seats with you. I''ll make sure you''re seatedfortably. But for now, we need to go queue for ticket check-in."


    Finally, Jacob led Adrian to the queue, under Adrian''s sharp gaze. Adrian possessed a tall figure and a handsome appearance without being too sharp. His entire being exuded an aura of superiority, attracting the attention of many girls in the line.


    Those girls were bold and enthusiastic, their gazes on Adrian filled with intensity. Not only did they steal nces, but they also discussed him aloud and even flirted with him as they passed by.


    Jacob discreetly gave Adrian a quick nce, then quickly averted his gaze when he saw Adrian''s face cloud over. If he had the choice, he wouldn''t want to be here in line either.


    After ticket check-in, with a gloomy expression, Adrian passed through the boarding gate, and Jacob quickly followed his footsteps.


    "Mr. ckwood, I sincerely apologize for this. It was my oversight, and I never expected this flight to be fully booked."


    Hearing this, Adrian abruptly halted his steps, staring at Jacob with eyes as sharp as knives. "Jacob, if something like this happens again, you can simply leave."


    "Yes, Mr. ckwood. It won''t happen again, I promise. This time was an ident," Jacob hurriedly apologized.


    As they boarded the ne, Adrian instinctively headed towards the first-ss seats.


    "Wee aboard," the flight attendant greeted everyone on the ne, and when her gaze fell upon Adrian, her eyes lit up.


    "Sir, your ticket..." As she spoke, Jacob behind Adrian swiftly handed their tickets over.


    The flight attendant received the tickets and nced at them before stopping Adrian, who was about to head towards first ss. "I''m sorry, sir, your seat is over here." Adrian froze in his tracks.


    The flight attendant smiled genuinely, gesturing towards the direction of the economy ss. "It''s this way."


    Everyone in the vicinity turned their heads to look in their direction.


    The gaze on Adrian carried scrutiny and curiosity.


    In Jacob''s mind, he thought, it''s over. Adrian is probably going to scold him againter.


    "Sir?" The flight attendant saw Adrian standing still and not responding, so she asked again.


    The next moment, Adrian took his ticket and walked towards the economy ss with a cold demeanor. As he passed by Jacob, he uttered these words, "Don''t let me see you again when we get back."


    Jacob felt his heart shatter and quickly approached the flight attendant, saying, "Excuse me, we have a friend in first ss. The ne hasn''t taken off yet. Can we go there for a moment?"


    The flight attendant paused for a moment, then nodded.


    First ss.


    The group had pre-booked their seats, and they were all seated close to each other.


    Since Eva wasn''t feeling well, she gave up her window seat. As soon as they boarded the ne, the pain in Eva''s lower abdomen worsened. After David asked the flight attendant for a thick nket for Eva, she fell asleep in her seat. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard a small voice calling her from the side. "Mommy."


    Despite feeling extremely ufortable, Eva quickly opened her eyes. "Dn?"


    "Mommy, this is for you." Dn held a sleep mask in his hand.


    Eva paused for a moment before smiling. "Thank you, Dn. Can you help Mommy put it on?"


    "Sure." Dn moved closer to her seat and gently put the sleep mask on Eva. His actions were incredibly gentle, like that of a kind little boy.


    "Alright, Mommy."


    "Thank you, Dn. Now, Mommy will go to sleep. Can you take care of Ruby and yourself?" Dn immediately nodded. "Don''t worry, Mommy. Dn will take good care of Ruby."


    "Well, you take care of yourself too. Mommy can sleep peacefully now." Eva smiled.


    "Ms. Hansen, rest assured, I will take good care of them. You have a rest." David''s voice sounded too.


    David was a very meticulous person. Besides taking care of the two children, he would even take good care of himself. Eva had no worries at all.


    Soon Eva fell into a deep sleep.


    Feeling cold, she instinctively pulled the nket higher, covering her neck and chin, leaving only her nose outside to breathe.


    At the same time, Jacob arrived at the first-ss section.

 Chapter 189 Seat Change

    Upon entering the first-ss section, Jacob scanned the area, looking for someone willing to switch seats.


    Finally, he settled on a middle-aged man as his target.


    "Excuse me, sir."


    Jacob walked up and handed over his business card.


    The man paused, but when he saw Jacob, a surprised smile appeared on his face.


    "Brent?"


    Jacob asked, "You know me?"


    "Of course, Brent. I''m Rio from the Vic Group. We metst time."


    Jacob looked at the man''s round face, small eyes, and t nose, searching his memory, but he couldn''t recall ever meeting him before.


    Seeing Jacob''s puzzled expression, Manager decided not to pursue the matter further.


    Adrian seemed disappointed, but he reached out to touch his nose and said, "It''s alright, Brent. You''re a busy person, so it''s normal not to recognize me."


    "Brent" could only nod in response.


    "Oh, by the way, Brent, since you''re here, is Mr. ckwood here too?" Rio stood up and looked around, asking, "Why haven''t I seen him?"


    Feeling that Rio''s behavior was too pretentious, "Brent" quickly pressed his hand down and exined softly, "Here''s the thing, Rio. I wanted to ask if you would be willing to switch seats? The seat is in the economy ss. If you are willing to switch, I canpensate you on the spot, or you can name your price."


    Upon hearing this, Rio immediately understood the intention behind his words.


    "I understand what you mean. Mr. ckwood is in the economy ss at the back, and Brent wants to switch seats for him, right?" Jacob gave him a thumbs up.


    "Exactly, you''ve got it," Jacob affirmed.


    Rio immediately said, "How can I refuse? It''s my honor to switch seats with Mr. ckwood."


    Jacob couldn''t help but take out his phone when he saw Rio standing up. "Rio, about thepensation..."


    After hearing that, Rio immediately smiled and said, "Brent, don''t talk to me aboutpensation. How could I ask for it? Being able to switch seats with Mr. ckwood is an honor for me."


    Jacob thought, if there''s no payment, then wouldn''t we owe him a favor? If that''s the case, who knows how much profit we''ll have to repay for this favor...


    "Brent, where is Mr. ckwood now? Why don''t you take me to him?" Rio suggested with a smile.


    What else could Jacob say? He couldn''t just say that he wouldn''t switch anymore. If Adrian really had to sit in the economy ss for a few hours, he might leave for good once they got back. "Alright, I''ll take you there."


    "Good," Rio replied with a smile.


    Soon, Jacob led Rio to Adrian.


    Adrian didn''t sit down in his seat because the window seat was blocked by a fat man, and sitting in the middle was a middle-aged woman who seemed to be his wife.


    Adrian stood there, clearly dissatisfied with the window seat.


    He was tall and had long legs. If he sat inside, there would hardly be any room for his legs.


    Jacob took a quick look at the current situation and felt suffocated as well.


    He quickly approached Adrian and said, "Mr. ckwood, I''ve already switched seats for you..."


    "Mr. ckwood, hello, I''m Rio from the Vic Group..." Rio approached tteringly, wanting to shake hands with Adrian. However, after encountering Adrian''s icy gaze, his steps abruptly halted, as if his feet were glued to the ground and dared not move.


    As expected, he was Mr. ckwood.


    Wood, no wonder people always say Mr. ckwood has a strong presence."


    Jacob immediately told Adrian about the seat swap, and Adrian nced at him coldly before leaving directly.


    Rio hurriedly made way for him.


    After Adrian left, Rio immediately looked at Jacob.


    "Brent, why don''t we exchange contact information?"


    Jacob, feeling indebted, reluctantly took out his phone.


    Adrian, expressionless, went to the seat he swapped with Rio.


    Once seated, his expression remained dark, and his aura was so cold that people around him couldn''t help but nce at him.


    Swapping seats on a ne was amon urrence, as long as the passengers were willing, the flight attendants wouldn''t intervene.


    Moreover, Adrian seemed like someone in a high position, so when the flight attendants saw him switch seats, they quickly approached him proactively.


    "Sir, do you need anything?"


    Still in a bad mood, Adrian coldly replied, "Alcohol."


    The flight attendant hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    "Sure, please wait a moment."


    After the flight attendant brought the alcohol, Adrian tilted his head and drank half a ss, then wiped away the red wine stains from his lips and leaned back in his seat with an indifferent expression. Once the flight attendant returned to her position, she saw her colleague flipping through a financial magazine.


    The first picture in the magazine was of Adrian, dressed in a ck suit, looking exactly like the man sitting in the seat earlier.


    The flight attendant looked at the picture, then nced at the man in the seat through a gap in the curtain. Her colleague nodded, "It''s him."


    "Wow, I knew he seemed extraordinary. But he''s holding an economy ss ticket, something doesn''t add up."


    "There are more people buying first ss and business ss seats on this flight. Maybe his assistant didn''t do a good job."


    They finished their discussion and put the financial magazine back in ce.


    Ruby and Dn were already sitting together, watching cartoons.


    David sat beside them, not daring to blink as he kept an eye on them.


    asionally, he would also check on Eva, who had already fallen asleep, to make sure he was taking care of this family of three properly.


    Before takeoff, David sent a text message to Michael and then turned off his phone.


    The first ss cabin was quiet. Ruby and Dn had received a quality education since they were young, so they watched cartoons without making a peep.


    Even when they wanted to speak andmunicate, they would lean close to each other''s ears and use their little hands to shield their conversation, so as not to disturb the other passengers on the ne. David watched the interaction between the two adorable kids and felt his heart gradually being filled with warmth and indulgence.


    He finally understood why Mr. Cooper was willing to ept Ms. Hansen''s two children.


    Mr. Cooper liked Eva, and David had always known that.


    But Eva had two children out of wedlock, and their features were so familiar... David, who had apanied Michael to New York, knew it all too well.


    After all, he had seen them with his own eyes...


    The appearance and temperament of that person can rival Mr. Cooper''s, or even surpass him.


    Of course, David would never say such things in front of his own boss.


    Precisely because he knew, he couldn''t understand why Mr. Cooper could tolerate her keeping these two children.


    In David''s eyes, Michael was a lunatic who would do anything, despite his seemingly refined demeanor.


    So, David was very shocked when Eva was able to sessfully give birth despite her pregnancy.

 Chapter 190 A Tender-Hearted Person

    After all, if he wanted Eva, he could have used other means to prevent her from giving birth to these two children.


    Where there''s a will, there''s always a way, right?


    But no, not only were the children sessfully born, but Michael also treated them as his own, with unwavering affection for Eva.


    As a man, David felt that even if he were to die, he wouldn''t have such magnanimity.


    But now, being with the two children...


    David felt that he didn''t need to die, he seemed... quite magnanimous himself.


    After all, who wouldn''t like these cute, well-behaved, polite children, despite theirck of good looks!


    Previously, David felt Michael was undeserving; now, he envied him.


    Lost in thought, Ruby suddenly looked up at David and said, "Uncle Jack, I need to go to the restroom."


    David: Didn''t we just go to the restroom before boarding the ne?


    But David quickly realized that even though Ruby had already been to the restroom before boarding the ne, she had also had a big drink.


    David was about to offer to take her when he stopped himself.


    Although Ruby was just a child, she was still a little girl. If he were her father, it would be fine, but having a grown man like him take her to the restroom would be a little strange. "Wait here, I''ll ask the flight attendant to take you." "Thank you, Uncle Jack."


    David found a flight attendant and she quickly came to take Ruby.


    "Little girl, you want to go to the restroom, right? I''ll take you."


    Ruby looked up at the flight attendant, then handed her hand over to be held, and said softly, "Thank you."


    The flight attendant was immediately charmed by Ruby''s demeanor, internally eximing how cute she was, but externally maintaining herposure.


    Ruby was very well-behaved, washing her hands after using the restroom, and once they came out, she thanked the flight attendant again.


    "No need to be so polite, little darling. Let''s go, I''ll take you back."


    Before they left, the flight attendant couldn''t help but reach out and pinch Ruby''s cheek.


    Indeed, it was soft and bouncy, like jelly.


    Ruby seemed ustomed to such touches and didn''t find it strange. She continued walking hand in hand with the flight attendant.


    As the flight attendant led her past a certain location, a cold male voice suddenly sounded.


    "I''ll trouble you for another cup, thank you."


    The voice was cold, deep, and hoarse with a chilling tone, but added a polite "thank you" at the end.


    The flight attendant looked over and realized that it was...


    Now here was Mr. ckwood they had seen in the financial magazine, and she immediately nodded, "Sure, sir, I''ll get it for you right away." After speaking, the flight attendant picked up his cup and went to refill his red wine.


    Leaving Ruby standing alone in ce.


    She gazed at the handsome profile of the man sitting in his seat, and blinked her eyes gently.


    It''s funny, but Adrian''s mood still hasn''t calmed down.


    He wasn''t sure if it was because of Jacob''s failed task or because he didn''t manage to catch those two kids when he chased them out of the cafe.


    After the flight attendant left, Adrian''s thin lips almost straightened into a line, and his narrow eyes squinted.


    Suddenly, there seemed to be a sweet milky fragrance in the air.


    What is this smell?


    Realizing something, Adrian turned his head.


    The next second, their eyes met.


    The little girl stood in ce, her hand still in her cute little pocket, her bright eyes full of vitality, and the surface of her shoes didn''t have any stains. Just standing there, one could tell that this child was taken care of exceptionally well by the elders at home.


    Her eyes were clear and pure.


    But Adrian''s breath hitched. Was he hallucinating?


    Otherwise, how could the little girl Ruby, who he could only see in live streams on his phone, suddenly appear in front of him at this moment??


    While he pondered if the scene in front of his eyes was real, the little girl in front of him suddenly tilted her head and said to him in a sweet voice, "Uncle, you''re really good-looking!"


    Adrian was taken aback.


    This little milk voice... It sounded exactly like the one he heard countless times in live streams.


    It''s just that now, it felt even more real, softer.


    "Ruby?"


    Upper lip brushed against lower lip, Adrian almost subconsciously called out the little girl''s name.


    The little girl''s eyes brightened. "Uncle knows Ruby?"


    Seeing that he could call her by name, the little girl seemed to let go of all her defenses, and she walked in small steps towards him.


    "Uncle, you know Ruby, but why doesn''t Ruby know you?"


    As she spoke, she had already reached his legs.


    Due to her closeness, Adrian''s breath naturally lightened slightly, but at the same time, his brow furrowed.


    This little girl''s sense of caution was too low.


    She had been standing in ce and not getting closer to him earlier, but just because he called out his name, she came closer.


    Didn''t her elders teach her not to let strangers get close easily?


    Not to mention that she was voluntarily approaching a stranger now.


    Looking at the actions of the little girl in front of him, Adrian didn''t know what was wrong with himself. He actually had an impulse to reprimand her.


    But Adrian quickly realized that it would scare her.


    All he could do was slow down his breathing, lower his voice, and slow down his tone as well, almost speaking cautiously.


    "Because I watched your live stream."


    Upon hearing this, a look of disappointment appeared on the little girl''s face.


    Adrian''s breathing tightened as he caught her expression.


    He said the wrong thing? So that''s why she was disappointed? If she''s disappointed, would she just leave without talking to him? Just as Adrian was contemting whether to tell the little girl that he was NightA, the little girl suddenly regained her smile.


    "I thought Uncle knew my mommy, but it''s okay. My mommy says that people who are willing to watch our livestream are kind-hearted."


    This statement surprised Adrian. "Why would she say that?" After all, Adrian didn''t think he was particrly kind. In fact, he thought he was quite despicable. But now, someone was saying that he was a kind-hearted person? The little girl looked up at him earnestly.


    "Because only someone with a soft heart would have the patience to watch two little kids livestream." When saying this, the little girlpletely imitated her mother.


    She even remembered her mother''s tone of voice, expression, and various other mannerisms when saying this.


    Hearing this, Adrian couldn''t help but chuckle. "Your mommy seems like a very good person."


    "Of course!" Praising her mother, the little girl''s expression immediately filled with pride. Though her voice was tender, it was extremely earnest.


    "My mommy is the best, best, best person in the world!"


    Adrian couldn''t help but smile at her serious appearance. "Is that so?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Adrian reached up to ruffle the little girl''s head. Unfortunately, at that moment, the flight attendant returned with a tray.

 Chapter 191 It Was Not a Hallucination

    "Sir, here''s your red wine." After speaking, the flight attendant suddenly caught sight of Ruby standing next to Adrian and her face changed. After cing the ss of red wine in front of Adrian, she immediately apologized to him.


    "I''m sorry, sir. Did this child bother you? I''ll take her away right away." After speaking, the flight attendant smiled at the child. "Sweetie, I''m sorry just now. I forgot about you. Shall we go back to our seats?"


    Ruby nced at her, and then looked at Adrian. Adrian pursed his lips, feeling a bit reluctant. But a child was, after all, a child and had no reservations, so after hearing the flight attendant''s words, she obediently nodded and turned to wave at Adrian.


    "Uncle, it was nice meeting you today. I''ll go now."


    Adrian nodded and replied in a low voice, "Yes, I''m d I met you too."


    Even though he was reluctant, she was someone else''s child after all, and Adrian could only watch as the flight attendant led her away. After the little girl left, Adrian found that his restless heart had calmed down quite a bit.


    He wasn''t as easily angered or annoyed as he was when he first boarded the ne. He didn''t even feel like drinking the ss of wine in front of him. He already had a stomach condition and couldn''t drink alcohol. It was just a momentary impulse earlier.


    So Adrian didn''t touch the wine and his thoughts were taken away by the little girl. He always felt a strange feeling towards her. Previously, Adrian didn''t think of himself as someone who enjoyed thepany of children, but now, he couldn''t deny that this little girl had touched him in some way.


    People love children.


    But now... Adrian suppressed the urge to get up and greet them.


    Obviously, they must be a family, not just the two kids.


    Both the father and mother of the children would be there. What should he say if he rashly went up to greet them? Should he say, "I watch your kids'' livestreams, and I''m NightA"? Just the thought of that scene was too much for Adrian to bear. He pursed his lips and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. Forget it. Let''s wait and see. Maybe she will pass by hereter. Or perhaps they will meet during the nending.


    If they happen to run into each other, it won''t seem so strange.


    When Ruby returned, she immediately told her twin brother, Dn, about what had happened earlier.


    The two little ones gathered together and whispered to each other.


    David watched them from the side and couldn''t help but sigh, feeling lonely.


    He also wanted a cute little one to whisper with him.


    After a while, David had no choice but to check on Eva.


    He found that she was still sleeping deeply, and he felt relieved.


    During the journey back home, however long the flight was, Eva slept almost the entire time.


    When it was time to prepare fornding, Eva woke up for a moment. Although she knew she should get up, her body''s fatigue made her consciousness hazy, and she soon fell back asleep.


    Because the first-ss passengers had privileges, the flight attendant came over after the ne hade to a stop.


    David had already packed up everything, but he noticed that Eva was still asleep. So after the flight attendant arrived, he said, "Sorry, let others go first. We''ll be thest ones."


    The flight attendant nodded, understandingly.


    "Sure."


    Eva was still sleeping, David didn''t leave, and Ruby and Dn naturally stayed in their seats, waiting.


    Adrian sat alone in his seat, staring ahead, his thin lips tightly pressed together.


    The ne had been stopped for a long time, but those two little ones hadn''t appeared.


    After the girl left, Adrian immediately thought of the child he had seen in the restroom, wearing the same clothes as the girl. He had helped the child open the door because it seemed difficult for them, and received a thank you from the child afterwards.


    When he heard that voice at the time, he felt like it was Dn''s voice.


    But the little one disappeared too quickly, making him think he had imagined it.


    Meeting the girl on the ne made Adrian realize that the "thank you, Uncle" in the restroom was not a figment of his imagination, but real.


    So after thinking it through, Adrian really wanted to meet those two little ones together.


    If they stood in front of him wearing identical clothes, they would look like they had walked out of the livestream.


    But Adrian waited for a long time, and there was still no movement ahead.


    It wasn''t until his assistant, Jacob, came to find him. "Mr. ckwood? We should get off the ne."


    Adrian asked, "... Have all the people behind gone off?"


    "Yep." Jacob nodded and said matter-of-factly, "Everyone has gotten off. You''ve been sitting here for a while."


    Is it because you''re afraid of economy ss, so you want to spend more time in first ss? Jacob didn''t dare to ask, nor did he dare to speak.


    When Adrian didn''t respond, Jacob had no choice but to ask again, "Mr. ckwood?"


    Adrian snapped out of his thoughts and gave him a cold nce. Jacob mustered up the courage to say, "We have to get off the ne; our partners have been waiting for us for a long time." "One minute," Adrian said.


    "Huh?" Jacob made a puzzled sound.


    "We''ll leave in one minute."


    If the two little ones still haven''t appeared after another minute, he would leave.


    "Alright..." Jacob couldn''t say anything else and could only stand in ce, apanying him while waiting.


    In his heart, he thought he couldn''t book the wrong seats again next time. Mr. ckwood now had a psychological shadow; he actually preferred to sit in first ss and not get off the ne. One minute passed quickly, and the ne remained quiet. Adrian stood up, and his tall figure instantly made the space feel oppressive. Unwilling to give up, unwilling to give in. Adrian took steps forward, wanting to go and see what happened to those two children, why hadn''t theye over? Logically, since everyone had left, they should have gotten off too. Just as he took two steps forward, Jacob stopped him and said, "Mr. ckwood, wrong way, the exit is this way."


    Adrian sometimes really wanted to smack Jacob, who was more of a hindrance than a help. How could he have agreed to let his cousin rece Brent after he resigned?


    "Sir." In the midst of his thoughts, the flight attendant also came over. Though he didn''t say it outright, it was clear he was asking them to get off the ne.


    "Mr. ckwood, let''s go. We can''t linger on the ne anymore; you''re considered a public figure now, after all." After speaking, Jacob mustered the courage to drag Adrian away.


    "Have a pleasant journey and goodbye." Adrian was forcefully pulled off the ne by Jacob, his face soured, and his voice turned icy as he red at him.


    "Let go." Once Jacob realized, he immediately let go, then put on a smiley face. "I''m sorry, Mr. ckwood. I didn''t mean to touch you. I was just a little impatient just now..."


    After finishing, Jacob anxiously wiped his sweat. Adrian didn''t like it when someone touched him without his consent. Who knows what would happen next second, Adrian walked past him with a cold face as if nothing had happened just now.

 Chapter 192 Where Did You Hear That?

    When Eva was woken up, there was only their group left on the entire ne. After getting off the ne, she felt embarrassed and rubbed her forehead, saying, "Why didn''t you wake me up earlier?" Waking up to find herself alone on the ne, with everyone waiting for her. She could even see the captain watching her as she left. This awkward situation...


    "I don''t want to experience it again."


    "I thought you weren''t feeling well, so I thought I''d let you sleep a little longer. Besides, everyone else needs time to get off the ne too."


    "Yeah, Mommy, you''re not feeling well." Ruby agreed, and Dn nodded in agreement, clearly supporting David.


    Otherwise, they wouldn''t have obediently waited with David.


    Seeing them like this, Eva continued to rub her temples and decided not to say anything more about it.


    Although it was embarrassing, it had already happened after all.


    And she had to admit, she had a satisfying sleep on this trip and felt quitefortable upon waking up.


    Her phone vibrated, and Eva took it out to nce at it before answering with a smile.


    "Lisa."


    "Oh my goodness, your phone finally went through. I found out that your flight hasnded from this end, but your phone was off the whole time. I was so worried, my dear."


    Lisa George was a friend Eva met after going abroad, and she had a good rtionship with her and Emily.


    Lisa returned to the country a year ago and began studying airport management.


    Lisa was the daughter of a boss at an airline, her father being a local and her mother being Norwegian, making her a mixed ethnicity.


    "I''m sorry, Lisa, I forgot to turn my phone on."


    "It''s okay. Where are you now? I''ll have someone pick you up."


    Eva paused for a moment, intending to look around, but then heard Lisa scream, "My friend says she sees you. Just stay where you are, my friend wille pick you up right away." Eva stood still in ce, and soon she saw an airport staff member in uniform running towards her.


    "Hello, are you Eva? I''m Lisa''s friend, here to pick you up on her behalf."


    "Hello." Eva smiled at her and shook her hand.


    "Then please follow me."


    Everyone followed her pace.


    "Mr. ckwood, how much longer do we have to wait here?"


    Although the JT Group received Adrian''s message, the car had not left.


    Because Adrian asked them to wait at the exit, without mentioning why.


    After all, the JT representative was here to pick up someone important. If the important person spoke, they naturally wouldn''t dare to resist and could only park the car and wait. Jacob noticed that Adrian''s gaze was fixed on the exit.


    If before, in the first ss cabin, Jacob thought Adrian had some reservations about economy ss, now he didn''t think so anymore.


    Because at this moment, Adrian seemed to be waiting for someone.


    Suddenly, Jacob had a sh of insight.


    Could it be that something happened when Mr. ckwood was alone in the first ss cabin earlier?


    Thinking about this, Jacob looked at Adrian. Although he was cold and his expression wasn''t obvious, the way he kept staring at the exit had a hint of anticipation.


    "Mr. ckwood." Jacob leaned towards at a short distance from Adrian, Jacob asked cautiously, "Did you have a romantic encounter on the ne?"


    Giving Jacob a look as if he were dumb, Adrian''s lips moved slightly. "Your brain is useless; you could donate it."


    "If it''s not, then it''s not, why curse at me?" Jacob replied, feeling a bit wronged.


    But even though he felt aggrieved, Jacob was still very curious. "If you didn''t have a romantic encounter, why did you stay on the ne for so long and even wait at the exit?" In response, Adrian simply replied, "Mind your own business."


    Alright, it seemed like nothing had happened.


    Jacob could only apany him and continue waiting in their seats.


    After a while, the staff from The JT received a phone call, probably because there had been no movement here for quite some time, prompting them to inquire.


    The staff member answered the call quietly and, after hanging up, cautiously looked back at Adrian, their lips moving as if they wanted to speak but held back. However, in the end, they dared not say anything and turned their heads back.


    After a few more minutes, Adrian suddenly turned back and coldly said, "Let''s go." They had waited for so long; it seemed that they wouldn''t wait any longer today.


    Perhaps fate had only allowed him to catch a glimpse of the young girl on the ne.


    "Can we go now?" The driver seemed a bit surprised but didn''t dare say anything more and immediately started the car.


    Although they were leaving, everyone inside the car could feel that the temperature had dropped significantly, as if they were in an icy cave.


    They drove with great trepidation all the way.


    Upon arriving at their destination and dropping Adrian off the car, the driver and the passenger in the front seat nced at each other, then let out a sigh of relief. "We finally got him here. Let''s leave quickly so that we won''t get caught up in anythingter."


    And so, the car sped away.


    Adrian had just entered the lobby when the newly appointed sessor of the JT Group, Henry Davis, approached him to greet him.


    "Mr. ckwood, it''s been a while."


    Henry had recently taken up the position as the sessor of the JT Group and had sessfully secured a cooperative intention with the ckwood family. The people who had previously underestimated him no longer dared to underestimate him. Adrian nced at him, expressionless, nodded, and shook his hand.


    If it were someone else, they would find his attitude too casual, but Henry didn''t mind. After having a riding experience with Adrian, he had long grown ustomed to his demeanor. He smiled and said, "Wee, pleasee in."


    "So, how was your trip abroad? I heard there are many beauties over there. Did you have any romantic encounters?" This was the second time today that Adrian heard this word.


    He gave the person a side-eye.


    "Are you here to discuss coboration with me or something else?"


    Upon hearing this, Henry''s expression slightly changed.


    "Of course, coborationes first. However, I also wanted to chat about other things, to put your mind at ease."


    "Rx, don''t be angry, don''t be angry. Speaking of which, thepetent assistant I wanted to find this time is a talented girl who went to your country. I heard that she was interested in returning to the country for development. I originally wanted to win her over to mypany, but unfortunately, she rejected." Adrian was not interested in discussing women with him at all.


    Seeing Adrian''s reaction, Henry smiled and said, "Forget it, it seems like I can''t talk about women with you. Other than Vivian, you can''t fit any other women in your eyes, right?"


    Hearing this, Adrian paused for a moment, then dangerously narrowed his eyes. "Where did you hear this?"


    Not knowing which words hit Adrian''s bottom line, Henry stood still and asked, "What''s wrong?"

 Chapter 193 Wish For Nothing

    "What do you mean? Where did you hear this?" Henry couldn''t understand why this statement could make Adrian angry.


    For a moment, he didn''t know if Adrian was angry because he disagreed with this statement or because someone mentioned his Vivian.


    After a moment, he had no choice but to carefully choose his words. "It''s just rumors, they are just joking. Don''t take it too seriously."


    "Rumors?" Adrian stared at him coldly. "If it''s just rumors, why bring it up in front of me? What''s the matter? Is the heir of the Davis Group still so gossipy?"


    With this remark, Henry didn''t dare to bring up anything else, and could only quickly apologize. "Adrian, I was wrong, I shouldn''t have gossiped about your affairs. It''s my fault for being meddlesome. How can I make it up to you?" Adrian didn''t say anything more, but his previous temper clearly indicated that Henry should never casually talk about his gossip in front of him again.


    After sending Adrian to the resting room, Henry breathed a sigh of relief.


    "You can rest here for a while. I''ll go out ande back soon."


    Adrian closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa, paying no attention.


    Because he had made Adrian angry just now, Henry knew he was in the wrong and didn''t dare toin.


    However, as soon as he left the resting room, his assistant shamelessly said, "Mr. Davis, Adrian is really too much. Even though the ckwood family business is powerful, he can''t treat you like this, right? After all, you are the newly appointed heir of the JT Group."


    Henry nced at his assistant and said, "So, you also know that I am the newly appointed heir? Then how do you think he should treat me? Should he bow his head to me as well?"


    Upon hearing this, the assistant touched his own nose and said, "I didn''t mean that. I just think he''s too arrogant."


    "That''s because he has the capital to be arrogant. When I can sit in his position someday, I will be even more arrogant than him, you understand?" Assistant: "...Alright."


    "You looked so confident. Why didn''t you say that when we were inside? Why didn''t you dare to point at Mr. ckwood''s nose and talk to me?" "What''s the use?" Upon hearing this, the assistant replied in a sulking tone, "If I don''t say it, it''s because I''m afraid of adding trouble for you."


    "So, you know that these words would cause me trouble? Do you also know that walls have ears? Remember, as my assistant, the first thing you should understand is what to say and what not to say. If there are things you shouldn''t say in public, don''t even mention them in private. Got it?"


    Though feeling displeased, the assistant knew that Henry was speaking the truth and could only nod. "Understood."


    "By the way, how did your contact with Emily go? Did she manage to convince Eva?"


    When this matter was mentioned, the assistant''s expression became even more unpleasant.


    "Mr. Davis, I suggest you not bring this up. Initially, her friend agreed to help us persuade Eva, butter for some unknown reason, she regretted it and told us not to call her again."


    Upon hearing this, Henry looked puzzled. "Could it be that we offered her too low of a reward?"


    "It''s impossible. The reward we offered her is a tempting price that anyone would be attracted to. There are others who can''t afford it, let alone match it."


    "If even a high price cannot entice her, it seems we need to think of other ways." Henry supported his chin with his hand and appeared to be deep in thought.


    The assistant suddenly came up with an idea and suggested with brightened eyes, "Mr. Davis, if you really need this talent, why don''t you make a sacrifice?"


    Upon hearing this, Henry squinted. "What do you mean? Are you suggesting that I seduce her?"


    "After all, you''ve just taken office, and if you want to cultivate your own talent, you have to prioritize the overall situation." The assistant chuckled.


    "Get lost! Can you stop giving me lousy ideas?" Henryughed and scolded.


    "Mr. Davis, I''m serious. Ms. Hansen is not only beautiful but also very capable. There are more people pursuing her than those who want to hire her." The assistant tried to persuade Henry. Henry had only heard of her name and had not yet met her in person.


    But he knew his assistant was speaking the truth.


    However, sacrificing himself physically was out of the question.


    Henry would never give up the whole forest for a single tree. Being bound by a woman or only liking one woman was something he dared not even consider. "Think of another way, increase the reward by approaching her friend again." "Okay, Mr. Davis." The assistant could onlyply.


    Forest Vi, located in the best area of Chicago, was a European-style retro estate purchased by the city''srgest real estate developer. The entire estate, from the flowing architecture to the flowers and green nts, was designed ording to history. Not to mention the ssic antique-like house.


    "I heard that the boss of the real estatepany has a dream to live like an ancient person, with so much money that he can''t spend it all. So, he specifically had this ce built in order to fulfill that dream. But after it waspleted, it unexpectedly became quite popr, and many young people moved in."


    Eva rolled down the car window and surveyed the surroundings.


    Well, it really does have an old-fashioned charm.


    If it weren''t for her sitting in a modern car, she could almost believe she had traveled back in time.


    In contemporary means of transportation, Eva couldn''t help but think that the time and space had somehow be tangled.


    "I heard that this location is very valuable. When we bought it in the beginning, it was already skyrocketing in price. It wasn''t easy to create something like this. So, what''s the price now?"


    Lisa shook her head in frustration.


    "The location is indeed valuable, but as for this house..."


    Hearing this, Eva showed a puzzled expression. "What''s wrong?"


    "The owner refuses to sell; it''s currently only avable for rent." Eva paused, not expecting the owner to not sell. However, for this Vi with a historical feel, if there is a market for renting, it could indeed earn more money than selling it. "The owner''s intention is to say that if they were to sell, then there will certainly be middlemen who would purchase it and then rent it out at a higher price. If that''s the case, then it''s better for the owner to rent it out themselves, saving those who love it from spending extra money."


    "I see, so the owner is a good person," Eva suddenly realized.


    "That''s right, I thought all businessmen were only interested in making profits."


    As they spoke, smiles appeared on their lips simultaneously.


    "It''s not easy for you to return to the country. This time, I''ve rented it for you for a whole two years to keep you here. Don''t me me for not renting it for a longer time. The maximum length here is only two years; if it''s any longer, it won''t be avable."


    Upon hearing this, Eva realized something. "And the price? The rent must be expensive, you..."


    "Don''t even think about giving the money back to me. I won''t listen to that. I rented it for myself to live in, it''s just that the house is too big and living alone is too lonely. So, I invited you to live together. Why would you need to pay any rent?" Eva grasped the key point. "So, you mean, you want to live together with us?"


    "Of course, after reuniting as a sisterhood, of course we should live together. You wouldn''t disagree, right?"


    "Of course not, I couldn''t ask for more," Eva was overjoyed.

 Chapter 194 Discovering a Crush

    Since leaving Adrian, Eva discovered that her life was surprisingly more enjoyable than before.


    In the past, because of her marriage, the sisters rarely spent time together.


    But after her divorce, Lisa and Emily would oftene over to see her. The three of them were carefree, just like three children, talking, stargazing, and whispering secrets while lying on a bed. Eva often listened to Lisa and Emily discussing which man was handsome, one on the left and one on the right.


    David helped bring the luggage upstairs.


    The house was duplex, and there was also an observation balcony upstairs, adorned with flowers and nts.


    Because of the abundance of vegetation, the house had considerately installed mosquitos on all the windowsills, and many insect repellent sachets were ced there.


    As soon as Eva entered the house, she fell in love with the surroundings.


    Originally, she had worried that she would have to spend time looking for a house after returning, considering the location, but she didn''t expect that Lisa had already found one for her.


    Moreover, she didn''t even have to bother cleaning the room, as Lisa had arranged for someone to clean it a few days before she returned.


    Even her room was filled with her favorite fragrance and green nts.


    David secretly nced at Eva''s reaction, then quietly went out and sent a message to Michael on his phone.


    "Mr. Cooper, there''s something I need to report to you. The house you prepared for Ms. Hansen in advance is no longer needed. We ran into Ms. Hansen''s friend at the airport, and her friend has already rented a house for her." After sending the message, David couldn''t help but look at the house in front of him.


    It''s really nice. Much more thoughtful than Mr. Cooper''s house.


    Although Mr. Cooper''s preparation wasplete, even the name of the house was Eva''s. The location of the house were also arranged by professionals.


    But... it''s true that it doesn''tpare to her best friend''s creativity.


    Fortunately, it lost to a woman. If it were a male best friend, Mr. Cooper''s position would be in danger.


    After a while, Michael replied to him.


    "Lisa?"


    David: "Yes, Mr. Cooper."


    Sure enough, Michael replied calmly, "That''s fine then. Lisa is quite meticulous. See if there''s anything you can help with."


    "Okay, Mr. Cooper." Putting away his phone, David continued to help with the arrangements.


    After finishing the arrangements, Lisa said to David, "David, you came to help at Michael''s request, right? I heard that you took care of the three of them all the way. You''ve worked hard." Upon hearing this, David quickly waved his hand.


    "No, I actually didn''t do anything."


    Helping was just a facade. In reality, the three of them didn''t need him to take care of anything. After all, once they boarded the ne, Eva slept all the way, and the two children were well-behaved. It seemed like he didn''t do anything except for pushing their luggage.


    "David, you''re too polite. You''ve helped a lot and yet you say you didn''t do anything. The journey was long, you must be tired, right? There''s nothing we can help with here, so why don''t you go back and rest?"


    Upon hearing this, David instinctively looked at Eva and sought her opinion with his eyes.


    In response to his gaze, Eva nodded. "David, you should go back and rest."


    After thinking for a moment, David nodded. "Alright, the auction will be tomorrow night. Ms. Hansen, don''t forget to prepare. If you need anything, give me a call and I''lle right away."


    "Okay, thank you." Afterwards, Eva had the two children bid farewell to David.


    After David left, Lisa took Eva to the observation deck on the second floor and made a pot of jasmine tea.


    The strong fragrance of jasmine filled the air, carrying with it a warm steam.


    Lisa used to be a heavy drinker, but now she was drinking jasmine tea.


    Eva couldn''t help teasing her, "I thought you would take out a few bottles of alcohol and toast me on the balcony."


    Upon hearing this, Lisa paused for a moment, thenughed, "Alcohol? It''s not suitable to drink in this kind of setting. It would ruin the ambiance, both in terms of smell and appearance. And most importantly, I''ve quit drinking. I won''t drink anymore."


    "Self-discipline, huh? You weren''t like this before. You used to be..."


    "Who can drink the most?"


    Mentioning Lisa, she was filled with bitterness: "Don''t even mention it. I got stomach disease, and the doctor forbade me from drinking anymore. I''m afraid of dying, and suddenly I find the taste of jasmine tea quite good." Upon hearing that her friend had stomach disease, Eva became worried. "What happened?"


    Lisa pursed her lips, showing that she didn''t want to talk.


    After a while, she hesitantly said, "Actually, I have fallen for a man. I met a handsome guy at the bar. You have no idea about his charm and appearance. If I could marry him, I would consider my life perfect."


    Eva hurriedly asked, "Wait, how does this rte to your stomach disease?"


    "It''s a big deal." Lisa sighed, dejectedly saying, "He can drink a lot, and I can''t keep up with him. But I want him to notice me, so I started training my alcohol tolerance, and that''s why..."


    Hearing this, Eva instantly understood. She felt helpless and didn''t expect Lisa to harm herself for a man. "Are you being silly?"


    After feeling helpless, Eva rubbed her head. "Who exercises their alcohol tolerance to impress a man?"


    Upon hearing this, Lisa chuckled. "Eva, do you think I am being foolish? But I really like him. The moment I saw him, I knew he was the one for me in this lifetime."


    As Lisa talked about that man, her eyes filled with infinite yearning. She held her chin and began to reminisce, "The first time I saw him, he was sitting there, with piercing eyes and his fringe covering his forehead, making his facial features appear particrly profound. I was captivated by him at first sight."


    Although Eva didn''t know what the man looked like, based on Lisa''s description, he must be incredibly good-looking.


    After all, Lisa had seen all kinds of men during her time abroad.


    To still praise someone so highly after encountering so many men, he must truly be exceptional.


    "But even if you are captivated by his appearance, what about his character? His background? Do you know anything about him?"


    "I don''t know, that''s why I am trying my best to get close to him. Unfortunately, he is too aloof and doesn''t give me a chance to understand him."


    Hearing this, Eva was slightly surprised. After all, with Lisa''s beauty and excellence, most men would be infatuated with her.


    "Are you obsessed with him because he ignores you?"


    "Not at all!" Lisa gritted her teeth. "If he was willing to notice me, I would treat him exceptionally well. Eva, you really don''t know how handsome he is. I even secretly took his photo, let me show you."

 Chapter 195 Concerning Her Emotional Issues

    Saying that, Lisa smiled as she took out her phone.


    Eva''s face lit up with indulgence. "Alright, let me have a peek for our dear Lisa and see if this man is worthy of you."


    However, when Lisa opened her photo album and searched for a while, she couldn''t find it.


    "Weird, I clearly took a photost time, even though it wasn''t very clear from the distance, but the atmosphere was really something. Eva, the aura he exudes..." "Surely he''s not an ordinary person," Eva confirmed.


    As a result, Eva waited for a long time, but Lisa still couldn''t find it.


    "Where are my photos? I worked so hard to take a picture of my idol. How could they disappear?"


    Seeing her distressed, Eva grabbed her hand. "Alright, forget about it. Once you catch him, you can take as many pictures as you want."


    Upon hearing this, Lisa''s eyes filled with sadness. "Who knows when I''ll be able to catch him. That photo of mine was taken sneakily from a distance. Even though that man was sitting and drinking, he was still highly alert. Damn it, when I took the photo, he caught me looking, and I forgot to press the shutter button."


    The thought of missing such an important opportunity made Lisa feel regretful. "Besides, he doesn''t appear often. I''ve actually seen him very few times."


    Eva suggested, "If that''s the case, next time you see him, try asking for his contact information. Be bold."


    "Do you think I haven''t tried? Hepletely ignores me."


    Hearing this, Eva concluded that the man Lisa had set her sights on was probably very aloof.


    "I noticed he seems to have something on his mind. His silhouette appears so deste while drinking, making one feel pity," Eva thought to herself.


    Eva couldn''t help but think, people always look at the ones they love through rose-tinted sses. Even having a drink could make someone feel pitiful.


    "How about this," Lisa suddenly took hold of Eva''s arm, smiling slyly. "Come with me tonight. I''ve been waiting for him for half a month, but he hasn''t appeared. You''ve always been my lucky charm. Maybe if you apany me, I''ll finally see him."


    "I won''t go," Eva immediately refused her proposal without hesitation. "I have to stay at home with Ruby and Dn."


    Lisa pleaded with Eva, acting cute. "They''re both so well-behaved. Just let them stay at home while you apany me for an hour or two. If you''re really worried about them, you can call David toe and watch over them."


    "But you just sent David back to rest. Are you suggesting he should take another taxi toe back and watch my kids right after resting for a short while?"


    "So what? He works for Michael. Isn''t he at your beck and call? Anyway, sooner orter, you''ll be his."


    Eva''s expression changed at the mention of thatst sentence. "Lisa, don''t say things like that in the future."


    "It was just a joke. I don''t understand you. Michael has so many good qualities. How can you not like him? I feel like he''s alreadymitted to you for this lifetime. It''s been so long, and you still don''t have any feelings?" Lisa quickly tried to pacify Eva.


    Eva didn''t know how to exin this matter to her good friend. She could only sigh helplessly and say, "In any case, don''t joke about this anymore."


    "Alright, no more jokes. So, are you going to apany me or not?"


    "I''m not going." Eva turned and walked away.


    Lisa immediately caught up with her, clinging to her arm. "Come on,e on, apany me."


    Passing by the room, Dn happened toe out. Lisa then...


    Immediately, Ma turned and said, "Dn, quickly help me persuade your mommy toe out and y with me tonight."


    Upon hearing this, Dn raised his little head.


    Lisa had been bothering Eva to go out, but at the sight of Dn''s lifted gaze, she was instantly captivated by his adorable face and couldn''t resist bing a funny aunt. "Come here, little darling. Give me a kiss."


    In the evening, while Eva was cooking, Lisa changed into different clothes, intending to help out in the kitchen.


    As she passed by the living room, she nced inside.


    Inadvertently, she caught sight of Dn sitting in front of the coffee table and abruptly halted her steps.


    The night was about to fall, and outside the window, the dusk had arrived, casting its radiant light upon Dn''s exquisitely three-dimensional profile.


    The young boy sat there, earnestly reviewing his schoolwork, with a maturity and aloofness beyond his years on his childish face.


    Lisa stood there, looking at Dn in disbelief, her face revealing an incredulous expression.


    Had she gone crazy from not seeing that man from the bar for so long?


    She actually saw traces of that man in Dn.


    A few secondster, Lisa rubbed her eyes in disbelief.


    "It must be because ofck of sleep,ck of sleep, that I would have such hallucinations."


    Having said that, Lisaposed herself and turned to the kitchen to help Eva.


    However, once in the kitchen, Lisa''s mind still wandered, thinking about the scene she just witnessed in the living room.


    Why did the profile still give her that feeling? How could it resemble him so much?


    While washing vegetables, Lisa couldn''t help but inquire out of curiosity, "Eva, can I ask you an offensive question?"


    Upon hearing that, Eva paused her cooking and turned her head to look at Lisa with a somewhat helpless expression. "Is it about Michael again?"


    Lisa immediately denied, "No, no, it''s not. What I want to ask has nothing to do with Michael."


    Since it had nothing to do with Michael...


    "Then go ahead and ask."


    Just stop being concerned about her romantic life all the time.


    "Really?" Lisa still had some worries, "Can I really ask anything?"


    "Yeah." As long as it wasn''t about Michael, Eva had been on the brink of exploding from being asked about him all the time.


    Before leaving, even her own father asked about her and Michael, wondering when she would open up to him. Something along the lines of how Michael had been waiting for her for so many years.


    She wasn''t in the mood to listen to that, so she packed her things and went back to her room to sleep.


    Everyone knew that Michael treated her well, so they all assumed they were together.


    That kind of assumption made Eva ufortable.


    Nothing should be taken for granted, especially when ites to feelings.


    So she didn''t like it when others assumed she should be with Michael just because he treated her well.


    "You can ask, as long as it doesn''t involve Michael, I''ll answer you."


    "Fine, then I''ll really say it." Lisa could tell that Eva was currently bothered only by matters rted to Michael, not anything else.


    It seemed that she didn''t care.


    Now she could ask without any worries.


    However, when thinking about her own question, Lisa took a deep breath and said, "I actually wanted to ask a long time ago, but I was always afraid of offending you or bringing up something painful. But now it seems like you don''t mind, so I''ll just say it..."


    Upon hearing this, Eva already had a ominous feeling.


    However, before she could interrupt, she heard Lisa ask, "Actually, I wanted to ask about Dn and Ruby''s father..."

 Chapter 196 Fooling Oneself

    "He''s dead."


    The two words hit Lisa without warning.


    Lisa hadn''t even finished asking her question.


    She stood frozen in ce, looking at Eva with a mix of shock and disbelief.


    Eva raised her gaze and calmly asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "Dead, he''s dead??" Lisa never expected this answer. After repeating it, she instantly felt awkward and self-ming.


    How could she still repeat what someone just deceased said and touch their sore spot??


    Oh my god.


    Lisa immediately regretted it, feeling extremely guilty. She should have asked about Michael instead.


    She would have asked why Eva didn''t mention the past and why Emily would always hesitate to talk about it, only sighing and saying, "It''s her sad story, you shouldn''t ask."


    Now Lisa finally understood why Emily said it was Eva''s sad story.


    Finally, she also understood why Eva lived alone with the two children.


    "Yes, I''m sorry!!" Realizing what had happened, Lisa immediately bowed to Eva and apologized. "Eva, I''m sorry... I really didn''t know. If I had known, I wouldn''t have asked you like that." So Lisa apologized to Eva for a long time and felt very remorseful, making Eva unsure of how to respond.


    When she said "dead," it was meant to end anyone''s curiosity about the children''s father.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t trust her friend Lisa, but she had already put some things away and didn''t want to bring them up easily.


    But if she had known that Lisa would be scared like this, she might have used a gentler approach.


    In the end, Lisa med herself to the point that she didn''t even mention going to the bar again.


    After a long day of flying and with her period, Eva still felt exhausted, so she went to bed early that night.


    When she woke up the next day, Lisa eagerly said to her, "Eva, guess who I ran into at the barst night?" Hearing that, Eva instinctively furrowed her brow.


    "But didn''t you go to bed earlyst night?"


    They even said goodnight to each other, so why did Lisa go to the bar with Adrian?


    Lisaughed happily, "I saw that you weren''t feeling well, so I went alone."


    "So, did you meet someone?" Eva asked curiously.


    "Yes." Lisa smiled as she brought up what happenedst night.


    Lisa looked sweetly at her and said, "It wasn''t in vain that I waited for him for such a long time. Finally, I got to see him. I knew you were my lucky goddess. My luck arrived with you."


    "So, have you made a move on him?" Lisa''s excited face instantly turned disappointed. "No.... Last night, he seemed really down and drank a lot, so much so that he ended up passed out on the bar counter. I was thinking of taking this opportunity to approach him, but then his friend came over."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s expression became thoughtful.


    Eva understood that adults in modern society face immense pressure, and asionally having a drink to relieve stress is understandable. However, ording to Lisa, this man frequently goes out to get drunk, sometimes even to the point of unconsciousness.


    To be honest, Eva didn''t hold this kind of man in high regard. Is running to a bar and getting drunk the solution whenever they encounter a setback that feels like life or death?


    Nevertheless, seeing Lisa deeply immersed in love, Eva ultimately chose not to say anything.


    In a hotel suite,


    The ckout curtains were pulled open, instantly filling the room with brightness.


    The ring light shone upon the handsome face on therge bed.


    The person who had been lying there like a corpse finally showed a slight reaction. He furrowed his brows and opened his eyes.


    "Awake?" A clear male voice came from the sofa.


    Adrian, who had just woken up, took only a few seconds to identify the owner of the voice, John.


    The ring light made him ufortably close his eyes again, and he remained motionless on the bed.


    However, John knew that he was awake. Seeing that he was unwilling to acknowledge him, John continued on his own, "How long do you n to keep this up?"


    The person on the bed ignored him.


    John seemed to have already guessed that he wouldn''t get a response. He didn''t even wait for one. He finished speaking and moved on to the next sentence, "The doctor must have told you that you can no longer drink, right?" The person on the bed still didn''t utter a word.


    John, usually mild-tempered, couldn''t help but scoff. "Or are you nning to drink yourself to death, leaving your parents to mourn for you?"


    After finishing his words, John remained silent, sitting there and waiting.


    After a while, the person on the bed finally got up and expressionlessly went into the bathroom.


    Watching him, emotionless and unresponsive, John was at a loss for words. Ever since Eva left with Michael five years ago, Adrian had turned into this ghostly existence.


    It''s not like he was despairing. On the contrary, he excelled in his work even more than before. The ckwood family business was now in a position practically unchallenged by anyone.


    But all of this was because Adrian treated himself like a machine.


    Apart from work, it was drinking.


    No more participation in any recreational activities, less sleep, and even stomach problems.


    At first, Adrian could still get drunk, but as time went by, alcohol sometimes couldn''t even numb him.


    John could tell that he wasn''t seeking revenge or anything of the sort. He was just doing things that allowed him to escape reality.


    Thinking of this, John got up and walked to the front of the bathroom, knocking on the door. "Don''t forget about the charity auction tonight."


    There was no response from inside. After thinking for a moment, John decided to say, "Vivian is here. You got drunkst night, and I answered the phone for you. She''lle to find you when you wake up. I''ve conveyed the message, but I have something else to do, so I''ll leave first."


    After finishing his words, John picked up his coat and left the hotel.


    Once he was gone, the sound of water echoed in the bathroom.


    Adrian, who had gotten drunkst night, could only take a shower at this time.


    By the time he finished washing, it had been half an hour, and his phone started ringing.


    Adrian nced at it and saw Vivian''s name on the caller ID.


    He pursed his thin lips, remembering what John had said. After a moment, he turned around, grabbed a towel, and dried his hair, ignoring the call.


    The phone continued to ring, but Adrian didn''t pick up.


    After about ten minutes, the doorbell of the hotel room rang.


    Adrian opened the door expressionlessly.


    Vivian stood outside holding her phone, and she looked a little surprised when she saw him.


    "Adrian, I thought you were still sleeping. Why didn''t you answer my call?"


    Adrian gave her a quick nce and said coldly, "I didn''t hear it."


    With that, he turned and walked into the hotel, and Vivian, holding her phone, stood awkwardly for a while before following him inside.


    Although she knew she shouldn''t say it, Vivian couldn''t help but speak up, "I thought...you didn''t want to answer my calls at all."

 Chapter 197 Im Willing to Wait for You

    But even if she said that, Adrian, unlike before, didn''t exin tenderly after learning that she had been wronged. He stood there indifferently, looking at her with a calm gaze. Until his stare made Vivian feel ufortable all over.


    Vivian had to change the subject herself.


    "I was just joking. How could you not want to answer my calls? Where''s John? When I called youst night, he told me that you got drunk. Are you okay? Do you have a headache?" However, after she said so much, Adrian only replied with two words, "I''m fine."


    Then he turned and entered the bedroom to put on a shirt.


    Vivian stood in ce, watching his calm figure, feeling extremely ufortable in her heart.


    Since Adrian divorced Eva five years ago and Eva left the country, she had vanished from the face of the earth.


    Vivian was surprised that she would actually keep her promise, but at the same time, she hoped that Adrian would marry her soon after his divorce.


    But before she could even rejoice, Adrian seemed to have changed entirely.


    He found her and said, "I''m sorry, but I''m afraid I can''t fulfill my promise."


    Vivian was stunned in ce.


    For a long time, she managed to maintain a smile.


    "Why? Is it because of the kidnapping incident? Do you still suspect that I orchestrated it? Adrian, I am a bit envious that Eva can be by your side, but when I''m not around, she can take care of you on my behalf. I''m grateful to her." "No one can rece you."


    "What?" Vivian was in a terrible mood.


    "Vivian, she wasn''t taking care of me on your behalf. We weren''t together back then."


    Hearing this, Vivian''s face turned pale, and she staggered.


    "Vivian, you risked your life to save me. I will always remember that. If you ever have any difficulties in the future..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Vivian couldn''t hold back.


    "Adrian, what do you mean by all this? Don''t you want me anymore? Didn''t we agree that once I returned, you would divorce her and be with me? Why has it turned out like this?" However hysterical she became, Adrian remained calmly seated.


    His gaze was calm, his expression was calm, and he didn''t even have any unnecessary physical movements. He was calm to the point of almost indifference.


    Finally, he just apologized and left.


    Vivian went mad. She went to find him several times afterwards, but whenever she mentioned their rtionship, Adrian would either refuse to see her or simply get up and leave. After a long time, Vivian realized that she couldn''t go on like this and had to change her strategy.


    "It was my fault before. I know you haven''t sorted out your feelings yet, Adrian. Don''t worry, I''m willing to wait for you, until the day you are willing to ept me." When she said these words, Vivian truly meant them.


    After all, she thought that Adrian couldn''t temporarily ept Eva''s departure, which was why he briefly fell into the situation she created.


    If she just gave him some time, he woulde out of it, and they would be together.


    So she was willing to wait.


    But she never expected this wait to be five years.


    Five years...


    It seemed like just a number, but it was her five years.


    Vivian watched as her age kept increasing, the high-quality men who pursued her had even started their own families, while she was still waiting.


    She had thought about giving up countless times, but after waiting for so long, how could she just give up? She couldn''t bear it.


    And the most hopeful thing was that even though Adrian wasn''t with her, he didn''t have any other women by his side.


    As long as she was willing to wait, plus the gratitude of being a life-saver, he would eventually be moved by her.


    In these years, she even managed to move Margaret, who initially didn''t want to ept her and treated her with only the kindness due to a life-saver, nothing more.


    Over time, she hadn''t managed to move Adrian, but she had moved Adrian''s parents.


    For example, this auction, Margaret happened to be interested in one of the items, so she managed to get two invitations for them to attend.


    Vivian knew that Margaret was creating an opportunity for her and Adrian.


    With this in mind, Vivian approached the bedroom door and knocked, but she didn''t dare to enter. She just stood at the doorway and said, "Adrian, will you go to the auction tonight?"


    Adrian expressionlessly fastened his white shirt, pausing at the words. He really didn''t want to go, but thinking about what his mother wanted, Adrian reluctantly decided to put on a facade of filial service. "Understood," he replied coldly.


    Relieved to hear that he was willing to go, Vivian standing at the door let out a sigh. Thankfully, he agreed to apany her.


    "Alright, I''lle find youter. I''ll go back and prepare my dress first."


    Vivian finally wore a sweet smile on her lips, knowing they would attend the auction together. Persistence paid off.


    Once Vivian returned home, she hastily called for a stylist to design the most morous look for herself. By evening, she was wearing high heels almost fifteen centimeters tall as she went to find Adrian.


    This charity auction was organized by The JT in order to secure their position. Henry had put in a lot of effort for this event, and many high-level individuals attended after hearing the news.


    The highlight of the night was a mysterious surprise, which even attracted esteemed archaeologists to the venue.


    When Vivian got out of the car, she almost lost her bnce in the high heels. So, she waited for Adrian to get out of the car before nning to hold his hand. But Adrian, whether intentionally or unintentionally, walked forward in a way that avoided her touch.


    Vivian almost tripped, and a couple of lowughter could be heard from around her. She changed her expression and nced towards the source of theughter. They were all wealthy youngdies who asionally interacted with her, but they didn''t have a good rtionship.


    Vivian bit her lip. She knew exactly what they wereughing at - mocking her for chasing after Adrian.


    Damn it, if it were in the past... she wouldn''t have to endure this kind of humiliation.


    Unfortunately, now Vivian felt insignificant in front of Adrian, and she didn''t dare to make requests. So, she could only follow behind him. After walking for a while, she suddenly regretted why she wore such high-heeled shoes. Wasn''t she just making things difficult for herself? Lost in her thoughts, she noticed the person in front had stopped. Vivian approached in confusion.


    "Adrian?"


    Adrian stared expressionlessly at her. "You know you can''t walk in high heels. Don''t choose such tall shoes next time."


    Embarrassed, Vivian forced a smile. "The stylist picked them. I wasn''t really aware."


    "Still able to walk?" he asked.


    Vivian pondered for a moment before replying, "I find it a bit difficult."


    She actually wanted to say, "Can you lend me a hand?"


    But unexpectedly, Adrian said, "If you can''t walk, have the driver take you back or change into another pair of shoes."

 Chapter 198 The Power to Manage Finances

    Vivian didn''t expect Adrian to consider sending her away. Thick blood coated her lips.


    The color faded as she subconsciously shook her head.


    "No, I don''t want to go back. I finally had the chance to apany you here, Adrian... It''s been a long time since Ist went out with you. Please don''t ask me to leave, okay?"


    Her eyes reddened on the spot as she looked at Adrian with a pitiful expression.


    Adrian stared at her expressionlessly.


    "I understand that being saved by me has always made you feel pressured, but now, can you try to forget the fact that I am your benefactor? I''m just an ordinary girl who wants to pursue you, okay?" When she said these words, she used a certain tone.


    On the surface, she was asking Adrian not to treat her as a benefactor, but in reality, she was reminding and implying to herself that she was his benefactor.


    She didn''t intentionally y the emotional card.


    It''s just that now, she had nothing left except for thisst ace.


    If she couldn''t even y this card, she really didn''t know what to do.


    Fortunately, Adrian had always been grateful and appreciative towards this matter. He stared at her coldly for a moment before his elbow moved slightly. "Let this be an exception."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian nearly hugged his hand in tears. "Thank you, Adrian."


    Indeed, no matter how much time had passed, as long as she mentioned saving him, he would always soften.


    Of course, in Adrian''s heart, if it weren''t for her, he might not still be in this world.


    His second chance at life was given by her.


    If he couldn''t soften his heart for this matter, then what else would he soften his heart for?


    Vivian held Adrian''s arm and nced at the few girls who had just made fun of her, then raised her head and walked inside with her chin up.


    After she left, the girls who had just mocked her and was shown up by her gathered together and rolled their eyes.


    "Look at how smug she is. If we didn''t know any better, we''d think she''s marrying Adrian tomorrow."


    "It''s been five years of pursuing, and there hasn''t been any progress. I really don''t understand why she''s so proud."


    "If it weren''t for the fact that she saved Adrian''s life back then, why would anyone from the ckwood family bother with her?"


    "What do you think happened between her and Eva back then? She divorced and left, is she really willing to lose to Vivian like that?"


    "If she lost in the fight, then why doesn''t Vivian even have a girlfriend now?"


    At this point, everyone fell silent. No one knew the truth behind their emotional entanglements.


    They were curious too, but after so many years, there were all kinds of spections, but no one knew the real story.


    Adrian''s arrival caused a great sensation as soon as he entered the venue.


    In fact, his presence even changed everyone''s perception of Henry.


    This young master of the Davis family could really afford to invite him. Adrian hasn''t publicly attended any events in a long time.


    As soon as Adrian arrived, he naturally became the guest of honor, and the best seat was reserved for him.


    Vivian sat beside him.


    Feeling the gazes from the surrounding people, she halted her thoughts.


    The charity auction hasn''t started yet, but it is already drizzling outside. Eva and David are still on their way when they see the raindrops on the window and instinctively say, "What''s up with this weather? Yesterday''s weather forecast didn''t mention rain today."


    The driver in the front row, upon hearing this, chuckles and responds, "It''s a rainy season, and it rains whenever it wants. Weather forecasts sometimes aren''t that urate."


    "Do you have an umbre?" Eva, sitting in the backseat with the two children, asks.


    David shakes his head. "No, I didn''t expect it to rain today."


    Eva nces around and makes a decision. "There seems to be a 24-hour convenience store up ahead. Can the driver pull over?"


    At first, it was just a drizzle, but as time went on, it turned into a heavy downpour. The visibility on the road was low, so they arrived at the venuete. There were very few people at the venue. David takes out the invitation letter, and the attitude of the people at the entrance instantly bes respectful. "Please follow us."


    Eva is attending this charity auction on behalf of Michael, so her status naturally entitles her to a ce in the VIP area. The staff intends to lead Eva and David to the VIP section. However, because they arrivedte and the auction has already started, they would have to walk in front of everyone. Eva thinks for a moment and directly tells the receptionist, "Let''s just sit in the back row."


    Upon hearing this, the receptionist''s expression changes. "How can that be?"


    Eva smiles softly. "It''s okay, we''rete, and sitting in the back won''t affect our bidding."


    That''s what she said, but if they were to sit in the back row after being treated as VIPs, it would be disastrous if something went wrong. "Let''s go."


    Eva already starts walking towards the back row, and David has no choice but to follow. The receptionist doesn''t say anything further and quickly goes to report to the event staff. Once Eva and David are seated, the first item has already been auctioned off. After sitting down, David hands Eva the auction catalog. After browsing through it, Eva says, "The item Michael wants isn''t among these items."


    David nods. "Yes, that item should be saved for the grand finale."


    "The grand finale..." Eva ponders, "It seems Mr. Cooper is going to spend a lot of money tonight."


    "Don''t worry, Ms. Hansen. For Mr. Cooper, this amount of money is nothing."


    Eva doesn''t respond. She knows very well that Michael can afford it. This amount of money is insignificant to him, just like when ordinary people buy gifts for their elders. "I wish I could spend money like him someday," Eva casually sighs. In fact, what she''s thinking is that once her ownpany is established, she will strive to make it bigger and stronger in the future.


    Perhaps she might have such an opportunity as well? Although she may not be as wealthy as Mr. Michael, after all, the foundation of the Mo family is undeniable.


    But it would be enough for herself and her two children to splurge. Who knew David would suddenly interject with a smile, whether intentional or not.


    "Ms. Hansen, is it not simple to spend money like Mr. Cooper? Just marry Mr. Cooper and be the President''s wife."


    The rxed atmosphere suddenly became tense because of David''s words. David realized he misspoke, but the atmosphere was too awkward.


    He attempted to salvage the situation: "Since Mr. Cooper likes Ms. Hansen so much, he will definitely entrust the financial power to her."


    It would have been better if he hadn''t tried to salvage it, as the atmosphere instantly became even more eerie.

 Chapter 199 Wanting to Please Her

    Eva did not respond to his words. After about ten seconds, David awkwardly touched his nose. Perhaps he had been too rxed during their conversation, which caused him to speak those words casually.


    Just thinking about what he had just said, David regretted it. Fortunately, a few minutester, Eva broke the awkwardness and silence on her own. "David, please bid on the next item for me."


    "The next one?" David immediately flipped open his notebook and saw that the next item was a translucent bracelet.


    "Ms. Hansen likes this?" David clearly hadn''t prepared in advance.


    After all, he had never heard of Eva liking jade essories before. But luckily, Mr. Cooper had instructed him beforehand that if Eva took a liking to something during the process, he should help her bid on it, no matter the price, and charge it to his ount.


    Eva smiled without saying a word.


    "Alright, I understand."


    When the next item came up, David nervously sat up straight, as if the next auction item was the grand finale of tonight''s event.


    Seeing hisposed appearance, Eva reminded him, "Don''t bid yet, wait for everyone else to make their bids first." David nodded vigorously.


    The bidding in the room was incessant. Soon, the price of the jade bracelet was raised to 30 million dors.


    As the bidding reached 35 million dors, there were only two bidders left. Eva nced at David and signaled that he could stop.


    David nodded and was about to raise his paddle and shout out the bid. "40 million dors."


    Suddenly, someone in the VIP area ahead of David made a bid before him. David had also nned to bid 40 million dors, but someone had beaten him to it. After thinking for a moment, influenced by his time spent with Michael, he boldly continued with his bid.


    "45 million dors." Even before Eva, who was sitting beside him, could speak, he made the bid. Her lips moved slightly as she saw David''s determined manner. She pondered for a moment and fell silent.


    Vivian had just finished bidding when unexpectedly someone else continued the bidding. In fact, she hadn''t nned to bid on anything today, but aftering in with Adrian, she noticed many people ncing in this direction. She couldn''t miss this rare opportunity to shine in front of Adrian, so how could she let it slip away? Besides, as long as it was apetitive item, Adrian wouldn''t say anything to her.


    With this in mind, Vivian nced over at Adrian. He was looking down, casually ying with his phone, seemingly uninterested in her bidding at all. Vivian breathed a sigh of relief. If he didn''t react, it meant he didn''t mind. T hinking this, Vivian eased her mind and continued bidding.


    "45 million dors. Miss Morrison has bid 45.5 million dors. Looks like she is determined to win this jade bracelet tonight."


    When Eva heard Miss Morrison''s name, she paused and looked towards the VIP area. However, the VIP area was separate, and she couldn''t see anything from her position.


    45.5 million dors had already exceeded her psychological limit.


    She tapped David on the shoulder. "No need to bid anymore, David."


    Hearing this, David looked at her in surprise. "Ms. Hansen, you don''t want it anymore? You finally found something you liked."


    "It''s beyond my price range, no need." Her initial psychological limit was within 40 million dors.


    If she couldn''t get it within that range, she would give it to someone else.


    "But..." David hesitated and said, "Mr. Cooper instructed me that if you found something you liked, no matter how much it cost, we should acquire it."


    Eva was about to say that she didn''t need to treat his words like a royal decree when she saw David raise his paddle again. "50 million dors."


    50 million dors might not be a significant amount for a big family, but Vivian didn''t expect someone wouldpete with her up to this price for the jade bracelet, especially since she was here with Adrian.


    At least out of respect for him, the people present wouldn''t try to outbid her. But it seemed that she was still being underestimated. Realizing this, Vivian bit her lip and said, "55 million dors."


    David immediately followed. "60 million dors."


    Eva thought to herself, she was wrong. She shouldn''t have shown that she liked this item.


    Murmurs spread through the audience. They probably didn''t expect a jade bracelet to elicit such high bids. Now that it had reached 60 million dors, Vivian could only bite her lip and continue raising her paddle. "65 million dors."


    David was about to raise his paddle again when Eva grabbed his hand to stop him.


    "That''s enough, David."


    "But Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper instructed..."


    Eva calmly looked at him. "I''m no longer interested in this bracelet. Are you sure you want to bid on something I don''t like?"


    "Can you give me something nice to cheer me up?" Upon hearing this, David was taken aback.


    Although she wanted to please Eva on behalf of Mr. Cooper, the situation now was different. Michael was not around, and if he insisted and ended up offending Eva, it would do more harm than good.


    After careful consideration, David decided to give up. "Alright, Ms. Hansen. But if you find something elseter, be sure to let me know."


    Eva pursed her lips and nodded. However, David felt that even if she found something else, she wouldn''t show it anymore.


    David thought, It was unexpectedly difficult to please a woman, and he wondered how Mr. Cooper had managed it all these years.


    Vivian bought the jade bracelet for 65 million US dors.


    The hushed whispers around her made her hold her head high. With a price tag of 65 million US dors, she had already grabbed the limelight today.


    Tomorrow, everyone would know that she had apanied Adrian to the charity auction and purchased the jade bracelet for 65 million US dors. Although it was her bid, the media would surely spin it as Adrian gifting it to her. Such attention was advantageous for the Morrison family as well. The auction continued with the bidding of other items.


    The organizers of this auction knew how to build up the excitement. Just as everyone''s enthusiasm was waning, they brought out another exquisite piece. As a result, the excitement in the venue not only didn''t fade away but intensified. The anticipation for the grand finale item began. David flipped through the notebook in his hand and said, "There are two more items left."


    Eva finally understood what he meant and asked, "Are they conservatively valued?"


    David nodded solemnly. "Initially, they were conservatively estimated at six billion dors, but..." He scanned the venue. "There are too many people here today. That estimate probably won''t hold, we''ll have to raise it."


    Eva also turned her gaze around. Many people sat up straight, clearly prepared for this. She nodded in understanding. "After all, it''s a unique item, rare indeed."

 Chapter 200 Quite Capable

    Vivian flipped through the catalog and carefully approached Adrian, reminding him, "Adrian, what Aunt Margaret wanted is about toe up." "Hmm," Adrian coldly responded. His gaze was still fixed on his phone.


    Vivian pursed her lips. He had been looking at his phone ever since he sat down, and because of his strong purpose, he showed no interest in the items on stage before the grand finale.


    But even if he had no interest, he wasn''t someone who yed with his phone all the time before. And what exactly was he looking at? What was so fascinating? With these thoughts, Vivian''s gaze shifted to his phone screen. Upon seeing it, her eyes widened.


    Vivian was somewhat stunned.


    Two children??


    Adrian is looking at two children?


    Did she see it wrong?


    But before Vivian could take a second nce, Adrian''s phone screen went ck.


    Immediately after, she was met with Adrian''s indifferent gaze.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Vivian snapped back to reality and subconsciously shook her head, "Nothing, I just wanted to remind you."


    "Got it." Adrian put away his phone, no longer distracted, and looked straight ahead.


    Seeing this, Vivian straightened her posture as well.


    She couldn''t understand why, but she felt something was off.


    When would Adrian ever look at photos of children on his phone?


    There had never been such things on his phone before.


    Not to mention, how could he be interested in children after bing such a workaholic over the years?


    In the blink of an eye, Vivian thought about the scene she had just witnessed. Her face turned pale, and the color rapidly faded from her lips.


    If she hadn''t seen it wrong, the child in that photo seemed somewhat simr to Adrian.


    Although over the years, due to Adrian''s drunkenness, many women had set their sights on him, hoping to engage in rtionships with him under the guise of getting drunk and then bear his children. Some even went as far as getting stic surgery for the children.


    Vivian didn''t even know where these people found such means, or how they could do such despicable things, but those women did exist.


    When she first saw a simr-looking child, she was startled because she knew that Eva had left while pregnant back then.


    It waster discovered that the child had undergone insane stic surgery.


    Such incidents happened several times until the ckwood family business released a statement and put an end to it.


    Vivian went from initially being worried and frightened to a state of speechlessness and finally felt relieved.


    From then on, she wouldn''t worry if she saw a child resembling Adrian. After all, Adrian never paid any attention to these children.


    But today... he was actually looking at those two children.


    And with just a quick nce, Vivian couldn''t help but feel that those two children bore a striking resemnce to Adrian.


    The sense of pride she had just felt from gaining attention now plummeted instantly.


    As the final item was being auctioned off, the host held the microphone and sighed.


    "Today''s auction has been unprecedentedly intense, and our items havee to a conclusion. But please, don''t blink, because up next, we have..."


    The staff cooperated to bring out the highlight of the event.


    The host, on stage, introduced it vividly.


    The atmosphere in the room became excited due to his introduction, and the tension grew stronger.


    Eva lowered her head and looked through once again.


    This time, the centerpiece was a piece of craftsmanship passed down from a certain dynasty. Thest time it appeared, it was acquired at a high price by a mysterious individual. People have been specting who this mysterious person might be, never expecting it tond in the hands of the Davis family.


    Eva remembered something and asked David next to her.


    "The Davis family..."


    David had a look as if he knew what she was going to ask before she even finished, and he immediately said, "Ms. Hansen, it''s the same Davis family that has been trying to poach you." So it really was the Davis family.


    Looking at the scene unfolding in front of her, Eva''s lips curled into a smile. "It seems like the new sessor is quite capable."


    "Yes," David nodded. "Indeed, he is talented and also daring enough to secure this grand finale." The bidding had already begun.


    David sighed, "Looking at the atmosphere today, I wonder for how much it will end up selling."


    Being the grand finale item, the starting price was already very high, and with the constant sound of bidding, it didn''t take long for this rare item to reach four hundred million dors. Four hundred million dors, five hundred million dors.


    Every number announced in the auction seemed effortless, as if they were mere digits.


    "Six hundred million dors!!" The host suddenly eximed, announcing the name, "Mr. ckwood has made a bid of six hundred million dors. Is there anyone willing to go higher than this?" Hearing the surname, David subconsciously looked at Eva.


    But Eva seemed as though she didn''t hear the surname at all, sitting calmly as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.


    However, David''s heart was far from calm.


    This wasn''t overseas... this was in America.


    And it was in Chicago.


    Not to mention Chicago, even in the entire country, there is nobody who can afford this price and also goes by the surname ckwood.


    David felt that he could guess, and someone as intelligent as Eva should also be able to guess.


    However, seeing her calm demeanor, she must have already stopped caring.


    This was expected, after all, five years had passed. Five years is neither long nor short, but it can fade many things.


    David felt relieved.


    The bidding continued.


    In truth, the price of six hundred million dors had made many people hesitant.


    Even if they really liked this rare item, once it exceeded what they could afford, nobody would bid anymore.


    So, just like the previous jade bracelet, only these two sides werepeting.


    The gazes of the people in the venue shifted from the VIP area to thest row, where they saw two unfamiliar faces and couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    "What''s happening today? The bidding for this rare item is already close to seven hundred million dors, and they are stillpeting?"


    "And the weirdest thing is that the people bidding from the back are not from the VIP area, yet they are bidding so aggressively."


    "Who are these strangers? Are they intentionally driving up the price for the ckwood family? Are they trying to offend the ckwood family and ruin their own future?" "Whoever dares to go against the ckwood family clearly doesn''t fear the consequences."


    "Family?"


    Every time David raised the sign, countless people''s eyes turned in their direction, ringly bright.


    He didn''t really mind, but he was more concerned about Eva beside him, so he said, "Ms. Hansen, you''ve been sitting for a while, are you ufortable? Why don''t you go rest first?" David''s main concern was that someone among the crowd might recognize Eva, especially now that Michael wasn''t here...


    Mostly, he couldn''t believe that person would be here today too.


    Eva nodded in response to David''s suggestion.


    "Okay, I''ll go outside for some fresh air and take a break. Contact me when you''re done."


    After speaking, Eva got up and left the venue directly.

 Chapter 201 Returning to Him Personally

    The rain was getting heavier, and the corridor was already half-soaked.


    Eva tugged at the scarf around her neck.


    She didn''t expect the weather in America to be this cold.


    Once she stood still, Eva''s mind became somewhat absent, thinking about the sound of "Mr. ckwood" tonight...


    Indeed, as always, her emotions wouldn''t fluctuate when she heard this surname.


    But she knew that the "Mr. ckwood" tonight was not the same "Mr. ckwood" she had encountered during her previous job.


    This was America, this was Chicago, and there was only one person who could afford six hundred million dors so casually and be invited here. It''s been five years since theyst met.


    Eva took a deep breath, then turned and walked in the opposite direction.


    "Ms. Hansen."


    After a few steps, a tall and handsome figure blocked her path.


    Eva was momentarily stunned and looked at the person.


    The man was wearing a blue suit, his tie neatly done. When he saw her looking up, he curled his lips and introduced himself directly.


    "Hello, my name is Henry."


    Henry? The heir of the Davis family that David and he were discussing just now?


    Seeing her distracted, Henry raised an eyebrow. "Ms. Hansen, don''t you recognize me? After all, I''ve sent you several job invitations. It would be quite hurtful if you don''t know who I am, wouldn''t it?"


    "Not really." Eva shook his hand in return. "It''s just curious to see Mr. Davis here."


    Eva indeed didn''t know what the new heir of the Davis Group looked like. She was too busy at the time and didn''t have time to see.


    But that didn''t stop her from pretending to know the other person.


    In the future, she would have to build good rtionships with thesepanies when starting her ownpany in Chicago.


    Henry hesitated for a moment when he felt the softness of her hand, then regained hisposure.


    Eva withdrew her hand.


    After a few seconds of scanning her, Henry asked, "Why did Ms. Hansene out?"


    "I''ve been sitting for a while, so I came out to get some fresh air."


    "I see." Henry raised an eyebrow. "Ms. Hansen, you''ve rejected my job invitations several times. May I ask why?"


    "After all, the conditions I offer are much better than what you had in your previouspany," said Eva, thinking for a moment and deciding not to mention her n to start her ownpany at this time. She continued, "I''m sorry, my refusal is for personal reasons, unrted to the terms." Henry, being a respectable person, didn''t inquire further when she mentioned it was personal.


    "Well, then I can only hope that Ms. Hansen resolves her personal matters soon, so that I can invite you to join the Davis Group," he said. Hearing this, Eva hesitated, about to say something, but then she saw Henry taking off his suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders.


    "Ms. Hansen, you should dress warmly the next time you go out, so you don''t catch a cold," he said. Eva replied, "I still have something to attend to, so I''ll take my leave." Henry, with his assistant, walked away without saying much. Eva''s lips trembled, thinking about calling him back, but Henry and her assistant returned. "Ms. Hansen, I forgot to ask for your contact information earlier," he said. After obtaining her contact details, Henry left contentedly, his lips curled high. The assistant followed behind cautiously and asked, "Mr. Davis, you gave your jacket to Ms. Hansen, aren''t you cold?"


    "What''s cold?" Henry raised an eyebrow, joyfully. "My most important task at the moment is to win her heart. What''s with that expression? Weren''t you the one who suggested I use some romantic tactics before?" The assistant scratched his head, wondering how it became his fault and thinking that he was only joking.


    After Henry left, Eva realized that she had taken his jacket and chased after him, but he was nowhere to be seen. She had no choice but to return and hand Henry''s jacket to the staff at the entrance of the venue. "Hello, could you please return this jacket to Mr. Davister?" she asked.


    The staff had been present at the entrance, eavesdropping on their conversation. There were rumors about Henry being flirtatious, enjoying various romantic encounters, and not sticking to one person. But they didn''t expect him to be so forward, giving his jacket to a beautiful woman he just met at the event.


    As staff members, they didn''t dare touch Eva''s jacket since it was given to her by Henry, which signaled his intentions. "No, miss, if it was given to you by Mr. Davis, it''s better that you return it to him personally," one of the staff members said. Eva responded, "But I don''t know where he went."


    The staff member said, "Didn''t you exchange contact information with Mr. Davis?" It seemed like they were watching a y unfold before their eyes. Seeing Eva still standing there, another staff member exined, "Miss, it''s not that we refuse to help you, but we are just event staff members and rarely have the opportunity to see Mr. Davis. Even if we take the jacket, it would be difficult for us to deliver it to him on your behalf."


    After hearing this exnation, Eva realized it made sense. She said, "Okay, thank you." Once she had made up her mind, Eva decided not to wait anymore.


    Make it difficult for them again.


    Taking a nce at the interior and then at the hall, Eva asked them, "Can I take a break outside?"


    In response to this, the staff immediately and enthusiastically said, "Of course, I''ll take you there."


    As they needed an umbre to get across from here, the staff held one up and escorted her over.


    After arriving at the destination, Eva smiled at the person and said, "Thank you for bringing me here."


    Eva was beautiful, with fair skin, waist-length hair that hadn''t been permed, a pure ck color. When it was draped on either side, it made her look both pure and charming. Moreover, up close, there was a faint fragranceing from her. It couldn''t be identified as any specific perfume, but it felt very pleasant.


    The staff blushed instantly when the beauty thanked him. "No, no need to be polite. I''ll be on my way then."


    After the staff left, Eva surveyed the hall and finally walked over to a corner.


    Once she sat down, she finished sending a message to David and received a message from Lisa.


    "Darling, has the auction ended? Will you apany me to a bar tonight?"


    Originally, Eva intended to refuse, but thinking about how Lisa had stayed at home to look after her two children for her, she softened.


    "I''ll find you after it''s over."


    Not knowing how long she waited, the crowd at the venue gradually dispersed. Eva saw people gradually walking towards her because of the heavy rain outside, causing many to gather in the hall.


    As Eva stood up to search for David at the exit, her line of sight unexpectedly caught a familiar figure.


    The man had a slender figure, wearing a white shirt and ck suit,plemented by a sophisticated wristwatch. He walked through the checkerboard patterned area with a cold and detached expression, exuding a sharp and intense aura on his handsome face.

 Chapter 202 Severing Thoughts

    By his side trailed a slender figure, dressed in a floor-length watercolor pink gown. Although the rain had dampened the hem of her dress, it couldn''t hide the gentle elegance exuding from her.


    She leaned against the man, gently intertwining her fingers with his.


    In the chaotic crowd, they were a perfect couple.


    Never did I think I wouldn''t see them again, but I never thought our reunion would be like this.


    So many years have passed, surely they have long been together?


    Are their children now as old as Ruby and Dn?


    Lost in thought, the man suddenly seemed to sense something and swiftly turned his gaze in our direction.


    Eva''s breath caught, and she quickly turned around.


    Did he... see me just now?


    In that moment, Eva stood frozen in ce, as if someone had pinned her down.


    "Ms. Hansen, Ms. Hansen?" David''s voice called out from behind.


    Eva''s fingertips twitched, but she didn''t dare turn around. David had to circle around to face her.


    "Ms. Hansen, what''s wrong?"


    "David, you''re here. Is it over?"


    David nodded. "It''s over. I''vepleted the handover."


    "Did you manage to get everything?"


    "Of course." David nodded and sighed. "It just cost a lot of money... the ckwood family..."


    Originally, he wanted to casually mention how extravagant the ckwood family was, how much money he had spent to acquire that one-of-a-kind piece. But the words got stuck on his lips as he remembered something. Both of them knew the truth.


    After a while, Eva finally said, "Since it''s all taken care of, let''s go back."


    David nodded.


    Eva observed David, seeing his rxed andposed expression. She thought that Adrian must have left long ago, or else he would probably be more nervous than herself.


    Once she hade to terms with this realization, Eva turned around slowly.


    As expected, the previously bustling crowd had thinned out by now, and the conspicuous pair in the crowd had disappeared.


    Eva''s tense emotions rxed.


    When David learned that Eva and Lisa were going outte at night, he became instantly worried.


    "Ms. Hansen, it''ste. Isn''t it dangerous to go out at this time?"


    Before he could finish speaking, Lisa immediately retorted, "David, ten o''clock is alreadyte. How old are you that you act like an old fuddy-duddy?" "No, it''s just that both of you girls going out, I''m worried about your safety."


    "What''s there to worry about? Chicago is safe, so don''t fret. Trust me."


    Eva felt helpless with Lisa''s response and could only say to David, "Please take care of Ruby and Dn for now. I''ll try toe back as soon as possible." "Ms. Hansen..." David frowned with concern.


    But before he could say anything else, Lisa had already dragged Eva away.


    After they left, David thought for a moment and decided to report the news to Michael using his phone.


    "How is it? The ambiance is nice, right?"


    Eva looked around and found that this bar was different from what she had imagined. It had a very elegant name, Rainbow. The music ying inside was not the type that pumped up the beats, but instead, it was gentle and melodious piano tunes. The lighting was just right, creating a great atmosphere for the bar.


    "It''s nice."


    "Yeah, right? Plus, nobody dares to cause trouble in this ce. The owner is well-connected and has influence in both legal and illegal circles. No one would dare to make a scene on his turf. Peoplee here to drink and make friends. If someone doesn''t want to be your friend, you still have to respect their wishes."


    Eva smirked at these rules. She then looked at the time and asked Lisa, "Where''s your crush?"


    Bringing up the topic instantly changed Lisa''s expression. "It''s already thiste, I don''t know if he''lle anymore."


    Eva could see her visibly deting and reached out to pat her shoulder with a smile. "Don''t feel down. Let''s just consider it a stroke of luck. If he doesn''t show up, I''ll sit with you here for a while. The atmosphere is great, so it won''t be a waste even if we stay for an hour or two."


    Lisa immediately smiled and intimately linked her arm with Eva''s. "Eva, you''re so good to me. We sisters must always be together."


    The two of them stayed in the bar. During that time, three or four men approached Eva with drinks, hoping to have a drink with her and make friends, but Eva politely declined all of them. After being rejected, the previous men all left gracefully.


    When thest man, who had been refused by Eva, asked why, he didn''t want to leave and just stood there, looking at her curiously. "Sorry, miss, can I ask why?"


    "The reason for rejecting me," the man lightly smiled. "After all, I don''t think making a friend would be a bad thing."


    Eva seemed to understand what he was thinking. "Because I''m already married."


    Upon hearing this, a brief sh of disappointment appeared in his eyes, but after a moment, he looked at her and shrugged. "Alright, since that''s the case, I won''t disturb you."


    After he left, Lisa teased Eva, "You''re so ruthless, rejecting younger men like that. In the past, you were a bit more considerate, but now you just directly crush their hopes."


    Eva shrugged. "Don''t you think this way of handling things is better? It saves a lot of trouble."


    "Do you still want a boyfriend in the future?"


    "What''s a boyfriend? I have two adorable children. Aren''t they just as good as a man?"


    Hearing this, Lisa thought of the two cute little kids in Eva''s house and instantly felt envious. "Damn it, if I had such adorable children, I feel like I could also do without a man. You think... should I just sleep with that handsome guy the next time I see him?"


    Eva choked on her hot drink.


    Lisa panicked, "Are you okay?" She quickly took out tissues to wipe Eva''s mouth, inadvertently causing the hot drink to spill on Eva''s white coat, leaving obvious stains.


    "It won''te off. I''ll go to the restroom and clean up," Eva blocked her movement.


    "I''ll go with you."


    "No need, don''t you still need to keep watch on your crush here?"


    Lisa hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Good friend, thank you for your sacrifice. When I get married, I''ll make you my honored guest."


    Eva smiled and left.


    She went to the restroom to tidy her coat, but there wasn''t anything special she could do. She could only use water to clean it. Thankfully, it was a coat; if it were the clothes inside, she would have frozen today.


    By the time she finished cleaning and came out, a long time had passed.


    Since the coat was still wet, Eva carried it with her as she walked back.


    In the bar hall, Eva couldn''t see Lisa at her previous spot, so she had to search around. Soon, she spotted her in another corner.


    There was a man sitting across from her, his head bowed, drinking.


    The man''s knuckles holding the ss were slender and distinct, leading up to strong forearms. There was a delicate wristwatch on his wrist, the style of which...


    At the moment she saw the style, Eva felt as if a string in her mind had instantly snapped.


    This wristwatch....

 Chapter 203 Hes Drunk

    As she saw the watch, an rm in Eva''s mind went off.


    She almost turned and wanted to leave right away.


    But she was too slow.


    The man sitting across from Lisa suddenly looked over casually towards her location.


    Their gazes collided in mid-air.


    In that moment of eye contact, it was as if two trains derailed and created countless sparks, causing the sky to copse and the earth to crack.


    The man, holding the ss, who was initially noble and indifferent, froze instantly with an expression of nonchnce.


    Lisa, sitting across from him, had no idea what had happened. She was a little shy as she wanted to get his contact information.


    Being so close, Lisa didn''t even dare to raise her head to look at Adrian. She could only steal nces at him.


    "... I''ve been talking to you for so long, can we exchange contact information after all? Don''t misunderstand, even though I''m interested in you, I won''t bother you frequently." However, even after she spoke for a long time, the man across from her remainedpletely unresponsive.


    Lisa could only lift her head to take a look at him.


    "Is it okay...?


    Before she could finish her sentence, the man suddenly stood up, his movements too fast for Lisa to react.


    By the time she realized it, she turned around only to see the man hastily running outside.


    A slender figure followed and disappeared around the corner.


    Lisa stood there, a bit confused, not knowing what had just happened.


    Why did her crush suddenly run out?


    And that figure just now... was it Eva?


    Eva''s steps quickened, wishing she could grow wings and fly away from here.


    She never expected that the man Lisa had taken a liking to would turn out to be him.


    What has he be after five years? Doesn''t he already have Vivian? How could he shamelesslye to the bar and deceive an innocent young girl?


    Eva''s mind was in such chaos that she ran and thought haphazardly.


    She didn''t even know why she had to run.


    She hadn''t done anything wrong.


    The matter at hand was a peaceful divorce five years ago. Why would she need to run away? However, upon hearing the slightly chaotic footsteps behind her, Eva couldn''t stop walking.


    As she approached the girls'' restroom ahead, Eva, in a state of panic, decided to hide inside. But before she could take a step, someone grabbed her shoulder. Immediately, she was pressed against the cold, hard wall, overwhelmed by the strong smell of alcohol. The man approached, gripping her hands tightly, his gaze locked on her in disbelief.


    Eva was startled by him but quickly began to struggle vigorously. However, the more she struggled, the more agitated the man became, and he leaned in to kiss her as if he had been provoked. "What do you think you''re doing? Let go of me!" Eva protested with all her might. Unfortunately, the power gap between them was too great, and Eva could only watch helplessly as he held her wrists and leaned closer with each passing moment.


    The man got closer and closer, until Eva could see the fine pores on his face and smell the scent of cedarwood wrapped in alcohol.


    With gritted teeth, Eva red at him and said, "Adrian, if you dare to kiss me, I''ll make sure to bite your mouth until it''s bloody." However, it seemed that the man didn''t hear her words at all, stubbornly persisting with his actions.


    Just as Eva thought she couldn''t escape, there was a loud thud. The man, who had been holding onto her wrists tightly, suddenly copsed onto her, motionless.


    The corridor fell silent, in stark contrast to the previousmotion. Eva continued to breathe heavily, her chest heaving up and down. The man lying on her shoulder remained still.


    When Eva calmed down, she reached out to push the person leaning on her shoulder, but there was still no movement. What''s going on?


    "Eva," just as Eva was about to push him for the second time, the man leaning against her suddenly uttered a nearly incoherent murmur. His head was resting on her shoulder, and his words were right by her ear.


    Eva stood frozen in ce, looking down at the handsome and slender man who was so close to her. He was reeking of alcohol, clearly in a drunken stupor.


    In that brief moment of confusion, Eva heard a distant voice.


    "Eva?" It was Lisa''s voice!


    Eva''s face changed, and she quickly pushed Adrian away. Already unconscious from alcohol, Adrian fell backward, seemingly about to hit the ground. In her haste, Eva instinctively grabbed his hand, but Adrian''s weight was too much, causing Eva to fall onto him instead.


    Just then, Lisa rushed over. Seeing Eva fall on top of Adrian, she widened her eyes in disbelief.


    "Eva, what''s going on?!" Eva took a deep breath, calmly ced her hand on Adrian''s chest for support in front of Lisa, and then stood up.


    Looking at the scene before her, Eva''s eyes were still somewhat disoriented. Pointing at her and Adrian, she asked, "You two?"


    After standing up, Eva calmly adjusted her clothes and tidied her hair before saying, "Lisa, you''re here."


    Confronted with Lisa''s perplexed and inquisitive gaze, Eva calmly exined, "This person, I have no idea where he came from, not only tried to rush into the women''s restroom, but also attempted to assault me."


    Upon hearing this, Lisa was instantly shocked. "Assaulted you? No way."


    After her initial disbelief, Lisa recalled that the person who said this was her friend. She should choose to believe her friend, but the person lying on the ground...


    Taking this into consideration, Lisa immediately began exining, "Eva, listen to me. He''s the dream guy I told you about before. What you mentioned just now might be a misunderstanding. He had too much to drink and probably didn''t know what he was doing."


    Eva originally thought that attacking first would create a bad impression of Lisa, but she didn''t expect Lisa to defend him. Even before Eva could respond, Lisa was already squatting beside Adrian, helping him up.


    This scene suffocated Eva.


    "Lisa, even if a decent person gets drunk, they still remain decent. They don''t expose their true nature," Eva said.


    Upon hearing this, Lisa froze for a moment. Then she looked up at Eva and said, "But... I''ve been with him for almost half a year and have never seen himy a hand on a woman. When he suddenly ran out earlier, I was really confused about what happened. Although I''m not entirely sure what urred, Eva, please believe me, he definitely didn''t mean it."


    Eva fell silent.


    She didn''t expect Lisa to continue defending him.


    If Lisa knew that the man she helped up already had someone else, would she still do the same?

 Chapter 204 Im Willing

    In an instant, things seemed to beplicated. Eva wanted Lisa to know that Adrian already had someone else in his life so she couldpletely give up on him. But she also didn''t want to let Lisa know about her involvement with


    Adrian. She was caught in a dilemma.


    "Eva, I''m sorry today. Why don''t you go back first?" suddenly, Lisa said while Eva was deep in thought.


    Eva froze for a few seconds before asking, "You''re noting with me?"


    Biting her lip, Lisa shook her head and replied, "I can''t trust him in this state."


    "And do you think I can trust you?" Upon hearing Eva''s words, Lisa finally smiled and softly said, "Eva, I''m fine. And even if something does happen, it will be willingly chosen by me."


    Having known Lisa for so many years, Eva had never realized she was this love-struck before. After a moment, Eva gritted her teeth and dered, "No, I can''t let you stay here alone."


    "Eva, please trust me! He''s really not the person you imagine. Everything earlier was a misunderstanding, and he won''t harm me!"


    "How long have you known him?" Although feeling speechless, as a friend, Eva felt obliged to offer some advice since she had apanied her tonight.


    "Come on, half a year is a long time, right?"


    Eva sneered, "Is it? Then do you know hisst name, first name, his age, height, weight? What about his upation, or even..." Pausing for a moment, Eva continued, "Do you even know if he''s married or not?" "That''s impossible!"


    Lisa was at a loss for the previous questions because she couldn''t answer any of them. But when she heard thest question, she instinctively refuted, "Why do you think it''s impossible? You couldn''t answer any of the previous questions, yet you''re quick to react to thest one. Is it because he''s impossible or because you can''t ept it?"


    Lisa wrinkled her nose, her delicate eyebrows furrowing along with it. "If he''s married, then why would hee to the bar and get drunk like this?"


    "How many people have you met that makes you dare to make such a judgment?"


    Eva decided not to argue with her further and walked straight up to her. "Come with me."


    Lisa protested, "Eva!"


    "I really don''t understand what''s gotten into you today! Among the three of us, you were always the softest-hearted and the kindest. But today, with this person lying unconscious on the ground, and it being winter too, you''re actually telling me not to care about him. That''s not like you."


    Lisa observed her and said, "What''s gotten into you? Is it because of your menstrual cycle that your mood is not that great?"


    Eva thought, so all those things she said earlier were in vain. After a while, she finally spoke. "It has nothing to do with my menstrual cycle."


    However, Lisa had already decided not tomunicate with her anymore. She helped Adrian up and said to Eva, "Regardless of what happens today, I won''t abandon him. Eva, you should go back first."


    Eva silently watched her for a while. It took her a long time before sighing.


    "Okay, what do you n to do with him?" she asked. Lisa nced at Adrian, her feelingsplicated. Clearly, she was already with Vivian, and they had looked morous together at the auction, so why was he now at the bar? What was he up to?


    Lisa looked around before answering, "Usually, his friends woulde and take care of him when he gets drunk, but for some reason, they haven''t shown up tonight." Friends? "Is it a girl?" "How is that possible? It''s a guy!" A guy, his friend by his side? Could it be John?


    "With him in this state, it''s not appropriate for him to stay at the bar any longer," Eva pondered. After thinking for a moment, she proposed, "If you''re really concerned about him, we can hand him over to the manager and have them call his friends." It seemed like the best way to handle a stranger.


    It was also the solution Eva had initially intended to suggest.


    But Lisa had secretly admired Adrian for a long time and apparently wasn''t keen on Eva''s idea. After some consideration, she bit her lip and said, "Wouldn''t it be too much trouble to find the manager? I''d rather just call a taxi and send him to a hotel myself."


    Eva wasn''t surprised by her response and asked, "And then what?" Lisa seemed a bit embarrassed but still replied, "I''ll figure it out on my own. Don''t worry about me, Eva." Eva took a deep breath, suppressing her temper, so her voice didn''t sound any different.


    "Alright, I''ll apany you. We''ll drop him off at the hotel and make sure he''s okay before we leave." Lisa had wanted to say something but seeing Eva''s expression, she must have been angry, afraid that she would start a fight if she continued.


    In the end, she could only nod and say, "Okay, let''s go now."


    The two of them then called a bartender to help carry Adrian to a taxi together and took him to a nearby hotel. The hotel required the person''s ID to check-in.


    "Eva, could you help me support him? I''ll find my ID," Lisa said helplessly. Eva reluctantly stepped forward to assist Adrian. As soon as she took over, all of Adrian''s weight pressed onto her, causing her to take two steps back before she regained her bnce.


    The smell of alcohol mixed with male hormones invaded her breath. This familiar feeling after five years made Eva feel suffocated. In a ce where nobody could see, Eva bit her lower lip. If it weren''t for Lisa''s presence, she would have pushed Adrian away.


    After the hotel staff took the ID, they asked, "How many people will be staying?"


    Lisa had initially intended to say just herself but considering Eva was here, she had to change her answer. "Just him."


    "Alright, miss. Could you please give me this gentleman''s ID?"


    "His ID?" Lisa blinked. "He''s drunk, and I don''t know where his ID is. Can I use mine instead?"


    "I''m sorry, miss. ording to the regtions, the ID of the person checking in is required."


    Lisa tried to negotiate, hoping for some leniency.


    With the approval of the front desk, "I promise there won''t be any problems, okay?"


    "I''m sorry, ma''am, it''s the hotel''s policy, and we can''t make exceptions," the front desk could only offer an apologetic smile to Lisa.


    Lisa was suddenly caught in a dilemma.


    At that moment, Eva, supporting Adrian, suddenly spoke up, "Youe and support him."


    Lisa didn''t know what was happening, but when it came to helping the charming man, she immediately went over to do as she was told. After she had supported him, Eva reached into Adrian''s pants pocket.


    "What are you doing?" Lisa was startled by her actions.


    Eva nced at her and then skillfully pulled Adrian''s wallet out of his pocket.


    Then, she opened the wallet and took out his ID card, handing it to the hotel staff.

 Chapter 205 He Loves You So Much

    It took a great deal of effort for the two of them to get Adrian into the hotel.


    After throwing him onto the bed, Eva stood still, panting heavily. Then, she turned her head to look at Lisa. Lisa immediately understood what she meant.


    "Eva, can I...?"


    "No," Eva decisively interrupted her words, "let''s go, we have to go back, he''ll be fine here."


    "But... he''s drunk, is it really okay for him to be alone in the hotel? What if something happens?"


    "So what? Don''t tell me you want to stay and keep himpany," Eva said.


    Lisa awkwardly smiled, "No, I mean, can we use his phone to call his friend?"


    "Do you know his phone''s lock screen password?"


    "No."


    "Then why make a call?"


    "Yeah, you''re right." Lisa hesitated and looked at her finger, "But he looks really worrying in this state."


    "He''s an adult, not a child. It''s just being drunk. Weren''t you often drunk before?" Eva helplessly said.


    Although that was what she said, when it happened to someone else, Lisa realized that she really was worried. Now she finally understood how her mother and father used to worry about her when she got drunk.


    But even though she was worried, after Eva''s reminder, Lisa wasn''t as worried anymore.


    When she got drunk, she managed just fine.


    He''s a man, so what''s the big deal?


    "Well... alright." She hesitated and left with Eva.


    After leaving the hotel, Lisa became curious.


    "How did you know his wallet was in his pocket? I saw how familiar you were with your movements, and how did you know where his ID card was?"


    Lisa recalled that Eva swiftly and urately took the wallet out of the man''s pants pocket. Most importantly, she immediately found the man''s ID card in the secondpartment of the wallet.


    If Eva hadn''t spent five years abroad, Lisa would have suspected that the two of them knew each other.


    After all, finding a wallet in a pocket is a normal thing.


    But after finding the wallet, being able to quickly avoid all kinds of bank cards and VIP cards inside...


    I urately obtained the documents.


    This is very strange.


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused and then said, "Do you believe me when I say that I guessed it?"


    Lisa blinked her eyes and stared at her without moving.


    "It''s more outrageous than telling me that you and him were old acquaintances, and that you even dated before."


    Eva thought to herself: Should I tell Lisa? It seems like I identally revealed the truth.


    But before Eva could speak, Lisa found an excuse for her.


    "However, I have always known about your ability, especially your skill in observing others'' thoughts. Although I don''t know how you developed this ability, could you teach me? Maybe with your guidance, I can win over my crush sooner thanter."


    Three sentences, always about Adrian.


    After getting in the car, Eva received a text message from David inquiring about her return.


    "Ms. Hansen, when will you be back? We are still quite unfamiliar with Chicago, and it''s better for Miss Morrison not to stay out toote. Safety first."


    "I understand. On my way back now."


    After receiving the message, David did not reply again, seemingly relieved.


    Putting away her phone, Eva thought of something and asked Lisa, "What did you put in his pocket just now?"


    Upon hearing this, Lisa paused and then her gaze immediately became evasive.


    "What did I put in there? I don''t understand what you''re talking about," Eva remained silent and just stared at her, creating pressure on Lisa even in this way.


    "Alright, alright, I left him a note. His phone has a password lock, and I can''t unlock it or add my contact information. So, leaving my contact information is the best I can do, right? After all, I helped him tonight. When he wakes up tomorrow morning, will he see me as someone who helped him?"


    A certain special word instantly struck Eva''s thoughts. She changed her expression, turned her head, and didn''t say anything else.


    After Lisa talked for a while, she realized that Eva wasn''t paying attention to her and turned to look at her.


    At some unknown point, Eva had already looked out the window. There was no expression on her face reflected in the window, giving off a feeling of destion. What''s wrong?


    Did she say something wrong just now?


    Lisa became somewhat conflicted for a moment, pinching her fingers and carefully pondering whether she inadvertently said something hurtful to Eva.


    But no matter how much she thought, she couldn''t figure out what she said wrong.


    In the end, Lisa could only rely on this and asked softly, "Eva, did I say something wrong that made you upset just now?"


    Her close voice brought Eva back to her senses.


    "It''s nothing." Seeing Lisa staring at her with a worried look, Eva realized that she had been absent-minded.


    "Really?" Lisa looked skeptical. "But just now, you..."


    "I thought of something just now, so I got distracted."


    "Are you sure everything is alright? Did I say something that upset you?"


    Eva reached out and pinched Lisa''s cheek. "What can you say? You''re always..."


    "Why did you make me unhappy? Don''t overthink it, we''ll be there soon," Lisa said, noticing that Eva was in the mood to y around with her. Finally relieved, she added, "I''m d you''re not mad at me."


    Because it was a special residential area, unregistered vehicles were not allowed to enter. In the end, Eva and Lisa had to walk in.


    As they were getting closer, Lisa suddenly pointed ahead and asked, "There''s someone at our doorstep."


    Hearing this, Eva followed her gaze and saw a tall figure waiting at the entrance. Before Eva could get a good look, the person turned around, and their eyes met in the air.


    Without waiting for Eva to say anything, Lisa excitedly screamed, "It''s Michael! He''se to see you!"


    Eva wanted to greet Michael, but Lisa''s excitement prevented her from speaking. "Oh my, Eva, why would he suddenlye? Did he find out that you went to the bar with me and got worried, so he hurried over to find you?" Lisa chattered on, and Eva could only helplessly say, "Could you please be a little quieter?"


    "Okay."


    Before Eva could even walk over, Michael took the initiative toe towards her. As he approached, he took off his coat and, without saying a word, draped it over Eva''s shoulders.


    Lisa stifled augh from the side and said, "He really loves you."

 Chapter 206 Some Changes

    The warm coat instantly enveloped Eva, carrying Michael''s body heat. His temperature was much higher than hers, and the warmth instantly dispelled the cold evening breeze. Eva smiled at him and said, "Thank you."


    Michael looked at her with a helpless yet doting look in his eyes. "It''s so cold outside, don''t you know to dress warmer? Do you even realize how delicate you are?"


    Before Eva could reply, Lisa interjected, "Michael, stop talking about Eva. If she dressed any warmer, would there be any chance for you to show your concern?" "Alright." Eva interrupted them and suggested, "It''s cold outside, let''s talk inside."


    The three of them entered the house together. Once inside, Eva took off Michael''s coat and returned it to him. "Put it on quickly, don''t catch a cold."


    Michael took the coat from her but didn''t put it on. He just held it in his hands.


    Lisa nced at the two of them, her eyes rolling, and then said, "I''ll disappear and give you two some alone time."


    After saying that, Lisa walked towards the bedroom and coincidentally bumped into Daviding out.


    David saw that Eva had returned and was about to greet her, but before he could say anything, Lisa covered his mouth and dragged him away. "Can''t you be more considerate? Give your boss and Eva some privacy." With the coat in his hands, Michael followed Eva into the living room, subtly observing her expressions all the while.


    At first, Eva didn''t notice and asked him what he wanted to drink. Michael said in water. After Eva poured the water for him, she realized that his gaze had been fixed on her the whole time.


    She ced the ss of water in front of him and raised an eyebrow. "What''s the matter? Do I have a rare treasure on me that you''ve been staring at me all this time?"


    Michael''s thin lips curled slightly, and his gold-framed sses reflected a faint glimmer under the living room light. His voice was gentle. "Long time no see, I missed you a little, so I couldn''t help but take a few more nces."


    His words were direct and straightforward. This caught Eva off guard. After a moment of hesitation, Eva raised an eyebrow. "Alright then, feel free to take a few more nces."


    She quickly changed the subject. "Have you finished all your work?"


    Michael nodded. "Yes, I came straight here as soon as I was done."


    "Don''t worry, David is here. He will take care of whatever you need."


    Upon hearing that, Michael fell silent for two seconds before asking, "Do you think I''m worried about that?"


    Eva quickly replied, "Then what else could it be?"


    After responding, she realized something was off. When she looked up, she saw Michael smiling at her.


    "Eva, what do you think?"


    Eva couldn''t tell if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Michael was somehow different this timepared to when he was abroad.


    She had always known that he had feelings for her. Because she knew she would reject him, Michael never even hinted at it. But now, it seemed...


    Eva''s silence made Michael''s eyes darken slightly. He pursed his thin lips and sat there quietly, waiting for her answer.


    Unfortunately, after a long wait, all he got was Eva''s question. "You must be exhausted from flying back. Did you book a hotel?"


    With David here, how could the hotel not have been booked in advance? However, in the face of Eva''s question, Michael suddenly wondered what she would do if he said no. One second he thought about it, the next second, Michael just did it.


    "No," he denied.


    Upon hearing this, Eva immediately furrowed her brows. Instinctively, she wanted to ask how David handled things and how he could mess up even booking a hotel.


    But as the words were about toe out, Eva remembered that David was busy with the auction today and woulde back to take care of their two children.


    She instantly found it difficult to say anything else.


    After all, she had her share of responsibilities.


    Thinking of this, Eva took out her phone and said, "Then let me book it for you now. Where do you intend to stay?"


    Michael continued to stare at her without moving. "The environment here is nice."


    Eva paused.


    In her bewildered eyes, Michael smiled and said, "Anyway, I''ll be staying here for quite some time. David told me there are houses for rent here."


    "Yes," Eva replied vaguely.


    With a smile, Michael asked, "Great, do you have the contact information for theirndlord?"


    "There should be one, but it''s already sote now. Even if we want to rent a house, we''ll have to do it the day after tomorrow, right? After renting the house, we''ll also need to clean it and buy bedding," Eva replied. "Yes, that makes sense. So I''m wondering if our Ms. Hansen will have time tomorrow to apany me to the supermarket for shopping?" Michael asked.


    Eva couldn''t refuse such a request and had to agree. "Okay."


    A few secondster, Eva spoke again. "Should I book a hotel for you?"


    "No need," Michael stood up. "Let David handle this. Let hime out. It''s gettingte, and we shouldn''t disturb your rest."


    In the end, Michael chose to give in.


    I can''t rush things, he thought.


    Before leaving, Eva said to Michael, "After I get contact information from Lisa, I''ll send it to you."


    Michael nodded.


    "Thank you for your help."


    "Don''t mention it. You''ve helped me a lot, so this is just a small matter."


    After that, she stood at the door and watched the two of them leave. After they were gone, Lisa suddenly appeared behind her.


    "David is quite capable. Ruby and Dn have already fallen asleep."


    Upon hearing this, Eva froze for a moment, then smiled and said, "Indeed, but it''s already their bedtime."


    "I heard David say that Dn and Ruby wanted to wait for you toe back before going to sleep, but it got toote, and they couldn''t hold on, so they fell asleep."


    At this point, Lisa''s face showed a guilty expression.


    "I''m sorry. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have been dyed thiste, and the two little ones wouldn''t have had to wait for you for so long."


    "It''s nothing. Just a small matter." Afterforting Lisa, Eva said, "I''ll go check on them."


    "Okay."


    Eva returned to the room.


    Usually, the two little ones sleep in separate rooms, but today they must have been waiting together, so now they were sleeping together.


    Ruby was curled up with her love-shaped pillow, wrapped in a nket, sleeping in the corner against the wall. Dn, on the other hand,y stiffly at the edge of the bed like an adult, guarding his sister, as if he was afraid she might roll off the bed.


    As soon as Eva entered, Dn woke up immediately.


    He opened his eyes wide in the darkness, and cautiously got up.


    "Mama."


    Eva instinctively gestured to him and then walked over to turn on a smallmp for little Adrian. She also took a small nket from the bed and covered Dn''s shoulders, lowering her voice, "Why are you awake? I thought you were asleep." Dn burrowed into the nket and snuggled into Eva''s embrace, whispering, "Mama didn''te back, so I couldn''t sleep."

 Chapter 207 Hope That We Are Free

    Eva''s heart was warmed by the little one.


    She reached out and rubbed Dn''s head, speaking softly, "Mama is back now. You can sleep peacefully, Dn."


    Dn blinked in her embrace, "Can Dn sleep with Mama tonight?"


    Eva nced at


    That big bed had already won her heart, but she couldn''t resist teasing her son a little.


    "But our Dn is already five years old, he should sleep on his own."


    Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment shed across Dn''s little face. He probably thought Eva''s answer was a no. After a moment, he lowered his head and nodded obediently. "Okay, Mommy, I''ll sleep on my own."


    Originally, she just wanted to tease him, but seeing his disappointed expression now, Eva felt like a bit of a viin.


    Thinking this, Eva said, "Alright, Mommy was just teasing you. It''s really cold tonight, so let''s all sleep together."


    Dn immediately lit up with anticipation in his eyes.


    "Mommy, really?"


    "Really, you go on the bed first, Mommy will get the nkets."


    Dn pondered for a moment but didn''t obediently climb onto the bed as she told him. Instead, he stared at her earnestly and said, "Mommy gets the nkets, then I''ll go get the pillows for Mommy." "Let''s go," Eva agreed.


    Afterwards, Eva went to her own room to get the nkets, while Dn fetched the pillows for her.


    As they walked back in the direction they came from, Eva heard the sound of the door closing, but it sounded like it came from the entrance outside.


    She felt slightly puzzled in her heart, but she didn''t say anything on the surface. She calmly brought Dn back to the room and then said to him, "Dn, you go to sleep first, Mommy will go check if Aunt Lisa is asleep." Because Eva would be staying with them for the whole night today, Dn wasn''t worried anymore and obediently nodded.


    "Okay, Mommy."


    Eva ced him on the bed, in the middle. After tucking him and Ruby under the covers, she put on her shoes and walked out.


    She first went to Lisa''s room and knocked on the door, but there was no response.


    "Lisa?"


    Still no one answered, so Eva opened the door and walked in.


    Sure enough, there was no one in the room. Lisa was not there.


    Eva pursed her lips and had no choice but to turn and head to the entrance.


    That''s when she noticed Lisa''s shoes were missing. Even her coat, which she left on the sofa when she came back, was now gone.


    Eva knew exactly why she rushed out at this time, just after returning with her from the hotel.


    She didn''t expect Lisa to be so brave, sneaking out again aftering back with her.


    Eva was a little angry, but also somewhat helpless.


    Why did it have to be like this?


    Eva had no choice but to call Lisa.


    Lisa seemed guilty. She didn''t pick up the call even after Eva called multiple times.


    So Eva tried another approach and sent her a text.


    "Do you want me to leave the two children alone ande find you in the middle of the night?"


    This time, Lisa replied quickly.


    "No, please don''te out. Ruby and Dn need someone to take care of them. But don''t worry about me either, I''ll be careful on my own. I''m an adult now, Eva, you really don''t need to worry about me." Perhaps afraid of Eva''s persistence, Lisa didn''t even wait for her reply and added, "Really, Eva, even though I


    Together we live, but I hope our lives are free."


    Although it was not explicitly stated afterwards, Eva could still see the meaning behind Lisa''s words.


    She pursed her lips and put away her phone.


    As an adult, she shouldn''t meddle in other people''s affairs, but... since she knew Adrian and Vivian were together, she should have the responsibility to inform her friend.


    Originally, she nned to talk to Lisa about it after waking up tomorrow.


    But she didn''t expect that Lisa couldn''t wait and went out for the night.


    After much consideration, Eva decided to send a message to Lisa.


    "Lisa, I have something to tell you. Can we talk on the phone?"


    However, after sending the message, Lisa did not reply.


    Eva patiently waited for another two minutes, but still no response. She had no choice but to make the call.


    "I''m sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off. Please try againter."


    The cold mechanical voice from the other end of the phone made Eva''s heart sink.


    Her phone was switched off?


    Did something happen to her, or was she deliberately avoiding her?


    Eva couldn''t make up her mind for a moment. She knew that people needed their own space, and there should be some distance between individuals. But she couldn''t just ignore everything and go to sleep. She couldn''t do that.


    However, considering what Lisa said before switching off her phone, Eva felt that if she were to do something at this moment, it might provoke Lisa''s resentment. Although Eva and Lisa hadn''t known each other for a long time, their rtionship had been quite good. If possible, she really didn''t want to hurt her friend. After thinking it through, Eva suppressed her impulse and returned to her room to lie down.


    Dn was still awake, waiting for her.


    Seeing here back, Dn immediately scooted over to make room, lightly patting the spot beside him, "Mommy."


    Feeling a mix of emotions, Eva took off her coat andy down.


    As soon as her head touched the pillow, the little one immediately crawled into her arms and hugged her, whispering softly, "Mommy, do you have something on your mind?" Upon hearing that, Eva snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Dn apologetically.


    She couldn''t believe that her emotions were so quickly noticed by Dn.


    Dn and Ruby were fraternal twins, the same age, but maybe because he had that additional moment before Ruby, he was especially thoughtful and understanding. Despite being only five years old, he seemed more perceptive than adults.


    Eva dismissed herplex emotions and hugged him tightly, "No, Dn, it''s veryte. Go to sleep."


    Dn blinked his eyes as if he understood, didn''t say anything else, and obediently closed his eyes to sleep.


    Before long, Dn''s breathing became long and even.


    "Dn?"


    Eva softly called him twice, making sure Dn didn''t react and had fallen into a deep sleep. She slowly got up and went to the living room with her phone to make a call. About half an hourter...


    Eva got up and opened the door, weing Michael into the house.


    "What''s going on?" Michael asked as soon as he stepped inside. He immediately noticed Eva standing there in just a thin nightgown, causing his expression to change.


    "I''m sorry for calling you over sote, Michael. I just arrived in Chicago and I don''t know many people here..." Eva began exining but was interrupted when Michael suddenly grabbed her wrist. Eva was startled. "Your hands are so cold. Haven''t you realized how lightly dressed you are?"

 Chapter 208 Consider

    Michael''s warm touch, like fire, spread through Eva. Her first instinct was warmth. Then, she realized that she hadn''t noticed her attire due to her haste.


    "Let me tell you, Lisa went out. I just tried calling her, but no one answered. I''m a bit confused now, whether she turned off her phone to avoid being disturbed or..." Eva paused, leaving the rest unsaid, but Michael understood what she wanted to say.


    Seeing Eva standing there freezing, Michael sighed. "I understand the situation. I''ll call David and ask him toe over. We''ll go out together to find her, alright?"


    Go out with her to find Lisa? "No," Eva shook her head. "I won''t go. If she sees me..."


    By then, Lisa would surely feel that Eva was interfering too much. Michael understood her well and quickly grasped her meaning. "I understand. I''ll send someone immediately to confirm her safety." Eva felt relieved. "Thank you."


    "So, can you put on another piece of clothing now? If you keep like this, I''m afraid you''ll catch a cold tomorrow."


    With a solution in sight, Eva felt at ease and went back to her room to put on a sweater. After she had changed, Michael finished his call.


    "Oh, by the way, does David ask if you know her exact location?"


    Location? Eva thought for a moment. Since they had already sought help, there was no harm in directly revealing the name of the hotel where Lisa was staying.


    "In the middle of the night, why would she go there?" Michael hade straight over as soon as he heard Eva needed help, without asking for the reason behind their situation.


    Eva proceeded to tell Michael everything that had happened tonight. After listening, Michael fell into silence for a while.


    "So, you encountered him?" The atmosphere between them seemed to have be mysterious.


    After a long while, Eva nodded calmly. "Yes, I saw him."


    Seeing herposed demeanor, as if nothing major had happened, Michael felt somewhat relieved. However, it seemed that he thought of something else. The eyes behind his sses revealed a hint of conflict, and after a while, he asked: "I heard from David that you brought back a male garment from the venue?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva instinctively denied, "You mean that blue garment? It''s not his...


    "The auction was organized by Mr. Davis and he lent it to me," Michael eximed, almost instantly pronouncing the name of the person. Eva nodded. She now realized why Michael hade running to her in the middle of the night and why something felt off when he spoke to her. It turned out that he knew about this matter all along but chose not to tell her. He simply gave her hints instead.


    "How did you run into him?" Michael asked curiously. "Does he know you?"


    Bringing up the topic made Eva feel awkward. "He wanted to invite me to work at hispany before, but I refused, so I didn''t tell you about it."


    Upon hearing this, Michael raised an eyebrow. "Oh, he wanted to steal my personnel?"


    Those three words made Eva pause for a few seconds. From a certain perspective, this sentence did not seem to have much ambiguity. After all, he was an employee of hispany.


    "So, you didn''t meet him at the venue?" Eva shook her head and then asked, "Did David tell you?"


    "He was also looking out for me, don''t me him," Michael smiled. "Maybe he was afraid of having another boss in the future."


    This statement was also quite evident.


    "So, now that you''ve seen him, how do you feel?" Michael asked straightforwardly.


    Eva suddenly looked up at him. "I''m sorry if I asked inappropriately. I just thought that after five years, you probably have already let go."


    Yes, it had been five years. What could she still hold onto from such a distant time? With this thought, Eva smiled faintly and said softly, "There''s nothing inappropriate. Feel free to ask. He is a stranger to me now." If after all these years, she still had any emotional fluctuations towards him, then she would truly be beyond help.


    "Really?" Michael wasn''t sure whether to believe her or not. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "I''m d you''ve let go. I thought you were stuck in the past."


    "How could that be?" Eva smiled.


    They didn''t continue this topic any further. Both of them knew that it wasn''t appropriate to discuss it anymore.


    Michael looked around before pushing Eva by her shoulder. "Let''s go. You should go to sleep. I''ll stay here and let you know after ensuring she''s alright." "But..." Eva hesitated. "It''s not good for you to stay here alone. Shouldn''t I..."


    However, before she could finish her sentence, Michael had already pushed her into the room.


    She wanted to say something else, but Michael pressed a finger to her lips.


    In a low voice, Michael''s deep and maic voice, like a mncholic cello being gently yed, said, "Don''t wake Ruby and Dn. Just go inside."


    The warmth of his fingertip on Eva''s lips felt like fire. When she finally came to her senses, Eva almost...


    It was almost in a panicked manner that she wanted to step back. However, Michael recovered quickly, his gaze clear, as if his previous actions were just to shut her up and held no ulterior motives.


    It seemed that she was the only one with any ideas. Eva felt uneasy and watched as Michael closed the door for her. She had no choice but to return to bed and lie down again.


    Eva took out her phone and nced at it, but Lisa still hadn''t replied to her message. She sighed with worry.


    "Mummy."


    Suddenly, a soft voice came from beside her. Eva was startled and turned her head to find Dn looking at her with concern.


    "Dn? Weren''t you asleep?"


    Dn didn''t speak, only pursed his little lips.


    "Are you worried about mummy? It''s alright, Dn. You''re just a little kid, don''t worry about mummy so much. Quickly go to sleep, mummy will go to sleep too."


    But Dn asked, "Is Uncle Michael guarding outside?"


    "He''s guarding outside. Be a good boy and go to sleep. Mummy won''t go out tonight."


    Perhaps knowing that she wouldn''t leave, Dn quickly fell asleep by her side.


    Eva, however, had no sleepiness at all, but maybe because she caught a cold, her stomach felt a faint pain, making her feel exhausted. She covered herself with the nket and fell into a drowsy sleep. When she woke up, it was already bright outside.


    Eva nced at the time and realized it was already past six o''clock. She quickly threw off the nket and sat up.


    There was only one thought in her mind.


    Did Lisae backst night?

 Chapter 209 Never Dreamed of You

    With that thought in mind, she opened the door and ran out barefoot.


    As she prepared to rush straight to the living room, she unexpectedly jumped into Michael''s arms, who was looking for her.


    Michael, caught off guard, took two steps back before steadying himself and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Holding onto Eva''s waist, he prevented her from falling.


    At this moment, Eva couldn''t think of anything else and asked instinctively, "Did Lisae back?"


    Upon hearing her question, Michael couldn''t help but let out a sigh. "Don''t worry, I came to tell you about this."


    Eva calmed down and took two steps back to look at him.


    Michael noticed that she wasn''t even wearing shoes and her clothes were the same asst night. Realizing that she probably wouldn''t bother dressing until she heard the whole story, he quickly simplified the situation. "She''s safe, nothing happened. Our people stayed at the hotel and just returned a moment ago."


    "They stayed at the hotel? How? Where is she in the hotel? Did she go in?"


    When she left, she didn''t take her room key, so logically Lisa wouldn''t have been able to enter.


    Michael looked at her, seemingly observing the expression on her face. After a while, he chuckled lightly, "If I said she went in, how would you feel?"


    Hearing his words, Eva paused.


    Then, a serious expression appeared on her face.


    "Is it fun for you to test me like this?"


    Originally, a faint smile lingered on the face, but seeing her expression darken, the smile vanished.


    "That''s not what I meant."


    "Since yesterday evening when you came back, you have been intentionally or unintentionally testing me."


    Michael paused, then raised his gaze to look at her earnestly.


    "Well, let''s just say that I was testing you because I was nervous, because I care, because I feel helpless, so I can only use this method to see if you will change your mind about him, to see if I still have a chance." Eva was caught off guard.


    "Okay, let''s not talk about this for now. Since you already know she is safe, go inside and put on your coat."


    Eva lowered her head and saw the pajamas she was wearing.


    "It''s cold outside, don''t catch a cold," Michael said gently.


    Hotel.


    The sun was already up, and Lisa leaned against the wall, so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open.


    She had been squatting here all night, without hearing any noise from inside. It seemed like nothing had happened to him.


    I wonder if he woke up and saw the note I left for him?


    After squatting for a while, Lisa felt her legs going numb.


    When she tried to stand up and move, her phone fell with a snap.


    She quickly picked it up to check if it was broken.


    Once she confirmed that the phone was safe, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief, but then her expression turned unpleasant. Last night, because she was afraid Eva would call her, she had turned off her phone.


    Who knows if Eva was worried about her all night.


    Thinking of this, Lisa turned on her phone.


    Sure enough, she saw countless missed calls from Eva, instantly filled with guilt.


    If she didn''t truly like this man, she wouldn''t have abandoned her sister like this, but...


    This opportunity onlyes once, she truly cannot miss it.


    After she settles things with this man, she will go back and make amends with Eva.


    Lisa put the phone away, moved her body a bit, and then went to ring the doorbell of the hotel room.


    Because Adrian was drunkst night, Lisa didn''t know if he was awake yet, so it was a gamble.


    She pressed the doorbell twice at first, but there was no response from inside, so Lisa patiently waited.


    She didn''t know how much time had passed, and she didn''t know how many times she had pressed the doorbell when the door finally opened.


    A handsome man stood by the door, exuding a chilling aura after being awakened, coldly gazing at her.


    At first nce, Lisa felt the chill.


    "Hello?"


    The next second, the door was mmed shut.


    Lisa almost had her nose hit by the door panel.


    When she reacted again, she approached and pressed the doorbell once more.


    After pressing it twice, the handsome man opened the door again.


    "What''s the matter?" Adrian did recognize the woman in front of him.


    The woman who had pestered him at the bar for a long time.


    He looked at her with cold indifference, never expecting that this woman who used to bother him at the bar would actually follow him to the hotel. Lisa nodded, afraid of being shut out again.


    So, after nodding, she wanted to squeeze in. Surprisingly, the man raised his hand and blocked the door, looking at her with a cold expression, showing no intention of letting her in. "... Let me in first. I have something to say to you."


    "Right here, one minute," Adrian replied coldly.


    Lisa didn''t expect him to be so unfriendly. But then she thought that maybe he didn''t know what happenedst night since he just woke up, and that''s why he acted like this. With that in mind, she decisively spoke, "You got drunkst night, and I brought you to this hotel."


    Hearing this, Adrian paused.


    "And I also paid for your hotel room."


    Lisa smiled awkwardly and exined, "Of course, I''m not saying this to ask you to pay me back. I just don''t want you to misunderstand me."


    When she mentioned helping him while drunkst night, Adrian fell silent for a moment, and a certain scene suddenly shed through his mind.


    In the chaos, he seemed to have caught a glimpse of a figure that haunted him in the bar.


    But after waking up, he found this unfamiliar woman iming that he got drunk, and she helped him.


    Adrian squinted his eyes.


    Could it be that he hallucinatedst night when he was drunk?


    No, something wasn''t right.


    Although he saw her figure every time he closed his eyes during these five years, she never appeared in his dreams.


    Not even when he was drunk.


    Last night was the first time he saw her.


    It couldn''t be a dream.


    She was there.


    Damn it!


    With that in mind, Adrian''s expression changed, and he immediately turned and walked inside.


    Lisa didn''t know what was going on, but seeing that he didn''t lock the door, she quickly followed him inside.


    "Well, I helped youst night, but you don''t have to thank me too much. If you really want to thank me, how about we exchange contact information?" Lisa said as she took out her phone. Adrian nced coldly at her.


    After a moment, he recited a series of numbers to her.


    Once Lisa finished inputting the numbers, he said, "It''s my assistant''s contact information. Regarding what happenedst night, contact him, and he willpensate you ordingly." With that, Adrian put on his coat, grabbed his phone, and walked out without looking back.

 Chapter 210 Unfamiliar with Her Former Husband

    Lisa remembered the number and when the person revealed it was Adrian''s assistant, she became anxious as he walked away. So, she instinctively followed him.


    When they reached the elevator, she caught up and pleaded, "Wait, I want your contact information, notpensation. I just want to be friends. Can you give me your contact information?" Adrian stopped in front of the elevator doors with a nk expression.


    Lisa bit her lower lip and looked at him with a conflicted expression.


    "I really want your contact information. I promise I won''t bother you."


    Adrian coldly nced at her before lifting


    He buttoned the top button of his suit, his voice cold as he said, "Miss, it''s best if you dismiss any thoughts about me right now. Otherwise, I can''t guarantee what will happenter." The elevator arrived just then.


    Adrian walked into it expressionless.


    Lisa''s face turned pale at his words, but after watching him enter the elevator, she couldn''t control her own feet and slowly followed inside.


    There were only the two of them in the elevator, and Lisa could almost feel the icy aura emanating from the man after she entered. Though she liked this man very much... She had never been rejected so harshly before.


    His cold gaze and tone made her feel like a despised piece of garbage, instantly shattering her confidence.


    She almost didn''t have the courage to speak to him again, so she could only stand there numbly and wait for the elevator to descend. Each second felt like an eternity.


    She didn''t know how long it had been, but the elevator finally reached the first floor.


    Lisa followed behind him as they stepped out.


    Standing at the elevator entrance, Adrian hesitated for a moment before coldly saying, "I hope you won''t follow me anymore."


    Lisa bit her lip numbly, not looking up nor responding.


    His phone rang, and the man in front of her walked away.


    She nced at the iing call disy, answered the phone, and weakly spoke, "Eva..."


    Upon hearing Lisa''s voice, Eva on the other end of the line breathed a sigh of relief.


    "You finally answered my call, Lisa."


    "I''m sorry..." Lisa bit her lip, feeling fine just a moment ago, but now she felt endlessly wronged upon hearing Eva''s voice. She wanted to cry, "I didn''t turn off my phone on purposest night, I just... I just really like him." Eva stayed in the living room and felt uneasy upon hearing Lisa''s distressed words and the slight choking in her throat.


    "I know, you''ve been wronged. Where are you now? I''ll have Davide pick you up. After youe back, there are a few things I want to talk to you about."


    "Okay, I''m currently..." Lisa had intended to say her location, but then the familiar pair of shoes appeared in her line of sight, and she looked up in astonishment. To her surprise, the man who should have left had actually returned.


    "You..." Adrian furrowed his brow and looked at her withplex emotions.


    "Lisa?"


    Because of the man''s return, Lisa suddenly caught a glimmer of hope and immediately told Eva on the phone, "I have something to do right now, I''ll call youter." After speaking, Lisa hung up the phone.


    She hung up too quickly for Adrian to stop her.


    On the other side, Eva, who had her call ended, wondered: Why did she suddenly hang up? And her tone seemed to be more cheerful? Could it be that Adrian is with her?


    With that thought, Eva suddenly had a foreboding feeling.


    After disconnecting the call with Eva, Lisa wiped away the tears in the corner of her eyes in a fluster and looked at the man in front of her.


    Actually, she wanted to ask why he hade back again. But when the words reached her lips, she felt too embarrassed to speak up. As she struggled with how to open the topic, the handsome man in front of her nced at her phone, pursed his thin lips, and then said, "Were you on the phone just now?"


    This question caught Lisa off guard, and she slowly nodded. "Yes." "Your friend?"


    "Yes."


    Adrian narrowed his eyes. "Last night... Did you help me?"


    Lisa continued nodding. "Yes, you were drunk and passed out on the ground. I was afraid something might happen, so I thought of bringing you to a hotel to rest, but..." At this point, Lisa seemed to remember something, and her words faltered. "But what?"


    Adrian''s keen sixth sense told him that whatever came after "but" must be important information.


    Lisa was originally quick-witted, and she didn''t expect to reveal what happened next. Firstly, she didn''t want to betray her friend, and secondly, she felt that it wasn''t appropriate to say such things in front of Adrian. What if he got angry after hearing it?


    But she didn''t expect to blurt it out.


    Lisa awkwardly smiled and said, "It''s nothing."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s gaze turned cold. "Tell me the truth."


    In that moment, Adrian''s superiority and authority became evident.


    Lisa didn''t know what happened to her. She had already decided not to speak, but when Adrian looked at her like that, she instantly felt a chill run down her spine. Subconsciously, she confessed the whole story.


    "There was a misunderstandingst night. You got drunk and tried to do something inappropriate to my friend. At first, my friend misunderstood you, but don''t worry, I exined to her that you are not that kind of person. So, she eventually helped me bring you to the hotel as well."


    "Inappropriate to your friend?"


    Suddenly, certain images that Adrian had forgotten shed through his mind.


    Previously, he only remembered seeing her in the bar, haunted by her presence, but he had no recollection of what happened afterward.


    Now, reminded by Lisa, Adrian instantly recalled it.


    He pressed someone against the wall... but then his consciousness suddenly disappeared.


    So, such a thing had happened.


    "No, no," Lisa vehemently denied, "I know you were drunk and maybe did something that made her misunderstand, but you''re definitely not that kind of person. I''ve already exined it to her on your behalf."


    "Is that so?" Adrian said calmly.


    "Yes," Lisa nodded vigorously, "My friend didn''t know you before, so she had a misunderstanding. But she won''t have it anymore in the future."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian was momentarily surprised, then snorted.


    "She didn''t know me?"


    Lisa innocently nodded.


    "Well, do you know my friend?" he countered.


    More than just knowing her? She was practically ingrained in him, imprinted in his flesh and blood.


    The next moment, Adrian raised his head. "Can you take me to meet your friend?"


    Why all of a sudden did he want to meet her friend?


    "Didn''t you say I behaved inappropriately towards your friend? Take me to meet her and let me exin."


    "I will apologize to her face-to-face and sincerely," he said. "And while I''m at it, I''ll ask her how she really didn''t recognize her ex-husband."

 Chapter 211 Not Discouraged

    The turnaround of events is always unpredictable. Just moments ago, Lisa was feeling down, epting the possibility that things might not end well for her, and nning to return home and cry her heart out with Eva to mourn her first rejection. Unexpectedly, this man came back.


    Sitting in the car, Lisa''s mood was like a rollercoaster. She pursed her lips, feeling incredibly sweet inside. Her courage even grew, prompting her to strike up a conversation with him. "Can I ask you a question?"


    Adrian stared ahead, expressionless. "Go ahead."


    "What''s your name? I simply don''t know how to address you since I don''t even know your surname."


    "ckwood," someone replied sinctly.


    "ckwood?" Lisa was a little surprised. "So, yourst name is ckwood."


    Her reaction made Adrian think of a certain possibility, so he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do we know each other?"


    Lisa replied, "No, I just genuinely think that your surname sounds nice."


    Adrian thought, Eva is good friends with this person but has never mentioned a word about me. Has she really forgotten me in these five years?


    Knowing his surname, Lisa greedily wanted to know his full name. She held back and finally couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. ckwood, can I really not know your full name?"


    Adrian''s face remained impassive, not giving any response.


    Lisa didn''t give up. "What about contact details?"


    Adrian continued to ignore her.


    However, Lisa was not discouraged. Right now, she was sitting in the same car as him, and he was even willing to apologize to her friend for a ''misunderstanding.''


    All of these things indicated that this man had good character, someone suitable for a long-term rtionship.


    She didn''t mind his coldness.


    Lisa understood very well that this kind of seemingly icy indifference, which appeared to be unmoved by anyone, was actually a rare kind. Once someone held his heart, he would be devoted to her. Lisa loved this kind of special feeling, where you were the only one in his eyes. But she had never had the opportunity to encounter such a man before.


    Most men couldn''t control their desires and would always treat women, especially the beautiful ones, differently.


    Though Michael, who was around Eva, caught her attention.


    Although Michael wasn''t an iceberg and seemed friendly to everyone, Lisa could deeply sense that while he was polite to others, he maintained afortable distance. Except for Eva, it was difficult for anyone of the opposite sex to enter his personal safety zone.


    But unfortunately, he was her sister''s man, so Lisa couldn''t make a move on him.


    After finallying to the United States, she encountered someone she liked even more, so Lisa didn''t even have the intention to pursue Michael.


    "I won''t give up like this."


    The more Lisa thought about it, the more excited she became. As long as she could win over Adrian, she probably wouldn''t have to change boyfriends frequently in the future. After arriving at the ce, Adrian looked at the neighborhood in front of him, squinted his eyes, and finally spoke.


    "You live here?"


    Lisa nodded, "The scenery here is nice, and it''s very quiet. My friend just came back from abroad, so I wanted to find her a ce with good scenery. Maybe it will also help her career." "Career?"


    "Yeah, my sister wants to start her own business."


    Adrian raised an eyebrow without showing any trace.


    Never did he expect that one day he would have to understand all of her affairs and past from someone else''s mouth.


    Thinking about this, Adrian couldn''t help but feel ironic. Even so, he was still interested in her affairs.


    "Starting a business?" Adrian interlocked his hands and ced them in front of his knees. "Are you both starting a business together?"


    "No," Lisa shook her head. "I work at the airport for my old man. He doesn''t allow me to start a business. After graduation, he asked me to help in our family''spany. Now I''m studying management there." However, after she said these words, Adrian, who was sitting there, didn''t react much.


    Lisa looked at his appearance, thought for a moment, and spoke again, "My sister wants to open apany."


    Sure enough, as soon as she mentioned Eva''s matter, Adrian''s eyebrows and eyes twitched again.


    "What kind ofpany?"


    Lisa wondered, "I''m not quite sure about that. I just vaguely know a little bit, but I haven''t asked about the details."


    She found it strange. This man seems to be very interested in Eva.


    Was it because he did something wrong after getting drunkst night? That''s why he was acting like this?


    When she mentioned this matter to him before, he seemed to have already lost that memory, making Lisa think he couldn''t possibly be interested in Eva.


    So, there should only be apology remaining.


    Because of the apology, he paid special attention to her. Lisa felt she understood this psychology to some extent.


    "In fact, you don''t have to worry. My sister is a good person, with a gentle personality and very easy to talk to. Apologize to herter, exin a bit, and we can all have a meal together. Everything will be fine." "Really?"


    "Yes, don''t worry. I will definitely speak well for you then, and my sister will definitely ept you."


    Speak well? After this conversation, Adrian finally nced at Lisa seriously.


    "What''s your name?"


    Lisa''s eyes brightened, and she immediately said, "Myst name is George, and you can call me Lisa."


    As if to confirm, Adrian asked again, "And your friend? Once I meet her, how should I address her?" "My friend is called Eva, and herst name is Hansen."


    "Eva."


    Those three words spoken by Adrian felt like they traveled light-years.


    The name that used to be so familiar to his lips now sounded unfamiliar, as if he hadn''t said that name in a very long time.


    Beside him, Lisa was dumbfounded when she heard Eva''s nameing from Adrian''s mouth, it sounded particrly deep and pleasant.


    Why doesn''t he pronounce his own name?! Is her name not as pleasant as Eva''s?


    Lisa immediately regretted not giving herself a more pleasing name. With this feeling of annoyance, they finally arrived at the door. Lisa led Adrian inside.


    "Eva," as soon as they entered, Lisa started calling Eva''s name.


    Adrian followed behind her into the house but couldn''t take a step forward when he stood at the entrance. He surveyed the room.


    Perhaps because they had just moved in, there were no traces of Eva''s life in the house, making it look unfamiliar. But from now on, she will live here. Adrian took off his shoes and calmly walked inside.

 Chapter 212 What Is He Afraid Of?

    "Eva?" Lisa searched every corner of the house but couldn''t find Eva.


    Lisa had no choice but to return to the living room and saw Adrian standing there, so she said, "I''m sorry, Mr. ckwood, it seems like my friend is not home, maybe she went out." Saying so, Lisa had to change the subject, "Why don''t you have a seat? Let me make a phone call to check?"


    "Alright." Originally, she thought he would decline, but unexpectedly, Adrian sat down on the sofa in a manner that suggested he had plenty of time to wait.


    Lisa immediately rushed to the balcony to call Eva. "Eva, where are you?"


    "You''re home?" Eva, who answered the call, instinctively asked in return.


    "I just arrived home, but I didn''t see you."


    Hearing that she had alreadye home, Eva breathed a sigh of relief and exined, "I had something to take care of. If you''re okay, just stay at home and wait for me toe back. I have something to tell you." "I also have something to tell you..."


    "Is it Lisa calling?" Suddenly, Michael''s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "Yes, she''s home now."


    "That''s good."


    Originally, Lisa intended to tell Eva about the fact that the man is home and that she wants to apologize to him and have a meal together.


    But after hearing Michael''s voice, Lisa immediately swallowed the words that were about toe out of her mouth. They are together now, and she doesn''t want to be disrespectful.


    So Lisa quickly changed her words, "Have fun."


    Perhaps Eva was still worried about something, after reminding Lisa not to wander around, she hung up the phone.


    Listening to the busy tone in her phone, Lisa took a deep breath and raised her lips. It seems that lunch will only be between her and Mr. ckwood.


    Thinking of this, Lisa put her phone away and turned back. After returning, Lisa saw that he was still sitting in the same ce, maintaining his previous posture.


    As she entered, his gaze fell directly on her. "Sorry, Mr. ckwood, my friend had something to do, so it''s probably just you and me for lunch..."


    "Where did she go?" Adrian interrupted with a cold voice.


    Lisa was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "I''m not sure, she only told me that she had something to do."


    Was it just a coincidence?


    Adrian furrowed his brows displeased. She left just when he was about toe? Did she know he wasing and deliberately avoid him, or was it unintentional? Thinking about this, Adrian coldly asked, "Did she know I wasing?"


    Lisa shook her head bewilderedly. "I don''t know, I nned to tell her when the time came."


    Since she didn''t know, it was probably a misunderstanding.


    Seeing that he didn''t say anything further, Lisa asked, "Mr. ckwood, what''s wrong?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian tugged at the corners of his lips and sneered, "Nothing, I just wanted to see her urgently."


    This statement caused a subtle change in Lisa''s expression, her gaze bing more subtle.


    "Mr. ckwood..."


    Adrian raised an eyebrow, "What? Is there a problem with wanting to apologize urgently?"


    Lisa replied, "No problem, of course there''s no problem."


    That subtle emotion disappeared without a trace.


    Mr. ckwood is really good, worthy of being the man she''s fond of.


    She became increasingly determined to win his heart over.


    ...


    After ending the call, Eva put her cellphone back in her pocket. Ruby, who was beside her, immediately seized the opportunity and climbed onto her leg. "Mama, hug me."


    Before Eva could react, Ruby was suddenly scooped up by a strong hand, and Michael held her on hisp.


    Although Ruby didn''t get to be in her mother''s arms as she wished.


    Michael''s embrace was also very familiar, and the little one didn''t mind. She even nestled directly into his arms and in her incredibly tender voice said, "Uncle Michael, can I sleep in your arms?" Michael reached out and poked her delicate little nose.


    "If you want to sleep, then sleep. When has Uncle Michael ever disagreed?"


    "Thank you, Uncle Michael."


    Michael thought of something and turned his head to look at Dn, who was sitting to the side.


    "Dn,e over too?"


    The little Dn sat there, feeling somewhat reserved because he wasn''t smiling or being cute.


    Facing Michael''s invitation, Dn politely thanked him and then declined.


    "Thank you, Uncle Michael, but it''s not necessary."


    Michael sighed regretfully. "You''re always distant with Uncle Michael."


    Before Dn could think of an answer himself, Eva spoke for him, "He''s just more introverted, as you know."


    "And isn''t it enough to have Ruby sticking to you?"


    Having a child cling to you all day long is exhausting enough.


    But who knew that after Michael heard this, he actually curved his lips and said, "Not enough. After all, as you know, I hope that the three of you, mother and children, can all stick to me." Dn, sitting beside them, looked up at his mother.


    Then he heard his mother say, "Children just cling to you."


    "You can act like a child in front of me."


    Now Eva finally understood. Ever since they returned to their home country, Michael seemed unable to control himself and his way of speaking had changed a lot.


    What was he afraid of? Did he think that after five years, he could still turn back?


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva looked at Michael helplessly.


    She had wanted to ask Michael if he really had to talk to her like this.


    But considering that the two children were present, Eva could only hold back her words and say nothing in the end.


    Michael seemed to understand her thoughts and didn''t continue with that topic, instead changing to another one.


    "So, you n to live with Lisa after that?"


    "She has rented for quite a long time and will probably continue living there," Eva replied softly.


    "Where is yourpany going to be located? If it''s too far away, will you also live there?" Michael asked, tilting his head.


    Upon hearing this, Eva felt conflicted.


    In fact, the location of herpany was quite far from here.


    Previously, Lisa only knew that Eva was going to start apany but didn''t know the exact location. Eva also hadn''t expected Lisa to find a ce for her to rent.


    "In the initial stages of starting apany, it will be busy. If it''s too far away,muting will be troublesome," Michael reminded her.


    "Yeah, I know."


    Eva nodded, but she hadn''t started working on it yet. She would figure out how to handle this issue when she got started.


    Michael didn''t say anything more, simply handing her a set of keys. "Take these."


    Eva didn''t take them.


    "These were prepared in advance, near the location of your futurepany. Someone will go there regrly to clean up. If you''re busy, you can stay there," Michael exined. Seeing that Eva still didn''t take the keys, Michael handed them to Ruby instead.


    "Ruby, if you don''t want your mommy to work too hard, why don''t you ept Uncle Michael''s keys on behalf of your mommy?"

 Chapter 213 Rely on Me a Bit More

    Eva couldn''t help but feel helpless. It was always like this; whenever he gave her something she didn''t want, Michael would retreat and pass it to his daughter instead. Ruby blinked her big eyes and epted the keys without any psychological burden. She even tiptoed to give Michael a peck on the cheek.


    "Thank you, Uncle Michael."


    Eva looked at her, her expression as expected. Ruby''s personality waspletely different from Dn''s. She would basically ept the kindness of others, and even had her own little theory. Previously, when Eva taught her not to always take things from Michael, Ruby raised her little face and said, "But Mommy, Ruby didn''t take Uncle Michael''s things for nothing."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Uncle Michael always hugs Ruby, rubs Ruby''s cheeks, and takes pictures of Ruby. He''s putting in effort, you know."


    At such a tender age, Ruby had her own insights. She believed that being hugged, having her cheeks rubbed, and even being photographed were all forms of effort.


    So Eva argued with her again. "But when Uncle Michael hugs you and takes pictures of you, it''s all to help you, right?"


    Ruby blinked her eyes. "But Mommy, Ruby didn''t ask Uncle Michael to help me. Plus, isn''t Uncle Michael interested in you? They say on TV that when pursuing a girl, you have to show sincerity, otherwise how can you win her over?"


    At such a young age, she was like a little elf, revealing theplexities of rtionships between men and women in a single sentence.


    Surprisingly, Eva was persuaded by her. Regardless, when Ruby takes things, Eva had decided to talk to her when they got hometer. She definitely couldn''t ept such valuable things as the house. If she really did, she would have to pay for it. She already owed Michael too much.


    Afterwards, there was no more conversation in the car. They waited until the driver arrived at their destination and turned his head.


    "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen, we have arrived."


    The car stopped in front of a private school.


    "This is the best private school in Chicago. If you want your little ones to go to school, this is the optimal choice."


    "Great, thank you for driving us here. We''ll get off and take a look."


    When they got off the car, the two little ones also bid the driver farewell warmly.


    Originally, Eva had nned to find a school for the two children. She had previously researched this private school, which was conveniently located near herpany. Michael got off the car with her.


    "Tom has been working here for many years and is familiar with Chicago. He says this school has the best reputation, so you can safely leave Ruby and Dn here."


    "Okay, thank you." Eva expressed her gratitude sincerely.


    "What are you thanking me for?" Michael smiled helplessly. "This school was already on your inspection list."


    "In the list? If you want to thank me, then you should thank me for apanying you on this trip. I didn''t really do much else." Michael tried his best to integrate into her life.


    However, Eva was too independent. She basically did everything herself.


    He used to admire Eva''s determination to never give up, but as time went on, he preferred her to be a bit softer and rely on him more.


    That way, he could feel needed.


    The head of the school quickly came over to take them around the campus and introduced them along the way.


    Then they were taken to the ssrooms for inspection. After looking around, Eva was quite satisfied with the school.


    The atmosphere during the children''s sses was great, and the teachers spoke softly. The key was that the children cooperated. Overall, it was pretty good.


    After seeing enough, Eva didn''t directly make a decision but said she would consider it.


    The school administrator quickly agreed and provided her with contact information.


    "The school will provide transportation, but there''s something I need to tell you in advance. Some parents aren''tfortable with having their children take the bus, so they eithere to pick them up themselves or have the family driver pick them up."


    "Ah, I understand what you mean. Thank you, I will consider it."


    "Okay then, take care, and goodbye to the two little ones."


    After boarding the car, Michael asked her, "How was it?"


    "It looks good, but I want to see some other schools as well." Eva hesitated a bit.


    "Alright, I''ll apany you."


    Afterward, Eva and Michael visited two or three other nearby schools, but the results were slightly unsatisfactory. Either the hygiene wascking or the food wasn''t up to par.


    By the end, even Ruby was tired and fell asleep in Michael''s arms.


    Seeing her asleep, Eva realized they had been to quite a few ces today. She stopped and looked at Dn beside her.


    "Dn, are you tired?"


    Dn was considerate and obedient. Even though they had walked a long way and he was clearly tired, he forced himself to appear energetic and said, "Mommy, I''m not tired." As she spoke, Eva bent down and picked him up.


    "Mhm, mommy is tired. Let mommy hold you."


    With her words, Dn couldn''t say anything anymore. "Alright, we''re not far from heading back. Let mommy carry you."


    Dn didn''t resist anymore.


    He gently rested his head on Eva''s chest. In the beginning, he could still keep his eyes open and say a few words to Eva, but as time went on, he gradually became silent.


    By the time Eva was close to the entrance, she realized that the little one had fallen asleep in her arms.


    Seeing him like this, Eva couldn''t help but reach out and pinch his little nose, saying with a hint of amusement, "You fell asleep so quickly, and yet you said you weren''t tired."


    Upon being pinched, Dn made a muffled sound and snuggled deeper into her arms. Eva didn''t expect it and almost dropped him.


    Fortunately, she reacted quickly and held him tight.


    Michael, who was watching nearby, couldn''t help but speak up, "Let me hold him."


    Hearing this, Eva was a bit surprised, "You already have one in your arms, isn''t that enough?"


    "What''s wrong?" Michael raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a smile, "Do you think I can''t carry two?"


    As he spoke, Michael had already taken Dn from her arms.


    Eva said, "It''s inconvenient for you to carry them alone."


    "I''m strong, it''s no problem," Michael said, holding one child in each hand. Both of them slept peacefully in his arms, and even Dn, who was usually sensitive, didn''t wake up when he was handed over to Michael. It seems like they are really tired.


    She didn''t refuse anymore and followed Michael forward.


    Michael didn''t know what he was thinking. Probably taking advantage of the fact that both children were asleep, he couldn''t help but speak as they approached the car, "Actually, I just want to do more for you, Eva. Don''t rush to reject me, give me more chances to show myself. Maybe if you give me some more time, you might find that I''m not bad."

 Chapter 214 She’s Also Worried About You

    These self-deprecating words...


    Although it wasn''t the first time that Eva heard them from Michael''s mouth.


    But every time he said them, Eva''s heart still felt a twinge of difort.


    Honestly, Michael is really good to her, he cares for her with all his heart. Perhaps there wouldn''t be another person in the world who would treat her so well.


    Her heart isn''t made of stone, and over the years she has truly appreciated his kindness. If it weren''t for her two children, maybe... she would really choose to be with him. However, she herself grew up in a single-parent household, and as a single mother, she can''t give her children much. She can''t spare any energy for dating.


    Or rather, she can''t divide her attention to anyone other than her two kids.


    Thinking of this, Eva could only sigh inwardly.


    In the end, she decided to make it clear to him.


    "You''re great, Michael, you''ve always been amazing. But... I can''t keep epting your kindness without giving you any response."


    Hearing this, Michael smiled faintly, "Then give me a response? Eva, I don''t ask for much."


    When she remained silent, Michael continued, "If you don''t believe me, you can give it a try. Being with me, I will take care of your stress, yourself, and your children." "It''s not possible," Eva shook her head, "I simply can''t spare any energy for you."


    "Who asked you to divide your energy for me? Being with me, you are still yourself. You can do whatever you want, and I''ll be there behind you, exining everything."


    "Is that still not possible?" Michael thought seriously and then said, "How about you give it a try? Three months, I''m sure you''ll be able to judge whether it''s good or bad by then, what do you say?" "Michael," Eva bit her lip, "Don''t do this."


    Seeing her reaction, Michael said, "I''ve said so much, but you still won''t agree. Alright then, I''ll try harder."


    The driver came over to open the door, and Michael bent down to help both of them get in.


    Eva hurriedly went over to assist.


    Eva embraced Ruby in her arms and softly said, "We''ll be home soon. Ruby, you can sleep a little longer. I''ll wake you up when we arrive."


    Ruby, still drowsy, leaned against Eva''s thigh and fell asleep again.


    As daylight faded and night took over, countless lights lit up in the city. Lisa leaned against the railing of the balcony, and gradually, she spotted the familiar vehicle returning.


    Despite her initial gloomy mood, her eyes brightened when she saw the car. She quickly turned around and hurried downstairs to open the door, waiting for Eva and the others toe in. "Eva, you''re finally back! I didn''t expect you to be gone the whole day. Were you on a date with Michael?"


    The word "date" pleased Michael, who smirked and slowly replied, "Let''s just call it a date."


    Eva, standing beside him, awkwardly exined, "We went to visit schools for Ruby and Dn today."


    "Visiting schools?" Lisa instinctively held her head and looked distressed. "I can''t believe I forgot such an important thing. I''m sorry, Eva. I should have gone with you to visit schools today." "It''s okay, it''s not a big deal." Despite Eva''s reassurance, Lisa still felt remorseful.


    After all, they were sisters, and she missed such an important event because of a man.


    Eva took the two children into the house to change into their home clothes.


    After she left, Michael discreetly nced at Lisa. "How are you feeling today?"


    Michael''s proactive inquiry puzzled Lisa.


    "What?" Seeing that she probably didn''t understand what he was asking, Michael had to give her a hint, "Aboutst night."


    Upon hearing this, Lisa''s face slightly changed. "How did you know aboutst night? Eva told you, didn''t she?"


    As soon as she thought about Michael finding out that she had gone to a man''s roomst night, Lisa''s expression turned ugly, and she couldn''t help but lose her temper.


    "What''s wrong with her? I already told her that even though we live together, we''re still free individuals and shouldn''t interfere with each other. Why did she tell you about my business?"


    The frustration filled Michael, realizing that his probing had caused such trouble for Eva.


    However, considering Lisa''s ongoing entanglement with that ckwood guy, he couldn''t let Eva and Lisa continue living together. Otherwise, it would surely lead to trouble. With this in mind, a hint of sharpness shed through Michael''s eyes beneath the gold-rimmed sses.


    He looked at theining Lisa in front of him, mocking her with a slight curve of his lips, and then said, "Lisa, you''re roommates. You went out in the middle of the night, and she was just concerned about you."


    Lisa held her head, her expression conflicted. "Of course, I know she''s worried about me, but I''m an adult now. I have my own thoughts. If she''s worried, why couldn''t she just message me? Why did she have to tell someone else about it?" "What happened?" Michael pursed his lips and said lightly, "It seems like I haven''t made a good impression on you."


    Upon hearing his words, Lisa realized that what she had just said would clearly offend Michael. She quickly came to her senses and apologized, saying, "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to me you. I just... I just want a little freedom." "When you share a ce, you have to consider many things..." Michael said thoughtfully, "If you still want to have contact with that person in the future, it''s best not to live with her. Otherwise, incidents like today will happen again." Upon hearing this, Lisa fell silent. She felt that Michael was right.


    At first, Lisa was happy to be able to live with her, but now it felt a bit awkward. She had a feeling that if she continued to meddle in her affairs, it would drive her crazy. And if they were to argue, it might even affect their sisterly rtionship. Just as Lisa was torn, Eva came back.


    Seeing that Michael was still here, she said to him, "We should start preparing dinner. How about having dinner here tonight?"


    Michael was about to agree when his phone rang. He went outside to answer the call.


    He came back five minutester. "Sorry, I had to leave temporarily due to something urgent," Michael said to the busy Eva. Eva understood. "It''s okay, go and take care of it."


    When Michael left, Eva called Lisa into the kitchen.


    "When you called this morning, you said you had something to tell me," she said.

 Chapter 215 Leave

    Lisa''s expression changed. Originally, she wanted to tell Eva about Mr. ckwooding to apologize to her, but after hearing Michael''s words, Lisa felt that she didn''t need to tell her. After thinking it through, Lisa awkwardly smiled and said, "Oh, it''s nothing."


    Hearing this, suspicion appeared on Eva''s face. "When you called me earlier, you said you had something to tell me."


    "Yes, that''s right," Lisa exined in a flustered manner, "I was just caught up in my emotions at that time, so I had something to tell you, but now there''s nothing."


    Eva raised her eyebrow. "Is that so?"


    Lisa nodded repeatedly.


    Although they hadn''t known each other for long, Eva felt she knew Lisa quite well. When Lisa lied, she couldn''t hide it at all. Her gaze would wander, and she would nod like a chick pecking at grains of rice. So, Eva immediately saw through her lying.


    Maybe she just didn''t want to tell me, Eva sighed inwardly and didn''t ask further.


    "Well, since that''s the case, I won''t ask anymore." Lisa continued nodding.


    Eva tied on her apron and was about to start cutting the meat, while Lisa stood awkwardly nearby, not knowing what to do.


    Hastily stepping forward, Lisa offered, "Let me do it for you."


    Under normal circumstances, Eva would obediently hand her the knife.


    However, anticipating what she was about to say next, Eva held onto the knife herself instead of passing it to Lisa.


    "I''ll handle it."


    "Alright." Lisa stood by with her head hanging low.


    Observing her appearance, Eva''s gaze shifted as she contemted her opening statement, then she spoke, "So, how did it go? Were you able to get his contact information?"


    Upon hearing this, Lisa''s expression turned unpleasant, thinking about what she had told Michael.


    Noticing her change in expression, Eva assumed she had failed.


    Relieved at the thought of failure, Eva thought it would save her from further effortter.


    Considering this, Eva softly said, "Earlier this morning, I mentioned that there were some things I wanted to discuss with you. It''s actually about him..."


    "Eva!"


    Lisa suddenly lifted her head, calling out her name. "You went out with Michael today, right? He treats you so well. If I keep you here, would it hinder your rtionship? Did he prepare a house for you in your home country? I mean, what if he can''t pursue you in the future, would you me me..."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s action of slicing the meat paused abruptly before she stopped altogether. She turned her head to look quietly at Lisa.


    This kind of gaze made Lisa feel guilty, causing her to avoid eye contact and awkwardly say, "No, no, don''t get me wrong. I''m just afraid of affecting your future, so I wanted to create more opportunities for both of you. And I''m also afraid you might me me if Michael couldn''t pursue you in the future..."


    The more Lisa spoke, the softer her voice became, until it was almost inaudible like a mosquito''s buzz.


    Everyone present was intelligent.


    How could Eva not sense the other meaning behind her words?


    She looked at Lisa quietly, then after a long while, she said, "Why don''t you go out first? Dinner will be ready in a while."


    Lisa didn''t know what to say for a moment, so she turned her head and left the kitchen silently.


    During dinner, both children could sense that something was off. Ruby, who was usually carefree, could still sense the silence at the dining table.


    The siblings exchanged nces and obediently behaved themselves, eating in earnest.


    When they had nearly finished, they put down their chopsticks together. "Mommy, Aunt Lisa, we''re done eating."


    Lisa immediately forced a smile for the two children.


    Eva nced at the two of them and reached out to touch their heads after they got up from the table. "Dn, Ruby, you were very well-behaved tonight. Go rest in your rooms for a while, then pack your bags, okay?" Beside her, Lisa''s face turned pale as she bit her lower lip.


    The two little ones looked at Eva in surprise, probably not expecting the situation to be so serious.


    But in the next moment, Eva smiled again and said, "Tomorrow, you''re going to a new school, remember?"


    Upon hearing this, the two little ones were reassured and went to pack their bags.


    After they left, Eva finished the leftover rice bit by bit.


    Meanwhile, Lisa, who had been sitting across from her since asking the children to pack, remained in her seat, looking lost and deste.


    Until Eva finished eating and tidied up, she regained her senses and quickly apologized to her. "Eva, I''m sorry."


    Eva smiled faintly and said, "It''s okay, you were looking out for me. I''ll go find Michael a littleter."


    In fact, Lisa regretted what she had said earlier, but now that she heard Eva say she was going to see Michael, she couldn''t take back her words anymore. She struggled to swallow the words in her throat and remained silent. After cleaning the table and making sure the kitchen was spotless, Eva threw away the trash and made sure not to leave any dirt in her home before returning to her room to pack her luggage.


    Since she had just moved in, there wasn''t much to pack, and Eva simply tidied up a bit before sitting by the bed and taking out her phone to book a hotel.


    After finishing the reservation, Dn pushed the door open and walked in.


    "Mommy."


    Upon hearing him, Eva put away her phone and smiled at him. "Dn, did you finish packing?"


    "Yes, Mommy."


    "Hmm, how about Ruby?"


    "Ruby is ready too, waiting in the room for Mommy."


    "Great, then let''s go." Eva got up and pulled her suitcase out of the door.


    Just as she was leaving, she bumped into Lisa, who hade to find her. Lisa looked at Eva with a hesitant expression and asked, "Are you leaving already?"


    "Yes, we''ll stay nearby tonight and go to school tomorrow." Eva''s calm demeanor made Lisa even more ufortable.


    "Let me give you a ride."


    "No need, I''ve already called a car."


    "Well... alright, take care and let me know once you''ve arrived."


    "Sure." Eva nudged Dn next to her and said, "Dn, go get Ruby out, we''re leaving."


    "Okay, Mommy." Eva watched Dn enter the room and then turned to Lisa, whispering softly, "Lisa, I know you probably don''t want to hear these things from me. But as a friend, I still want to remind you that it''s better to find out if the person you like has a girlfriend, fianc��e, or is single before falling for them. That''s all I have to say, I''ll leave now."


    After finishing her words, Eva didn''t pay attention to Lisa''s reaction anymore. She smiled at her and went to catch up with Dn and Ruby.


    As they left, the two little ones said goodbye to Lisa warmly.


    Lisa could only smile bitterly and wave goodbye. Finally, the door closed, leaving her standing alone in the empty house, as if no one had ever been there.

 Chapter 216 Losing Composure

    When they arrived at the hotel, it was still early, so Eva booked a suite and checked in for half a month.


    Afterpleting all the formalities, the hotel staff personally escorted her upstairs.


    "Madam, the suite you have booked has a private outdoor pool. However, as it is winter now, the pool area is not open. Also, since you are with two children, it is better not to ess it." "Okay." The thoughtful reminder from the staff made Eva gratefully nodding, "I understand, thank you."


    The hotel suite conditions were excellent. When the door was pushed open, a faint fragrance greeted them, and there was no dampness in the air.


    The staff went in to inspect the equipment and check the divided swimming pool area to ensure everything was in order before leaving.


    Eva took out the necessary items and set them up. The two little ones busied themselves by her side, only stopping when she did.


    Then the two of them leaned on her leg, looking up at her with their little faces and asking,


    "Mummy, did you have a fight with Aunt Lisa?"


    Eva didn''t want the children to know about the unpleasantness between adults, so she had toe up with another excuse.


    "Ruby, we didn''t fight. It''s just that Aunt Lisa wants to have her own space, just like you and your brother each having a separate room to sleep in. Do you understand?"


    Hearing this, Ruby tilted her head and said, "But when we stayed there, Aunt Lisa didn''t sleep with Mummy either."


    "Well, yes, we didn''t sleep together. But Lisa paid for the house and she doesn''t want us to pay rent. We can''t keep staying there without leaving, right?"


    At this point, Ruby finally nodded in agreement. "It seems so."


    On the other hand, Dn remained silent the whole time. His character was different from Ruby''s, and he naturally thought more.


    Eva had no choice but to gently exin, "Don''t think too much, the two of you just need to follow Mummy wherever she goes, alright? So just stay with Mummy peacefully." After arranging the two little ones to sleep, Eva opened her notebook and began making ns.


    Staying at a hotel was not a long-term solution. If renting a house, she had to find one near herpany. Eva started looking for locations and then went on a maternity nurse website. Fortunately, the two children could go to school during the day, so she had the whole day to busy herself with these preparations.


    Eva stayed upte and finally fell asleep, her head resting on the table.


    Next day, she was awakened by her phone vibrating.


    In a daze, Eva took out her phone to answer the call.


    "Hello?" As soon as she spoke, Eva''s voice becamepletely hoarse, and her own raspy voice startled her.


    "Eva?" Michael''s concerned voice came from the other end of the phone.


    Eva covered her phone and cleared her throat a few times before approaching again. "It''s me."


    But Eva didn''t know if she caught a cold or somethingst night, even after clearing her throat, her voice was still unusually hoarse. "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s nothing, maybe I ate too much spicy food."


    There was a moment of silence from Michael''s side. "I''m at the door now, and I brought breakfast for you, but I don''t have the password for this ce." Half an hourter, Eva opened the hotel suite door to let Michael in.


    The breakfast that Michael carried had already turned cold in this temperature, and as he entered and saw Eva''s pale smile, his face also lost its warmth. "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "It''s not a big deal, there was no need to bother you with it."


    "Tell me," Michael said after a moment of silence, "why didn''t you go to the house I prepared for you? Ruby has the keys."


    "You know it was Ruby who took them, not me."


    "Eva..."


    "I''ll see what you brought to eat." Eva took the breakfast from his hands and realized it had gone cold, so she took it to the kitchen to heat it up. Michael watched her slender figure, his gaze growing heavy.


    She moved in here in the middle of the night, and he had a hand in it.


    But he didn''t expect her to be so fast, not even saying a word to him.


    When would he finally be able to enter her heart?


    ...


    Lisa didn''t sleep wellst night.


    She finally fell into a deep sleep when dawn was approaching.


    But she woke up after only a few hours because she was still thinking about today''s lunch appointment.


    It was quite surprising that Mr. ckwood, before leaving yesterday, willingly asked for her contact information and arranged to have lunch today.


    After assuring him that she would bring someone along, he left.


    However, she couldn''t bring Eva with her today, so she would have to find a way to exin it to himter.


    At this moment, Lisa hadpletely forgotten the words Eva had entrusted to her.


    After freshening up and putting on makeup, Lisa realized it was almost time and left her ce, heading to the restaurant where they had agreed to meet.


    This restaurant was quite upscale, and she had been here a few times with her friends.


    After informing the waiter about her appointment, he led her to the private room upstairs.


    "Miss, this way, please."


    Upon entering the room, Lisa was surprised to find the cold, noble man already sitting inside.


    Subconsciously, she took out her phone to check the time.


    Since she valued him so much, Lisa arrived early to avoid traffic or any unforeseen circumstances that could make him angry and ruin any chance of further interaction.


    But she didn''t expect that she would arrive half an hour early, and he was already there. There were still twenty minutes until the appointed time.


    Instantly, Lisa''s favorable impression of him increased.


    "Mr. ckwood, hello. I didn''t expect you to arrive so early."


    Lisa greeted him warmly.


    However, the man''s gaze didn''tnd on her; instead, it fell on the empty seat behind her. After waiting for a while and still not seeing the person he was looking for, Adrian''s face darkened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Where is she?" Lisa knew he would ask and had already prepared her response.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. ckwood, but my friend couldn''t make it. She had something else to attend to. However, don''t worry, I exined your intentions to herst night, and she has forgiven you."


    Lisa had no choice but to say this for now.


    Unexpectedly, the man across from her narrowed his eyes dangerously, staring at her.


    "She said she forgives me herself?"


    His gaze was sharp and intimidating. Lisa felt threatened by his scrutiny.


    The man''s gaze made her feel guilty.


    "Yes." she replied.


    The next moment, the man looked at her mockingly and let out a sneer, then turned away and left on his own.


    Lisa was left standing alone in ce. What just happened?

 Chapter 217 Its All Her House

    Adrian walked out of the restaurant with a bad mood.


    He had thought that relying on this person would bring that woman here, but he didn''t expect... Judging by her evasive eyes, she probably hadn''t even been informed about his own situation. Adrian immediately took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "I need you to look up someone for me."


    When Lisa realized what was happening and chased after him, Adrian''s figure had already disappeared.


    She had no choice but to take out her phone and contact Adrian.


    The phone rang for a while before someone picked up on the other end.


    "Mr. ckwood, what happened just now? Did you get angry because my friend didn''te? I''m sorry, I really didn''t mean to deceive you. It''s just that my friend moved outst night with her boyfriend, and I didn''t feelfortable telling you in front of him..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, a burst of urgent and piercing brake sounds came from the other end, startling her.


    "Mr. ckwood, are you okay?"


    After a moment of silence, the man''s voice on the other end finally came through, cold as ice and gritting his teeth, "Boyfriend?"


    Lisa, still in shock, nodded subconsciously.


    "Yes, boyfriend..."


    The busy tone on the phone brought Lisa back to her senses, the call had been disconnected.


    Lisa stood in ce for a long time, thinking about the man''s reactions before and after, as well as his quick departure as soon as she stood up.


    After connecting the events and conversation, Lisa finally realized what was happening.


    She stood there, her face turning pale in an instant.


    ...


    Eva sneezed and Michael immediately handed her his handkerchief.


    "It''s okay," she politely declined Michael''s handkerchief, then sniffed and continued walking ahead.


    The real estate agent continued leading the way in front.


    "Ms. Hansen, take a look at this next one. It has floor-to-ceiling windows facing south. Just open the curtains and you can see the river view and beautiful night view at night. Plus, it has the three bedrooms you requested, along with a study. This one is currently the most suitable for your requirements..." The real estate agent paused, not finishing the rest of his sentence.


    After all, he didn''t know if she would like it or not.


    Eva went in to take a look and found it to be very satisfactory. The location was also good, close to both the school and thepany. "What is the rent for this one?"


    "Ms. Hansen, you really like this one?" The real estate agent sounded somewhat surprised, probably not expecting her to choose this one.


    "I think it''s pretty good."


    "I also think it''s very nice, but..."


    Seeing him hesitate to speak, Eva asked, "What''s wrong? Does thendlord have any difficulties?"


    "It''s not that, it''s just that we heard thendlord went abroad and we haven''t been able to contact them."


    Thendlord went abroad? Unable to contact them?


    "Do you have a contact number?"


    "I did leave one, but that number has expired, and I don''t have a new one."


    Upon hearing this, Eva felt a bit disappointed. "Then it seems we''ll have to look at other options."


    "Let me take you to see some others."


    The agent scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Actually, besides this building, there is a whole area owned by the samendlord, but we haven''t been able to reach them for a long time." "So you mean all these properties have been vacant for all these years?"


    "Yes, they have. I heard that it''s the property of a big shot from a corporation, but he gave this whole area to his ex-wife after their divorce."


    Hearing this, Eva felt a sense of emotion. Men who still remembered their ex-wives after a divorce were rare.


    Next to her, Michael felt something was off when he heard this.


    "Ms. Hansen, speaking of which, do you have some connection with this ex-wife of the big shot?"


    "Connection?"


    Could she have a connection with thendlord? Thinking about it, Eva smiled and whispered, "Can fate let me rent her house?"


    "If there really is a connection, then maybe it''s possible? Ms. Hansen, thendlord has the same surname as you."


    "Also surnamed Hansen?"


    "Yes, and I heard she''s young and beautiful too."


    For some reason, upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t shake off a feeling that something was wrong.


    But she didn''t think too much about it.


    Everyone took the elevator down together and at the exit, they ran into a well-dressed middle-aged man, presumably the agent''s superior.


    As soon as he saw him, his face turned dark.


    "Why did you bring the clients to this area again? I''ve told you countless times not to bring clients here. We can''t rent it out, do you want to ruin me?"


    The middle-aged man came over and scolded the agent.


    After finishing, he turned to Eva and Michael and said, "I apologize. This brat here is obsessed with this area and keeps bringing clients here, but we can''t rent it out temporarily. I assume he already exined the reason to you." Eva nodded.


    "Yes, I already know."


    "That''s enough scolding, old man. Ms. Hansen has a connection with thendlord, they share the same surname Hansen, and she just returned from abroad."


    "Oh, I see. nning to develop in the country? Then take her to see the property on the southeast side."


    "Right, how could I forget about that one? Ms. Hansen, let me take you there."


    "Thank you."


    Afterwards, Eva followed to see the other property.


    Although she wasn''t as satisfied as the previous one, she really liked the decor style of the entire house. After some thought, she nodded.


    "Ms. Hansen, thendlord requests one and a half months'' deposit. Can you ept that?"


    "That''s fine, but I might be busy recently, so I''ll need to prepare if I decide to move in. It might take a few days."


    "No problem, I''ll handle the paperwork for you. You can leave a deposit, and we''ll reserve this property for you."


    "Thank you."


    While processing the paperwork, the staff member asked Eva to leave a deposit and provided her with the necessary instructions for the next steps.


    I would like you to provide the identification card.


    Eva took out her ID and handed it to the other party.


    After receiving the ID, the expression on the other person''s face instantly turned somewhat strange. Instead of processing her paperwork, they showed Eva''s ID to other people.


    Then, those people turned their gaze towards her.


    Was there something wrong with her ID? Could they be suspecting that her ID was fake?


    Just as Eva was curious and wanted to ask, the agent from earlier came running with her ID in hand.


    "Hansen, Ms. Hansen... is this your ID?"


    He looked at Eva in shock, and his speech became hesitant.


    "And this name, is it also your name?"


    Although she didn''t know what was happening, Eva nced at him and admitted.


    "Of course, it belongs to me."


    After she admitted, the agent respectfully returned her ID.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you here for an inspection today?"

 Chapter 218 Looking for Her

    Eva thought she had misheard. Inspection?


    The extremelyplimentary attitude of the other party confused Eva. Suddenly, she remembered what the agent had said earlier, that a certain area had been given to his ex-wife by a big shot. Her eyes subtly changed.


    Could the big shot and ex-wife mentioned by the agent be referring to her and Adrian?


    With thest name Hansen, going abroad, and even being unable to contact them.


    Why did it feel so coincidental that now they looked at her ID and called her the boss?


    Although she couldn''t believe it, Eva still looked at the agent seriously and asked, "You mentioned earlier that you couldn''t contact thendlord of that house. Can I see the phone number?" Hearing this, the agent''s eyes became noticeably confused.


    "Ms. Hansen, thendlord of that house, isn''t it you?"


    He said that, but he obediently went to find the previous phone number and handed it to Eva.


    Eva checked the number and realized that the ount given by the agent was her previous phone number, and the ownership of the house was all under someone named Eva. It was all hers...


    When she reached this point, Eva stood still in a daze.


    After a while, she finally reacted. At that time, she didn''t want anything, so she only took a marriage certificate with him, without getting anything else.


    When the Hansen family fell, he helped her, making those people afraid to harm her behind his father''s back. He also showed her respect, so she regarded it as repaying him.


    But she didn''t expect him to give her so much?


    When did he give it to her?


    Thinking of this, Eva immediately asked the agent.


    "When did these housese under my name?"


    This question exceeded the knowledge level of the agent.


    He scratched his head and awkwardly said, "Ms. Hansen, I don''t know about this. At most, we only know who our boss is. Until today, we didn''t even know what our boss looks like."


    In the end, the agent seemed to understand something.


    He looked at Eva in front of him, who had fair skin like snow and a graceful figure like a willow, with delicate and beautiful features that didn''t seem human. Then he looked at the man behind her, wearing sses, tall and gentle. Thinking of certain things, he felt that he too was beginning to understand them a little.


    So, his gaze began to flit back and forth between Eva and the man behind her, and then he thought about these houses.


    He had already started imagining a melodramatic drama in his mind.


    However, before he could examine them further, the gentleman spoke.


    "Eva, perhaps there''s been a misunderstanding. But before we figure it out, you don''t have to rent this house for now. After all, you''ve already booked half a month at the hotel." Eva nodded.


    "Okay."


    She did need to rify what would happen next.


    However, if these houses were really under her name, she also knew who gave them to her, as clear as day.


    She just wanted to know when these houses were transferred to her name.


    On the way back, Michael suggested,


    "How about moving in with me for now?"


    Eva didn''t say anything.


    "I''ve already found three nannies for you. They''ll take turns working twenty-four hours a day, so you don''t have to worry about your child. You can focus on your uing work." Seeing her still silent, Michael smiled and said, "You still don''t want to? Then should I charge you rent? That way, you''ll be willing to go, right?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva looked at him.


    "You''re willing to charge me rent?"


    "Yes, just consider it earning some extra money."


    How could he possibly need that money?


    "How much? If you want to rent it cheaply to me, then forget it."


    "Not cheap. The location is good, and the property prices are high. I spent quite a lot to acquire it. If you want to rent it, it''ll be $10,000 per month."


    When Eva heard this price, she was taken aback.


    Not because she thought it was expensive, as it was normal for prime locations to start at tens of thousands. She was just surprised that Michael actually said it and intended to rent it to her. However, Eva quickly felt more at ease.


    "Deal."


    Seeing her visibly happy, Michael''s gaze behind the lenses shed a hint of helplessness.


    If he didn''t collect rent, he was afraid that nothing would work out.


    After finalizing the move, Michael called David to help her move that very evening.


    There wasn''t really much to move, as she had just arrived in Chicago and hadn''t brought many things. It was the two children who had a lot of things from their first day of school. Some school supplies, and two sets of uniforms. Eva packed them all in suitcases and checked out of the hotel before leaving.


    The hotel reception wasn''t displeased that she had only stayed for a day or two; their service attitude remained good.


    "Ms. Hansen, thank you for staying with us. Have a safe journey."


    Just as Eva left with Michael, a blue Bentley stopped shortly after.


    The door opened, and a tall, slender man got out of the car, his handsome face expressionless.


    Behind him was a person who hurriedly followed, holding a briefcase in his hand.


    "Mr. ckwood, please slow down."


    Adrian walked quickly with a cold face, and Jacob followed behind, carrying the briefcase.


    The elevators in this hotel required a card, so they couldn''t go up without the qualification to stay here.


    So the two of them headed straight to the front desk.


    "Sir, how can I help you?"


    While asking, the front desk couldn''t help but steal several nces at Adrian. This man was so handsome that he made her heart skip a beat.


    What luck they had today, as they had just seen a handsome man go out, and now another exceptionally handsome man had arrived.


    Unfortunately, the one who went out already had a family.


    Adrian remained silent with a stern face.


    Jacob, seeing his zombie-like expression, sighed and stepped forward.


    "We''re looking for someone."


    "Looking for someone?"


    "Yes, have you had ady named Evae to book a room? Where is she staying now?"


    The front desk immediately showed a conflicted expression. "I''m sorry, but I can''t tell you that."


    Jacob said, "I understand that you need to ensure the safety of your guests, but this Miss and anotherdy named Hansen have special identities. We are not bad people. Do you think bad people would drive a Bentley and wear suits?" Jacob pointed at Adrian standing next to him like an ice sculpture.


    "And besides, don''t you recognize him? He has been featured in various reports in the financial magazines."


    The front desk hesitated for a moment and looked at Adrian.


    Indeed, as Jacob said, this man''s temperament did not resemble that of a fraudster, but she genuinely didn''t recognize him.


    However, someone nearby recognized Adrian.


    "I know him. He is Mr. ckwood from the ckwood family business. He has been featured in financial magazines, and I heard the editor-in-chief say that it''s not easy to interview him."


    "But even so, we cannot disclose the information of our guests to you. All I can tell you is that she is no longer in this hotel."

 Chapter 219 Is This a Coincidence?

    Adrian, who originally had no expression on his face, narrowed his eyes dangerously upon hearing this. "Not in this hotel? Then where did she go?" "Mr. ckwood, we don''t know that. After all, she is just a guest at the hotel, and it is not our ce to know her whereabouts"


    Jacob nodded in agreement. "That''s true."


    "But..." Adrian suspiciously narrowed his eyes and stared at the front desk staff. "Did she really leave, or are you deliberately hiding it for her?" "No, she really left, and it was not long before you came."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s face became even more grim.


    She left when he arrived.


    Last time it was at her ce, she conveniently wasn''t there when he went. And now, as soon as he came, she left. Was this a coincidence or intentional? Thinking about this, Adrian swept his gaze over the front desk and asked coldly, "Did she leave on her own?"


    The front desk staff were taken aback.


    Afterward, everyone looked at each other in confusion.


    "No, it''s not," Adrian finally couldn''t restrain himself and sneered.


    He turned around and walked away, no longer patient to listen to what the receptionist had to say next. Jacob quickly followed suit.


    "I didn''t expect Ms. Hansen to leave so coincidentally, Mr. ckwood. Should we send someone to find out where she went?" he asked as they walked.


    While speaking, he identally bumped into someone ahead. Jacob nervously took a few steps back, not expecting the person to suddenly stop, showing panic on his face. "I''m sorry, Mr. ckwood. Did I hurt you?" Jacob asked cautiously.


    "A coincidence?" Adrian coldly red at him, his gaze colder than ice shards on the face. "Do you think it looks like a coincidence?"


    Jacob pursed his lips and cautiously asked, "If it''s not a coincidence, then is Ms. Hansen intentionally avoiding you?"


    After uttering those words, Adrian''s face grew even more stormy.


    Seeing this, Jacob shrank back in fear, sighing.


    Seeing Adrian still standing in ce, he asked, "So, Mr. ckwood, are we still going to look for Ms. Hansen?"


    Look for her? Adrian sneered inwardly. To see her with another man?


    Adrian turned and walked away.


    Jacob couldn''t grasp his thoughts at all, so he hurried to catch up.


    "Mr. ckwood, are we going or not?" he asked.


    The only response he got was the sound of the car door shutting.


    Soon, the car started, leaving in a hurry and even arrogantly spraying exhaust fumes in his face.


    Jacob wondered, why is it always him who gets hurt?


    ...


    After arranging amodation, Eva immediately transferred sixty thousand dors to Michael.


    "Here''s six months'' worth of rent for you."


    Michael smiled and epted, saying, "Alright, got it."


    "How much did the nanny cost originally?"


    Considering the cost of three shifts, it was probably quite high, so Eva decided to cut expenses and only hire one nanny.


    After all, the two children still needed to go to school, and the nanny didn''t need to spend too much time taking care of them.


    At night, she doesn''t have to work, so she can apany the children herself.


    "Not much. Let''s not argue over this money, alright? Over the years, you''ve brought a lot of benefits to the Cooper Group. Can''t I give you a farewell gift?" Eva asked, "Just a farewell gift?"


    "Yes."


    "Alright then, I''ll just hire a month-long maternity nanny. Otherwise, I won''t need any of them."


    "Okay, as long as you''re happy."


    In the end, Eva only hired a maternity nanny for three months and paid the rent for him. She felt much relieved, and it was gettingte, so Michael left quickly.


    After he left, Eva prepared the beds and turned on the heating for the two children, letting them rest. She then entered the study with a notebook.


    Michael had thought carefully on her behalf. The study in this house was veryrge, with arge French window and a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf next to it, there was even a smalldder.


    Eva really liked this kind of environment.


    However, she didn''t have the mood to appreciate it at the moment. Instead, she took out her notebook and started searching for information.


    The events that happened in the afternoon had been on her mind. If those houses were really under her name, then for so many years, she had felt that she didn''t want anything from him. She had even returned the money he had given her, considering it as repayment.


    What did it all mean?


    Eva opened a webpage and did a search. Some information could be found online, but just as the agent had said, she couldn''t find the more detailed things.


    If she really wanted to know the dates and all the properties under her name, it seemed that she would have to find someone to help her investigate.


    Thinking about this, Eva nced at the time and then checked her father''swyer''s phone number.


    "Ms. Hansen?"


    When Luca received Eva''s call, he was very surprised. "Is there something wrong with your father?"


    "It''s unrted to him. I wanted to ask you if you have any reliablewyers to rmend to me in America."


    "A reliablewyer? I have a friend in America, but he''s currently involved in awsuit. Is it urgent, Ms. Hansen?"


    "Not too urgent."


    "Then let me introduce my junior brother to you. If there''s anything Ms. Hansen wants to discuss with him, I''ll inform him in advance." "Thank you, Luca."


    After hanging up the phone, Eva continued to search for information on her own. After about five minutes, her phone vibrated.


    Eva answered the call.


    "Hello, Ms. Hansen, this is Kevin."


    "Hello, Kevin."


    Eva could vaguely hear the sound of chatting and clinking sses from his end. She guessed that he was probably busy and was about to speak when he said, "Ms. Hansen, shall we add each other on WhatsApp? Luca told me about your situation, and I know what you want to investigate. If you trust me, I can do the investigation for you and let you know the results. As for the payment, I will give you a quoteter. Is that okay?" "Okay, thank you."


    Eva was quite satisfied with his approach, efficient and quick, without the need for her to say more.


    After taking the job, Kevin hung up the phone and said to the others, "You guys keep going, I have work to do."


    "Do you still have work sote?"


    "It''s a job Luca introduced to me, an big acquaintance of his. I can''t refuse it. I''ll leave first and have a drink with you another day."


    Kevin quickly left the table and then added Eva on WhatsApp with his phone. In a short while, Eva sent her personal information to him. When Kevin saw the name she sent, he froze in ce.


    Eva? This name...


    If he remembered correctly, when he helped his teacher with a property transfer before, the recipient of the transfer was...


    Call Eva!


    To confirm, Kevin immediately stopped and took out his phone to call his own teacher.

 Chapter 220 I Know You

    After Eva sent her personal information, there was no reply for a long time, and no quote was given to her.


    She nced at the time and thought about the sounds she heard on the phone earlier. She guessed that he must be busy today.


    Her information had been checked enough, and if she continued, she probably wouldn''t find anything else.


    In the end, Eva closed her notebook and went to take a shower.


    Naturally, she didn''t see that Kevin called her after she went to shower. When she finished showering and checked her phone, she found that Kevin had already sent her the information she wanted.


    She hadn''t opened the files yet, but only saw the table of contents. In her heart, she couldn''t help but sigh. Indeed, it was Luca who introduced this person.


    The efficiency of this person''s work is truly astonishing.


    Without looking, she replied to him, thanking him and asking for a quote, before opening the files to look.


    Although she had prepared herself mentally in advance, Eva was still shocked by the enormous amount of properties under her name when she actually saw them.


    Not only in New York and Chicago, but also in several other cities, she owned properties, and they were not ordinary properties.


    Some of the properties had been managed by someone before, so the ie from these years had also been transferred to her name.


    The area she was looking at today waspleted a few years ago.


    Afterpletion, she couldn''t contact the owner, so it had been impossible to manage or rent out.


    Aside from these, Eva finally discovered that she even had shares in the ckwood family.


    The more Eva read through all these things, the moreplex her emotions became.


    In fact, she began biting her lower lip, as emotions surged in her chest. In a ce unknown to her, someone gave her so much. What does this even mean? Does his Vivian know? Does she agree? He gave her so much.


    Unable to continue reading, Eva closed herptop and immediately called Kevin.


    "Sorry, Kevin, I would like to ask about the authenticity of this information, of course, this is not doubting your capabilities..."


    "Ms. Hansen, I understand what you mean. You find the amount astonishing, so you doubt its authenticity, right?"


    It must be said that the other party was indeed astute, immediately understanding her intention.


    "To be honest, Ms. Hansen, the first time I worked on this property statement, I was also shocked by the huge numbers, to the point that I doubted its authenticity. But unfortunately, it is real. This property statement was made by myself and my teacher."


    "Your teacher?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva had a faint, ominous premonition.


    "Yes, my teacher is Mr. ckwood''s personalwyer."


    Why didn''t Eva think about this earlier? Someone as capable as Luca, who has friends developing abroad, must not be a simple person, let alone his self-teacher.


    It seemed quite normal for such a capable person to serve as Adrian''s privatewyer in America.


    She hadn''t thought it through before...


    Realizing this, Eva immediately asked, "Kevin, did you tell your self-teacher about this? I''m sorry if it''s a rude request, but I have already divorced someone, so I don''t really want..."


    "You might be disappointed, but my self-teacher already knows about this matter," Kevin said helplessly.


    "Since the main documents are with my self-teacher, I went to him to get them, and he asked me about it, so I told him."


    Eva didn''t know what to say in an instant.


    But after all, they were friends in a group, and they discussed everything together, so this seemed normal. She couldn''t really say anything.


    "I''m sorry, Ms. Hansen. I don''t know if this will affect you, but rest assured, my self-teacher is not someone who spreads rumors."


    Upon hearing this, Eva calmed down slightly.


    "Thank you."


    "Ms. Hansen, do you need a professional to handle these assets for you?"


    "No," Eva shook her head. "Kevin, do you have time tomorrow? I think we need to meet."


    "Tomorrow at noon."


    "Okay."


    The next day at noon,


    The two met at a restaurant.


    Although Kevin had already seen Eva''s documents when filling out the property form, he was still amazed when he saw her in person.


    Eva walked up to him and greeted him, and he was stunned for a long time before reacting.


    "Hello, Ms. Hansen."


    "Hello, Kevin."


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the dishes were served. Kevin was hungry, but sitting across from this exceptional beauty, he felt too embarrassed to eat in front of her, so he could only awkwardly flip through the documents. After Eva shared her thoughts, Kevin waspletely stunned.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you serious? You don''t want any of these?"


    Compared to his shock, Eva''s expression remained indifferent. "Those are not mine. They should go back the way they came."


    Kevin felt like the sun was rising from the west; otherwise, how could he meet someone who didn''t want money?


    "Ms. Hansen, this money is all yours. It''s not illegal, and it can guarantee your financial security for the rest of your life. Are you sure you don''t want it?"


    "I don''t need it. I can still livefortably without it." He had already helped her once, so if she took these things, how would she repay her debt to him?


    "So, Kevin, I''m counting on you for this matter. I will pay you separately for any follow-up rewards, or I can pay in advance now."


    Kevin was shocked for a long time before finally nodding.


    "Don''t worry, Ms. Hansen. Since you have a need, I will handle it for you."


    "Thank you."


    After she left the restaurant, Kevin called his self-teacher to discuss this major issue.


    After handling some misceneous matters, Eva started busying herself with her newpany.


    Just when she found someone to do thepany''s website, Eva personally wrote a recruitment advertisement and asked him to ce it for her.


    cing advertisements also requires a significant amount of money, and the newpany also consumes various materials. When it really started, Eva realized that it was even more difficult than she had imagined.


    So, in the next half month, Eva was always leaving early and returningte. After half a month, herpany finally managed to recruit only three or four employees.


    Fortunately, the main management position was filled by someone who hade from argepany.


    As a manager, naturally, they started to analyze the problems with Eva. "The main issue is that ourpany is too small at the moment, and the name of thepany is new. After being deceived, many people are unwilling to work for smallpanies."


    Hearing this, Eva nced at the person. "And what about you?"


    The manager paused for a moment with their expression. "What?"


    "Why did you choose to work for my smallpany?"


    Hearing this, the personughed. "I am used to being busy and wanted to find a ce to take a break. Plus, I know you."

 Chapter 221 Let Her Get on the Horse

    The sentence that followed surprised Eva. "You know me?"


    The person nodded with a smile. "Of course, even though five years have passed, you''ve be even more beautiful than before. But I recognized you at first sight. Back then, when you were working for the ckwood family, you came to ourpany for cooperation. At that time, I was just a junior employee."


    Upon hearing this, Eva understood. "So, you spent five years and became an executive?"


    "Yes."


    "Not bad." Eva thought he was quite capable and liked him for it.


    But at the moment, thepany''s issue needed to be resolved.


    Tim, the manager Eva hired, quickly offered her some suggestions.


    "Actually, Ms. Hansen, if you want to solve this problem, it''s quite simple."


    Curious, Eva nced at him and asked, "What''s your idea?"


    "Get investments." Tim said, "If we can attract investments from bigpanies, then we don''t need to worry about thepany''s operation afterward."


    Eva had considered attracting investments before.


    "You mean, I should attract investments while thepany only has a few people?"


    Tim shrugged and spread his hands. "With your abilities and connections, is it not possible?"


    Eva fell silent.


    Regardless of what she thought, Tim immediately began listing thepanies that could be approached for investments.


    "First, there''s the ckwood family in New York, and then there''s the Davis family in Chicago."


    Upon hearing the former, Eva fell silent for a moment.


    Noticing her reaction, Tim smiled and said, "Boss, even though you had a bit of a conflict with the ckwood family in the past, you shouldn''t mind it for the sake of your ownpany, right?"


    Eva took a deep breath to calm herself, then smiled faintly, "I''m sorry, but I do mind."


    Tim scratched his head awkwardly, coughed, and then said, "Alright, then we''ll have to choose the Davis family in Chicago. Lately, they''ve gained great momentum, especially after that recent auction. The new heir is quite arrogant. But Boss, I should warn you in advance, don''t get too close to Henry when attracting investments. It''s fine to bring in investments, but be careful not to be deceived into bed by him."


    Henry from the Davis family.


    He happened to be on her WhatsApp contact list. She still had the suit jacket he lent her.


    Maybe she could give it a try?


    After making up her mind, Eva didn''t waste any time. She immediately opened WhatsApp to find Henry''s contact information. Since they added each other that day, they hadn''t exchanged a single message, as if they treated each other as non-existent. Because she was busy, Eva hadpletely forgotten about the suit jacket.


    After thinking for a long time about what to say, she edited a message and sent it to Henry.


    "Mr. Davis, hello. Thank you for the jacket at the event the other day. I''ve recently cleaned it. When can I return it to you?"


    After sending the message, Eva didn''t expect an immediate response. She was about to put down her phone when she received a reply.


    "It took so long, I thought Ms. Hansen lost my coat."


    Eva exined somewhat awkwardly, "I''m sorry, I was busy after that. I only recently freed up some time."


    After sending the message, she added, "May I ask when you have time?"


    The other person casually replied, "Youe and make ns with me, I''m always avable."


    Looking at this message, Eva remained silent for a while before replying to him after a moment. "There are some work matters I''d like to discuss with Mr. Davis." After sending this message, the other person didn''t reply.


    Eva held her phone, and her expression gradually grew solemn.


    Was she too straightforward?


    But if she was too indirect, Eva feared he might misunderstand something. Perhaps it was because Tim cautioned her, making her more cautious.


    After a long five minutes, the other person finally replied.


    "East District Racetrack, can youe now?"


    The racetrack?


    Although not an ideal ce for a conversation, this was an opportunity!


    Eva didn''t hesitate for long. She quickly grabbed her bag and scarf and headed outside.


    It was windy outside, so Eva tied her scarf as soon as she went downstairs, then hailed a taxi.


    East District Racetrack.


    Dirt was flying inside the racetrack as a tall, ck stallion galloped through. Riding on the horse was a slender, handsome man with a cold expression. With a grim face, the man held the reins firmly in his hand. Even from a distance, one could feel the chilling aura and hostility emanating from him.


    Since he took the stage, everyone else in the racetrack hurriedly drove their horses away, fearing being affected by the man''s anger.


    Henry had just finished a race. Despite it being winter, he drank his beverage as if it were hot water, finishing half the bottle of sweetened drink in one gulp.


    After finishing, he locked the lid and looked at the man in the arena. He jestingly remarked, "What happened to this person today? He''s so fierce."


    The people standing next to him immediately shook their heads and denied, "It''s not just today, it''s been every day recently."


    "Mr. ckwood has been venting his anger here for half a month because he hasn''t been doing well in any of the racecourses. The racetrack''s owner is suffering, but they dare not offend Mr. ckwood." Hearing this, Henry clicked his tongue.


    "Who has offended him to make him so angry? He hasn''t been able to calm down for half a month?"


    The person next to him nodded, saying, "Who knows? Mr. ckwood''s thoughts are as unpredictable as an emperor''s."


    This description made Henry chuckle.


    Thinking of something, Henry took out his phone and nced at it.


    It had been more than twenty minutes since he messaged the girl, and she had yet to arrive.


    While pondering, his phone vibrated.


    Henry saw that the other person had replied to him.


    "Mr. Davis, I''m almost at the racetrack. Where are you? I''lle directly to you."


    Looking at the message, Henry couldn''t help butugh.


    "This girl is quite interesting, not younger than me, yet so driven in her career."


    Seeing him smiling at his phone, the person next to him came over cheerfully.


    "Mr. Davis, who is this girl? Is there another neer recently?"


    Upon hearing this, Henry red at the person, "What''s it to you?"


    The personughed slyly, about to continue teasing, when suddenly, someone rode a horse and jumped over the railing, heading straight towards them. Finally, when they were close, the person abruptly pulled on the reins and stopped. This scene startled many people, causing them to retreat and even some to fall down in fear.


    Only Henry stood there calmly, holding his phone.


    The man on horseback stopped in front of him and coldly looked at his face, inviting him, "Henry, how about a challenge?"


    Looking at the man in front of him, the pinnacle of sess, Henry raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Sure, but I have to bring someone."


    Hearing this, Adrian frowned.


    Henry smirked, "Have you ever tried letting a woman ride your horse with you?"

 Chapter 222 A New Love?

    When the car stopped at the East District Racecourse, Eva had just gotten out when she saw Henry standing at the entrance.


    He was dressed in a crisp equestrian outfit, tall and handsome. As soon as he saw her, a smile appeared on his lips. "Ms. Hansen."


    Eva didn''t expect him toe out and wait for her, so she hurriedly ran over with her bag.


    "Mr. Davis, why are you here?"


    "Ms. Hansen." Henry took the initiative to speak again, "If you don''t mind, you can call me Henry."


    Eva wondered if she dared to do so. They were not particrly familiar, how could she address him like that?


    "Mr. Davis, I''m afraid that wouldn''t be appropriate."


    Hearing this, Henry narrowed his eyes, gave her a meaningful look, and finally said, "Alright, then continue calling me Mr. Davis for now, and we can changeter."


    Eva could only nod. "Okay, Mr. Davis."


    "Let''s go, I''ll take you inside."


    With that, Henry grabbed her wrist and led her into the racecourse.


    Eva hadn''t even had time to react before she was dragged in. The racecourse wasrge, with many peopleing and going. Henry took long strides, not considering whether she could keep up or not. Eva tried to free herself but couldn''t shake off his grip, so she had to quicken her pace to keep up with him.


    As they walked, Henry asked, "Can Ms. Hansen ride a horse?"


    Eva replied, "I''ve never tried."


    "Well, that''s good. If you''ve never tried, then you don''t need to. You won''t have to rideter."


    After all, he would be the one taking her for a run.


    However, Eva didn''t understand the meaning behind his words and merely let him pull her forward.


    She didn''t try to break free afterward because Henry''s actions didn''t have a hint of intimacy. He just pulled her along and seemed to only want to bring her to their destination. "That''s it, nothing more."


    After a while, Henry released her hand. "We''re here."


    Eva''s calves were sore from walking, but she sighed with relief when Henry let go of her hand. They had finally arrived.


    She discreetly flexed her wrists and ankles beforeing to a stop.


    Not wanting to waste any time, Eva immediately thought of handing the suit jacket in her hand to Henry when he suddenly eximed, "Found them,e with me." What? Confused, Eva followed him.


    The noisy crowd gradually quieted down, and many people focused their gaze on her, examining her.


    After a moment, someone asked, "Mr. Davis, a new love interest?"


    Giving the person a scornful nce, Henry replied, "What''s it to you? Stop gawking and move along."


    Despite his harsh words, those people were still grinning. It was evident that Henry usually mingled with them and often spoke like this.


    A thought urred to Eva: Looks can be deceiving.


    Those people''s gaze remained fixed on Eva, and it seemed more like they were captivated by her rather than curious about Henry''s new interest.


    Her attire wasn''t particrly morous, even quite simple.


    Simple trousers, a ck coat, and a khaki-colored scarf. Her ck, silky hair was neatly pinned back.


    An extremely simple outfit, but it made them, ustomed to grandeur, take notice. However, that was also because of the woman''s outstanding features and temperament. Bright, ethereal eyes with a hint of coldness, a delicate nose, and rosy lips adorned her fair, exquisite face.


    After a while, someone couldn''t help but exim, "Mr. Davis has found himself a gem this time."


    Eva didn''t hear what they said. She only wanted to discuss investment with Henry, so she followed him.


    Lost in her thoughts about how to bring up the topicter, Eva did not sense anything amiss.


    It wasn''t until Henry led her to the edge of thewn and shouted while waving his hand towards people galloping in the distant racetrack. Eva followed his gaze. "Adrian, over here!"


    As Eva''s eyes fell upon the person atop the horse, her smile instantly vanished.


    How is this possible... such a coincidence?


    It had been over half a month since what happenedst time, and Eva had been busy all this time.


    She thought that it should be in the past by now. Chicago wasn''t Adrian''s territory; he should have returned to New York long ago.


    But who knew he was still here.


    As their eyes met across the distance, Eva instinctively turned to run.


    However, Henry, by her side, intentionally or unintentionally, grabbed her arm.


    "Ms. Hansen, let me introduce our opponentter, Adrian from ckwood Business. You should know him, right?"


    Eva''s lips turned pale.


    It was more than just getting to know each other...


    Henry, seemingly afraid that she would run away, smiled as he said, "I''ll have apetition with himter. How about Ms. Hansen riding my horse?"


    She wanted to leave now.


    However, the men in the field had already noticed her and narrowed their eyes dangerously. The next moment, one of them dismounted and walked towards them with big strides. Adrian looked handsome in his equestrian attire, but his icy gaze made him exude an aura that kept people at a distance.


    Before he even reached them, Eva could feel his sharp eyes piercing her face.


    "Adrian, let me introduce you. This is mypanion forter."


    Adrian stood in front of them, unabashedly examining her. "Companion?"


    Henry raised an eyebrow. "How about it? Isn''t mypanion impressive? To make it fair, why don''t you choose one too?"


    Among the onlookers was a girl who overheard their conversation and immediately ran over.


    "Mr. ckwood, let me be yourpanion. I''ve learned horseback riding and I''m not afraid."


    After speaking, she shed Adrian a sweet smile.


    Henry nced at her. "Alright then, it''s you."


    However, no matter what Henry and the girl said, Adrian''s gaze remained fixed on Eva''s face.


    Direct and sharp.


    Eva lightly bit her lower lip, thinking of how to refuse, but Henry interrupted, "Then you two go change into your equestrian attire." "No, I think..."


    The girl standing beside them immediately took the initiative to grab Eva''s arm. "Let''s go change together."


    As they walked, she asked, "How did you meet Mr. Davis? Are you his new girlfriend? I''m so envious of you."

 Chapter 223 You Shameless

    "Can you share with me how you managed to win over Mr. Davis? Give me some tips so I can learn too."


    The girl was interested in Adrian, so she had no ill intentions towards Eva, who she mistook for Henry''s woman. She quickly pulled Eva into the changing room.


    Upon receiving the news of Adrian and Henry''spetition, the staff at the equestrian center immediately prepared the arena and treated theirpanions with utmost care. As soon as they entered, someone was already bringing their equestrian attire.


    One of the staff members handed the attire to Eva and praised, "Your figure is so good, I''m sure we can find the right size for you."


    After speaking, they handed the attire to her.


    Eva really wanted to leave right away.


    But if she were to just leave like this today, she would probably publicly embarrass Henry. Not to mention losing the investment, it wouldpletely offend him.


    As Eva entered the changing room, she felt frustrated deep inside, thinking that she was extremely unlucky today, which led to this consequence.


    Eva even wanted to pick up the phone and ask Tim if he really needed to postpone this investment.


    But she didn''t need to make the call, she knew how Tim would respond to her.


    Eva looked at the equestrian uniform in her hand, lost in thought.


    After a moment, Eva gradually overcame her hesitation to start thepany. What''s more, she had already cut ties with Adrian a long time ago, and she would have herwyer return all the property she gave herself. If everything went smoothly, he must have already received it.


    This meant that they had settled their ounts, and if she was to develop in China in the future, she would definitely have to face him.


    Should she flee every time they meet face to face?


    It''s unrealistic and embarrassing.


    So she could only face it head-on, it is an opportunity.


    After thinking it through, she took a deep breath and took off her coat, hanging it on the rack.


    Then, just as she was about to take off her white sweater, someone knocked on the changing room door from the outside.


    "Who is it?"


    Eva didn''t think much of it, assuming it was her friend who came in with her, wondering why she changed so quickly, as she opened the door.


    Everything went ck, and a figure rushed into the changing room. Before she could react, the door was closed and locked with a click.


    Eva stared at the person in front of her in disbelief, and then subconsciously tried to open the door.


    However, before her hand even had a chance to touch the lock, Adrian grabbed her wrist, lifted it above her head, and pushed her against the cold, hard door. Eva struggled, "Let me go."


    Adrian, expressionless, tightened his grip on her hand.


    In the midst of her struggle, Eva''s hair, which she had tied behind her head, fell apart like a waterfall, carrying a faint sweet fragrance, covering her figure that appeared even more stunning in the tight sweater. Adrian looked at her coldly.


    She looked even more beautiful than before after five years. The youthful aura had faded from her body, but her long, straight ck hair couldn''t hide her innocence. At the moment, she also exuded the charm of a mature woman. Innocence and charm were always hard to coexist.


    But at this moment, both were disyed brilliantly in Eva.


    However, her gaze seemed to be on the verge of spewing fire.


    "I told you to let me go, didn''t you hear?"


    Adrian, as if he hadn''t heard her, not only didn''t let go, but also leaned in, bringing their bodies closer inch by inch.


    Until there was no gap between their bodies, pressing tightly against each other.


    Adrian''s mocking voice followed.


    "So Michael let you out like this to y with other men? It seems he doesn''t care about you that much."


    Hearing this, Eva furrowed her brows. "What Michael thinks of me is none of your business."


    As she spoke, Eva struggled again.


    As they were already pressed against each other, with their clothes not very thick, Adrian distinctly felt the friction of her stunning figure against his own body as she struggled. Adrian''s face changed, and he tightened his grip on Eva''s wrist.


    In the midst of her struggle, Eva also realized...


    What happened? The expressions froze, and the movements came to a sudden halt.


    There was an ambiguous atmosphere in the air.


    A few secondster, Eva''s fair cheeks turned crimson, and she red at the person who was close to her, gritting her teeth, "You are shameless!"


    Adrian''s face also looked awful, it could even be described as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he said in a hoarse voice, full of anger, "If you hadn''t moved around like that, would this happen?"


    Although they were close just now, neither of them moved, and his emotions were all consumed by anger.


    But now, being rubbed by her like this...


    Adrian took a deep breath and closed his eyes despairingly. He had never expected that after so many years, his body would react so strongly to her.


    Eva responded without any politeness.


    "So what if I moved around? If you hadn''t been pulling me all the time, would it be like this? The reason why people are called human is that they should learn to control themselves, otherwise what''s the difference between them and the stray dogs in heat on the street?"


    The second half of the sentence made Adrian narrow his eyes dangerously, biting his back teeth, "What did you say?"


    "Did I say something wrong? If you dare to do it, don''t be afraid of what others say!"


    Adrian took a deep breath and didn''t respond.


    But obviously, Eva didn''t intend to let him off easy, urging him, "Get out of my way."


    Adrian didn''t move.


    Eva became angry and pushed him.


    Adrian groaned as she pushed him.


    A certain part of his body''s response made Eva''s face turn pale with anger. "Adrian, can you be more disgusting?"


    Her angry yet still charming voice made Adrian pause. After a moment, he lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on her beautiful face, and his lips curled slightly, "Sure, if you keep moving and touching me recklessly, I don''t mind being disgusting to you."


    Eva was shocked by his attitude. After a long while, she could only curse again, "Shameless!"


    Adrian sarcastically tugged at the corner of his lips.


    "Thanks for thepliment."


    After a while, Adrian took the initiative to create distance between them, immediately turning his back.


    If they stayed close like before, he didn''t know if he could leave this changing room today.


    As soon as he turned around, Eva reached out to open the door, preparing to leave.


    Before she could unlock it, there was a knocking sound from outside.


    Immediately after, the voice of the girl who hade in with her earlier sounded from outside.


    "Have you changed into your riding attire?"


    Eva''s actions suddenly stopped.


    She didn''t expect that the girl woulde to knock on the door at this moment. She certainly didn''t want anyone to see her with Adrian.


    She could only stand still and calmly say, "Not yet, have you changed? Then you go first..."

 Chapter 224 On Horseback

    Arge hand unexpectedly reached over and wrapped around her waist.


    The sudden touch startled Eva, and she eximed, "What''s wrong?"


    The girl outside the changing room heard her exmation but didn''t know if she was suspicious or worried. She started turning the doorknob, trying toe in. However, Adrian had previously locked the door, so no matter how she turned it, the girl couldn''t open it.


    "Why can''t I open this door? Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," Eva said, trying to calm herself. "I just didn''t stand firm earlier and almost fell, but now I''m okay."


    "Really?" The girl still seemed skeptical.


    She stood outside the changing room, looking around, biting her lower lip.


    Actually, when she was changing earlier, she wasn''t sure if it was just her imagination, but she seemed to hear a man''s voiceing from Eva''s side. And that man''s voice sounded a lot like Mr. ckwood''s.


    So she came out, but when she did, there was no sound anymore.


    It felt like everything that just happened was just her mind ying tricks on her.


    Thinking about this, the girl couldn''t help but say, "Are you really fine? Should I open the door and take a look at how serious your injuries are?" "No need, I''m almost done changing. You can go outside first."


    "Well, then, should I call Mr. Davis for you?"


    Eva thought for a moment and nodded directly. "Alright."


    If she didn''t agree, she didn''t know how long this girl would keep bothering her here.


    The most important thing now was to get her out of her way.


    As expected, after the girl heard her words, she immediately said, "Okay, then wait for me, I''ll go call him."


    Initially, the girl was still suspicious if Adrian had entered her changing room, but now she had no doubts and turned to leave.


    Once there was no movement outside, Eva turned back and brushed off Adrian''s hand on her waist before opening the door. "Leave."


    Adrian nced at her and didn''t move.


    Eva pursed her lips. "I''m telling you onest time, leave."


    Adrian silently stared at her, not knowing what he was thinking. After a moment, he suddenly stood up and walked out.


    After he left, the changing room regained its calmness.


    Eva stood there for a while, but finally silently changed into her equestrian dress.


    The staff had given her the smallest size, and after putting it on, it fit perfectly everywhere except for being a little tight around her chest.


    After getting dressed, Eva opened the door again and walked out.


    "She fell in there?" Henry followed the girl, Samantha, and walked towards the direction of the changing room. But soon, he raised his eyebrows, wanting to lead him to the changing room.


    He didn''t expect Eva to be so different from what he imagined and to y so wild.


    Walking ahead, Henry saw someoneing out, and it happened to be Adrian.


    Henry and Samantha stopped.


    The girl, Samantha, called out, wide-eyed, "Mr. ckwood, why did youe out from there?"


    Hearing that, Henry also found it interesting and raised his eyebrows. "I''m also curious, how did you end up here?"


    However, Adrian didn''t pay any attention to them at all and walked past expressionlessly.


    Seeing this, Samantha instinctively wanted to follow him.


    Meanwhile, Henry thought about Eva waiting for him in the changing room and picked up his pace again, preparing to go over.


    However, he had only taken two steps when Adrian stopped him.


    "What''s wrong?" Henry turned back.


    Adrian stared at him coldly, "Where are you going?"


    "Why do you care where I''m going?" Henry smiled, "I heard that mypanion twisted her ankle in the changing room and I was about to go check on her."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian narrowed his eyes dangerously.


    Henry didn''t know what was going on with him. After exining, he turned around and was about to walk inside. However, his steps suddenly paused, and he stood there dumbfounded, staring at Eva who was already dressed in equestrian attire.


    The woman''s equestrian outfit was sleek, cleverlybining red and white.


    After putting on this equestrian outfit, Eva''s already slender waistline was even more tightly cinched, her beautiful shoulders, slender waist, and cascading waist-length hair.


    Henry looked at her in astonishment.


    He never imagined that Eva, with her hair down and wearing equestrian attire, would look like this.


    She was breathtakingly beautiful.


    His heart thumped violently in his chest, and when Henry reacted, he subconsciously swallowed.


    "Ms. Hansen, have you changed clothes?"


    Eva nced at Adrian, not far behind Henry, and then quickly turned her eyes back to him, walking up to Henry and nodding. "Yes."


    With the two of them getting closer, it was a visual assault for Henry.


    His heart started acting up again.


    "Shall we go then?"


    Eva thought for a moment and didn''t follow Henry directly. Instead, she smiled and said, "Mr. Davis, I have never ridden a horse before, and I am quite afraid. But since it''s Mr. Davis''s invitation today, I will apany you. However, I hope that after thispetition, Mr. Davis can give me some time to talk about work."


    "Of course."


    Almost instinctively, Henry readily agreed. "No problem, we can talk about anything you want."


    Eva smiled, "Thank you."


    "You''re wee, let''s go."


    Eva followed behind Henry as they entered the equestrian field together.


    Samantha stood beside her, looking at her with astonishment.


    "You look great in that outfit."


    Eva nced at her andplimented back, "Thank you, you look beautiful too."


    "I''m Samantha."


    "Eva."


    The two girls shook hands.


    The staff at the equestrian field had already brought over two horses, and the preparations wereplete.


    The starting point and finish line had been set.


    "We have ced a red g on the mountaintop of the East District. The first one to grab the g wins. There will be surveince on the road, and vehicles will be intercepted. No other cars will enter for the next hour." Eva listened on the side and sarcastically pursed her lips.


    The power of capital is truly immense.


    Samantha said, "Mr. ckwood is probably determined to win, but... I cherish the moments alone with him even more."


    "Yes, I will try my best to dy him," Adrian said as soon as the words fell from his mouth. Without wasting any time, he mounted his horse.


    Seeing this, Samantha immediately spoke, "Then I''ll go now," and ran in Adrian''s direction.


    Henry also walked towards her. "Ms. Hansen, should we mount our horses too?"


    Just as Eva was about to nod, Adrian, riding on his horse, stopped in front of her, looking down at her with superiority.


    "Get on."


    Samantha, who waspletely ignored, stood frozen.


    Henry was dumbfounded as well.


    Only Eva stood still as if she hadn''t heard Adrian''s words.


    One second, two seconds...


    After three seconds, Adrian''s patience wore thin, and he said coldly, "I said, get on."

 Chapter 225 Return Her to Me Quickly

    Samantha and Henry were not the only ones taken aback.


    The staff nearby were also frightened by the aura that unexpectedly emanated from Adrian. His indifferent tone seemed to announce the imminent storm.


    As the most influential person at the racecourse today, nobody dared to offend him.


    Compared to the fear of others, Eva, with her slender figure, seemed unaffected and calm.


    Even with the frown on her face, she boldly stated in front of everyone, "You''ve mistaken me. I came with Mr. Davis, not as yourpanion."


    In other words, she rejected him.


    The response shocked everyone, and they stared at her in disbelief. Perhaps they didn''t expect her to decline Adrian in this way, and they certainly didn''t expect her to openly offend him. As expected, Adrian narrowed his eyes dangerously and stared at her, then abruptly urged his horse in her direction.


    Samantha covered her mouth with a gasp in fear. Everyone was startled when they saw him charging straight toward her.


    Could it be that Mr. ckwood intended to ride the horse to collide with her?


    "Adrian!" Even Henry was startled by his actions. Thinking that Adrian was about to confront Eva, he called out his name in a stern voice and reached out to pull Eva by his side. However, before Henry could touch Eva, arge hand swept in and directly pulled Eva, who was standing still, onto the horse.


    "Ah!" Eva couldn''t help but yelp in surprise. In fact, when he was riding toward her, Eva wasn''t scared at all. Even though they hadn''t seen each other for five years, Eva knew him too well. He wouldn''t dare to collide with her; at most, he was just trying to frighten her. That''s why she confidently stood in ce.


    But who could have expected that he would directly pull her,pletely unprepared, onto the horse?


    Once on the horse, Adrian urged it forward, and the force made Eva instinctively hold onto him tightly. Her untied cascading dark hair danced in the air. Adrian''s lips curved slightly as he pulled her closer with one hand until she was seated next to him, and then he controlled the horse to stop.


    After dismounting, Eva''s beautiful eyes almost spewed fire.


    "What are you doing?"


    Eva questioned while gripping him tightly, asionally ncing at the horse beneath them.


    The horse was grand and powerful. If they were to fall from above...


    Thinking this, Eva instinctively gripped him even tighter, not noticing Adrian''s lips curling up slightly after observing her action.


    Although she was getting angry at him, she carefully held onto him, afraid that she might fall. Adrian''s reliance on her made his earlier anger vanishpletely.


    He continued to stare at her face and teased, "Daring to ride another man''s horse? Don''t you think their riding skills might throw you off?"


    Hearing this, Eva replied, "... You''re overthinking, aren''t you? Since he dared to bring me, it shows that his riding skills are excellent."


    "Is that so?" Adrian raised his chin, looking proud and arrogant. "Ask Henry if the two broken ribs he had fromst time have already healed." Henry, being openly exposed, angrily roared, "I heard that!"


    After roaring, he noticed Eva suspiciously staring at him.


    Only then did Henry realize his mistake.


    He couldn''t control himself and blurted out a curse.


    But soon, he reacted and said, "Wait, Adrian, why are you stealing my person? Do you two know each other?"


    Adrian nced at him and said, "Your person?"


    His gaze was icy and extremely sharp, causing Henry to shiver involuntarily.


    But when he looked at the beauty on his horse, he shamelessly uttered, "The person I brought, is that not eptable? Give her back to me quickly." Adrian sneered and pulled Eva away by the reins.


    As his horse moved, Eva reflexively held onto him tightly and said, "Put me down, Adrian!"


    The crowd could only watch as Adrian brought her back to the starting point, while she continued to angrily berate him. Not only did he remain unaffected, he didn''t even get angry when she cursed at him in front of everyone. Henry watched this scene and couldn''t help but curse again.


    It seemed like he wouldn''t be able to snatch her back today.


    Henry could only turn around and look at Samantha, who was standing still in a daze.


    "Ride my horse?"


    Samantha snapped out of it and then nodded somewhat dazedly, following behind Henry obediently.


    When they reached the horse, she couldn''t help but ask, "Do they know each other?"


    "Isn''t that obvious? If Adrian didn''t know her, how could he have put her on his horse? That guy who never lets women near him."


    Henry, whose actions and intentions were exposed in public, became short-tempered and exploded.


    Samantha felt frustrated after hearing that and poked her finger without saying a word.


    Henry turned his head to look at her.


    Samantha also looked at him.


    The two silently stared at each other.


    After a few seconds, Henry said, "Get on the horse, huh? Do you think I would use Adrian''s trick?"


    Samantha climbed onto the horse by herself, feeling angry.


    Once she was seated properly, she said,


    Henry also flipped over and heard Samantha weakly ask, "Is it true that you broke two ribs?"


    Both of them stopped on their horses at the starting point.


    Henry looked at the person who was supposed to be on his own horse, but was now taken by Adrian, feeling furious.


    "Gambling alone is not interesting. Let''s raise the stakes, Mr. ckwood."


    After Adrian took the person, his attitude became indifferent, as if winning or losing was no longer important to him, as long as he had the person in his arms.


    So, when he heard Henry''s words, he didn''t even bother to lift an eyelid.


    On the other hand, when Eva saw Henry, she wanted to exin to him, "Mr. Davis, what I told you earlier..."


    Adrian nced at her and suddenly spoke coldly, interrupting her conversation with Henry.


    "What are we gambling?"


    He directly cut off their chance to talk.


    Henry saw through his intentions and sneered.


    "If I win, I''ll run anotherp," he pointed at Eva, "and then you''ll give her back to me!"


    Eva was speechless, what did their bet have to do with her?


    Upon hearing this, Adrianughed coldly.


    "Don''t even think about it, you think you can win against me."


    Henry provoked him, "Dare to bet? I dare to challenge you. Are you too afraid to ept?"


    Under normal circumstances, Henry would never provoke Adrian like this, but today was too outrageous. The humiliating incident spread throughout the East District racecourse, leaving him without any dignity in the eyes of others. Adrian seemed to be provoked, looking at him. "Are you sure you want to bet?"


    "I bet."


    "Alright," hezily said, "then I''ll change the stakes. If I win, you won''t see her again."


    Upon hearing this, Henry was dumbfounded.


    After a moment, he shouted, "Adrian, how can you be so ruthless!"

 Chapter 226 Embrace

    "So, are you still gambling?"


    Henry gritted his teeth and looked at Samantha in front of him, "What do you think? You can do it, right? You must win against him!"


    Samantha replied, "I think safety is more important."


    Although Eva didn''t want to speak, deep down she also believed that safety was more important.


    The staff over there approached, ttering, "Mr. ckwood, Mr. Davis, it''s about to start."


    Henry tightened the reins, gritting his teeth, "Let''s just start then. I don''t believe I can''t beat him!"


    There was still one minute left until the start.


    The racecourse staff started to exin the rules again.


    "I repeat, the one who grabs the g first wins."


    "At the finish line, there''s a gift prepared by the East District racecourse for the winner. Everyone, please be safe. The countdown will begin: ten, nine, eight..." Eva was still trying to dismount.


    But ever since Adrian pulled her onto the horse, hisrge hand had been like a heavy iron chain, firmly wrapped around her waist, rendering herpletely immobile. Counting down to seven...


    hen after Eva spoke, the referee immediately made his decision and Henry, next to her, charged out like a mad dog, apanied by Samantha''s screams. "Henry, slow down! Safety first!"


    "What safety? Winning is what matters," Henry replied.


    Eva watched as Henry rode far away, while Adrian behind her remained still. Eva didn''t want to talk to him, so she stayed silent and didn''t ask him anything. After a while, when he still hadn''t moved, Eva couldn''t help but ask, "What are you doing? Do you want to lose?"


    Seeing that she couldn''t resist speaking to him, Adrian''s dark eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction.


    "Are you afraid I''ll lose and hand you over to him?"


    Five years had passed, and he had no idea how he had gotten through those years. Yet, he could still lightly say these words to her. How ironic.


    Eva''s eyes turned cold, and she responded sarcastically, following his lead. "Why should I be afraid? It''s better if you lose. I came here to find him in the first ce." Hearing this, Adrian''s face darkened. "What did you say? Say it again."


    "If you want to hear it, of course, I can say it a second time. I can say it ten times if you''d like."


    However, before Eva could say anything else, Adrian had already ridden out.


    Unexpectedly, the wind became noisy, and inertia caused Eva''s body to lean back. She couldn''t utter the words on her lips and had to forcefully suppress the urge to scream.


    But even if she pretended to be calm on the surface, her body''s reactions couldn''t deceive anyone.


    Initially, she had thought that even if it started, she would do her best to keep her distance from Adrian. Yet now that it had truly begun, she couldn''t control her body at all. She leanedpletely on Adrian''s chest, her body tense. She was afraid that with one wrong move, she would be thrown off the horse.


    And Adrian, intentionally, whispered in her ear, "Why have you stopped talking?"


    Eva was too angry to speak and didn''t bother responding to him.


    Seeing that she didn''t speak, Adrian let out a pleased chuckle and then said, "Do you want to turn around and face me?"


    Adrian''s words provoked Eva, causing her to speak up. "Do you think that''s possible?"


    "Then, sit tight," Adrian leaned in a bit closer, pressing his entire chest against her back. The warmth from his body transferred to her skin, and he whispered near her earlobe, "I''ll lead you to victory."


    In the next instant, their steeds galloped on the dedicated path, speeding up.


    The cold winter wind blew fiercely against Eva''s face and body, lifting her hair and causing some strands to scatter onto Adrian''s neck.


    He furrowed his brows slightly. "Why didn''t you tie up your hair?"


    How dare he ask that? If it wasn''t for him entering the dressing room, her hairpin wouldn''t be struggling


    During the journey, it fell to the ground and broke, rendering it useless.


    There were two or three paths leading to the mountaintop, each with a different route.


    So they walked for a long time without seeing Henry and Samantha.


    "Where are they?"


    They''ve been running out for so long, and it''s unexpected that they haven''t seen Henry yet.


    "To the mountaintop, there are three paths, two main roads, and one small road."


    As Adrian spoke, his horse stopped at the fork, and he nced down at the person in his arms.


    "Which one do you want to take?"


    "What does it matter to me?"


    "To win, Henry might take a risky move and choose the small path. If we take the small path too and happen to encounter them, it might be a horse flip."


    Adrian kept his gaze locked on her. Seeing that she wasn''t moved, he pulled the reins and steered the horse towards the small path.


    Realizing something, Eva''s expression changed slightly. "What are you doing?"


    He had clearly analyzed everything, so why did he still choose the small path?


    Adrian: "Taking you to win."


    With that, he tightened his grip on the horse''s belly, and the horse charged into the small path. Eva didn''t even have time to regret it.


    After entering the small path, Eva breathed a sigh of relief.


    Initially, she thought the small path would be as its name suggested, a narrow road, which was why Adrian mentioned the possibility of a horse flip.


    But after entering, she found that the road was quite wide. However, since they were in the mountains, Eva still felt a bit scared, even if they were hugging the wall.


    Moreover, Eva gradually realized that something was off.


    From the beginning, the path that seemed wide enough for three horses gradually narrowed, even bing winding and twisting. The horse ran at a fast speed, and several times Eva felt like the horse was about to jump out, but it always managed to turn back.


    Several times along the way, Eva was startled speechless, with cold sweat on her back. By the time the road conditions returned to normal, she had lost all her strength and leaned weakly against Adrian.


    As Adrian had said, the small path was indeed quick. When they arrived at the mountaintop, the g was still there, along with a small gift box.


    Eva looked at the g and forcibly straightened up despite feeling nauseated, preparing to ask him to put her down so she could untie the g. Suddenly, the person behind her without warning leaned over and hugged her.


    Tightly, forcefully, as if trying to merge her into his chest.


    On this silent mountaintop.


    Eva could even hear his heart pounding strongly against her back.


    Unlike his previous teasing and cold questioning, Adrian at this moment was simply holding her, tightly, as if he never wanted to let go in this lifetime. For a long time, she heard a very soft, whisper-like voice.


    "After five years, are you finally willing toe back?"

 Chapter 227 Dont Even Think About Leaving

    Time seemed to pass without notice, and the wind lifted Eva''s long hair.


    As the nausea caused by the horse''s trot gradually subsided, she lowered her eyes and looked at the hand that encircled her.


    Her voice turned cold. "Had enough of hugging?" The person behind her suddenly froze. "If you''ve had enough, let go. I want to go down and grab the g." After saying these words, Eva could clearly feel the person hugging her rx slightly.


    The person froze for a moment, then slowly released their hand.


    "Alright, let''s get the g first."


    Adrian dismounted and reached out his hand to help Eva down.


    Eva nced at him and didn''t take his hand. Instead, she struggled to get off the horse by herself.


    This scene made Adrian''s gaze turn colder.


    After dismounting, Eva took a deep breath and went forward to get the g. She didn''t bother with the small box nearby, showing no interest.


    Just as she stood up straight, Henry''s loud curse could be heard in the distance.


    "Adrian, you scoundrel! You actually arrived before me!"


    Henry dismounted and angrily threw the reins on the ground.


    "Samantha! It''s all your fault for not letting me take the shortcut!"


    Samantha responded with a "Hmph!"


    Henry nced at Adrian and tried to pass him to talk to Eva, but Adrian lifted his hand to block his way.


    "Forget what the bet was about?"


    Upon hearing this, Henry''s expression immediately turned unpleasant.


    "Don''t be like this, Adrian. I was just going to have a chat with her. We''ve known each other for a while now. Are you joking with me?"


    However, Adrian didn''t move and just coldly stared at him.


    "Do I look like I''m joking with you?"


    Henry opened his mouth, intending to say something more, but when he saw the pitch-ck eyes and the surging anger in Adrian''s eyes, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Adrian wasn''t just warning him about the bet.


    It wasn''t merely about the bet; his hostility was much stronger.


    Henry nced at Eva, who stood beside him, holding the g with her beautiful face and cold demeanor. There seemed to be an unusual energy flowing between the two of them. He took two steps back and admitted defeat.


    "Fine, I won''t talk to her for now. I admit defeat, alright?"


    After saying that, Henry quickly left.


    Eva, seeing this, wanted to go after him. After all, her purpose ofing here today was to secure his investment.


    But as she passed by Adrian, he grabbed her wrist.


    "Did I let you go?"


    Eva frowned, still holding the victorious g in her hand.


    Unfortunately, this victory didn''t bring any joy to either of them.


    Eva lowered her head, her gaze falling on Adrian''s hand gripping her wrist. She slowly freed herself inch by inch.


    After pulling her hand away, she casually shook it and then looked at Adrian with a hint of amusement. "It''s been five years, Adrian. Do you still think you have any importance to me? You want to hug me? Please show some respect when you see me in the future, otherwise, I will consider it harassment."


    Her words caused Adrian''s pupils to dte, and his aura became dangerous.


    Unfortunately, Eva wasn''t afraid of him at all. Seeing that he didn''t speak, she added another remark.


    "Understood?" After finishing her sentence, Eva breathed a sigh of relief and walked past him.


    "Are you with Michael now?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused her steps.


    After a moment.


    "That''s none of your business."


    After leaving on her own, Henry was still standing there, looking confused when he saw Eva approaching. He nced at Adrian too.


    "Mr. Davis, although it''s unfortunate that we didn''t ride together, I still hope you can spare me some time to discuss work-rted matters?" Eva said.


    Henry thought about Adrian''s zombie-like face and initially didn''t want to agree. However, seeing Eva''s smile in front of him, the words on his lips changed as if guided by a mysterious force. "Alright then, let''s go," he said. "Thank you," Eva replied.


    As they were leaving, Eva also invited Samantha who was standing nearby. Samantha waved her hand and said, "No, I''m going. The man you don''t like, I like. I want to seize the opportunity."


    Did none of these people know about him and Vivian being together?


    However, Eva never liked to judge or interfere with others'' lives and decisions. She chose to respect their thoughts and nodded. "Alright, let''s go then."


    She and Henry left together. Henry walked over with the horse, scratching his head awkwardly. "The road down the mountain is quite far and it will take a long time on foot. Would you like to ride?"


    Eva was just relieved to avoid riding the horse at this point but then remembered the investment... She took a deep breath and was about to agree.


    "Do you dare to ride his horse and try it for yourself!" Adrian''s demanding voice came from above.


    Henry immediately changed his mind and said, "Why don''t I call a car instead?" He promptly took out his phone to make a call.


    Eva felt relieved seeing this. Riding a car instead of a horse would be the best option.


    The car arrived quickly. Just as Eva was about to open the door and sit in, someone else swiftly opened the back door and took the seat directly. Eva nced at the person, feeling somewhat speechless. She had just made it clear to him.


    Facing her gaze, Adrian looked back at her as if it was only natural for him to be there. It was his friend who called the car, after all. But she was definitely not going to sit with him.


    Upon seeing this, Eva directly closed the door and sat in the front passenger seat.


    Henry and Samantha had no choice but to sit in the back. But just as Henry sat down, Adrian''s cold voice sounded, "Henry, you go sit in the front."


    "Why?" Henry looked up and met Adrian''s icy gaze, unable to control a shiver.


    "That''s fine, I understand. I''ll go sit in the front," Henry said.


    Sitting in the front passenger seat on the way downhill was the most dangerous.


    Henry opened the door and said to Eva, "Ms. Hansen, let''s switch seats."


    "Thank you, but it''s not necessary," Eva politely declined him.


    Henry stood in ce, feeling quite troubled.


    Adrian was making things difficult for him today, but he couldn''t possibly harass a girl he was interested in, right?


    Just then, Adrian''s icy voice came from the back seat.


    "No switching. The car won''t move if you do."


    The driver tightened his grip on the steering wheel, almost mistaking the elerator for the brake. He was terrified.


    "You''re being childish," Evamented without turning back.


    But anyone could tell who she was aiming her words at.


    Adrian stared intently at the back of her head.


    Seeing this, Henry whispered, "...why don''t you switch with me? It''ll be over once we get off the mountain."


    Eva remained seated and didn''t move, while Henry didn''t know what else to say. Meanwhile, Adrian maintained his icy expression. Everyone stood there, locked in a stalemate.


    After a while, Samantha, who was standing by the back door, weakly raised her hand and said, "Can I sit in the front passenger seat?"

 Chapter 228 Comfortable?

    A few minutester.


    Samantha sat in the front passenger seat. As soon as she got in, she immediately closed the door, buckled her seatbelt, and wore an expression that said, "This seat is mine now, do whatever you want, I won''t change." After getting out of the car, Eva stood in ce and only after a while said to Henry, "You go ahead."


    Henry didn''t have any objections. Since everyone was going down the mountain, they could just ride together.


    He listened to Eva and bent down, wanting to get in. Then he heard Adrian say, "Scram."


    Henry maintained his posture for a moment, but then lifted his head with a smile, saying to Eva, "Ms. Hansen, why don''t you go in first?"


    Seeing his expression and recalling what had happened earlier, Eva sighed helplessly in her heart and resignedly got into the car. Henry followed behind her.


    Since they had to keep their distance from Adrian, Eva sat closer to Henry''s side.


    After the car started moving, Adrian furrowed his brows.


    "Henry, move over a bit."


    Hearing this, Henry didn''t think much of it and shifted towards the side of the car.


    Adrian''s desire to avoid others touching the woman he had his eyes on was normal.


    Thinking this, Henry moved a bit closer to the car window.


    But unexpectedly, Adrian still wasn''t satisfied. "Move over a bit more."


    Henry looked at Adrian speechlessly and moved a bit more.


    "More."


    "It''s not like I can just move if there''s no space for me to move to. Should I just get off the car then?"


    Adrian''s face remained expressionless. "Fine."


    Eva, sitting in the middle, couldn''t bear it anymore and turned her head to face Adrian. They locked eyes, her gaze meeting his pitch-ck eyes.


    Since they got in the car, his gaze had been fixed on her, never once shifting.


    "Would you like to get off?"


    Upon hearing this, Henry immediately thumbed up at Eva.


    Seeing Eva arguing with him face to face, Adrian naturally didn''t look pleased, but he still tugged at his lips in the end. "Are you sure? If I get off, then you''ll have to follow."


    Upon hearing that, Eva immediately withdrew her gaze without any hesitation. She couldn''t be bothered to deal with him anymore. She understood this man, Adrian, too well. He could say what he would do and then actually do it. If she couldn''t change him, then she would just ignore him.


    So, when they were descending the mountain, Eva simply closed her eyes and rested against the seat. She sat up straight, with Henry on either side of her.


    She didn''t want to get close to anyone. Originally, she just wanted to close her eyes and not speak. However, the journey down the mountain took about half an hour, and the mountain road was rugged, with important people on board, so the driver dared not drive fast and could only go slowly.


    As time went on, Eva unintentionally fell asleep.


    Once asleep, her head, which had been leaning against the seat, began to lean to the side.


    Adrian pursed his lips and, seeing her head about to fall towards Henry, suddenly reached out and supported it.


    Eva''s head rested in his palm. After making sure she was deeply asleep and wouldn''t wake up, Adrian slowly leaned her head onto his shoulder.


    During the process, the movements were extremely gentle and soft.


    Henry, who was sitting next to them, saw this scene and looked at Adrian in astonishment.


    Adrian, upon receiving his gaze, remained expressionless.


    Henry, on the other hand, had a startled expression.


    As they continued on the road, Adrian watched with satisfaction as Eva, who was awake and usually eager to distance herself from him, ended up sleeping and only able to rely on his shoulder. Indeed, she was more obedient when she was asleep.


    When she was awake, she was too arrogant and indifferent.


    Thinking of her cold gaze, Adrian''s heart tensed with a dull pain.


    Since they had met, it was rare to have such a warm moment.


    Unfortunately, this warm moment didn''tst long as Eva''s phone in her pocket suddenly rang.


    The melodious ringtone echoed in the quiet car, and Eva woke up quickly.


    Adrian''s body suddenly tensed.


    Unexpectedly, without even opening her eyes, Eva felt her way to her phone in her pocket in the same position.


    Being close, Adrian saw that the iing call disyed "Michael" on her phone screen.


    His face immediately turned dark.


    "Hello," Eva brought the phone close to her ear.


    Perhaps her voice was too groggy, so Michael on the other end of the line paused and asked, "Just woke up? Where are you?"


    Eva was still groggy from sleep, so her voice and emotions were soft. Based on her faint memories before falling asleep, she said, "In the car."


    After speaking, Eva felt that her current position was ufortable, so she adjusted her posture and rubbed her head against the side.


    Once she feltfortable, she asked, "What''s the matter? Why are you looking for me?"


    "You''re still sleeping in the car? Eva, didn''t you get enough restst night?"


    It wasn''t that she didn''t get enough restst night. It was that she was tired and felt nauseous because of Adrian''s driving, which made her fall asleep identally... Realizing this, Eva suddenly realized something.


    Her actions seemed to freeze for a moment.


    Then, she slowly opened her eyes, raised her head, and met Adrian''s dark, deep gaze. However, Adrian was now looking at her with a displeased expression. "Eva?"


    Michael on the other end of the phone still hadn''t received her response, so he called her again.


    Suddenly, Adrian spoke with a slight parting of his thin lips, "Is itfortable leaning on him?"


    Michael''s voice abruptly stopped.


    Eva''s face changed.


    Soon, she realized what Adrian was implying.


    This was intentional; he clearly knew he was on the phone but chose to speak at this moment. Maybe when he answered the call just now, he even saw his own name on the screen.


    It took a while for Michael on the other end of the phone to find his voice.


    "Eva, where are you?"


    Since Eva didn''t take Adrian''s matter seriously and had no intention of telling Michael, she decided to just say it now since he had discovered it.


    "I''m still on my way. Something unexpected happened today, I''ll tell you when I get back."


    Michael remained silent for a moment.


    "Okay."


    He paused and added, "If it''s inconvenient for you, you can get off now and tell me the location so I cane pick you up."


    Hearing this, Eva was taken aback.


    She understood what Michael meant.


    Eva pursed her lips and lowered her gaze. "No need, I''ll be there soon. Just wait for me toe back."


    Michael didn''t say anything more.


    Eva felt a little ufortable and could only bid him goodbye before hanging up the phone.


    She put her phone away and sat back in her seat.


    "You haven''t answered my question," Adrian persisted, "Is itfortable leaning on me?"


    Eva turned her head, staring at Adrian silently.


    "You might not know, but I sleep very properly and would never lean on you."


    "Is that so?" Adrian mocked and tugged at his lips. "Seems like you don''t know yourself well enough. Well, a sleeping person wouldn''t know what they''ve done, unlike me, the former person by your side, right?"

 Chapter 229 Offending People

    This statement made Henry and Samantha, who were secretly eavesdropping, widen their eyes simultaneously. They both turned their heads and eximed in unison.


    "Person by your side?"


    "What does that mean? Did you two used to sleep together?"


    Even the driver was so startled that he mmed on the brakes, making a screeching sound.


    Everyone looked at Adrian.


    The driver hastily wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and forced a smile, "We have arrived."


    Upon hearing this, Eva realized that the car had already arrived at the racecourse.


    She reacted and immediately pushed Henry.


    Henry also got off the car right away.


    Seeing this, Eva prepared to follow, but she heard Adrian''s cold voice from behind.


    "You''re just going to leave after leaning on me?"


    It seemed he had be even more shameless than before during their five years of separation.


    She nced at him and sneered, "What can you do if I just leave like this?"


    With that, she jumped off the car, mmed the door shut, went back to the dressing room to change back into her own clothes, and then left.


    When she was leaving, Henry found her and said awkwardly, "I''m sorry, I didn''t know there was this kind of rtionship between you two, otherwise, I wouldn''t have invited you to the equestrian center." "What rtionship?" Eva''s expression remained indifferent. "I have no rtionship with him whatsoever."


    "It''s alright, but just now in the car..."


    "Even if there was anything, it doesn''t matter."


    "Five years ago."


    "Five years ago?" Henry repeated, initially muttering but then widening his eyes as if he realized something. "You mean?" Eva nodded.


    "I can''t believe it..." Henry murmured to himself. "No wonder he became so irrational and lost hisposure when he saw you." Henry had never seen Adrian act as crazy as he did on their journey.


    "So, Mr. Davis, I hope that it won''t affect our future work in any way."


    Only then did Henry remember that Eva hade to talk about work today, but he wasn''t sure about the specific job.


    After thinking for a moment, Eva replied, "It''s not a good time to discuss it today. Are you avable tomorrow?"


    Henry nodded. "Thene directly to my office tomorrow to talk."


    Eva was slightly taken aback, but she nodded. "Alright, thank you."


    After scheduling a time with Henry, Samantha approached.


    She waved at Eva and smiled, "Can I add you on WhatsApp?"


    Eva was surprised that Samantha was willing to add her.


    "Of course."


    They exchanged contact information, and Samantha whispered, "So, did you really sleep with him?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s hand holding the phone trembled.


    Without hesitation, she coldly replied, "I refuse to answer that question."


    "Well then," Samantha didn''t mind, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "I''ll ask something else next time."


    After bidding farewell to Samantha, Eva left the equestrian center.


    Before leaving, she felt a sharp stare locked on her back, and it was obvious who it was.


    She directly opened the taxi door and got in, leaving.


    Back at her smallpany, Tim greeted her right away.


    "Did you get satisfactory results?"


    Eva nced at him helplessly.


    Tim asked, "Seems like the results weren''t quite satisfactory?"


    "Enough, stop talking," Eva said, taking a seat on the sofa. "We didn''t discuss the investment issue at all today, but we''ve scheduled a meeting for tomorrow." Upon hearing thest sentence, Tim finally felt relieved.


    "That''s good. Have a good discussion tomorrow. You''re smart and clever, so you''ll definitely secure the investment."


    Can she really secure the investment?


    Eva found it difficult to imagine.


    Thinking of something, Eva looked at Tim and asked, "Between Henry and Adrian, who''s more formidable?"


    This question instantly puzzled Tim.


    "What do you mean, Boss? Why are you suddenly asking this?"


    "Just answer honestly."


    Because Tim knew about Eva and Adrian''s past, he was struggling to figure out how to answer. If he praised Adrian too much, would Eva get angry? After all, she was now his current boss.


    "What are you thinking?" Eva asked when he remained silent for a while.


    Taking a deep breath, Tim said, "I''m wondering whether I should tell the truth or say something that will make you happy."


    That answer was interesting.


    Eva smirked and said, "Well, you better tell me the truth."


    Tim "Boss, this is really difficult for me."


    Upon hearing this, Eva raised an eyebrow, "Let''s consider it as your management assessment for the first month at work."


    "Well, it seems like I need to think about it carefully."


    Tim stood still for a while, lost in thought, before speaking up, "In terms of experience, Adrian is naturally superior. After all, Henry is just a rookie in his eyes. But the newly appointed dark horse is full of momentum and potential. The business world is like a battlefield, and only the ones who can endure until the end are the winners."


    Eva chuckled lightly at this response.


    "Now I understand why you climbed up to the top management level in such a short time."


    Tim smiled, "You tter me, boss."


    "And one more question. Do you think Henry would offend the ckwood family for the sake of our smallpany?"


    Upon hearing this, Tim hesitated.


    "Is this question difficult to answer?"


    "Boss, I think you are dissatisfied with the suggestions I gave you today, so you are questioning me at this time."


    "So, you know that your suggestions would make me unhappy."


    "There''s nothing I can do, boss. Thepany needs operations and development." He reminded her, "It''s yourpany." Thest sentence reminded her.


    "Yes, it is mypany."


    Therefore, even if she knew that the result might not be as she wished, she still had to try her best.


    "It would be best if the boss understands this."


    "Manager, besides the Davis Group, I want you to help mee up with a new list ofpanies."


    "To attract investment." Eva smiled slightly. "Because tomorrow is likely to be a failure."


    After a while, Tim looked at Eva, who was still pretending to smile, and asked in difficulty, "May I ask, boss, who did you meet today?"


    "Don''t you already have an idea in your mind?"


    Tim said, "Did you really meet Mr. ckwood? What a coincidence?"


    "Yes, that''s right. It was just a coincidence, and I offended him too."


    Chicago is so big, she never thought she would meet him so many times in such a short time.


    Tim suddenly didn''t want to say anything. He thought she was asking those questions to trouble herself, but it turns out she really offended someone...

 Chapter 230 Father Takes Them Away

    Because she needed to pick up the children, Eva left thepany early.


    But when she arrived at the school, she was five minuteste.


    The school teacher told her that the two children had already been picked up by their father.


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s face changed dramatically, and her voice became somewhat out of control.


    "What did you say?? Father took them away?"


    Where did Ruby and Dn''s fathere from?


    The school teacher was obviously startled by her loud voice and weakly said, "The one who registered the children with you on the first day. Isn''t he Ruby and Dn''s father?" The one who came together on the first day of registration? Are they talking about Michael?


    Upon hearing this, Eva I breathed a sigh of relief. So it was Michael that they were talking about, I thought Adrian found out and got worried.


    "What''s wrong? Ms. Hansen, you don''t look well... Is there something bothering you?" the teacher asked hesitantly.


    Eva came back to her senses and shook her head, "No, there''s nothing wrong. Did I scare you just now? I thought I was being abducted by human traffickers."


    "It''s okay, it''s okay if you''re fine, Ms. Hansen. Take care on your way home."


    After saying goodbye to the school teacher, Eva quickly returned home.


    When she opened the door, she was greeted by the smell of food.


    Eva took off her shoes at the entrance and as she walked into the living room, she could hear the voices of her two children talking inside the house.


    In the kitchen, the nanny Luna, whom Michael had hired for her, was busy.


    Upon hearing the noise, Luna turned around to greet her, "Ms. Hansen, you''re back."


    Hearing Luna''s words, the two children instantly came out of their room.


    "Mama!"


    "Mama, you''re back."


    They both simultaneously hugged Eva''s thighs, looking up at her with little faces.


    Eva''s heart melted instantly.


    She bent down and hugged one child in each arm.


    "How was school today? Did you have fun? Did you have any conflicts with your ssmates?" she asked.


    Both kids shook their heads at the same time, indicating they didn''t.


    While they were talking, Michael also walked out of the room. When his eyesnded on her, he noticed her loose hair and finally fixed his gaze on her red lips without saying a word.


    Eva also noticed his gaze and patted the shoulders of the two kids, whispering, "Why don''t you two go y by yourselves for now?"


    After the two children left, Michael''s gaze still lingered on her lips for a while. When he confirmed there was nothing unusual on them, his eyes moved up to meet hers.


    The sound of the exhaust fan from the kitchen, as well as the fading voices of the two children, filled the air. Eva clenched her lips and hesitated on how to initiate the conversation.


    Just as she was struggling, Michael softly inquired, "How was work today? Is there anything I can help with?"


    Eva instinctively shook her head. "No, everything is fine."


    She hesitated and struggled to speak, "Today..."


    "If you don''t want to talk about it, then don''t." Michael interrupted her softly, smiling slightly. "Since I know you''ve already let go of it a long time ago, I won''t doubt you. Besides, I''m still in my probationary period here, so I don''t have the right to inquire about your affairs."


    Upon hearing his words, Eva immediately felt relieved.


    This was better. She didn''t want to exin herself to anyone.


    "Thank you," Eva smiled at him. She always felt indebted to Michael.


    That night, Michael stayed for dinner.


    After dinner, Luna finished cleaning and left.


    Eva looked at the time and realized it wasn''t early anymore, so she let the two children continue with their activities.


    Before Eva could speak, Michael reached out and took off his gold-rimmed sses, then smiled at her.


    "Seems like it''s gettingte," he said. Eva subconsciously nodded in response. "It''s not early either."


    "The hotel is quite far from here, so can I stay at your ce tonight? Of course, I''ll pay for the room," he said.


    Upon hearing him say that he would pay for the room, Eva found it absurd.


    "Why pay for the room? This house was originally rented to us by you. It''s just one night, so make yourself at home."


    After speaking, Eva stood up directly and said, "I''ll tidy up the room for you."


    Michael also stood up. "No need for you to tidy up, I''ll take care of it myself."


    He followed Eva to the guest room. Since it was winter, they needed thick nkets and pillows to stay the night. Eva hadn''t anticipated anyone elseing, so she had only prepared three sets of bedding, none of which were for Michael. She thought for a moment, then turned around and handed him her nket.


    "Why don''t you use mine first, and I''ll squeeze with Ruby tonight." "Alright," Michael said, being rather unceremonious as he took it.


    "Thank you, Eva."


    Eva forced a smile and didn''t reply. Michael went back to the room with the nket, while Eva stood still for a while before going to find Ruby.


    When Ruby realized that she would be sleeping with her, she became extremely excited and held onto Eva''s waist, unwilling to let go. "Mommy, can you tell Ruby a story before she falls asleep?"


    Eva replied, "Hmm, if Ruby behaves well, Mommy can consider it."


    "Mommy, how can Ruby behave well?"


    "For example, Ruby can tell Mommy what she did at school today."


    Throughout the day, due to Michael''s presence, Eva hadn''t had the chance to ask the two little ones about their experiences at school in detail.


    This was also why she had been reluctant to find another half. The time Eva spent with the two kids alone wasn''t enough for her.


    "What did you do at school today?" Ruby lowered her head, seriously thinking back, and then raised it to tell Eva about everything she did at school today, one thing at a time.


    Despite the little girl''s limitedmunication skills and the fact that she had trouble speaking properly due to cavities caused by eating too many sweets, Eva still listened attentively, showing a gentle gaze and expression on her face. asionally, when the little girl paused, Eva would say a few words. Most of the time, she just listened to the little girl. Towards the end, Ruby suddenly stopped and added, "Mommy, today when Uncle Michael came to pick us up, many kids thought he was our dad."


    Hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on Eva''s lips.


    "What?"


    "Before, everyone thought that Ruby and her brother didn''t have a father and wanted to mock us. The teacher defended us several times, but they didn''t believe it. But today, Uncle Michael went, even though Uncle Michael is not our father, they shouldn''t dare to make fun of Ruby and her brother anymore, right?"

 Chapter 231 The Scent of Perfume

    Eva never expected that such a thing would happen when the children went to school.


    She initially thought that the atmosphere of that school was good, which is why she let the two kids go. Back when they were abroad, everyone was still young, so there were no ulterior motives. But now, the children were gradually growing up.


    The disadvantages of being from a single-parent family were gradually surfacing among their ssmates.


    Eva remembered experiencing a period like this when she was young too.


    Her father had shown her a lot of love.


    And she was the Miss of the Hansen family, a powerful family. Those people didn''t dare to gather together and bully her, even going out of their way to please her because she was the Miss of the Hansen family.


    At first, Eva was happy that everyone was willing to be friends with her. She even considered herself an outsider.


    She thought that her single-parent family would definitely make people think she was unhealthy and not want to befriend her.


    So, when everyone wanted to befriend her, Eva always thought that everyone was kind.


    Butter, she overheard those people secretly discussing her.


    "Let me tell you a little secret, Eva is a weirdo."


    "Weirdo?"


    "Her mom is a shameless woman who ran away with another man right after giving birth to her. My mom said we shouldn''t be true friends with her, or else she''ll corrupt us in the future." "That''s so scary! Let''s keep our distance from her."


    Young Eva''s eyes turned red after hearing these words. From then on, she didn''t need them to keep their distance anymore; she avoided them herself.


    When she was young, her mentality was abnormal.


    It wasn''t untilter, when those people said bad things about her again, that she hid in a corner and listened quietly. The adolescent Adrian heard it, and he directly kicked over the chairs in the ssroom and threatened to fight them. Only then did those people disperse.


    After the people who had spoken ill of her left, Adrian dragged her out of the corner.


    "Eva, you hide here and listen to them insulting you?"


    Eva kept her head down and didn''t say anything.


    Adrian stared at her in silence for a while, then finally pressed her head into his chest.


    "With me around, no one dares to speak ill of you anymore."


    Since then, with Adrian''s presence, Eva gradually grew bolder, and her mental state improved significantly.


    But... as Eva snapped back to reality, she looked at Ruby.


    Each child''s situation was different, as were the things they encountered on the way.


    Sometimes, she regretted not finding them a father all these years, regretted not doing enough. But the one thing she never regretted was giving birth to them.


    With that in mind, Eva turned over and hugged Ruby, closing her eyes.


    "Ruby, don''t worry. With mommy around, no one will ever mock you and your brother."


    Ruby didn''t think much of it and replied with a smile, "Ruby is fine, mommy doesn''t need to worry. When they tease Ruby, big brother will protect Ruby."


    "Mmm, mommy will protect both of you too."


    Hotel penthouse suite


    Adrian returned to the room with a cold expression and found two people on his room''s couch. One was his assistant, Jacob, and the other was Vivian. Seeing Vivian, Adrian''s eyes shed with surprise. "Adrian."


    Seeing him return, Vivian immediately stood up. "You''re finally back."


    The surprise was fleeting, and Adrian quickly regained hisposure, walking inside with an emotionless face. "How did you get in?"


    As he spoke, his sharp gaze also scanned Jacob.


    Jacob, feeling guilty, averted his gaze. He knew Adrian would me him for allowing Vivian to enter. He wouldn''t have let any other woman in so easily. But this was Vivian, even though Adrian and her weren''t officially together, everyone knew Vivian was well acquainted with Margaret.


    She would marry into the ckwood family; it was just a matter of time in everyone''s eyes.


    Vivian knew what Adrian''s words meant and felt somewhat embarrassed. She could only exin, "Don''t me Brent. I asked him to let me in. I said I''d cause trouble if he didn''t, and he had no choice."


    Hearing this, Adrian paused, his gaze fixed on Vivian''s face. "Is that so?"


    Vivian weakly nodded, but in the next moment, she heard Adrian coldly sneer, "Throw a tantrum if you don''t get your way? Vivian, when did you be so unreasonable?"


    Vivian''s expression changed slightly. "Adrian, I just..."


    Brent didn''t expect Adrian to disrespect Miss Morrison like this. Knowing that this ce would soon be a scene of trouble, he didn''t dare to stay any longer and immediately packed up, saying, "Miss Morrison seems to have something to discuss with Mr. ckwood. I''ll leave first."


    Leaving when trouble arises, Adrian scoffed.


    Seeing that he didn''t want her around either, Jacob hurriedly left with his belongings.


    After he left, the hotel room fell silent. Vivian looked at Adrian in front of her and felt ack of dignity. Fortunately, Jacob was his personal assistant; she wouldn''t have been able to bear it if someone else was present.


    "Adrian, where were you all day? I called you, but your phone was off. Are you busy with work? Oh, did you eat today? Are you hungry now..."


    "Vivian," Adrian''s tone was very cold.


    He called her name in a cold tone. Vivian stopped and looked at him.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I''ve told you before, don''t waste your time on me."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian''s eyes immediately turned red.


    "How is this a waste? I just like you, I want to give and sacrifice for you. And I believe that as long as I stay by your side, you will eventually realize..." "No." Adrian denied her without hesitation.


    Vivian stood there in shock.


    Adrian fixed his gaze on her face, frowning slightly. "I made it clear to you five years ago. If you still can''t understand, I''ll say it again today."


    "I only see you as a benefactor, so don''t waste your feelings on me. No matter how long you wait, it''s futile, understand?"


    Vivian''s eyes grew redder as he spoke, and tears even started to stream down her face. She bit her lower lip.


    "No, I don''t understand. Everything was fine five years ago, and you promised that my ce was by your side. So why did everything change when Eva left? Do you only like whoever leaves you?" Adrian frowned in displeasure and had no intention of entangling further.


    "It''s gettingte, you should go back."


    "No, I''m not going back!"


    Adrian nced at her coldly and said, "I''ll call Jacob to take you back."


    "No!"


    Vivian rushed forward and hugged him directly. "Adrian, don''t drive me away, please? I just like you, that''s all..."


    Suddenly, Vivian caught a faint scent of perfume on Adrian''s body.

 Chapter 232 Whats the Harm?

    Perfume...


    As tears flowed down Vivian''s face, she instantly became alert.


    Five years had passed. When did his body ever have the scent of a woman''s perfume?


    Moreover, this fragrance was light, like the scent of flowers wafting on the water. If one didn''t sniff carefully, they wouldn''t be able to detect it at all. Women in bars or at drinking tables wouldn''t spray such a faint perfume.


    Lost in her thoughts, Vivian''s hand was pushed away by Adrian. He exerted some force, causing Vivian to stagger backward.


    Then she saw Adrian staring at her aggressively, like a wolf.


    "Don''t touch me!"


    Seeing him make this expression for the first time, Vivian was frightened and stood frozen in ce, not daring to approach again.


    But thinking about the perfume on his body, Vivian couldn''t ept it.


    "Fine, I won''t touch you. But tell me honestly, where did the scent of perfume on youe from? It''s okay if you don''t like me, but what about someone else?" Perfume?


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s expression became somewhat dazed. He raised his arm and sniffed, indeed catching a whiff of a faint fragrance.


    It was her scent.


    Having spent so much time together, riding the same horse and being in his embrace, how could there not be a lingering scent?


    Adrian had simply made these gestures unconsciously.


    But to Vivian''s eyes, it meant everything.


    In Vivian''s eyes, she was shocked.


    As an outsider, she was able to clearly see the moment when Adrian''s gaze and the heaviness on his face instantly disappeared, even raising his hand to smell himself. Afterwards, his eyes became softer.


    If there was a mirror at that moment, Vivian estimated that she would see how hideous her expression was.


    "Who is it?" Vivian instinctively asked when she realized a possibility.


    Hearing this, Adrian snapped out of it, giving her a cold nce.


    "I don''t need to exin my private life to you, do I?"


    Vivian bit her lip, her face turning pale.


    Adrian''s disdainful appearance was unbearable for Vivian, who then turned and left. The door to the hotel mmed loudly, but Adrian didn''t care as long as she was gone. He expressionlessly went to the bathroom to shower.


    While showering, Adrian''s mood became even more agitated as he thought about what had happened today, as well as Eva''s words to him. He quickly took a shower, then casually tied a towel around his waist and came out, taking out his phone to call Henry. When Henry answered the call, he was still at the bar, where it was incredibly noisy.


    "Come out," Adrian said coldly. Henry was afraid to offend him, so he quickly found a quiet ce to talk.


    "What''s wrong?" Adrian asked, thinking about something.


    "Does she have a favor to ask of you?" Henry didn''t immediately react, "Who?"


    Adrian restrained his temper and said coldly, "What do you think?"


    After hearing his voice, Henry finally regained hisposure after a while. "Are you talking about Eva? I don''t think she has any favor to ask of me, right?"


    "Then why did shee to you? How did you two meet?"


    After finding out about their rtionship during the day, Adrian asked, and Henry briefly exined how they met, then added, "Last time at the auction, I borrowed a suit from her, and she said she would bring it to me, so I asked her toe to the stable."


    "Only returned the suit?" Adrian discovered a loophole. "When you said you borrowed her a suit at the auction, which auction was it?"


    "Don''t you know which one? You were there too, weren''t you? You didn''t meet her that day?"


    "Tell me, after returning the suit, what did she say to you?"


    This time, Henry remained silent for a while before saying, "Adrian, although we have a business rtionship, is it necessary for you to interfere even in what she says to me as a friend?" However, Adrian didn''t buy his exnation at all. "Will you tell me or not?"


    "Adrian, you''re shameless!"


    Finally, under his threat, Henry directly disclosed what happened yesterday.


    After hanging up the phone, Adrian coldly looked at his phone and, after a moment, his thin lips curved slightly.


    Because of tomorrow''s events, Adrian''s originally restless mood improved somewhat.


    Before falling asleep, he took out his phone and logged onto the app to check the ount of those two adorable kids.


    Last time, they came on the same flight when Adrian was abroad, so their destination should also be here.


    Sure enough, Adrian clicked into their profile and saw that the IP address showed Chicago.


    What a coincidence.


    They were in the same city abroadst time, on the same flight, and now, after returning for so long, they were in Chicago.


    Did his parents n to settle down in Chicago with the kids?


    The thought made Adrian''s face turn unpleasant.


    If he hadn''t divorced Eva five years ago, should their children be this age too?


    ...


    The next day, when Eva woke up, Ruby was lying on her, her little head nestled in the crook of Eva''s arm.


    As soon as Eva moved, Ruby murmured twice.


    "Mama, sleepy, hugs."


    Eva reached out to hug her and grabbed her phone while checking the time before saying to Ruby, "Time to get up, we have to go to school today." Rubyzed on her for a few more seconds before getting up.


    Both of them had good habits, and as soon as Eva mentioned getting up, they never stayed in bed.


    After getting up, Ruby dressed herself.


    Eva went to do other things without helping her.


    When they were abroad, the two of them were already capable of dressing themselves, and Eva went to the kitchen to make breakfast for the children.


    As she approached, she heard noisesing from the kitchen.


    Only then did Eva realize that Luna hade to cook.


    Although it had been half a month already, Eva still wasn''t ustomed to having a maid at home.


    When she got up, Luna greeted her warmly.


    Michael was also awake, and after everyone had breakfast, he said he would take Eva to work.


    Eva''s lips moved, and then she said, "That''s not necessary, I can go by myself."


    Michael then said, "Then shall I take the children to school?"


    Eva felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Michael, you don''t have to. Don''t you still have other things to do? It''s fine for me to take them to school on my way to work..." Before she could finish her sentence, Michael took a few steps forward and lightly held her wrist.


    "Eva, I''m in a hurry."


    Hearing this, Eva paused.


    Michael smiled slightly, his voice soft.


    "So, let me show you, what''s wrong with that?"

 Chapter 233 Kisses and Hugs

    In the end, Eva didn''t let Michael send her to work, but he did take the two children to school. Eva went to work alone.


    Because she hadn''t settled down yet, she still hadn''t bought a car for herself. As the boss, shemuted to work by subway or crowded buses every day, while her employee Tim had already bought a personal transport vehicle. On her way to work, her best friend Emily, who was far away on the other side of the ocean, called her.


    "My Eva,tely...


    Emily''s voice sounded fine, and Eva''s lips curled up as she softly replied, "Not bad. How have you been recently?"


    "Don''t even mention it. I feel like my boss is going to drive me crazy. Eva, let me tell you, I''ve been alive for so many years, and I have never seen a boss like him! How does he manage to exploit his employees like this?"


    As Eva listened to her vent about her boss, she asionally agreed. After Emily vented for a whole ten minutes, she said, "Forget about him. I have so manyints whenever I mention him."


    "By the way, how are you getting along with Lisa? Before I left, she told me she rented a house specifically for you two, saying you must be getting along well now. By the time I return to the country, I''m sure you''ll have forgotten about me, right?"


    When Lisa was mentioned, Eva''s eyes dimmed slightly. Since thest time Lisa hinted that she didn''t want to live with her, Eva had even moved out with Adrian to avoid causing her trouble. She didn''t me Lisa, but they hadn''t kept in touch since then.


    Every time Eva called Lisa, she would give a few perfunctory responses before hastily hanging up. After a few times, Eva realized that Lisa probably didn''t want to stay in contact with her. If she really didn''t want to be in touch anymore, as adults, she wouldn''t continue to harass the other person.


    However, with Emily not by her side now, Eva didn''t want to tell her about all this and add to her worries. She simply smiled and said, "The house is beautiful. Don''t worry, there will definitely be a ce for you when youe back. No need to worry about not having a spot."


    "Alright then, make sure to save the best spot for me, I''ll take over when Ie back."


    "Okay."


    After chatting for a while, Emily began asking about Eva and Michael''s rtionship. Eva still didn''t want to say much about her rtionship with Michael.


    Emily could only sigh. "Alright, alright, just think about it seriously. After all, this is your lifelong matter."


    "I know, you worry about me all the time."


    "I''m just caring about you. Don''t you need my concern anymore? I knew it, you''ve forgotten about me since you''ve got Lisa."


    Emily started acting spoiled again, and Evaughed as she spoke while hearing the subway announcement. "Alright, I''ve arrived at my stop. We''ll talk another day."


    "Okay, let''s talk another day." After hanging up the phone, Eva left the subway station.


    Because she had arranged to meet Henry today, she didn''t go to thepany but went to find him directly.


    After getting off the subway, the JT Group was not far away, so Eva walked there directly.


    When she arrived at the JT Group, Eva went straight to the front desk.


    "Hello, I''m looking for Mr. Davis," she said to the receptionist.


    The receptionist nced at Eva''s attire and then at her beautiful face with a somewhatzy expression, asking, "May I ask who you are?"


    Eva replied seriously, "Myst name is Hansen, and I had an appointment with Mr. Davis yesterday."


    The receptionist''s expression softened as she finally recognized Eva.


    Some to be casual, but after hearing her say that her surname is Hansen, their attitude immediately changed.


    "Excuse me, are you Eva Hansen?"


    The change in attitude also surprised Eva, who nodded.


    "Miss Hansen, Mr. Davis has instructed us that if you arrived, we should take you upstairs directly."


    "Is that so?" This surprised Eva a bit. "Mr. Davis is considerate."


    The receptionist smiled mysteriously and then led her to take the elevator.


    "This is Mr. Davis''s private elevator. You can go straight to the top floor."


    Inside the elevator, the receptionist entered a temporary password for her and then sent her to the top floor.


    As the elevator doors closed, Eva suddenly remembered that she forgot to ask which office it was.


    When she arrived at the top floor, Eva realized there was only one office.


    So, there wasn''t really anything to ask.


    The office door was closed, and Eva walked up and knocked.


    A deep voice came from inside.


    "Come in."


    This voice made Eva pause.


    Although she hadn''t gotten to the point of recognizing Henry''s voice, the deliberately deep voice made Eva inexplicably feel somewhat familiar. Eva was still thinking in ce when the office door suddenly opened.


    A handsome face suddenly appeared in front of Eva.


    The person had a tall figure, neat ck hair, and there was a coldness in his eyes that seemed to be tempered by snow, which fell upon her. Adrian!


    When she saw him, Eva''s face changed, and a speechless emotion flooded her heart. Immediately, she turned and left.


    "Not here to find someone? Leaving so soon?"


    After he reminded her, Eva paused in her tracks, only then realizing that she hade to find someone.


    She turned her head, asking coldly, "Where''s Henry?"


    Adrian: "You came to talk about work with him?"


    He tugged at the corner of his lips. "Looking for investment?"


    Hearing this, Eva''s expression slightly changed.


    If she remembered correctly, she didn''t rify that she came to find Henry for investment. How did he know?


    Could it be that he investigated her?


    At the thought of this possibility, Eva''s expression changed.


    "Why didn''t youe to me if you wanted investment?" Adrian asked.


    Eva remained silent, still observing Adrian''s expression. If he knew about the two children, he probably wouldn''t be this calm.


    So how did he know that she came to find Henry for investment?


    Seeing her silence, Adrian probably guessed what was on her mind. He narrowed his eyes and said, "He doesn''t dare offend me. If you want investment, you cane to me." Hearing this, Eva looked away.


    Seeing him like this, she finally confirmed that he didn''t know about the children. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "No need. If he doesn''t want to invest because he''s afraid to offend you, then I can find someone else." Upon hearing this, a dark expression suddenly appeared on Adrian''s face, and he said coldly, "Without my approval, do you think anyone will invest in your smallpany?"


    Eva: "... Are you intentionally opposing me?"


    Adrian''s coldness made Eva pause.


    Rather than answering, Eva retorted, "Is it me who wants to oppose you, or is it you who desperately wants to distance yourself from me?"


    Eva raised her eyebrow in disdain, "We never had a rtionship to begin with."


    "Is that so?"


    Adrian chuckled softly, his tone tinged with mockery, "We were together for two years, kissing, embracing, sleeping together. How is it that there was no rtionship?"

 Chapter 234 She Misses You

    The old memories resurfaced, bringing up those intimate moments.


    Eva''s eyes slightly changed, her crimson lips twitched, and she finally stared at him, saying, "Adrian, you are truly shameless."


    He already had Vivian, yet he still wanted to entangle himself with her.


    What did he think he was?


    It wasughable.


    Five years ago, did he feel like he hadn''t caused enough harm?


    "Shameless?"


    Adrian approached, step by step, pushing her back to the corner of the wall. When she tried to escape, he blocked her path by cing his hand against the wall. He pursed his lips and said, "You didn''t say that when you were in my bed." Unable to control her emotions, Eva couldn''t help but p Adrian across the face.


    He probably didn''t expect her to suddenly strike, so his cheek was pushed to the side by the force.


    When he reacted, he grabbed Eva''s wrist and leaned down, intending to kiss her.


    In her desperation, Eva pped him once again.


    "Adrian, you''ve gone too far! What you''re saying, it''s all in the past! We''ve been divorced for five years!"


    Some words seemed to have struck a nerve with Adrian, as his actions abruptly stopped. Gasping for breath at such close proximity, he stared at Eva.


    So five years had already passed, huh? He thought he would have spent his whole life like this.


    Seeing him catch his breath in ce and not move forward, Eva took the opportunity to push him away and turned to leave.


    "Eva, you always leave whenever you please. You have a heart of stone."


    Eva sneered in her heart. Who could be more heartless than him?


    He abandoned their child himself, and he decided to divorce at the Civil Affairs Bureau. And now he used her of being heartless? "You don''t care about anything? Not even Grandma?"


    When she heard this term of address, Eva''s steps faltered. Grandma, she did miss her...


    She had already divorced Adrian, and visiting her at this point seemed unnecessary.


    "She misses you," Adrian added.


    With just a few words, Eva''s mental defense almost copsed. However, at this critical moment, she managed to regain control of herself.


    Her grandmother might be her weak spot, but that couldn''t be his excuse to manipte her.


    To prevent him from saying such things to her again in the future, Eva had to be stern now.


    "So what?"


    She turned her head, her eyes slightly reddened as she looked at him, "Since our divorce, she hasn''t been my grandmother anymore. Take care of your own grandmother." Upon hearing her words, Adrian stood frozen in ce.


    Perhaps he hadn''t expected that she would even deny their familial connection.


    With a slight twitch of his lips, Adrian''s eyes filled with derision.


    "Is that so? Well then, I will let her know about your words so she won''t keep worrying about you."


    As the words fell, Eva felt as if her heart had cracked open.


    "It hurts so much."


    She didn''t want to admit that it wasn''t her grandmother, after all, her grandmother meant something special to Eva.


    But there was no way back after the hurtful words had been spoken. Even if she took them back, it wouldn''t change anything.


    Eva almost bit her lip until it bled, but in the end, she said, "Suit yourself."


    With those words, Eva quickly left.


    As she got off the elevator, Eva ran into Henry who had just returned from outside.


    When he saw Eva''s slightly reddened eyes, he was taken aback and instantly stepped forward to stop her.


    "Ms. Hansen? What''s wrong?"


    Damn, all he did was agree to give up his position and space for Adrian. Did Adrian bully her to tears?


    Seeing the teary eyes of the beauty, Henry regretted it deeply and felt like a fool.


    He wanted to ask her carefully, but Eva just walked past him without any intention of staying and talking to him.


    Henry stood in ce, with only the image of those teary yet restrained cold eyes remaining in his mind, and overwhelming guilt in his heart.


    Just as he was about to go after her, Eva suddenly stopped and turned back to face him.


    "Mr. Davis, do you have no intention of investing in mypany at all?"


    "What?"


    Hearing this, Henry was shocked. "Invest in yourpany? You started apany? Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Upon hearing this, Eva''s eyes showed a hint of doubt.


    "What else could it be?"


    "I thought you hade to your senses and finally agreed to work at mypany, but that beast Adrian didn''t like it, so he came to stop you."


    So that was it, Henry didn''t know.


    It seemed that Adrian had investigated it himself, but how did he find out? From the looks of it, he seemed to only know that Henry was being approached for investment. Was it a coincidence?


    "Ms. Hansen, you started apany? Where is it?" Henry asked with genuine interest.


    Upon hearing his words, Eva snapped back to reality and shook her head. "It doesn''t matter anymore."


    "Why not? Didn''t you just say that you wanted me to invest in yourpany?"


    "Yes, but would you offend Adrian for the sake of investing in ourpany?" Henry fell silent immediately.


    He pursed his lips. Although he currently seemed to have a good rtionship with Adrian, he was certain that if Henry ever dared to have thoughts about Adrian''s woman, Adrian would immediately turn against him. Eva didn''t make it difficult for him anymore and nodded slightly before leaving directly.


    After leaving the JT Group, Eva walked out into the sun and didn''t close her eyes until she took the subway and sat in her seat, exhausted.


    In her mind, she kept reying Adrian''s words.


    "You don''t care about anything? Not even your grandmother?"


    "She misses you a lot."


    "In that case, I will tell her about your words so she won''t keep worrying."


    Thinking about this, Eva suddenly opened her eyes, and her breathing became erratic. She couldn''t think anymore.


    If she continued to think, her mind would break. Grandma didn''t need to consider her thoughts on this matter. Over the years, Eva had secretly thought abouting back to see her, even if just for a nce.


    However, every time she thought about the divorce and the fear of her child being discovered, Eva could only ruthlessly suppress her longing. So she hadn''t seen Grandma all these years. She didn''t know how she was doing, if she was well. After five years, did she have more white hair? Would she still recognize Eva? Or maybe she would me herself now? Because she left without saying goodbye. Grandma must hate her, so why would she miss her?


    Crystal tears rolled down Eva''s face, falling into her cor. She gently wiped them away with her hand, as if nothing had happened.

 Chapter 235 Unless You Cant Let Go of Him

    Top floor office


    As soon as Henry arrived upstairs, he went to find Adrian.


    "I thought she wanted to work in mypany, but it turns out she came to seek investment. Did you know about this and didn''t tell me?"


    "Do you know that she had a terrible expression when she left? Did you make her cry like that?" Henry began.


    Adrian, who was leaning against the wall, paused for a moment at the words, then a mocking smile appeared on his thin lips.


    "Is that so? Can a heartless woman like her cry? That''s quite rare." He replied.


    "What? Are you not believing me with that expression? Do you really not know how foolish you are? Making her cry and acting so indifferent." Henry said angrily.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian remained silent, his thin lips tightly pressed together, his face slightly pale.


    Unobservant Henry didn''t notice anything amiss and continued toin.


    "With your attitude, I don''t even know what you''re trying to do. At first, I thought you wanted to win her back, but now I suspect that you don''t want to see her and that''s why you made her cry. Is that it?" Henry asked.


    As he didn''t get a response, Henry turned to look at Adrian, only to find him leaning weakly against the wall, his forehead covered in a thinyer of sweat.


    Henry blinked, thinking he must have seen wrong, so he walked closer for a closer look and realized that it really was sweat.


    A few secondster, he eximed, "Your forehead is so hot on such a cold day."


    Adrian tried to endure the difort, gave Henry a speechless nce, as if saying he was a fool.


    Receiving his gaze, Henry asked, "Did you wear too many clothes?"


    The assistant behind couldn''t bear it anymore and reminded him, "Mr. Davis, Mr. ckwood has a stomach disorder, didn''t you forget?"


    Hearing this, Henry''s face changed drastically. "You have a stomach disorder. Oh no, Adrian, is your stomach acting up?"


    Adrian ignored him, walked towards the elevator with a cold face.


    "You''re ignoring me? Can I not take care of you?" Henry said.


    "No need." Adrian said coldly, "There shouldn''t be any serious problems."


    "Alright then."Henry replied.


    Although Henry knew about Adrian''s stomach illness, he wasn''t too worried. After all, Adrian had asional episodes in the past, and Henry had seen it firsthand. This man was always able to endure, so he should be able to bear this pain.


    Finally, Henry advised him, "I suggest you make time to go to the hospital seriously. Don''t let it develop into gastric cancer and pass away prematurely."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at him indifferently and replied "Just because you''re silent doesn''t mean no one sees you as a mute."


    Henry quickly made a gesture of locking his own mouth.


    After Adrian left, Henry stood in ce, touching his chin. The assistant couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Davis, should we just let him leave like that? What if something happens?"


    "What are you thinking? When have you ever seen him copse? If he had a problem, he surely wouldn''t have walked away just now. Besides, why would we worry about it?" Henry replied. Hearing Henry''s exnation, the assistant found it reasonable.


    "That''s true." The assisstant replied.


    "It''s annoying. How did Eva end up having a rtionship with Adrian?" Henry said.


    Otherwise, Henry was really interested in Eva. And it wasn''t just a fleeting interest.


    He had indeed been a womanizer, but in all these years, the only woman who had truly captured his heart was Eva.


    Thinking of her appearance yesterday at the equestrian field, dressed in riding attire with her long hair flowing, he couldn''t help but feel a longing sensation in his heart.


    Why did Eva have to be Adrian''s woman?


    If only she had chosen another man...


    Having followed him for a long time, the assistant seemed to understand his thoughts and said, "Mr. Davis, if you like her, why don''t you pursue her? After all, they are in the past, and Ms. Hansen is currently single. It''s not illegal for you to pursue her."


    "You don''t understand. Even though that''s what people say, have you not seen Adrian''s appearance? He can''t let go of her at all. If I were to pursue her, wouldn''t I be going against him?" Henry said.


    The assistant looked confused and said, "But Mr. Adrian has aleardy had a fianc��e."


    "You mean Vivian? What kind of fianc��e is she?" Henry said with a disdain.


    "But that''s what the outside world says. And for all these years, there hasn''t been anyone else besides Vivian by Mr. ckwood''s side..."


    "Are you trying to say that because there hasn''t been anyone else by Adrian''s side for all these years, people assume that Vivian is his fianc��e?"


    The assistant nodded.


    "Use your brain and think. Why hasn''t he been engaged to Vivian despite no one else being around him for years? It''s been five years, they would have been together if they wanted to." The assistant suddenly couldn''t argue anymore.


    ...


    As Eva returned to thepany, Tim handed her the proposal.


    "This is what I made yesterday. If we could secure investments from thepanies other than those two conglomerates... it would be a good thing for ourpany at the moment."


    Eva stared at the proposal for a while, then reached out and ced it on the desk without a word. After that, she silently sat down.


    Seeing herck of enthusiasm, Tim probably guessed a little of what was happening.


    Sit on the chair in front of her,"Are you not in the mood to read? Should I read it to you?" Eva sighed, "No need to read. It doesn''t matter whichpany it is. As Adrian said, as long as he doesn''t nod, who would dare to risk offending him by investing in a small and newpany like mine?"


    She looked at the business n on the desk, her expression somewhat defeated. "I even started to doubt whether it was a mistake for me to return from abroad to start apany."


    Tim could probably guess something, considering his previous experience in management. "Boss, even though you are my boss, you are younger than me in age. I have experienced more things, so in terms of age, I can be considered your elder and have some experience to advise you with."


    Seeing Eva still not speaking, Tim continued, "To be honest, you have nothing to do with him anymore, right? If that''s the case, why do you care if he is your business partner?"


    After hearing this, Eva paused and looked up at him. Tim smiled slightly, "Did I say it wrong? I sincerely want what''s best for thepany, which is why I dare to give such advice to the boss. Are you sure that not going back to our country to start apany means you won''t encounter setbacks abroad? You will encounter them. It''s not easy on the road of entrepreneurship, and anyone can start apany. Even I can, and I don''t have toe here now to work in management, don''t you think so?"


    "Yes."


    "So what''s the problem with directly cooperating with the ckwood family? As long as thepany is good, why do you resist it so much? Unless you still can''t let go of him."


    After hearing this, Eva suddenly frowned, showing a strong reaction. "What did you say? I can''t let go of him?"


    Tim smiled, "Your reaction is so pronounced, I''ve hit the mark."

 Chapter 236 Shyness

    Tim''s words made Eva extremely ufortable, even his confident expression and tone made it seem like it was really the case. Something that didn''t exist was now being portrayed as existing.


    "If it doesn''t exist, then when you hear me say it, you should have an indifferent attitude. After all, for a person, if a wound is healed, there is no feeling when touched." "Is that so?" Eva chuckled softly, "Manager, it''s true that touching a healed wound doesn''t hurt, but if you vigorously strike it with a stick, can you say it doesn''t hurt?" Upon hearing this, Tim raised an eyebrow.


    "Just casually saying a few words, is it really that serious ording to your description? Or is it that the injured person is still heavily wounded and hasn''t healed?" Upon hearing this, the smile on Eva''s lips gradually turned cold.


    "You''re wrong, I really don''t mind."


    Tim shrugged, "Boss, if you can let go of these emotions and focus on our business, it would be the best thing for us employees."


    At this point, Tim stopped probing further and changed the subject. "The documents are on the desk, but I guess boss doesn''t need them. I''ll go out and get busy. Finally, a new employee has arrived, but I don''t know if they can stay. Call me if you need anything."


    After Tim left, Eva remained alone in the office, gradually calming down the emotions that he had stirred up earlier.


    Since she had already decided to let go and treat Adrian as a stranger, why should she care about working with him? However, she still had another concern: Ruby and Dn, her two children.


    Once she coborated with the ckwood family, she and Adrian would definitely cross paths in the future.


    Although others couldn''t see it, Eva was well aware that the two children actually resembled Adrian quite a bit. They were still young, so their features hadn''t fully developed, resulting in only a few simrities.


    If they were referred to as father and daughter or father and son, people would surely think that the children resembled their father. But if they didn''t know, they wouldn''t see any connection between the two children and Adrian. If he discovered the existence of the two children, would he try to take them away from her?


    In theory, he should have been with Vivian since she left, and they probably have children now, right?


    He shouldn''t...e and im her children, should he?


    But who knows if that possibility exists?


    Eva''s face was filled with worry.


    She initially thought that she could handle all the difficulties when she came to Chicago to start apany. However, at this first hurdle, she was already considering backing down a bit. Whenever she thought about the possibility, Eva felt that she couldn''t ept it.


    She should think of another solution.


    The person Tim interviewed for the job heard that theirpany was very new and had nothing. Despite knowing that Tim had a rich background, he shook his head and left.


    Before leaving, he said to Tim, "I think a bigpany is more reliable. Your smallpany has no capital, and if it copses in the future, what will I do?"


    After saying that, he simply grabbed his briefcase and left without any mercy.


    When Eva came out, Tim was still watching the person leave.


    "Not staying?"


    Tim shook his head and sighed. "He thinks ourpany is too small andcks capital."


    Eva stood quietly in ce for a while, then suddenly leaned on the table with her hands and asked, "Manager, what do you think if we could find arge overseas conglomerate as our capital?"


    "If we really can''t find one, of course finding one is better than none. But we''re a smallpany, and in the current situation, many people in the country are looking for stability in their jobs. Even if the foreign conglomerates are big, they are far away and might not be familiar with the business. There might be some who are willing toe, but I don''t think there will be many."


    Upon hearing this, Eva had some preliminary ideas.


    "So, when there''s no way out, this path is still viable?"


    "Yes, with assistance overseas?" Tim had a gossipy expression. "Do you mind if I ask a personal question?"


    She didn''t even need to wait for him to speak, Eva knew what he wanted to ask, so she directly refused him after he finished speaking. "I mind."


    Upon hearing her response, Tim couldn''t help butugh and say, "Actually, I wanted to ask if you got remarried after that, if you''re single now."


    Eva looked at Tim with some helplessness.


    "I refuse to answer that question."


    "It''s fine. No one is here to work anyway, a little gossip won''t hurt."


    Indeed, no one came to work. Eva nced at the time and realized it was almost time to pick up the kids from school. She said to Tim, "If you don''t have anything else today, you should head home early." "Alright, I''ll leave early then. Will it count as leaving early?"


    The two of them left thepany while joking around.


    ...


    After that, Eva took the bus to pick up her two precious children from school.


    When she arrived, the teacher immediately approached her and said, ''Ms. Hansen, you''re here to pick up Ruby and Dn again? Their father already took them home.''


    Hearing the word ''father'' again today, Eva no longer felt nervous.


    She could tell it was Michael.


    "I was busy at work and forgot to answer the call."


    After casually exining, she left.


    When she arrived home, she saw Michael sitting with the two little ones on the couch, helping them with their homework.


    Seeing this scene, Eva thought about the things Emily had asked her to consider, and also the possibility that Adrian might try to take the kids away from her.


    If she were with Michael, would he also consider the children to be theirs, without any doubts about himself?


    But if she really did that, it would be unfair to Michael, right? After all, he truly liked her and treated her well. And now she was having thoughts of using him. But if she wanted someone to cover it up, she had to find a man.


    So it didn''t matter who she used, it was all the same.


    No, Eva pushed those unrealistic thoughts out of her mind and bit her lip.


    Ever since she had decided to raise the children on her own five years ago, she had made up her mind that no matter what, she would raise them alone. So what did these thoughts amount to now?


    Moreover, Michael had been treating her so well. She couldn''t repay his kindness with ingratitude. At worst, she could start a newpany in another city! Although it would be difficult to start from scratch, she had just started after all. Adrian wouldn''t move to the same city just because she moved, right? He wouldn''t be so shameless for the people around him, would he?

 Chapter 237 A glance

    Michael is a sensible person. He only stayed for one night yesterday and didn''t mention staying any longer tonight.


    Before leaving, Michael said to her, "I''ll bring breakfast tomorrow morning and pick you up."


    Eva paused, and then nodded.


    "Alright, I got it."


    Seeing that she didn''t refuse herself anymore, Michael rubbed her head gently. "Finally, you didn''t say you don''t need it anymore. This is a good sign for me. Keep it up."


    Eva looked at Michael as if she had something to say, but hesitated.


    "Don''t overthink it."


    It seemed like Michael could see through her thoughts, as he voiced his own.


    "Actually, when I was abroad before, I never had the opportunity to tell you this. Now, I guess there is still a chance, although the timing might not be perfect. But Eva, I want to tell you that if you choose me, I will definitely be a good father. I will treat Ruby and Dn as my own and I can assure you that we won''t have any other children besides them."


    Eva didn''t expect to hear such heartfelt words. She had been pondering these things today, and she didn''t expect him to bring it up just like that.


    After a moment of contemtion, Eva replied, "This won''t work, it wouldn''t be fair to you."


    "Fair?" Michael chuckled softly. "Eva, it''s hard to find fairness in matters of the heart, especially when everyone seeks different things. I don''t need to look at others, as long as you are willing to give me a second nce, that''s a response. Even if you''re using me, it doesn''t matter, as long as you''re by my side."


    Upon hearing thest words, Eva felt a slight bitterness in her throat. She bit her lower lip and asked, "Why are you doing this?"


    Seeing her expression, Michael gently tapped her nose and said, "I''m not telling you this to make you sad, but to make you think about me more. After all, Dn and Ruby have grown up and reached an age where they understand things. I also want to protect them from future embarrassment at school."


    "How do you... know about this?" Eva asked.


    As he mentioned this, Michael''s smile dulled a bit. "The other day when I went to pick them up, I happened to encounter a few kids who were teasing them."


    Eva didn''t expect that he had also witnessed the situation. It seemed like this matter was indeed quite serious.


    She bit her lower lip, remembering the hardships she went through in a single-parent family herself. She knew how ufortable those situations could be. Did she want her children to go through the same?


    "But you don''t have to worry too much. I can pick up the kids in my free time. Even if you don''t ept me, they probably won''t say anything again," Michael reassured.


    Eva remained silent for a while before finally speaking with difficulty, "Thank you. I will seriously consider what you said."


    Upon hearing her words, a hint of joy shed in Michael''s eyes.


    "Good."


    Was this finally a big step forward? She used to be particrly evasive towards herself before, but today was the first time she seriously told him that she would consider it. In other words, she truly regarded his pursuit of her as something important.


    Michael knew that once they returned to their home country, many things would be beyond his control.


    But if he could elerate her emotional connection to the children and alleviate her fears, leading her to ultimately choose to rely on him, he would be quite satisfied. After bidding farewell to Michael, Eva returned to the living room and fell into deep thought.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, her two little treasures came over to find her.


    "Mama, Ruby and I looked at the phone today. Those aunties and uncles all miss us. Can we start livestreaming this week?"


    Eva almost forgot about the livestreaming. Since they were preparing to go back to their home country, the two little ones had stopped livestreaming.


    Due to environmental factors, they didn''t announce when they would resume. And Eva was busy during this period of time, so she didn''t bother about the live broadcast.


    It was only now, brought up by her two babies, that she finally took her phone out to read thements.


    Unexpectedly, more than half a month had passed, and thetest video posted on her Tiktok had tens of thousands ofments.


    Thesements were all inquiring about the re-run date, and there was even onement saying that she missed her two little babies that was liked to the highest level.


    Eva pondered, "Actually, ording to the current homework situation of you two, it''s not impossible to broadcast live, but you''ll have to reduce the frequency in the future, and most of the time it''s better to participate in more outdoor activities."


    Hearing this, Ruby then shook her little head and said, "Mommy, then you can make videos when Ruby and her brother participate in outdoor activities."


    This suggestion sounded good, she was supposed to be apanying the children, and it seemed good to make a few more videos when she was apanying them, or to start a live stream. "Okay, since you''re both happy with that, let''s do it."


    ...


    Around 9pm, Adrian''s phone sent out an ount update alert, and after showering, he pulled out his phone only to realize that the only ount he was following had updated with a video. It was the two little guys'' ount update?


    Adrian tapped into the video and it was of the two little ones sitting in rows at their desks in identical outfits.


    The video was quiet, the person filming it didn''t speak, just filmed the two little ones studying.


    In the middle of the filming, Ruby, the little girl sitting in the corner, suddenly turned her head in the direction of the camera, "Mommy, I can''t find Ruby''s textbook."


    So the next second, the camera changed and the little girl had gotten her own textbook and was studying seriously.


    Adrian''s eyes shed, the middle part of this was probably pinched off.


    But Adrian didn''t care about this little tidbit that happened in the middle, after all, there was no way he would be interested in a woman who was married with two kids.


    He was just a little curious as to how the parents of the children actually raised them, how they managed to teach them to be so well behaved, as well as curious about the couple''s facial features.


    But that was just about it.


    The video was apanied by the text: a while ago has been busy in the matter of returning to the country, moving to get a job and to find a school for the child, only recently settled down, recently will resume live broadcasts, but the live broadcast time is not certain, thank you for your concern, I wish you all a happy life oh.


    The live broadcast is not sure?


    It seems that after they returned to China, there are indeed a lot of things, because it is a video, so Adrian did not have the ability to reward, can only repeatedly watch the video several times.


    However, even when he disks the video out of the pulp and turns off his phone to prepare for rest, his mind still automatically pops up Eva''s desperate look during the day in THE JT Group. Those cold-hearted words, word by word, pierced his heart like needles.


    She really knew what her pain was, and stabbed wherever it hurt.


    Closing his eyes, it was still her words that echoed in his ears, circling again and again.


    Eventually Adrian got so tired of it that he had to take out his cell phone and y a video of the two little ones from before over and over again.


    It didn''t work at first, but by the end, the voice in his head was gradually reced by the soft and cute voices of the two little ones, and he finally fell asleep.

 Chapter 238 Serious Consideration

    The next day, right after Adrian woke up, John called him.


    "Jacob called me and said you didn''t eat anythingst night," John said.


    Adrian didn''t have a good mood considering he had only slept a few hoursst night. Plus, waking up to Eva''s heartless words didn''t help improve his mood. He had a sour expression on his face. "What is it?" Adrian asked.


    John clicked his tongue and said, "We''re friends, can''t I call to check on you?"


    "Thanks, but no thanks," Adrian replied, wanting to hang up the phone.


    "Wait," John intercepted him, sensing his intentions. "There are some things I want to talk to you about."


    Adrian still had some patience left for his friend. "Go ahead."


    "Did you hurt Vivian''s feelings again?" John asked. Adrian''s eyes flickered with mockery upon hearing this.


    "What? Did she run to you for sympathy?" Adrian sneered.


    "It wasn''t her, it was Jason. He''s really worried and asked me to talk to you."


    Adrian responded, "John, if you''re just idle with nothing to do..."


    "Okay, okay," John hurriedly interrupted him. "I''m not just sitting idle, so spare me from doing anything. I came here to advise you and find out what you''re thinking."


    Having said that, John paused for a moment before continuing, "And you''ve been in Chicago for quite a long time this time, haven''t you? Is it because of work that you haven''t finished?" Adrian originally didn''t want to tell him, but the memory of Eva''s attitude yesterday made him silent for a while before saying, "She''s back."


    John instinctively asked, "Who?"


    Adrian didn''t answer him.


    After a while, John''s tone carried shock as he said, "You don''t mean..."


    John didn''t mention any names, fearing it would hit a nerve.


    But Adrian''s silence confirmed that the person had indeed returned.


    The two of them didn''t hang up the phone and remained silent.


    Finally, John took the initiative to ask, "What now? What are you going to do?"


    Adrian lowered his gaze and said, "I don''t know."


    John became frustrated and said, "Five years have passed, and you still don''t know? You don''t know what you want to do?"


    Hearing this, Adrian leaned back and closed his dark eyes.


    How could he not know what he wanted to do?


    For the past five years, day and night, every minute and second, his mind and body had been thinking about her.


    "But I have to remind you, it''s been five years. In the beginning, she left without hesitation. Who knows, she might have already gotten married and had children," John said. "Shut up."


    "I know you can''t bear to hear it, but can you say this is an impossible scenario? Five years is not five months."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian clenched his jaw. "Didn''t I wait patiently for five years?"


    "You wait, but she has to wait with you? Don''t forget, you have also made others wait in the past."


    With that statement, Adrian was left speechless.


    As he thought about that day, he realized that the person he had been waiting for never showed up.


    Eva arrived.


    She looked much prettier. When she let down her hair, there was an innocent charm mixed with sultriness, something not typically possessed by ordinary girls.


    Five years can change many things.


    Perhaps he could hire someone to investigate.


    But soon, John spoke up, "Are you thinking about finding someone to investigate if she''s married? I''m telling you, you better not. You hurt her five years ago, and now you want to hurt her again?" Upon hearing this, Adrian fell silent. "Then what should I do?"


    Having known him for many years, this was the first time John detected a hint of confusion in his tone.


    He was genuinely seeking his advice.


    John sighed, "Can''t you find out about her through proper means?"


    "I got it."


    After hanging up the phone, Adrian fell into deep thought.


    Other methods?


    Perhaps worth a try.


    ...


    Today, Michael personally drove Eva to work.


    In the meantime, he also dropped off two kids at school.


    On the way to thepany, Eva kept looking out the window, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.


    Of course, Michael knew what she was thinking.


    Since she came back yesterday, she had been lost in contemtion.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Even so, Michael turned off the music in the car and proactively asked.


    True enough, initially Eva didn''t hear him speaking. It wasn''t until Michael said the second sentence that she snapped out of her thoughts.


    "Huh? Nothing, I''m just thinking about work."


    Michael asked, "How''s thepanytely? I''ve been busy recently and haven''t asked you. Do you need any help?"


    "No, I''m good." Eva shook her head. "I can handle those things."


    "If there''s anything, don''t handle it alone. What have you been busy withtely?"


    "Not much, just wanted to expand thepany''s influence and recruit new people."


    Because Eva''s thoughts were not on this matter, she wanted to bring up thepany''s affairs herself to cover up.


    But to her surprise, Michael smiled lightly after hearing it. "You should join mypany."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s expression changed and she hurriedly exined, "That''s not what I meant. I didn''t say these things to make you..."


    "But what can we do?" Michael pushed up his sses and softly said, "I came back for you, and I started thepany for you. If you don''te to me, then who else do you want to find?" Eva remained silent.


    She bit her lip, thinking that Michael was quite outstanding.


    After a long time, she asked, "Is it because of him?"


    Upon hearing this, Michael let out a sigh.


    "He has his part in it, but it''s also because I don''t want to wait anymore. I really like you and the kids, and I want to be with you forever."


    "So, have you considered it seriously?"


    "I..." Eva looked at Michael, her red lips moved. "You have indeed been very good to me, if you are willing..."


    The phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.


    Eva''s words were interrupted, and she had to stop and take out her phone.


    Michael furrowed his brows, a sense of foreboding creeping in.


    "The manager?" Eva didn''t expect to receive a call from the manager on her way to work. "What''s going on?"


    While Eva was focused on the phone call, she didn''t notice that Michael in the driver''s seat was inhaling lightly, listening intently to her conversation.


    "What?" Eva was shocked, then hurriedly asked, "Who?"


    A few secondster, Eva fell silent, her emotions sinking along with her. It wasn''t until a long whileter that she spoke, "I understand, I''ll be there right away." After hanging up the phone, Eva leaned back in her seat without saying a word.


    "What''s wrong?" Michael pursed his lips.


    "The manager just called to tell me that someone has invested in thepany."

 Chapter 239 Investment

    Upon hearing this, a glimmer appeared in Michael''s eyes.


    "Really?" He restrained his emotions as much as possible, and his thin lips slowly curved upward. "Whichpany has such great insight to discover yourpany?" Eva looked at him withplex eyes.


    Sensing her gaze, Michael''s uneasiness grew. "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s him who invested."


    Even someone asposed as Michael stepped on the brakes and parked the car by the roadside.


    Eva was startled and turned to look.


    Fortunately, there were no cars behind them. Otherwise, with his abrupt braking, a rear-end collision would have surely urred.


    After the car stopped, Michael sat there and took a deep breath, quickly regaining his calm state.


    "Really?"


    Seeing his unusual behavior, Eva nodded hesitantly.


    "Well, are you okay? Should I drive?"


    "Eva, it''s not necessary." Michael started the car again and exined softly, "I overreacted just now. I just didn''t expect him to do this. Did I scare you?"


    "Not really, it''s just that next time you encounter such a situation, you can''t brake so abruptly. Luckily, there was no car behind us, or we would''ve had a rear-end collision today. It''s quite dangerous." "Okay, I was wrong this time. I''ll remember."


    Michael easily admitted his mistake and apologized to Eva.


    Eva breathed a sigh of relief. That''s one thing about Michael that is great.


    He doesn''t care about his face and is willing to admit his mistakes, always amodating her in everything.


    If Adrian had done this today, he would have undoubtedly scoffed after saying such things to her, saying, "Are you afraid that I''ll get into trouble? Don''t worry, even if someone has to die, it will be me before you." Despite not seeing each other for five years, the expression and tone he had when encountering such situations could easilye to her mind.


    Eva shook her head to get rid of those messy thoughts and images.


    After arriving at thepany, Eva quickly grabbed her bag and got out of the car.


    "Thank you for driving me here. Be careful on the way."


    After finishing her words, Eva turned and left. But she didn''t walk far before she heard the sound of a car door closing behind her. When she turned around, she saw Michael walking towards her. "Let''s go, I''ll apany you to take a look," he said. Eva''s red lips twitched.


    "What? I haven''t visited yourpany since it opened, and now I want to go up and take a look. Am I not wee?"


    "Of course not," Eva tugged at her lips.


    "Let''s go then."


    The two of them entered the elevator together. "What were you going to tell me before the phone call?"


    Michael suddenly asked in the quiet elevator. Upon hearing this, Eva''s nerves tightened. What was she going to say?


    "I forgot, should we wait until this matter is resolved before discussing it?" she replied just as the elevator doors opened.


    Eva, preupied with the investment, didn''t think much of it and walked out directly when the elevator doors opened. Michael stood in the elevator, and his eyes beneath the lenses flickered with a deep gloom.


    If he didn''t remember incorrectly, the exact words she said were: If you''re willing... Whates after ''willing''? It should have been what he wanted to hear, but unfortunately, it was interrupted by this phone call. As the elevator doors were about to close, Michael stepped out slowly.


    Eva pushed open the door and saw a man wearing sses, dressed in a well-tailored suit, sitting across from Tim. He had a briefcase next to him, holding a document and discussing something with Tim. Upon hearing the noise, both of them stopped and turned to look at her.


    Tim stood up and nodded towards her. "Boss, this is Brent, the representative of the ckwood business," Tim introduced. When Jacob saw Eva''s face, he suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with shock.


    He had been wondering how Mr. ckwood could suddenly make such a confusing move, so Jacob had his doubts. He even called his cousin to ask, but his cousin advised him not to ask too much and just focus on his work, as there would eventually be answers to everything. And now the answer was right in front of him.


    All of Jacob''s doubts were exined when he saw Eva''s face. He had thought everything was fine, so how could Mr. ckwood suddenly want to invest in a smallpany? The reason was right here.


    Seeing someone investing, Tim was clearly in a good mood, smiling as he greeted Eva.


    "Boss..." he was about to speak, but then he saw a handsome man with gold-rimmed sses following behind Eva. This man had a gentle and elegant demeanor.


    Tim''s words froze on his lips. Although the man appeared gentle, his presence was powerful. As soon as he entered the room, his gaze swept across everyone, passing by Tim and finallynding on Jacob, filled with curiosity and scrutiny. How could Tim, who had climbed the ranks in management for many years, not see the aura of a top executive like Michael? Especially since he was following closely behind Eva.


    Eva could immediately tell from their interaction that the rtionship between these two people was not ordinary. So, she quickly closed her mouth, understanding the situation.


    "Hello," Eva walked up and shook hands with Jacob.


    Jacob nervously and awkwardly extended his hand, feeling as stiff as a wooden post. He muttered, "Hello."


    Watching Eva up close, Jacob felt like he had been hit by her beauty. No wonder his cousin had thought Mr. ckwood''s ex-wife was a goddess. He had initially thought his cousin was exaggerating, but when he saw her photo, he waspletely shocked.


    Now, seeing her in person, Jacob instantly felt that the photo only captured one percent of her beauty. She was truly stunning.


    Jacob withdrew his hand, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation.


    Eva raised her lips slightly and asked softly, "Sorry, may I ask where Mr. ckwood is?"


    "Mr. ckwood? He didn''te today."


    Jacob found this strange too. Why would he be sent instead? Mr. ckwood didn''t show up himself yet still helped others behind the scenes.


    After thinking for a moment, Eva decided to be more direct, "So where is he now?"


    She would just go find him herself.


    "Hansen, does Ms. Hansen want to find our Mr. ckwood?"


    After asking, Jacob took out his phone and muttered, "Then I''ll give our Mr. ckwood a call."


    But before he could make the call, Eva''s fair and beautiful hand held his phone.


    "No need to tell him. He knows me. Just tell me where he is."


    As Eva''s hand moved, her fingertips brushed against Jacob''s hand, causing his face to instantly turn red. As a single man, he was flustered by such a touch. "Okay..."


    Jacob stuttered and reluctantly gave Eva Adrian''s address. His ears turned red almost to the point of bleeding.


    Eva,pletely focused on the address, didn''t notice his embarrassment.


    "Thank you."


    Afterward, she nced at the information of the two men and asked, "How did your conversation go?"


    Tim blinked, nced at Eva, then at Michael, and finally weakly replied, "I agreed to this good opportunity even before you arrived."

 Chapter 240 Fainted

    Eva thought that she was somewhat prepared for this. After all, Tim had been urging her to approach the ckwood family for investment for a while. And from apany''s perspective, having such management in ce was actually a good thing. She didn''t get angry, just nodded, and then turned to leave the room. Throughout the entire process, Michael had been almostpletely ignored by her.


    When she reached the stairs, ready to call a cab, Michael stopped her.


    "I''ll apany you."


    At his words, Eva paused and saw that Michael was holding his car keys, following her all this time. It was at this moment that she realized something.


    "Sorry, I was a bit hurried just now..."


    "It wasn''t intentional..." She just wanted to say that she didn''t intentionally ignore Michael, but when the words reached her lips, she felt like they would hurt him even more if she said them out loud.


    "Do you want to go find him? I''ll go with you." Eva instinctively called out to him. "I can go on my own."


    Hearing this, Michael''s movements paused, and after a moment, he turned his head and silently looked at her. Faced with his silent gaze, Eva felt guilty and lightly bit her lip.


    "I''m sorry. Wait for me toe back and then I''ll talk to you, alright?" When she came back after a trip, Michael thought that the situation might change. But at this moment, he couldn''t bring himself to say anything that would trouble her. "Eva." After a long pause, Michael finally called out her name and sighed.


    "Go, I''ll wait for you toe back." He hoped that he wouldn''t be disappointed with the oue when she returned.


    Following the address Jacob provided, Eva found the hotel where Adrian was staying. He was staying in a deluxe suite on the top floor. When Eva stood in front of the room door, she was still wondering what she should say when she saw him. As Eva contemted, she pressed the doorbell. No one opened the door for a while, so Eva double-checked the room number. Was he not in? But it made sense too. His assistant only said he was staying here, not that he was still here. Maybe she was too anxious after finding out about this. Just as Eva was about to give up and leave after pressing the doorbell for the fourth time, the hotel room door suddenly opened.


    Adrian opened the door with a cold face, but when he saw Eva standing outside, a hint of astonishment shed in his handsome face. After a moment, he spoke, "Why are you here?"


    In that moment, Eva felt some regret when she saw him. Did she really have toe here and ask him something just because he invested in herpany? Eva suddenly felt a bit of regret, but it was toote to turn back now. She calmly countered his question, "What about you?"


    Adrian pursed his thin lips, hisplexion appearing somewhat pale. In contrast, his ck eyes looked even deeper. Seeing him standing there, just staring at her without saying anything, Eva''s brows furrowed lightly.


    "What do you want? I already made myself clear to you before, didn''t I?"


    "I don''t know," Adrian replied.


    Even though she said so many harsh words, even though those words pierced his heart, he couldn''t help but want to invest in herpany. He wanted to know how she had been for the past five years, if she slept well, and even... if she got married and had children.


    Just like what John said, he wanted to obtain her news through normal means. So after hanging up the phone, Adrian didn''t even think twice and made this decision directly.


    "You don''t know?" Eva couldn''t help but find his answer amusing.


    The day before, she made it clear that without his approval, no otherpany would offend him or invest in herpany. Now he suddenly came to invest in herpany and said he didn''t know?


    Eva chuckled lightly and spoke coldly, "Since you don''t know, then don''t do anything unnecessary."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian frowned slightly and asked, "What if I do? I still want to invest in yourpany. What can you do to stop me?"


    Eva looked at his pale lips and slightly damp forehead, and slowly said, "I don''t care what you do. As long as you''re not afraid of losses."


    After finishing her sentence, Eva turned around and was about to leave.


    Adrian, on the other hand, quietly watched her, his thin lips tightly pressed together, seemingly unwilling to engage in further conversation with her.


    After taking two steps, Eva suddenly thought of something and turned her head to look at Adrian.


    "What about Grandma?"


    Adrian, who had lowered his gaze after she left, raised his eyes slightly and chuckled, "You want to see her?"


    "Yes." Eva nodded. "I want to see her."


    She regretted the words she said yesterday. No matter what happened between her and Adrian, her grandmother was still her grandmother.


    Adrian sneered, "No need to see her."


    Eva furrowed her eyebrows and scrutinized Adrian''s face.


    "Why?" she asked.


    "No specific reason. Are you done talking?" Adrian coldly dismissed her, "If you''re done, can you leave?"


    Eva didn''t leave as he expected, but took a step forward.


    "Unless you tell me why we don''t need to see her anymore. Did you tell Grandma what I said?"


    Adrian''s breathing became heavier.


    "I told her everything."


    Upon hearing this, Eva frowned.


    She initially thought Adrian was just saying that he would inform her grandmother out of anger. After all, those words would not only disappoint her grandmother but also make her angry, potentially causing harm to her health. He had no reason not to understand.


    But he said he had told everything to her grandmother, which was not right.


    Eva narrowed her eyes and carefully observed him. "Adrian, are you hiding something from me?"


    Adrian paused, his hand gripping the door frame, making a loud noise.


    His face filled with anger, he looked at her harshly and said, "Who said that my grandmother wouldn''t have anything to do with the person who chose to divorce me?" Eva was speechless.


    "Are we done here?" Adrian stared at her angrily, with no desire to see her anymore.


    His attitude made Eva extremely ufortable. "Fine, if you don''t want to see me, then forget it."


    After saying that, she turned around and walked away.


    So what if her grandmother was his biological grandmother? If he didn''t want her to see her, then she wouldn''t go?


    Since he came all the way to invest in herpany, she would find an opportunity to visit her grandmother as well.


    However, today''s Adrian seemed off.


    He had invested in herpany, but when she came to find him, he seemed to want her to leave as soon as possible, never wanting to see her again.


    And his pale lips and slightly damp forehead.


    At this thought, Eva''s steps suddenly halted.


    Two secondster, she quickly turned around.


    She had only walked for a while, and Adrian shouldn''t have had time to close the door yet. If...


    No need for Eva to dwell on what would happen next, because she had already seen Adrian copsing to the ground.


    He copsed right after closing the door.

 Chapter 241 The Password is Her Birthday

    One hourter, the doctor handed a report to Eva.


    "He has a severe stomach illness, and the main reason for his fainting is not only due to the illness itself but also because of malnutrition and excessive worry." Eva took the report from the doctor''s hand.


    It''s hard to imagine words like malnutrition and excessive worry appearing on Adrian.


    After all, in her memory, Adrian has always been invincible.


    And it seems like he would never get sick or feel ufortable.


    Eva nced towards the direction of the ward and asked the doctor, "What should he do next? Should he stay in the hospital?"


    "For a patient in his condition, it is rmended to stay in the hospital for a period of rest. Otherwise, if he continues like this, his condition will definitely worsen." "How did his stomach illness be like this?"


    "Irregr eating habits and alcohol abuse can both damage the stomach. Does your boyfriend drink alcohol?"


    The term "boyfriend" made Eva frown slightly. She wanted to exin, but she realized it was unnecessary and nodded instead.


    "Yes, he drinks a lot."


    Although she hadn''t seen it with her own eyes, Lisa said that she met him at a bar, and Lisa even developed a stomach illness from practicing drinking for him.


    If Lisa, who drank so much, developed a stomach illness, Adrian should be no exception.


    Then we must be careful from now on and not let him drink anymore."


    "Yes, I''ll tell him."


    "Then please go through the procedures and pay the fees."


    "Okay." Eva went to handle Adrian''s hospital admission.


    When handling the admission, Eva realized that she had forgotten to bring her wallet when she went out today, and the change in her phone was not enough to pay for the hospital expenses.


    "Please wait a moment." Eva could only take out the personal belongings and wallet that she put in her bag after Adrian copsed. Then, she thought for a moment and took out a familiar bank card from it. "Please swipe this card."


    Last time at the hotel, she saw that the position of various cards in his wallet remained the same, so Eva guessed that his habits hadn''t changed for these years, and his password probably hadn''t either. But if he did change it...


    "Ma''am, please enter the password."


    Eva bent down to enter the password. The hospital expenses were quickly deducted from Adrian''s ount.


    Eva was somewhat surprised that it actually went through.


    Hasn''t he changed his password in these five years? Isn''t he afraid that someone would know his password and transfer all his money away?


    Eva put away her things and walked towards the ward direction with mixed emotions.


    Adrian''s room was a shared room for three people.


    He was in the innermost position, with a teenager in the middle bed and an elderly man in the bed by the entrance.


    When Eva entered, the elderly man''s spouse was peeling an orange for him, and the mother of the teenager was coaxing him to eat a few more bites of food.


    The atmosphere was lively, but when they saw Evaing in, perhaps because of her striking appearance, everyone instinctively quieted down.


    Eva smiled at them and then walked towards the innermost position.


    Eva sat down on the chair beside the bed, holding the medical report and room assignment in her hands. She looked at Adrian, who was still in a deepa, with aplicated expression. He seemed to be trapped in a profound unconsciousness.


    From the moment they took him to the hospital, he hadn''t awakened yet. His face was pale, and his once thin lips were now dry and cracked. This fragile version of Adrian was something Eva had never seen before. But how did he end up like this?


    Now Eva finally understood why Adrian became impatient with her during their time at the hotel. Perhaps he was already at his limit back then.


    With this thought in mind, Eva sighed and took out her phone to call Tim.


    When Tim received her call, he asked with caution, "Boss, why haven''t youe back after such a long time? Did something happen between you and Mr. ckwood?"


    "No, it''s just that I''m at the hospital now..."


    "What?" Tim was shocked. "Why did you suddenly go to the hospital? Boss, although you had a history with Mr. ckwood, it shouldn''t have escted to this extent. Are you okay, Boss?"


    After the other person finished speaking, Eva helplessly replied, "Can you let me finish?"


    "Of course, Boss, please go ahead."


    Upon hearing that she was at the hospital, Tim became extremely worried, afraid that this conflict would lead to the withdrawal of investments, making thepany worse off than before with no investors. "We didn''t have a conflict, but Adrian fainted, so I brought him to the hospital."


    "Mr. ckwood fainted? How did that happen, Boss..."


    "Don''t use that tone with me. Are you suspecting that I would do something to him?"


    Tim chuckled but remained silent.


    "Has his assistant already left?"


    "Yeah, she left half an hour ago."


    Well, it''s been this long, she should have left by now.


    "That''s alright then, I''ll find him on my own."


    After hanging up the phone, Eva thought for a moment, then rummaged through her bag and finally took out Adrian''s phone.


    But when Eva tried to enter the old password, her actions paused.


    The lock screen password on Adrian''s phone was her own birthday, something she had forced him to change when they were together.


    Now that five years had passed, she could understand if he hadn''t changed his bank card password, but the significance of the phone password was different. He probably changed it a long time ago, right? With this thought, Eva put his phone back.


    But after a brief hesitation, she couldn''t help but take it out again.


    She yed with Adrian''s phone, looking at her face reflected on the screen.


    She wasn''t concerned, just curious. Sometimes, when you don''t look at something, it''s fine, but once the thoughtes, curiosity bes infinite.


    She was just curious if Adrian had changed his birthday password over the years, nothing else.


    Eva continued to gaze at the screen, slowly persuading herself in her mind.


    After sessfully brainwashing herself, she took a deep breath and then gently tapped the screen the number of times she knew.


    No need to consciously remember, her fingers


    She would enter familiar numbers along the path of her initial muscle and body memory.


    The first few numbers were entered effortlessly from her body memory.


    But when it came to thest digit, Eva''s fingers involuntarily paused.


    She pursed her lips and instinctively looked at the person lying unconscious on the bed.


    After a few seconds, she withdrew her gaze and pressed the final digit.


    The screen on the phone turned, entering the phone''s home screen.


    Eva held the phone, stunned in her seat, her heart pounding.


    How could this be? It had been five years, why was his lock screen password still her own birthday?

 Chapter 242 Successful

    When Jacob arrived at the hospital, he saw Eva waiting for him at the door of the ward.


    Seeing Eva, Jacob thought again about their idental fingertip touch, and he couldn''t help but feel shy when he looked at Eva.


    So when he approached, what Eva saw was Jacob, with a red face and ears.


    She didn''t think much of it, assuming Jacob got reddened from the cold outside, and handed him her phone, wallet, and room card one after the other. "These belong to Mr. ckwood."


    Jacob didn''t know what had happened, so he could only ept each item she handed him.


    Finally, looking at Eva''s empty hands, he suddenly realized something.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you leaving?"


    Eva nodded. "Yes, since you''re here, I have to leave."


    Jacob instantly regretted why he hade so quickly. If Adrian woke up and found out that Eva had left because of him, he would definitely kick Jacob out.


    Thinking of this, Jacob quickly tried to persuade her, "Ms. Hansen, can''t you stay a bit longer? After all, I just arrived and don''t know anything about Mr. ckwood''s condition. Can you stay and give me some detailed information or wait until Mr. ckwood wakes up?"


    However, Eva was prepared for this.


    "Mr. ckwood had a gastric attack, and I havepleted his hospital admission. Now all you need to do is find someone to apany him in the ward. He''s currently receiving intravenous therapy, and there are two bottles left. When it''s almost finished, you can go to the nurse station in front or press the bell to call them to rece the fluids. Apart from that, there are no other issues, just staying in the hospital."


    Jacob stood in ce, feeling like she had just exined everything that needed to be done in one breath.


    "Alright, I have to go now. Take good care of him." Eva patted his shoulder and left directly.


    Jacob couldn''t call her back in time, so he could only watch her fading figure.


    When she was out of sight, Jacob turned and entered the ward.


    Once inside, when he saw the other people in the room, Jacob couldn''t help but gasp.


    He didn''t expect that the room Eva had arranged for him would be a shared one. How could Mr. ckwood, a germophobe, tolerate sharing a room with others? Jacob hurriedly walked to the innermost corner.


    Facing Adrian still unconscious, Jacob finally breathed a sigh of relief. It''s a good thing he hasn''t woken up yet.


    Originally, Jacob had nned to arrange for Adrian''s transfer while he was still unconscious, but when he saw the IV bag running out, he had no choice but to stay and wait.


    Just as Jacob was about to leave after the bag was reced, Adrian''s eyelids flickered, and he woke up.


    Upon opening his eyes, Adrian met Jacob''s startled gaze.


    "Mr. ckwood, you''re awake?"


    Adrian had been unconscious for a long time, so his dark eyes still held confusion upon waking up.


    After meeting Jacob''s eyes for a moment, Adrian pressed his thin lips together and asked, "Where am I now?"


    Jacob responded readily, "A hospital."


    After a brief pause, Adrian seemed to remember something and fell silent for a moment before saying, "Help me sit up."


    He seemed to have no strength in his body at all.


    Jacob followed his request and helped him sit up.


    Once settled, Adrian nced at him and said, "Tell me what''s going on."


    In fact, even without Adrian''s reminder, Jacob was already prepared to exin the situation after Adrian had settled down.


    "To be honest, I don''t know the specific details yet. All I know is that Mr. ckwood, you had a stomach problem and were brought to the hospital. There are several more IV bags to be administered, and you''ll have to stay in the hospital for a few days."


    Upon hearing the mention of staying in the hospital, Adrian furrowed his brows.


    "I''m not staying."


    "Mr. ckwood, please listen to me. It''s better for you to stay. If you find the environment here unsatisfactory, I''ll arrange for a transfer to a better ward right away."


    After finishing his words, Jacob noticed Adrian looking at him coldly.


    Jacob instinctively fell silent.


    After a while, he whispered, "I know you probably think your illness isn''t serious, but today you fainted in front of Ms. Hansen. Don''t you feel embarrassed?"


    Adrian, who had been cold and expressionless, changed his face after hearing Jacob''s words.


    "What did you say?" His eyes suddenly became sharper. "Fainted in front of who?"


    Jacob was intimidated by Adrian''s aura and stammered, "Ms. Hansen."


    Adrian instinctively asked, "She didn''t leave?"


    Wasn''t she told to leave? He clearly saw her leave and when did shee back?


    Jacob wasn''t present at the time, so he didn''t understand Adrian''s words.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Didn''t you bring me to the hospital?" Adrian asked directly.


    "No." Jacob shook his head and exined, "It was Ms. Hansen who took your phone and called me toe."


    But Adrian clearly saw her leave. Did shee backter?


    Why? With a sudden realization, Adrian sat up straight. "Where is she?"


    "You mean Ms. Hansen? After she saw me arrive, she left."


    Originally, Jacob was supposed to continue the conversation here, but he hesitated out of confusion.


    What Cob didn''t want to say, but after giving it some thought, he realized that hiding it would only lead to consequences. So he decided to be straightforward and clear.


    Sure enough, when Adrian heard what Cob had to say, his expression instantly turned solemn.


    "She''s gone without you stopping her?"


    "What good would it do if I tried?" Cob pointed at himself. "I''m not familiar with Ms. Hansen, so how could I possibly stop her? Besides, she''s been looking after you for quite a while now, taking care of your payments and helping with your hospitalization. She deserves to go back and rest, right?"


    After Cob finished speaking, Adrian fell silent and lowered his head in deep thought.


    After a while, he decided to lie down and said to Cob, "Remove the IV."


    Once Cob understood what he meant, he quickly responded, "Mr. ckwood, there are still two bottles left to finish on the drip. Ms. Hansen instructed me to make sure they arepleted."


    "Oh, really?" Adrian''s lips curled up slightly. "You will do whatever she tells you to do? Are you her subordinate or mine?"


    Cob replied, "Isn''t this for your own good?"


    "I don''t need it. I know my own body."


    After speaking, Adrian even directly said, "Go and handle the discharge procedures."


    Cob remained seated, motionless.


    "Do you hear me?" Adrian decided to close his eyes and pretend to be dead.


    Regardless of who went, he wouldn''t do it.


    "Jacob, don''t you want to work anymore?"


    Upon hearing this, Cob opened his eyes and angrily said to Adrian, "Mr. ckwood, when Ms. Hansen was here, why didn''t you mention anything about not wanting the IV drip or wanting to be discharged? Why did you only say it to me? Only Ms. Hansen can take care of you, right?"


    After speaking, a sudden thought shed in Cob''s mind, and his eyes lit up.


    If only Ms. Hansen could take care of Mr. ckwood, then why not seek Eva''s help?


    "Hold on, Mr. ckwood, I''ll make a call to Ms. Hansen."


    Excited, Cob didn''t notice the triumphant gleam in Adrian''s eyes as he made the request.

 Chapter 243 Cant Dare To?

    She cares about him.


    Adrian had obtained this certainty.


    Even though she appeared ruthless and said many harsh words.


    But... she left and came back.


    She brought him to the hospital and stayed here waiting for Jacob.


    What does this mean? It means she cares about him and is afraid of something happening to him.


    Since she still cares about him, it means he hasn''t reached a dead end with her yet, he still has a chance.


    Originally, he didn''t want her to know about his condition. But now that his condition has unexpectedly revealed certain things to him, why not use this to his advantage? Jacob was outside making a phone call. He didn''t actually have Eva''s number, but as an excellent assistant, he called Tim directly and asked him for Eva''s number. Tim gave it to him without hesitation.


    "I''ll treat you to a meal next time."


    Taking the opportunity, Cob made his call.


    After dialing the phone number, Jacob quickly called Eva.


    Eva just called for a car. Due to rush hour, she had to wait for a long time. When she was about to leave, she received a call on her phone.


    "Ms. Hansen, help me!"


    As soon as she answered the call, Eva could hear Jacob shouting frantically on the other end of the phone.


    On instinct, Eva moved the phone away from her and waited a few seconds before bringing it back closer to her ear.


    "Jacob?" Although she had only met him briefly, she still remembered his voice.


    "It''s me." Jacob nodded while gripping his phone.


    "What happened?"


    Because his tone seemed off, Eva made a gesture to her master, indicating to wait, and then asked.


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood has woken up."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s expression remained calm. "Oh, that''s good."


    "But he stopped the remaining IV drip and wants to leave the hospital." Upon hearing this, Eva furrowed her brows.


    He''s so seriously ill, yet he stopped the IV drip and wants to leave?


    What is he thinking? Does he think his body is invincible?


    "Ms. Hansen, I tried to persuade Mr. ckwood, but hepletely ignored me. Have you left? Could youe back and try to convince him?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva inexplicably felt a surge of anger in her chest and replied coldly, "Jacob, if he doesn''t listen to you, do you think he will listen to me?"


    "Yes, Mr. ckwood only listens to you now, so I''m begging you." Jacob sighed and spoke sincerely, "Mr. ckwood''s illness is really severe. He actually fainted and was rushed to the hospital before, but hepletely disregarded the doctor''s advice. I can only implore you to help."


    "If he doesn''t care about his own health, no one else can help him. I''m sorry."


    After Eva finished speaking, she hung up the phone directly.


    As the busy tone sounded from the phone, Jacob stood still in astonishment. He didn''t expect her to reject him so decisively.


    Does she really not care about Mr. ckwood at all?


    What should he do now? If he goes back and tells Adrian this news, Mr. ckwood will probably be even more furious.


    Turning around with his phone in hand, Jacob was about to go inside when he saw Adrian standing at the door, with a cold expression. Adrian had already removed the IV needle from his hand, but the wound hadn''t been treated yet, and blood was still dripping from it.


    The blood flowed from his distinct fingers, drop by drop, falling onto the snow-white hospital floor, which was a chilling sight.


    After a few seconds of shock, Jacob hurriedly rushed over.


    "Mr. ckwood!"


    Five minutester, Adrian returned to the hospital bed with a disgruntled expression, apanied by a speechless nurse.


    "Seriously, even when you''re sick, why do you still have to be so disobedient and cause trouble? Pulling out the needle while still on the IV drip? Does it not hurt with so much blood flowing from the wound?" "Sorry," Jacob apologized on behalf of Adrian, "I''m really sorry. Thank you for your trouble."


    The nurse nced at Adrian, who sat lifelessly there, and continued, "You''re not allowed to remove the needle again. The hospital is already busy enough, so please don''t create more problems for yourselves." After saying that, she left.


    Once she was gone, the room became quiet. Because of this little episode, the uncle and child in the same ward looked over.


    "Mom, that brother just bled a lot," the child nestled into their mother''s arms and pointed at Adrian.


    The child''s mother held them tightly and said, "Because he didn''t listen and pulled out the needle recklessly, that''s why he bled. You have to listen, so you won''t be the same as him."


    "Yes, mommy, don''t worry, I will listen."


    Jacob scratched his head awkwardly and then said to Adrian, "Mr. ckwood, if you really don''t want to stay in the hospital, shall we go back to New York? We can have a home doctore and take a look. It''s time to properly take care of your health."


    Upon hearing the mention of going back to New York, Adrian coldly nced at him before lying down expressionlessly, closing his eyes.


    However, seeing him willingly lie down, Jacob wondered, does this mean he''s willing to stay?


    That''s good, let him rest temporarily in the hospital.


    After Eva returned, she originally nned to discuss today''s investment with Tim. But she didn''t expect to encounter Michael waiting for her on the sofa when she arrived at thepany. Seeing here back, Michael stood up and grabbed her bag.


    "You''re back? How did it go?"


    As he spoke, Michael even tidied her hair, showing an intimate gesture.


    Tim, who was nearby, nced at this scene with a hint of panic, then discreetly looked away, pretending he hadn''t seen anything.


    Eva felt a bit uneasy but still smiled and said, "It went okay, didn''t you go back?"


    "I said I would wait for you. Who would pick you up after work if I left?"


    Unable to bear it any longer, Tim cleared his throat and stood up, "You two can talk first. I''ll go handle other matters."


    After saying that, Tim left.


    In the lobby, only Eva and Michael remained.


    "It''s cold outside, isn''t it?" Michael said as he poured her a cup of warm water, "Have some to warm up."


    Eva took the cup and held it in her hands, feeling the warmth through the ss.


    She didn''t drink it.


    "Did you agree to the investment?"


    "Yes," Eva nodded, unsure if it was because of guilt, she took two sips from the cup. Michael fell silent for a moment, and for the first time, his face lost its smile.


    "Are you really letting him invest in yourpany? Have you thought it through?"


    Eva nodded, "Well, primarily because the manager has already agreed, and I..."


    Michael interrupted: "What does it matter if he agrees? Thepany is yours, he''s not the boss."


    Eva hesitated a bit and said, "That''s true, but he still works for mypany."


    Michael replied, "If you don''t want to, I''ll pay the penalty for breaking the contract."


    Upon hearing this, Eva frowned.


    "Michael, there''s no need for that."


    Michael also frowned, "Why? Are you unwilling?"

 Chapter 244 Caution

    Eva instinctively retorted, "It''s not that I''m unwilling, I''m just doing my job. Thepany needs to operate, and for development, we need to seek investment. The manager used to be a top executive in a bigpany, and the ckwood family is indeed the best choice. Besides, I''ve let it go and it doesn''t bother me anymore. It''s just a coboration, so what''s the harm? It won''t affect me. Should I give up working in Chicago if I happen to encounter him in the future?" "Really? Are you sure there''s no impact?" Michael asked.


    "I''m sure." Eva nodded.


    Michael looked at Eva: "Okay, then promise me."


    Eva asked, "What?"


    "Promise to be with me." Michael''s handsome face lost its usual smile and warmth for the first time.


    Eva looked at him in a daze. She didn''t expect him to suddenly be so insistent.


    "Weren''t you saying there''s no impact? What did you want to tell me in the car before the manager''s call came through?" Michael held her gaze tightly. "You said there''s no impact, so now tell me, has your mindset changedpared to back then?"


    Eva fell silent. She realized she couldn''t argue because, indeed, her thoughts had changed.


    Her thoughts naturally evolved over time.


    "Eva." Seeing her remain silent, Michael urged her, "Speak."


    Eva couldn''t say a word, she could only lower her eyes, feeling slightly disheartened. "You''re right, I have been influenced. But this influence is only rted to my thoughts over time, it has nothing to do with others."


    "Nothing to do with others?" Michael chuckled softly. "Is that what you really think in your heart?" "What else could it be?"


    In the next moment, Eva''s chin was lifted by a pair of gentle hands. Michael held her chin, raising her head. Everything went dark, and Michael leaned in to nt a warm kiss on her forehead.


    Eva was stunned. After regaining her senses, she wanted to struggle, but her wrist was held by Michael.


    When she looked up, she met a pair of wounded eyes.


    This was the first time Eva saw the expression in Michael''s eyes through his sses: hurt, unease, and fear.


    "Don''t keep pushing me away, Eva. It''s been five years, and all I want is a chance to stay by your side. Even if you don''t like me, just look at me more, okay? He hurt you, he''s not worthy of you. Don''t look back anymore. Promise me, okay?" Eva was moved by Michael''s words, her eyshes trembling slightly. After a long while, she finally said, "I, I need to think about it again."


    "For how long?" Michael''s voice was low and deep. "I don''t want to wait anymore, Eva."


    This version of Michael made Eva feel helpless, especially when faced with his usually gentle and smiling eyes, now filled with undeniable pain. She couldn''t help but feel that she owed him a lot.


    "A week?" She hesitated before uttering the word.


    "No." Michael, who was usually amodating and easy to negotiate with, shook his head to reject her suggestion.


    Eva narrowed her eyes slightly. "Then six days?"


    "Three days." Michael''s voice was gentle yet firm. "I will only wait for three days, Eva."


    No matter what she thought after those three days, he wouldn''t retreat any further.


    Three days seemed a bit difficult. But... it was still better than the current predicament.


    Eva could only lower her gaze and nod. "Okay, three days."


    Finally getting the answer he wanted, Michael released her as if his wish hade true. He then regained his usual smile.


    "It seems like you have something to discuss with your manager. I''ll go get him."


    After saying that, Michael left.


    As soon as he was gone, Eva''s tense body instantly rxed, and she breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was like a fish on the verge of death returning to the water, able to breathe normally again.


    Eva leaned back on the sofa, closing her eyes with exhaustion.


    Michael... really changed a lot.


    She had always thought of him as gentle and easygoing. But today, he seemed so dominant, giving her the feeling that if she didn''t agree, he wouldn''t easily let her go. There was a sound outside, and Tim came in.


    "Boss?"


    After Tim entered, he discreetly nced outside and wanted to say something to Eva, but he was afraid of being overheard, so he quickly took a few steps and hurried outside. Once he made sure Michael wasn''t around, he closed the door and then mysteriously approached Eva.


    "Boss, are you okay?"


    His sudden closeness startled Eva. "What are you doing?"


    "Nothing, just checking if you''re okay."


    Eva was speechless. "Stay away from me, and I''ll be just fine."


    But Tim didn''t follow her advice and instead sat down next to her, still maintaining a proper distance between them.


    "So, are you going to agree to his proposal?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva furrowed her brows. "You eavesdropped on our conversation?"


    "It wasn''t eavesdropping. I was just outside the door, and your voices were so loud that I could definitely hear. Are you really nning to be with him and not continue with Mr. ckwood?" "What continuation? Don''t talk nonsense."


    "But seeing Mr. ckwood''s reaction, it seems like he wants to continue the rtionship."


    Eva smirked. "That''sughable."


    How could she possibly continue her rtionship with Adrian? Hadn''t she learned her lesson from before?


    "Laughable, huh? But look at your friend just now, it seemed like he couldn''t wait."


    "You agreed to be with him immediately. Isn''t that a sign of nervousness? But..." Tim hesitated to speak further.


    "But I have the impression that your friend is a bit suspicious." Tim clicked his tongue.


    Eva frowned, "What do you mean by that?"


    "I don''t mean anything else. I just identally overheard your conversation and felt that he has some issues."


    The more Eva listened, the more uneasy she felt, as if Tim was speaking ill of Michael.


    "Look, he keeps saying he''s waiting for you, pretending to be generous towards you, but actually pressuring you step by step, trying to use your sympathy to be with him. Think about it carefully, is it like that?" Eva stood up abruptly.


    "Please stop talking." She looked at Tim displeasedly. "I hope you''re just the manager I hired to help me with thepany, but please don''t meddle in my personal affairs, and don''t judge my friends lightly." Compared to her outburst, Tim didn''t get angry. He even shrugged, indicating that he didn''t mind.


    "Alright, I just happened to overhear, so I mentioned it. If you don''t like it, I won''t talk about it next time." Finally, Tim couldn''t help but make a sarcastic remark, "But I still want to remind you to be careful of him."

 Chapter 245 Wishing You a Speedy Recovery

    Hospital at night.


    Jacob sat by the bedside, looking at the several dishes of food on the table with a distressed expression, and then at Adrian, who didn''t touch any of them. He sighed, "Mr. ckwood, you should eat something after a whole day, right?" However, Adrian had his Bluetooth earphones on, leaning against the headboard, silently staring at his phone screen. Jacob leaned over to take a look.


    On the phone screen, two adorable children were live streaming.


    He felt speechless. Adrian would rather watch these two children live streaming than eat. Jacob looked at the screen with a numb expression, suddenly having an idea.


    What if he registered a small ount and messaged these two children, telling them that he has a friend who loves watching them, but now he''s seriously ill and refuses to eat or ept treatment? Maybe their persuasion would have an effect? Thinking about it, Jacob quietly took out his phone and started to operate.


    Due to his busy work, Jacob never had time to y TikTok or anything like that, so he simply registered with his phone number and entered with a new ount.


    He fiddled around before entering the live streaming room.


    Just as he entered the room, Adrian''s gaze turned cold, sweeping towards him.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Nothing much." Jacob cleared his throat and nervously said, "You''ve been watching them, and I find them quite cute, so I also wanted toe in and see what''s so interesting."


    Adrian red at him coldly for a while but didn''t say anything, shifting his gaze away.


    Jacob breathed a sigh of relief, and quietly in the live streaming room.


    "Good evening, you''re doing homework. It''s lovely."


    He originally intended to type a long string before sending the message, but his fingers identally hit a key, and the message was sent.


    As he was using a new ID, Adrian''s sharp gaze immediately swept over when the message was sent.


    Jacob instinctively shrank his head in guilt.


    "Why are you looking when I''m typing?"


    "Well, I think they are cute and couldn''t help butpliment."


    Perhaps due to the task he was about to do, Jacob felt particrly guilty.


    Adrian seemed to sense what he was about to do and warned, "Don''t do anything unnecessary."


    Jacob pursed his lips and stayed silent.


    Under Adrian''s gaze, he didn''t do anything, but as soon as Adrian looked away, Jacob began typing on his phone again.


    "Here''s the thing, my friend loves watching your live streams, but he''s seriously ill now and has a bad attitude. He refuses to eat properly or ept treatment. If you can see this message, could you help me persuade him? My friend is also in this live chat."


    After editing the content, Jacob took a deep breath and took the risk of being med by Adrianter, then sent the message.


    Sure enough, Adrian raised his head again after the message was sent and gave him a death stare.


    "Are you really so idle?"


    Jacob defended himself, "Who told you not to eat?"


    Adrian''s eyes turned cold, and his thin lips moved as if he was about to say something, but a voice came from his earphones. Both of their attention was drawn to the voice.


    Dn had just finished the homework assigned by the teacher and happened to nce at the message, followed by others refreshing the chat.


    "Oh my god, is your friend okay? When someone gets sick, they should seek proper treatment."


    "Wishing for a speedy recovery!"


    Everyone in the live chat was kind-hearted.


    Dn leaned over to take a closer look. Their cute and delicate face suddenly filled the screen.


    Jacob, holding his phone, couldn''t help but swear under his breath, shocked by this close-up face.


    Whether it was his imagination or not, he actually felt like this little face was a smaller version of Adrian!


    Following that, Jacob asionally looked up at Adrian, then down at Dn on his phone.


    The more he looked, the more strange he found it. By the end, he couldn''t find the words to describe it.


    Previously, he only knew that Adrian had always been watching the live streams of these two adorable kids, and knew they resembled each other.


    But it was his first time seeing a close-up photo of this little cutie, with highly refined features, youthful innocence, yet with a hint of coldness andposure, resembling Adrian to an incredible degree.


    Unlike the children who had undergone stic surgery, whose facial features clearly showed signs of modification, this child had nothing except delicate skin when seen up close. "I''ve seen it, please..."


    "What should I call you?" Jacob was called upon and immediately responded.


    "Just call me Uncle. Oh, and my friend''s surname is ckwood. You can call him Uncle or Brother."


    Jacob thought that calling him Brother would make Mr. ckwood feel younger and happier.


    But after sending the message, he quickly tried to amend it by saying, "Never mind, just call him Uncle. He''s already quite old, so calling him Brother isn''t really appropriate."


    Adrian was speechless when he saw this message.


    Jacob could only chuckle.


    Meanwhile, Dn on the other side was speaking sincerely into the camera.


    "Hello Uncle, thank you for watching our live stream. I heard you''re sick, but I don''t know what kind of illness you have. When you''re sick, you should see a doctor and take medicine so that you can get better." Although the child was young, he had strong organizational skills and hit the point that Jacob wanted to make right away.


    Through the phone screen, Jacob couldn''t help but give a thumbs up to Hansen.


    "Well done."


    "Uncle, I hope you are healthy and happy. You must eat well and take care of yourself so that you can continue watching our live streams."


    This child was truly amazing.


    Jacob thought to himself as he looked up at Adrian.


    But he noticed that Adrian was sitting there, holding his phone, lost in thought.


    Could it be? Has it not worked yet?


    Jacob felt a little disappointed, but he understood. How long has he been without an appetite? If anything anyone said could help, his stomach problem wouldn''t be so serious now.


    After realizing this, Jacob suddenly didn''t feel like talking anymore.


    Meanwhile, Ruby in the live streaming room heard her brother suddenly speaking to the camera and curiously leaned in closer.


    Although she didn''t know why her brother was saying these things, she imitated him and, after Dn finished speaking, Ruby also put her cute little face in front of the camera and sweetly said, "Uncle, take care of yourself and get well soon. Come watch Ruby and her brother''s live streams often in the future, okay?"


    This voice, this smile, made Jacob feel incredibly soft-hearted. He looked up at Adrian.


    And there he was, still quietly sitting in his ce, but with a faint smile at the corner of his eyes.

 Chapter 246 Unwilling to Eat

    It worked! When Jacob saw that warm expression, he felt that his efforts had paid off.


    He asked excitedly, "Mr. ckwood, shall we eat something then?"


    However, Adrian''s next response was like a bucket of cold water poured on him.


    "Did I say I wanted to eat? Didn''t I tell you not to do anything unnecessary?"


    Jacob was stunned. "Why? Weren''t you just..."


    The previously warm-eyed Adrian turned back to his usual self, cold and unapproachable.


    Adrian couldn''t be bothered to deal with him anymore and his mind drifted away.


    Adrian remembered the words the two little children had said to him, hoping for his health, and he felt a warm feeling in his heart. It was miraculous that even through a screen, he could be healed by these two unfamiliar children. Adrian swiped his finger and rewarded the two children again.


    Ruby saw the reward message on her phone''s screen and with bright, angelic eyes, she said, "NightA is here too. Thank you, Uncle NightA, for your gift."


    The little girl''s angelic voice and demeanor were exactly the same as when he first saw her on the ne.


    But now, this "Uncle NightA" was a stranger to her. She didn''t know she had seen him on the ne before, nor did she know she had seen him on the livestream.


    Beside her, Dn scratched his head. He didn''t expect NightA to send gifts again. No matter how many times he said it, Dn could only watch as NightA kept sending gifts, wave after wave. He was rich and generous.


    That was the only impression Dn had of NightA.


    Every time he and Ruby livestreamed, this Uncle NightA woulde and give them many gifts.


    So, when Ruby said her thanks, Dn echoed her, "Thank you, Uncle NightA, for your gift."


    Jacob watched as someone continuously sent gifts on the livestream. Colorful gift notifications kept popping up on the screen, and he finally realized.


    "Mr. ckwood, could it be NightA?" He had to spend quite a bit of money just now, didn''t he?


    But for Adrian, this amount of money was nothing but a small sum. Why should he feel pity or care for him?


    Right now, it would be better to focus on his well-being and make sure he ate.


    Without waiting him for his answer, Jacob immediately moved to another location in the livestream.


    "Mr. ckwood, are you really not going to eat? Just a few mouthfuls would do? If you don''t eat soon, I will have to call Ms. Hansen."


    Adrian''s hand paused for a moment, and he nced at Jacob.


    Did he see it wrong? Jacob faintly detected a hint of anticipation in Adrian''s eyes.


    He took out his phone and tested, "Should I make the call then?"


    Adrian''s eyebrow raised slightly, indicating he didn''t object to it.


    Jacob directly found Eva''s phone number and dialed it.


    In the kitchen.


    "Ms. Hansen, you don''t have to bother with this. I can handle these things. You are the master of the house, why should you evene to me?"


    Eva put the bowl into the sterilizer. "It''s no problem. Besides, I have nothing to do right now."


    Luna sighed as she watched the beautiful and gentle hostess. Even though they had only been together for half a month, Eva was the best hostess she had ever seen. Eva was tidying up when her phone suddenly rang.


    Luna saw the phone ring and immediately went over to answer it.


    "Mr. Hansen, your phone is ringing, let me handle the rest."


    "Alright." Eva reluctantly took her phone and went outside to answer the call.


    "Ms. Hansen."


    The familiar voice caught Eva off guard. "Jacob?"


    Why was he calling her again?


    "Ms. Hansen, I apologize for disturbing you sote."


    Eva pressed her lips together and said in a calm tone, "What is it?"


    Jacob was about to speak, but Adrian raised his chin, indicating for him to put it on speakerphone.


    Under his gaze, Jacob had no choice but to turn on the speakerphone and stutter, "Well, Mr. ckwood still refuses to eat, so could you..."


    "Jacob." Eva quickly interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. "Mr. ckwood is an adult. He can decide if he should eat or not. If he chooses not to eat, it means he knows what''s best for his body." After speaking, Eva hung up the phone directly.


    Jacob held the phone, afraid to raise his head, deeply regretting why he listened to Adrian and turned on the speakerphone.


    He didn''t even need to lift his head to feel the cold aura emanating from Adrian.


    "Mr. ckwood."


    "Get out."


    Jacob dared not speak, silently stood up and left with the phone in his hand.


    Adrian sat in his seat with a gloomy expression. Unable to continue watching the live broadcast, he reached over and turned it off, exiting the livestream.


    He exited too quickly and didn''t notice a soft woman''s voice in the livestream after he left.


    "Dn, Ruby, the livestream is over for today."


    If Adrian had exited the livestream a littleter, he would have heard that the voice belonged to Eva.


    "Alright, that''s all for today''s livestream. Goodbye, everyone."


    After closing the livestream, Eva put away her phone.


    "Have you finished your homework for today?"


    "Yes, mommy."


    Ruby realized something and asked with a yful tone, hugging Eva''s shoulder, "Mommy, did someone call you just now?"


    Eva paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."


    "Was it Michael?"


    "No." Eva paused again, then decided to exin it clearly to the two children. "It was a business associate. They talked to mommy about a customer who didn''t want to eat, but mommy resolved it." The two little ones blinked their eyes, and then Dn said, "Mommy, it''s a coincidence. There was also a man in the livestream today who didn''t want to eat, and his friend came looking for us." "Hmm?" Eva was a bit confused. "What happened?"


    The two children proceeded to tell Eva the whole story.


    After hearing it, Eva couldn''t help but sigh.


    "What a coincidence." However, she didn''t dwell on it because Ruby mentioned NightA rewarding them again at night.


    "Okay, Mommy got it."


    Once the two children went to bed, Eva took out her live streaming phone to check and indeed found that the person named NightA had sent a lot of money as a reward.


    Eva sighed. This person sure has a lot of money to burn. She found the person and clicked into their profile.


    The profile picture was exactly the same as their WhatsApp profile picture, without any updates.


    However, Eva quickly discovered the key point.


    Because she found out that this person''s IP address was actually in Chicago.

 Chapter 247 Call to Action

    Chicago? When she saw that the other person was also in Chicago, Eva froze.


    A few secondster, Eva couldn''t help but exim that there were too many coincidences recently.


    Beforeing here, Eva thought Chicago was a quiet city, and she shouldn''t often encounter acquaintances while running herpany here.


    Who would have thought... When she thought of a certain person, Eva put down her phone.


    So what if she ran into them? Chicago is so big. Eva thought that while she was here to run herpany and he invested in herpany, there would always be a connection between them. That''s just how it is.


    Eva should just treat it as a normal business partner. However, despite thinking like this, Eva couldn''t sleep that night.


    Eva tossed and turned in bed, thinking only about what the doctor and Jacob had told her.


    Adrian obviously had a serious stomach condition, yet he could go on without taking any medicine. It was ridiculous. A grown adult who didn''t care about their own health like this must know the consequences of doing so for a long time. But he still chose to do so, which means he was willing to bear the consequences himself. If he didn''t care, then why should she?


    Of course not. It should be Vivian''s responsibility to take care of him.


    Thinking of this, Eva turned over once again. She just couldn''t understand why Jacob couldn''t call Vivian instead. Why did he have to call her?


    The more she thought about it, the more chaotic her mind became. So that night, Eva couldn''t sleep.


    When the rm clock rang the next morning, if it wasn''t for her strong willpower, Eva wouldn''t have been able to get up.


    After getting up, following her usual routine, Eva took care of the two children''s breakfast and got them ready for school.


    Seeing that she didn''t look well, Luna asked concernedly, "Ms. Hansen, did you not sleep wellst night? You seem a bit tired."


    Hearing this, Eva could only smile bitterly and nod.


    "I had a bit of insomniast night."


    Luna immediately took the opportunity to show her consideration. "If there''s nothing urgent at thepany, why don''t you rest a bit at home? I can take the two children to school for you."


    As she finished speaking, the doorbell rang.


    "I''ll go get the door." Luna immediately ran off. After opening the door, Michael walked in.


    "Mr. Cooper, you''re here."


    Seeing Michael, Luna suddenly realized that even if she wanted to take the two children to school, Mr. Cooper was here too. There was no need for her.


    "Madam, Luna wants to perform well so as not to lose her jobter on.


    Sure enough, when Michael arrived, he suggested taking Eva''s two children to school. This has been going on for a few days now, and Eva hasn''t had a chance to speak before the two kids would eagerly run to Michael. Eva could only watch as Michael took the children away.


    After he left, Luna sighed, "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper is very kind to you and the children."


    "Hmm." It''s precisely because he''s so kind that she constantly feels guilty towards him. She would rather not have someone be so good to her.


    Luna initially intended to say a few more words, but seeing that Eva''s enthusiasm didn''t seem high, having been a nanny for many years, she could read the situation easily and quickly shut her mouth.


    Once everything was almost packed up, Eva said to Luna, "Well, I''m leaving now. I need to take the subway."


    "Alright, Ms. Hansen, please take care on your journey."


    Upon arriving at thepany, Eva noticed that there were many cars parked downstairs. When she arrived, she saw two cars fighting over a parking spot. However, because the white car was speeding, it identally brushed against the ck


    car.


    Although it was just a minor collision, Eva knew an argument was about to start.


    As expected, after the cars made contact, both parties got out of the cars and began quarreling over the parking spot and the collision.


    These kinds of situations had bemonce for her, and she shook her head before making her way upstairs.


    Usually, she was the only one taking the elevator, but today there were several others waiting for the elevator with her.


    One of them was a young man wearing sses, with a clean and mild-mannered appearance. Seeing that she was beautiful and had a unique temperament, he couldn''t help but greet her. "Are you here for an interview too?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva was momentarily stunned. "Are you talking to me?"


    "Yes." The young man with sses nodded and smiled, his smile appearing genuine. "You look beautiful."


    Eva had never received such a straightforwardpliment in China before. But the way he said it was sincere, without any hint of obscenity, and Eva couldn''t help but curl her lips. "Thank you. You''re here for an interview as well?" "Yes." At the mention of it, his eyes started to light up. "Did you also see the job posting from the ckwood Group? I tried to get into the ckwood family before but failed, so I thought I''d try my luck with thispany instead. I believe the ckwood Group wouldn''t choose a subparpany."


    Upon hearing this, Eva finally understood why there were so many people downstairs and why she encountered them in the elevator.


    They were all here for the interview because they saw the job posting? Tim is currently in charge of the hiring process, and he just joined yesterday. Did he send out the job posting yesterday afternoon or in the evening? "We are also here for the interview."


    Perhaps after overhearing their conversation, other people chimed in with a smile, "What position are you applying for? It seems like this smallpany has vacancies for all positions at the moment."


    Once the floodgate of conversation opened, everyone started chatting excitedly.


    The discussion began to flow endlessly.


    Eva quietly listened as they talked about their various job applications. They didn''t chat for long before the elevator arrived at their floor. Everyone stepped out together. Because the area was spacious, they were still looking for the location where they were supposed to apply.


    Eva directly pointed to a certain spot. "The application area is over there. Just walk along here, turn right, and then push open the door."


    "Okay, thank you."


    Once everyone realized what she was saying, they wanted to say something more to her, but they found that Eva had already left and was heading in another direction.


    "Hey, wait, how does she know the ce so well?"


    "Seems like she has left already. Could she be an employee here?"


    Though they didn''t know who Eva was, it had finally dawned on them that she wasn''t there to apply with them.


    Eva spent the morning in the office, and around noon, Tim came to find her. "I''ve been interviewing people all morning. Couldn''t you help out?"


    "I have something urgent to attend to here. Besides, I trust your ability to judge people, so I left it to you. How many did you hire?"


    "Four or five; I thought they were suitable, so I asked them toe to the orientation tomorrow. There are still dozens more to see this afternoon." "So many?"


    Although she had anticipated this situation, hearing the number still surprised Eva a little.


    "What else can we do? That''s exactly why I had you directly approach the ckwood Group. The influence of arge corporation is beyond your imagination."

 Chapter 248 Spitting Blood Again

    Indeed, Eva could not deny this point. Then, she thought of someone who was still lying in a hospital bed at this moment.


    But soon, this vague thought was dismissed from Eva''s mind. She couldn''t think about him anymore. After struggling for five years, as soon as she returned to her home country, all her thoughts were disrupted by him. She had to follow her


    own path.


    Her phone rang and Eva took it out to look. "It''s Henry."


    "Mr. Davis? Why is he calling you? Could it be that he also wants..."


    "It''s not that serious. Let me take it." Tim nodded and left. "Mr. Davis?"


    Since leaving hispany that day, Eva and he hadn''t spoken again. Knowing that he wouldn''t invest in herpany anymore, Eva felt there was no need to waste more time.


    But if she wanted to develop in Chicago, she didn''t want to have a falling out with Henry either.


    "Ms. Hansen, how has yourpany been these past few days? I apologize for what happened that day."


    "No problem."


    "Although I can''t invest directly in yourpany anymore, if you need it, I can have my team advertise for yourpany. Would that also be effective? What do you think?"


    Having the advertising done by someone from the Davis Group should be effective as well. Eva felt grateful and thanked him, saying, "Mr. Davis, that''s very kind of you, thank you. However, the matter with ourpany has already been resolved."


    "Resolved?" Upon hearing that the investment issue with theirpany had been resolved, Henry seemed surprised, "How was it resolved? Whichpany?"


    Eva pondered for a moment and finally decided to tell him. "It''s the ckwood Group."


    Henry said, "...I thought he could hold on, but he surrendered so quickly?"


    Eva remained silent in response to his remark.


    However, Henry didn''t stop talking and continued, "He went through great lengths to pursue you."


    Eva was speechless for a moment, then corrected him, "Mr. Davis, be cautious with your words. We are just cooperating."


    "Do you think he just wants to cooperate with you? Why don''t you like him?"


    Before she could answer, Henry yfully interrupted, "If you''re not interested in him anymore, how about I pursue you? Just kidding, I wouldn''t dare touch his woman."


    Eva reiterated, "Once again, I have no rtionship with him. If we must speak of a connection, it is solely a working rtionship. Mr. Davis, I respect you and hope you respect me."


    Her voice and tone suddenly became solemn, and Henry knew he had said something wrong, quickly apologizing.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to offend. If that''s the case, I will definitely take note next time."


    After hanging up the phone, Eva realized her emotions were fluctuating greatly.


    She took a deep breath, but before she could calm herself down, her phone rang again.


    Seeing the caller ID, Eva''s anger surged instantly. Without waiting for the other person to speak, she retorted, "Jacob, can you please stop harassing me? Whether Mr. ckwood wants to have dinner or not..." "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood passed out."


    On the other end of the phone, Jacob''s panicked voice came through, "He even coughed up blood just now."


    The words "coughed up blood" made Eva freeze in ce.


    When Eva arrived at the hospital, she overheard a doctor saying to Jacob, "If he continues to refuse treatment and rest, then there is nothing more I can do."


    "Doctor, I am truly sorry. I will exin everything clearly to Mr. ckwood when he wakes up."


    The doctor, feeling ignored by Adrian''s disregard for life, became somewhat disrespectful in his speech.


    "If you want to die, you shouldn''te to the hospital, nor should youe looking for me."


    Under his reprimand, Jacob didn''t dare say anything and could only weakly agree.


    Eva watched from the side and could tell from the doctor''s reaction that Adrian''s condition must be particrly serious this time.


    Afterwards, the doctor said something to Jacob and then left without another word.


    Jacob, looking dejected like an abandoned puppy, leaned against the wall with his head hanging low, appearing very dispirited.


    After a moment of silence, Eva approached him.


    Hearing the movement, Jacob lifted his head, and Eva noticed that the eyes of this grown man were red.


    She wasn''t sure if it was because of the doctor''s harsh words or because he was worried about Adrian.


    Upon seeing her, Jacob quickly turned his back, realizing what he had done. Observing the situation, Eva remained silent, standing there patiently, waiting for him to collect himself. After about two minutes, Jacob turned to face her. "Ms. Hansen."


    Seeing that he had regained hisposure, Eva nodded at him and then gently patted his shoulder to reassure him. "Where is he now?"


    "Just rescued," Jacob replied, his voice choked up as he mentioned it.


    Hearing this, Eva fell silent, not knowing what to say.


    After a while, she finally spoke up, "Take me to him."


    "Okay."


    As Jacob led her to the ward, he kept expressing his gratitude, "Thank you, Ms. Hansen, thank you foring. I really didn''t know what to do without you."


    Listening to his words, Eva couldn''t hold back anymore.


    "Can''t you call his family as well? What about his rtives?" she asked.


    She originally wanted to say Vivian, but she felt hesitant to directly mention her name, so she used the term "rtives" as a substitute.


    Jacob responded in disagreement, "Ms. Hansen, this situation has happened before. If Mr. ckwood had been willing to listen to his family, it wouldn''t have escted to this point today." Not willing to listen to his family?


    "Does it mean it''s useless no matter who says it?"


    "Yes, it''s useless no matter who says it. I''m also frustrated." Jacob admitted.


    To be honest, Eva found it hard to believe. In the past, Jacob had valued Vivian so much. How could he not even listen to her now?


    If there came a day when he wouldn''t even listen to Vivian, what use would her words be?


    Eva didn''t want to dwell on this topic any longer and could only ask some other questions rted to his condition.


    "How long has he had this stomach illness?"


    "For a long time."


    "He hasn''t been taking medication or seeking treatment all this time?"


    "Not exactly, Mr. ckwood asionally takes medication, but he rarely eats. I feel like he''s not just uninterested in food, but has lost his appetite entirely." Hearing this, Eva paused. "Anorexia?"


    "Not diagnosed with anorexia, as there are times when he does feel interested or has an appetite and eats something."


    Upon hearing this, Eva understood Adrian''s situation to some extent.


    "How long has he been like this?"


    Jacob scratched his head, seemingly contemting, "Around three years? I''m not entirely sure. It seemed to worsen only after Granny ckwood passed away."


    Upon hearing this, Eva, who had been walking steadily, abruptly halted, raising her head in disbelief as she looked at him, her voice trembling, "What did you just say?"

 Chapter 249 Have You Gone Mad?

    Because Jacob was absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn''t noticed anything unusual about Eva.


    Only noticing that she had stopped, he also paused and exined, "What I meant was, before Granny ckwood passed away, Mr. ckwood''s condition hadn''t worsened to this extent."


    The situation with Mr. ckwood is somewhat better. Although he also drinks, he always controls himself and refrains from drinking for a period of time before meeting Granny, so as not to be discovered by her due to the smell of alcohol on him. But since Granny passed away, there hasn''t been anyone who could control Mr. ckwood.


    Jacob said a lot of words.


    But Eva could only see his lips moving; she couldn''t hear a single word in her ears.


    Suddenly, Eva couldn''t hear any sound around her. Her ears seemed to be covered in a mist, buzzing loudly, unable to hear anything. The rity in front of her vision also decreased, at first she could still see Jacob''s lips moving, butter everything became blurry and she couldn''t see anything.


    "Previously, Miss Morrison wanted to persuade Mr. ckwood, but it was no use. Mr. ckwood simply didn''t listen to her, and he wasn''t even willing to see her. But Ms. Hansen is different. Mr. ckwood listens to you, so..." Jacob was interrupted by a thud from behind. He turned his head and found Eva lying on the ground.


    "Ms. Hansen!!"


    Eva fainted, and Jacob gently lifted her up. He called her several times, but she didn''t respond. He had no choice but to quickly carry her and seek help.


    When Adrian woke up, it was quiet all around, except for the sounds of hospital equipment. He was lying in bed and noticed that his hand was connected to an IV again, receiving fluids.


    This scene made him feel a surge of anger. When he thought about getting up, he heard voices outside.


    "Take it slow, take it slow."


    Jacob, apanied by two nurses, pushed a bed into the ward.


    Adrian couldn''t see who was lying on the bed, but he could see the anxious expression on Jacob''s face, which furrowed his brows involuntarily.


    He was the one who was sick, yet Jacob ran off to care about someone else? And now he was bringing someone to his own ward?


    With these thoughts, Adrian''s expression immediately turned worse.


    If he hadn''t been so weak, he would probably have sat up by now.


    "Thank you."


    After settling the person, the two nurses left.


    Jacob purposely went to see them off, closed the door of the ward, and when he came back, he suddenly met Adrian''s cold gaze.


    He paused for a moment before reacting. "Mr. ckwood, you''re awake."


    Adrian, however, looked at him icily. "What were you just doing?"


    "I didn''t do anything."


    "Who did you bring into my ward?"


    Because Adrian woke up, Jacob momentarily forgot about Eva fainting. Reminded by Adrian, he suddenly remembered and his face changed. "It''s Ms. Hansen!"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian, who had a cold expression, narrowed his eyes dangerously.


    "What did you say?"


    "Ms. Hansen fainted." Hearing that it was Eva who had just been pushed in on the hospital bed, Adrian tried to sit up abruptly. However, due to the sudden movement and hisck of strength after the rescue, he ended up aggravating his wound and fell heavily back onto the bed.


    "Mr. ckwood, please don''t get up! Just listen to me!" Jacob rushed over and held Adrian down. "Ms. Hansen is fine. I''ve already had a doctor check on her."


    "If she''s fine, why did she faint? Help me up."


    Adrian gritted his teeth and exerted force against Jacob, who was trying to hold him down.


    Feeling his strength, Jacob eventually had to let go and helped him sit up.


    Afterward, Jacob inspected the wound on Adrian''s hand and confirmed it was alright before supporting Adrian with an IV drip and guiding him to Eva''s bed.


    Eva, in a state of unconsciousness, had a paleplexion. Even her usually crimson lips had lost their color, making her appear all the more exhausted and frail. This sight of Eva pierced Adrian''s heart as if it had been struck by something.


    His thin lips moved as he asked, "What happened?"


    Jacob was also perplexed. "I, I''m not sure. I told Ms. Hansen that you coughed up blood, and then she came to the hospital. When she arrived, herplexion seemed fine without any issues, but unexpectedly, she fainted." "What did the doctor say?"


    "The doctor said it seemed like she was overwhelmed by shock, but her physical condition is fine. They can only observe her and let her rest until she wakes up."


    Overwhelmed by shock? Adrian narrowed his slender eyes. He didn''t believe that hearing him coughing up blood would overwhelm her to the point of rushing over. However, he believed the doctor''s assessment. But... there must have been something else that happened.


    "On your way here, did anything else happen?"


    Jacob sounded confused. "Nothing really happened. We were just talking on the way here. She asked me a few questions, and I was in the middle of answering when I turned around and saw Ms. Hansen copse." Questions? Adrian felt that the reason probablyy within those questions.


    "What did she ask you?"


    Jacob replied honestly, "Ms. Hansen asked how long Mr. ckwood has been sick, and I told her honestly."


    "Just that?"


    "Just that. Nothing else." Jacob couldn''t understand why she fainted while they were having a normal conversation. Could Eva have a health problem? However, the doctor said her test results were normal, so if she fainted for no apparent reason, it would likely be due to shock.


    Shock? There wasn''t anything frightening in that corridor. Could it be something he said?


    But he simply answered based on Ms. Hansen''s question. Upon closer thought, it didn''t seem like anything... Wait.


    Suddenly, Jacob realized something, and his expression changed instantly.


    "Mr. ckwood, I think I know what happened."


    "ckwood, I think I know why Ms. Hansen fainted," Jacob said.


    Impatiently, Adrian responded, "Go on."


    "And it might... be something serious."


    Adrian stared at him displeased, feeling he was being overly verbose.


    "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen asked me how long you have been in this condition, and I mentioned... Granny''s passing," Jacob said, struggling to swallow.


    Upon hearing that, Adrian''s pupils instantly dted, his impatience forgotten.


    Reacting quickly, he grabbed Jacob''s cor and asked, "Are you insane?"


    Adrian''s reaction was intense, and he almost punched Jacob on the spot.


    As he had suspected, how could she be so scared by his blood vomiting alone? There must be another reason.


    Jacob felt helpless and on the verge of tears.


    He hadn''t thought much of it at the time, thinking that Granny was someone else''s olddy to Eva, so he had just blurted it out.


    But now, seeing Adrian''s extreme reaction, Jacob guessed that his assumption was true.

 Chapter 250 The Potential of Love Brain

    "I''m sorry, Mr. ckwood. I really didn''t think it through, because when Ms. Hansen suddenly asked me about your condition, I thought she was concerned about you, so I told her about it. I didn''t mean anything else," Jacob exined earnestly.


    Adrian''s breath became uneven, his eyes filled with an anger that almost knocked Jacob to the ground. But in the end, he suppressed it.


    Perhaps he was afraid that making a big fuss would disturb Eva, who was still in aa.


    Adrian let go of Jacob and restrained his anger, saying, "Get out."


    Jacob wanted to leave, but he couldn''t. He could only reluctantly say, "This IV..."


    As soon as the words were uttered, Adrian reached out to remove the needle.


    Seeing this, Jacob hurriedly blocked his hand and said, "Mr. ckwood, do you still want Ms. Hansen to worry about you when she wakes up from being overly scared?"


    Adrian''s hand paused at Jacob''s intervention.


    "Initially, Ms. Hansen didn''t want to bother with you, but when she heard that you vomited blood, why did shee? Don''t you think you should take care of yourself?" Jacob''s courage grew as he spoke. "Let''s not even talk about whether Ms. Hansen cares or not. If your health is reallypromised, how will you be able to win Ms. Hansen back in the future?"


    Hearing this, Adrian''s gaze became dangerous and profound.


    "Jacob, are you lecturing me?" he asked.


    "I wouldn''t dare. I''m just stating the facts," Jacob replied.


    Despite his anger, Adrian couldn''t deny that Jacob''s words struck a chord within him...


    In the end, Adrian, though still displeased, refrained from taking any action and reluctantly allowed Jacob to stay and hold the IV bag for him.


    At first, Jacob was able to hold it, butter, because Adrian''s IV bag needed frequent adjustment, Jacob had to stay by his side.


    an always stayed by Eva''s side, waiting for her to wake up. He had tried to persuade her to go back to her own hospital bed, but she didn''t listen. So Jacob had to hang the IV drip on Eva''s side of the bed instead. Then he found a chair that Adrian could lie down on.


    "Mr. ckwood, since you won''t go back to your own hospital bed, it''s fine if you lie down here, right?"


    After all, he had brought the reclining chair to Eva''s bedside. He couldn''t possibly refuse, right?


    Sure enough, this time Adrian didn''t refuse. He followed his words and sat down. Although he didn''t lie down, Jacob finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Adrian sit down.


    After that, Adrian stayed by Eva''s side. Jacob stayed by Adrian''s side and noticed that Adrian''s gaze was almost glued to Eva, never leaving for a moment.


    While observing, Jacob couldn''t help but sigh in his heart. Suddenly, he felt that Mr. ckwood had a hidden potential for love. Before, Jacob had thought that he wouldn''t spare a nce for any woman, not even someone as beautiful as Vivian. But now, he was staring at a woman and couldn''t bear to look away for a second.


    Although, in Jacob''s eyes, Eva was indeed more beautiful. Vivian appeared delicate and beautiful, the kind of woman that would easily evoke a man''s protective instincts.


    Eva, on the other hand, was different. She had a slender figure and appeared fragile, yet there was a sense of resilience in her, as if she wouldn''t easily be defeated and didn''t need to rely on a man.


    Jacob didn''t know what Adrian was thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn''t have the time to care. Because at this moment, Adrian''s heart was all with Eva. He knew too well what his grandmother''s death meant to her.


    At first, he had tested her and heard those harsh words. He was disappointed but also relieved. She divorced him, so she didn''t consider his grandmother as her family anymore?


    If that was really the case, then it would be even better. Not caring would mean not getting hurt.


    Butter, she went to the hotel and asked about his grandmother. From that moment, Adrian knew that she had a tough exterior but a soft heart for his grandmother. And now, hearing the news about her, she fainted directly.


    Adrian couldn''t imagine what would happen after she woke up. It was good that she was still unconscious and didn''t know anything, but what about afterwards? Thinking about this, Adrian involuntarily reached out and gently held her wrist.


    Time passed minute by minute.


    Adrian and Jacob stayed in the hospital room like this.


    After an unknown amount of time, Eva''s phone, which was ced in her bag, started ringing.


    Jacob immediately got up and brought Eva''s bag over to Adrian. Seeing that his hands were not convenient, he carefully unzipped it and took out the phone.


    Adrian only nced at the caller ID and his face darkened.


    Michael.


    "If Ms. Hansen hasn''t..."


    "If she fainted and is lying in the hospital, it''s already after work hours, so I guess her family might be looking for her. Mr. ckwood, should I answer the phone and let them know she is safe?" "No need."


    What rtion is Michael to her family?


    "Huh? No need?"


    Adrian looked at his phone with cold expression for a few seconds, then said to Jacob, "Turn it off."


    "But..."


    Seeing Adrian''s unpleasant face and the name disyed on the iing call, Jacob felt like he had guessed something.


    Could this person named Michael be their Mr. ckwood''s rival in love?


    Finally, Jacob hesitatingly turned off the phone.


    Michael had called Eva for a long time, but she didn''t answer. After the call ended automatically, he dialed again, but the other side was now unreachable.


    A dark shade passed over Michael''s eyes, and after a moment, he parked the car by the roadside.


    After pondering for a few seconds, he made a call.


    "I need to pick up two kids from school. Can you find out where she went? I hope you''ll have the location for me when I pick up the kids."


    After saying that, Michael hung up the phone, turned the car around, and headed towards the school.


    Just as her consciousness started to return, a wave of pain surged through Eva''s body, causing her to instinctively curl up, but her eyes remained closed. Shey there, with only one thought in her mind.


    Grandma has passed away.


    She had considered that a lot could happen in five years-Adrian remarrying or having children, everyone moving on with their own lives.


    She had prepared for everything and thought it through clearly, epting whatever woulde.


    But she never anticipated her grandmother''s passing.


    It was thest thing she wanted to hear, yet it had happened without a doubt.


    Three years ago?


    After lying quietly for a while, Eva suddenly opened her eyes.


    Adrian, who had been keeping watch over her, froze as he saw her open her eyes without any warning, his heart skipping a beat. "You''re awake?"


    Although Adrian tried to keep a calm tone, one could still sense the panic in his expression.


    After meeting his gaze, Eva sat up, her eyes calmly fixed on him.


    Adrian''s lips moved, but he couldn''t say a single word.


    Eva pursed her lips and stared at him for a while, then asked, "When?"


    What is she asking with this question? The answer was already evident. But Adrian still couldn''t bring himself to say it.

 Chapter 251 Shedding Tears

    "Three years ago?" Eva asked again when he didn''t respond.


    Her gaze was fixed on his face, as if she wouldn''t give up until she got an answer.


    But her eyes and demeanor appeared calm. There wasn''t even a hint of redness in her eyes.


    She had been terrified by this news, enough to faint, yet she showed no reaction now.


    Was this normal?


    No, it wasn''t.


    Adrian pursed his lips and looked at her seriously. "Don''t you need to rest?"


    "Adrian," Eva called his name. "I''m asking you a question."


    After a long pause, Adrian finally nodded. "Almost."


    "Almost?" Eva chuckled softly in response to this answer. "You don''t know when your own grandmother passed away? What does ''almost'' mean?" Adrian furrowed his brows. The atmosphere instantly became tense.


    Jacob, who was sitting behind them, sat stiffly as if he was held in ce, not daring to take a breath.


    As expected, Ms. Hansen cared a lot about this matter. What was wrong with him? He had casually blurted it out like that.


    "What''s the matter? Can''t speak?" Eva continued.


    Adrian pressed his lips tightly, his expression unsightly.


    He was already sick, vomiting blood. Yet because of her, he had been by her bedside without lying down to rest.


    So now Adrian''s face was almost ashen, his lips even a bit bluish. However, seeing him like this, Eva felt no sympathy.


    She only cared about her grandmother!


    "Speak up! When exactly was it?"


    After a long while, Adrian finally managed to speak.


    "On Christmas Eve three years ago, she had a sudden heart attack and couldn''t be saved."


    A heart attack?


    Eva''s eyshes trembled. "Grandma had a heart attack? Howe I didn''t know beforehand?"


    This time, Adrian remained silent again.


    Eva narrowed her brows and urged him, "Say something!"


    But no matter how she questioned him this time, Adrian didn''t speak again.


    Finally, Jacob stepped in to break the awkwardness.


    "Hansen, Ms. Hansen, don''t get worked up. It''smon for elderly people to have sudden heart attacks."


    "Common?"


    As expected, once he spoke, Eva''s arrows were aimed at him. "What do you mean by mon''? Do you think this is amon urrence in your eyes?"


    "You should leave first," Adrian spoke up in a timely manner.


    Jacob, aware of his own mistake, didn''t dare to linger anymore and apologized before leaving the room.


    After he left, he thoughtfully closed the door to the ward.


    The room fell into silence.


    Adrian looked at Eva and calmly exined the situation at that time.


    "Grandma was old and had been experiencing difort in her heart frequently. When we found out that night, she was immediately rushed to the hospital, but it was toote."


    "Toote..." Eva lowered her eyes and suddenlyughed self-mockingly. "What right do I have to inquire about all this? When she was in pain, I wasn''t even by her side. I couldn''t even..."


    She didn''t know about the difort in her heart, even before she passed away... She didn''t even get to see the elderly onest time. She feels really guilty for how good the old person treated her in the past.


    And looking at her, Adrian couldn''t say a word at the moment. Because he unexpectedly discovered that seeing her in pain was even more torturous than coughing up blood himself. It felt like someone had taken out his heart, crushed it, and repeatedly stabbed it with a dagger.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about their current rtionship. "Before she passed away, she mentioned you."


    Adrian''s words made Eva suddenly look up at him. "Really?"


    Adrian looked at her. "She missed you a lot."


    With one sentence, tears instantly welled up in Eva''s eyes, and then they couldn''t be stopped. Her tears flowed uncontrobly, like a faucet that had been turned on, continuously streaming down. This scene finally made Adrian unable to resist reaching out and tightly embracing her in his arms.


    Eva''s crying was silent. She didn''t push away Adrian either, as if she had lost all her strength, leaning there motionless and shedding tears.


    Before long, Adrian could feel his shoulder bing wet. He grimaced and felt like Eva was about to drain all her tears. After a while, he gently patted her shoulder. "It''s alright, it''s all in the past."


    At the same time, after Michael picked up the two children and they got in the car, his phone rang. He didn''t rush to start the car, but answered the call.


    After hearing the content of the call, a hint of anger gradually appeared on his gentle face. But soon, he remembered that there were two little ones in the car, and he restored his original appearance. "Okay, I understand." After hanging up the phone, Ruby, who was in the back, leaned over and asked him, "Uncle Michael, what''s the matter?"


    "It''s something rted to work."


    "Oh." The little girl obediently responded and then suggested, "Shall we go together to pick mommy up today?"


    Go together to pick up Eva? If it were a normal day, he would definitely agree directly, as he also wanted to blend in with their family. But today... "Today, your mommy has something else to take care of, so I''ll send you home first."


    It was usually like this, so the two little ones didn''t have any objections. However, after reaching their destination, David was already waiting downstairs. "Jack will take you upstairs, and once you''re upstairs, you can do your homework and don''t need to wait for me." Dn looked up at him and asked, "Uncle Michael, aren''t youing upstairs with us?"


    "Uncle still has some things to take care of, so I''ll let David take you."


    "Okay." David quickly came over and led the two little ones away. After saying goodbye to them, Michael drove away. He kept watching through the rearview mirror until David took the two of them upstairs, before finally retracting his gaze. At this moment, the gentleness on his face hadpletely disappeared, reced by a stern coldness, and his gold-rimmed sses concealed his eyes.


    The coldness in his eyes.


    He stepped on the elerator, and the car elerated directly off the runway.


    After crying for an unknown length of time, Eva felt that her tears could no longer flow, and her lips were dry.


    At this moment, a nurse came in to change Adrian''s IV drip, and Eva remembered that he had been sick and copsed from coughing up blood.


    He was already a patient, yet she had relied on him and cried for a long time.


    Finally, Eva regained herposure a little bit and got up. "I''m going to the restroom."


    Afterwards, she didn''t look at Adrian anymore and went straight to the restroom.


    The restroom in the VIP ward was very clean, without any strange smell. Eva turned on the tap and washed her face carefully. Then she dried herself and stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself. Because she had cried, her eyes now looked red and swollen.


    Thinking about what she had to do next, Eva wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes again.


    When she opened the door and went out, Eva had already calmed down her emotions.

 Chapter 252 Afraid that I will Vent My Anger on Him?

    Just as she opened the door, Eva saw Adrian standing outside the restroom.


    He was holding the IV drip himself.


    When he saw her opening the door anding out, there was a slight rxation in his tense eyes.


    Eva nced at his pale and defeated face.


    After a moment, she took the initiative to ask, "How many bottles are left?"


    "Not sure. If you want to know, I can go check," he replied.


    Without saying anything, Eva walked over to check the prescription after hearing his words.


    After reading it, she said to Adrian, "This is thest bottle."


    "Mm." Adrian replied, his gaze tightly fixed on her. Although she had just finished crying, he still felt her emotions were too calm.


    "By the way, your clothes..." Eva said as she opened the cab. Then she found a set of new patient gowns from inside. "I identally got your clothes wet. I''m sorry. Do you want to change into a new set?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian lowered his gaze to look at the wet corner of his clothes, and then at Eva handing him the gown. He pursed his thin lips. "No need, they''ll dry soon."


    "You''re already sick, getting cold will affect your recovery," Eva insisted.


    Adrian stared at her and finally said, "I can''t do it myself."


    Only then did Eva remember that Adrian was still receiving an infusion, so it was indeed inconvenient for him to change clothes.


    After a moment of silence, Eva took a dry towel and draped it over Adiran''s shoulder. Although it had little effect, it was better than doing nothing.


    Adrian hadn''t expected that one day she would stand by his side, caring for him so calmly.


    Suddenly, he felt that his ploy seemed to have worked well, but he also felt something was off.


    She was suddenly too calm.


    After a while, Eva took off the towel.


    After putting down the towel, Eva said, "It''s gettingte. I have to go back."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s eyes tightened.


    "Go back where?"


    Subconsciously, Adrian gripped her delicate wrist, using a little more force.


    After finally bringing her here, she wanted to leave again?


    Looking at the hand held on her wrist, she slowly pulled her hand out after a moment.


    "I have to go home."


    But Adrian''s grip was strong, and she couldn''t pull her hand out at all.


    Helpless, Eva said, "I''lle tomorrow."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian, who had been tense, rxed.


    "Really? You''lle tomorrow?"


    "Yes," Eva nodded, "Didn''t the doctor say you need to rest? I''ll take care of you during this time."


    Just as Adrian was about to ask why, Eva continued, "What would you like for breakfast tomorrow?"


    Adrian''s thoughts were interrupted. "Anything, I''ll eat whatever you make."


    "Alright, I''ll bring you breakfast tomorrow, but I won''t be able toe at noon."


    "Have Jacob prepare it."


    "Alright, then I''ll head back today."


    Adrian still didn''t want her to leave. Even though he had rxed, he didn''t let go of her hand.


    "You... live with him?"


    Eva, of course, knew who he was referring to. She paused for a moment, then said, "No."


    Relieved to hear the answer he wanted, Adrian let out a sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on his lips.


    "Okay, then you can go." After speaking, he slowly let go of her hand.


    "I''ll leave now." After Adrian released her hand, Eva turned around and left without any hesitation.


    The light in Adrian''s eyes that had just brightened dimmed instantly.


    Seeing Eva approaching the door of the ward, about to open it, Adrian called her back.


    Eva paused and turned around. "What is it?"


    "Will youe tomorrow?"


    Eva paused for a moment and then replied, "Of course, I''ll keep my word. Is there another question?"


    Adrian pursed his lips and didn''t speak again.


    "Then I''ll go now." Seeing that he didn''t say anything more, Eva opened the door and left.


    The ward fell back into silence.


    Adrian lowered his eyes, his gaze filled with darkness.


    As soon as she left the ward, Eva saw Jacob waiting outside.


    Jacob was leaning against the wall, feelingplicated after speaking and doing something wrong, when he was called out.


    As soon as he heard movement, he stood up straight and showed a guilty expression when he saw Eva. Then, hesitating, he looked at her and said, "Miss Hansen..."


    Eva walked up to him nonchntly and started talking.


    Jacob listened attentively, nodding as he listened. "Okay, can I go buy food for Mr. ckwood tonight?"


    "Yes, if he still refuses to eat, tell him I won''te tomorrow."


    "Okay, no problem. Thank you, Miss Hansen. Shall I escort you back?"


    "No need." Eva directly declined his offer and left.


    Jacob watched Eva''s figure, feeling incredibly moved. He didn''t expect Miss Hansen to be so kind. He had caused her so much trouble, yet she was still willing toe back and see Mr. ckwood tomorrow.


    Does this mean there is a chance Mr. ckwood''s illness can be cured? After Eva left, she turned the corner and stopped, leaning against the wall with a slightly pale face. She rested against the wall for a while before continuing forward. Despite consciously trying to control herself, her mind still dwelled on her grandmother''s passing.


    When Eva reached the entrance of the hospital, she unexpectedly bumped into Michael at the exit. When their eyes met, Eva was still somewhat taken aback. "What are you doing here?" she asked.


    "I came to find you," Michael said, taking her hand and leading her away from the hospital. Both of them remained silent on the way back. Michael didn''t ask her why she went to the hospital, and Eva didn''t question how he knew she was there. Some questions already had answers in their hearts, no need to ask further.


    By the time they reached downstairs, it was already dark outside. Eva sat in the car without unbuckling her seatbelt, and Michael didn''t rush her. After a while, he leaned over and helped her unfasten the seatbelt, whispering, "David should still be upstairs. Let''s go."


    With her seatbelt released, Eva had no choice but to follow him out of the car. Once they got out, Eva looked at Michael''s profile and finally gathered her courage. "Wait, there''s something I want to tell you."


    "Eva," Michael didn''t want to engage in conversation, avoiding the topic. "Whatever you have to say, can we discuss itter?"


    "No." Eva shook her head. "Let''s clear this up now."


    A bitter smile appeared on Michael''s lips. "Eva, please don''t do this."


    "It seems you already know what I want to say." Although it seemed cruel, Eva bit her lip and earnestly said, "Though you gave me three days to think about it, I made up my mindst night. We''re not suitable for each other." Michael pursed his thin lips, his face devoid of any amusement.


    "You made up your mindst night?" Heughed mockingly. "Or is this an excuse you made for him, afraid that I would hold him responsible?"

 Chapter 253 I Cant Do It

    "No." Eva denied it instinctively. "Michael, it''s not what you''re thinking. To be precise, I feel that I''m not worthy of you. Please don''t waste your time on me anymore."


    Eva''s words to Michael were not mere formalities. She genuinely believed that he was good - from a good family, good-looking, with good character, and he also had self-respect, never taking advantage of his favorable conditions to fool around with women. "You think you''re not worthy of me?" Michael chuckled softly, getting closer to her. "But Eva, if that''s how you truly feel, shouldn''t you have discussed it with me? I believe you are worthy, so do you still have any concerns?" Seeing her remain silent, Michael added, "Or are your concerns about him? If you don''t go back to your home country, you..."


    "Five years," she interrupted.


    Upon hearing this, Michael was momentarily stunned.


    "It''s been five years, and I know you''ve been good to me. I did try to ept you, but I realized I couldn''t." Through the lenses, Eva looked into the other person''s eyes earnestly. "I''ve told you before, I can''t reciprocate your feelings for me, so please don''t treat me well."


    Michael, however, gazed at her intensely. "But I can''t do that. I can''t stop treating you well, I can''t stop looking at you, and I can''t bear seeing you with another man."


    As they spoke, Michael took a step closer.


    Suddenly, he held onto Eva''s slender waist and pulled her towards him.


    Startled, Eva instinctively pushed him away from her chest.


    But their distance had already closed.


    Eva could clearly smell Michael''s cool breath.


    His voice lost its warmth and gained a sense of possession. "You know it''s been five years. I''ve been treating you well all this time. If you''re willing to ept me, I''ll treat you even better in the days toe. I''ll do whatever you say." He earnestly expressed himself, but Eva''s brows furrowed even more as she listened.


    In the end, she even became a little anxious. "You don''t understand at all!"


    Michael pressed his body closer.


    "What don''t I understand? Tell me."


    "The better you are to me, the more guilty I feel. I can''t give you the response you want. To put it simply, I don''t like you, so being with you is hurting you. Do you understand?"


    "Eva, I don''t mind."


    Eva stood still in her spot.


    "You can like anyone you want, but I just want the person you are to be with me, as long as you stay with me."


    Hearing this, Eva looked at him in disbelief. "How could that be?"


    "Why not? I''m begging you, you live your life, and I''ll live mine. Isn''t that okay?"


    Eva pushed him away. "That''s absurd. It''s impossible."


    "Eva." Michael remained stationary, not following her. "You always know how to reject me, but you never try with me. If you don''t try, how would you know it''s impossible? It''s only three days, you haven''t seriously considered it in those three days, and you want to reject me. Is that fair to me?"


    Eva''s steps halted.


    Fair? Thinking carefully about what Michael said, she seemed unfair to him.


    Eva closed her eyes.


    "Three days. If you think that''s too short, how about a week?" In the end, Michael had to make a concession in fear of being rejected right at this moment.


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s expression instantly grew weary.


    He was always like this, treating her so well, amodating her to the extreme. It seemed like no matter what she did, he would never mind, always epting her. From all perspectives, he truly was an exceptional partner.


    Unfortunately, that feeling was Eva''s weakness.


    She turned her head to look at him. "I''m sorry."


    Michael looked at her steadfastly, and after a long while, a warm smile returned to his face. "Are you tired today? Go upstairs first, we can talk in a couple of days." "Michael..."


    "The kids must be eagerly waiting for you. Go upstairs quickly."


    With that, Michael even reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her forward, and then sent her into the elevator. After pressing the floor for her, he left and said to her, "Once you go up, just have Davide down directly." Eva frowned but didn''t reply to his words. As the elevator doors closed slowly, just before they shutpletely, Eva saw Michael smile at her.


    "Goodnight, sweet dreams."


    At that moment, the elevator doors closedpletely.


    When Eva returned home, David and another nanny on duty were talking in the living room. When they saw here back, they immediately stood up to greet her.


    Thinking about what Michael had said, Eva said to David, "David, Michael is waiting for you downstairs."


    "Mr. Cooper didn''te up today? Then I''ll go down first."


    He didn''t suspect anything and left after saying that.


    Not long after he left, Eva walked to the window and pulled back the curtains. From her position, she could still see Michael downstairs.


    His tall figure stood beside the car. Despite the brightmunity lights, he had an infinitely lonely appearance.


    He stood silently on the side of the road until David came down. They seemed to have had a conversation before leaving together. Michael came in the car, but they left in David''s car.


    Eva let go of the curtains.


    "Mummy." Ruby''s voice came from behind, asking, "Mummy, where did you go today? Why did youe back sote?"


    Hearing this, Eva turned around and bent down. "Mummy had some things to do these days, so I''ll probablye homete."


    The two little kids were considerate and didn''t ask further questions, perhaps because they were young and not interested in such matters.


    There was no live broadcast tonight, so the two little ones yed with building blocks in the living room after dinner.


    Eva went to the kitchen by herself.


    "Ms. Hansen, is there anything you need?" The other nanny, Victoria, was younger than Luna by almost ten years and only a few years older than Eva. She hadn''t been in this job for long, and when she saw Evae in, she nervously wiped her hands.


    Eva could tell she was uneasy, unlike Luna''s rxed state. But Eva didn''t have the mood tofort her, as this situation could only be adjusted by herself.


    So Eva averted her gaze naturally and said, "I''m just checking the ingredients."


    Eva opened the fridge and checked the food that could be used tomorrow morning.


    Originally, she nned to just cook some in rice porridge to bring to the hospital. Whether he ate it or not was up to him. But considering her ulterior motive, Eva felt she should show some thoughtfulness.


    Besides, he was not in good condition, so she should prepare something nutritious for him.


    In the end, Eva found some nutritious food that wouldn''t be greasy and wouldn''t affect his recovery, and prepared it before cing it aside.


    Looking at the prepared food, Eva thought to herself that she would probably have to wake up half an hour earlier tomorrow to prepare breakfast.

 Chapter 254 Beautiful Mother with a Kind Heart

    The next day, Eva sent her two children to school.


    Originally, Michael would pick them up and drop them off, but after their conversationst night, Eva didn''t let him pick them up anymore.


    "If you really want to give me some time to consider, then don''t interfere with my thoughts during this time," she said.


    Michael was truly persuaded by her and didn''t appear anymore.


    Seeing that he didn''t show up, Eva breathed a sigh of relief and personally took the two children to school. Since they were early and she was carrying a thermos, the two children curiously asked some questions along the way. "Well, it''s a business partner of Mommy''spany. He''s sick, so Mommy is bringing him some food."


    Ruby ttered, not asking any further and even praised Eva.


    "Mommy is so good, beautiful and kind-hearted. Whoever marries our mommy will be the luckiest man in the world."


    Hearing this, a ripple formed at the corner of Eva''s lips.


    These words were taught to the two children by Emily before, and Ruby often used this phrase to praise Eva.


    Every time she praised her, Eva couldn''t help but smile.


    It wasn''t that she thought the praise was great, but Ruby''s expression and tone were particrly cute and a little proud when she said it.


    "Alright, go in quickly. Don''t argue or have conflicts with others at school. You two should protect each other, understand?"


    After instructing the two of them, she watched them enter the school before turning around to leave.


    "Mr. ckwood, it''s only a few hours. Ms. Hansen won''te this early. You didn''t sleep muchst night. How about you get some more rest? Or, I can wait outside the ward. If I see Ms. Hansening, I''ll immediatelye back to wake you up, how about that?" Jacob looked at Adrian, who woke up early and was sitting there waiting for Eva with an unpleasant expression. He tried to persuade him a few times with a concerned tone.


    Unfortunately, no matter how he tried, even if he talked until his mouth was sore, Adrian only frowned and replied with two words, "Too noisy."


    Jacob thought to himself that he shouldn''t have said anything. He might as well leave and spare himself the pain.


    With that in mind, Jacob remained silent and stopped persuading.


    As time passed, Adrian''s brows furrowed and he nced at the door and then at his wrist.


    His expression became increasingly grim. Could she be deceiving him? Could she note at all?


    But that wasn''t possible. If she really didn''t want toe, she wouldn''t have promised him yesterday.


    As they waited, Jacob sensed that something was off.


    He clearly felt a stronger sense of hostility from Adrian, so Jacob took the initiative to speak, "How about I go check outside the hospital?"


    Adrian''s face turned cold, his thin lips tightly pressed together. He didn''t say whether it was good or bad, but he didn''t refuse either. In this kind of situation, silence usually meant consent.


    So Jacob stood up and was about to go check outside the hospital.


    But just as he reached the ward door, he saw a slender figure carrying a thermos walking towards him.


    A smile appeared on Jacob''s face, and his voice resonated with joy.


    "Ms. Hansen!" Adrian heard the voice, instantly easing his tense state.


    At that moment, the creases on his forehead rxedpletely. The heart that had been hanging in the air, suspended, was now set free. He watched as Eva entered the room, causing Jacob to look at her with surprise, followed by a strange nce at Adrian.


    "What were you doing at the entrance?" Jacob scratched his head, about to exin, but Eva interrupted, "You didn''t suspect that I wouldn''te, did you?"


    "No, I just wanted to see if you had arrived," Jacob replied.


    Eva walked into the ward calmly while speaking, cing the thermos she held in her hand on the table. Then, she rolled up her sleeves and opened the thermos lid. The aroma of the food permeated the room as soon as the lid was lifted. Jacob, who had already eaten breakfast, found his appetite whetted by the smell.


    Initially, he had thought that Ms. Hansen would bring them a meal cooked by Mr. ckwood, one sourced from outside. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that it was made by her. Adrian stood by and watched, seeing her skilled movements as if she had done this a thousand times before. The more he watched, the tighter his brows furrowed.


    When Eva brought the food over to him, she said, "Eat, it''s all liquid food. I asked the doctor, and he said it''s best for your current condition."


    After a few seconds of silence, Adrian epted the bowl. The taste was good, and Adrian, who hadn''t had much of an appetite in a long time, suddenly felt hungry. However... He nced at Eva and asked, "Did you make this yourself?" Eva retorted, "Who else would have?"


    Adrian pursed his lips, initially wanting to say that she didn''t know how to make these things before. But upon further thought, all of that was from five years ago. A lot had happened in these five years, not to mention on her side. Seeing Adrian holding the bowl without eating, Eva urged, "Hurry, there was some traffic on the way here, and it took longer than expected. If you keep staring at it, it''ll get coldter." Eva''s urging prevented Adrian from dying further. He picked up the spoon and slowly ate bite by bite.


    Eva looked away, not watching Adrian eat. She got up and went to find Jacob. "Did the doctor say how he''s doing today?"


    "The doctor came to check his room in the morning and said that if Mr. ckwood is willing to cooperate with the treatment, he''ll recover very quickly. But one important thing is... he needs to take care of his stomach. Even if he''s discharged from the hospital after recovery, he still needs to eat well and can no longer drink like he used to."


    "That''s for sure." Eva spoke with certainty, "Let him stay in the hospital for a while first."


    Adrian, who was listening to their conversation, quickly finished the liquid food in his bowl. When Jacob returned and saw this scene, he was shocked. It was the first time, after spending so much time with Adrian, that he had seen him have such a good appetite.


    Because his stomach was still in the process of recovery, when Eva saw him finishing a bowl, she asked, "Did it suit your taste?" "Yes," Adrian nodded.


    Her eyes remained fixed on her, as if afraid that if she heard it, she would leave.


    "Well then, for the next few days, you can only eat liquid food. I''lle back in the evening," Eva said.


    After speaking, Eva went straight to pack her things and get ready to leave.


    Adrian looked somewhat surprised. "Are you leaving already?"


    He didn''t expect her toe for such a short while, just to watch him finish eating and then leave?


    Adrian stared at the empty bowl in his hand and instantly regretted it.


    If he had known, he would have eaten slower. He didn''t expect their time together to be this short.


    "I still have to go to work." Eva closed the thermos and looked expressionless at Adrian. "Rest well and remember to eat lunch."


    After speaking, Eva turned to Jacob. "If he doesn''t eat, let me know, and I won''te in the evening."


    Jacob replied, "Alright, if Mr. ckwood doesn''t eat his lunch properly, I''ll immediately message Ms. Hansen."

 Chapter 255 Blushing

    After leaving the hospital, Eva headed straight to thepany.


    There was traffic on the way, so she arrived at thepany a bitte, but she didn''t expect to run into the same guy from yesterday.


    As soon as he saw Eva, the bespectacled guy immediately showed a shy smile and even extended his hand. "Hello, we''re coworkers now."


    Eva shook his hand.


    "I thought you were also here to apply yesterday, but it turns out you''ve been working here for a while. How did you decide to join this smallpany? Did you know in advance that the ckwood Group would invest in them?" In advance? Eva chuckled and replied, "Not exactly in advance, but I definitely knew before all of you."


    "Well, you''re already in thepany after all, while we could only see it in the job listing."


    There were other people in the elevator, but no one seemed interested in starting a conversation. Besides the bespectacled guy, Eva didn''t see any familiar faces.


    It seemed that apart from the bespectacled guy, everyone else who had been in the elevator with her yesterday had been eliminated.


    After the elevator doors opened, Eva walked to the left, and the bespectacled guy and the others subconsciously followed her.


    After walking for a while, Eva realized they were all following her and couldn''t help but stop and look at them in confusion.


    "Why are you all following me?"


    The bespectacled guy adjusted his sses and smiled shyly. "It''s our first day at work, and we don''t know where to go. If we don''t follow you, who else should we follow?"


    It seemed like they all considered themselves employees and thought that following Eva would lead them to the office.


    Indeed, following Eva would take them to an office, but not the employees'' office - her private office.


    And now it seemed that not only the bespectacled guy thought this way, but the others who had stopped with him also thought the same.


    Fine then.


    Just as Eva was about to turn around and take them to the office, Tim happened to walk by from the side.


    Seeing Eva, he instinctively greeted her. "Boss."


    The bespectacled guy and the others: Boss? Who''s the boss?


    Their eyes revealed confusion.


    After greeting Tim and Eva, he noticed the group of people behind her.


    Because he personally interviewed all of them, they had already met yesterday, and some were even his former subordinates.


    So Tim recognized them immediately and asked, "How did you end up here? The employees'' office is not here."


    The guy with sses pointed at Eva and said, "We followed her."


    The person behind the guy with sses pointed at him and said, "We followed him."


    After a moment, Tim was perplexed and asked, "What are you doing with the boss?"


    The guy with sses replied, "The boss? Isn''t she an employee?"


    After asking, the guy with sses suddenly noticed something and his face turned red as he looked at Eva. "Are you saying she''s the boss of ourpany?" "Yeah, why not?"


    The guy with sses suddenly felt embarrassed and said apologetically to Eva, stumbling over his words. Not only did he mistake this pretty girl as an employee, but he even thought he might pursue her if they became familiar with each other in the future. Now he realized she was the boss... he was really delusional.


    "It''s alright," Eva smiled. "My fault for not exining clearly. You guys can go to work."


    "Let me take you there," Tim said.


    After greeting Tim and Eva, he led everyone away.


    The guy with sses followed timidly behind Tim. "Is she really our boss?"


    It was clearly exined just now, but Tim could see through the guy with sses'' thoughts. "What? You still want to pursue her if she''s not the boss?"


    Sure enough, when Tim said that, the guy''s face grew even redder. "Don''t talk nonsense, please."


    "Hahaha!" Timughed loudly. "Young man, what are you afraid of? If you like her, go for it. As far as I know, our boss is still single."


    The guy with sses hesitated, his gaze lighting up again. But after thinking about it, he lowered his eyes in disappointment.


    "Forget it, she''s so beautiful. Even if she''s not the boss, I''m not worthy of her, let alone the fact that she has money."


    Upon hearing this, Tim patted his shoulder. "I didn''t expect you to have such self-awareness. Just focus on your work. Even if you can''t find someone like our boss, you definitely won''t end up with someone inferior." The group of people continued their conversation and walked away.


    As it was a newpany, Eva had many things to take care of. Busy until noon, Tim came to call her downstairs for lunch.


    Since thepany''s canteen hadn''t been built yet, the two of them had to go to a nearby restaurant.


    During lunch, Eva was quiet. Her phone vibrated, and she took it out to check. It was a message from Jacob.


    "Report to Ms. Hansen: Mr. ckwood had lunch on time today."


    Report? On time?


    Seeing these words, Eva couldn''t help but smile, a hint of amusement appearing in her eyes.


    She raised the corner of her lips and replied to Jacob, "OK."


    Adrian immediately looked up at the sound of his phone ringing.


    Jacob turned to Adrian and asked, "What did she reply?"


    Jacob nced at the message on his phone and could only say to Adrian, "She replied, but... the message was a bit short."


    Upon hearing that, Adrian raised his hand and said, "Pass it to me."


    Jacob had no choice but to hand his phone over to Adrian.


    Adrian nced at Eva''s reply and furrowed his brows deeply.


    "A bit short?" he asked.


    Jacob pursed his lips and remained silent.


    Adrian threw the phone back to him, his previously good mood now gone.


    Seeing him sitting there, looking dejected, Jacob tried to console him, "Mr. ckwood, don''t overthink it. Although the message was short, look how quickly Ms. Hansen replied. It shows that she still cares about you." Upon hearing this, Adrian coldly nced at him and said, "Do you believe that kind of talk?"


    "Well, I think it''s worth believing," Jacob replied.


    "Do you reply to someone you care about with just one word?"


    "Mr. ckwood, you have to understand one thing. I am the one who sent the message, not you. I''m just your subordinate. Is she supposed to talk to me, a subordinate, about everything? That''s impossible." In the end, Adrian was convinced by Jacob''s words.


    "So if it was you, Mr. ckwood, who sent the message, Ms. Hansen would definitely reply with more than just one word."


    Adrian was somewhat moved. "Then I''ll send another one."


    Without waiting for Jacob to stop him, Adrian sent out another message.


    "I had lunch on time. When are youing in the afternoon?"


    Eva''s reply came quickly, but the words were still brief.


    "After work."

 Chapter 256 This is a Deal

    Adrian was cold throughout the afternoon due to Eva''s short and concise words.


    It wasn''t until the evening, when it waspletely dark outside, that Eva finally arrived.


    Adrian sat on the hospital bed, full of resentment. When he saw Eva sitting in front of him, he spoke coldly, "Why did it take you so long toe?" Eva didn''t react much to his words and just gave him a faint nce, saying, "Doesn''t traveling back and forth take time? Doesn''t cooking take time?" These two questions silenced Adrian, leaving him unable to utter a word.


    When Eva put the food in his hands, Adrian said in a deep voice, "Actually, you didn''t have toe all the way here. You didn''t have to cook for me." Eva replied, "Do you think I wanted to?"


    Adrian''s expression changed slightly. "Then why did you?"


    Eva didn''t answer his question but simply got up to tidy things. Though she faced away from him, it was as if she had eyes on her back as she reminded him, "You''d better eat quickly. It took me a long time." Adrian silently finished the food she had prepared.


    Afterward, Eva came to collect the dishes and emotionlessly said, "I''lle tomorrow."


    Before Adrian could reply, she left. It seems like she had made a decision that day.


    Adrian said, "So that''s the deal? You take care of me, and I take you to see my grandmother?"


    Eva nodded, her eyes fixed on Adrian''s. Eva not only came to see him, but even brought him cooked meals. Having persisted for so long, he thought she had suddenly changed, but it turned out that she had long nned her own objectives. Adrian suddenly asked, "If it weren''t for your grandmother''s situation, would you have cooked these meals for the past few days at all?"


    Eva calmly looked at him. "You''ve eaten, and your health has improved. There''s no need to go into these details."


    Adrian sneered. "In your eyes, what kind of person am I? You wanted to visit your grandmother, didn''t you think I wouldn''t agree?"


    Eva lowered her eyes. "How can I be sure you wouldn''t reject me?"


    When she passed away, she couldn''t be by her side, but after all these years, couldn''t she go and see her at her grave?


    Adrian became somewhat irritable. Just the thought of everything she had done for him these past few days, only to fulfill a transaction, it made his heart feel suffocated. Little did he know...


    With that in mind, Adrian closed his eyes in frustration.


    No wonder she suddenly came every morning and evening but didn''t say a word to him.


    After pondering for a moment, Adrian made a decision. "Go and help me with the discharge procedures. I''ll take you there this afternoon."


    Upon hearing this, Eva remained motionless.


    As Adrian didn''t hear a response, he raised his eyelids and looked at her, his deep eyes calm and steady. "What, are you telling me you''re not avable this afternoon?"


    Eva replied, "Of course not. Even if I''m busy, I will make time. When and where should we meet?"


    Adrian''s heart grew even colder. She only cared about where they would meet, not realizing that today wasn''t his scheduled day of discharge.


    If it weren''t for his grandmother''s situation, he might have died these past few days, and she wouldn''t have spared him even a nce.


    After understanding this, Adrian felt his heart turning to ashes. "You decide."


    He wearily lied back on the hospital bed, looking as if he didn''t want to speak anymore.


    Eva noticed his change in mood, but what of it? She had already done enough to help him recently, and he was an adult.


    If he himself didn''t cherish his life, why should others do it for him?


    She no longer belonged to him now.


    "Well, after you''re discharged, will you return to the hotel? I''ll wait for you downstairs," Eva said.


    After speaking, Adrian didn''t respond.


    Eva knew he was in a mood and didn''t want to stay any longer to say more. She decisively ended the conversation. "I''lle find you in the afternoon. I have other things to attend to at mypany. I''ll leave first." After she left, Jacob stayed in ce, not daring to speak or move.


    He had heard every word of their conversation just now.


    How awkward.


    "Why are you still standing there?" Adrian''s voice came coldly. "Go process the discharge formalities."

 Chapter 257 Sulking

    Jacob remained in ce without moving, only asking softly after a while, "Mr. ckwood, do you really want to go through with the discharge procedures? Your body hasn''t fully recovered yet." Upon hearing this, Adrian''s face turned extremely unpleasant.


    "You Doesn''t anyone care if they don''t see it? Let me go to the discharge formalities at this time."


    Jacob blinked and blinked again, "No, it was you who said you wanted to go through the discharge procedures, Ms. Hansen didn''t say that."


    "Mr. ckwood, if you want to see Ms. Hansen all the time, then you should not take the initiative to pick it out, that man can not live too clearly when he has, it is yourself to chase others, if you still live so clearly, then you can chase people?" After a few days of getting along, Jacob now dared to point out Adrian''s fault, because he found that Adrian would not get angry with him if his suggestions were helpful in this matter between him and Eva.


    Sure enough, Adrian fell silent after listening to him. Jacob knew that he had probably listened, and that he was a little pleased. Perhaps he has more experience with women than Mr. ckwood.


    In the afternoon, Eva arrived at Adrian''s hotel on time ording to the agreed time. Upon arrival, Eva did not enter either, but sat down on the bench provided for guests at the entrance of the hotel and waited. She didn''t have much luggage. She''s flying back tomorrow. As for the two kids, she left it to Lisa for now.


    Although they didn''t have much contact during this time, as soon as she heard that Eva needed help, Lisa immediately took the matter over and let her concentrate on her own affairs. At the same time, the previously frozen knot between the two men also dissipated a little. Eva takes out her phone and checks the time. She arrived a few minutes early.


    Eva waited two minutes and then texted Jacob. "Jacob, are you down here?"


    It took Jacob three minutes to respond to her message. "Ms. Hansen, it may take a while."


    Seeing this message, Eva was stunned for a few seconds, and then realized that something was wrong. She put away her phone, carried her small bag and then got up and walked upstairs.


    Eva was very familiar with Adrian''s room because she had been there before. She came to the door of the hotel room within a few moments. She thought for a moment and rang the bell. The doorbell rang for a moment before anyone answered.


    When he saw Eva, Jacob was startled. "Ms. Hansen, why are you up here?"


    Instead of answering his question, Eva asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Listening to this, Jacob''s eyes were somewhat evasive, "Nothing happened."


    His evasive appearance made Eva frown and his voice a little harsher, "What''s the matter?"


    "Ms. Hansen, please wait a few more minutes," Eva said, cutting off any further words from Jacob, and walked straight into the hotel room.


    "Ms. Hansen, please wait," Jacob tried to stop her in a fluster, but couldn''t catch up to Eva''s speed. He could only follow along anxiously, saying loudly, "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood is just changing clothes."


    "Is that so?" Eva''s eyebrows knit together. Did he really need to be this flustered just to change clothes? She wondered if he had started coughing up blood again. But that shouldn''t be the case; he seemed well these past few days. Although


    his hospital stay was quite long, it wasn''t time for him to be discharged today. Besides, she didn''t ask him to be discharged; he said he wanted to leave out of anger. So, she didn''t bother persuading him. But if he was coughing up blood again... Eva started to regret. If she had known, she would have waited a few more days before speaking. The words she said this morning probably agitated him.


    Eva walked directly towards the bedroom, with Jacob trailing and attempting to stop her.


    Frowning, she was about to reach for the doorknob when the bedroom door automatically opened with a swoosh. Adrian, who had already finished dressing, appeared in front of Eva, blocking her way perfectly.


    She nced at him. Adrian stood there with a handsome face as cold as ice.


    "What''s wrong?" Eva examined his handsome face, as if trying to find any traces of something amiss.


    Seeing her scrutinizing him, Adrian exchanged a nce with Jacob, and then coldly walked past her. "What could be wrong?"


    After walking a few steps, he realized Eva wasn''t following and turned around, looking at her. "Aren''t you going to see Grandma? Why aren''t you going?"


    Eva pursed her lips. "Are you sure you''re okay? If you''re not feeling well, I can wait for two more days."


    "No need," Adrian refused her, but she didn''t have time to investigate whether it was out of spite or not, as he quickly left.


    Jacob, feeling awkward, hurriedly urged, "Ms. Hansen, let''s go."


    With no other choice, Eva followed after. She had initially nned to sit in the passenger seat, but remembering what happened at the East District racetrack when she sat in the passenger seat and Adrian stubbornly refused to leave, she decided against it. Due to the special circumstances, Eva didn''t want to waste any more time and simply opened the back seat door to sit in.


    However, as she bent down, she heard Adrian''s cold voice say, "You sit in the front."


    Eva paused, her actions interrupted, and looked at Adrian in disbelief, thinking she misheard him. "What did you say?"


    He wanted her to sit in the front?


    With a cold expression, Adrian didn''t even spare her a nce. "Is there a problem?"


    Jacob, who had originally intended to sit in the passenger seat, opened the car door for Eva and suggested, "Ms. Hansen, how about you sit in the front?" That''s not right.


    Eva stood in ce, her beautiful eyes squinting slightly.


    If Adrian didn''t want to sit with her because he was mad about being discharged during the day, that would be understandable. But when did his assistant, Jacob, be so proactive? And on top of that, he waste earlier, and even after entering the room, he prevented her from looking.


    Unless they were keeping something from her.


    Eva once again nced at Adrian. He was dressed neatly, with his white shirt meticulously ironed and a light gray towel carefully draped over it. Even his outer coat showed no wrinkles. Because they were going to see his grandmother, he took extra care in his appearance. Eva had done the same, going home to take a shower and change into in attire. Everything seemed fine.

 Chapter 258 Shes with Me

    If hisplexion wasn''t so pale and if he wasn''t so resistant towards her, maybe she wouldn''t be suspicious.


    But the current Adrian, with his strange gestures, including his assistant Jacob, made her wonder.


    With this in mind, Eva pursed her lips and said, "Why should you decide where I sit? Don''t forget, this is a deal, and I want to sit in the back." After speaking, Evapletely ignored Adrian''s objection and directly got into the car.


    Silence.


    After she sat down, Jacob nced at Adrian secretly and raised an eyebrow. He whispered, "Mr. ckwood, should we just leave it like this?"


    Adrian didn''t respond, but his expression was sour.


    However, Eva preemptively said, "Let''s go, Jacob." "Alright."


    As the car drove away, Eva observed Adrian''s movements next to her. Unexpectedly, he moved away from her and leaned against the window, only showing her the back of his head. Well, now Eva couldn''t see any subtle expressions on his face at all.


    Originally, she wanted to see if he was having a stomachache based on the subtle movements on his face, but now she couldn''t see anything.


    But she had been taking care of him for several days, so it shouldn''t be that serious, right?


    Upon arriving at the airport, Eva received a call from Michael.


    "Are you going back to New York?"


    Although Michael was trying his best to hold himself back, Eva still heard his breathing through the phone.


    It sounded like he had stopped after running vigorously and called her without catching his breath.


    Eva calmly replied, "Hmm, I''m going back for a while. I''ll be back tomorrow."


    Adrian beside her frowned displeasingly when he saw her answering the phone.


    There was a long silence on the other end of the phone before Michael''s voice came back, "Are you going with him?" "Yes."


    Michael fell into silence again. "Eva, can I ask for the reason?"


    Without looking back, Eva directly replied, "I have important matters to attend to in New York."


    She didn''t exin that it was regarding the


    Michael understood what she meant when she mentioned it.


    "Okay, then be careful, and I''ll pick you up when youe back," Michael said.


    Eva didn''t even think about it and refused, "No need, I can go back to thepany by myself when I arrive. You don''t have toe and pick me up." "Why do you always reject me?" Michael''s breathing had calmed down a bit. "Don''t I even have a chance to show my feelings now?"


    Eva pursed her lips, feeling her breath bing difficult. "It''s not like that, I just..."


    "Alright then, after you purchase your return flight, send me the flight number, and I''lle pick you up tomorrow."


    His tone was firm, and for a moment Eva didn''t know what else to say. After a while, Michael hung up the phone.


    Hearing the busy toneing from her phone, Eva felt a bit dazed.


    This was the first time he hung up on her. It was probably because she was going to New York with Adrian that things ended up like this. But she had to go back to New York with Adrian.


    If she went alone, she wouldn''t even know in which cemetery her grandmother was buried.


    Thinking of this, Eva put away her phone and headed back.


    As she approached, she heard Adrian''s sarcastic voice, "You''re so reluctant, why not let hime too?"


    Hearing his words, Eva''s expression changed, and she opened her mouth to say something, but Adrian had already walked away. "Ms. Hansen, let''s go too."


    Because they had booked separately, Eva had chosen an economy ss ticket to avoid Adrian.


    Sure enough, when it was time to board, Adrian noticed that she had a ticket for economy ss and instantly sneered.


    "What''s the matter? Afraid I''ll do something to you in first ss?"


    Eva calmly put away her ticket. "I just wanted to save some money. You know I''m starting my ownpany now."


    Her words furrowed Adrian''s eyebrows.


    "Didn''t I invest in yourpany?"


    "You did invest, but thepany hasn''t started making a profit yet."


    She had prepared all the reasons and exnations.


    After a while, Adrian scoffed, "Alright then."


    After that, he didn''t speak to her. He sat in his seat, closed his eyes, and had a displeased expression with pale lips.


    If it wasn''t for being stubborn, she wouldn''t have rushed back to New York today.


    He hadn''t fully recovered, and yet she made him endure the journey like this. It must be very painful for him.


    Oh well, it would teach him a lesson.


    They had first-ss tickets, so they had the privilege of boarding early.


    Eva didn''t have that privilege, so she had to stand in line.


    They separated and went their own ways.


    Jacob followed behind Adrian and felt the heaviness in his demeanor. He suggested, "Mr. ckwood, don''t worry. Once we''re on the ne, I can switch seats with Ms. Hansen." However, Adrian''s expression remained sour.


    Jacob tried tofort him, "Mr. ckwood, it''s actually better that Ms. Hansen bought an economy ss ticket. If she had also purchased a first-ss ticket, it would have been awkward."


    "You bought the seats together. But if I can, I''ll switch seats with her, and she can sit next to you for a closer interaction. Wouldn''t that be better?" After all the talking, Adrian was surprisingly persuaded. He nced deeply at Jacob. Just when Jacob thought Adrian would be displeased with him, Adrian cleared his throat and said, "Well done, but you need to convince the person first."


    "Mr. ckwood, please rest assured, I have my ways."


    Although Adrian still wasn''t entirely at ease with Jacob''s assurance, the tightness in his chest was not as overwhelming as before boarding the ne.


    Even though he hadn''t fully recovered from his illness and could be discharged early, the connection between his organs and emotions made his stomach ache more intensely due to anxiety and anger.


    She sent a message in the afternoon, shortly after Adrian finished his medication, and when he left, a cold sweat covered his back.


    Fortunately, it was winter and he was dressed inyers, so she couldn''t see anything.


    The journey here was also a bit rough, and Adrian''s body temperature had dropped. His empty stomach felt ufortable.


    Jacob was not present, so Adrian went directly to the boarding gate to wait for Eva.


    Adrian had not been seated for long when Eva arrived.


    She walked to the seat next to Adrian and noticed his legs stretched out in a domineering manner. Then she nced at the seat inside and kicked his foot. "Let me in."


    Adrian pursed his lips. "How did youe here?"


    Eva red at him. "Is it not allowed?"


    Adrian remained silent, seemingly unwilling to let her in.


    It wasn''t until the flight attendant approached, casting a curious gaze at Eva, that she said, "Ma''am, the ne will take off soon. Please return to your seat."


    The flight attendant then saw Adrian and noticed his legs blocking the aisle. Sensing something, she asked Eva, "Ma''am, may I see your ticket?"


    As the flight attendant finished speaking, Adrian reached out and held Eva''s wrist, retracting his long legs and pulling her to the seat beside him. "She''s with me."


    The flight attendant, seeing Adrian firmly holding her hand, instantly understood what was happening.


    So, it was a lovers'' tiff?

 Chapter 259 Do You Care?

    In the instant that Eva was held by Adrian, she only had one thought-cold.


    Adrian''s hand felt as though it had just been immersed in ice, and the temperature difference between his hand and her warm wrist was significant, causing her to shiver uncontrobly from the cold. Eva couldn''t help but nce at Adrian''s slightly pale face.


    As they had physical contact, Adrian naturally noticed Eva''s reaction.


    After she settled down, he immediately withdrew his hand.


    Quietly, Eva asked, "Wasn''t I not allowed in?"


    Adrian''s face darkened, but he didn''t speak. However, in his heart, he felt that Jacob''s n wasn''t bad.


    Indeed, the more he acted like he didn''t want her near, the more she thought he might be hiding his illness from her, and she wouldn''t resist getting closer to him.


    Such an oue was exactly what he wanted.


    Sure enough, after a brief silence, Eva took the initiative to ask, "Did you handle the discharge procedures?"


    "What else? Wait until wee back to find amodation?"


    His tone wasn''t good, but thinking that he was going to take her to meet his grandmother, Eva couldn''t get mad. She could only say, "If the illness hasn''t cleared up yet, it''s also possible to go back and stay. Wouldn''t it be better to recuperate?" Upon hearing this, Adrian nced at her.


    "Does it matter to you whether I recuperate or not?"


    Eva smiled lightly, "Why wouldn''t it matter? Don''t forget, you are an important investor in ourpany."


    Adrian''s gaze dimmed slightly, and his thin lips seemed even paler.


    Recalling the chilling temperature of his hand earlier, Eva asked a passing flight attendant, "Sorry, could you give me a nket?"


    The flight attendant quickly fetched a nket and handed it to her.


    Instead of using it for herself, Eva spread it out and covered Adrian with it.


    Adrian turned his head, puzzled.


    "Aren''t you cold? Cover yourself."


    Adrian instinctively retorted, "Who said I''m cold?"


    "I did."


    "I don''t need it, take it away."


    Eva raised an eyebrow, "I''mzy."


    With that, she turned away and ignored him. Adrian sat there, frowning. Despite his verbal resistance, iming he didn''t need it and even allowing Eva to take the nket away, he made no physical movements. Adrian wasn''t wearing much, and the soft nket provided him with more warmth.


    Unusually, Adrian remained in his original position without moving, afraid that the nket might fall off. He couldn''t possibly reach out to pick it up.


    Eva, on the other hand, went about her work naturally, even taking out her notebook and starting to work in front of Adrian.


    Because of his difort, Adrian remained leaning against his seat, just watching Eva work.


    His gaze was fixed on her fair face, then her eyes, nose, lips, ears, lingering on every part of her he could see.


    When she was focused on her work, she was just like she had been five years ago. Once she immersed herself, she couldn''t care less about anyone around her.


    Adrian quietly watched as she worked.


    Not long after, Adrian suddenly noticed her furrowing her eyebrows and pausing her movements, staring at the notebook screen.


    Initially, Adrian thought she had noticed him watching her and was displeased, but he had no intention of averting his gaze.


    However, after a while, Adrian realized that wasn''t the case. Because she continued to keep this pose, fixated on theputer screen, seemingly caught in some kind of dilemma. Only then did Adrian react and shift his gaze to her notebook screen.


    After observing for a while, Adrian finally understood what was troubling her.


    He slightly raised his thin lips and uttered a sentence.


    Upon hearing his words, Eva snapped out of her work, looking towards Adrian.


    "What''s wrong? Did I say something wrong?"


    Eva twisted her eyebrows and responded, "Why aren''t you resting?"


    Adrian said, "I''m not tired."


    Eva didn''t say anything else and, thinking about what he had just said, went to take a look at her own n. She found that his proposed solution was indeed perfect. "Don''t disturb me while I''m working," she told him.


    Hearing this, Adrian lowered his gaze and sneered, "No good deed goes unpunished."


    "I don''t need your kindness," Eva replied. Adrian was infuriated by her response but calmed down slightly when he saw her writing down her suggestions. He coldly snorted in his heart.


    Later, a flight attendant came by to distribute meals. Eva was busy with her n and had no time, but she suddenly heard Adrian say to the flight attendant, "Bring me a ss of red wine." E va, who had been typing on herptop without even looking up, abruptly raised her head and stared at Adrian. "You''re not even fully recovered and you want to drink alcohol?" she eximed. Adrian calmly replied, "I''m almost fine now. I''ll just have a few sips."


    Eva was speechless for a moment but after a few seconds of silence, she said to the flight attendant, "I''m sorry, he just came out of the hospital and can''t drink alcohol. Could you please bring him a ss of water?"


    The flight attendant looked at Eva, then at Adrian, and finally nodded, "Alright."


    "Eva, who do you think you are to manage me?" Adrian said.


    With an impassive expression, Eva replied, "I''m your seatmate now. If you drink and have a rpse that affects my work, what will we do? After we get off the ne, you can drink wherever you want."


    Later, the flight attendant brought a ss of warm water. Though the water was warm, it still emitted heat in this kind of weather. Adrian stared at the ss of in water in front of him.


    After living for so many years and being on flights for such a long time, this was the first time someone had brought him a ss of in water. Surprisingly, he didn''t feel any reluctance in his heart. However, he was currently more troubled by the fact that he didn''t want to pick up the ss on his own as it would make him lose face.


    But Jacob''s words shed in his mind. "If you care about your dignity, how can you win someone back?" With this in mind, Adrian pursed his thin lips and was about to reach for the ss when a fair hand reached out and took hold of it. Eva lifted the cup and felt the temperature. It was warm, just okay. However, if left for a while longer, the temperature would probably be insufficient. So she handed the cup to Adrian. "Drink it quickly," she urged.


    Adrian looked at her but didn''t move. Eva locked eyes with him and directly pushed the cup in front of him, urging, "Hurry up. Yourplexion is so poor. If you get sick again after getting off the ne, let me tell you, I must meet Grandma tomorrow morning."


    Adrian extended a hand out from under the nket and caught the cup.


    "Got it," he said. He drank half a cup of warm water. After drinking the half cup of warm water, Adrian indeed felt that his stomach was slightly warmer and he didn''t feel as ufortable anymore.


    In fact, Adrian didn''t really want to drink alcohol anymore. After Jacob''s words, he hade to his senses. Feeling miserable was just to make her look at him a little more, not because he really wanted to ruin his health. After drinking the warm water, Adrian leaned back in his seat and continued watching Eva work.


    Outside the window, blue sky and white clouds, inside the window, her focused and serious profile.


    For the first time in five years, Adrian''s heart was so calm.

 Chapter 260 It Doesnt Matter Anymore

    Two hourster, the ne arrived in New York.


    Although Eva was mentally prepared, when she got off the ne and saw the familiar airport, her hand hanging by her side trembled slightly.


    Five years ago, she left here.


    In the past five years, the airport hasn''t changed much. Eva walked at the back, but her mood was heavy.


    Perhaps because she was lost in her own thoughts, she didn''t notice that the person in front of her stopped and turned to look at her because she was walking too slowly. But Eva didn''t pay attention and bumped right into him.


    Her forehead collided with his chest.


    Eva stopped in her tracks and looked up, only to see Adrian''s dark eyes.


    He said coldly, "Can''t you watch where you''re going?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused, rubbing her forehead and taking two steps back, frowning. "I was lost in thought just now."


    "What were you thinking about that made you so absentminded?"


    Eva stopped rubbing her forehead and her gaze became somewhat vacant. "I was thinking, would my grandmother me me? If I visit her, would she... not wee me?" Adrian was taken aback for a moment.


    After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Didn''t I tell you before that she really misses you?"


    So what if she misses her? Even if she does, Eva hasn''t been filial, she hasn''t even seen her grandmother for thest time before she passed away. Eva thought that if she were her grandmother, she would definitely me herself. But thinking about her grandmother''s usually gentle temperament, she didn''t think she would harbor such resentful emotions.


    "Let''s go."


    After leaving the airport, it was almost six o''clock when they arrived at the hotel.


    The sky was gray, as if it was about to rain.


    When Eva was checking in, Adrian followed her inside.


    "Aren''t you going home?"


    Adrian remained calm and said, "This ce is close to the cemetery, I can be there in half an hour tomorrow morning."


    Eva epted this reason and didn''t say anything more.


    The two of them each booked two rooms, Jacob stayed with Adrian, and Eva stayed alone.


    Their rooms happened to be across from each other.


    After entering the room, Eva took off her shoes and threw herself onto the soft bed.


    It started drizzling outside the window.


    Evay on the bed listening to the sound of rain. She wasn''t sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the rain in New York sounded different from Chicago and other foreign ces.


    The weather in New York always changed quickly. It could be sunny one second and then a torrential downpour the next. The rain was always sudden and fierce, with a different sound when it hit the ground.


    After lying for a while, Eva felt a bit cold. She got up and closed the window. When the time was about right, she video called Lisa.


    The call was answered quickly, but it wasn''t Lisa on the other end, it was Ruby and Dn.


    The two of them appeared side by side in front of the phone camera.


    "Mommy."


    Eva nced at the background of the two and realized that they were in the car at the moment.


    It was after-school time.


    "It''s been a while, why are they still in the car?"


    "Mommy, Aunt Lisa is taking us out for dinner."


    As soon as the words were spoken, Lisa''s voice came from the other side.


    "Eva? I''m driving right now and can''t answer the phone. I''m taking them out for dinner and then to the game arcade. We might be back a bitte."


    Listening to this, Eva''s lips curved into a smile.


    "Thank you, Lisa."


    "Why are you being so polite with me? Besides, I''m taking them out to y not because of you. It''s simply because they''re adorable. Do you remember two years ago when I took a photo with them and posted it on my social media? I received lots of likes."


    Upon hearing this, Eva recalled that time. They were still abroad, all of them went out together, and they took a photo with Emily as well. Three people and two babies. When the photo was released, many people spected whether the two children were Eva''s or Emily''s. Some even asked Lisa for Eva''s contact information. It wasn''t untilter that they found out she was the mother of both children, and they stopped digging.


    "Alright, I won''t say much more. I''m driving right now and we''re almost there. Take care of your own matters, you can trust Ruby and Dn with me, I''ll take good care of them."


    "Okay." After that, Eva had some more words with the two little ones before hanging up the phone.


    Just as she hung up, there was a knock on the door.


    Eva got up to open it.


    Standing outside the hotel room''s door was Jacob, and upon seeing her, he immediately smiled.


    "Ms. Hansen, where shall we dine tonight?"


    Dine? Only then did Eva feel the hunger, yet she was also tired at the moment. Recently, she would wake up early to cook for Adrian, so her sleep time had been reduced every day. Today, she rushed to catch a flight, so she was quite exhausted.


    "I don''t really want to go out. How about we eat something casual in the room?"


    "But..." Jacob hesitated in his expression.


    His hesitant expression caught Eva''s attention.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s nothing, it''s just that I can eat something casual, but Mr. ckwood..."


    Upon hearing this, Eva understood why he was beating around the bush.


    Thinking about visiting her grandmother at the cemetery tomorrow, Eva said, "Then I''ll put on a jacket and we can go out to eat."


    "Alright, let me go inform Mr. ckwood."


    "Okay." Eva went back to her room, put on a jacket, and went out.


    As soon as she stepped outside, she happened to see Adrianing out with Jacob''s urging.


    Eva only nced at Adrian''s face and then continued walking ahead. "Let''s go."


    Adrian quickly caught up with her.


    Once they were downstairs, Jacob asked, "Ms. Hansen, what would you like to eat?"


    "Let me check." Eva stood still and took out her phone to look up nearby restaurants. The two men followed her silently.


    Stand up.


    A few minutester, Eva put away her phone.


    "There''s a Mexican restaurant a five-minute walk away."


    "Okay, huh?" Jacob replied, only realizing something was off. "Mexican food?"


    Isn''t it usually spicy? If it were any other time, it would be fine. Although Mr. ckwood doesn''t like spicy food, he could still eat a little when his stomach is fine.


    But now that he''s still unwell, going to a Mexican restaurant?


    Who knows, Eva nced at him and asked calmly, "Is there a problem?"


    Jacob instinctively looked at Adrian and saw that he had no expression on his face, not even displeased by Eva''s choice of ce.


    He could only swallow his dissatisfaction.


    "No problem."


    What problem could there be? As long as Mr. ckwood is fine, it''s fine, right? If both of them think it''s fine, what else can he say?


    One doesn''t care about his own health, and the other doesn''t care about the other''s health.


    Forget it, it doesn''t matter anymore, he doesn''t want to bother anymore.


    "Well, since there''s no problem, let''s go."

 Chapter 261 Feeling Suffocated

    Ten minutester, after ordering, Eva returned the menu to the waiter. "That''s all," she said.


    The waiter took the menu and nodded. "Alright."


    After speaking, he intended to leave with the menu in hand.


    Adrian, sitting across from Eva, remained silent.


    The three of them sat at the table with a strange atmosphere.


    Jacob had simply chosen to ignore it, so he felt fine at the moment.


    Eva had no desire to converse with Adrian; she simply held her phone and looked up information.


    Jacob couldn''t help but sarcasticallyment in his mind when he found out. She was a workaholic.


    He used to think that Adrian was already a workaholic, but he didn''t expect Eva to be even more serious than him.


    The restaurant was bustling with peopleing and going, and even the air was filled with a tantalizing spicy aroma, which was not friendly to Adrian''s stomach. After about ten minutes, Eva''s ordered dishes were served one by one.


    Truly Mexican cuisine, as every dish that arrived was brightly red and filled with chili peppers.


    Jacob enjoyed spicy food and found it appetizing.


    So, as the dishes were brought out one by one, he had already started salivating, but because Adrian and Eva were sitting in front of him, he had to restrain himself. Once all the dishes were served, Eva said, "Let''s start eating."


    Jacob looked at her and realized she was addressing him.


    So he secretly nced at Adrian.


    At first, he had no expression and didn''t say a word, but now Adrian''s face was as dark as a storm''s eve.


    He didn''t touch his chopsticks, and Jacob didn''t dare to either.


    "Aren''t you going to eat?" Eva urged, already starting to eat with her own chopsticks.


    Only at this moment did Jacob pick up his chopsticks, then quietly said to Adrian, "Mr. ckwood, let me see if there are any non-spicy dishes for you."


    As a result, he searched the table for a long time but couldn''t find a single non-spicy dish.


    Picking and choosing, by the end, Jacob''s face didn''t look too good.


    He had a feeling that Eva was doing this intentionally.


    She clearly knew that Mr. ckwood had a stomach problem, yet she still suggested Mexican cuisine.


    It would be okay if it was just Mexican cuisine, but she also ordered a table full of spicy dishes.


    Thinking of this, Jacob put down his chopsticks and couldn''t help but say to Eva, "Ms. Hansen, all the dishes you ordered are spicy, right? There are too many."


    Upon hearing this, Eva looked at him as if it didn''t matter.


    "All the dishes in Mexican cuisine are spicy. If you don''t like spicy food, what do you want to eat? Just eat quickly and go home to rest."


    However, Eva ignored him after that.


    Jacob didn''t have the appetite to eat anymore. Meanwhile, Adrian sat there, his gaze fixed on Eva''s face.


    She had been looking after him, staring intently at him and giving him hot water on the ne. There was no reason for her to change her mindset before seeing his grandmother. He felt suffocated.


    Shepletely disregarded her own physical condition.


    After thinking for a moment, Adrian picked up the chopsticks, and Jacob widened his eyes as he saw Adrian about to pick up a piece of chicken at the front. However, before his chopsticks could touch it, Eva''s chopsticks intercepted them. "What are you doing?" Adrian paused, looking up at her.


    "Eating," he replied in a deep, muffled voice.


    Eva furrowed her brows. "Did I ask you to eat this?"


    Upon hearing that, Adrian''s eyshes trembled lightly. "You brought me here, didn''t you want me to eat these?" That was his assumption, thinking she wanted to get back at him, since he had previously wronged her. Even though his heart felt heavy, he was ready to ept it if she really wanted to take revenge on him.


    Just as he finished speaking, the waiter arrived with thest dish. "Sorry, miss. The cream of mushroom soup takes a little longer. Please take your time."


    The waiter ced a small pot of cream of mushroom soup on the empty space to the left.


    Seeing that pot of soup, Adrian''s mind went nk for a moment. Jacob also froze. "Ms. Hansen?"


    Eva looked at him with a surprised expression and chuckled. "Do I look that malicious to you? Do you really think I would let him eat these knowing he has a stomach problem?"


    If she wanted something to happen to him, she could have simply ignored him without taking such a roundabout way.


    But it was true that Eva deliberately brought him to a Mexican restaurant.


    Wasn''t it because he didn''t eat properly without her?


    So, let him drink this nd and tasteless cream of mushroom soup while she and Jacob enjoyed spicy dishes.


    "No, no," Jacob quickly exined. Theplicated emotions he had before suddenly cleared up.


    Not to mention Adrian. He looked at that pot of steamy cream of mushroom soup, feeling conflicted.


    Did she order it in advance?


    Jacob quickly served a bowl of cream of mushroom soup for Adrian. "Mr. ckwood, it''s hot. You should let it cool down a bit. You should eat slowly because it wouldn''t be good if it scalds your esophagus or stomach." Adrian looked at the cream of mushroom soup ced in front of him.


    Although it was just a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, he felt that it was extremely precious at this moment.


    In a ce where no one else could see, Adrian''s lips curled up slightly as he scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth.


    It was a bit hot, so thinking of Jacob''s words, Adrian waited for it to cool down before taking the second sip.


    Seeing that he remained calm and didn''t argue, and there was no sign of dissatisfaction on his face, not even the stimtion of good food seemed to affect him, Eva raised an eyebrow, impressed by his endurance.


    After finishing dinner, Eva''s originally rosy lips became even redder, while Jacob, who was beside her, was not asposed. Although it was winter, he was sweating profusely from the spiciness.


    As they were leaving, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with a tissue and looked at Eva, who waspletely different from himself, and sighed, "Ms. Hansen, you can really handle spicy food."


    Eva''s lips curled up, but she remained silent.


    In reality, she hadn''t eaten much either.


    Although she had been eating the whole time, she took very little food and instead drank tea. Adrian, on the other hand, finished the bowl of soup, despite the circumstances.


    When Eva was about to return to her room at the hotel, Adrian stopped her. "We''ll leave at 8 am sharp tomorrow."


    Eva nodded and said, "Okay."


    After thinking for a moment, she added, "Or maybe 7:30 am. I''d like to buy something before we go. It''s my first time visiting my grandmother, and I can''t go empty-handed, you know."


    Though her grandmother had already passed away, Eva''s expression turned unpleasant as she thought of certain things. Adrian could understand what she was thinking just by observing the change in her mood. He pursed his lips andforted her, "Don''t overthink it. Get some rest."

 Chapter 262 Cemetery

    Before going to sleep, Eva sent a message to inquire about Lisa. Lisa responded by sending a video of two cute kids ying games at an amusement park. "Don''t worry, I''ve taken care of them for you. The two little ones had a great time today. It''s convenient that tomorrow is the weekend, so I''ll bring them back a bitter." Eva trusted Lisa because she had helped take care of children for her before. "Okay, thank you. I''ll see you when I get back," Eva replied before putting away her


    phone to rest.


    Unaware that after sending the message, Lisa opened Dn and Ruby''s video in WhatsApp. She found them so adorable that she couldn''t resist sharing it on her Moments.


    Shortly after sharing, several boys who had been pursuing her quickly liked and praised the children, hoping to impress her. As Lisa scrolled through theirments, she couldn''t find any joy in it. All these men did was mindlessly tter her, so insincere.


    Thinking about something, Lisa exited Moments and couldn''t help but look at the WhatsApp chat with Mr. ckwood, whose contact information she had pinned. Since adding him, they hadn''t exchanged a single word.


    Lisa had messaged him, but he never replied. Judging by his cold attitude, he probably didn''t even read them. And it seemed like he had something with Eva. Lisa didn''t dare ask, nor did she want to. If there was something, she didn''t want to know.


    With that in mind, Lisa opened their chat, only to see that all the messages were sent by herself. It made her feel like a bothersome pest. She had never felt so low in her life; usually, it was men chasing after her. Even when she made the first move, a flick of her finger was enough to have theme running. But with him, it felt like no matter what she did, he wasn''t interested.


    Lisa felt a bit annoyed and clicked on his profile, contemting deleting him. However, when her finger hovered over the delete button, she hesitated. She still felt attached... After a moment of indecision, Lisa exited the profile. She decided to keep it for now. Maybe there would be a chance in the future.


    At this moment, Ruby called out to her, "Aunt Lisa,e quickly."


    Lisa immediately put away her phone and replied, "Coming."


    She didn''t pay attention to how manyments there were in that circle of friends and went to y with the two children.


    The next day, Eva woke up on time and got ready. She changed into a set of underwear she had brought, followed by the sweater and coat she wore yesterday, and went out.


    She thought she would have to wait, but to her surprise, as soon as she stepped out, she saw Adrian leaning against the door and Jacob standing awkwardly to the side.


    When Jacob saw her, he immediately smiled.


    "Ms. Hansen, good morning."


    Eva nced at him and Adrian and coincidentally caught Eva''s gaze.


    "Why are you both here so early?"


    "We woke up early, Ms. Hansen. It rained all night yesterday, and the temperature outside is low. Would you like to wear something warmer?"


    Low temperature?


    No wonder Eva felt a bit cold aftering out.


    She was fine herself; she could handle the cold.


    Eva looked at Adrian.


    After seeing what he was wearing, her eyebrows instinctively furrowed.


    Adrian was wearing just a shirt and a coat, with only a light-colored sweater underneath. Actually, for a healthy man, this kind of outfit is not insufficient for this weather, but Adrian is still sick, and his immune system is weak, yet he is wearing so little.


    "Jacob, you''d better remind Mr. ckwood to dress warmer than me."


    At least she was wearing a coat, and the coat was padded.


    "Not cold," Adrian said.


    "But you''re a patient," Eva said as well.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian chuckled softly, "If I were a patient, would I apany you to the cemetery? Come on, let''s go. Stop fussing, don''t we still need to buy things?"


    Eva didn''t know what else to say. Since he doesn''t wear more clothes, he must know what he''s doing.


    She couldn''t keep treating him like a wife, could she?


    After thinking it through, Eva didn''t say anything else and nodded.


    "Let''s go then."


    They bought some fruits, flowers, and offerings before heading to the cemetery.


    On the way to the cemetery, Eva''s mood suddenly became heavy, and the atmosphere in the car became very somber.


    No one spoke. Everyone knew this was a sad asion.


    "We''re here."


    After arriving, the car stopped and the doors were opened.


    The cemetery still had traces of water on the ground from the night''s rain, and the air smelled of a mix of rain, grass, and moist soil.


    After the rain, the cemetery was sparsely popted. The roads on both sides were clean, with rainwater washing fallen leaves into the soil.


    Eva followed behind Adrian as they walked in, and she noticed that the graves were not as closely connected as she usually saw. There was a small gap between each one. After looking around for a bit, Eva averted her gaze.


    They walked for who knows how long until Adrian''s steps came to a halt.


    Observing his actions, Eva stopped as well and followed Adrian''s lowered gaze.


    Attached to the monument was a color photograph. In the photo, Granny ckwood looked young and radiant, with a dazzling smile. As Eva looked at the picture, she stood frozen in ce. The words Granny had spoken years ago seemed to echo in her ears.


    "Adrian, Eva, when I pass away, please stick a photo of me when I was young on my tombstone. Your grandfather left us early, and I''m afraid that if you stick a photo of me fromter years, he won''t recognize me."


    Eva''s vision blurred, and she could no longer make out the details of the photo. However, Granny ckwood''s youthful smile had already been deeply imprinted in her mind.


    "Sorry, can you give me a moment alone with Granny?" Eva''s voice trembled, despite her efforts to restrain it. Adrian furrowed his brows slightly, then nced at Jacob. Understanding the silent signal, Jacob left with Adrian.


    Once they were at a distance, Eva and Granny ckwood were left alone. Eva approached the tombstone, holding flowers and offerings. She bent down, cing them gently by the grave. "Granny, Eva''s back."


    When she hade, Eva had so many things she wanted to say to Granny ckwood. She even nned out what she would say. But now, standing here, she couldn''t utter a single word. It felt like a small knife was stirring in her heart. Gently, Eva brushed away the grass beside the tombstone and wiped off the dust near the photo. Her emotions began to calm slightly.


    "Granny, I''m sorry. When you left, I didn''t tell you the truth. I haven''te to visit you all these years either. You must be angry, right? It''s okay, it''s normal to be angry. I''m even mad at myself. If you can see me from heaven, you can scold me in my dreams, okay?"

 Chapter 263 Wasnt it you who wanted a divorce back then?

    Adrian stood quietly in the distance, watching Eva lean gently against the tombstone and speak to Granny. He couldn''t hear what she was saying, but he could feel the intense sadness and despair emanating from her. Her current state was exactly how he felt when he first learned of Granny''s passing. No, it was even worse.


    Adrian recalled five years ago when Granny had surgery, and she became lost in her own fantasies. It showed just how important Granny was to her.


    With this in mind, Adrian narrowed his eyes, growing concerned about how Eva would be after seeing Granny.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, the weather began to worsen. Thunder rumbled in the sky.


    Jacob looked up and noticed the deteriorating weather. Furrowing his brows, he reminded Adrian, "Mr. ckwood, it looks like it''s going to rain again. Should we go find Ms. Hansen and head back?" Adrian stood still for a moment, then said, "Go and bring two umbres."


    Jacob hesitated, then ultimately didn''t say anything, turning to find the security guard and request umbres.


    A few minutester, Jacob returned with two umbres.


    Adrian held two ck umbres and rushed over towards us.


    "Mr. ckwood, here you go."


    "Take them over."


    After saying that, he thought of something and opened his palm towards Jacob.


    "Forget it, give them to me."


    He took one umbre and walked over.


    Eva was already leaning there in silence, just sitting quietly. It seemed like she didn''t care about her appearance anymore, sitting there regardless of whether the ground was wet or not, and her light-colored coat showed traces of soil staining. Adrian frowned slightly, holding the umbre and stopping in front of her.


    "It''s going to rain."


    He reminded her, but Eva didn''t react even though she heard it, still sitting there expressionless.


    Adrian furrowed his brows, "Eva."


    She remained seated and didn''t move.


    Another thunderp sounded, and it started drizzling.


    Adrian''s expression changed slightly as he held the umbre, shielding her from the falling raindrops.


    But Eva sat there unmoving, as if she didn''t hear his words or feel the rain pouring down.


    Indeed, something was off.


    At first, it was just a light rain, butter the sound of rain hitting the umbre became more urgent. If she sat like this, her clothes would probably get wet. It''s winter now.


    Adrian didn''t care anymore, he bent down and embraced her waist, lifting her up.


    Eva was very thin, so even if Adrian was sick, he could still carry her effortlessly.


    As Eva was pulled up, she leaned against Adrian, powerless as if her soul had been drained.


    Jacob hurried over when he saw the situation and took the umbre for Adrian.


    After Jacob lifted the umbre, Adrian lowered his head and looked at Eva in his arms.


    "What''s the use of being sad now? They''re already gone, crying won''t bring them back." Adrian''s words were harsh and direct, piercing Eva''s heart like a knife.


    She looked up at him.


    Despite knowing she shouldn''t, she couldn''t help but feel resentful towards him at this moment. "It''s you, it''s all your fault."


    Adrian saw her suddenly turning the me towards him, "What do you mean?"


    Eva tightly bit her lower lip, refusing to speak, staring at him fiercely.


    Seeing her ring at him in anger but not uttering a single word, Adrian narrowed his eyes, "Speak."


    Why is she ming herself? Does she have something to hide from me?


    Eva scoffed, "What''s there to say? What is there to discuss between us, Adrian? If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have left my grandmother, and I wouldn''t have missed her final moment entirely." "What do you mean? It wasn''t you who wanted the divorce in the first ce?"


    "I wanted the divorce?"


    Eva seemed to have heard a joke, she pushed Adrian away directly and took a few steps back, exposing herself to the rain.


    Seeing this, Adrian''s expression changed, he held the umbre and stepped forward to shield her from the rain.


    When he saw that she still wanted to step back, Adrian just held onto her waist.


    "Don''t step back and get drenched."


    "That''s none of your business." Eva said, refusing to say more.


    With a cold expression, Eva wanted to break free from his shackles, but Adrian grabbed her wrist. "Why does it have nothing to do with me? Let''s clear things up right in front of grandma." Upon hearing thest sentence, Eva suddenly realized that they were still at her grandma''s grave. Even if they wanted to argue, they should leave the grave first.


    She couldn''t lose control.


    Thinking about this, Eva''s terrible mood gradually subsided, and she began to calm down.


    She lowered her eyes, and her whole being became serene once again.


    "I have nothing to say to you, so go back." Eva said, taking two steps forward, but Adrian held her back. "Exin yourself."


    Adrian had no intention of leaving. Instead, he held onto her wrist. "What do you mean by, if it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t have left grandma? What does that mean?" Eva looked at him coldly.


    "Can''t you understand the literal meaning?"


    After saying that, Eva forcefully shook off his hand, but suddenly everything went dark before her eyes, without any anticipation, she fell down.


    "Ms. Hansen!" Jacob, who was beside them, eximed and subconsciously tried to move forward.


    Adrian timely caught her.


    Eva, who fainted, fell into his embrace. Adrian then noticed that herplexion waspletely different from when she had arrived earlier. Now, she looked very pale, which he hadn''t noticed before.


    "Mr. ckwood, is Ms. Hansen alright?" Jacob asked with concern as he looked at Eva''s pale face.


    Adrian didn''t respond but instead handed the umbre to Jacob. "Hold onto this."


    Jacob reached out his hand to receive the umbre. However, both umbres were too big, so he couldn''t hold onto Adrian''s while holding his own. After a second of deliberation, he decided to throw away his own umbre and only use Adrian''s.


    After receiving the umbre, Adrian lifted Eva in his arms. Jacob followed closely, holding the umbre for her, and they hurriedly left the cemetery.


    By the time they reached the car, Jacob waspletely soaked.


    Adrian was also covered in water, looking quite disheveled.


    But he didn''t pay attention to himself. He went into the car and took out a clean towel, wiping off the rainwater from Eva''s body while instructing, "Drive to the hospital."


    Once inside the car, Jacob also quickly grabbed a towel to dry himself.


    It was winter, and getting caught in the rain was extremely cold.


    However, Jacob was a man, usually with a strong physique, so it wasn''t much of a problem for him.


    As he wiped himself off, he observed Adrian and noticed that Adrianpletely disregarded himself. Jacob could only wait until he finished wiping off the water before offering a dry towel. "Mr. ckwood, your back is wet too. You should wipe it."


    Adrian saw the dry towel in his hand and took it, but instead, he wiped Eva again.


    After wiping Eva once more to make sure there was no trace of moisture on her, Adrian finally used the remaining towel to clean himself.

 Chapter 264 Somethings Off

    They were supposed to go to the hospital, but Eva woke up before the car even reached it.


    When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying in the car, with the air conditioning turned up high. However, Jacob in the front seat still had wet clothes on and was beginning to sneeze, constantly sniffing. She was confused for a few seconds, then reached out and touched her own head, only to meet a pair of calm eyes.


    Adrian was sitting quietly in the corner of the back seat, watching her.


    Then she realized that she had taken up all the space in the back, which was why Adrian was sitting in the corner.


    She tried to sit up but felt a bit dizzy, so she decided to stay lying down.


    Jacob in the front seat sneezed a few more times.


    Unaware that Eva had awakened, he rubbed his nose after sneezing and turned to Adrian, asking, "Mr. ckwood, your back must be soaked too. Howe you''re not sneezing?"


    Upon hearing Jacob''s words, Eva froze for a moment. She could infer from Jacob''s words what had happened after she fainted.


    It was raining at the time, and both she and Jacob had gotten wet. She had been lying here without noticing anything strange. Her clothes were dry, and she had been well protected.


    There was no need to think about it - it was clear who did all this.


    Just a moment ago, they had been arguing, and the next second, she had copsed, and he had helped her. Eva felt unsettled.


    "Mr. ckwood, we''re almost at the hospital," the driver suddenly reminded them.


    Upon hearing this, Eva was taken aback, realizing that after she fainted, they must have been taking her to the hospital. Jacob in the front seat also realized something and leaned forward to look at Eva, only to meet her cold, beautiful eyes. He was stunned.


    "Ms. Hansen, you''re awake?" Eva nced at him indifferently. "Yeah, we don''t need to go to the hospital. Let''s go back to the hotel."


    Jacob was still wet and needed to go back to the hotel to change his clothes.


    Both of them had ended up like this because they wanted to help her. If they caught a cold because of this incident, she would feel guilty for no reason. Probably caught off guard by Eva waking up at this moment, Jacob couldn''t decide for himself and could only look at Adrian.


    "Mr. ckwood?"


    The driver was also not someone who would act without authorization, so he parked the car by the side of the road and waited for new instructions. However, Adrian''s gaze had never left Eva''s body. After a long silence, he finally said, "Then let''s go back."


    After returning to the hotel, everyone went back to their rooms. Jacob immediately went back to change his clothes due to the cold, but when he finished changing and came out, he found Adrian sitting motionless on the sofa. "Mr. ckwood, aren''t you going to change your clothes?"


    Adrian nced at him but remained silent.


    "Your clothes are wet too. You should take them off quickly." Jacob walked up and tried to help Adrian with his clothes.


    Who knew that Adrian was still sitting there, motionless, and Jacob knew that his problem was probably acting up again.


    "Mr. ckwood, you''re not really neglecting your health at this time, are you? It''s winter, and you''re already sick. Your stomach problem alone is enough to torment you. If you catch a cold and get a fever, you''ll have to go to the hospital." Adrian finally looked up and met Jacob''s gaze. "Going to the hospital isn''t that bad, is it?"


    Hearing this, Jacob frowned. "Going to the hospital isn''t a good thing, Mr. ckwood. You''re pretending to be sick, not actually sick. If you continue like this, your body won''t be able to handle it. Trust me, change your wet clothes. Ms. Hansen woke up in the car just now, and she already knows that we got soaked in the rain for her. It won''t hinder your act of being sick if you change into dry clothes now."


    Seeing Adrian still sitting there without moving, Jacob had to resort to a stern tone. "If you don''t take off your wet clothes, Ms. Hansen will know when she sees youter that you did it on purpose, won''t she?"


    "You have a point." Adrian was finally convinced by Jacob''s words and got up to take off his coat and wet clothes.


    After changing into dry clothes, Adrian indeed felt instantly morefortable. At this moment, Jacob''s phone rang.


    Just as he took out his phone, Adrian asked, "What did she tell you?"


    Jacob didn''t even have a chance to read the message yet.


    After reading it, Jacob said, "Ms. Hansen said she''s not feeling well and wants to take a nap, so she won''t have lunch with us."


    "Not feeling well?" Adrian furrowed his brows. "Ask her where she''s not feeling well."


    After all, she had just fainted earlier, so it was really worrying to hear that she wasn''t feeling well now.


    However, Jacob hesitated and held his phone, considering Adrian''s gaze.


    "Mr. ckwood, why don''t you use your own phone to call?"


    Upon hearing this, Jacob felt a chilling gaze from Adrian, sending shivers down his spine. With a reluctant courage, he dialed Eva''s number. After a short while, Eva answered the phone directly. "What''s up?"


    "Ms. Hansen, I..." Jacob didn''t even finish his sentence when Adrian took the phone from him.


    "Where are you not feeling well?"


    The cold voice transmitted to Eva''s ears through the phone, causing her to grip the phone tightly and say in a low voice, "I''m tired, does that count?"


    Adrian furrowed his brows. It was obvious that this answer was just an excuse.


    So Eva said again, "I want to sleep. Anything else?"


    Her annoyance with him was especially evident.


    Adrian pursed his lips. "Where does it hurt? If you''re not feeling well, go to the hospital."


    Eva replied, "...I''m just tired. I want to sleep."


    After speaking, she hung up Adrian''s phone directly.


    Listening to the busy toneing from the phone, Adrian''s expression became even more unpleasant.


    Upon seeing this, Jacob quickly approached to retrieve his phone, fearing that Adrian would get angry and smash itter.


    "Mr. ckwood, let Ms. Hansen sleep if she wants to. Maybe she didn''t sleep wellst night."


    Adrian didn''t say anything further and went back into the bedroom.


    By noon, Jacob directly ordered food over the phone to be delivered.


    Adrian''s meal was still a bowl of cream of mushroom soup.


    His stomach could only handle such things for now.


    Jacob had ordered a bunch of food for himself.


    Eva wasn''t around, and Adrian seemed to have little appetite. After drinking half a bowl of porridge, he put the bowl down and asked Jacob, "How long has she been sleeping since I came back this morning?" Jacob calcted the time. "About two hours, I guess. Why?"


    Two hours... The estimated time should be about right, right?


    Adrian instructed, "Order food for her room."


    "But Ms. Hansen..."


    "Can''t she eat before sleeping?"


    "Alright." Jacob dared not say anything and could only make the food order call.


    After about twenty minutes, the hotel staff delivered the food, and the two of them went to the door to listen for any movement.


    However, the doorbell rang for a while, and no one came to open the door.


    Adrian felt something was wrong and opened the door directly.


    "What''s the matter?"

 Chapter 265 You Think I cant help you?

    The hotel staff looked at the two of them with a surprised expression. "Who are you?"


    Jacob pointed at himself. "We called to order food for our friend. She''s in the room opposite."


    Upon hearing this, the hotel staff suddenly realized. "I see, but your friend doesn''t seem to be inside. I rang the doorbell a few times, but there was no response."


    Then, the hotel staff reminded them nervously, "Why don''t you give her a call to confirm if she''s inside?"


    Adrian looked at Jacob. "Make the call."


    Jacob took out his phone and called Eva. He initially thought she wouldn''t answer, but she picked up quickly. "Jacob."


    Jacob heard Eva''s clear voice, as if she wasn''t woken up from sleep. But then again, she shouldn''t have been sleeping at a time like this, right? Why didn''t she open the door when they rang the bell? "Ms. Hansen, have you woken up?"


    Eva was sitting in the bustling lobby with her phone pressed to her ear. She pursed her lips before sighing.


    "Ms. Hansen, if you''ve woken up, could you please open the door? Mr. ckwood and I have ordered food for you."


    Brent''s voice carried a hint of anxiety and eagerness to please.


    Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but sigh again.


    "No need. Thank you for your trouble, but I''m already outside."


    "Huh?" Upon hearing this, Jacob''s eyes shed with confusion and bewilderment. "Ms. Hansen, what do you mean by that..."


    But he trailed off.


    Before Eva could finish her sentence, Adrian snatched the phone away from her. Just as Adrian brought the phone to his ear, he heard Eva''s voice on the other end say, "I''m at the airport, getting ready to go back to Chicago. Please let him know for me."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s face turned cold. "What did you say?" he responded.


    The sudden change in his cold voice startled Eva. It was then that she realized why Jacob''s voice had suddenly cut off earlier; Adrian had taken his phone away.


    She calmed herself down and spoke softly, saying, "Didn''t you hear what I just said? Well, then, there''s no need for Jacob to pass on the message."


    Adrian''s gaze became frosty. "Eva, what do you mean by this?"


    "It means nothing. We agreed on a deal, don''t you remember? I told you at the hospital yesterday that this was merely a transaction. Now that I''ve seen my grandmother and I have work in Chicago, I decided to return early." Adrian sneered. "Didn''t you say you weren''t feeling well and needed rest?"


    "Yes, I rested for only twenty minutes. Is there a problem?"


    After hanging up the phone, she bought a ne ticket and came out after resting for only twenty minutes.


    Adrian was left speechless by her words, not because he couldn''t argue back, but because her attitude left him dumbfounded.


    He clenched his teeth, almost grinding them to bits.


    "Wait for me there."


    Eva curled her lips, her voice light and airy. "Sorry, Mr. ckwood, but I can''t wait. I''ve already passed the security check, and the ne is about to take off. If you rush over now, you might not make it in time." Adrian didn''t say a word, but the pressure on his grip tightened inch by inch.


    "Eva, do you think that once you''re in Chicago, I won''t be able to do anything to you?"


    "What are you implying, Mr. ckwood? I''m just going back to Chicago to work. Is there a problem?"


    After a long silence, Adrian chuckled softly.


    "Alright, no problem. You go back to Chicago first. Wait for me there."


    The false smile on Eva''s lips faded slightly. "Sure."


    After saying that, Eva hung up the phone and the smile vanished from her face.


    Putting away her phone, Eva carried her small luggage and walked towards the boarding gate.


    On the other side, Adrian handed the phone back to Jacob.


    Jacob nced at the phone and noticed that the call had ended. Combining it with the conversation he had overheard, he cautiously asked, "Mr. ckwood, has Ms. Hansen already gone to the airport?"


    Adrian didn''t respond, but his expression confirmed everything.


    "Well...what should we do next then?"


    Adrian nced at him and said, "Let''s go back to thepany first."


    With that, Adrian went straight into the hotel room. Just as Jacob was about to catch up to him, he remembered the hotel staff who were delivering food next to him and waved them off, saying, "We don''t need these anymore. You can go." "The staff shared and finished the food, and the people inside have already left," she said and hastily followed Adrian''s footsteps and left.


    At the airport in Chicago, Eva had just disembarked when Tim called.


    "Boss, I am waiting for you at the exit. I see that your flight has arrived," Tim said.


    "Yes, I am heading in that direction. Give me a few minutes," Eva replied.


    "Alright." Tim hung up and leaned against the railing, tapping his fingers lightly. After a few minutes, he spotted a slender figure walking towards him.


    Tim immediately smiled and greeted her, "Wee back, boss. How was the trip to New York? Any chance of reconciling with Mr. ckwood?"


    The second half of his sentence almost tripped Eva''s steps, and she nced at Tim in disbelief. "Can you please stop joking?"


    Tim even took her luggage for her and said, "Let me handle it. You''re the boss, just focus on getting in the car."


    Eva didn''t refuse and handed her luggage to him. It would save them from declining at the exit and drawing attention, not to mention wasting time.


    Once they were in the car, Tim couldn''t help but ask, "But seriously, why didn''t Mr. Coopere to pick you up?"


    Hearing that, Eva looked at him sideways. "Next time we hire someone, I think we should add a condition." "What condition?" Timughed.


    "No casual gossiping or discussing the boss''s private life," Eva replied, closing her eyes, dismissing him.


    Tim was easy-going and loved to joke around, and he wouldn''t be offended if Eva ignored him. "But based on the way you look, I don''t think you''re interested in talking to Mr. Cooper, right? That''s good, I don''t really like him either." With pursed lips, Eva responded in a somewhat speechless tone, "Is your own love life going well?"


    "It''s going swimmingly. I have a wife and children, and our family life is harmonious. So, if you have any rtionship problems, feel free to ask me. I have experience," Tim said.

 Chapter 266 Hes Not Suitable for You

    "I don''t need that," Eva replied sullenly. "I have no intention of pursuing any further romantic rtionships." This answer surprised Tim. "Are you saying you don''t want to find someone in the future? You want to live alone?"


    Eva opened her eyes again. "That''s about right."


    "Well, you better think it through. Living alone can be quite lonely in the future," Tim said, steering the car into the main road amidst the traffic. "After all, humans are social animals. When you''re young, you have parents and single friends around you, so you don''t feel the need to get married. But as you get older, if you don''t have friends or parents around..."


    If one doesn''t have children, they will start to miss having someone around, someone to apany and eat together with," Eva listened quietly to these words without responding. Because she wasn''t alone. She had two little ones. "When I was young and full of energy, I also thought about not getting married. What''s good about having a wife? What''s good about having children? Can''t one live well on their own? I even have to spend money raising children and all. But after I truly started a family, I realized having a wife and children is better for me. However, everyone''s choices are different. This thought of mine is only for myself. Some people live their whole lives alone and still live well." "Mm," Eva responded.


    "But no matter what path you choose, you need to be mentally prepared in advance. After all, life only happens once, and there''s no such thing as a regret pill."


    "I know."


    Tim stole a nce at Eva when he had the chance and sighed, "Actually, in my personal opinion, I think it''s fine if you don''t get married, but you should have a child. You''re so beautiful, and your child would surely be beautiful too." Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but let out a softugh.


    She didn''t just have one child; she had two.


    Even though others couldn''t tell, she thought they were both handsome and adorable. That was what mattered to her.


    "So, are you saying if I have a child, I can consider not getting married?"


    Tim smiled, "Not exactly. With your conditions, I think you can still get married if the opportunity arises. After all, your conditions are exceptionally good, and the men around you are all great, not just average. You have a high level of selectivity."


    Eva pondered for a moment. Michael was genuinely good to her.


    "But regarding Mr. Cooper, I still want to reiterate what I saidst time. Think carefully because he is not really suitable for you."


    Upon hearing this, Eva furrowed her brows again. "You seem to have a bias against him. Do you think it''s because the ckwood Group invested in us, so you..."


    "No." Tim shook his head. "It''s unrted to that. I''m only focusing on that day. When I pursued my wife, I was very respectful of her. If she didn''t like me, I would never force it. What good cane from being together against one''s will?" Hearing this, Eva fell silent once more. Michael did treat her well, and if she were a normal person, she would have been moved long ago. Unfortunately... her heart was probably made of iron.


    "But the way he pressured you, from my personal perspective, I don''t think it''s something a good person would do. Of course, he may have been anxious, but ultimately, it''s up to you. This is just my experience as someone who has gone through it."


    Hearing this, Eva finally understood why he had an opinion about Michael.


    Because on that day in the office, Michael''s reaction did make her feel pressured, and she could even sense it herself, let alone the bystanders.


    The two of them continued to chat aimlessly until they arrived at thepany.


    Eva went straight back to her office.


    In the meantime, she called Lisa, who informed her that the two children were still with her today.


    "Good, I''ll pick them up after work."


    Adrian made a trip back to thepany.


    Upon arriving at the office, Jacob received a message instructing him to pack up and relocate to thepany''s branch in Chicago. Needless to say, Jacob understood the message clearly and immediately started preparing for the move. Adrian sat down in the office, his hand pressing against his slightly aching stomach, his expression grim.


    Today, she had truly infuriated him.


    At this moment, Adrian desperately needed something to distract his attention and improve his mood. He opened his phone and opened an app to see if the two little ones had uploaded any new videos.


    To his surprise, there was indeed a new video.


    For Adrian at this moment, it was a pleasant surprise, as he could watch the two adorable little ones to help alleviate his mood.


    After clicking on the video, he saw the two children ying in an arcade.


    The video was raw and unedited, with some shaky shots, sometimes focusing on Dn and other times on Ruby.


    Though the footage was shaky, the two little onesughed with pure joy. Theirughter was long, bright, and incredibly soothing. Adrian''s thin lips couldn''t help but form a gentle smile.


    It had to be said that the two little ones were truly adorable. If only he had a pair of his own...


    Lost in his thoughts, Ruby suddenly turned her head in the video and looked directly at the camera.


    More urately, she looked at the person behind the camera.


    "Aunt Lisa, Ruby wants to eat candies."


    "Hmm? candies? Alright."


    A young woman''s voice responded, and then the camera panned out to show the woman holding Ruby''s hand, with Dn following closely behind. "Dn,e along."


    Then the camera focused ahead as she took the two children to buy candies.


    It was just a simple clip, but Ruby''s words to Aunt Lisa made Adrian squint his eyes.


    His memory was good.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, he had heard this name before.


    Adrian quickly searched his memory and soon remembered.


    Lisa... Wasn''t that the name of the woman who always bothered his woman at the bar?


    Thinking of this, Adrian exited the app and opened WhatsApp.


    It had been a long time since hest logged into WhatsApp.


    As he logged in, numerous messages popped up, all from one person.


    The person''s nickname was "It''s Lisa."


    Wasn''t that the same name Ruby had just called?


    Upon closer consideration, their voices did seem somewhat simr.


    Of course, Adrian didn''t bother reading any of the unproductive messages sent by the other person. Instead, he clicked on her profile picture and discovered a few shrunk photos in her personal information. In those pictures, he recognized a very familiar silhouette.


    He followed the path and erged the photos, confirming that it was Lisa and the two children in the pictures.


    Why was this woman, Eva''s friend, with these two children?


    Something shed through her mind. It was quick, but Adrian still caught it. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning dangerous.

 Chapter 267 Bitterness Befalls

    Lisa didn''t go to work today. She stayed at home with Eva''s two children. The two kids were well-behaved and didn''t require much of her attention. She only had to make sure they didn''t wander around or get into any idents. The rest of the time, she focused on her own tasks.


    At this moment, she was browsing her phone, looking at thetest trends in the fashion world. She was contemting whether to directly order the items for delivery or to wait until she had some free time to go with Eva. Suddenly, her phone vibrated, and a new message popped up at the top of the screen.


    With just a nce, Lisa froze in ce. Though her body remained still, her heart started pounding rapidly.


    Could she have misread it? Did she see a message from Mr. ckwood?


    After realizing what she had seen, Lisa quickly tapped on her WhatsApp and indeed found a new message at the top of her chats.


    Lisa was so excited that she didn''t know what to say. Her eyes even started to well up with tears. She opened the conversation.


    Mr. ckwood: Hello, are you avable to talk on the phone right now?


    Talk on the phone? Many messages she had sent him had gone unanswered, but now he was asking if she could talk on the phone? Lisa didn''t quite understand his intentions. However, she was already happy that he was willing to contact her, no matter the reason.


    Thinking this, Lisa immediately replied, "I can!"


    After sending the message, it only took a couple of seconds for Mr. ckwood to make a WhatsApp call.


    Lisa''s heart raced even faster. She quickly got up and called out to the two children, "Ruby, Dn, Aunt Lisa is going out to take a phone call. Just y by yourselves." Without waiting for a response from the two kids, she rushed to the balcony.


    Taking a few deep breaths and calming herself, Lisa answered the call and greeted cautiously, "Mr. ckwood, hello?"


    "Hello."


    His voice sounded clear and cold, like frost and a snow-capped mountain, but it was also calm and firm.


    "There are some things I want to ask you about, do you have a moment?"


    Ask her? In an instant, Lisa thought back to their previous encounter at the restaurant. Could it be that he wants to ask about Eva again?


    With that thought in mind, Lisa bit her lower lip.


    Although she wasn''t entirely willing, she still said insincerely, "Of course, Mr. ckwood, what would you like to know?"


    "I came across your tweets and saw a photo."


    "A photo?"


    Lisa momentarily didn''t understand which photo he was referring to.


    "Yes," Adrian''s voice grew low and powerful, "the photo you updatedst night. I saw those two children."


    As he spoke, Adrian tapped his long fingers lightly on the smooth desk.


    Lisa inquired, "You also watch their livestreams? Fans?"


    Upon hearing this, Lisa finally understood who Adrian was referring to, and she burst intoughter instantly.


    "So, you were talking about Ruby and Dn. I do watch their livestreams, but I''m not their fan."


    Thest sentence hit Adrian like a hammer on the heart.


    He slowly squinted his narrow eyes.


    "Oh really?"


    Because Lisa wasn''t asking about Eva but instead mentioned two kids and even thought she was a fan, shepletely let her guard down and even felt they had found amon topic. "Mr. ckwood, you don''t watch their livestreams too, do you? That would be quite a coincidence."


    "Hmm."


    Adrian lowered his eyelids. "So, you are their mother?"


    Hearing his words, Lisa was taken aback and then refuted, "How is that possible? They are not my children. If I had kids, how could I possibly still approach you for a conversation?"


    To dispel any suspicion of being married with children in his eyes, Lisa exined in a hurry, "Those two are my friend''s kids, as you asked before."


    When saying these words, a hint of guilt shed in Lisa''s eyes.


    Don''t me her. Actually, she had been suspecting that Eva and Adrian might have known each other before, or else the man''s behavior wouldn''t have been like this. Now that she had the chance, she would definitely talk about Eva''s situation. If the other party knew that Eva already had children, would that make Lisa''s own chance bigger?


    Of course, this was just a little hope Lisa held onto. She didn''t think she did anything wrong, after all, Eva had already given birth to children, who were now so grown-up. There was nothing to be ashamed of, and she was just telling the truth. Hearing this, Adrian probably had some thoughts in his mind.


    "Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "The Miss Hansen you mentioned?"


    "Yes." Lisa nodded. "The two kids belong to her."


    After she finished speaking, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.


    For a long time, she waited but didn''t receive any response. She had to call out to him, "Mr. ckwood?"


    Adrian''s phone emitted a deep chuckle. "Your friend seems quite fortunate."


    Lisa awkwardly agreed, "Indeed, I also think so. The two kids are so cute and well-behaved."


    She wanted to say something more to him on this opportunity, but she heard the sound of a door opening from the other end of the phone, followed by someone calling out. "Mr. ckwood."


    Adrian raised his hand to signal for them to stop and then said into the phone, "Thank you for informing me of the news today. I have something else to deal with."


    "Alright, I understand. You can go ahead and handle it."


    After hanging up the phone, Adrian caressed his phone and fell into contemtion.


    "Mr. ckwood?"


    It was only when Jacob couldn''t wait any longer and called him that he snapped out of his thoughts.


    He furrowed his brow and looked at the other person, somewhat displeased.


    Jacob was momentarily speechless. Weren''t things fine just now? Why did he suddenly start finding fault with him again?


    But before he could think it through, Adrian coldly said, "Come here."


    "What''s the matter, Mr. ckwood?" Jacob approached.


    Adrian opened two photos of children and pursed his lips. "Take a look."


    So Jacob leaned in to see. When he saw the two children in the photos, he couldn''t help but say, "Aren''t these the photos of those two children you always look at? What''s wrong? Who is the woman in these pictures?" "Eva''s friend."


    "Friend? Eva... Ms. Hansen?"


    Jacob widened his eyes. "Mr. ckwood, you don''t mean to say that these two children are Ms. Hansen''s friends'' children, do you? Is that a coincidence??"


    "A coincidence?"


    Adrian''s words made Jacob''s lips twitch. He gave a sarcastic chuckle. "What if I tell you that these two children are Eva''s, too? Would you find that even more coincidental?"


    "Uh..." Jacob nodded in agreement, then halfway through, he suddenly realized something and looked at Adrian in disbelief. "Mr. ckwood, what did you just say?"


    Did he mishear? Otherwise, why would he hear that those two children were Ms. Hansen''s?


    "She had children? Then Mr. ckwood, don''t you have no chance anymore?" Jacob''s first thought was that their Mr. ckwood''s suffering these days seemed to be in vain!

 Chapter 268 A Special Feeling

    "No chance?" Adrian chuckled softly. "How do you know if I have a chance or not?"


    After learning that Eva had children, and two children that big, Jacob felt extreme sympathy for Mr. ckwood. So now, he was also wearing a mournful expression.


    "Mr. ckwood, with someone else''s children being this big, it means they have a father. So you definitely have no chance left. And if you keep going like this, you might be a third party in someone else''s marriage. Do you want to let your reputation develop like this in the future?"


    Hearing this, Adrian nced at him, his gaze as if he were looking at a fool.


    Jacob didn''t understand. Did he say something wrong?


    "Do you remember what you said before?"


    "What did I say? Mr. ckwood, can you please make it clear in one go?" Jacob was getting a bit impatient from Adrian''sments, not knowing what he meant, so his tone inevitably became anxious.


    But after he finished speaking, he regretted it.


    Even if he was in a hurry, he shouldn''t have spoken to him in that tone.


    Just as he was about to apologize, he realized that Adrian wasn''t angry at all. He seemed to be in a good mood.


    "No rush, take another look at the photos."


    Adrian handed the photo to Jacob once again.


    Jacob furrowed his brow, feeling skeptical. After considering it for a moment, he earnestly examined the photo, scouring it thoroughly, yet he couldn''t find anything different.


    In the end, he had to inquire, "Mr. ckwood, I''ve looked at this photo countless times. Is there something I''m missing? It''s just Ms. Hansen''s two children, isn''t it?"


    Adrian cast a suspicious nce at Jacob, unsure why this person''s brain seemed to have stopped working at this critical moment.


    In the past, he always had his own ideas about everything, but now that there was something going on, he couldn''te up with anything.


    Thinking of this, Adrian impatiently reminded him, "Look closely at the children''s features."


    Their features?


    Jacob followed his words and looked again, saying, "To be honest, these two children have beautiful features. They look quite simr, yet they possess different temperaments. The girl has the charm of a girl, while the boy has his own uniqueness, but..."


    As Jacob pondered, rubbing his chin, he rambled on without getting to the point, leaving Adrian speechless.


    "But what?"


    "It''s just that these two children don''t resemble Ms. Hansen at all. Instead, they somewhat resemble..."


    When he reached this point, Jacob''s voice abruptly trailed off.


    After a few seconds, he gazed at Adrian''s features, then back at the two children, seemingly confirming something. After several consecutive nces, Jacob struggled to swallow his saliva.


    "Mr. ckwood..."


    "Hmm." Adrian silently watched him, his voice steady. "Finish your sentence. What do they resemble, in fact?"


    Jacob had countless expletives running through his mind, finding it hard to believe, but the more he looked, the more they resembled each other.


    Especially the little boy in the photo, he was practically a spitting image of Adrian.


    Jacob had mentioned it before, but back then, he hadn''t given it much thought. After all, who could have imagined that Mr. ckwood had children?


    But now these two children belonged to Ms. Hansen, and they had grown so much.


    "Speak," Adrian urged, his brow furrowing.


    After a few silent seconds, Jacob firmly dered, "They look like you, Mr. ckwood. I''ve said before that these two children resemble you, but I didn''t think much of it at the time. However, now... Mr. ckwood, if these two children are somehow connected to me, then doesn''t that mean Ms. Hansen..."


    Adrian was also contemting this question.


    "Mr. ckwood, you truly... didn''t know?"


    At this moment, Jacob''s gaze towards Adrian had changed, suggesting a hint of awkwardness.


    Adrian pursed his lips. He also wanted to know why he didn''t know about this matter.


    "Pack up, we''re going to Chicago," Adrian said.


    Jacob nodded, "I''m all packed. When are we leaving?"


    "Now," Adrian replied with a serious expression.


    Before boarding the ne, Adrian turned to Jacob and said, "Find someone to investigate where these two children are now, and get detailed information."


    "Alright, Mr. ckwood, I''ll make a call and have someone look into it right away."


    After boarding the ne, Adrian stared out the window, but his eyes didn''t seem to see anything.


    He never expected that Dn and Ruby could possibly be his children. No wonder he always felt a special connection with them.


    So, that''s how it is!


    At this moment, any pain or difort seemed to vanish for Adrian.


    Jacob sat down next to him with a notebook in hand and whispered, "Mr. ckwood, I''ve asked someone to investigate. We should have the results by tonight or tomorrow." "Hmm." Jacob nced at Adrian, then looked away, still shocked by everything.


    He never imagined things could take such a dramatic turn.


    Those two children could potentially be Mr. ckwood''s bloodline...


    He always ignored others, so how could Mr. ckwood inexplicably enjoy watching the livestreams of those two children and even spend so much money to reward them? It turns out, some things are guided by fate.


    Destiny unconsciously brings people together if they are meant to be.


    Although the results haven''t been found yet, judging from their striking resemnce, it seems likely. Just waiting for the results now.


    After finishing work, Eva left thepany and went to Lisa''s ce to pick up the two children.


    She went to the same ce asst time, where Lisa was still living.


    At first, there was nothing unusual. However, as soon as Eva stepped into the living room, Lisa was reminded of how she had previously driven her away, and her heart felt heavy. So, when Eva came over, Lisa apologized first.


    "Sorry aboutst time."


    Upon hearing this, Eva was momentarily stunned, then she dismissed it and said, "What''s the big deal?"


    "Really, I don''t know if I was being stupid, but I actually made you leave because of that incident. I rented this house because of your return, but I never expected that I would... I''m sorry."


    As Lisa spoke, her eyes turned red, and she walked forward to embrace Eva. "I''m truly sorry."


    The two children were in the room and didn''t see this scene. Eva hugged Lisa, patting her shoulder gently. "It''s alright. If I held grudges, do you think I would have brought the two kids to find you? Coming to you means I don''t mind." "I feel guilty because you reached out to me with so much care, and I easily destroyed it."


    "How could that be?" Eva smiled gently, "Even if you don''t want this friendship, I still do. It''s okay."


    Lisa sobbed on Eva''s shoulder for a while before finally leaving with red eyes.


    She couldn''t help but think about her conversation with Adrian earlier today.


    After making the phone call, he felt even more guilty and wanted to exin to Eva, but the words got stuck in his throat.


    Forget it, she probably doesn''t mind, judging by her appearance.

 Chapter 269 Daring Not to Let Her Know

    After thinking for a moment, Lisa didn''t continue with that topic but asked where Eva was currently staying.


    "In the house Michael prepared for me, and of course, I paid the rent."


    She added thest sentence to prevent Lisa from misunderstanding her.


    Sure enough, Lisa appeared shocked upon hearing this. "You paid rent? Is it possible for Michael to ept rent from you?" "If he doesn''t ept it, then I won''t stay."


    Lisa hesitated for a moment before smiling, "He has no choice but to ept your money since he can''t do anything else." Eva smiled and didn''t reply.


    "But you''re resisting him too much, aren''t you? He truly cares for you. Haven''t you considered epting him?"


    "Lisa, precisely because he is genuinely good to me, I can''t be with him. It would only hurt him, not be good to him."


    Lisa scratched her head. "Well, I don''t understand you two, but it''s your decision."


    After chatting for a while, it was gettingte, and Eva took the two kids home.


    Before leaving, Lisa asked, "Do you still need me to look after the children tomorrow?"


    "No, I''m done with my tasks. I''ll take care of the kids myself tomorrow. If you want to visit them, feel free toe by." "Alright, I''lle over when I have time. Take care."


    "Say goodbye to Aunt Lisa."


    Then Eva and the two kids left.


    After they arrived home, the kids went to take a bath, and only then did Eva have time to sit down and check the videos that Lisa had taken them to y. Lisa had taken several videos, and Eva sat quietly on the sofa one after another, watching them.


    Finally, she found a good one and wanted to upload it to the TikTok app. However, when she opened the app, she realized that her ount already had updated videos. She suddenly realized that Lisa must have used her ount to update the videos.


    She clicked on them and found that they were videos of the two kids ying. When she heard Ruby calling Lisa "Aunt Lisa" in the middle, Eva''s heart skipped a beat. This title... hopefully won''t be discovered, right?


    Someone like him, with so many responsibilities, probably wouldn''t go on TikTok.


    After thinking this way, Eva finally felt relieved.


    She looked at the video again, and there were already tens of thousands ofments. It wasn''t appropriate to delete it at this moment, so she decided to leave it as it was. That night, Adrian arrived in Chicago.


    Before the nended, Adrian gazed at the city through the window.


    Adrian saw the sparkling lights of Chicago at night, almost as bright as daylight. It was an extremely developed city.


    Afternding, Jacob followed Adrian, pushing the luggage.


    "Mr. ckwood, I''ve received the message. The information has been sent."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian paused for a moment and said, "Send it to me."


    "Do you need me to organize it for you?" Jacob offered.


    "No, just send it to me directly," Adrian declined in a calm voice.


    "Alright, Mr. ckwood." This was the first time Jacob sent the content to Adrian without any processing, but he wasn''t worried. Having been with Adrian for so long, Jacob had already figured out his temperament. Adrian seemed to be in a good mood at the moment.


    As soon as they got into the car, Adrian opened the documents and started reading. Jacob discreetly nced at him throughout the journey but realized Adrian was deeply engrossed in his reading and had no spare time to pay attention to him, nor did he scold him as Jacob had imagined.


    When they arrived at the hotel, Adrian hadn''t finished reading the documents, but he still put away his phone and said in a deep voice, "Look up the coordinates of this school."


    He mentioned the name of a school, and Jacob immediately opened the map for a search.


    "Found it, it''s not far from Ms. Hansen''spany," Jacob pointed on the map.


    Adrian nced at it.


    Jacob pointed to the locations on the map, saying, "Ms. Hansen''spany is here, and the school is here."


    Adrian looked at the map on his phone, thinking about the appearance of the two adorable kids andparing it to his own features which were extremely simr. He remained silent for a long time. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze.


    "Let''s go upstairs."


    The next day, when Eva took the two children to school, she didn''t notice at all that there was a ck car parked not far from the school gate, entirely ck in both its body and windows.


    Because there were many carsing to drop off children, Eva didn''t pay any attention.


    She could only watch as the two kids reached the school gate and said goodbye to her.


    Eva crouched down and felt each of the kids kissing her cheek.


    "Bye, Mommy."


    "Go inside now," Eva pushed their small backpacks and sent them into the school.


    Once they had entered, Eva stood up and prepared to leave.


    When she passed by the ck car, Eva suddenly felt something and stopped walking, looking in the direction of the ck car.


    But she couldn''t see anything.


    It was sunny outside, and the ck car didn''t seem out of the ordinary; it was just parked there.


    Eva pursed her red lips. Was it just her imagination?


    When she passed by earlier, she felt like someone''s gaze was fixed on her, but now there didn''t seem to be anything unusual. The two kids... should be safe, right?


    After thinking it through, Eva quickly left.


    Once she waspletely gone, the window of the ck car rolled down, revealing a handsome face.


    Adrian stared calmly at the street where there was no longer any trace of her, his thin lips pressed tightly together.


    Observing this from the driver''s seat, Jacob couldn''t help but let out a breath, "Ms. Hansen is really vignt. That''s all we are, just people passing by."


    Sitting there, she seemed to have sensed something. Fortunately, Ms. Hansen didn''t notice, but... Mr. ckwood, why are you afraid to let Ms. Hansen know?"


    Hearing this, Adrian nced at him with an expression as if he were looking at a fool. "If she knows, do you think she would want to see the children?" Being reminded by him, Jacob suddenly understood.


    "You''re right. If these two children are really yours, Ms. Hansen didn''t tell you because she didn''t want you to know. If she finds out that you know, she might just take the children and run away. That won''t do." As soon as he finished speaking, Adrian had already pushed open the car door and got out.


    Jacob saw this and quickly followed suit.


    Adrian had a handsome face and clear features, with an imposing presence and an invisible aura. People around started to gaze at them.


    As he was about to enter the school, he was stopped by the security personnel at the entrance.


    "Sorry, may I ask who you are?"


    Jacob quickly stepped forward and presented his work badge. "I made an appointment with your principal to visit the school environment today."


    Upon hearing this, the security personnel nced at his work badge, then looked at the orders given to them today. After confirming their identities, they let them pass.

 Chapter 270 Handsome Uncle

    The school principal personally came out to receive Adrian.


    Actually, when they learned that Adrian wasing to their school, the principal was quite shocked.


    As a sessful figure in the business world, the principal also knew about Adrian. But he was surprised that Adrian woulde to their school to visit the environment. Because he never received any news about Adrian getting married or having children.


    After expressing his doubts, his wife said, "Why do you care if they have children or not? Maybe they are just preparing for the future. Rich people always n ahead. Don''t overthink it. He''s just here to visit, so focus on your own duties." After hearing his wife''s words, Frank weed Adrian with a beaming smile and took him around the school.


    "Our school environment is actually quite good. If Mr. ckwood has children in the future, you can consider sending them to our school."


    Unfortunately, no matter how he said it, Adrian''s expression remained cold and calm, as if unaffected by it.


    Seeing this, Frank wondered if Adrian was unsatisfied with the school.


    On the other hand, Jacob knew that Adrian didn''te here to check out the school. His intentionsy elsewhere, so he stepped forward and said, "Frank, the environment here does look good. I''m just not sure about the teaching atmosphere. Can we go and have a look?"


    "Of course!" Frank nodded. "Sure, I''ll take you there."


    Frank personally led them towards the direction of the ssrooms.


    It wasn''t ss time yet, so many students had just arrived.


    In the ss, some students still hadn''t arrived.


    "At this time, it''s free ytime for the preschoolers, but several teachers are watching to ensure nothing unexpected happens."


    As they entered the first ssroom, Adrian''s gaze lifted and swept across the room, but he didn''t see anyone familiar.


    He withdrew his gaze coldly.


    Jacob understood and immediately suggested, "Can we check another ssroom?"


    "Of course, of course, let''s go."


    Because it was Frank, he wanted to take people wherever he wanted to go. Along the way, some even recognized him and called out to him with an angelic voice. "Mr. Principal."


    "Good morning, Mr. Principal."


    In front of Adrian, Frank responded happily all the way. In several consecutive ssrooms, Adrian still didn''t see the two little ones he wanted to see.


    His brows furrowed. They were clearly seen entering the school earlier, so where had those two little rascals gone?


    While pondering, suddenly, two familiar figures appeared in front of him. They were sitting in the corner, ying something together, their heads close together, looking down at something in their hands.


    Adrian stopped in his tracks, gazing nkly at the two little ones. He couldn''t tear his gaze away, not even an inch.


    Jacob and Frank followed his gaze.


    When they saw the two little ones, Frank smiled, "Mr. ckwood, aren''t these two little rascals adorable? Let me tell you, these two are quite famous online. They have their own livestream room, and many viewers tune in. The traffic they receive is no less than that of entertainment stars. Even my wife and children love watching their livestream."


    Speaking of which, Frank suddenly remembered thest time his wife was watching the livestream. He was nearby, and his wife suddenly thought of something. She came over with her phone.


    "Doesn''t this child resemble Mr. ckwood from the ckwood Group?"


    Hearing this, Frank became interested and took a nce. If it had not been mentioned, he wouldn''t have noticed, but after his wife pointed it out, he couldn''t help but find the resemnce striking. "It really does look quite simr."


    "Could it be Mr. ckwood''s illegitimate child?"


    "Nonsense, does he even need an illegitimate child? He hasn''t even gotten married yet."


    "True, there were rumors in the industry about someone getting stic surgery on a child and trying to infiltrate the ckwood family. None seeded. Moreover, it''s normal to have people who look alike in this world. It doesn''t necessarily mean they share blood."


    While listening to his wife''s ramblings, Frank couldn''t help but take another nce at the screen and thought to himself, this is different from those who underwent surgery, it really looks alike.


    Of course, he dare not say such things in front of Adrian. Now that Adrian had stopped upon seeing these two children, he probably had the same awareness, right?


    Adrian kept his eyes on the two little kids and then took a step forward.


    "Mr. ckwood," said Frank.


    Seeing this, Jacob intercepted Frank when he tried to follow.


    "Frank, Mr. ckwood probably just wants to greet the cute kids. You wouldn''t disagree with that, would you?"


    "But..." Frank looked conflicted. "ording to the school rules, this isn''t appropriate, and for the kids, he''s a stranger."


    "You''re mistaken," Jacob corrected him. "They are not just strangers."


    As soon as the words were spoken, Adrian had already reached the two little ones. In the midst of their y, Ruby looked up and her eyes brightened upon seeing Adrian. "Handsome uncle!" Ruby tugged on Dn''s sleeve. "Brother, it''s the handsome uncle from ourst airne trip."


    Hearing this, Dn looked up and locked eyes with Adrian.


    In just a nce, Dn recognized the uncle who had helped him by opening the bathroom door at the airport, while he was on the phone. It had been a few seconds, and then he eximed, "Good morning, uncle!" Adrian stood there, quietly observing the two little kids in front of him.


    He didn''t know why, but perhaps it was because it was the first time he was able to see these two little ones not through a screen, but in real life, standing right in front of him.


    So real, their features, their breath, and even their voices were so close.


    It made him feel like he was floating on a cloud, teetering on the edge.


    They appeared so real, yet at the same time, almost like a mirage.


    Lost in his thoughts, Adrian slowly crouched down.


    His gaze lingered on Dn''s face before shifting to Ruby.


    Perhaps she was surprised by his silence andck of response, so Ruby tilted her head and widened her eyes, "Uncle?"


    Adrian snapped out of it, extending his hand to gently pat Ruby''s head and made a soft sound of affirmation.


    Not far away, Jacob pointed at this scene with a smug smile. "See, Frank, I told you they know each other. Familiar."


    And who knows, perhaps they are even father and son.


    Of course, he wouldn''t say that until there was solid proof.


    Frank was also taken aback, looking at this scene in front of him.


    "They know each other?"


    They actually knew each other, and so Frank remembered what his wife had said. Now, looking at Adrian and the twins, the resemnce became more and more apparent.

 Chapter 271 Identity Comes in Handy

    "Uncle, what are you doing here?" Ruby asked.


    Since theirst encounter on the ne, they hadn''t seen each other, so Ruby was quite surprised to suddenlye across Adrian here.


    Hearing her angelic voice and soft tone, Adrian couldn''t help but curl up his lips up in a smile.


    From the sound of it, this little one was obviously spoiled and used to getting her own way, just like when she was in the livestream room. She was a clever little girl.


    "I came to visit the school, but I didn''t expect to run into you guys." Adrian nced briefly at Dn.


    Dn wasn''t as adorable as Ruby, nor did he show the same level of intimacy. In fact, after Adrian crouched down, the little guy''s eyes became somewhat guarded, and he subtly held the young girl''s hand. This was his resistance.


    Adrian, however, wasn''t angry. Instead, he found Dn''s behavior somewhatmendable.


    "Huh? Handsome Uncle came to visit the school? Are you married? Do you have a baby too?" Ruby, clearly a curious child, bombarded him with questions.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow, still unsure how to answer her questions. After a moment, he nced at the cautious Dn and said to the young girl, "Don''t call me Handsome Uncle. Change it to something else, like ''Uncle NightA."" "Uncle NightA?!"


    "You are Uncle NightA?"


    Both of them were shocked by this, finding it hard to believe that he was NightA, who often received their tips during the livestream.


    Adrian raised his eyebrow, "Don''t believe me?"


    Neither of them responded.


    "Do you still not believe that I''m Uncle NightA?" With that, Adrian took out his phone and opened his own ount to show the two little ones.


    As he passed the phone over to her, Adrian saw Ruby leaning her little head in to watch, and when she finished, she cheered and hugged Adrian. "Uncle NightA!" Ruby eximed.


    Adrian half embraced Ruby, but when he looked up, he found Dn still standing in ce, raising an eyebrow. This little guy was certainly vignt. "Aren''t you going to take a look?" Adrian spoke up.


    Hearing that, Dn nced at him before slowly walking over.


    Adrian''s lips curled up as he handed Dn the phone. "Double-checking? Otherwise, you might think that Uncle NightA is a bad person or an imposter."


    His words effortlessly pierced through Dn''s thoughts, and though his expression remained unchanged, his ears turned slightly red.


    But he still took the phone and started checking, initially stiff and cautious. However, seeing that Adrian didn''t react, he began fiddling with the phone in his hands. After confirming a few things, Dn handed the phone back to Adrian.


    Adrian gazed at him with a smile in his eyes. "Satisfied now? Do you still doubt me?"


    The little one remained silent, but tightly pursed his lips and took hold of Adrian''s hand.


    Since Ruby found out that he is ''Uncle NightA'' she tightly held onto his arm, showing an intimacy that resembled encountering a dear family member. "Uncle NightA, why didn''t you tell me on the ne that you are Uncle NightA?"


    "Hmm?" Adrian pondered and responded, "Perhaps, as it was our first meeting, I didn''t think of it."


    "Oh, so Uncle NightA came to school today to enroll his baby?" Ruby tilted her head and asked.


    Surprised that the question came up again, Adrian thought for a moment and smiled gently, "My baby has already been enrolled and is in this school too." "Really? What''s their name?" Ruby asked eagerly.


    Adrian chuckled, "I''ll introduce you next time we have a chance."


    "Great, great!" Ruby pped happily.


    Frank stood at a distance, watching them chat and feeling a bit emotional. His curiosity grew, so he turned to Jacob and asked, "What is their rtionship?" Jacob smiled slightly and responded, "Guess."


    Frank hesitated. How could he dare to guess?


    As Adrian hadn''t been fully exined yet, coupled with the children needing to attend ss, Adrian only stayed with them for twenty minutes before leaving. Back in the car, Adrian was visibly in a good mood.


    Observing this, Jacob took the opportunity to offer a thermos cup, "Mr. ckwood, the weather is cold. Have a hot drink to warm you up."


    As Adrian was in a good mood, he didn''t refuse when Jacob handed him the cup. He took a couple sips.


    Inside the thermos cup was oatmeal powder that Jacob had prepared, mixed with milk. The temperature was just right, giving aforting warmth as it slid down his throat.


    Observing him, Jacob, perhaps due to Adrian''s good mood, waited for him to take several sips before taking the cup back and said, "Mr. ckwood, how about having a few more sips to nourish your body? After all, you''re not alone now." Upon hearing this, Adrian''s hand holding the thermos cup paused. His narrow eyes drooped slightly, seemingly digesting Jacob''s words.


    After a moment, he looked up and smiled gently. "You''re right."


    Jacob stared at Adrian, somewhat shocked.


    It had been a while since he had seen Adrian genuinely smile like this. Ever since Granny passed away, he had been closed off from the world.


    Finally, it seemed that his heart was slowly opening up again.?


    Jacob watched as Adrian leisurely finished all the oatmeal in the cup. Only then did Jacob put the cup away.


    While twisting the cap, Jacob said, "Just now, when I saw you with those two kids, the scene was truly beautiful. I even took a photo."


    Hearing this, Adrian''s eyes flickered. "A photo? Send it to me."


    Jacob sent the photo to his phone, and Adrian opened it, his lips curving up again.


    Jacob continued speaking in the front seat, "I saw you all having a great chat, so I secretly took a photo. I can see that the little boy seems wary of you. He''s very mature for his age."


    Adrian pursed his lips and replied, "It''s good that my child has this wariness, it will prevent him from being deceived one day."


    My child...


    Jacob sighed as he questioned, "Mr. ckwood, is this really your child? Don''t you n on conducting a paternity test?" Adrian chuckled dismissively, "Is it necessary?"


    Jacob thought to himself, well, it seems like it might not be necessary after all. With the children having Eva as their mother, and bearing such a striking resemnce to Adrian - about 90% simrity - there was hardly any doubt that they are his biological children.


    "What do we do next then? Should we tell Ms. Hansen about this?" Jacob asked.


    "No." Adrian shook his head. "If she finds out, she might take the children and run away. Not only would I lose her, but the children might also develop resentment towards me. What I need to do now is to assert my presence before them as NightA."


    Adrian intentionally revealed his NightA identity today because his little boy was too guarded with him. He had no choice but to bring up this persona. It may have been a little despicable, but it was effective and necessary.

 Chapter 272 I Have Something to Tell You

    That afternoon, Eva went to pick up her kids from school as usual. After picking them up, as they exited the school, Eva noticed a ck car. The car had moved slightly from its previous position but still quietly remained there. It could be a parent''s car, and she might be overthinking it. Lately, she had been busy and hadn''t had time to buy a car. Walking took up a lot of time, so Eva knew she needed to get a car. It was inconvenient to walk to pick up the children from school every day.


    Once they returned home, Eva started searching for a suitable vehicle. Since the kids would require a lot of money in the future, and the car would be just a means of transport, Eva didn''t n on buying an expensive one. Her budget was around $200,000.


    She quickly found a cost-effective option that was within her budget and nned to go to the store tomorrow to test drive it. After some time, Eva reminded the kids to go to bed. The two little ones were well-behaved and went to their rooms to settle down.


    As Eva approached the window to close the curtains, she caught a glimpse of a ck car by the streetlight downstairs. It looked exactly like the one she had seen at the school earlier that day. Eva paused, raising an eyebrow. Was it the darkness ying tricks on her, or was it the same ck car that she saw earlier?


    Curious, she wanted to take a closer look. Just then, her phone pinged with a new message notification. She absentmindedly checked the message and froze in ce. The sender was NightA, someone she had not spoken to in a long time. Since theirst encounter, they hadn''t contacted each other. Although Eva had many questions, she couldn''t bring herself to initiate contact with him.


    Eva had had the intention to repay him, but since he didn''t respond and she didn''t want to pester him for his bank ount details, she refrained from doing so. However, he suddenly reached out to her now. Eva clicked on his profile and saw his message, a simple greeting.


    "Hello."


    Since they hadn''t spoken for a long time, Eva was a bit surprised to receive this message.


    Looking up, she saw her previous message asking for his bank ount details, which he hadn''t replied to.


    Did he contact her now because he was willing to ept her repayment?


    With this thought in mind, she quickly replied, "Good evening."


    Adrian, sitting in the car, saw this message and his eyes narrowed dangerously. After a moment, he looked up and nced at the slender figure standing by the window.


    She responded to other men''s messages quickly and with a gentle tone, but when it came to him...


    Since Eva didn''t receive a reply from him for a while, she thought for a moment and decided to take the initiative and open the conversation, "Are you busy, sir? You haven''t replied to my inquiry about your ount number." After she said this, he replied slowly.


    "Yes."


    "Then, can you check if you have time now to provide your ount number? I can transfer the money back to you."


    "Okay."


    Upon seeing this response, Eva slowly furrowed her brows.


    He was being a bit abrupt, but she thought it was normal for him. Someone as generous as him must have aplex background, not caring about money or trying to please others.


    She just had to repay the money, and didn''t need to worry about anything else.


    However, she waited for a long time and he didn''t send his ount number, which made Eva feel somewhat puzzled. So, she decided to ask again. "Sir?"


    "Hmm, when are you avable? Let''s meet up."


    The new message had quite a few words, but the request made Eva furrow her brows.


    Meet up? Didn''t he contact her just about her repaying the money? Why would they need to meet?


    "Sir, can''t I transfer the money directly to your ount?"


    "I only ept cash. If you don''t want to repay, it''s fine."


    Upon reading this, Eva understood. He actually didn''t need her to repay the money at all, he was just using this method to make her give in. But... she didn''t want to hold onto his money.


    After thinking for a while, Eva finally replied, "Where should we meet?"


    Upon seeing that she had agreed, Adrian''s expression darkenedpletely. His thin lips formed a displeased straight line.


    He put away his phone and didn''t respond to her anymore.


    In the front, Jacob could feel the sudden chill emanating from him. He looked at him somewhat uneasily and asked, "Mr. ckwood, what''s wrong?"


    "Let''s go." Adrian ignored the question and his response was cold and detached.


    Jacob didn''t know what was going on, but he followed Adrian''s instruction and drove away.


    Meanwhile, Eva waited for a long time but didn''t receive any further response from him. Although she found it strange, she didn''t pursue it. After all, once he had decided on the meeting ce, he would surely inform her? If he wasn''t in a hurry, then she wasn''t either.


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva put her phone away.


    She remembered what she was busy with before his message had distracted her and walked back to the window.


    She looked at the spot where the ck car had been parked, but it was now empty. It was as if the ck car she had seen earlier was just an illusion. The streetlight cast long shadows of the trees.


    She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and closed the curtains.


    The next day, when Eva woke up and got ready to go out, she found someone in the living room.


    As she stepped out of her room, the person stood up from the sofa and smiled at her.


    "Eva, up already?" It was Michael, whom she hadn''t seen for several days. His lips curved into a gentle smile, and his gaze softened as he looked at her.


    Seeing him, Eva''s face changed slightly, and she nodded. "Morning, how did you get here?"


    "We agreed that you could take some time to think. It''s been several days, so I guess you''ve made up your mind?" Michael said. Worried that Eva might refuse, he quickly changed the topic, "Shall I take you guys today?" Eva looked at him quietly for a moment. "Have you sorted out the matters at yourpany? Do you have time?"


    If he had time, Eva thought she needed to find an opportunity to talk to him about their rtionship.


    Seemingly understanding her intention, Michael paused for a moment before saying, "I only have enough time to take the children to school and you to the office."


    He seemed to be everywhere. In an instant, Eva didn''t know how to respond.


    After thinking for a moment, she turned down his offer, "If you''re so busy, then there''s no need for you to take us. I n to buy a car myself."


    Hearing this, Michael''s eyes dimmed slightly, but after a moment, they regained their light. "Buying a car? Have you chosen one?"


    "Yes, I have. I''m going to see it today," Eva nodded.


    Michael said, "Then I''ll apany you."


    "No need. Didn''t you just say that you don''t have time?" Eva countered.


    "I have time to apany you to choose a car." Michael said with a smile.


    Eva intended to refuse, but then she thought of something and nodded. "Alright, thank you for apanying me this afternoon to choose a car. I also have something to talk to you about."

 Chapter 273 Jealousy

    Perhaps he didn''t expect her to be so direct. Michael stood still for a moment before helplessly replying to her, "In that case, can I also take you, Ruby, and Dn to school and the office today?" Eva was nning to have a clear conversation with him today, so it shouldn''t matter. "Okay."


    On the way to the school, Eva remained unusually quiet while Ruby chatted incessantly.


    Michael patiently responded to her all the way.


    When they arrived at the school, Eva suddenly felt a sharp, cold, and piercing stare on her back.


    Instinctively, she looked around and found the source.


    When she saw the ck car from yesterday, Eva was instantly stunned.


    If the stare she felt yesterday was an illusion, then was it also an illusion today?


    Her intuition told her something was not right.


    She instinctively quickened her pace, wanting to walk towards the ck car.


    "Eva!" Michael suddenly called out, bringing her back to reality. "What''s wrong?"


    Seeing that she had been staring at a certain spot, Michael walked over to her and stopped beside her, following her gaze.


    When he saw the ck car, Michael also paused, narrowing his eyes slowly.


    "It''s nothing." Eva snapped back to her senses and shook her head lightly.


    Of course, she wouldn''t rush to tell Michael about this matter. After all, it was just her intuition. What if she was wrong?


    Besides, the car was parked at the school gate, and no one from the school stopped to look or found anything unusual. It must be a parent of some child in the school.


    Eva pursed her lips, her eyebrows lightly furrowed. "Aren''t you still going to the office? Go ahead, it''s not far from here, I can walk there quickly."


    "Eva." Michael frowned, calling her name in disagreement.


    Eva insisted, looking at him firmly, "You''ve already taken the trouble to bring the children to school. You should go quickly. As for our matter... let''s discuss it this afternoon, alright? I''ll exin everything to you then." Michael could only nod.


    After he left, Eva stood alone, without moving, for a while before slowly walking towards the ck car.


    Originally, she had nned to ride in Michael''s car to the office, but now she had something else she wanted to deal with, so she told Michael to go.


    Eva stopped beside the ck car.


    Adrian, sitting in the car, frowned when he saw her actions.


    Before he could speak, he heard Jacob next to him say, "Could Ms. Hansen have discovered us?"


    Hearing this, Adrian''s lips tightened as he coldly replied, "Impossible, as long as you don''t do anything stupid."


    What stupid thing could Jacob do? He had been sitting here doing nothing all along.


    Lost in thought, Eva suddenly bent down and lightly tapped the car window.


    Jacob was startled, his nerves instantly on edge.


    After knocking on the car window, there was still no response from inside. Eva thought that someone might lower the window and she could take a look at who was in the car.


    But she didn''t give up, because she really felt a pair of eyes looking at her from inside the car.


    Her intuition couldn''t be wrong, especially not twice in a row.


    With this in mind, Eva slowly leaned down, trying to peer inside through the window.


    "Get down!" As she did this, Adrian suddenly lowered his voice and quicklyy down, with Jacob quickly following suit.


    Eva leaned against the car window, carefully looking inside.


    It was very sunny outside at the moment, and she had been standing under the sun for quite some time, so her vision wasn''t particrly great right now. Even as she was leaning against the car window, she couldn''t see what or who was inside. It was pitch ck.


    But she didn''t give up, and continued to persistently look.


    Inside the car, both individuals remained still. Adriany on the seat, silently observing her leaning against the window.


    Watching, Jacob even held his breath in fear. He never expected Ms. Hansen to be so vignt. They hadn''t done anything to attract any attention, but she had already noticed them on the second day of their arrival here. How long had it been? Eva probably didn''t see anything and had to give up in the end. After she left, Jacob finally caught his breath and said, "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen is terrifying. How did she know there was someone in our car?"


    Both of them were still lying there, probably still startled by Eva''s sudden attack. So, for the time being, neither of them dared to get up, afraid that Eva mighte back. After a while, when they were sure that Eva had really left, they sat up. Adrian''s face didn''t look good.


    Jacob looked frightened, patting his chest. "That scared the life out of me, Mr. ckwood. What should we do next?"


    Hearing this, Adrian gave him a cold nce and pursed his lips, not saying a word. After a moment, he opened the car door and got out.


    Ruby had brought some snacks for during break today. But not long after arriving at school, she started craving for them, so she turned her head to her brother, who was sitting next to her, and said, "Dn, I want to eat."


    As siblings who were born on the same day and month, and have been together for so long, how could Dn not know what she was thinking? Hearing her say she wanted to eat, he immediately said, "No, we just had breakfast not long ago." Upon hearing this, Ruby stared at him with a pair of big, innocent eyes. "But Dn, I''m hungry."


    Just finished eating and now hungry already? How could he possibly believe that? "Ruby, you can''t eat any more right now. Mommy said these are snacks for break time, and we have to wait until after ss to eat them." Dn said. Although it was only a few seconds age difference, Dn seemed like a little adult, giving instructions to his much younger sister.


    "But Dn, if I eat them now or at break time, there won''t be anything left. It''s the same thing." Ruby said as she reached for the zipper on her backpack.


    Just as Dn was about to stop her, a familiar voice came from behind.


    "Dn, Ruby." It was a slightly chilly male voice, but very familiar, as Dn had heard it just yesterday.


    Ruby''s hand, about to open the backpack, stopped. When she turned her head, she saw Adrian standing outside.


    "Uncle NightA!!" She immediately let go of her backpack and ran towards him.


    Today, Ruby was wearing a pleated dress, and when she ran, she looked like a fluttering butterfly. Adrian, who was originally in a gloomy mood, quickly felt better when he saw the little one running towards him. The hostility in his eyes quickly dissipated, and he even crouched down, reaching out to catch her so that she wouldn''t identally fall.


    "Uncle NightA! Why did youe again?" Ruby happily asked him.

 Chapter 274 Does He Want to See You?

    Dn saw this interaction and continued to watch closely, with a guarded expression.


    Adrian took his time before slowly getting up and walking over. After getting closer to Dn, the child awkwardly greeted, "Uncle NightA."


    "Hmm." Adrian nodded, looking at Dn with a somewhat helpless expression. This little guy was a lot more cautious than Ruby. Even after Adrian revealed his identity, Dn remained guarded. It seemed Adrian had to find a way to earn his trust. However,ing to the school every day made his intentions too obvious.


    Adrian narrowed his eyes and pondered a strategy in his mind.


    "Uncle NightA, who is your baby? Can we meet them today?" Ruby was still curious about the baby Adrian mentioned yesterday.


    Adrian ced his hand on the back of his head and replied softly, "It''s not convenient today. Maybe another day?"


    "Mm, alright." Ruby pouted.


    Then, Adrian nced at Dn, who was now standing beside them silently but tightly holding onto his sister. Adrian thought that he probably shouldn''t stay any longer. It was the second day that he hade to see them, yet Dn seemed even more reserved today than yesterday. If it continued like this, the little guy might build a strong defensive wall, making it very difficult to ovee.


    Considering this, Adrian quickly stood up, "I came here today because I had a few other things to take care of. Since it''s all sorted and there''s nothing else that''s urgent, I''ll go back to work now."


    Ruby blinked her lively eyes. "Uncle NightA didn''te specifically to see us? Then you won''te back to talk to uster?"


    "Sorry." Adrian managed his emotions about staying and replied, "I really have something important to attend to today."


    Ruby instantly showed a disappointed expression, looking very pitiful. On the other hand, Dn''s guarded and reserved expression lessened slightly when he heard that Adrian was only here on a side trip. Adrian didn''t linger any longer and said goodbye to the two children before swiftly leaving.


    In the Principal''s office, Adrian sat by the windowsill, holding onto his phone, with his eyes fixed on the message Eva sent yesterday evening.


    Now was definitely not a good time for them to meet.


    But... thinking about the difference in her behavior towards other men and towards himself, he couldn''t help feeling jealous.


    And this morning, she even allowed Michael to bring her and the children to the school.


    Michael knew she had children!


    Looking at Michael''s mannerisms, it seemed like he doted on the two kids and was trying to please her through them.


    What was even more terrifying was that both the children had no defenses against him.


    Thinking of this, Adrian suddenly became alert.


    If he made his move first...


    With that in mind, he typed a new message into the chat that had been lingering sincest night.


    "Are you avable for the transaction today?"


    Eva must have been free because her reply came quickly, "When?"


    "This afternoon." Adrian replied.


    "Sorry, this afternoon might not be convenient. Is it possible to reschedule?" Eva thought for a moment and replied, "Tomorrow?"


    Adrian pursed his lips and typed in annoyance. "Do you have something in the afternoon?"


    "Yes, I''m sorry, I have some other things to take care of in the afternoon." Eva''s message came back quickly.


    What could she possibly have in the afternoon? Adrian thought about Michael''s expression when he looked at Eva before leaving. He couldn''t hear their conversation at the time, but they must have been discussing something serious because Eva''s expression seemed solemn.


    Having known her for so many years, and even growing up together, Adrian couldn''t possibly misunderstand her expression. It was clear that she had something important to say to Michael.


    Adrian immediately replied, "No, I have something tomorrow. I need the money urgently. Please make time for it today."


    Upon seeing this message, Eva furrowed her brows slightly because his message didn''t reveal a trace ofpromise.


    It was exactly the same asst night. If she wanted to repay him, she would have to go along with his demands.


    Eva felt a sense of being "held hostage" on a moral level.


    Although, she could simply call Michael and tell him she didn''t want to choose a car anymore, and that he didn''t need to apany her. She could say what she wanted to sayter anyway. But NightA''s firmness made her feel incredibly ufortable, and her intuition told her it couldn''t be like this.


    But then he had said that he needed the money urgently.


    Eva replied, "If you need the money urgently, I can transfer it to you directly. It''s not safe to carry too much cash."


    After sending the message, Eva felt that NightA''s request was really unreasonable.


    Coincidentally, Emily had some free time to chat with her, so Eva briefly mentioned the situation.


    As soon as Emily heard the story, she immediately called, "Is this a fling? Is he trying to meet you but can''t find an excuse? Otherwise, why would he insist on cash when it could easily be solved by a bank transfer? And from what you told me before, doesn''t he only give loans and not talk? Don''t give him the money back."


    "Yes, that''s correct." Eva nodded.


    "Well, in that case, and considering how much he has loaned you and left it for such a long time, he definitely isn''t short of money. I haven''t heard any news of embezzlement to reward streamers either." Emily murmured. Upon hearing the news of embezzlement to reward streamers, Eva couldn''t help butugh, "Well, it''s not impossible. What if he''s the kind of person who embezzles funds but hasn''t been discovered yet?"


    "It''s a possibility, but unlikely. The amount he has loaned to you is not something that can be embezzled easily. Such arge sum, do you think embezzlement is a small matter?" Emily furrowed her brows. "That''s true," Eva agreed.


    "So, I guess he wants to meet you. But it''s strange, why does he want to see you? It''s not like you''re the one streaming; he might not even know what you look like." Emily was a bit puzzled.


    That''s also what Eva found strange. This person was aplete stranger, and apart fromst night and today, they had only exchanged a few sentences after adding each other''s contact information.


    "Alright, here''s what we can do..." Emily offered her suggestion, "If you really want to go, you can decide on the location yourself and reserve two tables. Give him one of the tables and wait at the other one to see what kind of person he is. If he truly wants money from you, he won''t be able to hold back and will contact you. At that time, you can just transfer the money directly."


    Eva took a while before exining, "I''m busy this afternoon, I have ns with Michael."


    Upon hearing that, Emily immediately perked up, "Hmm? Michael? You made ns with him?"


    "Yes." Eva confirmed.


    "Hehe! What''s this I''m hearing? Have you finally figured things out and decided to be with him?" Emily chuckled.


    Eva furrowed her brows at thement, "No, don''t make assumptions."


    Emily seemed somewhat disappointed, "Still not ready, huh?"


    Eva remained silent.


    "Well, if it''s not meant to be, then forget about it. In that case, you should meet this person instead. He likes your children so much, who knows, maybe he''ll like you too. And you might even develop feelings for him." Emily suggested.

 Chapter 275 It never ends

    Eva found these words amusing, "You''re constantly meddling in my affairs. Why don''t you focus on yourself, Emily? It''s been so many years, and you still haven''t had a boyfriend." "Don''t change the topic, I''m talking to you seriously." Emily huffed.


    Eva listened quietly, then sighed softly, "Instead of worrying about me, you should look after yourself, Emily."


    "This person could bring you future happiness. I should be the one looking out for you." Emily said assertively.


    Eva wanted to say something to her, but NightA sent her another message, so she briefly informed Emily.


    Emily, though not directly involved, became excited, "Just ept it! Follow my advice. Hurry up, Eva. It''s such a good opportunity, what is there to think about? NightA is wealthy and sessful."


    "I have ns with Michael this afternoon," Eva reminded her.


    Emily immediately intervened, "Cancel them."


    "But..." Eva hesitated.


    "No ''but.'' You don''t even like him. Even if you disappoint him, there''s nothing you can do about it. You can''t have it all. Yes, he has been good to you, and you have known each other for a long time, but you can''t force feelings. Let him be disappointed, disappoint him a few more times, and he will probably give up." Emily persisted.


    Eva didn''t say anything, but she considered everything Emily had said.


    Will he give up after being disappointed a few more times?


    "Michael might have been disappointed many times in the past. After all, he would have been disappointed a lot in thesest five years. Yet, he still hasn''t given up. Be a little heartless. If it really doesn''t work, just cut ties with him and don''t waste his time." Emily continued.


    "Okay, I understand." Eva nodded.


    After hanging up the phone, Eva looked at her phone in silence.


    Cut ties with Michael?


    Honestly, she wasn''t reluctant to do so. It''s just that he hasn''t done anything wrong, yet she has to cut ties with him.


    Cut off the rtionship.


    Well... just like Emily said, over the past five years, he has been disappointed in their situation many times, but he has never given up.


    Such true emotions.


    If she doesn''t be a bit heartless soon, she might really dy things.


    With this in mind, Eva closed her eyes.


    When she opened her eyes again, she replied to NightA''s message.


    "How much cash do you need?"


    Adrian saw this massage, and put away his phone, he said to Jacob beside him, "Think of a way."


    Jacob immediately asked, "What way?"


    "Get a familiar kid to transfer schools." Adrian said.


    Where could Jacob find a familiar kid to transfer schools?


    "Check my distant rtives." Adrian suggested.


    Hearing this, Jacob instantly understood, "Alright, but your distant rtives are quite remote."


    "It doesn''t matter, as long as there''s some kinship." Adrian didn''t mind.


    Jacob actually understood what he wanted to do. If he invited two kids, it wouldn''t seem abrupt.


    He immediately had someone check through the family tree, and in the end, they found a five-year-old child in a household that was almost unrted to Adrian.


    "Mr. ckwood, we''ve found a household that has a slight connection to your ancestors, although the rtionship is really distant. I can''t exin it clearly. They currently live in Chicago, the couple works at an ordinarypany, and the child goes to an ordinary nearby preschool." Jacob briefed Adrian while presenting the n. "I''ll contact themter to see if they''re willing to bring the child over to study here, but the school here might be quite far from where they live, so they may not agree."


    Just as he finished speaking, Adrian looked at him and said firmly, "Do everything you can."


    "Understood." Jacob nodded.


    After George and his wife Mary finished work, they prepared to go home.


    The couple worked at the samepany, so they could travel home together after work. They had a two-hour break at noon, and since their home was close to thepany, they only needed to walk back. After cooking and eating, they still had about half an hour to rx before going back to work.


    With no surprises, this was their daily routine, and life was quite peaceful.


    George was quite satisfied with such days. He didn''t mind living an ordinary life until his death, of course, as long as his wife didn''tin.


    Unfortunately, his wife sometimes didin that he was useless, that other men were so wealthy and had opportunities for promotion, while he had been stuck in the same position for many years.


    As the number ofints increased, George always remembered them, and over time, they became a small bump in his heart.


    However, this small bump didn''t affect their marriage at the moment. He just kept it hidden in his heart. Recently, he had been thinking about finding a promotion opportunity and had looked at changing jobs, but he hadn''t found a suitablepany or position yet.


    "George, let''s have chicken breast sd for lunch. I''m a bit tired today, and I don''t want to cook." Mary suggested.


    Hearing this, George frowned, "Didn''t we just eat that yesterday? Are we going to eat that again today?"


    "What''s wrong with eating it again today? Chicken breast sd is simple, if you don''t want to eat it, then you can cook for yourself." Mary said emotionlessly.


    "I work so hard, how can I be expected to still stand and cook?" George rebutted.


    "Just because you work, does that mean I''m not working and earning money? I cook every day, if you don''t want to eat what I make, order takeout for yourself or hire a maid to cook for you." Mary grew angrier as she spoke.


    "Takeout? Hiring a maid is free? We''ll end up in debt if we spend all the money, how will we pay for everything?" George reflexively objected.


    "I know we have debts to pay, so don''tin. I''ll cook whatever I want and you eat it, if you''re not satisfied, cook for yourself. I promise I won''tin about whatever you make." Mary snorted.


    George was quickly silenced by Mary''s retorts and nned to keep quiet, but to his surprise, Mary spoke again the next second, "Or, if you''re capable like other men and give me a monthly allowance or sry, I can cook you a feast. But if you can''t do that, then shut your mouth."


    "Alright, can you stop already? What did I say just now? I just said I didn''t want to eat chicken breast sd again, is that a good reason to keep on berating me?" George''s anger surged.


    "What''s wrong with that? So, I can''t say anything even if you''re so useless? Our child is already five years old and can''t even go to a decent school. Do you deserve to be someone''s father or husband?" Mary didn''t back down and retorted. The two continued arguing as they continued walking and soon arrived at their home. However, their quarrel was not over yet. They continued nitpicking each other''s ws, resembling enemies instead of a couple. They argued until someone carrying a briefcase approached and their bickering stopped.


    "Hello there."


    George and Mary immediately halted their steps and looked at the person in front of them. Dressed in a suit, exuding an extraordinary temperament, he clearly wasn''t an ordinary person.


    "Who are you?" George hesitated a bit.


    Jacob extended his business card with a faint smile and said, "Hello, I am Jacob, Adrian''s assistant and secretary at the ckwood Group."

 Chapter 276 Meeting the Appointment of Another Man

    George didn''t know who Jacob was, but how could he not know Adrian''s name or about the ckwood Group? They were both very well-known. Mary also knew, so the couple''s expressions instantly changed.


    "Are you looking for us?" Mary asked in surprise.


    Seeing the couple''s shocked expressions, Jacob took out some documents from his briefcase and repeated their names.


    "George, Mary, it''s you, right? The photos on here match." Jacob said.


    Both George and Mary leaned closer and indeed saw their personal information disyed on the documents.


    As well as their photo.


    "This is us, but what do you want us for?" George asked, a bit confused.


    "It''s not convenient to talk here. How about we go inside and discuss it?" Jacob suggested.


    "Okay, let''s go." George nodded quickly.


    The couple quickly invited Jacob into the house.


    Once inside, Jacob quickly scanned the surroundings, confirming that their living conditions were as described in the information: ordinary. Although they had a house, they were struggling to make ends meet with monthly debts and their child''s tuition. There was no extra money to buy various household items.


    Mary poured a cup of tea for Jacob.


    Rather than drinking it, Jacob immediately took out the documents. "You two also work in the afternoon, right? I won''t waste your time; I will get straight to the point."


    Jacob then exined the purpose for his visit to them.


    After listening to him, the couple stared nkly at each other for a moment before finally reacting.


    "We, we didn''t misunderstand, did we? What you said is true?" Mary confirmed once again.


    Jacob nodded. "You heard it correctly. Mr. ckwood does intend to support your child''s education."


    "But, but why?" Mary asked, puzzled. "Isn''t support usually given to orphans or impoverished students? Our family''s situation doesn''t seem too bad either."


    "Indeed, if it were for sponsorship, it''s usually for orphans. But Mr. ckwood is supporting you for a reason. It''s not because your family is in poverty, but rather because your ancestors have some connection with the ckwood family in New York." Jacob exined.


    He could not mention that Mr. ckwood was doing it to be closer to his own children.


    Mary was confused. "A connection with the ckwood family?"


    Hearing this, George pped his thigh. "No wonder my great-grandmother used to always say that our ancestors had a connection with the ckwood family in New York. I thought she was just talking nonsense because of her old age, but it turns out it''s true."


    "Yes, that''s why if you agree, you need to sign this document. I will go to the school in the afternoon to take your child there." Jacob nodded.


    "Which school?" George quickly asked.


    Jacob mentioned the name of the school that the two children were attending.


    Upon hearing the name of the school, the couple suddenly took a sharp breath. "This, this is an elite school, isn''t it?"


    "Of course, if you''re sponsoring, naturally you should attend the best school, and this will continue in the future. As long as your children perform well, they can attend any university and Mr. ckwood will support them. As for the inconvenience of your childrening home after school, we''ve also figured that out. Starting tomorrow, you can report to the ckwood Group, and we have already found a house for you in the vicinity of thepany." Jacob said. Now, the couple waspletely dumbfounded.


    Supporting their child through school would be one thing, but why would he help them find jobs? Is there really such a good thing in this world?


    George couldn''t believe it. "You''re not trying to scam us, are you? Are you trying to trick us into giving you our money?"


    In the next second, Jacob ced a property certificate onto the table in front of them. "You two just need to move in."


    Twenty minutester, the couple bid Jacob farewell, promising to resign and withdraw their child from school that afternoon, ensuring they would report to the new school the next day.


    Jacob was satisfied. "Don''t dy, I want to see you first thing tomorrow morning."


    "Okay, no problem. We''ll pack tonight, even if we don''t sleep," George assured him.


    Afterpleting everything, Jacob finally left, content.


    Eva went to the bank and withdrew $50,000 in cash. Because she had to carry various items for her children, her small bag from her teenage years had been reced by arge bag. The $50,000 cash fitfortably inside. She never expected the amount of cash NightA mentioned would be $50,000.


    He had already rewarded her so much, what could he do with $50,000? Now Eva understood that demanding repayment was just a pretense. His real goal was that he wanted to see her. As for why he wanted to see her, she had no idea. Eva decided to follow Emily''s advice and see what NightA wanted to do. She booked two tables and sent the details of the one by the window to him.


    At this moment, Adrian sat upstairs in the restaurant with a gloomy face, his gaze fixed on the entrance downstairs. The atmosphere around him was so depressing that Jacob, who was sitting next to him, felt a chill and instinctively adjusted his clothes.


    He then looked at Adrian and said, "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen agreed to meet with you. Why are you still angry?"


    Adrian responded with a sarcastic chuckle, "Is she meeting me, or is she meeting another man?"


    Hearing this, Jacob couldn''t help but show a speechless expression. "Whether it''s meeting another man or meeting you, isn''t it up to you?"


    Adrian pursed his thin lips tightly, refusing to answer.


    Though he remained silent, Jacob could sense that Adrian was still brooding. So he asked, "Mr. ckwood, are you jealous of yourself?" Adrian remained silent.


    Jacob could, in fact, understand why Adrian was angry. Ms. Hansen agreed to meet a man whose identity she didn''t know, but she rejected Adrian himself. Such a disparity could make one feel ufortable.


    Jacob could only remind him, "Mr. ckwood, I''m not intentionally criticizing you. In Ms. Hansen''s eyes, you two haven''t seen each other for five years. She has struggled to raise two children on her own during these five years, and when she left, you were already divorced. So, her feelings for you can only be less, not more. It''s not strange for her to reject you."


    When he reached this point in his speech, Adrian''s sharp gaze suddenly swept over to him, like a knife, scaring Jacob into silence, instantly afraid to speak.


    But after a while, Adrian furrowed his brows and stared at him, saying, "What else do you want to say? Continue."


    Jacob chuckled inwardly and continued, "You must adjust your mindset now. You should be grateful that she has been raising the children alone for the past five years without getting married. That''s why you have a chance now, instead of being angry with her. After all, it has been five years."

 Chapter 277 Whats the Rush?

    When one is angry, rationality is often overwhelmed and reced by emotions. Adrian was no exception, even when he encountered the woman he loved. But when Jacob spoke, it was like an awakening for him. The anger extinguished in an instant.


    He lowered his eyes and concealed the dark color beneath them. Indeed, what right did he have to be angry?


    As his assistant had said, it had been five years. He should be grateful that she hadn''t married yet, giving him the opportunity to ask her out, regardless of his status, as long as he wasn''t someone else. With these thoughts in mind, Adrian nced at Jacob and said, "Fine, I didn''t expect you to be quite so useful in giving advice."


    "Really?" Jacob immediately sought a reward upon receiving his praise. "Then, Mr. ckwood, can you give me a raise this year?"


    Hearing this, Adrian snorted and said, "We''ll see. Have you taken care of the things I asked you to do?"


    "It''s done. They said they will move tonight, and we can pick up the child tomorrow. However, are you nning to pretend that that child is your own in front of your two kids? It might not be the best approach?" "Of course not!" Adrian coldly replied. "How could I let another child call me their father? Absolutely not."


    That''s right, letting someone else''s child call Adrian ''dad,'' even if it was just acting, Mr. ckwood would never agree to it.


    "Have you decided on the identity then?" Jacob asked.


    "Just call me a rtive, any rtive name will do," Adrian didn''t mind.


    Jacob immediately came up with a convenient and practical option, "Then, why not let the child address you as Uncle?" Uncle?


    Thinking of those two little children who already called him Uncle NightA, Adrian nodded in agreement.


    So, Jacob took out his phone to record, and whenever he thought of something, he suggested it, "Actually, Mr. ckwood, I have another suggestion, but I''m hesitant to tell you." "Speak." Adrian said in a t tone.


    "It''s just... I think before you can get your children topletely trust you, you can let the Cao family''s child temporarily stay at your ce." Jacob said.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian couldn''t help but furrow his brows disapprovingly, "What are you talking about?"


    "I know you don''t like having outsiders around your home, but we can have the nanny prepare a room for him, and he won''t bother you at all in general." Jacob exined. Adrian''s brows remained furrowed. He didn''t agree with this suggestion.


    "Mr. ckwood, don''t you want to invite your children toe over to your house through this child? Private interactions can enhance feelings, right?" Jacob continued to exin. After understanding the cause and effect clearly, Adrian''s furrowed brow gradually rxed.


    "So, is that settled? Should I talk to his parents tomorrow?" Jacob asked.


    "Mm." Adrian nodded coldly.


    Adrian pursed his thin lips, about to say something, but then he saw a familiar figure at the door.


    Jacob also noticed and eximed with joy, "Ms. Hansen is here."


    "Keep your voice down, don''t let her notice you." Adrian said as he frowned slightly.


    Jacob quickly covered his mouth and instinctively lowered his body, afraid that Eva would see them when she looked up. "But it''s still half an hour before the agreed time. Why did shee so early?" Adrian nced at the time on his wristwatch, and his rxed brows furrowed again.


    Indeed, why did shee so early?


    Could it be... she couldn''t wait to see a stranger?


    At the thought of this, Adrian''s fist tightened.


    But then he remembered what Jacob had said, and his clenched fist loosened slightly.


    Forget it, he needs to stay calm. After all, the man Eva is meeting now is "him".


    Eva walked into the restaurant with her bag.


    The restaurant staff immediately greeted her, "Miss, hello."


    "Hello, I made a reservation for..." Eva told the staff her reserved spot, and they led her inside.


    Adrian, sitting upstairs, watched with indifference.


    Her reservation was by the window.


    Originally, his face was icy, but when he saw that the staff didn''t lead Eva to the window and even took her in the opposite direction, he was puzzled.


    What''s going on? Did the staff make a mistake, or did she get confused?


    While he was thinking, the staff had already led Eva towards the stairs.


    Adrian''s expression changed, and he heard Jacob exim next to him, "Oh my, could it be that the staff wants to bring her up here? Mr. ckwood, what should we do?"


    There were only a few steps between the upstairs and downstairs, and there was only one way down.


    Jacob was anxious beyond measure. "What should we do? Ms. Hansen will discover us, won''t she?"


    After all, they didn''te here today to really just meet about money, but it was actually a n to interfere with her meeting with another man.


    If they were to meet now, wouldn''t Mr. ckwood expose his intentions, would he?


    "Why so anxious?" Just as Jacob was getting extremely anxious, Adrian nced at him sternly. "Calm down."


    "Mr. ckwood..." Although he told Jacob to calm down, how could he calm down at this moment?


    "She''s just going upstairs, what''s so strange if she bumps into us at this time? Do you think she would associate me with that man?" Adrian said calmly.


    Hearing his calm voice, Jacob also gradually calmed down, "That''s right, we weren''t sitting downstairs, how could she associate us with the person she is meeting?"


    After speaking, Jacob picked up his coffee on the table and took a sip.


    Before he could swallow, he saw the staff bringing Eva up and walking towards their table.


    As they got closer, Jacob struggled to swallow the coffee, and finally watched the restaurant staff stop at the table next to them.


    "Miss, this is the table you reserved."


    When Eva approached, she saw Adrian and Jacob sitting here, leaving her speechless.


    When she saw Adrian, the first thing that came to her mind was a question.


    Why is he here?


    Then she remembered what Adrian had said to her on the phone at the airport.


    "Eva, did you think that once you arrived in Chicago, I wouldn''t know or leave you alone?"


    The meaning of his words was clear, he wouldn''t let her off easily.


    But she didn''t expect him to be here.


    What does he want? To follow her like this, constantly pestering her?


    Disgust surged in Eva''s heart, and she immediately turned to the staff and said, "I''m sorry, I suddenly don''t like it here. Can I change to a different table? Is there any avable downstairs?" The staff nodded slowly, "There are some."


    "Okay, please find me another one..." Eva''s words were cut off as a tall figure appeared by her side.

 Chapter 278 Is Vivian not enough?

    Adrian was tall and standing close to her, almost enveloping her with his cold breath.


    Though cold, it was assertive.


    Instinctively, Eva stepped back, trying to put some distance between them.


    Unfortunately, luck was not on her side, and she stumbled as she shuffled backward, almost falling back.


    Adrian raised his hand, catching her waist and pulling her towards him.


    Evanded against his body.


    With a faint fragrance emanating from her, Adrian involuntarily breathed in her scent.


    Feeling her soft body pressing against him, even her waist against his hand felt particrly soft, Adrian''s thin lips slightly curled, teasingly raising an eyebrow.


    "So nervous to see me?" Adrian asked softly.


    After regaining her bnce, Eva instinctively pushed away from Adrian, "Let go of me."


    Despite her efforts, Adrian''s grip tightened, and he remained unmoved, like a solid mountain.


    The restaurant staff widened their eyes and took two steps back at the sight.


    "Since we know each other, let''s sit at the same table. There''s no need to go through the trouble of going downstairs." Adrian said to the waiter, but his gaze remained fixed on Eva''s face.


    As he finished his words, Adrian wrapped his arm around her slender waist and led her to his table.


    "Who said I want to sit with you? Let me go!" Eva''s voice questioned.


    Struggling and ring at Adrian angrily, Eva demanded, "And why are you here? What do you want? Were you following me?"


    "Following you?" Adrian smirked, his lips curling up. "Eva, why don''t you ask the server here when we arrived?"


    Hearing that, Eva paused. Seeing Adrian immediately made her instinctively feel like he was following her and trying to bother her. But she hadpletely forgotten that she was the one who had arrivedter.


    Jacob quickly stood up and greeted Eva. "What a coincidence, are you here to eat as well? It''s already afternoon, howe you''reing sote for a meal? Since we''ve bumped into each other, it must be fate. Shall we sit together?" "No need." Eva firmly rejected without hesitation, "I won''t dine with you."


    "Even if I''m an investor in yourpany?" Adrian questioned.


    Eva looked at Adrian, his arm still around her waist, and bit her lip. "Are you trying to threaten me?"


    Adrian raised an eyebrow. "If that''s what you think."


    "Alright." Eva smiled. "Then withdraw your investment and see if I''m scared."


    Hearing that, the smile on Adrian''s lips gradually faded. "Do you think I''m afraid to withdraw my investment?"


    "Well, considering you''re not the one who made all the effort." Eva sneered.


    Adrian pursed his lips, his gaze slowly growing cold.


    Jacob, noticing this encounter was quickly going wrong, immediately said to the staff, "Please bring us a few dishes. The three of us will be sitting at the same table, hurry up."


    The staff also picked up on the awkward situation from their conversation just now. The three of them seemed to know each other, but things seemed a bit uneasy.


    However, as long as they knew each other, there shouldn''t be any trouble. The staff nodded and went downstairs to prepare.


    After the staff left, Eva coldly stared at Adrian. "Let go."


    Adrian didn''t move.


    Jacob quickly approached and said, "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen, please calm down. Since we''ve encountered each other, let''s have a meal together."


    While saying that, Jacob tried to pry Adrian''s hand away. Adrian frowned deeply, but when he heard Jacob quietly reminding him to let go, he eventually released his grip.


    After being released, Eva immediately regained her freedom and took two steps back, keeping her distance from Adrian.


    Adrian''s gaze remained fixed on her.


    "Ms. Hansen, how about sitting with us? Let''s all be amicable." Jacob suggested.


    Looking at the polite Jacob, Eva couldn''t bring herself to say anything harsh to him, so she exined, "Unfortunately I can''t. I have ns."


    "And with whom?" Adrian asked.


    "What''s it to you?" Eva retorted.


    "A man?" Adrian questioned.


    "Is it any of your business?" Eva countered.


    Although Adrian knew who she had ns with, he couldn''t control his crazy jealousy at that moment. Jacob listened to their conversation beside them and couldn''t help but be curious about what would happen between the two. Hopeless! What is Mr. ckwood doing?


    He was just talking peacefully earlier, but why does it turn like this when they meet?


    Then again, considering Eva''s resistance, and her wanting to leave without even saying a word, it would be difficult for him to maintain a peaceful mood if he were Mr. ckwood.


    Adrian sneered coldly, "Did you arrange to meet Michael?"


    He was quite curious. If he, as NightA, hadn''t forced her toe out, would she have gone out with Michael by now?


    Eva had cancelled her ns to meet with Michael, but seeing Adrian''s current expression, she coldlyughed and said, "Yes, I made ns to have dinner and go look at cars. If there''s nothing else, I''ll go now."


    After saying this, Eva took out her phone, and began walking out while pretending to call Michael.


    As she passed by Adrian, her wrist was quickly grabbed by him.


    "Let go of me!" Eva struggled a few times.


    "Aren''t you going to look at cars? I''ll apany you." Adrian held her hand without permission and walked downstairs with her. Jacob stood there dumbfounded, and only asked when they were about to reach the bottom of the stairs, "Mr. ckwood, aren''t we having dinner?"


    They didn''t respond, already disappearing from his sight.


    Jacob thought that he would have to eat the signature dishes on his ownter.


    But he couldn''t finish them alone, so Jacob quickly called one of his friends in Chicago toe over and join him.


    Adrian took Eva with him downstairs, even forcefully pushing her into his car, and then firmly holding her hands, he instructed the driver to drive.


    Although the driver didn''t know what had happened, he didn''t dare to ask and immediately started driving.


    As the car drove off, Eva was still struggling, "Let go of me! I really do have urgent matters to attend to here today."


    She didn''t expect to encounter Adrian here, how could it be such a coincidence? The address she chose ended up being where she ran into Adrian. Now she was being taken away, what would happen if NightA came looking for the money?


    "Oh." Adrian asked expressionlessly, "What urgent matters?"


    "It''s none of your business." Of course, Eva couldn''t tell him what she had to do, as it involved two children.


    "None of my business?" Adrianughed softly, "You won''t tell me, right? Then let''s just treat it as a trivial matter and go look at the car instead."


    "Adrian!" Eva couldn''t bear it any longer and angrily shouted his name, "We had no rtionship five years ago, and the only reason I went to New York with you a few days ago was because of the deal between my grandmother and you. The deal is over, we have nothing between us. What gives you the right to bother me now, and even get involved in my affairs? Isn''t Vivian enough for you?"

 Chapter 279 Bad Driving

    When the name Vivian was mentioned, a strange silence fell over the car.


    It seemed like an unbridgeable gap between the two of them. After hearing Vivian''s name, Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Her and I..."


    Eva turned her head and coldly interrupted, "I don''t care about you and her. I just hope you won''t bother me any more."


    Adrian''s face turned cold upon hearing this. "Who was it that said we should part on good terms? Eva, is this your idea of parting on good terms? Or is there something you''re hiding from me, something that makes you not want to part with me on good terms?"


    As Adrian finished speaking, his gaze firmly locked onto Eva.


    Sure enough, although Eva maintained her calm demeanor, a flicker of panic quickly crossed her eyes. It was so fleeting that if he wasn''t staring at her intently, he might have missed it.


    With regainedposure, Eva turned her head to face him.


    "Did I say that? I don''t remember." she calmly said as she steadily looked at him. "Do you have any evidence to prove that I said it?"


    For a moment, Adrian and Eva''s cold gazes met before he suddenly chuckled, "Are you trying to y innocent?"


    "If I didn''t say it, how can it be considered ying innocent?" Eva retorted.


    "Fine." Adrian nonchntly shrugged and smirked, "Let''s pretend you never said it, as it doesn''t really matter to me now. It doesn''t affect my decision."


    Indeed, no matter how Eva tried to y innocent, it wouldn''t work if this man wanted to continue to bother her. He certainly wouldn''t give up just because of a few words.


    Eva suddenly felt thating back to America to develop her career was a wrong decision. Perhaps, when she decided to return, she should have left her children abroad ande back to start her own business first. But she couldn''t bear to separate herself from them.


    They had already missed out on so much care and affection growing up, and if their mother were to leave them too...


    Eva fell silent and turned quietly towards the car window. Then, she took out her phone, intending to send a message that she couldn''t make it to NightA.


    Or perhaps she could reschedule forter. She had to let him know that she wasn''t avable now.


    She carefullyposed the message.


    Meanwhile, Adrian, who noticed her sudden silence and saw her facing the window with her phone in her hand, vaguely caught a glimpse of the WhatsApp interface she opened.


    At first, Adrian remained calm.


    But soon, he realized what she was about to do, and his expression turned fierce.


    Under normal circumstances, his phone wouldn''t be on silent mode. If she sent a message to NightA now...


    Just as she was about to press send, Adrian coldly shouted her name, "Eva!"


    His tone was urgent, which startled Eva. Her hand trembled, and she nearly dropped her phone.


    Frowning, she looked at him displeased.


    Adrian''s face grew serious. "Who are you messaging?"


    Hearing this, Eva''s expression changed slightly. She casually closed the screen and put her phone away, acting as if nothing had happened. "Why does it matter to you?"


    She originally thought that Adrian, being unreasonable, would snatch her phone away. But she didn''t expect him to just re at her darkly without attempting to take her phone. Coincidentally, at that moment, the driver spoke up, breaking the awkward atmosphere.


    "Mr. ckwood, where are we going to?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian slowly turned his gaze and said in a deep voice, "To the car dealership."


    After a short while of driving, Adrian subtly took out his phone and put it on silent mode.


    This way, he wouldn''t have to worry about her sending him any messages.


    Actually, Eva had no idea what Adrian wanted to do, and she didn''t have time to pay attention to him because she had other things on her mind.


    Although she arrived early for the arranged transaction, if NightA couldn''t find her after he arrived, he would probably call her.


    With Adrian being so persistent, there was no way she could hand over the cash to NightA today.


    But there was no choice. Her children were more important than him.


    So, Eva silently set her phone to silent mode as well.


    Eva had already chosen a practical car. The car she had her eyes on was not expensive, just an ordinary mode of transportation. Although its performance wasn''t great, it was definitely one of the best within the price range she was considering. However, when Adrian saw it, he immediately disapproved, saying, "This one you''ve picked is not good enough, its performance is too poor."


    He then informed the staff of a specific car brand he preferred for her.


    Hearing the brand name, Eva frowned. "I can''t afford that."


    "I''ll give it to you." Adrian said with a cheerful tone, which only deepened Eva''s frown.


    "I don''t need it." Eva replied.


    "Why not? Having a good mode of transportation for thepany''s business partners ensures better work, doesn''t it?" Adrian argued.


    Upon hearing this, Eva looked at him expressionlessly and asked, "Really? So does that mean you''ll be giving a car to every business partner of yourpany?"


    Adrian silently looked at her and replied, "If they were like you, it wouldn''t be a problem."


    Eva twitched her lips, uninterested in further argument, and instead turned to the salesperson, saying, "Sorry, I''d like to try the car I mentioned earlier."


    The salesperson, who had overheard their conversation and understood that the one who paid had the final say, immediately said to Eva, "Miss, please follow me."


    The salesperson decided to consider the buyer''s preference. Although, they also wanted to sell a luxury car, themission for selling one was much higher. But they had to consider the buyer''s preference as well.


    As expected, seeing the salesperson''s quick reaction, Eva was quite satisfied and quickly followed behind them. "As long as I find it suitable during the test drive, I''ll pay and take the car right away."


    The car salesperson nodded with a smile, "Alright."


    Meanwhile, Adrian was left behind with a sullen face.


    After a moment, he caught up with his long strides.


    "Miss, this is the one you mentioned. First, take a look at its exterior. If it''s to your liking, then we can proceed." The salesperson advised.


    "Well, the appearance is good. Can I test drive it now? And then, if there''s no problem, can I make the payment right away?" Eva nodded.


    There were few car buyers like Eva, and it was evident that she was genuinely eager to make the transaction. The salesperson was also momentarily taken aback and nodded after a while, "Of course." Afterward, Eva took the car key and just as she was about to get in, someone sat in the passenger seat.


    Eva saw Adrian and asked, "Why are you following me?"


    Adrian leisurely fastened his seatbelt and asked, "How good are your driving skills?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva smirked, "Not good"


    "Oh?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, "I''ve never been in a car driven by a road killer. I''ll give it a try today."

 Chapter 280 I dont need you to accompany me

    Watching him for a while, Eva finally sat in the driver''s seat, shut the car door, and fastened her seatbelt - her actions almost seamless.


    Then she inserted her car key into the ignition and looked coldly at Adrian, "Are you sure you want to ride in my car?"


    Adrian smirked, "What, do you think I''m afraid of death?"


    Eva didn''t respond to his words as she started the engine while simultaneously stepping on the brake and turning the steering wheel. She rolled down the car window, and the salesperson standing outside was anxiously watching them, "Miss, sir."


    Eva smiled faintly at him, then raising her lips in a mocking manner told him, "Don''t worry, I have experience."


    Seeing his disbelief, Eva even handed him her driver''s license. After the salesperson checked it, his worries were finally eased, "That''s good."


    "I''ll test the feel of how it drives and be back soon." Eva said.


    Adrian sat beside her, expressionless, as he watched Eva steer the car.


    Eva had learned how to drive five years ago and would often drive to and from work.


    However, her skills were not particrly impressive. She had no problem on traffic-free roads, but once there was heavy traffic, she would often be nervous. She didn''t know if she had improved in these five years. Before Adrian could ponder much over this situation, the car had already zoomed out.


    The speed wasn''t fast, but whether it was turning or driving straight ahead, everything seemed incredibly smooth. Her maneuvers were like those of an experienced driver.


    Adrian was suddenly struck with a realization.


    The fluency with which she drove waspletely different from before. It was evident that she had be very familiar with driving.


    This should have been a matter to be happy about for her, but Adrian kept his thin lips tightly pursed, his gaze pitch-ck and deep.


    When he saw her, he felt that five years had been too long, as if a lifetime had passed without seeing her. But sometimes, when he saw her familiar gestures, it felt like it was just yesterday.


    It wasn''t until now, seeing her silky driving skills, that Adrian suddenly realized that many things had changed over the past five years.


    Only, he was still stuck in the same ce, unable to move forward.


    After a smoothp outside, the car returned to the dealership. After Eva got out of the car, she handed the keys back to the salesperson, "I''d like to have this one please, I''ll make the payment now." "Alright, but we still need to go through some procedures. You won''t be able to take the car right away." The salesperson said.


    "Yes, I know. Please give me a call when I can pick it up." Eva nodded and smiled widely.


    When the salesperson left, Adrian finally got out of the car and silently watched her retreating figure.


    After Eva finished all the necessary procedures, she turned around and realized that Adrian did not follow her. She quickly asked one of the staff members, "Excuse me, may I know where the restroom is?" Once she found out the location of the restroom, Eva swiftly entered and took out her phone.


    An hour had already passed since the scheduled meeting time between herself and NightA.


    Eva expected to see a message from him, scolding and questioning her why she didn''t go to the meeting. However, as she took out her phone, she was surprised to find that their conversation thread was still on the screen, with her message waiting to be sent.


    Her message hadn''t been delivered, and there was no contact from him. It felt as if he had vanished into thin air.


    What was going on?


    Seeing this, Eva deleted the message she intended to send and began typing a new one.


    "Sir, I''m sorry, but something unexpected came up in the afternoon, so I couldn''t make it to the restuarant. However, I noticed that you didn''t send any messages to me either. Is something keeping you busy on your end?" After sending the message, Eva waited in the restroom for a few minutes, but there was no reply from him. She waited a bit longer, but there was still no response. She couldn''t wait any longer for a response. When she finally walked out, she noticed that Adrian had been waiting outside. However, he seemed different from before, with an aura that suddenly turned cold, like a natural air conditioner.


    Although he had a striking appearance and was very attractive, his chilling demeanor was enough to make anyone retreat.


    Only when Eva approached, did his coldness dissipate slightly.


    His icy gazended on her face, his thin lips pursed, showing no intention to speak to her.


    Eva had finished all the procedures and didn''t greet him. She simply took her bag and walked past him. When she reached the door, Adrian caught up with her again, saying, "Let me escort you back." "No need, I can go by myself." Eva responded, still refusing him.


    Adrian frowned, "Do you need me to wait for you at thepany?"


    Hearing his words, Eva stopped for a moment, then looked at him in silence.


    Adrian, avoiding her gaze, opened the car door and asked, "Are you getting in or not?"


    Eva stood still, silently watching him for a moment longer, then turned her head and walked away.


    She didn''t believe that if she didn''t get in the car, he would really go to thepany and wait for her every day.


    If he could do that, then he might as well quit his job, abandon thepany, and stop making money. If he could truly do that, she wouldn''t mind.


    Adrian watched her slender figure walking away with a gloomy expression but didn''t chase after her.


    Perhaps due to the sudden change, his heart felt blocked. So, he quietly watched her leave until she disappeared out of sight.


    After a long while, he finally got into his car.


    The driver nced at his expression and cautiously asked, "Mr. ckwood, shouldn''t we follow her?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian raised his hand and rubbed his slightly painful forehead, wearily saying, "No need, go back."


    As the car drove away, Eva turned her head and looked back, but she didn''t see Adrian''s figure among the few unfamiliar pedestrians behind her.


    She let out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, there seemed to be a hint of disappointment in her heart.


    However, this feeling was fleeting, disappearing before she could fully grasp it.


    She went to the nearby subway station to buy a ticket.


    At that moment, Michael''s call came in.


    Seeing his call and thinking about Emily''s words, Eva contemted for a moment before answering the phone.


    "Eva, I''m already downstairs at yourpany, but... I was told by your colleagues that you left this afternoon? Where are you now? Shall Ie and pick you up?" Michael''s tone remained gentle and there was no me in his voice for not being able to find her.


    Facing this kind of Michael, Eva quickly felt guilty.


    He was always like this, never getting angry with her no matter what she did.


    It was because of that, that she could never refuse him, even when she wanted to.


    Eva closed her eyes and coldly said, "No need, I don''t want to go see it today."


    Her cold tone surprised Michael on the other end of the phone, and after a moment of silence, he softly inquired, "Is something holding you up? Shall we reschedule then?"


    "No need to reschedule either." With the words spoken, Eva bit her lip and spoke again, "Even if I were to go, there''s no need for you to apany me."

 Chapter 281 Never Look Back

    Her rejection was already clear.


    However, after a prolonged silence, Michael''s voice remained gentle. "Eva, what happened? If you don''t need me, then should I send David? He knows more, so that the salespeople won''t try to deceive you when you choose a car..." Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Eva impatiently interrupted him, "Do I look that foolish? So foolish that any salesperson who approaches me can easily deceive me?" "That''s not what I meant." Michael exined gently.


    "If that''s not what you meant, then why are you wanting to send David over? I said I don''t need any help, didn''t you understand?" Eva''s tone was confrontational. There was silence on the other end.


    After speaking harshly, Eva felt some regret in her heart.


    After all, the person on the other end of the phone had been exceptionally good to her for the past five years, but being too soft would only bring harm to him and achieve nothing. Instead of continuing like this, it was better to end it quickly.


    Not hearing any response from Michael''s side, Eva thought that he probably didn''t want to speak with her anymore. Surprised that he didn''t hang up despite being angry, she ended the call herself. After hanging up, she stood in ce and sighed deeply.


    That''s how it has to be. The words she spoke might have hurt him, but it was for the best for both of them.


    Before boarding the subway, Eva nced once again at her conversation history with NightA, who was still silent.


    Not contacting her and not replying to her text messages, it seemed that he must have been dyed by something. With nothing else to do in the afternoon, Eva arrived at the school early to pick up her kids. She arrived half an hour in advance, so she was allowed to enter the school and wait. Since the children were still in ss, Eva waited outside the ssroom area, not wanting to disturb them. She flipped through her phone, checking messages and talking to Emily about the afternoon.


    Emily had been Eva''s best friend since childhood. Even though Eva had be a mother to two children, she still confided in Emily like a teenage girl. Emily, being the good friend that she was, would secretly chat with Eva even while at work. "Don''t worry, Eva. It''s quite difficult to reject someone who has been so good to you, not because you''re seeking their kindness but because they are genuinely wonderful. Rejecting them and turning them away with harsh words would only make them feel hurt, and that would trigger feelings of guilt and remorse within you. But in matters of the heart, we must be cautious of such emotions. What you''re doing now is right, so don''t look back."


    These words made Eva slightly narrow her eyes and she smiled, asking Emily, "You never used to be someone who would say such profound things. Why are you so serious now?"


    With a hint of pride in her voice, Emily''s tone changed as she replied, "You don''t know, a few days ago something happened to me. My devil of a boss rejected the confession of a top beauty right in front of me. That beauty was his former ssmate who treated him well and liked him a lot. Not only was she smart and beautiful, but she was also a talented dancer. But my boss rejected her outright, telling her not to trouble him anymore, or he wouldn''t mind cutting ties. The beauty was left in tears. After she left, I told him he was too cruel and ruthless, and he exined this principle to me."


    Eva had seen the boss Emily spoke of, who was a serious, cold-looking man with a handsome face and a strong presence. He was reserved and spoke sparingly. That was her first impression of him, and after hearing Emily''s description, she also learned that he was a workaholic. It seemed natural for such formal words toe from his mouth.


    "So, you applied his advice in your own life?" Eva replied with a smile.


    Emily responded with a smile, her eyes narrowing, "Of course."


    "Do you no longer think there''s something wrong with your boss now?" Eva continued typing.


    "He does have some issues, of course, but that doesn''t mean I can''t use his words tofort you. Don''t you think it makes sense?" Emily''s reply quickly came through.


    "Well, it does make sense." Eva chuckled. Although Emily usually had a lot ofints about her boss, seeing her use his words tofort her made Eva realize something. At least in some aspects, Emily trusted her boss to an extreme extent, using his words as advice to others.


    The key point was that Eva found herself agreeing as well. Indeed, his straightforward and decisive approach to life was the right attitude to face it. As the time for school to end approached, Eva put away her phone and didn''t chat with Emily anymore.


    When the two little ones came out and rushed into her arms, their first words were, "Mommy, how did youe in?"


    Eva ruffled the heads of the two little ones and said, "I got off work early today, so I came in to wait."


    Ruby looked around and then said in an angelic voice, "I thought Mommy was like Uncle NightA,ing in to talk to us." Eva was taken aback by these words.


    After a few seconds of shock, she reacted and held Ruby''s face in her hands, looking at her seriously. "Ruby, what did you just say?"


    Ruby looked at her with her bright eyes, puzzled. "I said Uncle NightA, what''s wrong, Mommy?"


    "You mean the NightA who alwayses to watch your livestream in the broadcasting room?" Eva quickly asked.


    Ruby nodded.


    After she nodded, Eva turned to Dn and asked, "Dn? Is what Ruby said true?"


    Dn pursed his lips and replied, "Yes, Mommy, it seems like NightA''s child is also here."


    NightA has a child?


    This information surprised Eva a bit.


    She never expected that he would have a child. She thought that someone who constantly watched the livestream of the two little ones and donated so much money wouldn''t have a child yet, so they could be so generous. But this was a bit too coincidental.


    An rm bell rang in Eva''s mind. After all, he had been appearing quite frequentlytely. First, he contacted her but didn''t show up, and now her children bumped into him here.


    Thinking of this, Eva''s expression immediately became serious. "Dn, how many times have you encountered him? What did he say to you?"


    "Well, Mommy!" Ruby hugged her sleeve and almost hung on Eva''s body. "I met Uncle NightA once on the ne here."


    This statement stunned Eva again. "What?"


    Dn nodded too. "Yes, Mommy, I also bumped into Uncle NightA in the airport restroom, but he didn''t know me at that time." "You..." Eva frowned. "You actually met him beforeing to Chicago?"

 Chapter 282 Unreliable Person

    Although she didn''t want to admit it, this was too coincidental, right?


    If the things that happened these past two days were already too coincidental, bumping into him in the airport and on the ne as well, then this was truly amazing.


    So, is this the reason he wanted to meet her?


    But... why didn''t he show up then?


    "What''s wrong, Mommy?" Ruby noticed that she seemed lost in her thoughts, so she reached out to embrace her. "Mommy, are you worried that Uncle NightA is a bad person? Mommy, Uncle NightA is not a bad person, okay?" Her trusting words made Eva look at her helplessly and smile. "Even if he is a bad person, he won''t show it on his face, and he definitely won''t tell you he is a bad person."


    Ruby looked confused, as if she understood but didn''t really understand.


    Her bewildered look was extremely cute in Eva''s eyes, so she reached out and tapped her nose lightly. "Silly girl, what did NightA say to you when you met him on the ne?"


    "I forgot!" Ruby answered happily.


    Alright, unreliable kid.


    Eva could only turn to Dn, "And what about you, Dn?"


    Even though Dn was only a little older than Ruby, he had the maturity of an older brother. He not only had a clear mind but also spoke with logical reasoning, despite his young age.


    After he finished exining the whole process, Eva finally understood what had happened in the past couple of days.


    Knowing that NightA hade in the morning to say a quick hello to the two kids and left, Eva surprisingly found it somewhat reasonable that he had asked her for cash at that time. After all, he had leisurely chatted with the two kids before but seemed hurried today. Could it be that he really needed that cash?


    "Mama?" Ruby asked with wide eyes, "Has mommy met Uncle NightA?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva snapped back to reality, reaching out to rub the back of Ruby''s head and whispered softly, "No, I haven''t. Well, let''s go home. If everything goes smoothly, I can pick up a car tomorrow, and then we won''t have to take the subway or walk everywhere."


    The kids quickly caught up with her, walking alongside her. Ruby even asked while walking, "Mommy, why hasn''t Uncle Michael been picking us up recently?"


    At the mention of Michael, Eva thought again of her heartless words from earlier. She reluctantly tugged at her lips, about to exin when Ruby, who was holding her hand, suddenly cheered, "Uncle Michael!"


    Eva''s steps came to a halt, instinctively looking ahead.


    Michael stood there, impably dressed in a suit, with a gentle smile on his face. He held the car keys in his hand.


    "Come here," Michael crouched down and opened his arms towards Ruby.


    With excitement, Ruby let go of Eva''s hand and ran towards Michael.


    Her impulsive actions left Eva speechless. Wasn''t this little one being too obvious?


    Ruby jumped into Michael''s embrace, her face beaming with a smile. "Uncle Michael, I thought you wouldn''te to pick us up."


    "How could I not?" Michael took off her little backpack and held it for her, then took out an exquisite little box from his pocket.


    Ruby was immediately intrigued. "What''s that?"


    "It''s Christmas Eve in a few days, and I''ve prepared gifts for Ruby and Dn in advance." Michael said with a smile.


    "Christmas Eve!" Ruby took the gift, originally wanting to open it in front of Michael. However, Michael held her hand and said, "It''s a surprise, open it at home." "Okay then, thank you, Uncle Michael." Ruby held her gift tightly, appreciative.


    Eva held Dn''s hand, smiling at the heartwarming scene.


    Michael gestured for Dn toe closter. Dn walked over, nced at his mother''s expression, and finally muttered, "Yes, Uncle Michael."


    Michael pulled out another small box and handed it to Dn, "This is your gift."


    But Dn didn''t know what to think, he pursed his lips and didn''t reach out to take it.


    Seeing him not reaching out, Michael called out to him, "Dn?"


    Dn looked at Eva.


    Eva smiled reassuringly and said, "Quickly, thank Michael."


    Those unpleasant words should never be spoken in front of a child.


    With Eva''s words in mind, Dn dared to ept Michael''s gift and thanked him.


    She nced at Dn.


    This child is really too sensitive, can he even perceive his own emotions?


    Seeing him finally epting the gift, a joyful smile returned to Michael''s face. He reached out and tousled Dn''s hair and then said, "Let''s go, I''ll take you home."


    Now that the children here, Eva didn''t say anything else and got into the car with the two children.


    However, after getting in the car, she was unusually silent, continuously checking her phone and not participating in the conversation. Ruby didn''t notice, happily chattering away with Michael throughout the journey. Dn on the other hand, due to Eva''s influence, didn''t say much either, even taking out a little book from his backpack, and pretending to read.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t manage to read a single line when Michael''s reminder came from the front seat, "Dn, it''s best not to read in the car."


    Dn''s small hand gripping the book paused, then he looked up at Eva.


    Eva nodded at him, and only then did he put the book away.


    They thought the matter would end there, but unexpectedly, Michael now shifted the topic to Dn, "Dn, it seems like you''ve been avoiding me today. What''s wrong? Did I do something wrong?"


    Hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but nce at Michael, her eyebrows lightly furrowing.


    Dn, who was the target of the conversation, became a little uneasy sitting in his seat.


    But before he could feel ufortable for long, Eva spoke up, "Dn''s personality is unique. How could he possibly be avoiding you? You''re just overthinking."


    Through the rearview mirror, Michael took a nce at her, pursed his thin lips, but didn''t respond.


    Even the slow-witted Ruby could sense that something was amiss and stopped pestering Michael to talk, instead snuggling into Eva''s embrace.


    "Mummy," Ruby looked up at her, her small face no longer smiling, reced by a hint of unease.


    Eva smiled and caressed her head, mumbled a few words offort, but didn''t say anything else.


    The atmosphere was off, and Ruby stopped talking too.


    When they arrived, Eva had the children thank Michael, and then she herself said to him, "Thank you for going out of your way to bring us home, but it''s probably best if you don''te over anymore. After all, you have a lot of business matters to attend to, and I don''t want to waste your time."


    "I''m willing to waste it." Michael opened the car door and got out, standing in front of her. "Can I have dinner with you tonight?"


    Eva hesitated for a moment, but didn''t respond. She turned around and took the children upstairs, with Michael following behind.


    After going upstairs, Eva entered the password, then told the two little ones, "You go in so long, Mommy has something to talk to Uncle Michael about."

 Chapter 283 Emotions Out of Control

    The two little ones obediently went into the house.


    Eva closed the door again.


    She stood still and there was silence behind her.


    After a long time, Eva turned around and smiled at Michael. "You haven''t had dinner yet, right? I remember there is a restaurant near themunity center. Shall we go?"


    Whether he was unaffected by her or for some other reason, Michael nodded with a faint smile when he heard her suggestion. "Let''s go."


    The two of them went downstairs together, the babysitter didn''t disturb them with smiling.


    Inside the house, the two little ones quietlyy next to the door, trying to listen to what was being said outside. Unfortunately, the instion of the door was too good, no matter what position theyy in, they couldn''t hear a single sound. After a while, Ruby turned her head to look at the serious-faced Dn. "Dn, are Mommy and Uncle Michael arguing?"


    The term "arguing" made Dn furrow his brow slightly, then he replied, "I don''t know, but let''s not guess. It''s better that way."


    "If Mommy and Uncle Michael are arguing, do we still have to be nice to Uncle Michael in the future?" Ruby asked with concern.


    Hearing this, Dn seriously contemted for a moment, then said, "We should still be nice to him. Mommy and Uncle Michael are arguing, not us and Uncle Michael."


    Ruby nodded, although not fully understanding.


    In the restaurant, Michael carefully looked through the menu, ordering one dish at a time and asking Eva about it.


    At first, Eva was patient. But by the time he asked about the third dish, she was starting to lose patience. Frowning, she said, "You don''t need to order anymore. This is fine. Besides, I can''t eat much anyway." Michael paused with the menu in his hand, then handed it over to the embarrassed-looking waiter. "Just bring these for now."


    "Okay." the waiter nodded.


    After the waiter left, Eva looked at Michael in front of her, intending to speak directly to the point.


    Unexpectedly, Michael took out an exquisitely packaged small box from his pocket and ced it on the table, pushing it towards her. "Ruby and Dn already have their gifts for Christmas Eve. This is yours."


    Eva looked at the delicate box, and after a moment, she took it and opened it. Inside was a beautiful brooch, the color and style of which was the most popr on the market, matching perfectly with her favorite light beige coat. It was just a small gift, but he had chosen it so carefully.


    To refuse him would make herself seem ungrateful.


    "Eva felt a wave of guilt wash over her, however, Emily''s words shed in Eva''s mind, reminding her to be cautious about her emotions.


    If I don''t want to continue this, being ruthless is actually good for him.


    Thinking this, Eva forced a smile and said, "This brooch looks really nice."


    Upon hearing her words, Michael pushed his sses up and replied, "As long as you like it."


    "I like it." Eva said nonchntly, "but what I like is the brooch, not the person who gave it to me in the way that they want."


    Eva fell silent.


    "I naturally like nice things." she continued. "But, sometimes, it also depends on who the gift is from. I don''t have to ept everything someone gives me."


    After saying this, Eva ced the brooch back into its box and pushed it away. "You should keep this for someone who deserves it. Simrly, you shouldn''t waste any more time on me. You''ve taken care of me all these years, and I''m grateful. If you need any help in the future, just let me know."


    "I only give things to those I consider worth it." Michael pursed his lips, his eyes beneath the lenses reflecting a hint of helplessness. "I bought this brooch specifically with you in mind. If you don''t want it, then what''s the difference between this brooch and garbage?" Michael lowered his gaze.


    "You were going to let me apany you to see the car this afternoon just to tell me all these things, did you?"


    "No, I just suddenly didn''t want you toe." Eva paused, then spoke in a cold voice. ''If you hadn''t shown up at the school of my children, I wouldn''t have gotten in your car and I wouldn''t be sitting here talking to you now. I...am annoyed." Upon hearing this, a flicker of confusion crossed Michael''s usually gentle face. "Annoyed?"


    "Yes, I don''t like you." Eva emphasized. "I''ve made that clear to you before, but you kept pestering me. I feel annoyed having to deal with you every day, especially after returning to here. I don''t have the patience to deal with you anymore. So please, stop wasting your time on me and find someone else." Eva had to make a decision.


    A glint of coldness appeared in Michael''s eyes, as if he couldn''t believe what he was hearing. Another voice echoed in his mind, ovepping with Eva''s voice.


    "Do you know how annoying you are? Is it only me in your world? Why do you always find me annoying? Why don''t you bother your father instead? You''re wasting my time, why are you talking to me? You are a waste, it''s because of you being such a waste that he treats me like this!"


    That night, a small figure was forced to kneel on the hard floor while a basin of cold water was poured over their head. The freezing temperature almost suffocated the young boy. "Mother...I''m sorry..."


    However, the person he called ''Mother'' just coldly put down the basin and walked away.


    Numerous dark days came rushing at Michael like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf him. He bit his lip and clenched his fists.


    Unfortunately, Eva didn''t notice any of these changes in him. After her indifferent words, she lowered her eyes, her demeanor still cold.


    "I''ve made myself clear, right? I hope you will pay more attention to your own life in the future and stop always looking for me." With that, Eva picked up her bag and began walking towards the door. Coincidentally, she bumped into a waiter who was bringing tea.


    Seeing that she was leaving, the waiter called out to her without thinking, "Miss..."


    "No, thank you." Eva said as she left the restaurant.


    The waiter stood still, holding the tea, foolishly watching her leave, then shifted his gaze to the man left alone at the table.


    He sat there, his aura dramatically changing with the woman''s departure, as if enveloped in an icy world that no one could enter.


    The most frightening thing was that his face and lips were pale, as if he had been shocked or suddenly fallen ill.


    The waiter was initially afraid, but also worried that something might happen to him in the restaurant. In the end, he approached cautiously, still holding the tea, and asked, "Sir, are you okay?"


    "Go away!" The man, who had been cold and silent, suddenlyshed out, forcefully knocking the te out of her hand.


    The scalding hot tea sshed onto the waiter without warning, causing her to instinctively scream and take several steps back.


    Everyone in the restaurant turned to look in their direction.


    Amidst the screams, Michael seemed to only now realize what had just happened.


    His face momentarily froze, then returned to normal. He walked over to help the waiter up.


    "I''m sorry, I lost control for a moment. Are you okay? Let me take you to the hospital." Michael said.

 Chapter 284 Are you scared of me?

    After Michael helped the waiter up and she saw the concern in his eyes, she became momentarily confused. Was this gentle person in front of her the same as the violent one from earlier?


    "I''m fine." the waiter shook her head and said.


    But the man didn''t let go of her. Instead, he swore under his breath, and then pulled up her sleeve to check.


    As he pulled up her sleeve, Michael could see that her hand was red and inmed.


    His expression changed slightly as he said in a deep voice, "First, cool the area with cold water."


    Afterwards, Michael personally apanied her to the back of the restaurant while she rinsed her hand with cold water. He stayed by her side the whole time.


    The pain from the burn quickly subsided as the cold water washed over it. Because it was winter, once she finished rinsing with cold water, her hand was almostpletely numb.


    When she came out, Michael stood in front of her. "I''m really sorry, let me take you to the hospital."


    "No need, it''s just a minor burn. The cold water will do." The waiter politely declined.


    "Come on, it''s my responsibility." Michael said gently.


    Facing the handsome and gentle face of the man, the waiter couldn''t resist anymore.


    As Eva returned home, she felt a sense of relief, although there was still some guilt in her heart.


    She used to feel overwhelmed by his kindness, like a mountain pressing down on her. But now, after turning herself into a bad person, she suddenly felt that things were better. At least she was no longer burdened by shackles. "Mummy, you''re back." Dn called out to her from the entrance.


    Eva snapped back to reality and saw Dn. She walked over to him and said, "Hmm, were you waiting for Mummy?"


    Dn''s little face showed a worried expression.


    "Mummy, are you fighting with Uncle Michael?"


    Fighting?


    Eva shook her head. "We didn''t fight, we just rified some things."


    Upon hearing this, Dn seemed to sense something. "Mummy, does Uncle Michael... want to be our dad?"


    This question made Eva silent for a moment, then she exined, "Perhaps he used to, but I don''t think he''ll think about it anymore after today."


    Her words were so harsh, that only someone with self-destructive-tendencies, like Michael, would choose to continue pursuing her.


    "Mummy, did you reject Uncle Michael?" The little one understood her words.


    "Yes, I did." Eva nodded.


    "Will Uncle Michael stille to see us in the future?" Dn asked.


    "I don''t know." Eva sighed.


    Actually, it''s better if he doesn''te. Not seeing each other can help us sever tiespletely.


    Dn thought for a moment and asked, "Then, Mummy, do we still have to live here?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva looked up at the house.


    To be honest, they shouldn''t stay here. After all, this is Michael''s house. Even though she already paid the rent, but... They haven''t been back in the country for a month, and they would have already moved three times. Eva herself didn''t mind; an adult can sleep anywhere. But if kids have to move frequently, she doesn''t know if they can adjust.


    Considering this, Eva said to Dn, "Do you mind moving? Will it affect you?"


    Dn shook his head and then said, "Mummy, if you want to move, I will tell Ruby."


    "Okay, thank you for doing that." Eva ruffled Dn''s hair.


    Before going to bed, Eva nced at her chat history with NightA.


    He still hadn''t replied, their conversation was still stuck on her exnations.


    She worried, did he go to the restuarant and leave without waiting for her, thinking she stood him up and got angry, not wanting to talk to her anymore?


    Or did somethinge up and that''s why he hasn''t replied to her messages?


    Based on the current situation, it seemed more likely to be the former.


    If it''s thetter, it''s alreadyte, how could he not have had time to check messages on his phone?


    After much thought, Eva finally decided to go to bed.


    The next day, Eva mentioned her rental issue to Tim. Since he was a local, she wanted to ask if he knew of any rental listings.


    Upon hearing this, Tim said, "You want to rent a house? This is so sudden. Normally, when people firste to Chicago, they have already sorted out such things."


    Eva didn''t n to disclose her personal matters, so she just smiled faintly, "I have my reasons, I just need you to let me know if you hear of anything that is avable."


    Hearing this, Tim raised an eyebrow and said, "Could it be that the ce you''re staying at was prepared by Mr. Cooper before? And now, you suddenly want to move out... did you reject him?" Why is this man so perceptive?


    "If you could focus your gossiping tendencies on work, I think ourpany''s business might improve." Eva deliberately said.


    "Without work, a person can easily be bored. But I suggest that if you consider long-term business development, it''s best to buy a house nearby instead of moving around in the future." Timughed. Eva had thought about this, but Adrian''s frequent appearances recently made her hesitate and wonder ifing back to America for business development was a mistake.


    If her children would eventually be taken away by Adrian, she might as well stay overseas and do some other small businesses, instead of starting apany.


    Seeing her furrow her brows, Tim asked, "Something on your mind?"


    Eva snapped back to reality and shook her head, "It''s nothing."


    If she kept hesitating and looking back, wouldn''t she be letting down the people who came to work at herpany?


    Moreover, she had personally raised her children for five years. Even if he wanted to take her children, he might not seed.


    Besides, he already had someone else to bear children for him.


    At the school entrance, a five-year-old boy, sat in the car with his backpack on his back.


    Since he got in the car, he had been sitting ufortably in the corner, afraid to make a sound.


    This person was George and Mary''s child, Lucas.


    With the sudden move and change of schools, and the appearance of a man he had to call Uncle and ride to school with, the five-year-old was extremely nervous at the moment. Moreover, ever since he saw him, that imposing man had been wearing a serious expression.


    Children are the most sensitive to emotions. They can sense immediately if someone likes or dislikes them.


    He could sense that this uncle didn''t like him.


    But if he didn''t like him, why did he suddenly bring so many good things to their home?


    He didn''t quite understand.


    "Mr. ckwood, we have arrived." the driver''s voice came from the front of the car after it stopped.


    The child immediately sat up straight, sping his hands together, feeling even more overwhelmed.


    The man''s cold and almost mechanical voice came, "From now on, I am your uncle. You will live with me, so don''t call me by the wrong name, understood?"


    Lucas was a sensible and timid child, and he immediately nodded, "Understood, Uncle."


    His timid behavior made Adrian frown a little displeased, "Are you afraid of me?"


    If Dn and Ruby saw him acting like this, they would think he was a very strict uncle, wouldn''t they?

 Chapter 285 Children Like It

    Just the thought of leaving a bad impression on the two children because of Lucas, made Adrian''s brow furrow harshly. He had put in so much effort just hoping that Dn, that little guy, would let his guard down and connect with them.


    But if the oue went against his expectations, then why did he bring this person here?


    With that in mind, Adrian''s gaze towards Lucas became even more fierce.


    Lucas sat in ce, feeling as if his back was about to freeze.


    It was so scary, he wanted to go home.


    Jacob, who was sitting in the front, couldn''t bear it anymore and took the initiative to speak, "Mr. ckwood, please don''t rush. Lucas is just afraid."


    "Wow, you always have a serious expression on your face with the little ones. No wonder they''re afraid of you." Jacob remarked.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian paused his actions. "Is that so?" he asked.


    Jacob countered, "Isn''t it? If you treat Ruby and Dn with that expression and attitude, do you think they won''t be afraid of you like Lucas?" Jacob''s words left Adrian silent.


    "What should I do then?" Adrian said, showing a rare hint of confusion.


    "It''s simple." Jacob spoke as casually as if he were talking about eating and drinking, "Treat him like you do Ruby and Dn."


    Squinting his eyes, Adrian questioned, "Do you think that''s possible?"


    How could he possibly be gentle with someone else''s child?


    Jacob, in a matter-of-fact tone, replied, "Mr. ckwood, why wouldn''t it be possible? Wasn''t it you who wanted to establish a closer rtionship with those two little ones? You''ve spent so much money and effort on it. You think it''s impossible? Then why did you do all those things before? You might as well send him back and forget about everything."


    Jacob''s words rendered Adrian speechless.


    After a moment of silence, Adrian squinted his eyes and said, "You seem to be getting more audacioustely."


    Feeling the chill emanating from Adrian, Jacob involuntarily shrunk his neck. "No, not at all. I''m just offering reasonable advice."


    Adrian didn''t say anything more, focusing his gaze on Lucas, who was also shrinking his neck.


    He moved his thin lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, he couldn''t bring himself to speak and could only instruct Jacob, "Exin everything to him."


    Seeing that Adrian had no other choice, Jacob could only say to Lucas, "Young man, your name is Lucas, right? Let me tell you, there''s no need to be afraid..."


    After a long and earnest persuasion from Jacob, exining that Adrian was actually the kind of person who appeared cold but was warm-hearted, Lucas seemed to truly believe it.


    Adrian''s gaze no longer seemed as intimidating to him.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Jacob handed a bag of candy to Adrian.


    Instinctively, Adrian avoided taking it and frowned. "What is this for?"


    Jacob suggested, "It''s for the child, Mr. ckwood. Kids like eating sweet things, and I bought various vors. Children love them."


    After pondering for a moment, Adrian finally epted it.


    Then, he took one out and handed it to Lucas.


    Although Lucas was no longer as afraid as before, he still felt a bit nervous. But after receiving the candy, he seemed to rx a little.


    "Get out of the car, let''s go into the school." Adrian said.


    The principal was still personally receiving visitors because he had heard that it was a rtive of Adrian''s familying to study here. He treated Lucas exceptionally well, even holding his hand and taking him to the ssroom, instructing the teacher to arrange a seat for him.


    And at this moment, not far away, Ruby ran towards Adrian with excitement when she saw him.


    "Uncle NightA!" she eximed, with Dn following closely behind.


    Dn still maintained a cautious distance and expression when facing Adrian.


    Adrian retracted his gaze and squatted down in front of Ruby. "Do you want some candy?"


    "Thank you, Uncle NightA." Ruby quickly took the candy.


    Adrian passed one to Dn as well. Dn took it with restraint and didn''t immediately eat it. Instead, he looked at Lucas, who had suddenly appeared beside Adrian.


    Lucas also stared at the two children.


    He lowered his gaze and instinctively moved behind Adrian.


    Ruby noticed his movement. "Uncle NightA, is this your baby?"


    Adrian pursed his thin lips and reluctantly denied it. "Sort of, but he''s a rtive''s child, not mine."


    Hearing this, Ruby widened her watery eyes. "Is he the kid you mentioned in this school?"


    "Yeah, his parents are busy, so they entrusted me to look after his schooling for him." In the past, Adrian would never stoop to any deception.


    It was only out of helplessness that he resorted to this action.


    However, now, facing Ruby''s innocent and transparent eyes, a sense of guilt arose within Adrian''s heart.


    At this moment, he felt like a strange uncle.


    Ruby, oblivious to everything, ran to his side and greeted Lucas, "Hello, I''m Ruby. This is my brother, Dn. What''s your name?"


    The little girl was plump and had good skin. She was wearing a beige coat and had two braids, making her not only cute but also very approachable. Only then did Lucas shyly say, "I''m Lucas."


    The little girl was naturally outgoing, and Lucas quickly integrated with the two of them, despite his initial shyness.


    Watching them interact, Adrian said, "Lucas is more introverted. Can you two take care of him in school?"


    "Of course we can." Ruby held Lucas''s hand and smiled. "We''re friends from now on."


    Lucas blushed when the girl held his hand.


    "Alright, then I''ll treat you to cake for lunch. What vor do you like? I''ll bring it over at noon." Adrian said gently. "Uncle NightA, I want chocte vor. My brother doesn''t like cake." Ruby happily replied.


    Adrian was slightly surprised by this unexpected revtion and looked at Dn. "Little guy, you don''t like cake?"


    Dn pursed his little mouth and shook his head.


    Adrian''s eyes softened, and he ced his hand on the back of Dn''s head. "Then what do you like to eat? I''ll bring it along when Ie at noon." "No, it''s fine." Dn hesitated.


    "My brother doesn''t like cake, he likes to eat hamburger buns!" Ruby didn''t consider much and immediately added.


    "Are you talking about burger buns?" Adrian narrowed his eyes. This was the first time he heard someone liking to eat burger buns.


    "Ruby!" Dn urgently whispered her name. "When did I say I like eating burger buns?"


    Innocently, Ruby looked at him. "Isn''t it so, Dn? Every time we eat burgers, you always eat the buns."


    "That''s only because you don''t eat the buns, just the meat," Dn solemnly exined. "Mommy said we shouldn''t waste food, and as your big brother, I have to eat what you can''t finish." Hearing this, Adrian understood everything. He chuckled lightly, realizing how considerate his son was towards his sister. Well done.

 Chapter 286 I Dont Care

    "So, big brother eats the buns to avoid wasting them, not because he likes them?" Ruby said surprised.


    Dn''s facial expression seemed torn. Who would actually like eating burger buns?


    "I''m sorry, Dn. From now on, I''ll eat the buns myself." Ruby''s delicate features wrinkled at the thought of eating the burger buns, but she would even pick out the vegetables in the burgers if she had to. Every time, her big brother would eat them for her, so she thought he must like them.


    As the two little ones discussed this matter, Adrian listened attentively. Laughing at the end, he said, "If you both don''t want to eat them, shall I eat them for you?"


    Although he didn''t like those things either.


    Burgers?


    In Adrian''s eyes, that kind of thing was junk food, but it seemed that many kids and young people liked them.


    Of course, if Jacob next to him could hear his thoughts, he would surely look at him disdainfully and say, "Mr. ckwood, aren''t you a young person too?"


    Both little ones turned to look at him upon hearing thatment.


    Dn remained cautious, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.


    But Ruby was different. Whether it was her natural extroversion or her weak wariness, she immediately epted, "Okay, okay, it''s settled, Uncle NightA. From now on, Dn and I will eat the meat, and you can have the bun and vegetables." Adrian, who was originally going to agree, furrowed his brows slightly at the mention of vegetables. "Why don''t you eat vegetables, little one?"


    If she didn''t want the burger buns, Adrian couldn''t care less because he didn''t consider them to be anything good.


    But not eating vegetables?


    "Uncle NightA, vegetables taste really that bad!" Ruby pouted.


    "Even if they don''t taste good, you still have to eat some for vitamin and nutrients and to keep your body healthy." Adrian exined. Perhaps as a father figure, Adrian quickly voiced what he wanted to say.


    Unexpectedly, Ruby didn''t seem pleased and pouted, "Uncle NightA, why are you the same as my mommy?"


    Hearing her words, Adrian was taken aback.


    Since his return yesterday, he hadn''t he hadn''t contacted her. Even as NightA, he did not reply to her messages.


    It was probably because she avoided him and only messaged ''NightA'', causing him to feel a bit disheartened at that moment.


    Disappointment alwayses suddenly, apanied by other emotions, making him feel turmoil.


    After a while, Adrian pursed his lips slightly and said, "Is that so? Well, your mommy is right."


    "Anyway, I don''t want to eat vegetables." Ruby whispered her position and then beckoned to Lucas, "Let''s go."


    Lucas liked this outgoing and cheerful girl very much, so when she called for him, he immediately followed her.


    When they were far away, Dn frowned and noticed Adrian''s gaze on him. He nced at Adrian.


    The next moment, Adrian''srge palmnded on the back of his head. "Go to ss and I''lle see you at lunch."


    Just as Dn was about to speak, Adrian added, "Rest assured, with Uncle NightA around, you won''t have to eat hamburger buns anymore." Hearing this, Dn blushed instantly. "I, I don''t mind."


    After saying that, he hurriedly ran away.


    This interaction made Adrian''s thin lips curl slightly.


    After a while, he took out his phone and replied to Eva''s message.


    Eva received his message before entering the meeting room and nced at it. It was from NightA.


    "Sorry, I had something urgent yesterday and couldn''t make it."


    He didn''te and she didn''t go.


    He apologized and she apologized too.


    Eva couldn''t be angry because she had no grounds. She could only reply with a question, "Do you still need this cash? Should I transfer it to you?" Originally, she thought he would refuse, but unexpectedly, he agreed this time. After a while, he provided her with an ount number and a name. "George?"


    Eva didn''t think much about it and proceeded to transfer the money to that person''s ount while having some spare time.


    After sending a message to inform the recipient, she then entered the meeting room.


    Adrian exined the situation to Jacob when he received the money. Jacob immediately contacted George, who promptly transferred the money to Jacob upon learning about it. Although he really wanted those tens of thousands of dors.


    But what happened in the past few days made him feel a bit confused. After all, he had been in his workce for so many years. Even though he didn''t have the mind to be in management, there were still some things he could sense. For so long, the ckwood family of New York had never contacted them. It was impossible to establish a rtionship with them. Suddenly, they show up, offering to change their jobs, house, and even sending their children to the best school in the city.


    It''s impossible for there to be no reason behind it.


    But he dared not inquire into the specific reason, nor did he need to, because people Adrian ckwood would not harm someone as insignificant as George.


    All he needed to do was enjoy the unexpectedly good life that had just fallen into hisp.


    George quickly transferred the money he received to Jacob, who in turn transferren it into Adrian''s ount.


    Going around in circles, the money Eva gave him went through two hands.


    Although it was only a small amount.


    But Adrian still stared at the numbers on his phone for a long time.


    Until Jacob reminded him, "Mr. ckwood, we should go."


    Recently, he had been dyed with work because of this matter, but there was a branch office in Chicago, so working there recently was also an option.


    Adrian snapped out of his thoughts and left with Jacob.


    At noon, Adrian personally went to buy a cake, burgers, and some snacks rmended by the store staff, saying that children liked them, such as french fries, egg tarts, and various other things. These were things that Adrian had never encountered before.


    When they were handed to him, he found that they smelled pretty good.


    Everyone finished ss and went to the school cafeteria to queue for food, except for Ruby, Dn, Lucas, and Adrian who stayed together.


    When Ruby smelled the aroma of her favorite junk food, her whole expression lit up, tugging at Adrian''s sleeve. "Uncle NightA."


    Although she didn''t say she wanted to eat, her little expression had already given her away.


    This Ruby made Adrian see a shadow that seemed to resemble Eva from his childhood. She used to like something and wouldn''t say it directly, but would instead tug at his sleeve and look at him earnestly. "Uncle NightA?" Maybe because he didn''t react for a long time, Ruby''s puzzled expression brought him back to his senses.


    Adrian snapped out of his memories and spoke in a nearly gentle voice, "What do you want to eat first?"


    "Cake? Or maybe the burger!" Ruby said hesitantly.


    Adrian took the things out of the bag and ced them on the table. Seeing that there was a big bag of things that she loved to eat, Ruby cheered, "Thank you, Uncle NightA!"

 Chapter 287 I Can Still Hold On

    Compared to Ruby''s joy, Dn remained calm. While Lucas next to them couldn''t help but swallow his saliva as he watched this scene.


    Although his family was not a poor and one and his parents had a decent ie, most of the money went towards paying off debts, so these things were luxury items for him. He might not even eat them once a month.


    "Here." Ruby took the first burger and handed it to Lucas.


    Lucas originally reached out to take it, but then he thought of something and stopped, turning to look at Adrian.


    Although Jacob told him to call the man in front of him Uncle, he still couldn''t bring himself to do it.


    He always felt that the man was fierce, and if he upset him, he would be in trouble.


    Seeing him hesitate, Ruby followed his gaze and looked at Adrian.


    The smile at the corner of Adrian''s lips paused for a moment.


    Why look at him? Did he have to look at him to eat? How would his children see himter? Jacob, what exactly did he do to convince him?


    "Uncle NightA?" Ruby''s voice brought Adrian back to reality, and he immediately changed his face and said to Lucas, "Lucas, did you say thank you to Ruby?"


    Lucas realized the situation and quickly grabbed the burger from Ruby''s hand, then whispered a thank you.


    Ruby didn''t mind this at all, after all, her mommy taught her to do the same.


    After receiving her burger, Ruby picked out the unwanted bun and handed it to Adrian without any hesitation. Dn, who was nearby, saw it and quickly reached out to stop her. "Ruby, you can''t be so rude."


    Hearing this, Ruby looked confused.


    "But Uncle NightA said he would help my you and me eat the bun?"


    Dn was stunned and couldn''t exin it to her for a moment.


    Maybe Uncle NightA was just joking? After all, how could he help them eat it? They had only met a few times.


    Just as Dn was about to take the bun himself, a pair of distinct hands took it in advance.


    The three children looked in that direction.


    Adrian took the bun and smiled slightly. "I keep my word, let me eat it, I''m hungry anyway."


    Ruby immediately smiled, "Dn, I told you, Uncle NightA was telling the truth."


    After saying that, she wanted to remove the lettuce inside, which made Adrian frown and stop her. "You can''t take out the vegetables."


    Ruby didn''t listen, so Adrian simply held her wrist.


    In that moment of holding hands, something seemed to hit Adrian''s heart, and he stood still.


    A child''s wrist was soft, like touching a marshmallow. It felt like if he used a little force, he would break his daughter''s hand.


    A few secondster, Adrian tremblingly withdrew his hand, but his face remained calm. "You don''t have to eat the bun, but you must eat the vegetables."


    Ruby pouted, unhappy, and called her brother to support her.


    But Dn ignored her and even said, "Uncle NightA is right, you can''t skip the vegetables, you should eat more fruits too."


    "You''re mean, Dn!" Rubyined softly, turned her head, and ate what was left of her burger.


    After finishing the meal, Dn was no longer as on guard with Adrian, probably because his actions spoke louder than words.


    Adrian packed up and said to Lucas, "I won''t be avable to pick you up after school this afternoon, the driver wille to get you. Do you remember the uncle who was the driver this morning?" Lucas nodded.


    "Get in his car when school finishes." Adrian said.


    "Okay, Uncle." Lucas nodded again.


    After saying goodbye to the kids, Adrian left the school.


    After leaving the school gate, Adrian covered his mouth with his hand, his eyebrows furrowed.


    Jacob quickly handed him a thermos.


    "Mr. ckwood, your stomach is not yet healed. Eating that kind of junk food is not good for your stomach." Adrian took the cup and sipped it.


    Seeing this, Jacob took a few more pills and handed them to Adrian.


    Adrian looked at the pills but didn''t take them.


    "Mr. ckwood, you should still take them. What if you don''t healpletely and can''t take care of your kids?" Jacob persuaded.


    Indeed, Adrian was convinced by his words and silently took the pills, swallowing them down.


    Jacob secretly rejoiced.


    He used to be unwilling to take medicine, always thinking he could handle it on his own. But now that he found the right medication, things have be much simpler.


    After taking the medicine, Adrian leaned against the car and rested for a while, still feeling a slight difort in his stomach.


    It really was junk food, Adrian thought.


    Next time, if he buys snacks for the kids again, he shouldn''t buy this stuff.


    "Mr. ckwood, you don''t seem to be in a good state. How about we go back to the hospital for a couple of days? After all, the situationst time was quite serious." Jacob proposed. "No need." Adrian replied, tly rejecting his suggestion, "I can manage."


    "But..." Jacob hesitated.


    "But what? Following a regr diet and taking medication, isn''t that enough?" Adrian interrupted.


    "It is enough, but..." Jacob was worried about Adrian''s health.


    "Then stop talking and drive." Adrian instructed decisively.


    Eva left work early that day.


    After getting the car, she drove directly to the school to pick up her little ones.


    Although her driving skills hadn''t diminished, she still felt a bit ufortable with the traffic in America, so she decided to rather drive slowly.


    When she arrived at the school, she immediately noticed a little boy that she didn''t recognize next to her two little ones.


    The boy was standing near Ruby, who had been talking nonstop.


    Making a new friend?


    Eva parked the car and opened the door. Perhaps because she hade by car today, the two little ones didn''t notice her at first. It took them a while before they saw her. "Mummy!" Ruby happily waved.


    Eva walked up to the three children.


    "Lucas, this is my mummy."


    Lucas? Eva looked at him. Hesitantly, Lucas greeted her, " Hello Auntie."


    "Hello." Eva reached into her pocket and took out some candy to give it to him.


    Lucas stood still, and Ruby immediately took it from Eva and handed it to him, saying, "Lucas, take it quickly. We''re friends now, don''t be shy with us."


    Dn silently tightened his lips as he watched this scene.


    Lucas blushed as he epted the candy box, saying, "Thank you, Auntie."


    After giving the candy to Lucas, Ruby started exining his identity, "Mummy, he is Uncle NightA''s rtive''s child. Uncle NightA brought Lucas to school today."


    Eva listened and then queried, "NightA''s cousin''s child?"


    "Yes." Ruby nodded immediately.


    Eva didn''t understand before why it was such a coincidence that NightA had showed up at the school, but now it all seemed to make sense.


    Given his ability to give generous rewards, he must be an influential figure in Chicago. And this school was the best in the city, so it seemed normal for him to bring his rtives to study here. The only abnormal thing was that he insisted on meeting her in person...

 Chapter 288 Unaware of his identity

    With that in mind, Eva looked at the full name on Lucas'' chest, which happened to be the same surname as the sender of the remittance earlier that day. If they had the same surname, they were probably very close rtives.


    "How are you rted to NightA?" Eva asked him.


    Lucas knew the answer to this question as Jacob had reminded him not too long ago. "He is my uncle."


    Uncle?


    Thinking about this, Eva gently asked, "Will your unclee to pick you upter?"


    Lucas shook his head, "My uncle is busy, but he will send a driver to pick me up."


    He remembered the instructions Adrian gave him at noon. Usually, Lucas had a terrible memory, but Adrian was really scary, so he remembered everything he said.


    "When will the drivere?" Eva asked.


    "I don''t know." Lucas shrugged his shoulders.


    Eva wasn''t particrly enthusiastic, but she was curious about NightA, so she couldn''t help but say, "Do you want me to take you home?"


    Just as she was saying this, a luxury car approached from behind. A middle-aged driver wearing sses got out of the car and ran up to Lucas.


    While Eva was about to say something, the driver saw her, hesitated for a moment, and instinctively greeted her with a bow, "Ms. Hansen."


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused and looked at the driver in surprise. "You know me? Who are you?"


    The driver was taken aback by her question and felt a sense of foreboding.


    Mr. ckwood had been in aplicated situation with this woman. He handled the money and followed whatever instructions he received from his boss. But he had seen Eva in the car yesterday


    and knew that this woman held a significant position in their boss''s heart, so he instinctively greeted her when he saw her.


    He didn''t expect this could be a problem.


    "I..." As the driver was struggling with how to exin, he noticed the two children standing next to Eva. A sudden inspiration struck him, and he immediately said, "Since you are standing with these two children, I guessed you must be their mother."


    Hearing this, Eva nced at the two children but seemed skeptical. "Is that so?"


    The driver felt a bit embarrassed. "Yes, I don''t know yourst name. However, both of these children have thest name Hansen, so I referred to you as Ms. Hansen. Please don''t be angry if I have offended you."


    "It''s fine." Eva replied.


    "Then I''ll take Lucas now." the driver said.


    "Okay, take care as you leave." Eva said.


    The driver quickly took Lucas to take him home, and Eva stood still, with a neutral expression, watching them leave. After they were gone, she called for her children to get in the car. While fastening her seatbelt, Eva thought again about what the driver had said.


    Although it sounded reasonable, her intuition told her that something was amiss about this whole situation.


    It couldn''t be that simple.


    He must have known her, but how?


    They hadn''t met before, nor had they had any in-depth conversations. Yet, NightA''s driver already knew herst name was Hansen. It was highly likely that he had investigated her. Sometimes Eva hated this social circle for precisely this reason.


    When you want to know about someone, you don''t need to get to know them personally by asking questions. All they need is to that the word, and the people under you will bring all the information about that person to your doorstep. In front of these people, she had no secrets at all.


    Although she didn''t feel as if she had anything to hide, this method of gathering information didn''t sit well with her.


    So, when she returned home and sent the kids off to do their homework, Eva took out her phone and messaged NightA.


    "Sir, my children said they have met you before, is this so?"


    After sending the message, she didn''t receive a reply from him.


    Ten minutester, Eva nced at her phone again, but NightA still hadn''t replied to her message.


    She wasn''t in a hurry. After all, she had already asked the question, and he would reply sooner orter.


    With this in mind, Eva added another sentence, "Are your children at their school too?"


    After sending it, the nanny called her. As Eva answered, she was about to put her phone away. But unexpectedly, the phone buzzed, and NightA replied instantly, "There is one child there who isn''t my child." The speed of this reply surprised Eva, and she raised an eyebrow.


    He replied instantly?


    In other words, he had actually seen her previous messages but chose not to reply? Why didn''t he reply? What was he hiding?


    Eva squinted her eyes slightly and suddenly became curious about this NightA. What was he nning?


    Soon, he replied again, "My rtives'' child goes there. I just asionally visit."


    Eva tugged at her lips and typed, "Is that so? Are you very busy?"


    After seeing this message, Adrian was about to pour himself a ss of warm water, but when he saw it, he narrowed his eyes and didn''t drink the water. Instead, he asked her, "What do you want?" It was already evening, and she was asking a stranger if he was free?


    "I want to ask something." Eva''s message came through.


    Ask something?


    The hostility in Adrian''s eyes lessened a bit, "Go ahead."


    "Sir, you haven''t answered my question. Have you already met my two children?" Eva asked directly.


    Upon hearing this question, there was a moment of silence from the other end before he replied, "Isn''t that already obvious?"


    Obvious?


    The coldness in Eva''s eyes deepened, "So, is it also obvious for the driver to know myst name is Hansen?"


    This message was sent in frustration and without much thought.


    After sending it, Eva knew that if NightA had a violent temperament, he would definitely fire the driver or make things difficult for him.


    Unfortunately, there were certain things she felt had to be exined, and during this process, someone had to bear the consequences of speaking on her behalf.


    NightA obviously didn''t expect her to suddenly say this, and after a long silence, replied, "What do you mean?"


    "Oh, I just thought it would be better if you personally came to ask me questions if you wanted to know about me." Eva typed in response.


    Adrian couldn''t understand what she meant by that.


    It was probably because the driver revealed something when picking Lucas up today.


    What an idiot.


    He scolded silently in his mind but didn''t show anything on the surface.


    Although Adrian didn''t know what exactly the driver revealed, the fact that Eva still referred to him as Sir or NightA meant that she didn''t know his real identity yet.


    Perhaps she felt offended because she thought he had investigated her?


    After pondering for a moment, Adrian called Jacob to inquire about the situation.


    After hearing the news from the driver, Jacob replied with just one word, "Apologize."


    "Apologize?" Adrian repeated.


    "Yeah, Mr. ckwood, if you don''t apologize in a timely manner now, it might affect your situation in front of the two childrenter." Jacob reminded him.


    After hanging up the phone, Adrian thought for a moment before replying to Eva''s message, "I''m sorry if I offended you. I just asked someone I''m familiar with about Ruby and Dn''s parents." Someone familiar?


    "Who?" Eva replied very quickly.

 Chapter 289 Impure Purpose

    NightA had apologized so quickly, which was unexpected by Eva.


    "Someone from the school staff." his response made Eva hesitate. Was it normal for him to be familiar with someone from that school? And between familiar people, was it normal to mention the parents if they saw Ruby and Dn? But didn''t all the people at school think Michael was Ruby and Dn''s father?


    Did he know about this too?


    If he knew about this, then why did he still want to meet her?


    The more Eva thought about it, the more she felt that something was not adding up with this situation. It wasn''t as simple as he had made it out to be. But for now, she didn''t want to ask any further, so she decided to let him dismiss his concerns.


    Thinking this, Eva replied to him, "I see, then there''s nothing to worry about. Good evening."


    Is that it?


    Adrian frowned, his thin lips pressed tightly together.


    He grew up with Eva and knew her character very well. If there were suspicions, she would never just let it go so easily.


    He should investigate further, but now it was possible that she had remembered something else and didn''t want to ask anymore so he would put his guard down.


    If she were anyone else, Adrian wouldn''t even bother with this kind of thing.


    Let her think whatever she wanted, but this was Eva.


    Adrian immediately called Jacob and instructed him to take care of things.


    The next day, Eva dropped the children at school.


    After leaving school, Eva didn''t rush to leave but followed them inside. The teachers inside the school were quite fond of Ruby and Dn, the well-behaved, obedient, clever, and adorable twins. So as soon as Eva entered, a teacher came up to her and said, "Ms. Hansen, you''ve brought the children to school."


    Eva smiled and nodded at the teacher, "Yes, hello. Today, I would like to know how they are performing in their sses."


    After calling the two little ones into the ssroom, Karen smiled and said to Eva, "Ms. Hansen, you can ask me anything you need to know."


    asionally, parents ask teachers about their children''s situations, which is quite normal at school.


    "I heard that my children recently made a new friend? His name is Lucas, right?" Eva asked.


    "Yes, you''re right. His name is Lucas, and he''s a new student at our school," Karen nodded.


    "New student?" Eva continued asking.


    "Yes, I heard this child''s uncle just recently brought him to enroll him." Karen said.


    When mentioning this uncle, a trace of shyness shed across Karen''s face. Although it was faint, Eva''s eyes didn''t miss it.


    Judging from her reaction, he must be someone of important or very attractive.


    Eva raised an eyebrow slightly, "Karen, who is this child''s uncle? The thing is, my children just returned to this country, so I wanted to understand the family background of their friends."


    "I understand." Karen nodded. In some families, if the child''s family is well-off, it''s not umon to make acquaintances and connections through their children.


    Anything could happen, it''s not strange at all.


    "However, I don''t really know who Lucas'' uncle is, but judging by his appearance, he isn''t an ordinary person." Karen said.


    This sentence didn''t provide much information.


    But from Karen''s shy demeanor, it was estimated that Lucas'' uncle had a stunning appearance.


    "But from what I see, he gets along well with your children. They even had lunch together yesterday." Karen recalled.


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused, "Had lunch together?"


    Yesterday, she was preupied with other things, so she missed the opportunity to ask the children, and yet these two little ones didn''t even bother to tell her such an important matter. "Yes, Lucas'' uncle bought food and came to see Lucas. Ruby and Dn went with him. The school also approved since they saw the child''s uncle, so they didn''t say anything." Karen exined. Afterwards, Eva gathered some information but didn''t inquire further since she couldn''t find anything useful. She had to give up for now.


    Everything seemed to be developing quite normally.


    But for some reason, she couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was off. Lucas'' uncle was off, and everything else felt off too.


    On her way to the office, Eva told Emily about this. However, Emily had a different perspective. "Could it be that you''re overthinking? Even if he''s investigating your situation, it doesn''t necessarily mean anything. Perhaps it''s because the things that have happened to you all seemed too coincidental, which piqued his interest, prompting him to investigate you?"


    After a brief silence, Eva couldn''t help butment about her good friend, "Do you only have soap opera plots in your mind?"


    "Well, what else could it be? Besides impure motives, is there any other reason for someone to approach you, especially when they are wealthy and influential?" Emily retorted.


    Eva fell silent, unable toe up with another answer. After all, she herself wouldn''t actively approach a man, except for a certain someone. But that was all in the past. She wouldn''t engage in such behavior anymore.


    "So, apart from his interest in you, it''s either just your own overthinking,..." Emily was about to say something else when a sudden voice interrupted.


    "What are you doing?" The clear and cold voice belonged to Emily''s boss, whom Eva had heard before.


    "Nothing much, just making a call to a business partner." Emily lied.


    "Making a call to a business partner in the stairwell? Are you up to no good?" the male voice continued.


    "Can''t I have personal preferences? I simply wanted to make the call in the stairwell, or I could go to the restroom to make it. Is that any of your business?" Emily huffed.


    Hearing them argue again, Eva couldn''t help but curl her lips and whispered to Emily, "I''ll hang up now, we can chatter."


    After that, she hung up the call.


    After hanging up, Eva seriously thought about what she had said. If NightA was only curious about her, that would be fine. But what if he had other intentions? After all, she was a woman, a single mother with two children. If someone had set their sights on her...


    What should she do?


    Perhaps she could try to take the initiative and ask him out to see what he really wanted. Besides, after meeting in person, she would also know what he looked like.


    Eva had made up her mind, and when she went to pick up the children in the afternoon, Karen suddenly told her, "Ms. Hansen, Lucas'' uncle came again at noon today, and your kids went over to have a meal with them."


    Eva suddenly felt embarrassed. Her children were usually well-behaved, but suddenly they went to mooch meals off someone else? Ruby, fine she could understand with her personality, but why Dn as well?


    So before arriving back home, Eva parked the car by the side of the road and asked about this matter with a serious expression.


    "What is going on with you two? You have food at school, why did you go to eat someone else''s food? You both have to exin this to me today."

 Chapter 290 Wanting him to be the father

    Realizing they had done something wrong, Ruby immediately lowered her head when questioned, her fair fingers fidgeting in front of her. "Sorry, Mommy, I just couldn''t resist the food." Dn couldn''t muster any tough words either at this moment.


    Seeing Dn in such a state, Eva almost burst outughing from being exasperated. "Dn, you couldn''t resist either?"


    Hearing the words "couldn''t resist" Dn finally spoke up, his handsome face immediately turned red, "No, Mommy, it''s not like that."


    Eva sighed and spoke softly, "What''s going on with you two? Didn''t I always tell you not to eat things from strangers?"


    "But Mommy said yesterday that we are friends with Lucas now, and Mommy also gave Lucas candy to eat." Ruby said, not understanding.


    Eva was rendered speechless by her daughter''s retort.


    Yes, if she considered Lucas'' uncle a stranger to Ruby and Dn, then isn''t Lucas a stranger to her too?


    After thinking for a while, Eva had no choice but to say, "I expressed myself incorrectly."


    Upon hearing this, Ruby quickly said, "It''s okay, Mommy, don''t me you."


    Ruby reached out and rubbed her daughter''s soft hair, but in the next moment, her expression changed, "But you still need to exin to me why you''ve been leeching off someone else''s food for two days in a row?" Seeing Eva starting to question again, Ruby became extremely guilty. "But Mommy, Uncle NightA is not just anyone."


    Uncle NightA is not just anyone?


    That''s right, for these two little ones, the identity of NightA has been familiar to them for a long time, even though they have never seen the real person before, only through rewards.


    After all the rewards from NightA in the past years, how could they not like this uncle after meeting him in person?


    Dn also spoke up at this time, "Mommy, Uncle NightA is really nice to us."


    "Oh, really? Then can you tell me what he has done?" Eva coaxed them to speak.


    Upon hearing this, Ruby was the first to raise her hand and speak, "Uncle NightA helps me eat the burger bun!"


    Eva thought she had misheard, but, to her surprise, Dn confirmed this, nodding slowly. "Yes, Mommy."


    Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but understand.


    So, her children were won over because NightA ate the burger bun for them?


    But... would he really eat leftovers from someone else''s child? Isn''t that a bit strange? Who would eat leftovers from another family''s child?


    "Mommy, Uncle NightA really treats us well." After speaking, Ruby thought of something funny and covered her mouth, giggling. "And Mommy, Uncle NightA is very handsome!" "Handsome?" Eva questioned.


    "Mhmm! Mommy, how about letting Uncle NightA be my daddy?" Ruby asked innocently.


    Eva''s expression changed. "What are you saying?"


    Ruby pointed her fingers together and pouted. "Well, I don''t have a daddy, but Uncle NightA is really good to both me and Dn."


    Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but lightly tap Ruby''s forehead with her hand. "What do you know? You''re still so young, someone being nice to you could be because you''re so cute, it doesn''t necessarily mean they want to be your daddy."


    Upon hearing this, Ruby showed a look of grievance. "Mommy means that I''m not good enough! So Uncle NightA doesn''t want to be my daddy, does he?"


    This little girl is really good at interpreting her own thoughts.


    "I don''t mean that. What I mean is, how do you know that Uncle NightA doesn''t have a wife and children already? Do you understand?" Eva exined.


    Ruby nodded as if she understood, but quickly said, "Then Mommy, tomorrow I will ask Uncle NightA, if Uncle NightA doesn''t have a wife, can he be my daddy?"


    In the past, Michael was so good to her, but she rarely saw her make such a request to him, asking him to be her father figure. And NightA has only been with them a few times, but she actually developed this idea. Is it because he eats burgers buns so well?


    Eva was shocked, "Ruby, tell Mommy the truth, did Uncle NightA say something to you?"


    Otherwise, why would she have such an idea?


    "What would he say, Mommy?" Ruby asked.


    Eva thought for a moment. "Well... for example, did he say that he wants to be your father?"


    Ruby shook her head, "No, I just want Uncle NightA to be my daddy."


    "Why?" Eva was puzzled.


    "Because Uncle NightA is very nice to me and my brother." Ruby said innocently.


    Almost instinctively, Eva blurted out, "So Michael was not nice to you?"


    After saying that, Eva regretted it. She shouldn''t havepared Michael to him, especially since she had already rejected him.


    Fortunately, the child''s mind is simple, and she didn''t think much about it. After listening to her words, she only subconsciously said, "Mommy, Uncle NightA is better looking than Uncle Michael."


    Now Eva suddenly wondered if her daughter judges a person''s goodness by their appearance if she has to rely on looks to choose a father figure.


    But after calming down, Eva felt doubtful.


    Michael, in terms of looks and physique, is exceptional, and coupled with his high position, there are hardly any people who canpare to him. And the little girl actually said that NightA is even better looking than Michael?


    With this in mind, Eva looked at her son. "Dn?"


    Dn had been listening to their conversation, and when Eva looked at him, hezily looked at her and questioned, "Mommy?"


    "Is what Ruby said true?" Eva asked.


    For a moment, Dn wasn''t sure what Eva was referring to, but when he recalled the most recent part of their conversation, he nodded.


    Eva suddenly realized that if even her son nodded, then what Ruby said must be true.


    Then she thought of Lucas''s face.


    It''s not that she''s judging based on looks, but... if they are uncle and nephew, then their genes shouldn''t be that different.


    But Lucas''s appearance is just that of an ordinary child, even when he sees people, he still has the expression of a shy little boy.


    He appeared timid and weak.


    Forget it, let me not think about this matter for now.


    "Ruby, you can think about these words yourself, but never tell Uncle NightA, understood?" Eva said.


    "Why?" Ruby showed a puzzled expression. "Mommy, Uncle NightA is really nice."


    Eva didn''t know how to exin to her daughter at that moment. She only reminded her not to speak without thinking and to listen to her mother''s advice.


    Then she turned her head and instructed Dn, "Dn, keep a close eye on your sister. Don''t let her say anything inappropriate in front of Uncle NightA, alright?" "Got it, Mommy."

 Chapter 291 Are You Willing?

    Following his mom''s instructions, Dn earnestly spoke to his little sister, trying to prevent her from talking nonsense.


    However, Ruby''s personality was too unrestrained, and she didn''t even give her brother a chance to react. The first words she said to NightA the next day were, "Uncle NightA, you are really handsome." Hearing this, Dn immediately knew something was wrong, and he wanted to step forward to stop her, but it was already toote.


    Ruby''s mouth was exceptionally fast. "I really want Uncle NightA to be my daddy."


    Dn felt deted. The task his mom entrusted him with had failed just like this. Meanwhile, Adrian, who had been holding something in his hand, stood frozen in ce upon hearing Ruby''s statement.


    Perhaps because he was too shocked, the bag he was carrying fell to the ground, causing a sound that attracted the attention of some people. However, since they were all children in the school, even if they looked, it was only out of curiosity and confusion.


    Adrian looked at Ruby with disbelief in his eyes. After a moment''s pause, he squatted down in front of her, gripping her thin shoulders with hisrge hands. "What did you just say?" Adrian''s voice was low. "Say it again."


    Ruby felt the strong grip on her shoulders, but it didn''t hurt. The oppressive feeling from Uncle NightA in front of her was also very heavy, but somehow, it made her feel inexplicably close to him. So Ruby wasn''t afraid at all, and continued, "I like Uncle NightA. Can Uncle NightA be Ruby''s daddy?"


    Hearing this sentence once again from the little girl''s mouth, Adrian felt like his heart was melting. His own child liked him and was willing to let him be her father. He thought it would take a long time to win the child''s affection, but he didn''t expect...


    "Uncle NightA." At this moment, Dn suddenly ran over, nervously saying to Adrian, "Uncle NightA, Ruby was just joking." Adrian turned directly to him. "Are you willing?"


    Dn stood still, not understanding the meaning behind Adrian''s words, when he heard Ruby loudly say, "Big brother is willing too!"


    It was only now that Dn finally understood what that question meant. At this moment, Ruby clung to Adrian, and after speaking, she dove into his embrace. "Then, Uncle NightA, if you want to be Ruby''s daddy, will you chase after mommy?" Adrian''s heart had long melted into a puddle, and he spoke with an extremely gentle and soft tone. "Hmm, I will chase her."


    "But, what if mommy doesn''t agree?" Ruby still remembered what mommy said yesterday. Mommy didn''t let her say it, which actually meant she didn''t agree, but there was nothing she could do. Ruby really liked Adrian. Upon hearing this, Adrian reached his hand and gently rubbed her head, whispering, "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it."


    "Maybe she wouldn''t agree."


    Wanting the children to feel at ease, Adrian thought for a moment and added, "Even if she doesn''t agree, Uncle NightA will try his best to make her agree."


    Dn, standing beside them, didn''t know what to say and could only tap his fingers, thinking about how to exin this to his mommyter.


    At this moment, Adrian softly asked, "Shall we eat first?"


    Ruby nodded.


    After that, Adrian took the three children to have their meal. Although Lucas seemed to be his nephew on the surface, he rarely had a chance to speak.


    But he didn''t feel the slightest imbnce in his heart. His parents had instructed him after they returnedst night, telling him to be good in front of this ''uncle'' and to listen to him no matter what he said. Lucas listened attentively and understood clearly that their current good life was all thanks to this uncle who suddenly appeared.


    So even if he was being ignored, he didn''t feel any imbnce in his heart.


    Today, Adrian didn''t bring any junk food but had the chef prepare a special meal and brought it in food containers, unveiling them one by one and cing them on the table. Adrian never expected that one day he would be like a nanny, bringing food in containers to school and feeding children.


    He would have never dared to think about it before, and he wouldn''t have done it even if asked.


    But now... he found it enjoyable.


    Especially after heid out the food and observed the changes in the children''s eyes, seeing the surprise in them, perhaps not expecting him to bring such abundant ingredients. He tugged at his lips and chuckled lightly, "Did you wash your hands clean?"


    "Cleaned them." Ruby shook her hands toward Adrian.


    During the meal, Adrian nced at the quiet Dn and finally shifted his gaze to Ruby, asking softly, "Ruby, does your mommy know about what you just said?" "What do you mean?" Ruby tilted her head, but her eyes were fixed on the food containers.


    "About wanting me to be your dad." Adrian said.


    "She knows, I told her yesterday." Ruby said.


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s expression slightly changed.


    She told her yesterday? Could it be that she didn''t refuse?


    Realizing this possibility, Adrian furrowed his brows slightly. "Then what did your mommy say? Did she... agree?"


    He hoped for a positive answer. Because Adrian, at this time, was not a stranger to Eva, but someone she wasn''t very familiar with.


    How could she agree?


    In any case, Adrian, at this moment, was caught in a state of extreme conflict due to his multiple roles.


    Ruby took a bite of meat and mumbled with her mouth full, "Uncle NightA, maybe you shouldn''t know the answer. You''ll be sad if you hear it."


    He probably knew the answer. Though somewhat expected, Adrian couldn''t help but feel a bit down.


    "So your mother refused?" Ruby nodded. "Yes, Mommy refused. But don''t be sad, Uncle. I will help you."


    After speaking, Rubyfortingly patted Adrian''s big hand with her small hand. It was just a small gesture, but it felt incredibly warm to Adrian.


    He pursed his lips and gently hooked his pinky finger with Ruby''s. "Then let''s make a promise, shall we? If your mommy changes her mind in the future, promise me that you''ll help me more, okay?" Still chewing on something, Ruby nodded vigorously and raised her hand to hook pinkies with Adrian.


    "Okay, Uncle NightA." After the sessful agreement, Adrian reached out and ruffled Ruby''s head, smiling mysteriously. This little one seemed to really like him. Before fully opening up their rtionship, he nned to make both of these little ones grow closer to him. Now, only Dn was left.

 Chapter 292 Secrets Between Father and Son

    Although it seemed that Adrian had achieved fifty percent sess on the surface, he knew very well that it wouldn''t be so easy with Dn. If he failed to secure the remaining fifty percent, it would be a failure.


    Even though his son was young, his character was mature, resembling Adrian in his childhood. Suddenly, Adrian regretted how his own personality had made it difficult for him to handle his own son. So when Ruby finished eating and went to y with Lucas, Dn stayed behind and helped Adrian tidy up.


    He didn''tin at all, and despite his young age, he was quite steady in his actions. Adrian quietly observed him and then pursed his lips, saying, "I can handle it, you go y with the other kids."


    However, Dn quietly shook his head and said, "No, Mommy said I can''t get by with just eating and drinking. I will do something else." Hearing this, Adrian chuckled softly. "Can''t get by with just eating and drinking?" "Hmm," Dn nodded obediently. Adrian pondered for a moment and then smiled. "Alright, then you can help me by saying a few good things about me in front of your mommy, praising me. That way, it won''t be just eating and drinking for you, right?"


    Like he heard something shocking, Dn looked up at Adrian, probably surprised that he would say such a thing. Seeing him looking at him, Adrian humorously asked, "What''s wrong? Is this request too difficult for you?"


    Under his gaze, the little one pursed his small mouth and remained silent. Adrian couldn''t help but sigh and squat down in front of him. "Dn? Do you dislike me?" It seemed like the word "dislike" was too strong, so the little one quickly shook his head. "I don''t dislike you."


    "You don''t dislike me? Then do you like me? If I say I want to be your dad... Will you be willing, Dn?" Adrian asked softly.


    Dn looked at him, still silent.


    Adrian wasn''t in a hurry. The father and son quietly locked eyes.


    After a long while, Dn muttered, "Uncle, it''s not up to me to decide."


    "Oh? Then who will decide? Your mommy?" Adrian asked.


    Dn nodded. "Yes."


    "So, if your mommy agrees, you will agree too?" Adrian said gently.


    Dn didn''t say anything, but his expression and demeanor seemed to imply that he had already epted that. However, for Adrian, it wasn''t that simple.


    Without a doubt, even if he gained the affection of the two children, there was no guarantee that he could pass Eva''s test, let alone win her back.


    It was even harder to imagine.


    He did have other means though. After all, the children were his, and with a little scheming, he could easily bring Eva back to his side.


    But just like Jacob had said, she had left him five years ago because of his own wrongdoing. What right did he have to force her back? Considering this, Adrian rubbed Dn''s head with hisrge hand. "Alright, go inside. I''ll take care of this ce."


    Dn didn''t argue anymore this time, nodded, and prepared to go in. After taking two steps, he suddenly turned his head, "Uncle, do you know my mommy?"


    It was strange. When they identally met at the airport before, Dn had overheard his phone call.


    Adrian''s voice at that time was cold, his tone was t, and he didn''t even have any expression on his face. He seemed like a powerful and fierce person.


    But he turned out to be Uncle NightA, and even wanted to be their father.


    This made him feel very strange, and more so, he felt like Uncle NightA already knew mommy, which was why he continuously gave them gifts during their livestreams. After asking this question, Adrian hesitated briefly before quickly realizing.


    He looked at the little Dn standing before him, someone so small that he only seemed to have a tiny presence, yet his perceptiveness was so strong.


    This kind of question wasn''t asked on a whim.


    Adrian tugged at his lips, revealing a faint smile, and then threw the question back at Dn. "What do you think, Dn?"


    Dn''s lips moved but he didn''t answer.


    Cunning.


    A word shed through Dn''s mind, a perfect match for the Uncle NightA standing before his eyes.


    Dn suddenly had a feeling that if mommy and Uncle NightA were together, she definitely wouldn''t outsmart him. Considering this, Dn became alert.


    Adrian paused, not expecting that his probing question would suddenly raise Dn''s guard.


    So, he not only understood his words but also came up with his own conclusions.


    Truly, he was Adrian''s son.


    Intelligent.


    Adrian, of course, couldn''t let him have any more doubts.


    He walked up and gently rubbed the little guy''s head, exining, "Actually, we do know each other, but it''s our secret, okay?" Hearing this, Dn''s eyes shed with confusion. "Uncle really knows my mommy? Does my mommy know you too?" Adrian pursed his lips.


    Although it was just a five-year-old child in front of him, considering his remarkable alertness, it was best to tell the truth. After pondering for a moment, he spoke in a deep voice, "Yes, we know each other."


    Indeed, Dn''s usually expressionless face finally showed a look of shock.


    "But I did something wrong, so your mommy doesn''t want to see me for now. But I want to make it up, so can you keep it a secret for me temporarily?" Adrian said.


    "Will Uncle hurt my mommy?" Dn asked earnestly.


    "No, I promise you, I won''t hurt your mommy," Adrian raised his head earnestly.


    The little guy fell silent, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.


    Adrian didn''t rush, quietly waiting for him to give an answer.


    After a while, the little guy looked up and said, "Then... I''ll keep Uncle''s secret for now."


    Hearing this, Adrian''s lips curled up slightly. "Thank you, Dn."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Adrian''srge handnded on the back of Dn''s head again, but this time it didn''t leave. His broad and warm palm stayed on the back of Dn''s head, looking seriously at the little guy in front of him. "Dn, you don''t have to be so restrained and nervous in front of me. You''re only five years old, so you can rely on Uncle like Ruby does. I will take good care of both of you."


    Hearing this, Dn didn''t know why, but his eyes inexplicably turned warm.


    Yes, even though he usually showed great responsibility because he was the older brother, at the end of the day, he was still just a five-year-old kid!

 Chapter 293 Have We Forgotten Our Relationship?

    It had always been like this.


    Dn automatically perceived himself as the older brother. Coupled with Ruby''s gluttony, love for y, and excessive energy, he naturally became quiet.


    His gaze always focused on his little sister, watching over her to prevent her from speaking carelessly or getting hurt.


    But now Adrian said something like this to him.


    When a tinge of warmth appeared in the little guy''s eyes, his strong sense of pride quickly made him lower his head, afraid that others might see his expression. How could Adrian not understand his emotions?


    It was also at this moment that he realized, despite being young, children also have their own dignity.


    He must respect that.


    Realizing this, Adrian whispered softly, "Go inside now, Ruby must be waiting anxiously."


    "Mhm." The little guy nodded, then turned around and went inside.


    However, this time, he took several steps before turning back to give Adrian a nce. "Uncle, I... I will keep your secret."


    "Is that so? Then, thank you, Dn," Adrian''s lips curved into a wider smile as he waited for Dn to continue.


    Once he disappeared from his sight, his lips gradually straightened, but soon after, they curled up again.


    Unexpectedly, those few words brought about an unexpected joy.


    With Dn keeping his secret, their rtionship grew closer.


    At this moment, Eva still had no idea that even Dn had been turned, and she continued to work diligently.


    During this time, Eva had be much more rxed in managing interpersonal rtionships.


    Since that day, Michael hadn''te to see her again.


    He hadn''t sent her any messages either, as if he had evaporated from the world.


    This surprised Eva because she had intended to say even harsher words if Michael were toe looking for her again. Luckily, he didn''t, because if Michael did find her again, she wasn''t sure if she could say those hurtful things again.


    But what surprised her even more was Adrian.


    After the day when they went to see the car, he hadn''t reached out to her again.


    Although she didn''t know what had happened that day to make Adrian disappear suddenly, this oue was for the best.


    Her surroundings would slowly regain tranquility.


    Now that Ruby and Dn were still young, in a few years, when the two children grew up and herpany stabilized, things would be much easier for her. Lost in her thoughts, her phone rang.


    Eva took it out and nced at it, her expression instantly changing.


    Although she didn''t save his contact information, Eva had only nced at this phone number a few times and remembered it.


    Just when she was thinking that he had finally disappeared from her life, his phone call came in the next second.


    Indeed, there were some things one shouldn''t think about, right?


    Eva pondered for a moment before simply putting her phone on silent and cing it on the desk next to her.


    She didn''t want any further entanglement with him now.


    After muting her phone, the office regained its silence, and Eva threw herself into her work.


    To her surprise, a few minutester, Tim knocked on her office door.


    Upon hearing the sound, Eva averted her gaze from the screen. "What''s up?"


    Tim nodded and walked up to her, handing her his phone. "There''s a call for you." Eva thought she misheard.


    Her phone? How could her phone end up with Tim?


    So Eva asked with her eyes, but Tim shook his head and passed the phone forward. Helplessly, Eva took the phone.


    Upon seeing the number on the screen, Eva''s expression darkened.


    Adrian!


    If she didn''t answer his call, he would dial herpany employee''s phone?


    What did he mean by this?


    Eva immediately became furious and eximed, "Adrian, do you think this is funny?"


    The response on the other end was a long silence.


    And as Tim witnessed her angered state, his scalp began to tingle.


    Although he knew that Eva had a previous marriage with Adrian, their rtionship should be very close.


    However, at this moment, he dared not say a word and could only hold his breath, trying to lower his presence.


    Seeing the silence on the other end, Eva had no intention of just hanging up the phone. She urged, "Say something?" After her persistence, a deep voice finally sounded on the other end. "What do you want me to say?"


    "Why did you call the employee of mypany?" Eva interrogated.


    Adrian countered with a question, "Then why didn''t you answer the phone?"


    "Why should I answer your call?" Eva snorted.


    After a long pause, Adrian chuckled lightly and said, "Eva, did you think I was calling you in a personal capacity?"


    "Forgot what our rtionship is?" Adrian''s tone sounded somewhat casual, reminding her, "Do I need to remind you?"


    Hearing this, the anger that had rushed to Eva''s head instantly dissipated.


    Adrian was now an investor in herpany.


    But soon, sheposed herself and coldly said, "So what? Even if we have a cooperative rtionship, you don''t need to call my employees, do you? Does our cooperation contract include harassing employees?" Adrian chuckled softly. "Then does our contract include not answering calls from investors?"


    Eva pursed her lips and didn''t respond.


    "Do I need to remind you? The design proposal still hasn''t been delivered," Adrian''s indifferent tone and the content of his words made Eva fully sober.


    The cooperative proposal?


    She suddenly looked at Tim, who couldn''t hear their conversation, but his eyes showed confusion after being looked at by her.


    Eva realized something and said, "Sorry, I''ll give you an answer after I check it."


    "Okay," Adrian replied.


    After hanging up the phone, Eva returned the mobile phone to Tim. "Have you already sent our design proposal to the ckwood family?"


    Upon hearing this, Tim became even more confused. "Isn''t that your responsibility?"


    Eva was also confused. "Is it my responsibility? Isn''t it yours?"


    Tim blinked his eyes and said matter-of-factly, "But you''re the boss. Didn''t you say you''ve moved on from him a long time ago? I thought you would personally take care of it."


    If they continued, they would end up discussing her feelings again, and Eva didn''t want to discuss this issue with her employee anymore. "I understand, I will handle it. You can go back to work." "Okay," Tim returned to his workstation.


    After Tim left, Eva sighed and leaned back on the chair, helpless.


    So he called just for the design proposal?

 Chapter 294 Is that all youve learned?

    Eva organized the proposal and then called Adrian again. "I''ll send it to your email."


    "What is the email address? I will send the n..."


    "Send it to the office," Adrian interrupted her.


    Eva hesitated for a moment, then heard the other person say, "I''ll have Jacob send you the address."


    "Can''t you send it to my email?" Eva asked.


    "Eva, the money I invested is not a small sum, and it''s not for you to y around with. You better take it seriously," Adrian reminded her. After hanging up the phone, Eva took a deep breath to suppress her temper and then got up to print out the design n from the printer. Once she finished, Jacob sent the address of the ckwood family''s Chicago branch.


    Eva put the n in a file bag and left.


    Following the address given by Jacob, she quickly arrived at the building of the branch office.


    True to the reputation of the ckwood family, even the branch office in Chicago was extremely impressive.


    No wonder as soon as the news got out that he invested in her smallpany, a bunch of people immediately came looking for jobs.


    Eva entered the building with the file bag in her hand.


    Even for a branch office, appointments were required to meet someone.


    Eva had already learned to be clever and wouldn''t directly tell the receptionist that she was looking for Adrian. Instead, she said, "Hello, I''m here to meet Jacob."


    Sure enough, the name Jacob caught the receptionist off guard, especially when she looked at Eva''s neat attire. She nodded immediately and said, "Alright, ma''am, let me check for you."


    A minuteter, the receptionist hung up the phone. "Miss, please take elevator 5 directly to the 16th floor, to the CEO''s office."


    "Thank you." Eva stepped into the elevator and stood there lost in her thoughts.


    She had thought that her life would be peaceful after everything, but little did she know that they would meet again because of work.


    And what was even scarier was that if he used work as an excuse, she wouldn''t be able to refuse.


    Thinking about this, Eva couldn''t help but pinch her forehead.


    Outside the elevator, Jacob was already waiting.


    When he saw her, he immediately smiled and said, "Ms. Hansen."


    Eva nodded at him and walked out.


    "Mr. ckwood is waiting for you in his office," Jacob said.


    Eva followed behind him silently, discreetly observing the surroundings. The office environment here was slightly inferior to that of New York.


    This office space must have just been relocated recently.


    When Jacob led Eva into the office, Adrian was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window making a phone call.


    He was tall and had long legs. As soon as he heard a noise, his hand paused, and his narrow eyes looked over in this direction. Then he exchanged a nce with Jacob, and Jacob left the room. He even thoughtfully closed the office door behind him.


    Adrian continued to make his call by the window, only ncing at her when she entered. After that, it was as if she didn''t exist.


    At this moment, Eva couldn''t leave, so she could only wait.


    A few minutester, Adrian finished the call, put away his phone, and walked straight towards her.


    She walked over.


    Instantaneously, she was overwhelmed by a masculine scent, a surge of male hormones. Adrian had a faint scent of mint, fresh and cold.


    His approach made Eva instinctively take two steps back to maintain a distance from him.


    But Adrian unexpectedly only lifted his hand and took the proposal book from her, lowering his eyes to flip it open.


    His expression was indifferent, his movements swift, appearing as if he was just dealing with work and nothing more.


    In an instant, Eva felt that she had been overly defensive.


    She subtly pursed her lips.


    Adrian stood in ce, initially expressionless, unsure of what he saw, his eyebrows furrowing. "Who made this design proposal?" Hearing his tone, Eva raised her eyelids to look at him. "What''s the matter?"


    "Did you make it?" Adrian countered.


    Eva nodded. "Yes, what''s wrong?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, Adrian let out a coldugh. "It''s been five years, and this is all you''ve learned?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva''splexion turned slightly pale. "What do you mean? Is there something wrong with my proposal?"


    "If we follow this proposal, we might as well shut down thepany, don''t waste any time," Adrian said bluntly.


    Although hearing these words from Adrian infuriated Eva, she understood him well enough that when it came to work, he was always serious and wouldn''t talk nonsense.


    If he could say this, then it meant her proposal had problems.


    Although she was annoyed deep down, Eva forced a smile and said, "So, what are your suggestions?"


    Adrian nced at her without responding, and instead walked over to his own desk with the design proposal and threw it on top.


    Seeing that he was ignoring her, Eva pursed her lips and walked over. "Where exactly is the problem? I can make changes."


    Adrian pursed his lips. "This one''s useless, no need to make any changes."


    Did she do such a lousy job on the n?


    Forget about making changes, did the whole thing really have to be scrapped?


    Eva suddenly doubted whether Adrian was intentionally seeking revenge.


    She picked up the n and looked at it, then asked, "Are you sure you want to scrap this entire thing?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian pursed his lips. "If you want to use it, I don''t mind, but you''ll have to bear the loss."


    After a moment of silence, Eva said, "I understand. If you are not satisfied with this proposal, I will make a new one and send it over." After speaking, Eva turned around wanting to leave.


    "Did I tell you to leave?" Adrian''s voice rang out.


    Eva turned back, confused.


    But Adrian furrowed his brow tightly. "How much time will you waste on the road back and forth? Or do you think I have plenty of time?" "Wasting time on the road? Didn''t you ask me toe?" Eva said irritably.


    "I asked you toe, did I tell you to leave?" he raised his chin slightly, gesturing for Eva to sit next to him. "Come here, write."


    If she thought Adrian''s judgment of her proposal earlier was correct, now she was starting to doubt it again.


    The proposal wasn''t good, she could just go back and make a new one, so why isn''t he letting her go?


    Seeing her standing still, Adrian squinted his eyes. "What, do you think that you''ll be able toe up with a satisfactory n once you go back?"


    Eva''s eyshes fluttered slightly as she responded with a question of her own. "So, are you implying that I can write a n that satisfies you right here in front of you?" Ignoring her question, Adrian stated, "Write and revise as you go, we need to implement it today."


    After speaking, Adrian no longer paid attention to her and sat down in his own seat. Eva stood in ce for a moment before finally walking over and sitting down in the designated spot.


    Once she sat down, Adrian handed her a notebook. "Use my backup machine first." Eva took it and instinctively said, "Thank you," with a touch of grace. Both of them paused for a moment. Several secondster, Adrian''s expression turned dark. Have their rtionship be so distant that they have to say thank you like this?


    "What''s the password?" Eva asked. Only when Eva''s voice came through did Adrian snap out of his thoughts. He nced at her before slowly saying, "Your birthday." Eva was stunned.

 Chapter 295 I was wrong

    What does this password mean? This backup machine looks new, so it must have been recently purchased. And he set her birthday as the startup password?


    After hurting her, initiating the divorce, and even suggesting that she should have an abortion, he uses her birthday as the password? Eva lightly bit her lower lip, expressionless, and began typing a series of characters. When theputer truly turned on, she suddenly found it ridiculously amusing. Who does he think he is? On what grounds? Eva reluctantly started a new document and began typing.


    Don''t think about it, don''t get deceived. Even if he uses her birthday as a password, it doesn''t mean anything. The past is already in the past, and now she needs to look forward andplete the task at hand.


    But if the n doesn''t meet his expectations, Eva will naturally inquire about his opinion. Seeing that the matter with the password didn''t cause any reaction from her, Adrian naturally felt stifled in his chest. But there was nothing he could do, he was the one who asked her to stay.


    The n must bepleted today. Adrian tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, appearing casual in both expression and actions. "You run an advertisingpany, but that n you just presented seemed more like an individual''s n, too idealistic. A smallpany that wants to establish itself quickly in the market must learn to seize opportunities."


    As he spoke, his fingertipnded on a particr point in the previous n, ruthlessly criticizing it. "Too conservative, it''s a failure whenunched. Did you only learn these things during your five years abroad? Or did he only teach you these things? It seems like your choice of him wasn''t that great."


    Thest sentence carried too much personal emotion. This added a different expression to Eva''s previously attentive face as she frowned and looked displeased. "Mr. ckwood, are you here to discuss work or personal life with me?" Adrian''s eyes turned pitch ck. "What''s wrong with discussing work? What''s wrong with discussing personal life?"


    "If you want to discuss work, then please focus on that."


    "If you want to talk about personal life, that''s fine. I can bring the n back to mypany," Eva said.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Adrian sneered. "Eva, if your ability matched your temperament, I wouldn''t have to worry so much."


    This remark angered Eva.


    She directly closed her notebook, making a sound. "Mr. ckwood, since you don''t trust me, then there really is no need for us to cooperate."


    After speaking, Eva stood up to leave, but before she could take a step, Adrian gripped her wrist.


    Adrian frowned deeply.


    Before she arrived, he had decided to live with her peacefully, just as Jacob had suggested. Since he wanted to win her back, he had to have an attitude.


    But seeing her unwilling appearance, Adrian''s heart began to feel blocked and pained. He was provoked to say insincere things.


    "Let go." Eva struggled, but couldn''t break free.


    "Eva, do you really want to work on the n?" Adrian asked.


    Hearing this, Evaughed coldly. "Shouldn''t that question be asked by me instead? When you''re working on the n, you''re constantly rummaging through other people''s past?" After a long silence, Adrian clenched his teeth and said, "I was wrong, okay?"


    Eva thought she had misheard and looked at Adrian in astonishment.


    He actually admitted his mistake? And on this matter?


    Adrian let go of her hand and lowered his gaze. "Don''t look at me like that. Are you still going to work on the n?"


    Maybe because he admitted his mistake, Eva felt slightly relieved. After all, the n was something that needed to be done.


    During the rest of the working hours, Adrian no longer made sarcastic remarks but seriously discussed the n with her.


    Perhaps because she hadn''t been back to her home country for a long time and didn''t have a full understanding of the situation, Eva benefited greatly from Adrian''s guidance and prompts. In the end, Eva forgot that the man beside her was her ex-husband. She wholeheartedly focused on her work and spoke to Adrian in a normal tone, as if he really were a business partner. When Adrian realized this, his expression became serious again.


    Eva was working diligently, and when Jacob knocked on the door to remind them to have a meal, she was still a bit behind with the nning document.


    Ignoring the reminder, she continued to concentrate on her notebook.


    Jacob couldn''t help but look at Adrian.


    Adrian pursed his lips and reminded her, "It''s time to eat."


    "Mhm," Eva responded without lifting her head from the screen.


    Seeing her like this, Adrian doubted whether she had even heard what he said and simply responded to the sound.


    Sure enough, a few minutester, Eva was still in her seat, not moving at all, not even lifting her head.


    Adrian furrowed his brows slightly and reminded her again. "Eva."


    Eva once again absentmindedly lifted her head.


    "Wait a moment," Adrian said, reaching out and tapping the desk next to Eva''s notebook. "Let''s eat first, then work."


    Perhaps due to frequent interruptions, Eva found it difficult to concentrate. She frowned and looked displeased at Adrian. "I was just about to finish my work. Can''t you go eat by yourself?" Besides, she had no intention of dining together with him here.


    Adrian pursed his lips and didn''t say anything.


    Observing the situation, Jacob stepped forward and said, "Ms. Hansen, work is important, but it''s also crucial to have meals on time. Otherwise, it''s easy to develop stomach problems. Just look at Mr. ckwood here. His previous stomach bleeding was caused by working too hard and not eating regrly."


    Eva wasn''t convinced and countered, "He had stomach bleeding because he overworked? Isn''t it because he''s always drinking?"


    Jacob felt a little embarrassed and smiled apologetically. "Drinking is one factor, but the main reason is irregr eating habits. So, Ms. Hansen, please go and have your meal."


    Actually, Eva did want to finish her work, but she realized something when she heard Jacob mention Adrian''s stomach bleeding incident.


    Since his discharge from the hospital, he seemed to never have returned. She wondered if he had been taking his medication on time. After all, she was the one who took him out, and if something happenedter...


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva let out a sigh and saved her work before closing her notebook. "Fine, let''s eat first."


    If possible, she really didn''t want to dine together with him here, as if they had already made up. But considering his guidance and advice this morning...


    Forget it, let''s just take it as repaying him.


    After all, it''s just a meal.


    She wouldn''t lose anything.

 Chapter 296 Ill just take it as you caring about me

    Seeing that she finally agreed to have a meal, Jacob quickly brought over the prepared food.


    Lunch was prepared in advance on his request, bought from a high-end restaurant, with beautiful presentation and even thermal instion. When the lid was opened, the aroma filled the air.


    Eva took a bite of the rice and then looked at Adrian''s te. Sure enough, there was rice in his dish too.


    She frowned slightly and instinctively asked, "Can you eat rice now? Your stomach doesn''t need to rest anymore?"


    A silence engulfed the surroundings.


    Before Adrian turned his gaze towards her, Eva quickly exined, "I was just asking because of our cooperation."


    If she didn''t exin, it would be fine, but once she did, her question seemed to have a hidden purpose.


    As expected, Adrian''s thin lips curled up slightly as he exined, "Is that so? I''ll just take it as you caring about me then."


    The negative emotions that arose from her earlier reluctance hadpletely vanished.


    In Adrian''s mind, there was only one thought.


    She cared about him.


    Although her behavior seemed awkward, this tiny bit of concern was enough to make Adrian delighted.


    Seeing her silence, Adrian took the initiative to ask, "Doesn''t rice nourish the stomach? I thought having three normal meals would be enough."


    This question made Eva furrow her brows. "Of course, having three normal meals is fine, but didn''t you have a gastric bleeding episode recently? Your stomach is still in a fragile state, so it''s best to avoid eating these things during the recovery period."


    "What should I eat, then?" he asked humbly.


    "Liquid food, easily digestible, vegetables and fruits. But be mindful of the intake; don''t eat too much. It''s best to have smaller meals more frequently," Eva exined.


    When she first went abroad, her father had a bout of gastric illness, and she took care of him during that time. That''s why Eva was able to bring appropriate food to the hospital when Adrian had gastric bleeding and stayed there.


    Adrian wondered about something for a moment before asking, "Like the ones you brought to the hospitalst time?"


    Suddenly reminded of the incident, Eva wasn''t sure what he had in mind, but she nodded nheless. "Something like that."


    "Okay, I''ll have Jacob take note of it," Adrian nodded.


    Eva took a bite of rice, but her brows remained furrowed.


    Even if he didn''t understand these things, Vivian beside him couldn''t possibly be ignorant. And during this period, why hadn''t Eva seen Vivian at all? Could it be that she didn''t even know about his gastric bleeding? The rtionship between the two of them...


    Thinking of this, Eva abruptly interrupted the strange thoughts in her mind.


    I can''t think about it anymore!


    Her and Adrian''s rtionship was already a thing of the past, and none of these matters concerned her anymore.


    Why should she trouble herself unnecessarily?


    After clearing her mind of these unnecessary thoughts, Eva refocused on her work, without any distractions.


    Perhaps due to the change in her mindset, her aura seemed to shift slightly.


    Adrian could sense the coldness emanating from her and his expression also darkened.


    Just a moment ago, everything was fine, so how did it suddenly change?


    Eva had an easily influential hold over Adrian''s thoughts, which is why even when she finished the proposal and handed it to him, Adrian''s gaze was still fixed on her face. "What...is wrong with you?" Hearing his words, a trace of confusion shed in Eva''s eyes. "What do you mean?"


    Adrian tightened his lips, then took out a spare notebook after a moment, not saying anything more.


    As Adrian examined the proposal, Eva silently waited by his side.


    Adrian quickly skimmed through it, intending to find some issues to make her stay.


    But this woman, Eva, learned things excessively fast, and coupled with the fact that he had been observing her during the writing process, he truly couldn''t find a single mistake. Finally, Adrian managed to spot a typo. "There''s a mistake here."


    Without hesitation, Eva leaned in. "Where?"


    As Adrian moved his mouse, Eva followed his gaze until he pointed to a specific word.


    At first, Eva was taken aback and didn''t understand what Adrian meant, so she asked, "What''s wrong with this part?"


    "It''s ''coborate'', not ''cobroate''," Adrian calmly corrected her.


    Upon hearing this, Eva realized her mistake. She gave Adrian a nce, amazed that he could spot such a small error in a chunk of text.


    "Sorry, I didn''t pay attention," Eva said as she took back her notebook to make the correction and then handed it over again. "Any other issues?"


    Adrian browsed through it again, and during the waiting time, Eva felt a bit bored and had the urge to yawn. However, for the sake of herpany, she had to cover her mouth and nose with her hand, suppressing the yawn. After what seemed like a long wait, Adrian finally pointed out another mistake. "Grammatical error."


    Eva found it hard to believe what she had just heard and gave Adrian another look.


    But thinking about it, it made sense. He was always strict with his work, so it was normal for him to find linguistic ws and typos in her writing. It was her own fault for not being meticulous enough and letting him discover the issues. So she made the necessary corrections to the sentence and handed it back.


    A few minutester.


    "There''s also a problem with this sentence," Adrian pointed out.


    Eva continued to make changes.


    A few more minutes passed.


    "This part needs to be paragraphed. The text is too dense, affecting the readability," Adrian continued.


    Eva bit her lip, enduring it.


    After several repetitions of irrelevant incidents, when he started reviewing her proposal for the fifth time, Eva couldn''t help but ask, "Are there no more important issues?"


    He kept pointing out these minor ws. Was he really fine?


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s movements paused momentarily, and he nced at her. "You think these aren''t important?"


    "I didn''t mean that. I just..." Eva''s voice grew weaker.


    Adrian asked, "Just what?"


    Facing his cold gaze, Eva pursed her lips and finally said, "It''s nothing. You can continue reviewing, and I''ll make improvements if needed."


    Adrian withdrew his gaze.


    Eva waited beside him.


    Perhaps she had been too focused while writing the proposal, causing her to be sleepier. Earlier, she was able to control her yawns.


    But now, she couldn''t control them at all.


    Eva continued to cover her mouth and nose with her hand, but this time, she couldn''t hold back the yawn. The sound was faint, but in the silent office where only the sound of mouse scrolling could be heard, it was still audible. Adrian''s movements paused slightly, and he turned to look at her, catching sight of Eva''s teary eyes as she yawned for the second time. He felt a slight flutter in his heart, and unconsciously, his voice softened a bit. "Tired?" Eva didn''t expect that even a simple yawn would attract his attention. She quickly waved her hand and said, "It''s nothing, please continue reviewing. If there''s any issue, let me know, and I can make the necessary changes." "No need. When a person is tired, their brain is more likely to be sluggish. Even if they forcefullye up with something, it''s highly likely to be unusable."


    After saying that, Adrian closed his notebook with a firm snap.

 Chapter 297 In the Pocket of the Pants

    Eva asked, "Is it done?"


    "Done? Are you saying it''s usable?" Eva widened her eyes.


    "Yes," Adrian nodded.


    So, he only pointed out her minor faults because he confirmed that it was good enough after reviewing it?


    If she thought of it that way, it wouldn''t be uneptable, right?


    "Since it''s done, then I... " Eva didn''t finish her sentence before Adrian stood up with the car keys in his hand. "Let''s go, I''ll drive you back."


    Without thinking, Eva instinctively refused, "No need, I drove here myself, so I can go back on my own."


    Besides, she came to deliver the proposal, not to develop anything with him. How could she agree to let him drive her back?


    With that in mind, Eva quickly grabbed her bag and headed to the door.


    After a few steps, Adrian grabbed her wrist. "Did you cheat on the theoretical part of the driver''s license test?"


    Adrian asked, "Otherwise, how could you not know about fatigue driving?"


    "I just yawned a few times, how does that count as fatigue driving? It''s a different concept," Eva looked at him in surprise.


    Unexpectedly, Adrian directly argued, "You can yawn when you''re not fatigued? Stop talking and let''s go."


    "I yawned earlier, not now..." Eva was interrupted as she couldn''t help but yawn again.


    Adrian sneered, "You still say you''re not fatigued?"


    Now she couldn''t argue back anymore.


    But she still didn''t want Adrian to drive her, so she could only suggest indirectly, "Alright, if you don''t want to drive, I''ll call a designated driver to pick me up." After saying that, Eva took out her phone to call a designated driver, but her hand was stopped by Adrian.


    She looked up and unexpectedly met his dark eyes, "Are you rejecting me like this?"


    Eva was briefly stunned and then turned her head to avoid his deep gaze, "Mr. ckwood, you must be joking. We have a working rtionship, why would I reject you?"


    "Is that so? Since you don''t reject it, what''s wrong with having a business partner drive you home? Or is it that you''re deliberately avoiding me, afraid that I''ll find out something?" Adrian deliberately provoked her with thosest words. Eva''s gaze flickered slightly.


    She just didn''t want to get involved with him too much, not to the extent of avoiding him, but... She couldn''t rule out the possibility that Adrian might think that way.


    Perhaps being more generous would make him eliminate more concerns.


    With that in mind, Eva turned her head back and said, "You really want to drive me home, right?"


    Before Adrian could answer, a set of car keys flew out of Eva''s hand and gracefully arched through the air beforending securely in Adrian''s palm.


    He looked down at the car keys in his hand.


    There was even a small safe-tie knot tied to it, made with a red string, still looking new, probably just bought.


    Adrian raised his gaze and saw Eva provocatively looking at him, a faint smile on her lips.


    "Then today, you can be my designated driver," Eva said yfully.


    He withdrew his gaze, his voice deep, "Okay."


    After saying that, he left the office first, leading the way.


    Eva said she would call a designated driver, but with Adrian''s presence, she couldn''t do it.


    Contemporary chauffeuring was intentional after all. Just think about it, how could the president of the prestigious ckwood Group willingly allow someone else to ask him to be a driver? But Adrian unexpectedly agreed.


    She bit her lip and reluctantly followed him.


    The two entered the elevator, got out of it, and arrived at the parking lot. They stood behind Eva''s car, which cost less than $200,000.


    Eva chuckled softly, "My car isn''t great. I assume you haven''t driven a car worth less than five million dors before, right? The handling is really not good. Shouldn''t you..."


    Before she finished speaking, Adrian had already opened the car door and sat inside.


    As he fastened his seatbelt, Eva remained standing in ce.


    Seeing her reluctant and stunned expression, Adrian felt a secret joy. After a subtle curve formed on his thin lips, he reminded her, "Not getting in? Or are you too tired to get in?" Eva bit her lip and begrudgingly got into the car.


    She didn''t take the passenger seat and went directly to the backseat, treating Adrian as the driver.


    After she settled down, she looked at Adrian''s face through the rearview mirror and strangely found that he wasn''t angry about her mistaking him for a driver.


    Soon, the car left thepany.


    Although the car was cheap for Adrian, he had good driving skills, so as long as he could drive, it was fine for him.


    Eva leaned against the backseat with her arms crossed.


    She originally thought that Adrian would retort, but he remained quiet, as if he was simply driving her back.


    The car was very quiet.


    After about two minutes, the car entered the highway, and the journey became smoother.


    Adrian nced at her through the rearview mirror. "If you''re tired, rest."


    Eva pursed her lips, turned her face away, and ignored him.


    It would take about 20 minutes to return to thepany. She was indeed a bit tired now. Maybe she should take a nap?


    Forget it, it seemed like she trusted him enough to sleep while he drove. She would just hold on and return to thepany like this.


    After all, the n was already settled, and she didn''t have much to do in the afternoon. She could restter.


    However, despite her thoughts, the car was too steady. Being so focused before made her feel really exhausted now she was rxed.


    So, leaning against the seat, she unintentionally fell asleep.


    Hearing the steady breathing, Adrian nced back and saw that she had already fallen asleep. He calmly slowed down the car and then looked ahead, contemting for a moment. He made a U-turn and took a detour. Eva was awakened by a burst of cell phone ringing.


    When she woke up, she subconsciously checked the time and realized that she had slept for over twenty minutes.


    Looking outside the window, they were still on the road.


    They hadn''t arrived yet?


    The phone in the front seat kept ringing, and Eva nced at Adrian. Their eyes met at that moment. "Did I wake you up? I forgot to put the phone on silent mode."


    Eva rubbed her eyes and avoided eye contact, "It''s not a big deal."


    After that, she ignored him.


    The phone continued to ring.


    Seeing him calmly driving without answering the call.


    In any case, since it''s a call meant for him and he doesn''t want to answer, Eva couldn''t be bothered either. She leaned against the window, silently gazing at the scenery outside.


    The phone rang for a moment and then fell silent. But it didn''t stay silent for long as it started ringing again, the noise irritating Eva to the point where she furrowed her brows and finally couldn''t help but look at him. "Aren''t you going to answer the phone?"


    "You deny that using theoretical knowledge is cheating, yet you won''t answer the phone while driving," Adrian said.


    "Well, why don''t you just put your phone on silent?" Eva suggested.


    "It''s not convenient for me," Adrian focused on the road ahead.


    "Are you bothered by the noise?" Adrian raised an eyebrow and nced at her. "If it bothers you,e here and help me."


    "No," Eva crossed her arms. "I can endure it."


    However, after a few more times of the phone ringing following the two calls, Eva couldn''t bear the noise anymore. She stood up and propped her hand on the chair''s back. "Where''s your phone?"


    Adrian gave her a cold nce and simply replied, "In my pocket."

 Chapter 298 Come with Me

    Eva had initially reached out for it, but upon hearing his response, she withdrew her hand. "Can''t you take it out yourself?" "I''m driving, it''s not convenient," Adrian exined.


    Eva wanted to say that it''s simple to take it out and turn off the sound, but she suspected that if she mentioned it, he would bring up his theoretical knowledge about driving licenses again. So she chose to keep quiet and leaned back in her seat.


    Just endure it until we reach thepany. We should be there soon.


    Lost in her thoughts, Eva couldn''t help herself when she heard the phone ring once again. She leaned over and reached into his pocket to take out the phone.


    However, after seeing the caller''s name on the screen, Eva froze in ce.


    The phone continued to ring.


    Thinking that she didn''t know how to silence it, Adrian reminded her, "Long-press the side button to silence it."


    Upon hearing his words, Eva snapped out of her daze, followed his instructions to silence the phone, and wordlessly handed it back to him.


    She then leaned back in her seat, staring out the window with a cold expression.


    Adrian vaguely sensed that something was off, but because she had always been resistant towards him, he didn''t think too much of it.


    When they finally arrived at thepany, Eva got out of the car and coldly asked Adrian for the keys. "The keys."


    Adrian pursed his lips and looked at her, feeling like her attitude towards him had worsened, even more so than before.


    "But why?" he wondered.


    She was perfectly fine in the car earlier.


    "Have I offended you?" Adrian asked.


    Eva showed no expression. "How could you possibly offend me? Thank you for giving me a ride, but the car is mine. It would be best if you either take a taxi or have a driver pick you up." Adrian furrowed his brows, feeling that her tone was especially unpleasant.


    He was about to say something, but Eva took a step back to keep her distance. "I still have a lot of work to handle at mypany. I''m leaving now."


    After saying that, Eva left without even turning back.


    Her reaction left Adrian puzzled.


    The thin line on Adrian''s almost pursed lips straightened, his smile vanished, and his eyes gradually transformed from confusion to displeasure and indifference.


    Until his vibrating phone disturbed the silence, Adrian took it out and answered without even looking at the screen, "What is it?"


    Because Eva had stirred up his heart, Adrian was feeling extremely agitated at the moment, and even his tone of speech was impatient.


    There was silence for about five to six seconds on the other end of the phone before a soft voice spoke up, "Adrian, it''s me."


    The familiar voice made Adrian pause. "Vivian?"


    "Yes, it sounds like you''re upset. Did something unpleasant happen? I called you a few times earlier, but you didn''t pick up," Vivian expressed her concern.


    Adrian listened reluctantly, and as he heard further, his eyes shed. "What did you say? You were the one who kept calling me just now?"


    "Yeah, I called you a couple of times, but you didn''t answer. I was worried, so I kept calling. Are you mad at me? I''m sorry, I was just worried about you," Vivian exined.


    Adrian''s brows furrowed tightly.


    Suddenly, he understood why Eva''s demeanor had suddenly changed after getting hold of his phone and why she had reacted the way she did after switching it to silent mode. Although her previous attitude towards him was not good to begin with, she probably saw Vivian''s calls, which was the final straw.


    Realizing this, Adrian pursed his lips and coldly warned, "Don''t make these consecutive calls in the future."


    His voice was icy and cold, resembling the rain and snow in the winter.


    There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a remorseful and weak voice., "I''m sorry, Adrian. I... I was just worried that something might have happened to you, that''s why I..." "Worried about what?" Adrian sternly interrupted her. "If something really happens, aside from draining my phone''s battery with these consecutive calls, what else can you do to help me?"


    His words were direct and clear, leaving Vivian unable to refute. She could only softly apologize and promise not to do it again.


    Adrian didn''t have the patience to listen to her apology and ended the call after mentioning there was something important.


    After putting away his phone, Adrian directly chased in the direction where Eva had disappeared earlier.


    Eva returned to thepany and nned to go back to her office after stepping out of the elevator. However, she unexpectedly ran into the bespectacled guy she had encounteredst time at the corner. As soon as he saw her, the bespectacled guy blushed and greeted her, "Hello."


    Although she was in a bad mood, Eva quickly adjusted her emotions when facing a fellow employee of herpany and smiled at him, "Hmm, what are you doing here?"


    The bespectacled guy initially just wanted to greet her, but he didn''t expect that she would take the initiative to ask about him, causing his mood to soar.


    The woman in front of him was dressed in simple winter attire, a light-colored sweater and regr high-waist jeans, paired with a light gray outer cardigan that reached her waist.


    Tucked behind her head was her hair, held in ce by a clip. It was a simple style, with no striking colors on her body, yet she radiated a beautiful and gentle glow, captivating people''s attention.


    The boy''s eyes started to shine, and his ears turned red. "I-I''m here to submit a report," stuttered the boy with sses.


    "A report?" Eva asked.


    "Yes." The boy handed over the folder in his hands. "It was meant to be handed to my boss, but..."


    "Let me take a look." Eva reached out and took the folder.


    She stood quietly in her ce, flipping through the documents. After about a minute, she suddenly realized something and looked up at the boy with sses. "If you''re busy, you can go ahead. I''ll give this report to the managerter." "It''s fine," the boy blushed and declined, "I''m not busy, I''ll wait here for you."


    Adrian had just stepped out of the elevator and witnessed this scene.


    Eva stood in ce, holding the documents and flipping through them, while the boy with sses stood across from her, blushing and gazing at her.


    Because her head was lowered, the boy''s gaze became even more tant. His admiration was so intense that he was on the verge of confessing his feelings right then and there.


    Adrian''s face darkened as he walked towards the two of them.


    The boy with sses was the first to notice him and recognized him immediately when he saw his face. His eyes widened in surprise, "Sir..."


    Eva heard the voice and raised her head, catching a glimpse of the boy with sses who looked astonished while staring behind her. She turned her head as well.


    Seeing Adrian, Eva was equally surprised.


    Before she could speak, Adrian stood in front of her, his face gloomy as he said, "I need to talk to you."


    Recalling what had happened in the car earlier, Eva turned her head away, indicating that she had no intention of talking to him.


    Adrian narrowed his eyes.


    In the next second, he grabbed her wrist.


    "Come with me."

 Chapter 299 Theres nothing between me and her

    "What are you doing?" Eva was pulled so abruptly that she dropped the report from her hand.


    But Adrian seemed to be triggered by something and paid no attention. He continued to pull her forward.


    "Wait." The boy with sses finally reacted and quickly rushed forward to stand in front of them. "What are you trying to do to her? Let go of her!"


    Adrian looked at the young man standing in front of him like a little chick. It was a coincidence that the gold-rimmed sses he was wearing reminded him of someone who also frequently wore such sses. Combined with the fact that he had just seen this man gazing at Eva with affection as soon as he got out of the elevator, both of these points annoyed Adrian.


    He sneered and mocked, "You think you''re worthy of stopping me?"


    His overwhelming presence immediately overwhelmed the boy with sses.


    Eva was still struggling. "Adrian, let go. What are you nning to do?"


    Seeing the situation, the boy with sses tried to step forward. "Let her go."


    "Get lost!" Adrian shouted impatiently, "Don''t make me get violent."


    With that, he pulled Eva away.


    It took a while for the boy with sses to react, wanting to chase after them, but he hesitated and finally decided to let them go.


    Adrian rushed towards Tim''s office, his terrifying appearance making quite an impression. Tim was in the midst of a phone call with a client when the young man burst in, causing him to quiet down. Tim had to apologize to the client and hung up the call before asking what was going on.


    "Why the rush? Why themotion in thepany?" he inquired.


    "A man came in just now and took the boss away," the young man anxiously exined.


    Upon hearing about Eva, Tim''s expression instantly tensed. "What man? Took the boss away? Kidnapped her?"


    "Kidnapped?" the bespectacled young man pondered, recalling the situation seriously. "It doesn''t seem like a kidnapping, but there was definitely an argument. And the man... he looked like Mr. ckwood."


    When he said this, the young man began to doubt if he had seen correctly. How could he have seen Adrian involved with their boss? And grabbing her wrist at that?


    Tim was initially worried but felt relieved upon hearing that it was Adrian. "You should have said so earlier. Why worry then? They know each other, so don''t concern yourself. Just go back to work."


    "But..." The bespectacled young man didn''t rx his vignce and scratched his head. "Mr. ckwood didn''t seem right. Shouldn''t we do something? What if something happens to our boss?"


    Tim had already allowed him to leave, but he didn''t expect him to linger and ask questions. Tim looked at him speechlessly. "Have you ever been in love? Why are you so oblivious? He likes our boss, so of course something seems off." "Likes?" The bespectacled young man froze, not expecting to receive that answer.


    Mr. ckwood likes Ms. Hansen? Then... doesn''t that mean...


    "Stop thinking about it. Even without Mr. ckwood, you don''t stand a chance. Those who pursue our boss are lined up, not just anyone can have a chance," Tim said bluntly. Although he already knew this would be the oue, witnessing and hearing it firsthand still disheartened the young man. "I, I understand. I never thought about it anyway." "It''s fine to think, who doesn''t like a beautiful and intelligent woman? Now go back and work hard," Tim patted his shoulder.


    The dejected young man left, dragging his heavy steps behind him.


    Tim shook his head and returned to his own work.


    Adrian led Eva to a secluded corner before finally stopping. Initially, Eva struggled, but then she realized that his grip, like iron chains, tightly held her. Any resistance was futile. So in the end, Eva didn''t waste her energy and allowed him to lead her without any resistance.


    Perhaps because she remained quiet, Adrian''s emotions gradually became influenced by her. They hadn''t walked for long before he stopped and turned his head to look at her.


    The two of them silently locked eyes for a moment, until Eva''s gaze eventually fell on his hand holding onto her wrist.


    "Now, can you let go?" she asked.


    Her voice was calm, clear, and devoid of any warmth. This demeanor made Adrian furrow his brows. Instead of releasing her, he tightened his grip on her wrist and took a couple of steps forward, closing the distance between them. "I have something to tell you," Adrian said, getting closer, his cool breath swirling around her.


    It smelled exactly like she remembered.


    Almost instinctively, Eva turned her face away, not meeting his gaze. "Fine, go ahead and say what you want."


    Her nonchnt and indifferent attitude only made Adrian feel more frustrated, but there were things he needed to make clear. "When you silenced my phone just now, did you see the caller ID?"


    At his words, Eva hesitated, clearly not expecting him to ask this question.


    She scoffed, "I just silenced it, I''m not interested in your personal privacy."


    "Is that so?" Adrian stared at her, his gaze unwavering. "You didn''t see it?"


    "No," Eva nodded. "I didn''t see it. Can you let go of me now?"


    The next second, Adrian pushed her against the cold wall, his hand gripping her wrist and his teeth clenching. "You didn''t see it? You didn''t see how you''ve been treating metely, Eva? Do you think I''m a fool?" What started as a mere confrontation now became intense. Eva''s wrist was held up high by Adrian, and his entire body leaned against hers.


    The distance between them instantly became intimate.


    If it wasn''t for the thick fabric of their winter clothing, they might have felt each other''s skin temperature...


    Nevertheless, the difference between a man''s body and a woman''s body was still discernible. Even in this tight proximity, Eva could distinctly feel the contours of his masculine physique...


    "Even if you don''t believe me, I have to tell you that there''s nothing between me and her." Due to the closeness, Adrian''s heated breath brushed against Eva''s face as he spoke.


    Eva couldn''t hold her breath, and this proximity made her feel as if their breaths were intertwining.


    She struggled, but Adrian''s grip on her hand remained tight.


    Eva could only breathe lightly and say, "Why are you telling me all this? I don''t care about whatever may or may not exist between you and her. Let go."


    "I won''t let go." Adrian stubbornly stared at her. "If you don''t care, then why did your mood suddenly change?"


    "Who says my mood changed? I''ve always been like this," Eva retorted.


    "It''s different now," Adrian said.


    Eva chuckled, "How is it different?"


    Adrian pursed his lips and looked at her with aplex expression. "Even though you''ve always had a bad attitude towards me, it became worse after you found out. That''s the difference. Do you think I can''t see that?"

 Chapter 300 Sinister Schemes

    Eva never expected that one day someone would use her worsening attitude as evidence of an emotional shift. "So what? I have a worse attitude towards you now, does it mean anything?" Adrian fell silent, just quietly staring at her.


    Seeing that he didn''t reply, Eva tried to make him let go of her. "Just let go of me first."


    He didn''t answer, so Eva attempted to push him away.


    However, before she knew it, everything turned ck.


    Adrian suddenly leaned over towards her.


    "Are you trying to..." Eva''s words were cut short as he embraced her fully.


    His warmth immediately enveloped her entire body. Eva stood frozen in ce, thinking he was about to forcefully kiss her.


    "Yes, perhaps to you, it doesn''t mean much, but for me, it holds great significance," Adrian''s voice whispered in her ear, low and deep. "What do I have now? Only this subtle change to distinguish if you still have even the slightest bit of affection for me, even if it''s just a tiny bit."


    Whether it was real or fake, or even if it was fading away, he wanted to hold on tight.


    In that moment, Eva truly believed she had misheard him.


    Because those words were too humble.


    They didn''t sound like something Adrian would say at all.


    She also began to wonder what he was up to. Didn''t he initiate their divorce five years ago and refuse to have a child with her? Now, he says he can only discern her feelings based on this slight change? What does this really mean?


    But what happened in these five years? Did he regret divorcing her, which is why he regrets it now?


    No, wait. She clearly saw him with Vivian at the auction. They attended the event together and left together, standing close to each other, very intimate.


    With this in mind, the emotion in Eva''s eyes grew colder. Even though Adrian held her in his embrace now, it felt like holding a stone.


    She deliberately pierced him with her words. "What do you mean by saying these things now, Adrian?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian slowly released his grip and looked down at her with lowered brows. "What do I mean? Can''t you figure it out?"


    Eva arched her eyebrow. "Do I have to? It might be embarrassing, but I genuinely can''t figure out what you''re trying to say."


    She disyed a mocking expression, "Otherwise, let me guess, are you regretting divorcing me? Do you want to reconcile with me?"


    As she said these words, Eva''s sarcasm was strong, as if she would unleash a verbal assault and embarrass Adrian if he admitted it.


    After finishing her sentence, Eva''s lips maintained a cold and indifferent smile. Adrian, being an intelligent person, surely noticed her dismissive attitude. If he dared to confess, he would be humiliated by her words. At this moment, she really wanted to know if Adrian would still admit it knowing the oue.


    With this thought in mind, Eva even lifted her chin.


    Adrian silently gazed at her.


    He understood very well what she intended to do next.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Evaughed. "Mr. ckwood, could it be that you''re too afraid to admit it?"


    "Why provoke me?" Adrian sighed. "I have already made it quite obvious. Yes, you''re right, I do regret it."


    With those words, he suddenly leaned in closer, almost pressing his thin lips against her moistened ones. His fervent breath brushed against her face.


    His eyes were deep, inching closer with each movement, as he was about to kiss those two lips that had haunted him every night for the past five years. Lips that drove him to the brink of madness every time he thought of them. But in that split second before contact, Eva''s lips curled into a disdainful smile.


    And just like that, his movements came to an abrupt halt.


    "So what?" Eva chuckled, her gaze fixed on Adrian, who was now just inches away. Her slender fingers lightly poked his chest, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Just because you regret it, I''m supposed to agree? Adrian, who do you think you are? What gives you the right toe and go as you please? Based on what?"


    "I don''t have any rights," Adrian could only furrow his brow and deny.


    "Well, you sure have a short memory. Have you forgotten that you were the one who brought up the divorce in the first ce?" Eva sneered.


    At the mention of it, Adrian gritted his teeth. "Fine, let''s say it was my fault. But what about you? You didn''t even care if I mentioned the divorce back then, did you? I only did it to please you."


    Hearing his words, Eva frowned. "What do you mean by that?"


    Adrian pursed his lips, his gaze intense.


    "Who was it that told me afterward that it was just a biological need, with no emotional ties? You even demanded ten million dors from me," Adrian spoke, remembering something that made him furious.


    Eva fell silent for a moment before retorting, "If I remember correctly, I returned that ten million dors to you a long time ago, didn''t I?"


    When she left back then, she had truly left him, taking nothing with her.


    "Do you really think it''s about money?" Adrian''s brow furrowed.


    "What else could it be? Adrian, I don''t owe you anything," Eva said.


    "Yes, you don''t owe me anything. That''s why you can leave so calmly, without any concern, not even willing to spare me a nce," Adrian stared at her, his voice heavy. "What I mind is what you said to me, that it was merely a biological need with no emotions, and now you still think it''s about that ten million dors?"


    Eva was taken aback.


    Initially, she did think he was referring to the ten million dors, but now, with his words, she carefully recalled that back then, she only mentioned the biological need.


    Seeing her expression, Adrian gritted his teeth. "Remember now? You said it was an ident, a normal physiological need."


    How could Eva forget? They were both drunk that night, she didn''t know who initiated it, but it happened, and in the morning, she was worried that he would feel pressured. So, she preemptively exined it as an ident and a biological need, to avoid any awkwardness between them.


    She never expected that one day, he would use this against her.


    With this in mind, Eva raised her gaze and looked at him calmly. "Are you daring to say otherwise?"


    Adrian was caught off guard. "I..."


    "Are you daring to say it wasn''t an ident that night? Or are you going to say that you''ve been plotting against me all along, so that''s why that night happened?" Eva fired off a series of questions. Adrian pursed his thin lips and silently stared at her.


    Evaughed at herself self-deprecatingly, "So you believe that? Is it really possible? Even I find it funny."


    After a long pause, Adrian softly parted his thin lips. "Why wouldn''t it be possible?"


    Eva was taken aback.


    "Is this such a strange thing?" Adrian''s hand stroked the back of her head, his lips almost touching hers once again. "Haven''t you ever considered that I might truly have ulterior motives towards you?"

 Chapter 301 Should I Believe You?

    Their lips were so close that Eva could just slightly move and touch his.


    This distance was too dangerous.


    Eva could only extend her hand to block between them and slightly tilt her head back, trying to distance herself from Adrian. Unexpectedly, as soon as she moved, Adrian directly kissed her.


    At the moment their lips met, Adrian felt as if an electric current ran through his body, making him tingle.


    The soft touch made him subconsciously tighten his grip around Eva''s slender waist, his breathing became heavy, deepened the kiss.


    Eva pushed him forcefully with her hands pressed against her chest.


    "Let go...let go of me."


    Adrian finally managed to kiss the lips he longed for. How could he easily let go? Not to mention letting go, at this moment, he wanted nothing more than to consume her entirely. Until Eva bit him forcefully.


    The force was strong, Adrian winced in pain and stepped back.


    A strong bloody scent filled the air between their lips and teeth. Even as Adrian retreated, there was a trace of blood at the corner of his lips.


    After he stepped back, Eva took the opportunity to p him.


    Adrian didn''t dodge, and his handsome face was directly tilted to the side by the p.


    "Shameless."


    After cursing, Eva turned around and left.


    After walking a few steps, Adrian''s voice came from behind.


    "I was serious about what I said."


    Hearing this, Eva coldlyughed a few times. "Serious? So what? Just because you said it, I have to believe it?"


    Eva quickly left without looking back.


    Adrian stood silently in ce, and for a long time, he touched the spot where he was bitten.


    It hurt, but the taste of kissing her was also so sweet.


    Pain and sweetness intertwined, almost addictive.


    Adrian closed his eyes and let out a sigh in his heart.


    After returning to the office, Eva went into the bathroom to rinse her mouth and wash her face.


    She rinsed several times in a row, sshed her face with cold water three times, and only then did she calm down. Looking at herself in the mirror, she repeatedly told herself with reason. She didn''t want to be charmed by him.


    He was someone she had liked before. If she could like him, it meant that he had various qualities that attracted her.


    But now, with him appearing in front of her again and saying such things, she must be on guard and not easily fall for him again.


    After giving herself some mental guidance, Eva''s gaze turned cold again. She went out and wiped off the excess water on her face with tissue.


    A knocking sound came from the door.


    "Come in."


    Tim entered with some documents and saw Eva wiping the water off her face. He asked, "What happened? Washing your face at this time?" Knowing that he had a nosy nature, Eva thought for a moment, but in the end, she didn''t answer, just asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "Oh, I brought you some documents."


    "Just put them on the desk. I''ll look at themter."


    Eva was feeling exhausted at the moment and didn''t want to look at them directly.


    After saying that, she saw Tim still standing in the same spot and raised her gaze to look at him. "Anything else?"


    Hearing this, Tim raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and ced the documents on the desk.


    "Nothing else, I just came to deliver these documents."


    "But what about you? I heard Mr. ckwood came looking for you?"


    Eva asked, "Where did you hear that from?"


    Obviously, Adrian wasn''t there when the guy came urgently looking for her.


    Eva pondered for a moment and then squinted at him. "Why didn''t youe to help?"


    "What can I do about your rtionship matters?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva fell silent.


    Tim nced at her abnormally red lips and smiled, pursing his own. "Besides, even if I went, I wouldn''t be of any help. Are you two seeing each other?" As soon as he finished speaking, Tim received a cold look from Eva.


    "If you don''t have anything else, you can go on with your own business."


    "Fine, fine, I am leaving now."


    After Tim left, Eva irritably squeezed her eyebrow, finally tilting her head back, lying down, and not thinking about anything anymore.


    When Eva went to pick up the kids, she coincidentally received a call from Lisa inviting her to dinner that night.


    Eva didn''t have any ns, so she agreed.


    "I''m almost at the school. I will pick them up and head to the mall. Come find uster."


    "Alright."


    The mall was bustling with people at night. When Eva found Lisa, Lisa was ying go-karts with Ruby and Dn, taking various photos.


    As she walked over, Eva saw that Lisa had taken a few pictures and was editing them to post on Facebook.


    While editing, Lisa spotted Eva and greeted her.


    "You''re here? Must have been traffic at this hour, right?"


    "It''s okay, not very congested, but not smooth either."


    As Lisa finished speaking, her editing hand paused until she finished their conversation. She loved posting about Ruby and Dn on her Facebook, and Eva had long gotten used to it. So she didn''t say anything, and Lisa asked her before posting.


    "We haven''t taken a photo together for a long time, right? How about we take one?"


    Eva nodded and leaned towards her camera.


    Lisa had already posed, but when Eva''s beautiful fair face appeared in the frame, she suddenly remembered something, and her expression instantly became a little unnatural.


    It seemed like Mr. ckwood had feelings for Eva, so if she posted a photo of them together, she wouldn''t have a chance.


    Realizing this, Lisa immediately put away her phone.


    Eva noticed and looked at her in confusion. "What''s wrong?"


    Lisa awkwardlyughed it off. "Nothing, I just suddenly got hungry."


    Eva didn''t think too much and suggested, "Then let''s go eat now. What do you feel like having?"


    "I''m fine with anything. It depends on what Dn and Ruby want to eat."


    After some discussion, they decided to have hot pot. It was on the second floor of the mall.


    There was a hot pot restaurant where the three of them entered, and there happened to be only one four-person table avable. Once they sat down, others had to line up.


    Lisa sighed, "Business is really good here. Luckily, we didn''t take any photos earlier, or else we would be the ones waiting in the queue." Eva smiled and didn''t say anything; she was ready to order.


    "I''ll do it," Lisa interrupted her, "I invited you out, so it''s my treat."


    "It''s alright, it''s the same no matter who pays."


    "Since it''s the same, then don''tpete with me for it."


    Helpless, Eva gave up.


    Then, in front of Eva, Lisa opened WhatsApp.


    Eva looked on, and in a blink of an eye, she seemed to see a familiar profile picture that Lisa had pinned.


    Eva was stunned.


    Did she see it wrong?


    The profile picture that Lisa pinned seemed identical to NightA''s profile picture.

 Chapter 302 Just Wanting to Confirm

    Yet Lisa hadn''t noticed anything and happily started ordering food.


    "Dn and Ruby are too young for spicy food, but I want to have a little bit of chili. Should we order another dish?"


    Lisa said for a while but noticed no response; so she lifted her head and found Eva staring nkly at her phone screen, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Eva?" Lisa waved her hand in front of her since she seemed distracted. Eva snapped back to reality.


    "What were you thinking about? We came here to eat, and you''re zoning out so much. It''s not work-rted, is it?"


    Hearing this, Eva looked at Lisa and gently bit her lower lip, appearing hesitant to speak.


    "Sorry, you..."


    "Sorry for what?" Lisa reached out and rubbed her head. "There''s nothing for you to apologize for. I''m just worried about you being too tired from work. Don''t think about work while we''re eating, be happy."


    Indeed, it would be better not to think about anything else while having a meal. Eva could ask about the profile pictureter after they finished eating. Also, the profile picture only shed for a moment, so perhaps she had mistaken it. But she was curious now. If Lisa also added NightA, how did she add him?


    "Ruby, Dn, what do you want to eat? Come, let''s order it ourselves."


    When the two kids heard this, they eagerly gathered around Eva to look at the menu. Eva forcefully snapped back to her senses and stopped thinking about other things, focusing on ordering.


    During the meal, Lisa couldn''t help but pick up her phone again and snap pictures of the two kids eating in the middle. She even went out to buy a few ice creams.


    By the time they finished dinner, it was already after nine in the evening.


    The two kids were full and satisfied, each hanging onto one of Eva''s arms, dozing off with half-closed eyes.


    "How cute? I wish I had two lovely babies like them someday," Lisa eximed.


    Eva looked at Lisa in front of her, then turned to the two kids beside her. Asking in front of them didn''t seem appropriate.


    "Let''s go back home first."


    "Alright."


    "Alright, let''s go."


    Since they hade in their own cars, they would each go home separately. Eva had something to ask Lisa, so she asked the two little ones to get into the car first. "You guys wait for me in the car, I have something to ask Lisa."


    The two little ones were obedient and nodded at her words.


    "We know, mommy, we won''t spy."


    After closing the car door, Eva looked at Lisa.


    Lisa also heard what she said and looked at her after closing the car door.


    "Eva, what do you want to tell me?"


    Eva looked at her quietly and spoke softly, "I identally saw a familiar profile picture on your phone just now." Upon hearing this, Lisa''s heart skipped a beat.


    A familiar profile picture...


    Most of the people they knew were the same, so if it was someone they both knew, she wouldn''t bother asking. Whether it was because she felt guilty or not, Lisa immediately thought of the man at the bar.


    "Don''t be nervous, I''m just asking. Maybe I saw it wrong?" Eva spoke tofort her as Lisa remained silent.


    And Lisa took the opportunity to continue, "It''s possible that you saw it wrong. The people we know are all the same, right? If there''s someone unfamiliar to you, then it must be someone you don''t know."


    Hearing this, the smile on Eva''s lips diminished slightly, but she still asked softly, "You''re right, but I''m still a bit curious. Can I take a look at your phone?"


    Lisa blinked her eyes and then awkwardlyughed, "Eva, there really is nothing. Maybe it was just a coincidence with the profile picture?"


    Initially, Eva didn''t feel much, but as she saw Lisa guarding her phone and refusing to let her have a look, she began to feel somewhat strange.


    Although it was impolite to ask to see someone else''s phone, given their previous rtionship, they used to look at each other''s phones all the time.


    Not to mention things from long ago, even when she was repeatedly trying to match Lisa and Michael, whenever her phone rang, Lisa would always grab it and send a cheesy text message to Michael using her own phone. Due to the frequent urrence, Michaelter learned that those messages came from Lisa and never misunderstood anything because of them.


    Because their rtionship was good, and they were open with each other, Eva didn''t think much of it.


    But now... she merely wanted to see Lisa''s phone because of a simr profile picture, yet Lisa kept refusing.


    Eva gazed at Lisa firmly and made one final request.


    "I have no ulterior motives, I just want to confirm."


    Lisa bit her lip, torn inside.


    Eva had always been a person who knew when to push and when to retreat. In the past, if declined, she wouldn''t ask again. But now, she asked a second time, indicating that she truly cared about this matter.


    As a friend, she should unquestionably hand over her phone for Eva to see.


    But... there was a voice in her heart telling her.


    If she showed it to her, she would see her and Mr. ckwood''s conversation.


    She was extremely embarrassed in front of Mr. ckwood, sending him numerous messages, but he didn''t seem to pay much attention to her. In the past, she had always been pursued by men, but this manpletely ignored her... If it were before, Lisa wouldn''t mind showing her vulnerability in front of her friend. However, ever since the incident, Lisa felt a rift between herself and Eva.


    She didn''t really want to open up to Eva about these things anymore.


    With this in mind, Lisa could only put on an awkward smile and say, "I''m sorry, Eva. Maybe you misunderstood. I haven''t added any new friends recently. The ones before were people you know."


    The words had already been spoken, and Eva felt that there was no need for her to say anything else. To continue would seem like she was forcing the issue.


    After a while, Eva regained her smile. "Alright, if it''s inconvenient, then I won''t press you anymore."


    "Eva..." Lisa didn''t expect that Eva wouldn''t be angry and bit her lip.


    "Go back quickly. It''s not safe for a girl to go back alone thiste. Whoever gets home first should send a message to confirm their safety."


    After saying that, Eva even patted her shoulder and said softly, "Let''s go."


    Lisa felt extremely guilty because of her gentleness, biting her lip tightly. Thinking of something, when Eva was about to turn and leave, she grabbed her sleeve. "Don''t go, just take a look at my phone."

 Chapter 303 Why didnt she guess it earlier?

    After speaking, Lisa handed her phone out as if she had resigned to her fate. "Take a look." Eva was taken aback, surprised how she changed her mind at thest moment.


    She looked at Lisa with some surprise. "Actually... if you''re notfortable, I won''t insist."


    "It''s not inconvenient." Lisa gritted her teeth. "Didn''t I often look at your phone before? It''s normal for you to look at mine too. If I only want to see yours and not let you see mine, that would be unreasonable. Take a look." After speaking, Lisa directly handed Eva the phone.


    Holding the phone, Eva''s lips slowly curled up. "Thank you, Lisa."


    Afterwards, she had Lisa unlock it for her. Before she ced her finger on the fingerprint sensor, Lisa was feeling a little nervous and decided to be honest first.


    "Before I exin, I recently added the person from the bar, the one you know. The one I told you about."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s heart skipped a beat.


    Only Adrian was added?


    That profile picture...


    "No one else?"


    "No," Lisa''s expression was certain. "I only added him. Eva, even if there''s something between him and me, you can''t me me. After all, I''ve been pursuing him for almost half a year. It''s normal to be a little stubborn." Hearing this, how could Eva not understand what she was emphasizing? Perhaps the reason she didn''t want Eva to see her phone before was for this reason, afraid that it would affect their rtionship? Realizing this, Eva reached out and hugged Lisa.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t let anyone influence our rtionship easily."


    After confirming that she was telling the truth, Lisa unlocked her phone for her. Since she hadn''t exited WhatsApp previously, when she unlocked it, Lisa''s WhatsApp appeared before her eyes.


    A familiar profile picture entered her view.


    It was exactly the same.


    When she had just added NightA, she had clicked to see his profile picture. It was Adrian, so she had taken a few nces.


    And her memory was not bad, so she remembered it quite clearly.


    But she was afraid that her memory was wrong, so she took out her own phone on the spot.


    Upon seeing two identical profile pictures, Lisa was also surprised.


    "He...he added you too? How did you both...add each other?"


    Eva didn''t intend to hide it from her and pursed her lips. "Do you know NightA?"


    "Yes, isn''t he the one who frequently donates in Ruby and Dn''s livestreams? What about him?"


    "This person is NightA."


    "What? NightA and Mr. ckwood, whom I know, use the same profile picture? Or..."


    Eva first opened the ount''s profile information on Lisa''s phone, then she took a deep breath and opened NightA''s profile information on her own phone. When the name, ount, and all the information matched, Eva held her phone and stood in silence.


    Even Lisa beside her quieted down, only murmuring after a long pause, "How could this be? They are actually the same person? How is this possible?" Eva pursed her red lips and didn''t speak.


    But Lisa seemed to have thought of something and subconsciously said, "No wonder..."


    Hearing this, Eva suddenly raised her head, not wanting to miss any piece of information. "No wonder what?"


    "I...," Lisa bit her lip, looking troubled. "Remember a while ago when you left the child with me? Because you had some things to take care of." "Yes, what about it?"


    "Then I took a picture and posted it, and Mr. ckwood saw it and called me."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s breath hitched, feeling like something was about to burst out. Her face turned pale, and she stood unsteadily.


    "He called you, and then what? What did he ask?"


    "He asked about Ruby and Dn''s situation. I...I thought he was a fan of Ruby and Dn, so I didn''t think much and just told him everything. I''m sorry, Eva, I also talked about your situation... I really didn''t know it would turn out like this." As Lisa spoke, she became entangled, poking her fingers at each other, feeling like she had made a big mistake.


    And at this point, Eva had no more misunderstandings. Perhaps the secret she had been concealing, Adrian had known it long ago.


    I got it all clear and explicit.


    After meeting NightA, she suddenly ran into Adrian and was taken away by him, and NightA didn''t show up again.


    The two little ones said NightA was very kind to them, even willing to eat their leftover burger crusts.


    And Adrian''s hesitation on several asions indicated that he already knew the truth.


    But she still arrogantly thought she had concealed it well.


    Seeing her standing still as if her soul had been sucked away, Lisa couldn''t help but worry.


    "What''s wrong? Eva... Did something happen? Eva, Eva?"


    Lisa called out several times before Eva snapped back to reality.


    But even aftering back to her senses, she still didn''t say anything, just staring at her.


    Lisa felt that something was off and reached out to wave in front of her.


    After a while, Eva finally snapped back and then smiled again. "I''m fine. I''m sorry for making you worry."


    Relieved that she could finally speak andmunicate normally again, Lisa let out a sigh of relief.


    "Thank God! When you suddenly stopped talking, it scared me. But what''s going on? NightA and Mr. ckwood are the same person? And you and him..." "Sorry, Lisa. Can I tell you about thister?"


    Lisa could only nod.


    "If hees looking for you about me again, can you keep it a secret for me?" Eva added.


    Lisa felt a bit embarrassed. "Of course, don''t worry. I won''t mention your matters anymore."


    "Well, I''m leaving now."


    As she was about to leave, Lisa couldn''t help but say, "I think you should call a driver in this situation. You don''t look well, and it''s also unsafe to drive at this time." Considering her suggestion, Eva thought for a moment and finally took out her phone to call a driver.


    The driver was nearby and arrived quickly.


    Seeing them leave, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief and left as well.


    Sitting in the back seat with the two children, Eva looked out the window and fell into deep thought. NightA is Adrian.


    Why didn''t she realize it earlier?

 Chapter 304 Speaking on behalf of NightA

    "Mummy, what''s wrong with you?" Perhaps she had been lost in thought for too long, and the two little ones vaguely sensed that something was wrong. When she turned around, she saw Ruby and Dn looking at her with worried faces. Eva pursed her lips and after a moment, forced a smile. "It''s nothing, just thinking about some work-rted matters."


    Ruby was more innocent and didn''t suspect anything further upon hearing her exnation. However, Dn remained silent, with a worried expression still on his face.


    "Mummy, stop thinking and rx, don''t worry about the office." Ruby stood up and hugged Eva''s arm, speaking up.


    "Yeah, I know. Can I ask you both some questions?" Ruby nodded.


    "Have you been to school?" Upon hearing this, the two little ones shook their heads simultaneously.


    Eva narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "You went the day before yesterday and yesterday, but not today?"


    "Yes," Ruby obediently nodded, "Lucas said his uncle was probably too busy with work, so he couldn''te. But he had someone else bring us food."


    "Someone else?" Eva lowered her gaze. Adrian was with her during lunchtime, so if NightA was indeed him, he didn''t have the chance to go to school to find Ruby and Dn.


    "Yes, I heard it was NightA''s assistant. Mommy, NightA is really amazing. He has an assistant, so he must be very wealthy. And I asked him, NightA is single, you know." This little one still had the idea of making NightA her daddy. How coincidental.


    Others had always been kind to them, but Ruby had never had such thoughts before.


    Thinking this, Eva held Ruby in her arms, gently stroking her hair, and asked softly, "Ruby, be honest with me. Did NightA persuade you to call him daddy?"


    When she mentioned persuasion, Eva intentionally emphasized her words, afraid that Ruby would be too naive to understand. After thinking for a while, she added, "What I mean is, did he bring up the idea of a daddy first, or did you?" Upon hearing this, Ruby thought carefully and then said seriously, "Mommy, I brought it up first." Eva took a deep breath and then chuckled softly, "Ruby, tell me the truth, okay? Don''t speak up for NightA just because you like him." "But mommy, I am telling the truth."


    "Ruby..." At this moment, Dn, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up, "Mommy, I can testify that what she said is true." Upon hearing this, Eva paused and looked at Dn beside her.


    Ruby and Dn were different. Ruby was more innocent. Sometimes she might not even know what she meant or understand what she meant. But Dn was different. He said it was true, so it should be true.


    "So, Ruby mentioned it first?" Dn nodded, recollected for a moment, and then exined what had happened that day. He was still a child, and even if he had a good memory, he didn''t remember much. So when he spoke, it was intermittent, stopping wherever he could recall, with Ruby asionally chiming in beside him.


    After the two finished speaking, Eva roughly understood what had happened that day. She sighed helplessly and then pinched Ruby''s nose. "Why are you so silly? Just because someone treats you a little better, you want them to be your daddy? Didn''t I teach you before not to trust a stranger blindly?" Ruby covered her nose, pouting.


    "But mommy, Ruby doesn''t think Uncle NightA is a bad person. I really like him," Ruby said.


    Upon hearing this, Eva was stunned. "You like him?"


    "Mhmm." Ruby nodded vigorously. "Uncle NightA feels like a dad to me, mommy. Let Uncle NightA be our dad. Big brother likes him too."


    Upon hearing Ruby''s words, Eva nced at Dn.


    Meeting her gaze, Dn''s eyes grew somewhat panicked and evasive.


    "Dn?" Eva asked.


    "No, mommy, I don''t... I don''t like Uncle NightA," Dn replied.


    Eva knew the personalities of these two little ones better than anyone from watching them grow up. This panicked, evasive behavior was something she had never seen in Dn before.


    It seemed that not only Ruby liked Uncle NightA, but Dn had also developed feelings for him.


    What a pity.


    If NightA were just NightA, there might have been a chance.


    Eva remained silent, and the car fell into silence as well. Ruby eventually fell asleep, resting her head on Eva''sp.


    When they arrived home, Eva carried Ruby to her room. As she came out, she happened to encounter Dn waiting for her at the door.


    "Mommy." Dn nervously looked up at her. "Mommy, is it that you don''t like us being with Uncle NightA?"


    Eva was momentarily unsure how to answer this question. She could only crouch down and tousle Dn''s hair.


    "It''s gettingte. You should go to sleep, okay?"


    Dn looked worried, but in the end, he obediently nodded.


    Once both little ones had returned to their rooms, Eva went back to her own room. Taking out her phone, she looked at NightA''s WhatsApp contact in her phone book.


    She had a thought and opened the search bar to search for a phone number.


    After entering thest digit, she clicked on the search button.


    Sure enough, the search results matched NightA''s ount.


    Eva sat on the couch with her phone, engulfed in silence.


    He had been in the live stream for a long time, silently giving gifts to the two kids without doing anything else.


    When did he actually find out?


    Was it when he first appeared in the live stream?


    But Eva quickly dismissed this idea.


    No, it''s not possible. If he had known at that time, he wouldn''t have just quietly given gifts without showing himself.


    Adrian was a man of action. Judging from his recent actions and the information he had obtained from Lisa, he must have found out when she returned from Chicago. That''s why he remained silent for a long time after adding her and suddenly started messaging her.


    Yes, it must have been then. So if he didn''t meet with her tomorrow, he would definitely go find Ruby and Dn during lunchtime.


    And if she wanted to make the final confirmation, it would be tomorrow at noon.

 Chapter 305 Confirmation

    The next day, as usual, Eva took the two children to school, she pretended as if nothing had happened yesterday. After dropping off her child, she returned to thepany.


    Once she arrived at the office, she received a message from Lisa.


    "Eva, are you really okay fromst night?"


    Although they had reassured each other yesterday, Lisa decided to ask again after thinking about Eva''s expression.


    "I''m fine, don''t worry."


    "Are you sure? But you seem..."


    Eva sighed softly, "I''m really okay, there are just some things I need to handle. I''ll tell you everything once I''ve dealt with them."


    "Okay, let me know as soon as you''re done. Don''t tell Emily directly."


    Thest sentence made Eva unable to hold back a lightugh.


    "I know, I will tell both of you immediately. We can call each other in the group chat, okay?"


    "Mhm." Lisa finally hung up, satisfied.


    After ending the call, Eva nced at the time.


    There were still several hours until noon.


    Although she knew that being anxious now wouldn''t help, Eva tried several times but couldn''t focus on her work.


    Despite being an adult, she couldn''tpletely control her personal emotions during work.


    Finally getting through the morning, it was time to finish work. Eva immediately shut down herputer, grabbed her bag, and quickly headed outside. But when she reached the door, she paused.


    No, she couldn''t go now.


    She might have finished work, but the two kids might not be at their lunchtime yet. She had to wait, time it perfectly, and catch them red-handed.


    Otherwise, if she went too early and the other party saw her, they might not show up.


    Reason made Eva calm down again, so she sat back at her desk and stared at the time. When it was almost time, she left the office.


    Right at the moment she went out, she coincidentally met Tim who came to find her.


    "I noticed that you hadn''te down, so I wanted to ask if we could have lunch together?" Tim said, but before he finished speaking, Eva hurriedly brushed past his shoulder. "No, I have something to take care of at lunchtime." After saying that, she disappeared like a gust of wind.


    When Tim turned around, Eva was nowhere to be seen.


    He couldn''t help scratching his head, wondering, "What could be so urgent?"


    When Eva arrived at the school, the children who didn''t stay for lunch had already been picked up by their parents, so the school gate was closed. The school entrance was quiet, and Eva immediately noticed another car parked at the entrance. It was the ck car she had seen before. Because she had seen it earlier andbined with what had happened in the past few days, Eva was immediately certain that it was Adrian''s car. Her intuition rarely went wrong.


    Last time, she felt someone watching her from the ck car, but because she didn''t see anyone in the car, she thought her intuition was mistaken. Now, Eva confirmed with certainty that her intuition has always been urate.


    Adrian was inside.


    At this moment, the thought was the only thing lingering in her mind, intensely overwhelming. She took out the car keys, got out of the car, closed the door, and walked slowly towards the school gate. Since she came to pick up her child every day, the security personnel at the campus entrance recognized her and greeted her when they saw her approaching.


    "Why are you here at this time?"


    Eva smiled at the person and said softly, "I happened to be free today, so I wanted toe and see my child. Can I go in now?"


    The security guard opened the door and nodded with a smile, "Of course you can, pleasee in."


    Eva nodded in return and asked as she walked in, "Are there any other parents here today?"


    "It seems not?"


    Hearing this, Eva''s heart skipped a beat. "None?"


    Did she make a mistake? Or does he know she woulde?


    The security guard scratched his head, as if remembering something, and suddenly said, "No, wait, I forgot. Another parent came too. I heard they came to deliver food to their child. They''ve beening often." Frequentlying? Delivering food?


    Upon hearing this, Eva finally had an idea.


    The person delivering food was the one she was looking for.


    "By the way, I often see your kids ying with them."


    "Thank you, I''ll go inside and take a look."


    "Alright, you go in quickly. You might even catch up and have lunch together."


    Have lunch together?


    Eva didn''t respond butughed coldly in her heart. Having lunch together was an impossible thing.


    Today, Adrian brought in specially hired chefs, and the dessert after the meal was made by a pastry chef. Not only did it look beautiful, but the taste was also first-rate.


    Ruby ate with her small mouth, and Adrian watched beside her, holding a handkerchief to wipe her lips from time to time.


    After a few times, the little girl felt a bit embarrassed. She pushed Adrian''s hand away and said softly, "Uncle NightA, you should eat too and don''t worry about me." "It''s okay, I''m not hungry." Adrian said.


    "But Uncle NightA hasn''t had lunch yet, right?"


    "Well, I''ll eatter. Please eat now."


    Ruby thought for a moment, then instead of eating alone, she picked up Adrian''s spoon and scooped a piece of chicken for him.


    "Uncle NightA, I''ll feed you."


    This gesture startled Adrian.


    He never expected that one day, his daughter would actually say she wanted to feed him.


    Adrian''s hardened heart softened bit by bit. He reached out and gently touched the back of Ruby''s head. "I really am not hungry."


    "Uncle NightA, please eat quickly." Ruby urged persistently.


    Seeing the little girl struggling to hold up the spoon, Adrian lowered his head slightly and ate the piece of chicken she picked for him. "Alright, Ruby, please eat by yourself now."


    "Okay, Uncle NightA should eat too."


    As Adrian took the piece of chicken in his mouth, he unexpectedly found it to taste really good. Food used to be just something to fill his stomach for him.


    Adrian looked at the little girl with a gentler gaze,pletely unaware of the gaze behind him.


    She watched this scene unfolding before her.


    Eva stood still, almost bursting intoughter when she saw Ruby feeding Adrian with a spoon. After raising them as a mother for so many years, why had she never seen Ruby doing anything like this before? Now that Adrian had only been with them for a few days, she was already favoring him like this?


    At the same time, Eva felt a sense of dread. Without her consent and even without her knowledge, Adrian had found a way to get close to the two children, winning them over. If she hadn''t discovered it now, what could have happened? Would both children start favoring him?


    With this thought, Eva suddenly felt an icy chill.

 Chapter 306 They are my children too

    She had worked so hard to raise the two children all these years, and now he was acting like he would grab them away just like that? Eva clenched her fists and slowly approached. Adrian, still immersed in the joy of watching the two children eat, didn''t notice anyone approaching.


    "Mummy?" Ruby, who had been eating, suddenly saw a figure behind Adrian and looked up. To her surprise, it was Eva. The little girl eximed with mixed feelings of astonishment and joy. Adrian, who was sitting there, immediately lost the smile on his lips when he heard Eva''s name.


    Dn, who had been eating quietly, also stopped and looked behind him with an obvious hint of avoidance.


    In other words, Adrian pursed his thin lips, about to get up, when he heard Eva call him, "NightA?"


    Hearing her words, Adrian''s movements paused for a moment, then he slowly narrowed his eyes.


    After a moment, he discreetly pressed his mrs and slowly stood up, meeting Eva''s gaze.


    "Mummy, why are you here?" Ruby immediately put down the spoon in her hand, wiped her lips clean with a tissue, and then rushed over to hug Eva''s leg.


    Eva was still wearing high heels, and she stumbled slightly when the little girl hugged her, but she quickly regained her bnce.


    Just as she stood firmly, she saw Adrian politely extend his hand towards her.


    Eva looked at thoserge hands and sneered inwardly, but she calmly shook his hand.


    "Hello," she briefly touched his hand, and Adrian didn''t even have time to fully shake it. Dn, watching from the side, furrowed his brows slightly.


    His mummy seems to really not like Uncle NightA.


    Why is that?


    Pretending not to know, after exchanging greetings with him, Eva looked at the table. "Ruby, Dn, what did I tell you before? You shouldn''t eat food from strangers." Strangers...


    This adjective made Adrian furrow his brows slightly. Excluding his identity as the children''s father, he was at least NightA, the one who had been consistently donating in the live streaming room, right? And yet, she referred to him as a stranger in front of Ruby and Dn.


    Ruby and Dn remained silent.


    Eva then smiled and said, "Sir, I heard from Ruby and Dn that you always bring meals for these kids. Those two little rascals are alwaysing over for a free meal. How much do they owe you for these past few days? Should I settle the bill for you?"


    Being polite and distant, she made it clear that she didn''t want to have any involvement with him. Adrian kept his lips straight and didn''t respond to Eva''s words.


    It was Ruby, hanging onto her leg, who spoke up, saying, "Mommy, he''s Uncle NightA. Uncle NightA won''t ask us to pay for the meals."


    Eva''s lips twitched at Ruby''s words. It had only been a few days, and she was already on his side. How could they continue getting along in the future?


    Thinking about this, Eva had no choice but to lower her head and gently touch Ruby''s head, softly saying, "Uncle NightA is an adult, and he wouldn''t ask money from a child like you. But remember what I taught you, you shouldn''t ept food from strangers for free. So Mommy will naturally pay him back for you."


    Stranger...


    Unconsciously, Adrian''s eyebrows furrowed. From the moment she had appeared until now, this description had alreadye out of her mouth twice. Adrian wasn''t surprised by her behavior; otherwise, he wouldn''t havee early to try and leave a good impression on the two children. He was worried that Eva wouldn''t give him any chance and would just give him a death sentence directly.


    It seemed like his worries were justified.


    But Ruby, who seemed to be an expert at creating conflicts, spoke up after hearing Eva''s words, "But Mommy, we already received a lot of money from Uncle NightA during his livestream. Plus, if Uncle NightA is willing to be Ruby''s dad in the future, he won''t be a stranger anymore."


    Adrian, who had furrowed brows a moment ago, was amused by Ruby''s words. The straight line of his lips turned into a beautiful arc, as he raised his thumb to Ruby. "Ruby is right."


    Eva''s eyebrows, on the other hand, twitched uncontrobly. She couldn''t do anything in front of the children, but there were some grievances that she didn''t want them to know about.


    It was her matter in the first ce, and there was no need to involve the children.


    With this in mind, Eva could only say to Adrian, "Sir, shall we find another ce to talk?"


    Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Sure."


    "Ruby, Dn." After calling the names of the two children, Eva noticed Lucas sitting next to them. Judging from his appearance, he probably wasn''t Adrian''s rtive. After all, he was just a child, and Eva didn''t want to vent her anger on him. So, she smiled at him as well. "You three behave and eat here. I''ll have a conversation with NightA and be back soon."


    The three little ones nodded in unison.


    After making sure everything was settled here, Eva looked at Adrian and walked towards the exit.


    Adrian remained silent for a while before slowly catching up with her steps.


    Instead of staying inside the school, Eva went straight out. When she left, she exchanged greetings with the security personnel at the entrance.


    "You''re leaving so soon after just arriving?"


    Eva smiled and nodded at him.


    After greeting the security personnel, she suddenly noticed that someone was still following her from behind. She took a closer look...


    Isn''t that the gentleman who usually delivers food? He was about to greet him, but noticed that his face was darker than usual, and the words at his lips disappeared. He watched as the two of them walked out of the school gate, one after the other. Soon after, they stopped under the sun not far away, next to a car.


    The security personnel secretly nced at the two of them. Why do they seem familiar?


    After Eva stopped walking, she could hear Adrian''s footsteps stopping behind her. She turned around and looked at him mockingly.


    "Mr. ckwood? Or should I call you NightA?"


    Adrian pursed his lips slightly, his Adam''s apple bobbing up and down. "You can call me whatever you want."


    Unexpectedly receiving this response, Eva was momentarily speechless. After a while, she turned her head away and said coldly, "I don''t care who you are or what you want. From now on, stay away from my kids." Adrian let out a softugh. "Eva, they are also my kids."


    Eva, who was initially calm, was instantly provoked by this statement. She swiftly turned her head, her voice filled with anger. "What do you mean they are also your kids? On what basis do you say that? Do you have any evidence?"


    Seeing her sudden outburst, resembling someone stepping on a painful spot, Adrian was taken aback. After a moment, he sighed helplessly. "Do we need evidence? Just by looking at their appearance, it''s clear that they are my children."

 Chapter 307 Love at First Sight

    "Their appearance?" Eva sneered. "What''s wrong with their appearance? How could they possibly be your children? Aren''t you being delusional?"


    Adrian didn''t mind her anger at the moment. After all, she had been raising the children alone for the past five years, and she had the right to be mad at him.


    So he spoke calmly and gently. "Am I being delusional? Alright, tell me then, if I''m not their father, who is?"


    "It''s none of your business."


    "Is it not my business, or can''t you say it, or is it that you don''t want to admit in front of me that the children are mine?"


    Eva grew furious. "The children are not yours."


    "Alright, if you don''t want to admit it, we can do a paternity test."


    As soon as Adrian saw that the two children were Eva''s, he almost immediately recognized them as his own flesh and blood. Therefore, he never thought about doing a paternity test. It waspletely unnecessary. The moment he got closer to these two children, he felt a different connection, a familiar and heartwarming feeling, not to mention their physical resemnce.


    But if Eva continued to deny it, he didn''t mind doing a paternity test.


    When the mention of a paternity test came up, Eva finally regained herposure. She looked at Adrian and said, "It has been exactly five years since our divorce. We have no rtionship, so my children have no connection to you. You have no right to do a paternity test."


    "When we got divorced, you didn''t mention that you had children. Do you really think they have no connection to me?"


    Upon hearing this, a moment of confusion passed.


    When they divorced initially, Adrian indeed had no knowledge that she was pregnant and he didn''t want to keep the child, so Eva had to keep her pregnancy a secret.


    Seeing her standing there, silent but with an unpleasant expression on her face, Adrian sighed inwardly and approached her.


    "Don''t resist like this. I just want to fulfill my responsibilities as a father and take care of them."


    "Is it fulfilling your responsibilities or trying to take the children away from me? Where were you when I struggled to raise them alone? Why didn''t you talk about responsibility back then? And now that they''re five years old, you say you want to fulfill your responsibilities as a father?"


    At this point, Eva took a step back and sneered, "You didn''t do anything for them and simply have two five-year-old children? Where in the world does such a cheap thing exist?"


    Adrian couldn''t argue because, in the past five years, he had indeed not fulfilled any responsibilities. If it were just one child, he might have considered it eptable, but it happened to be two. It must have been extremely difficult for her to raise two young children alone.


    Thinking about this, Adrian felt somewhat guilty.


    "I was indeed wrong in the past. I will make up for the past five years twofold, I..."


    "Who wants you to make it up?" Eva interrupted before he could finish his words. "No need. I just hope you don''t disturb our peaceful life anymore."


    After saying that, Eva turned around to leave.


    "I''m afraid that''s not possible."


    Adrian''s words made her pause in her steps.


    "What do you mean?"


    "They are my children, and naturally, I will acknowledge them."


    Eva slowly turned around, looking at him incredulously.


    "Even if you haven''t contributed anything to their upbringing in the past five years, you still want to acknowledge them?"


    "I''ve said it before, I will make up for it."


    "Forget about it," Eva bit her lower lip, her expression getting more agitated. "No one can touch my children, including you." After saying that, Eva walked away, leaving Adrian standing there.


    The security guards noticed when Eva returned; she seemed extremely angry, and they didn''t dare greet her.


    They had been watching her and the man from afar, even though they couldn''t hear their voices, their actions seemed like an argument.


    The security guards even wondered if they had misunderstood, but when they saw Eva enter without saying a word, it confirmed their suspicions.


    Shortly after, the man also approached.


    Compared to the woman''s anger, an icy chill seemed to emanate from the man almost covering his surroundings. After he passed by, the security guards couldn''t help but shiver. Initially filled with fury, Eva''s expression immediately changed as soon as she entered the school gate.


    By the time she reached the three children, she had transformed into someone gentle and pleasant, with a smile on her face.


    "Mommy, you''re back."


    As soon as they saw her, Ruby quickly moved into her embrace, then nced discreetly behind her, asking softly, "Mommy, how is NightA Uncle? Is he handsome?" Seeing that Adrian was still in the distance, she whispered, "Mommy, how is it?"


    Her heart and mind were full of Adrian. Eva felt helpless and wished she could say a bunch of bad things about Adrian to resist him and avoid any contact with him. But she couldn''t.


    He was indeed good to both of them, and she couldn''t speak ill of him at this moment. Eva was a first-time mother with no experience and could only rely on her own instincts to handle things. She didn''t answer Ruby''s question but whispered, "Promise me you won''t eat anything he brings for you anymore, alright?" Ruby''s smile vanished instantly upon hearing this. "Why, Mommy? Does Mommy not like Uncle NightA? Or did Uncle NightA make Mommy angry?"


    "Ruby, even though Uncle NightA really likes you, it''s not right for you to keep epting things from him before you have a formal rtionship. Do you understand what I mean?" "Then why don''t you let Uncle NightA be my daddy?" Eva felt like she couldn''t exin it clearly, and it seemed that Ruby''s desire to have Adrian as her father was deeply ingrained.


    Eva realized that it was fortunate she discovered it now, but what if she had discovered itter? Adrian was really shameless, trying to take her kids away from her. Why couldn''t he have his own kids?


    After all, there were so many women around him. While she was pondering, footsteps behind her stopped, and simultaneously, Adrian''s voice rang out. "It seems that Ruby really likes me. So, I think you should seriously consider Ruby''s suggestion."


    Despicable! Shameless!


    Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Ruby eximed in excitement, "Mommy, look, Uncle NightA agreed. Mommy, please consider it." Dn silently watched the scene unfold beside them, fingers tapping together without saying a word. Adrian even crouched down beside the two, his handsome face adorned with a faint smile. "After all, I fell in love with you at first sight. Just nod your head if you''re willing."

 Chapter 308 The kids are taken away

    Eva didn''t expect Adrian to be so shameless, even saying in front of the child that he fell in love with her at first sight. How shameless could a president of the ckwood family be?


    She took a deep breath, and even in front of the child, Eva didn''t want to answer his words. "Mommy, what does falling in love at first sight mean?" Ruby, being her curious little self, asked again.


    "Ruby, falling in love at first sight means Uncle NightA really likes your mommy." As soon as the words escaped, Eva looked at Adrian incredulously.


    Adrian met her gaze, a slight smile still ying on his lips. In that moment, when their eyes met, Eva instantly understood that he had manipted her.


    He could see that she didn''t want to get angry or lose control in front of the kids, so he deliberately did this. He didn''t even mind if she found out. And even if Eva knew, there was nothing she could do about it. "Wow." Ruby eximed in excitement, raising her small hand.


    Covering her face, Ruby asked, "NightA Uncle really likes my mommy?"


    "Mhmm."


    Ruby immediately had a happy expression, leaving Eva speechless. But for now, she had no other choice but to help Ruby tidy up and said, ''Have you finished eating? If you''re full, go to the ssroom with your brother."" "Yes, I''m full." Upon hearing Dn''s response, he immediately put down what he was holding and stood up.


    "Dn, take Ruby back to the ssroom. Remember to study hard and don''t run around after school. I''lle pick you up," Eva instructed.


    "I understand, Mommy." Dn stood up and held Ruby''s hand, ready to leave. As he passed by Adrian, Adrian lightly poked him with his finger.


    Dn felt as if he had been touched by fire and anxiously moved away, not daring to look at Adrian again.


    How quickly he changes.


    Adrian sighed inwardly. It seemed like this little guy liked him before Eva arrived, but as soon as she came, he immediately changed his attitude. "He definitely inherits my genes."


    Satisfied, Adrian curved his lips and then heard Eva say to Lucas, "You go to the ssroom with Ruby and Dn."


    Lucas didn''t nod and timidly nced at Adrian before leaving after seeing Adrian''s approval.


    Once he left, only two people were left in the room.


    Eva sat down and started to clean up the stuff her children had left. But before she could even touch anything, Adrian stopped her with his actions.


    "Don''t touch it." Adrian blocked her and then whispered, "These things were bought by me, I''ll take care of it."


    Upon hearing this, Eva''s movements paused and she withdrew her hand that was about to touch the food.


    "You can clean up as well?"


    "I''m just doing what a father should do."


    He''s iming them to be his children again. Eva had no interest in discussing this topic with him at all. She snorted coldly and asked, "Did you bring that child here to study?" Knowing who she was referring to, and with things having developed to this point, Adrian had nothing to deny.


    "Yes."


    As expected. Eva smiled speechlessly and joked, "So he''s not really your rtive, right?"


    "He''s considered a rtive, just one I don''t know." Adrian pursed his lips and sat opposite her, looking at her seriously. "Doing all of this is simply fulfilling a father''s responsibility." Hearing this, Eva interrupted him irritably, "We don''t need it."


    "Eva, I just want to make amends."


    "For the past five years, the three of us have been living perfectly fine. We don''t need any amends. What we need is a peaceful life. If you insist on making amends, then please leave our sight, never appear in front of us again. That would be the best possible favor."


    After she finished speaking, Adrian remained silent. He quietly looked at her, his eyes still as dark as ever, and his lips pressed t.


    Although he appeared calm, it was clear that he hadn''t given up.


    Eva knew that he had done so much and would definitely not give up easily.


    She didn''t expect a few words from herself to make him give up.


    After a moment, Adrian started tidying up the things on the desk.


    Seeing his actions, Eva thought of what the two kids told her, how Uncle NightA was willing to eat the leftover burger buns.


    How could he have done these things before?


    But even so, it didn''t mean that Eva would easily forgive him or ept him.


    Thinking of this, Eva got up directly and said coldly, "I hope you won''t disturb us anymore."


    After speaking, she left the school.


    Adrian didn''t chase after her anymore. When Eva sat in the car, she couldn''t help but lean on the steering wheel and exhale a tired breath. She had to find a way to solve this.


    She absolutely wouldn''t give Adrian the children, absolutely not!


    Back at thepany, Eva didn''t have any thoughts to work. Her mind was always on her two children and Adrian.


    When she finally made it to the end of the workday, Eva grabbed her keys and left thepany directly.


    Tim wanted to talk to her, but Eva quickly walked past him, saying, "I have something urgent."


    Tim raised an eyebrow, "Why have you been in such a hurry all day?"


    On the way to the school, Eva had a foreboding feeling for some reason.


    This feeling reached its peak when she approached the school.


    When she arrived at the school and asked, sure enough, the two children were taken away.


    Because the first thing the teacher said when she saw Eva was, "Why are you here? The children were picked up by their father."


    When Eva went back to thepany at noon, she had been worried about this because she refused to let Adrian adopt the children or acknowledge their rtionship.


    After returning, she kept thinking, would Adrian be provoked by her and take the children away?


    This uneasiness amplified to the extreme, and now it proved to be true.


    That bastard Adrian!


    How could he do this? The two children she had worked so hard to raise, he can he just take them away?


    Thinking of this, Eva instantly became furious. She even couldn''t help but get angry at the teachers in the school, "Why do you always do this? Can''t you let me pick them up myself? If anything happens to them, I won''t just stand by." Teacher: "But..."


    Before she finished her sentence, Eva had already turned and left.


    After leaving the school, Eva immediately called Adrian.


    However, after dialing several times, none of the calls went through, and Eva got frustrated.


    What is he nning to do?


    Unable to reach him on the phone, Eva could only drive to the ckwood Group.


    While driving, Eva pressed the Bluetooth in the car and called herwyer.

 Chapter 309 Give the children back to me

    When she reached the ckwood Group, it was already the end of working hours for the ckwood Group, and most people had left. There were only a few remaining in the building, but the security personnel hadn''t left yet as they were taking turns on guard duty.


    Eva walked straight in and found the front desk. Coincidentally, it was the same receptionist who had previously attended to her, and they were still there.


    Upon seeing her, the receptionist''s expression showed a hint of surprise. However, before she could speak, Eva took the initiative and asked, "Hello, I was looking for Jacob."


    The receptionist looked puzzled for a moment and then replied, "But ma''am, Jacob has already left for the day."


    "He left? What about Mr. ckwood? Has he left as well?"


    The receptionist pondered for a moment and then answered carefully, "Mr. ckwood didn''te to the office today, and Jacob left ten minutes ago."


    Adrian hadn''te to thepany in the afternoon? Then, what was he doing?


    Unable to find anyone, Eva had no choice but to take out her phone and call Jacob. When he received an unexpected call from Eva, he sounded surprised, "Ms. Hansen?"


    The tone of his voice suggested that he hadn''t considered Eva would call him at this time.


    Could it be that he wasn''t involved in this matter?


    For a moment, even Eva couldn''t make up her mind, so she simply said to Brent, "I''m looking for Adrian."


    "Mr. ckwood? But he''s not with me. Does Ms. Hansen have something to discuss with him? Or maybe you could try calling his phone directly?"


    Suppressing her temper, Eva patiently exined, "His phone is not reachable."


    "What? How is that possible?"


    "I don''t know. Do you have any idea where he might be?"


    "...Mr. ckwood didn''te to the office in the afternoon, so I''m not too sure about his schedule." In fact, Jacob felt guilty when he answered that question. Because during lunchtime, Mr. ckwood must have been busy taking care of his two biological children at school. But could Jacob say that? Was he brave enough to say it?


    No, he couldn''t and he didn''t dare. So he could only say that he didn''t know.


    And now, with Ms. Hansen suddenlying to ask about Mr. ckwood''s schedule, did this mean that she found out something? Jacob''s whole body tensed as he held his phone.


    Sure enough, there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Eva let out a coldugh and said, "You''re his personal assistant, but you im not to know his schedule? Do you think I would believe that? Never mind if you don''t want to say, just tell me, where does he live? You can at least tell me that, right?"


    His address?


    Jacob''s eyes lit up. He could definitely provide that information.


    "Ms. Hansen, if you had asked for the address earlier, I would have told you immediately. I''ll send it to your phone right away."


    After obtaining the address she wanted, Eva hung up the phone and headed towards the address using map in her phone.


    Eva''s brain was full with negative thoughts. Adrian took them away, and he had been with the two children since noon, not returning to thepany all afternoon.


    With this in mind, Eva tightly clenched her lower lip, trying to control her temper and driving steadily to Adrian''s address.


    The address Jacob gave her was in an upscale vimunity in the city. Eva originally wanted to go in directly to find someone, but she was stopped outside the vi.


    It seemed that her license te number was not registered, and coupled with her being an unfamiliar face, she couldn''t enter the vi.


    Eva couldn''t reach Adrian on his phone, so she had to call Jacob again.


    After talking to the vi security personnel on the phone for a while, Jacob still couldn''t convince them to let her in. In the end, Jacob had toe over in person. Eva could only endure her anger and wait in ce.


    After about twenty minutes, Jacob hurriedly arrived. After he had his face scanned by the security personnel, they finally let Eva in.


    "Ms. Hansen, shall I take you there?"


    Since they were already here, Jacob thought he could help Eva save some effort by taking her there directly.


    When he finished speaking, he saw Eva nod at him.


    "Sure, please take me there."


    From Jacob''s current demeanor, he probably didn''t know that Adrian took away her two children. He was even helping her, so Eva naturally remained polite to him. Led by Jacob, they quickly arrived at Adrian''s residence.


    "Ms. Hansen, we''re here."


    Looking at therge house in front of her, Eva was about to ring the doorbell when Jacob suddenly said, "Ms. Hansen, let me tell you the entry code, you can just go in." Upon hearing this, Eva paused for a moment, thought about it, and then nodded, "Okay."


    After Jacob told her the entry code, he left directly. Eva entered the gate smoothly after inputting the password.


    The vi was very quiet. After she entered, there was an outdoor fountain. The lights on both sidesplemented each other, making the surroundings as bright as daylight.


    Eva had to input another entry code at the door, which left her with mixed emotions. It turned out that the password for that door was her birthday.


    After entering the code, the door opened automatically. As soon as she stepped in, she heard the voice of a robot.


    "Wee back, master. The indoor venttion system and air cirction have been activated."


    It was extremely quiet inside, and Eva initially nned to just walk in, but she saw the spotless carpet and ultimately decided to change into slippers from the nearby cab before entering. Inside the house was very quiet, so quiet that not even a person''s voice could be heard.


    Eva looked around with a furrowed brow, doubting whether Adrian really lived here. Why was there no servant?


    She tried calling Adrian''s phone again, but still couldn''t get through.


    She searched downstairs but couldn''t find anyone, so she had to go upstairs.


    Finally, in the bathroom of a bedroom, she heard the sound of running water.


    The bedroom was decorated in a minimalist style, different from Adrian''s previous room.


    Theyout is simr, so this should be his bedroom.


    So the person in the bathroom... should also be him.


    But what about the children?


    Where are Ruby and Dn?


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva searched around but couldn''t find any trace of the two kids. She had no choice but to return to Adrian''s bedroom and knock forcefully on the bathroom door. "Adrian, Adrian,e out!"


    After a moment, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped, and Adrian, wearing a towel around his waist, appeared in front of Eva.


    Because he was still showering, there were glistening water droplets on Adrian''s sturdy chest, slowly trickling down along his perfect abdominal lines.


    The atmosphere should have been romantic.


    Unfortunately, Eva, who was in a state of panic, didn''t pay attention to any of this. She approached him and demanded, "Adrian, where are the children? Give me my children back." Adrian was initially surprised to see Eva suddenly appear in front of him, but soon realized why she was here.


    However, his brows furrowed shortly after.


    "What do you mean, give you your children back?"


    These words irritated Eva, causing her elegant eyebrows to wrinkle.


    "If the children aren''t with you, then where are they?"

 Chapter 310 Who Have you guessed?

    When she had previously asked Adrian for the children, he had a certain suspicion, and at this time, she should have already taken them home, noting to him to ask for their return. Thinking of a certain possibility, Adrian suddenly grabbed Eva''s shoulders and squinted his eyes. "Are the children missing?"


    Eva paused, "Adrian, what do you mean? You should know why the children are missing better than anyone else."


    Hearing this, Adrian furrowed his brows. "So, the children really are missing?"


    He didn''t answer his own question or engage in further conversation. Instead, he repeatedly confirmed whether the news of the children''s disappearance was true. "You didn''t take the children away, did you?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Adrian walked past her, and Eva quickly turned and followed. "Adrian."


    "Just a moment." Adrian motioned for her to stay silent and took out his phone, only to realize that it had run out of battery and turned off.


    Charging it and turning it back on would take too long now.


    So Adrian reached out to Eva. "Give me your phone."


    "Why?"


    "To call Jacob."


    Eva hesitated for a moment before handing him her phone.


    After taking the phone, Adrian immediately called Jacob and informed him about the children''s disappearance.


    "You need to immediately have someone retrieve the school''s surveince footage to see who took the children and have others check the surrounding area." Eva stood by, listening to his words, her brows gradually furrowing.


    After he hung up the phone, she finally asked, "Ruby and Dn, are they really not with you?"


    She still didn''t fully believe it, other than Adrian.


    Who else could quietly take the child away? Without even saying anything.


    Apart from Adrian, who she felt was trying to take the child from her, Eva couldn''t think of anyone else.


    Adrian handed her the phone and said, "Do you see any traces of a child here?"


    "You don''t have any, but who knows if you intentionally hid the kids?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian paused for a moment and then reluctantly said, "Eva, why would I hide them? Am I a child trafficker?"


    Eva bit her lip, thinking, you may not be a child trafficker, but you are even more terrifying than one.


    But in the end, she didn''t voice these words.


    And Adrian, who had been standing there talking to her, walked towards the wardrobe again. Eva thought he was trying to escape, so she followed him.


    "Are you sure the child is not here? Adrian, are you really not lying to me? I can''t think of anyone else who would take Ruby and Dn."


    Expressionless, Adrian opened the wardrobe. His movements faltered after hearing her words, and then he said, "First, tell me clearly, what did the teacher tell you when you went to pick them up?" Eva recalled that the teacher had told her that the children''s father hade to pick them up.


    After exining the situation truthfully, Adrian sneered, "Father? I left at noon, so how could they have a father to pick them up? Is this school''s teacher out of their mind?"


    Adrian was about to reach for the shirt when he suddenly remembered something. His face turned even colder, and he turned to stare at Eva.


    "Think carefully, besides me, is there really no one else who would take the children away? Ruby and Dn are not ordinary kids. They are very smart and wouldn''t just leave with a stranger." With his words, Eva fell into silence.


    Yes, Ruby and Dn were not ordinary children. They were both exceptionally intelligent. Even if Ruby was a bit na?ve, Dn would never get into a stranger''s car so easily.


    So it could only be someone they knew who took them away.


    But which acquaintance would make them willingly get into the car, call them father, and even have a motive to take them away?


    Eva thought carefully for a while and then lifted her gaze. "Besides you, I can''t think of anyone else who would have the motive."


    Adrian almostughed at Eva''s remark. "Eva, if I really had that motive, do you think I would bother telling you all this? Even if I directly told you that the children are with me, what can you do to me?" Eva pursed her lips, her expression stubborn.


    "Besides you, who else?"


    Adrian asked, "What do you think?"


    "What do you mean? Have you already guessed who it is?"


    "Hm." Adrian responded with a coldugh, and then he put on the white shirt. While buttoning it up, he said, "You''ll find out who it is soon enough."


    Seeing him like this, Eva felt like he was teasing her. Before she could ask further, Adrian suddenly reached out and pulled off the towel tied around his waist.


    Originally, there was nothing.


    Eva, who had just noticed, finally reacted.


    She widened her eyes in astonishment and stared at Adrian in disbelief.


    "Have you seen enough?" Adrian curled his lips with a faint smile.


    His voice snapped Eva out of her daze.


    "So you''ve been here all this time, just to watch me change?" Adrian''s lips straightened, and nonchntly he put on his pants, fastening the belt, and buttoning it expressionlessly. Though Eva had seen his body five years ago...


    Eva''s ears grew warm, but when she considered Adrian''s shameless appearance, she couldn''t help but want to retort.


    "I''ve seen all kinds of ripped men abroad during the past five years. I''ve grown tired of looking at men''s bodies. Why would I stay to watch you?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian paused as he was buttoning his shirt. His aura changed along with it.


    He turned his head slowly and stared at Eva with his pitch-ck eyes unmoving.


    "What did you say?"


    "Don''t you understand what I said? Do I need to repeat it?"


    He didn''t reply but kept staring at her.


    After a long while, Adrian withdrew his gaze and said coldly, "Go find the kids first."


    If it weren''t for the fact that the two kids were missing now, Adrian would have made her face the consequences of deliberately provoking him.


    Eva angrily retorted, "If you didn''t take the kids, then it''s none of your business. I will find them myself."


    Having said that, she turned around and left.


    Eva descended the stairs and stepped outside the vi, only to find a ck sedan parked in front of her.


    Seeing this car, Eva was speechless. So now that he had been discovered, he didn''t even bother hiding anymore, huh?


    The car window rolled down, revealing Adrian''s handsome and indifferent profile. "Get in."


    "No need, I''ll go find them myself."


    "I know where they are."


    Adrian''s words made Eva stop in her tracks, and he looked directly at her with his dark eyes fixed on her. "Get in, I''ll take you to them."

 Chapter 311 Going to pick up our son and daughter

    In the end, Eva got into the car.


    Soon, the car left the vi area.


    Before entering the main road, Adrian said to her, "Tell me Michael''s address."


    It had been over five years since Eva heard the name Michael from Adrian''s mouth, and it made his teeth grind. "Michael?"


    Eva was surprised to hear that name.


    But she quickly remembered some other things and, after a moment of silence, told Adrian Michael''s address.


    It took no more than ten seconds from start to finish.


    After receiving the address, Adrian was somewhat surprised. He thought she would argue with him, but she quickly understood. Once they had a destination, the car swiftly entered the main road.


    The car was extremely quiet as they headed to find Michael.


    Eva was lost in her own thoughts. She had never thought that it would be Michael who took the children beforeing here. She had been convinced that Adrian wanted to snatch the kids from her, because she disagreed...


    So he had no choice but to take the kids away behind her back.


    But now, with his words, she carefully thought about what the teacher said and realized.


    Michael had been mistaken for the father of the two children by the teacher before, so it was natural for them to misunderstand again. And influenced by subjectivity, she thought that when the teacher said the father took the child away, it was Adrian.


    Doesn''t this mean acknowledging Adrian as the father?


    Eva put her hand on her forehead, feeling foolish and powerless.


    She could actually remain calm about some things, but when it came to the kids, she became impulsive and couldn''t calm down to think. If it wasn''t for Adrian''s reminder, she wouldn''t even have thought that it was Michael who took the kids away.


    Adrian''s phone suddenly rang, and Eva nced at his phone and realized it was a different one from before. The color of this phone was different from the one he used before, so it must be his backup phone.


    He connected to the car''s Bluetooth and answered the call.


    "Have you found it?"


    "Mr. ckwood, we have retrieved the surveince footage as quickly as possible and sent it to your phone."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian tugged at his lips and said, "Good job. Who took it?"


    Jacob hesitated for a moment and finally said, "You should see it for yourself."


    After hanging up, Adrian asked Eva, "Do you want to take the phone yourself, or should I show you at the next intersection?" Eva remained silent for a while and said, "I''ll take it myself."


    She reached out and took Adrian''s phone. "The password is your birthday."


    Adrian''s cold voice made Eva pause. She bit her lip and replied bitterly, "I know."


    Even the password for the door at home is set to her birthday. So, it was not surprising.


    She silently entered her own birthday, the page refreshed, and a new message from Jacob popped up at the top.


    She tapped on it, and it was a video that had been retrieved and trimmed.


    Within a few seconds of watching, she could see a tall figure approaching the two children waiting in front of the school gate. He crouched down in front of them. Besides Michael, who else could it be? After watching the video, Eva fell silent.


    She didn''t expect that it was indeed Michael who took them away.


    But why didn''t he tell her? Did he take them back to her house?


    "Finished watching?"


    Adrian''s cold voice snapped Eva back to reality.


    Eva snapped out of it and handed him the locked phone.


    The car was quiet. Eva leaned against the seat and remained silent. When they reached a traffic light at an intersection up ahead, the car stopped.


    Adrian held the steering wheel, and she didn''t know what he was thinking. After a moment, she heard him say, "In your eyes, am I responsible for everything bad? When the child went missing, you immediately thought I took the child." "What else could it be?" Eva retorted, "You go to the school every day to see them. Do you dare to say that you never thought about taking the children away someday?"


    "I do all of these things to make up for it, not..."


    "I don''t want to discuss this with you at all. The traffic light is about to turn green, please drive."


    When Eva first found out that Adrian didn''t take the children away, she was very worried.


    Later, she found out that Michael took them, but he didn''t tell her. Although she put a lot of it aside, she still had doubts.


    Why did Michael take the children without telling her?


    Thinking about how she rejected him so firmly before, Eva felt a little scared now.


    She was afraid that Michael would get angry and do something, but based on her understanding of Michael, he didn''t seem like the person who would do such things. However, these uncertain matters needed to be answered after she saw the children with her own eyes.


    Adrian didn''t argue with her anymore. His thoughts were also focused on the children at this moment.


    Amazingly, Michael''s ce was not far from Adrian''s. It only took about twenty minutes to drive there. As soon as they arrived, Eva opened the car door and got out.


    She originally wanted to go in and find Michael directly, but when she heard the noise behind her, she stopped and blocked Adrian''s path.


    "You go back first."


    Adrian furrowed his brows upon hearing this. "What did you say?"


    "I''ll go in and find him myself. Don''t follow me."


    Although he and Michael used to be friends, they had fallen out long ago. She was worried that there might be a conflict when they meetter. If they couldn''t control themselves and started fighting, how embarrassing would that be? She didn''t care about herself, but she worried about Ruby and Dn.


    The children were still young, and she didn''t want them to see these unpleasant things.


    "Heh." Adrian chuckled. Hisughter was cold and mixed with a sarcastic tone, making it somewhat distant. He took a few steps forward, almost standing close to Eva. "He took away not only your children but also our children. You go upstairs by yourself, I don''t trust you."


    After realizing what he meant, Eva angrily said, "They are my children, they have nothing to do with you."


    "It doesn''t matter, it''s not up to you to decide." With that said, Adrian held her delicate wrist. "Come on, let''s go upstairs and pick up our son and daughter."


    Adrian led her forward, and no matter how she struggled, his grip on her wrist remained tight like an iron chain. "Don''t make a scene. Do you want Dn and Ruby to see us in conflictter?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva froze in her movements.


    "You''re just worried that I''ll have a conflict with Michael in front of the children. I promise you I won''t."


    Eva didn''t expect her inner thoughts to be exposed like this. She stood there in a daze and then asked, "How did you know?"

 Chapter 312 Dare to touch me and see

    Adrian pressed the elevator button just in time.


    The man, without hesitation, led her inside. "Your emotions are written all over your face; it''s obvious," he said.


    Eva pursed her lips and fell silent, but instinctively touched her face.


    Emotions written on her face? When did she be so transparent?


    However, they were already in the elevator, so Eva thought about pulling her hand back, but Adrian held on tightly.


    "Adrian, let go."


    Adrian''s lips curved into a handsome arc. "If I let go, how will Ruby and Dn know that we came together to pick them up?"


    "Do you want to let go or not?"


    Ignoring her, Adrian pretended not to hear.


    Eva struggled harder, trying to break free. Seeing that he still refused to let go, she became annoyed and bit him.


    Originally, Adrian had no intention of letting go no matter how she struggled. He had finally managed to hold her hand, so he was not willing to do it, no matter how much she resisted. After all, her strength was not enough. But he didn''t expect her to suddenly bite him.


    When Eva bit him, her teeth actually sank into his flesh. Adrian felt a pang of pain in his wrist, causing him to grunt and loosen his grip slightly.


    Seizing the momentary loosening of his grip, Eva quickly withdrew her hand from his palm and took a few steps back, keeping her distance.


    As she stepped back, Adrian furrowed his brows and looked at her. He noticed a trace of fresh blood staining her lips, leaving him momentarily stunned.


    After a moment, he lowered his head and nced at his own arm. It had indeed been bitten.


    So that red stain on her lips was his blood...


    The blood made Eva''s already vibrant lips even more enticing. As she witnessed this scene, Adrian''s eyes darkened involuntarily, and his Adam''s apple bobbed up and down.


    After Eva stepped back, she realized he was staring at her, thinking that he wanted to hold her ountable for biting him.


    Little did she know that his gaze seemed to be increasingly improper.


    At this moment, Adrian was like a starving wolf, and she was his prey...


    He remained still, simply waiting for the right moment to pounce and devour herpletely.


    As soon as this idea crossed Eva''s mind, she felt a chill run down her spine. Just as the color in Adrian''s eyes grew deeper, the elevator made a "ding" sound, dispelling all other distractions from their minds. With a sense of imminent danger, Eva tried to leave the elevator, but Adrian quickly pulled her back into his embrace.


    "Adrian, don''t you dare touch me!"


    Apanied by Eva''s stern rebuke, Adrian''s fingertips brushed against her red lips, wiping away the bloody stains.


    Eva stared at the crimson on his fingertips, frozen in ce.


    It was blood...


    She hadn''t noticed before, so he was just wiping it off for her?


    With that in mind, Eva looked at his arm, wanting to see how his wound was doing. However, his hand fell down, and his sleeve covered the wound, blocking her view. "Let''s go."


    Since she couldn''t see anymore, Eva had no choice but to continue along.


    Michael''s ce was very quiet. When she pressed the doorbell, it took a while before someone answered the door. The person who opened the door was not a stranger, but David, who had been with Michael all along. When he saw Eva, he immediately showed a weing smile.


    "Ms. Hansen."


    Then, David noticed Adrian, who exuded a strong possessiveness, following behind Eva. In the next second, the smile disappeared from David''s face. Unfortunately, Eva was preupied with her two precious babies and didn''t pay attention to David''s expression. She looked inside and asked, "David, is Michael in there?"


    "Mr. Cooper..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Eva hurriedly walked in. Adrian, seeing this, coldly followed. David, instinctively, raised his hand to stop him. Adrian looked up and gave him a sharp nce. David flinched and slowly withdrew his hand under Adrian''s intimidating gaze. Adrian snorted coldly and walked in withrge strides.


    After Eva went inside, she could already hear Ruby''sughter from a distance, mixed with the gentle voice of an adult man. She followed the sound and finally saw Michael, Dn, and Ruby on the balcony. There were some snacks and toys on the coffee table, and Ruby was currently eating with a puffed-up mouth, while Dn sat somewhat reservedly.


    When Ruby noticed Eva, she paused her chewing motion and then ran towards her, with Dn following closely behind. Eva calmly squatted down and hugged Ruby into her arms, with Dn right behind. Meanwhile, Michael, who had been sitting on the balcony, stood up at that moment, with a gentle smile on his lips and a soft voice.


    "Eva, you''re here."


    Across the short distance, Eva locked eyes with Michael. She nodded at him and pursed her lips without saying a word, wiping off the crumbs at the corner of Ruby''s mouth. "Are you a little pig, making such a mess while eating?" "Ruby is not a little pig!"


    While Eva and her daughter were talking, Michael also walked over.


    "Sorry, when I passed by the school today, I felt like seeing Dn and Ruby, so I brought them over to y without telling you. I hope it didn''t cause you any trouble."


    Eva reluctantly forced a smile and was about to speak when she heard a cold voice from behind.


    "It''s not trouble, I was just anxiously searching for them for a while."


    Eva turned around and looked at Adrian, whose tone was not particrly friendly, using her eyes to signal him. Didn''t he promise not to cause conflicts with Michael? Then why was he being so confrontational in his speech? Seeing Adrian, Michael''s originally gentle gaze changed.


    There was a slight change in his expression, and the warmth in his smile vanished. But he concealed it well and quickly regained his usual self, turning to Eva.


    "Did you search for a long time? I''m sorry, I forgot to tell you about this, it was indeed my negligence."


    "No worries," Eva could only awkwardlyugh, "Everyone has idents sometimes."


    Michael smiled, "Have you not had dinner yet? Stay for a meal with me?"


    Eva shook her head, "No need, dinner is already being prepared at home. If I stay, the food will go to waste. Another time, perhaps."


    "Alright, then I''ll have David drive you home."


    "No need," without waiting for Eva to refuse, Adrian took the initiative to speak for her, "I drove here."


    Initially avoiding him, Michael finally lifted his gaze and looked at Adrian.


    Their eyes met in the air.


    Eva instantly caught an unusual atmosphere.

 Chapter 313 Not a Trouble

    Staying here any longer would definitely lead to trouble.


    This thought strongly emerged in Eva''s mind, prompting her to pick up Ruby.


    "No need for David to drive me. It''ste, let David go home and have dinner as well. I''ll take Ruby and Dn back on my own."


    Indeed, as soon as she spoke, she captured Michael''s attention.


    Facing her, Michael could still maintain his gentle expression.


    "Eva, are you sure you don''t need a ride?"


    "I''m sure, I can manage on my own."


    "Alright then, be safe, and feel free to call me if you need anything."


    Eva nodded. "Okay, I understand."


    Before leaving, Michael handed Ruby a small bag.


    "You can give this gift to Ruby and Dn."


    "No..."


    "Just take it, Ruby has already epted it earlier."


    Helpless, Eva had to let Ruby take the small bag. After saying goodbye to Michael, she prepared to leave. Suddenly, Adrian, who had been standing by her side, walked towards her and bent down to pick up Dn, who was standing next to her.


    Dn was startled and instinctively embraced Adrian''s neck, his small body suddenly bing tense.


    This was the first time he was being held by Adrian, and it felt so warm.


    It waspletely different from how the other uncles held him.


    Eva saw this scene and didn''t think much of it, only wanting to leave as quickly as possible.


    So Michael stood still and watched as the two of them, each holding a child, walked away without any expression on his face.


    After a while, David approached, indignant, "Mr. Cooper, how dare that mane straight to our door. It''s really outrageous."


    Hearing this, Michael sneered and did not answer his question. Instead, he turned and went back to the balcony, picking up the cup of leftover drink from the table.


    Seeing this, David hurriedly stepped forward, "Mr. Cooper, this cup has been used, let me get you a fresh one."


    "It''s fine."


    Michael took a sip and David watched this scene, his thoughts bing incrediblyplex.


    It was evident that Mr. Cooper truly regarded the two children as his own. Despite not being his biological children, his love for Ms. Hansenpelled him to not mind. Otherwise, why would he eat the leftovers from the kids'' meals? David found the two children adorable and wished for a pair like them, but he couldn''t bring himself to eat their leftovers like Mr. Cooper. However, if they were his own children, he would dly do so.


    If Mr. Cooper could be with Ms. Hansen, he would treat her and her two children exceptionally well.


    On the day he went to the hospital to pick someone up, David saw Michael leaning against the wall, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. He wasn''t wearing his sses; instead, he held them in his hand, and even the lenses were cracked.


    A heavy aura surrounded Michael - just by being near him, one could sense his terrifying presence. Having witnessed Michael''s horror in the past, David thought he had changed over the past five years, but now seeing him like this, he found it difficult to ept.


    Thus, David stood still for a while, working through his thoughts before approaching.


    Hearing a sound, Michael looked up and said, "You''re here, take care of the matters behind us."


    David couldn''t bring himself to meet his gaze, so he nodded and replied, "Of course, Mr. Cooper, rest assured, I will handle everything."


    "Alright."


    Once he entrusted all the matters to David, Michael quickly left.


    David stood in ce, watching his lonely figure fade into the distance, feeling as if a storm was approaching.


    He guessed that Mr. Cooper must have encountered some issue with Ms. Hansen.


    Indeed, over the next few days, Mr. Cooper didn''t leave the house but stayed quietly in his own space. He didn''t look for Eva, and she didn''te looking for him either. Both seemed like strangers suddenly cut off from each other. Michael didn''t eat much lunch and said as he put down his spoon, "David, let''s go pick up Ruby and Dn after school, I miss them."


    Immediately, David nodded.


    "Alright, Mr. Cooper, we''ll goter."


    So, David apanied Michael to the school and brought the two children home.


    During the car ride, David asked, "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen isn''t aware that we''re taking Dn and Ruby with us. Should we inform her so she won''t worry?"


    Michael smiled slightly at him and replied, "Didn''t we already notify her when we arrived?"


    "That smile, although gentle, instantly sent shivers down David''s spine, rendering him speechless for a moment. He hadn''t informed Ms. Hansen beforeing. Yet, Mr. Cooper imed that he had already notified her... David dared not speak further, fearing that the fire would ultimately reach him. After all, he was just an assistant, and many things were unrted to him. He would do as his superior instructed.


    Coming back to his senses, David''s gaze shifted to Michael. The terrifying aura surrounding Michael had returned. He could only hope that Ms. Hansen would soon reconsider and return to Michael''s side. Otherwise, he didn''t know what would happen if things continued like this.


    Lost in thought, David suddenly noticed Michael''s gaze directed downstairs. Following his line of sight, he saw Eva carrying Ruby, followed by Adrian holding Dn. The two figures looked perfect under themplight. But with Ms. Hansen''s figure and temperament, who wouldn''t match her among outstanding men? Even if she walked with Mr. Cooper, the level ofpatibility would be extremely high.


    David discreetly nced at Michael and found him wearing the same expression as before, seemingly indifferent. The more Michael acted like this, the more afraid David became. Wasn''t this the calm before the storm?


    "Mr. Cooper, is there anything I can do?" Michael smiled slightly but didn''t respond. Shortly after they went downstairs, Eva halted her steps and turned to Adrian.


    "Mr. NightA, thank you for your help today. You can put Dn down now, and I''ll take a taxi back myself." Adrian''s steps faltered slightly upon hearing the name "Mr. NightA".


    After a moment, he raised his thin eyelids and looked at Eva, his lips forming a slight smile. "NightA is just my ount name. My surname is ckwood, and you can call me Adrian." Eva didn''t have a chance to respond before Adrian spoke again. "My car is parked here; let me give you a ride back."


    "No need, it''s too much trouble for you."


    "Ms. Hansen, didn''t I say I fell in love with you at first sight? This is a small matter; it''s not troublesome at all."

 Chapter 314 Reluctant to Let Go

    At this moment, Ruby, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, covered her mouth and giggled foolishly. To be honest, Eva was a bit angry and embarrassed.


    She lowered her head, not saying anything or losing her temper, just quietly observing. Ruby, who had been giggling, instantly lost her smile when Eva stared at her. She lowered her small hand, pursed her lips tightly, and became nervous, not daring to giggle anymore.


    Kids were usually very obedient, so Eva rarely gets angry at the two children, even when they make mistakes. She starts by teaching and only bes strict if they don''t listen. Because of her unique teaching style, she rarely needs to change her expression. Therefore, even when she just looks at the children quietly, they know they have done something wrong.


    Like right now, Ruby dare not speak and can only lower her head, asionally raising her eyelids to steal a nce at Eva. Seeing Ruby like this, Eva''s heart softened once again. She helplessly reached out and pinched Ruby''s chubby cheeks, saying, "No moreughing."


    "Yes, we''ll listen to Mommy," Ruby replied.


    Ruby held onto Eva''s arm tightly and buried herself in her embrace, ignoring Adrian. These past few days, Eva has not been feeling well because Ruby always contradicted her. But now, seeing Ruby finally leaning towards her and ignoring Adrian, Eva felt much better. She then turned towards Dn and said, "Dn,e down quickly."


    After hesitating for a moment, Dn turned to Adrian and said, "Uncle NightA, can you put me down, please?"


    Adrian tightened his lips and held Dn a bit tighter, looking down at him. "As a man, do you really think I would leave the three of you here sote? Not only would it show ack of responsibility, but it also wouldn''t be safe for you to wait here by yourselves."


    Eva smiled and said, "NightA, you worry too much. inclothes officers patrol the streets at all times, so it''s not unsafe."


    "But what if anything happens?" Adrian raised his gaze and looked at her. "You''re taking care of two kids. Can you guarantee one hundred percent safety?" Under the illumination of the streetmp, Adrian''s eyes shone with a piercing light. "You came with me, so it''s my responsibility to protect all of you." Implying that he also yed a role as their child''s guardian.


    Hearing this, Eva sneered inwardly, "Then what do you propose?"


    "I''ll take you all back."


    Eva and Adrian locked eyes for a long time, but in the end, neither said anything. Eva simply went to the car with Ruby in her arms and said, "Open the door." Seeing this, a beautiful curve appeared on Adrian''s lips as he walked over, put Dn down, and then opened the car door for Eva.


    Actually, she wanted him to unlock the car, but she didn''t expect him to directlye over and open the door for her.


    She couldn''t help but give him a sideways nce. He seemed quite humble in front of her, especially in front of the children, because he felt indebted. Thinking of something, Eva sneered inwardly.


    If he wanted to y hardball in front of the kids, why not take the upper hand and avoid being passive?


    After realizing this, Eva quickly made up her mind.


    So he wants to pursue her, huh?


    Well, she will make him suffer and let him know it''s not easy to pursue her.


    After getting in the car, the two little ones clung to Eva''s arms, their soft bodies leaning against her. Once seated, Eva saw Adrian turn his head and smiled slightly. "Thank you, NightA, for being our driver today."


    Eva''s reaction made Adrian''s heart skip a beat, but he quickly regained hisposure and smiled back.


    Adrian nced at her strangely, then smirked. "No trouble at all. I''m willing to do it."


    As soon as he turned his head, Eva''s smile disappeared, and she regained her indifferent expression.


    While looking down, she unintentionally met Dn''s gaze.


    Caught off guard by Dn witnessing the situation, Eva mustered another smile, but Dn seemed unsurprised. He pursed his lips and held her arm tight, without saying a word.


    If possible, she really didn''t want her child to see her vulnerable side, but Dn was just too sensitive...


    In the end, Eva could only reach out and pat Dn''s head.


    The car finally stopped downstairs in the residential area.


    "Thank you, Uncle NightA, for driving us home." As soon as they arrived, Ruby immediately thanked Adrian.


    Adrian met her eyes through the rearview mirror, lips curved into a smile. "You won''t have to thank me anymore once I be a dad.


    However, Eva sat there expressionless, unmoving. The two children looked at her and then at Adrian in front.


    Finally, Ruby tilted her head back and asked, "Mommy, aren''t we getting out of the car?"


    Eva looked at Ruby and blinked gently, saying, "Darling, did you forget? NightA uncle is pursuing your mommy. He''s not even getting out of the car. How can we get out?" Suddenly, Adrian understood why she had smiled at him earlier. Perhaps her thoughts had changed since then?


    Lost in thought, Adrian found the two children staring at him.


    Under their gazes, Adrian unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and opened the door for them.


    Once the door opened, Eva got out of the car with the children.


    With the children in front and Eva in the back, as they passed by Adrian, he quietly grabbed her wrist and whispered in a volume only they could hear, "Did you think this would make me give up? Eva, forget about it." Before she could respond, he lightly pushed her forward, his hand falling on her back. "Go upstairs, goodnight."


    Eva didn''t have time to reply before she was pushed a few steps forward by his strength. The two little ones also took hold of her hand.


    "Goodbye, Uncle NightA."


    Although Ruby didn''t dare to be too obvious in front of Adrian, the two children still had their manners. Since he had escorted them back, they politely thanked him and said goodbye.


    Adrian stood there, his lips gently curved. "See you tomorrow. I''lle to pick you up in the morning."


    Responding to him, Eva, with the two children''s silhouette already in the distance, kept walking.


    Adrian stood in the same spot for a long time, until he saw the light in a window upstairs turn on, ensuring that the three of them had safely returned home, before he finally left with peace of mind. After Eva took the two children into the room, she instinctively went to the window and quickly pulled the curtains shut.


    Only then did she peek through the gap and see that the ck car had already left, sighing in relief.


    She thought he would still be there...


    "Mommy, what are you looking at?"


    Ruby''s voice came from behind, and Eva turned her head to see Ruby standing there, looking up at her curiously. "Mommy, are you sad because Uncle NightA is leaving and you can''t bear to see him go?"

 Chapter 315 Foresight

    Upon hearing this, Eva was shocked.


    How could Ruby have such thoughts of not wanting to let go?


    She furrowed her brows slightly, but then rxed and crouched down, waving at Ruby.


    Ruby walked over and nestled in her embrace. "Mommy."


    "Who taught you to say those things?" she asked softly, probing.


    Ruby replied in a soft voice, "Nobody taught me, Mommy. It''s what I thought myself. When we came back, you went to the window to secretly watch, weren''t you looking at Uncle NightA?" Eva said, "No, I just went to pull the curtains."


    "But I saw Mommy open a small gap in the curtains to peek."


    Whose daughter is this little one, always talking about others.


    Thinking of this, Eva couldn''t help but pinch Ruby''s cheek and scold softly, "Ruby, why do you keep contradicting me?"


    Ruby''s soft and tender cheek turned even pinker after being pinched by Eva. She blinked her eyes and asked innocently, "Mommy, I was just telling the truth."


    Well, Ruby is only five years old. It''s probably pointless to argue with her, she probably doesn''t understand.


    Eva could only give up, but there was still much to teach her.


    "Can Ruby promise me something?"


    "What is it, Mommy?"


    "In front of Uncle NightA, whatever I say is what it is. You can''t contradict me, alright?"


    Upon hearing this, Ruby didn''t immediately agree. Instead, she asked curiously, "Mommy, don''t you like Uncle NightA?"


    She finally asked this question.


    Eva nodded immediately. "I don''t like him."


    "Then, does Mommy hate Uncle NightA?"


    How should she answer this question?


    If she answers with hatred, what kind of psychological impact would it have on her daughter?


    After thinking it over, Eva finally said softly, "Ruby, have you been getting along well with Lucastely? Do you like him?" Ruby nodded. "I like him."


    "What about the boy sitting in front of you? Do you like him too?"


    Ruby thought seriously for a moment, then shook her head. "I don''t like him, Mommy."


    "Oh? You don''t like him? Do you hate him then?"


    Ruby seemed to understand what Eva was trying to say, she looked at her with some understanding.


    "You see, not liking doesn''t mean hating, right?"


    "I understand, Mommy."


    Upon hearing this, Eva finally felt some relief, but it onlysted for a few seconds before she felt deted again because Ruby suddenly said, "Then, Mommy, y with Uncle NightA, he''s really nice." Well, Eva could only sigh softly, "Ruby, why don''t you go back to your room for now? We''ll call you for dinnerter."


    "You."


    "Did Mommy agree to y with Uncle NightA and me?"


    "I''ll consider thatter."


    After she left, Eva stood in ce, her smile and softness disappearing from her face, reced by distress.


    Was it because of their blood rtionship?


    Why was Ruby so dependent on Adrian? Eva could understand Ruby, but when she saw Dn being held by Adrian at Michael''s house, her expression and demeanor seemed epting of Adrian as well. Both children seemed to ept him without speaking.


    Thinking about what happened today, Eva felt that something was off.


    Michael wasn''t the type of person to be inconsiderate. How could he suddenly take the children away and forget to inform her?


    Even if he forgot, David wouldn''t forget.


    But just this one time, she couldn''t help but think of Michael in a different way.


    Eva threw herself onto the sofa, sinking into it, and closed her eyes to rest.


    The next morning.


    In order to avoid Adrian, Eva deliberately took the children out half an hour earlier, nning to take them out for breakfast.


    When Adrian arrived, she would be long gone.


    But just as they were about to go downstairs, they saw a stretched Lincoln sedan parked downstairs, and Jacob leaning against the car, yawning and looking sleepy.


    In the few seconds that Eva saw him, Jacob had already yawned twice due to drowsiness.


    As he was prepared to yawn for the third time, he suddenly noticed Evaing downstairs with the two children. He stopped yawning, his sleepiness gone, and immediately walked towards her with renewed vigor, calling out loudly, "Ms. Hansen, good morning!"


    Eva wanted to scold him.


    Jacob stopped her way after a few steps, excitedly saying, "Ms. Hansen, I didn''t expect you toe downstairs so early. On our way here, I told Mr. ckwood that it wasn''t necessary for him toe so early, but Mr. ckwood said you would definitelye downstairs in advance. Mr. ckwood really has foresight."


    As he spoke, the car door opened and Adrian, dressed formally, got out of the car.


    "Uncle NightA!" Ruby immediately kicked off her shoes and cheered, even rushing towards him.


    It seemed like she had forgotten everything fromst night.


    Adrian bent down and quickly picked up Ruby. He was dressed formally today, wearing a suit and tie, with a gray overcoat on top, giving off a particrly steady vibe.


    And Ruby, wearing a cream-colored coat, looked like a fluffy marshmallow in his arms, exuding an enchanting atmosphere. Their facial features seemed even more simr when they were close together.


    Eva closed her eyes, not wanting to witness this scene.


    "Ms. Hansen, since you came down so early, you probably haven''t had breakfast, right?"


    Eva pressed her lips together without saying a word.


    Seeing that she ignored him, Jacob''s expression became awkward, and he fell silent.


    Adrian walked over to Eva, holding Ruby, and nced at Dn, who was unconsciously leaning back next to Eva. Then, he turned his gaze back to Eva''s face. "Let''s go, I''ll take you to have breakfast."


    Eva stood still, coldly staring at Adrian. Adrian raised an eyebrow in response and reached out his hand towards Dn. "Dn, let''s go."


    Dn looked at Adrian''s strong and powerful palm, pressed his lips together, and didn''t offer his own hand. Although it was apletely different hand from his mom''s. His mom''s hand was soft, small, and white. But Uncle NightA''s hand was big and gave a sense of security. But Mommy didn''t like it. Dn lowered his gaze, not even looking at Adrian anymore.


    Adrian understood his thoughts and didn''t insist. Instead, he lifted Ruby into the car. Ruby, sitting in the car, kept waving at Eva and Dn. "Mommy, big brother, get in the car!"


    Eva took a deep breath and felt her clothes being tugged from behind. She lowered her gaze and met Dn''s eyes. She smiled slightly and whispered, "Go ahead."

 Chapter 316 We Have a Good Relationship

    However, Dn didn''t move forward. He hesitated and stayed in ce. "Your sister is already in the car, what are you worried about? We can''t leave your sister behind."


    After saying that, Eva took the initiative to hold Dn''s hand and walked towards the car. Adrian''s act of directly lifting Ruby into the car did indeed hold her at bay. As long as he took the child away, she really had no choice but to let go. After she got into the car, Adrian''s thin lips curved into a charming arc. After a moment, he put Ruby in his arms. Today, he didn''t drive himself. There was a driver in front. Jacob, who was waiting outside the car, also got in after Eva and Dn. Once Jacob got in the car, his gaze waspletely fixed on Eva and the two kids.


    When he found out that these were Mr. ckwood''s children, he was extremely shocked. Originally, with Adrian''s personality, he thought Mr. ckwood might end up growing old alone. But now, he suddenly had two children. It was truly a miraculous thing.


    And most importantly, his future First Lady was really beautiful, wasn''t she?


    Lost in thoughts, Jacob suddenly felt a cold, menacing gaze directed at his face. Following the gaze, he coincidentally met Adrian''s icy warning eyes. It seemed to say, "Why are you looking at my wife?" Jacob could only awkwardly shift his gaze away. Ignoring it would be best.


    After having breakfast, Adrian ordered the driver to drop the two children off at school. As soon as they arrived at the school, Eva stepped out of the car. The teachers at the school looked over as they saw the two getting out of a car, their gazes filled with surprise. But because of the busy morning rush, they didn''t pay much attention.


    Because of yesterday''s anger from Eva, the teacher dare not look into Eva''s eyes, probably afraid that she would get angry at her again. Thinking about what happened yesterday, Eva felt a little guilty.


    Just as she was about to apologize to the teacher, Adrian''s voice came from beside her. "Let''s go, I''ll take you to thepany." Upon hearing this, Eva quickly dismissed her thoughts, coldly curling her lips and directly rejecting Adrian''s proposal.


    "No need." Adrian pursed his thin lips and said, "Didn''t youe by car? Do you n to walk to work?" Eva retorted, "Don''t worry about how I will get to work." Now that the children were already in school, Eva no longer needed to pretend to be nice in front of Adrian, and she reverted to her true self, not mincing her words when confronting him.


    Adrian could sense it too. When Ruby and Dn were around, she was one person, but when they weren''t, she would be someone else. As he was contemting how to persuade her, Eva had already turned and left. Adrian couldn''t help but quicken his pace and follow after her. "Not even getting in the car?"


    "No." Although Eva was wearing heels, her strides were still significant. Adrian couldn''t help but lower his head to look at her feet and confirm that she was indeed wearing heels and not ts, which surprised him a little. Do women always walk this fast in heels? Soon, Jacob caught up with them.


    "Mr. ckwood, about the matters at thepany..." Upon hearing this, Adrian had to pause his steps. Once he stopped, Eva''s figure quickly moved farther away until she disappeared from sight.


    Jacob also nced in the direction Eva had left and then exined to Adrian, "Ms. Hansen went in the direction of the subway station."


    "Hmm." Adrian responded coldly. "Mr. ckwood...since Ms. Hansen went to the subway station, should we go back to thepany? There are many things at thepany asking for your attention, and if we don''t handle them soon..." Jacob didn''t say anything more, but Adrian understood on his own.


    His lips gradually straightened, and he withdrew his gaze, saying, "Let''s go to thepany." After Eva entered the subway station for a while, she couldn''t help but turn around and look back. When she saw that no one was following her, she breathed a sigh of relief, but she felt a tinge of disappointment in her heart.


    However, this faint feeling was quickly dispelled, and she quickly bought a ticket and left. Afterwards, at thepany, Eva was not in the mood to work at all. Even during the meeting, she couldn''t help but be absent-minded. After going through the motions of the small meeting, Tim couldn''t help but stop her as she walked out. "Are you not feeling well these past couple of days?" Upon hearing this, Eva paused but didn''t answer his question. "Did something happen?" Tim probed.


    Tim asked again "Do you need to talk to me?"


    Talk to him?


    Eva shook her head. "Not interested. If I tell you my things, I bet everyone would know by tomorrow."


    "You can''t use me like this. Although I love gossip, I won''t spread your business everywhere, okay? Otherwise, look at ourpany. There are hardly a few who know about you and Mr. ckwood."


    Speaking this way, Eva realized she couldn''t refute him.


    Indeed, there didn''t seem to be anyone at thepany who knew about her and Adrian, except for the guy with sses she encountered before, but that doesn''t count.


    And Tim did seem genuinely interested in gossip.


    She really wanted someone who could give her advice on her situation. Her father was getting older, and she couldn''t bother him all the time.


    Thinking of this, Eva spoke softly. "If you and your wife were to divorce..."


    "Hold on," Tim interrupted her. "Don''t assume things about me. I won''t divorce my wife. We have a good rtionship."


    Tim smiled. "My suggestion is, you could start with one of your friends."


    One of her friends?


    Well, regardless of how she starts, it doesn''t make much difference.


    Thinking of this, Eva directly said, "One of my friends got divorced from her husband while she was pregnant. Later, she raised the child alone. Now, the father of the child found out and wants to take the kids away." At first, Tim was prepared for gossip, but when Eva told him about the situation, Tim waspletely stunned.


    "A child?"


    Tim asked, "Where did the childe from?"


    Eva calmly looked at him. "Of course, they are hers."


    He thought seriously for a moment and then asked, "Two? You''re so amazing."

 Chapter 317 Forced Marriage

    Originally, he was gossiping about her rtionship, but after mentioning the children, Tim''s focus instantly shifted. "The twins you gave birth to, are they a boy or a girl?"


    Eva looked at him expressionlessly. "They are my friend''s."


    Tim said, "Yes, your friend''s. So, are your friend''s twins a boy or a girl?"


    "Does it matter if they are boys or girls?"


    "It matters, I''m curious."


    "...They''re fraternal twins."


    "Wow, if Mr. ckwood seeds in taking them, then he would have one son and one daughter, right?"


    Eva replied, "My friend''s ex-husband."


    "Yes, your friend''s ex-husband. I misspoke just now."


    "But...why would your friend think that her ex-husband wants to take the children away instead of raising them together?"


    "Raising them together? Are you kidding? That''s simply impossible."


    "There must be a reason, right? Why is it impossible?"


    Tim raised an eyebrow and analyzed, "Your ex-husband, I mean your friend''s ex-husband, is formidable, right? He has resources and status in society. Having him help raise the children would be great for them..." "So that''s the situation."


    "It''s impossible, he will just snatch them away, he only wants to snatch them away." Eva repeated these two sentences stubbornly, "He already has his own partner, all this talk about raising the child together, helping with the upbringing, it''s all fake, he just wants to snatch the child."


    It was only at this point that Tim felt like he finally heard the key point.


    He smiled and asked, "So, what you''re implying is that Mr. ckwood has someone else and you''re worried that he will snatch the child, right?"


    Eva looked at him, although she didn''t answer, her eyes and expressions clearly confirmed it. And she obviously didn''t realize that Tim had already changed the topic without mentioning anything about her friend''s ex-husband. The next second, she heard Tim sigh with resignation.


    "If that''s what you''re worried about, then I can tell you for sure, you don''t have to worry."


    "What do you mean?"


    "It''s not me defending Mr. ckwood or anything, but in these five years that you were gone, Mr. ckwood hasn''t been with any woman, not even Vivian whom everyone thought they would end up together." Upon hearing this, Eva''s eyes flickered.


    They haven''t been together? How is that possible?


    Back then, he wanted a divorce, even didn''t want the child, just to be with Vivian sooner, wasn''t that the reason?


    But now, he''s telling her that they still haven''t been together? Why?


    "Are you surprised?" Tim chuckled as he rested his chin on his hand, "Let me give you an even more explosive news. Not long after you left the ckwood family, rumors started spreading everywhere that Mr. ckwood was going to get engaged to Miss Morrison from the Morrison family."


    "People always believed Miss Morrison saved Mr. ckwood''s life, so it seemed natural that they would get engaged. Many people even thought that Mr. ckwood marrying you was just to help the Hansen family through a difficult time, and once Miss Morrison returned, she would take her ce."


    At this point, Tim sneaked a nce at Eva, hoping to get some reaction from her face.


    Little did he know that Eva''s expression remained indifferent, as if she didn''t care.


    Tim couldn''t read anything from her, so he continued, "That''s what everyone thought, including me at the time. Otherwise, why would rumors of their engagement spread at that time? But then something happened..." Seeing him pause, Eva looked at him expectantly.


    "What happened?"


    Tim said, "I thought you didn''t care at all, turns out you were listening."


    Eva resisted, and resisted again, but in the end, she couldn''t take it anymore and said to Tim, "Are you trying to lose your job?"


    "No, no, I was just joking to lighten the mood. And since you responded, I knew you were listening."


    Seeing the extremely displeased look on Eva''s face, "Okay, okay, I''ll continue," Tim said reluctantly.


    "At that time, everyone thought they were getting engaged because even the engagement date was announced. Some people in the industry even shared the engagement invitation. But here''s the thing," he paused, noticing Eva''s slight frown. "Please be patient and let me finish. Later on, more people received the invitation and there were even pictures taken inside the engagement venue. The whole of New York was talking about their impending engagement. Journalists even camped outside the ckwood family''s house, hoping to get some details about the engagement. But guess what? The response from the ckwood family was that it was all a rumor." Upon hearing this, Eva narrowed her eyes and asked, "A rumor?"


    "Yes, although Adrian himself didn''te out to respond, the ckwood family''s official statement was that they were not aware of any such thing and that it was all a rumor," Tim exined.


    "But with the news spreading so aggressively, who would believe that? And after the ckwood family denied it, the rumor only intensified. There were even more pictures from the engagement, and Miss Morrison''s friends shared their chat records, iming she admitted to the engagement. Do you know how I felt when I saw all of that?" Tim paused, waiting for Eva''s response.


    Eva remained silent, just looking at Tim.


    "Think about it. The ckwood family denied the whole thing, yet the news of their engagement kept escting. It gave the impression that she was pressuring Mr. ckwood into marrying her. In a way, she had already announced to everyone that they were getting engaged. If Mr. ckwood didn''t show up on the engagement day, it would be a blow to her dignity. If she wanted to maintain her dignity, Mr. ckwood had to get engaged to her. Doesn''t it make sense?" Tim exined.


    Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but let out a softugh.


    "On the surface, it seemed like she was pressuring him to marry her. But who gave her the confidence?"


    "Wasn''t it himself? He didn''te forward to deny it. Although he chose not to deny it personally, probably because he didn''t want her to lose face, it inadvertently gave Vivian hope," Eva replied, testing the waters.


    She sensed that his feelings for her were different because of the debt he owed her, so she took a risk and spread the news, hoping to corner him into getting engaged on the day of the announcement.


    If he went, she would win.


    But of course, she could also end up losing miserably.


    Tim scratched his head. "Well, you have a point. But the problem lies in Mr. ckwood owing her a debt, and the ckwood family values their reputation. The Morrison family has been taking advantage of this over the years." As he reached the end of his exnation, Tim stroked his chin and sighed.


    "Debts, you know. They can be quite heavy, especially when it involves saving someone''s life. If it were me today, well, things wouldn''t be easy."


    "Mr. ckwood might have been in a dilemma, considering the engagement banquet. But he is quite impressive; he didn''t attend." Although Eva had already guessed the answer, her heart skipped a beat when she heard Tim say that he didn''t


    go.

 Chapter 318 Definitely Not Your Child

    After a while, Eva found her voice again. "He didn''t go?"


    Tim nodded solemnly. "No, he didn''t."


    Upon hearing this, Eva lowered her gaze and fell silent.


    He already owed Vivian a favor, so if he didn''t go, wouldn''t it be like putting himself in a difficult situation?


    But what difference does it make if he didn''t go? Things will remain unchanged.


    "At the time, many media outlets rushed there, expecting to witness a grand engagement ceremony. Little did they know that the protagonist was missing, and I heard that Vivian was in a terrible state that day. She was the only one present at the engagement ceremony, not only losing her personal dignity but also bringing shame upon the Morrison family. However,ter on, the media couldn''t capture any photos, and even if they did, they were destroyed."


    Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but feel curious. "Could it have been a ruse? Maybe there wasn''t even an engagement ceremony in the first ce?"


    Eva still found it hard to believe that Adrian wouldn''t go. After all, he had pretended to marry her and refused to have children because he was in love with Vivian, right?


    How did it turn into Vivian forcing him to get engaged and then failing?


    "At the beginning, everyone was specting, but ording to media friends who were present that day, the venue was indeed decorated and extravagant. But the media dared not release any photos as they were all blocked. Anyone who leaked the pictures would be fired. However,ter on... a passerby who happened to be there took a few pictures out of curiosity and posted them online, causing a frenzy before disappearing."


    "A few pictures?" Eva asked.


    "Yes," Tim gossiped with a smile. "Even I saw them. The pictures captured Vivian looking forlorn, holding a bouquet. She looked pitiful, abandoned. Such a pity."


    "You saw the pictures?" Eva squinted her eyes. Initially, she didn''t believe that the engagement banquet was real, but if Tim saw the pictures, then it was likely true.


    Meaning, Adrian really didn''t attend the engagement banquet.


    "So, when you mentioned Mr. ckwood having a spouse, I didn''t quite understand. He hasn''t had anyone by his side for so many years. Maybe he genuinely just wants to help you raise your child? Or maybe..."


    At this point, Tim paused slightly, stealing a nce at Eva and tentatively asking, "Why did you get divorced in the first ce? Is it possible that there was a misunderstanding between you?"


    A misunderstanding?


    Eva sneered in her heart. What misunderstanding could there be between them?


    Many things were said by him personally.


    Thinking of this, Eva suddenly became irritated, and she saw that Tim seemed to have something else to say to her.


    He was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.


    "Alright, you don''t have to say anything anymore."


    In any case, the rtionship between her and Adrian, as well as the situation, couldn''t be exined with a simple misunderstanding.


    Tim noticed her sudden change in mood and guessed that she might have just remembered something. He awkwardly touched his nose and said, "Okay then, I won''t say anything. But if you want to know anything, you can always call me. I am leaving now."


    "Okay." After Tim left, Eva returned to her office, sat down, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes with a tired expression.


    So what if he didn''t attend the engagement ceremony? Didn''t he still go to the auction with Vivian that day? They looked so good together; what was there in the past that didn''t exist now?


    Anyway, she would never let him take the child away, no matter what.


    At the end of the workday, Eva received a message.


    The message was from NightA.


    "I didn''t have anything important to do at work today, so I left early to pick up our kids from school. After you finish work, you cane straight over."


    When Eva saw this message, she suddenly stood up, her face filled with disbelief.


    But then she quickly reacted and immediately replied, "I am noting." NightA: "Why?"


    Eva: "I don''t like you taking my kids to your home. Please respect my wishes."


    There was silence on the other side for a while before he replied, "Eva, do I need to remind you? Ruby and Dn are also my children."


    Eva: "I don''t need you to remind me. I raised them, and I know whose children they are. They certainly aren''t yours."


    NightA: "Is that so? Should I have a paternity test done with them?"


    Eva: "In any case, just don''t take my children away."


    After sending this message, she didn''t receive a reply for a long time. Eva furrowed her brows slightly and wondered if she had convinced the other person.


    But no matter how she thought about it, Eva felt that something wasn''t right. Adrian wasn''t someone who would easily give up.


    Feeling a bit uneasy, she looked at the clock; there were fifteen more minutes until the end of the workday. Eva didn''t care anymore and simply began packing up her things, preparing to leave early. While tidying up, Eva cursed Adrian in her mind, ming him for always causing her to leave early.


    Before she could finish packing up, her phone vibrated again. Adrian finally replied to her message.


    "I''m already in the car and on my way home."


    This jerk!


    Eva gritted her teeth. She was about to call him and question him about what he wanted to do when she received another new message.


    "If you want to call, remember to control your emotions. Our kids are with me."


    Upon seeing this message, Eva got even angrier, but because of the kids, she couldn''t do anything at all. She waspletely helpless. But just because of his words, Eva no longer had the intention to call him.


    Would he put the kids down if she called at this moment?


    No, it wouldn''t work.


    She looked at the clock and realized.


    He was determined to take the kids away from her.


    After realizing this, Eva didn''t say anything meaningless to him anymore. She could only rush downstairs and prepare to go find him.


    As she went downstairs, countless thoughts popped into Eva''s mind.


    Maybe she could start her own business in America and send the kids abroad to study. After all, there would be their grandfather with them overseas.


    However, in that case, she wouldn''t be able to apany them as they grow up, and the children would not onlyck a father''s love but also a mother''s love.


    But... instead of letting Adrian take them away, it would be better to let them stay abroad for now.


    After thinking this way, Eva quietly made a n in her mind. As soon as she brings the kids back from Adrian this time, she will directly buy ne tickets and personally send them abroad. That settles it!

 Chapter 319 Encounter

    After Adrian brought the kids home, he specially invited a chef to cook delicious meals for them and bought a bunch of toys. Because he didn''t know the specific preferences of the two children, and he had never bought toys before, he had someone buy a lot.


    This naturally included toys for both girls and boys. The two little ones had never seen such a scene before, so they were amazed when they saw it.


    The two turned to Adrian simultaneously, and Ruby asked softly, "Uncle NightA, are all these things for me and my brother?"


    "Mhm." Adrian nodded, "If I want to be your father, I have to show it. This is just the beginning. Do you see anything you like inside?"


    After speaking, his big hand covered the backs of the two children and gently pushed them in.


    The two little ones entered the room and nced at each other. After that, Ruby asked Dn in a low voice, "Brother, can we look at these things?" Dn could tell that Ruby couldn''t contain herself anymore, and not only her, even he couldn''t resist the temptation of the room filled with toys. After thinking it over, he only said, "Just look, try not to touch them."


    "Don''t touch?" Ruby looked slightly puzzled, "But aren''t these bought by Uncle NightA for us?"


    "They are indeed bought by Uncle NightA for us, but Uncle NightA is not our father."


    "But..."


    With so many good things in front of them, only being able to look and not touch would be so ufortable.


    Ruby pouted and finally decided to ignore Dn. She took the initiative to unpack a toy by herself before Dn could stop her. When he walked over, the toy was already in Ruby''s hand. "Brother, look quickly."


    Dn wrinkled his nose, about to say something when Adrian walked over, so he had to hold back his words.


    "Do you like this?" Adrian half crouched in front of Ruby, his gaze falling on the airne model in her hand.


    It surprised her. He originally had someone buy it because there was a girl, so those people also prepared things that girls like.


    For example, dolls, puppets, and such, Adrian never expected that the first item his daughter chose was actually an airne model. As expected, after hearing his inquiry, Ruby nodded vigorously. "I like it. Ruby''s dream is to be a pilot when she grows up."


    Hearing this, Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Really cool." Adrian never expected that Ruby, who appears so gentle in character, would dream of bing a pilot. But it''s normal for children to have many dreams when they are young, right? Adrian could never have imagined that many yearster, his daughter''s dream of bing a pilot would actuallye true, and she would be a cool and stylish pilot. But of course, that''s a story for another time.


    Ruby, having her dream affirmed, proudly straightened her chest, but then her excitement faded. "Uncle NightA, but people say it''s difficult be a female pilot."


    "Who said that?" Adrian gently stroked the back of her head. "Don''t listen to those people. As long as Ruby likes it and works hard for it, she will definitely be an excellent female pilot." "Really?"


    "Really."


    "Yay, then I will work hard from now on."


    "Well, then I will buy you more airne models in the future."


    "Thank you, Uncle NightA." With affirmation, Ruby cheered and went back to dismantle her airne model. After she left, Adrian''s gaze shifted towards Dn, who was standing silently on the side, his emotions particrly reserved. "What about Dn?"


    "Wh-what?" Suddenly called by his name, Dn became nervous. "Ruby''s dream is to be a pilot, so what about Dn?" This is probably the first time Adrian has been so patient in talking to a child and actively asking about their dreams. Before, he didn''t even want to listen to other children talk. But now, he eagerly wants to understand these two children who have been absent from his life for five years and wants to know more about them.


    Dn looked away and didn''t face Adrian directly. He muttered, "I haven''t decided yet." Upon hearing this, Adrian''s gaze fell on Dn''s small hands that were gripping his clothes, with a meaningful expression in his eyes. "Is it that you haven''t decided, or do you feel there''s no need to tell me? Dn, it seems like you are starting to distance yourself from me again?"


    "No." Although Dn denied it, his lowered head and actions indicated that he was resisting Adrian again. He is a very observant child, and although Eva has been trying her best to behave well in front of the children, Dn must have noticed something, otherwise, he wouldn''t reject someone like this.


    What can Adrian do to salvage his image in his son''s heart? Lost in thought, the doorbell rang downstairs. Adrian paused for a moment and then said to Dn, "It should be your mommy. I''ll go open the door." Before getting up, Adrian thought of something and said to Dn, "By the way, you and Ruby don''t have to call NightA uncle anymore. I have a name, you can call me Uncle Adrian."


    After finishing speaking, Adrian got up and went downstairs.


    Hearing the continuous ringing of the doorbell, Adrian''s eyebrows furrowed slightly.


    She was able to enter his house directly yesterday, so she shouldn''t need the door code, right?


    Why would she keep ringing the doorbell at this time?


    But maybe she''s feeling unsettled because of the child he brought over and deliberately ringing the doorbell to make him open the door. Thinking this way, Adrian was able to understand, and a slight smile appears on his lips.


    Her temper is still the same as before, he thought.


    So Adrian walked to the door, reached out to unlock and open it, and said in an indulgent tone, "Don''t you have the door code? Why..." Before he finished speaking, Adrian''s actions suddenly froze, looking at the people standing outside the door, somewhat speechless. "Adrian!"


    Standing outside the door were Vivian and his two friends, John and Jason.


    At the sight of Adrian, Vivian immediately showed a joyful expression, eager to approach him.


    A flicker of sternness shed through Adrian''s dark eyes, and he took a step back to avoid her touch.


    Vivian, who had taken a step forward, froze in ce with an unhappy expression on her face.


    "Adrian..."


    Adrian nced at her, then looked at the two men behind her, and finally looked at John, "Why are you all here?"


    Why would John alsoe along to join in the fun?


    "Adrian, what do you mean by ''why are you all here''? You disappeared to Chicago without saying a word. We missed you, so we came to see you, is that not allowed?" Jason swiftly spoke up.

 Chapter 320 Not your child, is it?

    After speaking, Jason didn''t forget to speak kindly for his goddess.


    "Don''t you know? Vivian missed you so much recently. Look at you, even if you''re busy with work, you shouldn''t ignore Vivian''s calls."


    Upon hearing this, John also nced at Jason.


    He was one of the few people who dared to speak frankly to Adrian, partly because they had a good rtionship since childhood, and partly because their families had a good rtionship as well.


    So Adrian had a higher tolerance for this group of childhood friends.


    Some knew their limits and didn''t dare to say anything.


    But someone like Jason, who never knows when to stop speaking, has always been like this since childhood. No matter how many times Adrian warned him, he couldn''t change.


    Sometimes Adrian couldn''t be bothered to pay attention to whates out of his mouth.


    Just like now, after Jason said these words, Adrian acted as if he hadn''t heard anything, and calmly said, "There''s no need for you toe all the way here to see me. If there''s nothing important, you should go back early." With that, Adrian continued straight ahead.


    "Close the door, please."


    "Adrian..."


    Jason reached out and blocked his action on the door panel, calling out discontentedly, "It was okay for you to be indifferent when we arrived, but now that we''vee to your door, you can''t even invite us in for a cup of tea? We flew all the way from New York just to find you as soon as wended."


    Adrian''s forehead veins bulged. "I''m busy today. Let''s talk another day."


    Not to mention that he had two kids waiting for him at home, and Eva would beingter. Leaving these few people here would only make things moreplicated. So Adrian ruthlessly sent them away.


    Jason was extremely displeased. "Adrian, what''s wrong with you now? Do you not consider us friends anymore? Can''t you at least let us in to talk? We don''t need tea."


    Because of his firm decision, Vivian felt ufortable too, with tears welling up in her eyes and biting her lower lip.


    "Adrian, we just wanted toe and see you..."


    Adrian''s sharp gaze turned towards John, who touched his nose and said. "How about this, Adrian seems to have work matters to deal with. How about wee back another day..."


    Before John could finish his sentence, a soft, childish voice interrupted.


    "Uncle NightA, do we have visitors?"


    Adrian''s gaze tightened.


    And the sudden appearance of the girl''s voice attracted everyone''s attention.


    When they looked over, they saw a little girl in a dress standing at the staircase.


    Her skin was fair, her eyes sparkling as if they could talk, and she held a model airne in her hand, looking curiously in their direction.


    When Vivian saw her face, which bore a striking resemnce to Adrian, she instantly froze, feeling as if she had entered an ice cave.


    A thought emerged in her mind.


    John was also surprised when he saw the child''s appearance, but he remained calm, squinting his eyes as he looked at the girl who stood at the staircase, still in her childishness, bearing a strong resemnce to Adrian. As he gazed, he felt like he saw a shadow of a certain woman from five years ago.


    John arched an eyebrow, as if suddenly understanding something.


    Vivian quickly reacted as well. This girl definitely didn''t just suddenly appear in Adrian''s house. She was dressed so delicately and held a model airne.


    And she called Adrian "Uncle NightA"?


    Uncle NightA?


    What did that mean?


    Did Adrian have any other nickname besides his name that she didn''t know about?


    Thinking this, Vivian''s expression on her face was almost impossible to maintain.


    She looked at Adrian''s cold and handsome face and asked with difficulty, "Adrian, may I ask who this child is?"


    John raised an eyebrow, silently watching Adrian, waiting for his answer.


    After hearing Vivian''s words, John suddenly looked at the little girl standing at the staircase entrance and asked, "Adrian, is this girl your child? She looks so much like you."


    With this question, Vivian''s already strained expression became even more unpleasant. Her hand, hanging by her side, clenched into a fist, with her long nails almost piercing into her flesh.


    "Impossible, right?" she awkwardly forced a smile, but her smilecked sincerity. "In the past, there were many children who resembled Adrian brought to him. But those were all thoroughly investigated. A bunch of deranged people who performed stic surgery on kids, trying to climb up using Adrian. Could this child be one of them?"


    Though she said that, Vivian couldn''t help but doubt herself as she looked at the little girl''s extremely natural eyes and features, as well as the strong spiritual energy emanating from her. She gradually lost confidence in her own words. If the child came from a stic surgery clinic, how could her facial features be so naturally adorable? It felt as if they had developed naturally. What scared her even more was that she actually thought the child''s eyes and eyebrows resembled not only Adrian but also... that woman!


    Vivian didn''t want to mention that woman''s name again because, if not for her, she and Adrian would have been engaged by now.


    Ruby stood at the staircase entrance, noticing several people standing at the door. Other than Uncle NightA, there were two men and one woman, all looking at her face and observing her.


    Perhaps because she had been constantly scrutinized for being cute since she was little, Ruby didn''t feel ufortable at all under their gazes. Instead, she stood confidently in ce, allowing these people to observe her. Adrian furrowed his brows tightly. He had no intention of revealing these matters until Eva and the child fully epted him. The more people knew, the more uncertainty and unexpected situations would arise, which was not a favorable oue for Adrian.


    Therefore, he immediately frowned at the group and said, "What does this have to do with you? Leave before I get angry."


    Jason, who seemed oblivious to Adrian''s anger, as if he couldn''t understand it, even wanted to enter the house.


    "Why should we leave? Adrian, you haven''t answered my question yet. Whose child is this?"


    Seeing him trying to enter the house, Adrian''s gaze suddenly became sharp. He grabbed Jason''s cor and threw him outside without hesitation.


    "Get lost!"


    He didn''t want to resort to violence in front of the child. However, Jason couldn''t understand reason, and if he continued to be troublesome, Eva would arrive soon.


    After being thrown outside, Jason lost his bnce and fell to the ground. He waspletely stunned, and Vivian, who didn''t expect Adrian to suddenly be so angry, stood still in disbelief.


    Coincidentally, at this moment, Eva, who came to find the child, had already arrived at the front of the vi.

 Chapter 321 Five Years of Neglect

    From a distance, Eva saw a few familiar figures at the entrance of the vi.


    As she approached, she quickly recognized who these people were.


    Jason, John... and Vivian.


    Seeing that slender figure, Eva immediately remembered thest time she saw her at the auction.


    She hadn''t seen her around Adrian since then, and now she finally made an appearance.


    Thinking that her child was still at Adrian''s house while Vivian came with him, Eva''s expression changed. She couldn''t be bothered about anything else and quickly walked up to them. However, just as she approached, she saw Jason suddenly trying to enter the house, only to be grabbed by the cor by Adrian and thrown out.


    Shortly after, Jason fell right in front of her.


    Vivian and John, who had been momentarily stunned, finally reacted and tried to help Jason stand up, but soon they noticed her in the shadow of the streetlight.


    All their gazes slowly converged.


    Everyone''s attention was on Eva.


    When Vivian saw Eva, it was as if her whole being had been struck by electricity, staring in disbelief.


    Over the past five years, although Adrian had always refused to be with her, there was no one else by his side. Inparison, Vivian remained special.


    Over time, she began to worry that Eva might suddenly vite their agreement and return to the country. If she had returned back then, Vivian would definitely not have been able topete with Eva. Years passed, and there was still no news of Eva.


    Vivian gradually rxed, thinking that Eva would not evere back. Moreover, after such a long time, Eva should have already married and had another man by her side.


    After all, five years is a long time.


    Times change, and anything can happen.


    But now, seeing Eva, Vivian felt that the future that she had nned would be lost.


    In the past five years, Eva had be more mature, exuding the charm of a mature woman. Moreover, she seemed to have gained a gentle temperament, probably due to having a child. Vivian couldn''t help but be captivated by such a woman, let alone how a man would react to her.


    But the most important question was, "Why is she suddenly here?".


    Could it be... the children inside, are they really hers?


    If the children are hers, then why would they be in Adrian''s house?


    Various doubts emerged in Vivian''s mind, connecting and forming a clear picture in an instant.


    John already had his suspicions, and when Eva appeared, his suspicions were basically confirmed.


    As Jasony on the ground, he thought that Vivian and John were about toe to his aid. But instead, they stared behind him and didn''t move, leaving Jason puzzled. "What''s going on?" he quickly got up on his own.


    After getting up, he followed Vivian and John''s gaze.


    "Eva?" Jason eximed, "Why are you here?!"


    Adrian was ready to close the door, leaving a bad impression on the children, he didn''t care, as long as they were safe.


    But he hadn''t expected Eva to appear right at that moment... things became even more chaotic.


    Eva nced at everyone and then looked at Adrian, who had a dark expression, and she guessed what was going on.


    She had no intention of getting involved with anyone else, she just wanted to take her children back.


    She didn''t want to pay attention to anyone unrted to her children.


    Thinking of this, Eva didn''t look away, and she was about to go inside to get her children when Jason suddenly pointed at her and yelled,


    "Adrian, why is this woman here? Didn''t you divorce her a long time ago? What rtion do the children inside have with you?"


    He roared like a wild lion, clutching his chest in pain, "Do you think this is fair to Vivian?"


    Upon hearing her name, Vivian''s eyes instantly turned red, and she tightly bit her lip.


    But Adrian looked at Jason with an icy gaze, as if he was looking at a stupid person.


    Jason''s anger grew even more from seeing the look on Adrian''s face, and when he looked at Vivian, her red-rimmed eyes were truly heartbreaking.


    Thinking of the person he had loved for so many years, the person he had wanted to hold and cherish in the palm of his hand, being mistreated by Adrian like this, Jason was extremely angry. "Adrian, we''re all here today, you have to give us an exnation."


    As he spoke, he rushed over and tried to grab Adrian by the cor.


    Adrian''s eyes turned cold and before Jason could touch him, he coldly said, "Don''t touch me."


    His aura was chilling, his voice was frosty, and this instantly subdued Jason''s momentum.


    Jason hesitated to move, and eventually, his steps came to a stop.


    "Fine, I won''t touch you, but you have to exin everything today."


    "What do you want me to say?" Adrian nced at him coldly, "Since when do I have to report my matters to you?"


    Hearing this, Jason widened his eyes in shock.


    "Adrian, what do you mean ''your matters''? This matter clearly involves Vivian. You know how much Vivian loves you, don''t you? But you have let Vivian down because of this woman, can you justify that towards Vivian?" Jason''s voice was loud, so loud that it almost attracted the attention of people in nearby vis.


    Eva didn''t want to get involved initially, they could say whatever they wanted to say, and she could just stand there and wait until they sorted things out before going in.


    But when Eva lowered her gaze, she saw Ruby and Dn sneaking over to take in the scene outside the door.


    The two of them were standing not far behind Adrian, tiptoeing and looking up with their little heads, as if they too were waiting for an answer.


    Eva''s interest in this matter was also piqued, however, seeing her children there, listening, her expression changed.


    Just the thought of those two innocent children having to hear about this, being exposed to something beyond theirprehension, she felt protective and couldn''t care less about anything else. She immediately walked over. Her original intention was to act as if that this matter had nothing to do with her. She would simply take the children away and let them continue arguing if they wanted to.


    But, after she walked over, she seemed to have touched a nerve, Jason''s nerve to be precise. He suddenly reached out and grabbed her shoulder.


    "This woman just left you without a second thought. For five whole years, she didn''t ask about you or even bothering back to see Granny ckwood when she died. And because of this woman, you hurt Vivian? Have you gone mad?" Eva frowned and was about to pull away.


    Then she noticed Adrian, who had been standing there with a cold expression. He was walking towards them as if he had been triggered by the scene, his face filled with anger. "Jason, you had better fucking let go of her!"

 Chapter 322 No Doubt About the Defeat

    Jason was already angry, and seeing Eva suddenly pass by in front of him, coupled with Adrian''s interference earlier, had left him dumbfounded. He couldn''t hold his head up in front of the woman he liked.


    So, when Eva came over, Jason directed his anger towards her, but he never expected that his actions would drive Adrian to react like this. Seeing Adrian suddenly walking towards him like a madman, he felt a little scared and wanted to let go of Eva.


    A punch hit Jason''s chin and knocked him down.


    Before Eva could react, Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist, then he pulled her into his embrace.


    A familiar scent overwhelmed her senses.


    Eva looked at Adrian in shock. She never expected that he would get so angry just because Jason grabbed her shoulder.


    After being knocked down by a punch, Jason also became furious. He jumped up from the ground and swung his fist at Adrian.


    "You dare to hit me for her? Alright, I''ll fight you!"


    With a cold expression, Adrian pulled Eva behind him and effortlessly caught Jason''s fist.


    Jason didn''t expect his punch to be caught so easily, and he stood there stunned for a moment.


    "Don''te here and go crazy."


    Jason angrily said, "Who''s going crazy? Isn''t it you? You are not worthy of Vivian!"


    Adrian held Jason''s hand firmly, leaving him unable to move, so Jason unexpectedly used his other hand and swung a punch towards Adrian''s chin. Adrian''s chin took a hit.


    Eva, who was being protected by Adrian, had a change in expression. She was about to say something when Vivian''s cries suddenly sounded from beside her. "Ah!" With tears in her eyes, Vivian rushed over almost crying, "Jason, don''t hit him!"


    In the midst of the chaos, Vivian almost threw herself onto Adrian''s arm, then grabbed Jason''s wrist. "You guys need to talk it out. Don''t fight because of me."


    "I got into this knowing what I was doing."


    Eva nced at Vivian, her expression being indescribable.


    "Don''t fight because of her, okay?"


    How could she say that Adrian and Jason fought because of her?


    Feeling frustrated, John, who was standing nearby, walked over as well.


    Hisplex gaze first swept across Eva''s face before returning to the other three, sighing, "Can''t we talk things out? We''ve been friends for so many years. There''s no need for violence." Upon hearing this, Jason gritted his teeth and said, "He started it."


    John immediately retorted, "Jason, if you didn''t grab Eva''s shoulder, would he have fought with you?"


    "John, what do you mean by that? I grabbed Eva''s shoulder, but I didn''t hit her."


    "Yes, you didn''t hit her, but you hurt her. Moreover, why did you grab someone who was passing by? Don''t you have any gentlemanly manners?"


    Jason refused to admit his wrong-doing, saying, "Where was Icking in gentlemanly manners? Is Eva some kind of queen? Can''t I even touch her?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jason felt Adrian''s gaze on his face grow colder.


    "Touch her? Are you even worthy of touching her?"


    With his mind filled with defending his beloved, Jason had no room for reason.


    Angry, he was about to retaliate, but then he heard John''s serious tone, "Enough, will you two never stop? Is this what you want, to keep arguing?"


    John''s temperament was usually mild, so Jason didn''t expect him to suddenly get angry.


    John had to put pressure on Vivian instead.


    Receiving John''s stern gaze focused on her, Vivian initially wanted to hide, but then she pushed Jason''s arm.


    "Jason, let go. Let''s have a proper conversation."


    With the guidance of the goddess, Jason wasn''t as impulsive as before.


    However, Adrian''s gaze remained cold, indicating that he wasn''t nning to let it go of this matter so easily. His hand tightly held onto Jason''s fist, and his thin lips were tightly pressed together, showing no sign of relenting. "Adrian..." Vivian tried to persuade him again, "Release your grip, please, let''s sit down and talk, okay?"


    But it seemed like Adrian didn''t hear her words at all. His icy gaze continued to focus on Jason.


    "Adrian," John called out to him, "we didn''te here tonight to pick a fight with you. We really were just worried about you."


    Upon hearing this, a mocking smile appeared on Adrian''s lips.


    "Worried to the point ofing here to fight with me?"


    John hesitated for a moment before saying, "You have to believe that this wasn''t our intention."


    "Hmph." Adrian sneered, showing no intention of letting go.


    It seemed like no one could persuade him in this situation.


    John looked at Eva, hoping that she could help to persuade Adrian.


    After receiving John''s gaze, Eva unknowingly or deliberately, shifted her gaze away.


    Does that mean she doesn''t want to get involved?


    If John speaks up, will she just reject him?


    But if he doesn''t speak up, will theu just stay at the door like this?


    Adrian knows his temper. When he gets angry, no one can control him. But with Eva by his side, John hoped that she could help persuade him.


    Just as John was thinking about the next n, a little head suddenly popped up next to Adrian.


    Then a small hand reached out and gently tugged Adrian''s clothes.


    Adrian paused, his previously tense expression instantly bing nervous.


    He slightly lowered his eyes and saw Ruby poking her little head out from behind him, curiously asking, "Uncle NightA, are you guys going to fight?" For a moment, everyone''s gaze turned towards Ruby.


    Because she was so cute and her tone was too sweet, even John and Jason couldn''t help but look at her for a few moments.


    Eva frowned and pulled her aside as she bent down to her daughter''s level.


    "Ruby, don''t meddle in adult matters."


    Ruby looked at Eva crouching in front of her and blinked, appearing to understand and not understand at the same time.


    "Where is your brother? Let''s go call him, and I''ll take you both home."


    "Oh, my brother is right there, Mommy."


    As soon as Ruby said that, Dn also walked out, "Here I am Mommy.".


    Brother?


    Except for Adrian, the three looked towards the voice, and when they saw Dn, who was almost a smaller version of Adrian, they all froze in ce. There''s more than one daughter?


    And there''s a son too?


    Vivian''s hands were almost bleeding from digging her nails into her palm. How could this happen?


    If she was slightly afraid of having a daughter before, now that she saw there was a son as well, Vivian truly felt that she had no chance of winning.

 Chapter 323 Are these two children yours?

    How could this happen?


    Did Eva give birth to twins? Does she have a son and a daughter?


    But even if she gave birth to two children, it''s been five years. She couldn''t have been raising both children alone the whole time, right? After all, it''s impossible to take care of two children alone, it''s too exhausting. As well as having a job to support them.


    Perhaps she has already remarried.


    Aftering up with this spection, Vivian calmed down a bit and realized that she couldn''t afford to lose control.


    As soon as Adrian saw Rubying out and asking him if he was going to fight, he quickly withdrew his hand and took two steps back.


    John noticed his actions. On the surface, he took two steps back, appearing as if he no longer wanted to argue with Jason about this matter. But in reality, he unintentionally included Eva and the children within his protective territory. When Dn came out and nced at everyone, he stood behind Eva with Ruby.


    Eva was nning to take them away from this troublesome ce.


    Just as things were calming down, Jason erupted again.


    "Adrian, what is the meaning of this? Are these two kids yours? So, you and Eva already had children long ago, then what was Vivian to you all these years? Did she deserve to be treated like this by you?"


    As Jason spoke, Adrian''s gaze coincidentally lowered and met Eva''s wide eyes.


    She had never fully opened up with him, and from the moment they met again, she had been cold and disinterested in him.


    Consequently, Adrian never had the opportunity to exin the events of these past years to her.


    But now, he had a perfect chance to provide an exnation and he had to seize it.


    With these thoughts in mind, Adrian pursed his thin lips and coldly said, "You are so close with Vivian, didn''t she tell you that we had already talked about this five years ago?"


    As Adrian uttered these words, his eyes remained fixed on Eva''s face, looking at her steadily.


    "Talked about it?" Jason clearly hadn''t anticipated such an answer and stood frozen in ce for a moment before turning his head to ask Vivian.


    "Vivian, what exactly is going on here? What did you guys discuss? Is there something I don''t know?"


    Vivian, who had finally managed to convince herself to calm down, already had an unpleasantplexion that was devoid of all color. She bit her lower lip and stood there.


    She had never expected Adrian to reveal this matter.


    Originally, nobody knew about this incident because she had tried to force him toe on the day of their engagement, but he never showed up. After she went to look for him, he had said a few things to her. "Vivian, this shouldn''t happen anymore in the future."


    At that time, they were in his office, and Adrian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window with his back turned to her. All Vivian could see was his cold silhouette.


    Vivian clenched her teeth and said, "But didn''t you say before that your ce is with me? And besides, you''re divorced from her now. Even if we get engaged, what''s wrong with that?"


    Adrian remained silent for a long time. A very long time before finally saying, "I''m sorry for the favor you did for me. I will find another way to repay you."


    "Why?" Vivian questioned, "Wasn''t everything fine before? Why did it suddenly be like this? Why?"


    She couldn''t control herself and grabbed onto his clothing, tears streaming down her face. "Is it because I went abroad for those few years and you were angry with me? But back then, I didn''t refuse you on purpose. You know that the opportunity to go abroad was rare for me, and if I had given it up, someone else would have taken it."


    Adrian pursed his thin lips and still did not respond to her words.


    "Adrian, please just say something? Even a convict on death row should know what crime theymitted before they die, right? Can''t you, for the sake of the debt you owe me for saving you, let me know why?"


    At the mention of the debt, the indifferent man seemed to have touched something deep inside him.


    Finally moving, he turned around and gave her a deep look.


    "Initially, it was out of gratitude that I wanted to save that position for you, but as I grew older, I realized that if I really gave you that position, it would be unfair for both of us." "Unfair?" Vivian looked at him in confusion. "Why would it be unfair for me?"


    Adrian gazed at her with a calm expression.


    He hardly needed to say anything, his expression said it all.


    But Vivian couldn''t believe it.


    Perhaps sensing her unwillingness to give up, Adrian spoke calmly, "Can a marriage without love bring happiness? Vivian, you deserve a better man, one who can love you." Without love?


    Vivian liked him, but when he mentioned theck of love, wasn''t he referring to himself?


    "In the future, whatever you need orck, I will do my best topensate for that, except for this."


    Vivian bit her lip, her eyes bing teary.


    "What if I say I insist on having this?"


    Adrian gave her a deep look. "If that''s the case, then there''s nothing I can do about it."


    Afterward, Vivian went crazy for a while, going to hispany every day to cause trouble, even enlisting the help of her parents. However, Adrian''s temperament was truly stable. No matter how she behaved, he never got angry. Perhaps it was because he still held the title of ''benefactor''.


    Although he wasn''t angry, he also didn''t pay much attention to her.


    After he didn''t show up for their engagement banquet, the news of her abandonment seemed to sprout wings and spread everywhere. At that time, wherever she went, she would be mocked.


    As time went on, Vivian''s mother gave her advice, telling her not to confront Adrian head-on anymore.


    "Are you stupid? If he''s not currently interested in you, then no matter what you do, it won''t work. Moreover, these things you''re doing now might even make him dislike you. It''s not working in your favor, it''s better for you to show weakness." "Show weakness?"


    "Yes, show weakness. Admit that you were wrong in the past. It doesn''t matter if he doesn''t like you. Stay by his side as a friend, then show concern for him in the name of friendship. When enough time has passed, he will develop feelings for you. Eventually, he will marry you."


    Vivian felt her mother was right. Indeed, she had been too impatient. The more tightly she held onto him at this moment, the further he would be from her.


    So, she listened to her mother''s advice and personally went to find Adrian, saying to him, "Adrian, I actually think you''re right. A marriage without love is unfair for both parties."


    Adrian stared at her with suspicion, probably not believing what she said.


    And in order to make him let his guard down, she borated further.


    "In the past, I''ve always limited myself from being interested in anyone else. But since you''ve opened up to me, I''ll also open up to you. I know now that I need to look at other options and that I won''t be with you. If you truly don''t like me in a romantic sense, I won''t force you with a sense of obligation."

 Chapter 324 Who gives you the right to condemn me

    Her mother was right. After she said those words, Adrian did indeed let down his guard towards her.


    Because of this, she was able to get closer to him under the guise of being a caring friend.


    She saved his life, so no matter what, she still had a ce in his heart. However, Eva had already moved on at that time, and she had a whole five years to seize the opportunity and return to her rightful position at Adrian''s side. But she didn''t expect that Adrian wouldn''t change his mind throughout those five years, and they would remain as friends. Whenever she tried to cross the line of friendship, he firmly stopped her. So Vivian could only take a step back each time. "Vivian?" Jason''s voice snapped Vivian back to reality. When Vivian regained her senses, she saw Jason standing in front of her, holding her shoulders with a worried expression. "What happened? What did you say to Adrian?" Tightly pursing her lips, Vivian pushed Jason''s hand away without saying a word. What could she say? Should she confess in front of everyone that she had already told Adrian that they were friends? She wouldn''t do that, absolutely not. When she said she wanted to be friends, she wanted to give herself a better chance, not just be friends. It wasn''t her original intention.


    "We don''t have anything between us." Adrian earnestly said to Eva while Vivian was hesitating. Vivian stared wide-eyed at this scene, unable to believe it. Adrian, who hadn''t cared about anything in the past five years, was now making an effort to exin everything to Eva?


    Eva frowned slightly. Although she yed dumb before, she couldn''t pretend to not hear now. Adrian finished speaking and then held her wrist, looking into her eyes. "Believe me, I already exined everything to her five years ago." The two kids looked up, curiosity evident in their eyes and on their faces. Eventually, Ruby blinked her eyes and turned to Dn, asking, "Uncle NightA and mommy, did they know each other before?"


    Dn pursed his lips, holding Ruby''s hand and pulling her to the side. It was clear that mommy didn''t want the kids to get involved. Eva nced at the hand holding hers, then at Adrian, and then she let go.


    "So what? What does it have to do with me?" She swung her hand dismissively, as if she didn''t care about what Adrian said at all.


    This scene made Vivian feel a pang of anger. She didn''t expect that the person she cared about would be so indifferent and that Eva would reject him.


    Adrian furrowed his brows, looking at the hand that was pushed away. The situation had developed to this point, which Eva hadn''t anticipated. She stood up, sweeping her gaze across everyone''s faces, and then spoke calmly.


    "I haven''t had anything to do with Adrian for the past five years, so I don''t want to get involved in your grievances." After speaking, Eva turned to her two little darlings. "Let''s go, we''re going home."


    Upon hearing this, the two little ones obediently walked behind her. Eva nced at the crowd and with a slight nod, she prepared to leave.


    Vivian didn''t expect her to cut off ties with Adrian so cleanly, and when she saw that Eva was about to go, she didn''t try to stop her. In her heart, all she wanted was for Eva to leave quickly and never have any rtionship with Adrian, just as she had said.


    But who knew, as she passed by Jason, he suddenly grabbed Eva''s arm and eximed angrily, "No rtionship? You say it as if you''re so high and mighty. If there really is no rtionship, why are you here with two kids?"


    Eva hated being falsely used more than anything in her life. And now, Jason''s words were nothing but an usation.


    Her expression instantly turned cold, and with a sarcastic smile, she asked, "Jason, in your eyes, are Adrian and Vivian meant to be together?"


    Adrian, who was nning toe over, hesitated when he heard this question and narrowed his eyes as he observed Eva. What did her question mean?


    "Of course!" Jason gritted his teeth and replied, "In my eyes, Vivian is a thousand times, no ten thousand times better than you. Naturally, only she is worthy of Adrian."


    "So, in your eyes, they are a couple, but you''re still lusting after Vivian, right?" Jason paused, surprised by the sudden turn of events.


    Eva looked at Jason, pulling the corners of her lips mockingly. "Don''t talk to me about bringing the kids with me today. Even if I had brought them myself, what right do you have to use me of anything?"


    Her words were too piercing, and Jason stood still, momentarily forgetting how to respond to her. When he snapped back to reality, Eva had already shrugged off his hand and continued to walk forward. Jason could only turn to Vivian and say, "Vivian, I..."


    The only response he received was Vivian''s slightly resentful gaze, filled with me and emotion. Jason suddenly panicked. Oh no! Vivian wouldn''t take Eva''s words to heart, would she? Would she start to dislike him and stop him from spending time with her?


    Thinking this, Jason''s gaze towards Eva changed, feeling that it was she who had caused his misfortune. If it weren''t for her words, he would have had a chance to stay by Vivian''s side.


    "Stop right there!" Thinking this, Jason stepped forward again, wanting to grab her shoulder.


    Ruby, who was being led away by Eva, frowned unhappily and jumped out, extending her hand to stop Jason. "You big meanie! Don''t touch my mommy again!"


    Seeing the face in front of him, so simr to Adrian yet exuding Eva''s personality, Jason became furious and kicked out without thinking.


    "Get lost! You think a child can stop me?" With that kick, Adrian''s expression turned fierce, and he took a few quick steps towards them.


    John was also startled. He didn''t expect Adrian to suddenly go crazy like this.


    "Ruby!" In the blink of an eye, Eva rushed over and hugged Ruby, taking the blow for her.


    Jason used a lot of force, and Eva, fell to the side after being kicked. Her head hit the nearby flower pot.


    "Mummy!" Dn rushed over anxiously.


    Seeing Eva hit her head on the flower pot, Jason was also suddenly startled and stood still.


    But before he could react, his body was lifted by a tremendous force and he fell to the ground again. When he got up, he saw Adrian carrying the unconscious person and rushing away. Behind them were two crying children.


    Jason finally came to his senses and realized what a foolish thing he had just done.

 Chapter 325 Trouble

    Was that blood he saw? Was Eva''s forehead bleeding?


    Did he really just try to kick a child?


    What on earth was wrong with him?


    Lost in his thoughts, John came up to him, looking at him with cold eyes.


    "Jason, were you out of your mind just now? Do you know what you just did?"


    "I..." Jason wanted to say he wasn''t, but the thought of Eva''s forehead bleeding had him unable to say a word.


    He finally realized that his behavior was inappropriate. Jason could only look at Vivian, hoping she would support him. After all, if it wasn''t for his feelings for Vivian, he wouldn''t have done such a thing in the first ce.


    At this moment, Vivian''s heart was pounding. Deep inside, she wanted something to happen to Eva. But after hearing John''s words, she suppressed those malicious thoughts and looked at Jason with a disappointed expression. "Yes, Jason, speak up. You shouldn''t haveid your hands on someone."


    At this point, Vivian paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, it was a child you tried to kick. Don''t you have anypassion?"


    Jason was dumbfounded and took a while to regain his voice.


    "But, but I did it all for you!"


    If it wasn''t for her, would he have been so impulsive?


    He had no grudge against Eva, her children, or anyone. Why would he target them?


    Hearing this, Vivian''s expression of disappointment grew even more pronounced.


    "Jason, if you told me that your actions were just a momentary impulse, I might have believed you to some extent. But now, you''re saying that you did it for me. What would others think if they heard this? Do you think I would order you to harm a child? Until today, I didn''t even know about these two children, let alone that Eva would be here."


    Vivian had a motive for saying all this. John was Adrian''s closest friend. If Jason''s words gave him a bad impression of her, how could she use him to get closer to Adrian if he refused to help her in the future?


    So, even though Jason had helped her a lot in the past, Vivian had no choice but to show disapproval for his behavior.


    Moreover, what she thought was that Jason has always been apdog in front of her. Whenever she says something good, he''ll agree with her and praise her.


    But John is different. John has his own ideas, and no matter if she pretends to be weak, gentle, or sensible, John doesn''t want to get close to her. What bothers Vivian is that John doesn''t want to get close to her, but he''s willing to talk to Eva. At first, Vivian wondered if John had any feelings for Eva. She thought that if she were to bring them together, he might try to be with Eva and solve the problem with Adrian longing for Eva, giving her an opportunity to fill that position in Adrian''s heart.


    But after she tried to get some information, John calmly side-stepped her questions without confirming anything. So, Vivian had no idea what he wanted, but he knew how to maintain his rtionship with Adrian. Therefore, she didn''t want to offend him and could only frequently show goodwill towards him.


    Sure enough, after she said those words, John turned his head and nced at her before saying, "I''ll go check out the situation over there."


    Immediately, Vivian said, "John, I''ll go with you."


    "No need," unexpectedly, John outright refused her, "Considering how things have turned out today, you and Jason should leave. If anythinges up, we can talk about it tomorrow."


    Vivian bit her lower lip, hesitated, and then spoke up, "But things have turned out like this, and I feel responsible. I should go with you to check on Eva."


    "That''s right, considering how things have turned out, Adrian is probably furious right now, so I advise you not to follow along." he finished, and nced knowingly at Vivian.


    This look made Vivian inexplicably uneasy, as if he could see her inner thoughts through her facade. In that instance, she didn''t dare try to argue any more. "Well...fine, but if anything happens, you must call me. Although we haven''t seen each other for five years, I''m still worried about Eva."


    John reluctantly nodded, then left with his phone in hand. After he left, there were only two people left at the scene.


    Confirming that John had gone far and wouldn''te back, Vivian quickly turned and walked up to Jason, bending down to help him up. "Come on, get up quickly."


    Jason was still in a gloomy mood due to the words she said earlier. But now, seeing her personallye over to help him up, he was pleasantly surprised. "Vivian? You... you''re not...?"


    "Let''s talk after you get up." With Vivian''s assistance, Jason slowly stood up. After he got up, Vivian asked with concern, "How are you? Did you get hurt from the fall?"


    Jason shook his head but remained silent, just staring at her nkly.


    "Jason, don''t look at me like that. What I said earlier was actually for your sake."


    "Okay. For my own good?"


    "Think about it, if you suddenly attacked them in front of everyone today, would they approve of your actions? In this situation, if I still stood by your side, do you think they would see you favorably? They would definitely question your character. That''s why I had to pretend to scold you and act disappointed. You can pretend to change your ways, and they wouldn''t hold any grudges against you."


    Pretend to change my ways?


    Upon hearing this, Jason felt a bit confused.


    After calming down, he realized that his previous actions were indeed impulsive, so he really wanted to change for the better.


    But now, Vivian''s words seemed to imply a different meaning than what he had in mind.


    However, Vivian was kind-hearted and beautiful. How could she possibly think that way?


    In the end, Jason could only say, "Don''t worry, Vivian. I don''t me you. I was definitely in the wrong tonight. I promise you, this kind of thing won''t happen again in the future." Vivian rolled her eyes inwardly, feeling somewhat annoyed.


    Deep down, she still believed that Jason didn''t go too far with his actions.


    But she couldn''t say such things in front of Jason, lest he think she was a malicious woman.


    Some character traits had to be maintained.


    As for resorting to violence, as long as Eva didn''t give up on Adrian, Vivian would still have to deal with that in the future.


    On the other side of the yard, Adrian carried Eva to the car, and the two children followed, still crying.


    With no one else around, and Eva in this state, Adrian wasn''t in the right frame of mind to find someone else to take care of the two little ones. He could only take them with him. "Get in the car first you two."


    Thinking of something, Adrian turned to Dn. "Dn, if I put your mommy in the back seat. Can you help take care of her?"

 Chapter 326 Is this reason enough?

    Given the dire situation, Dn had no reason to refuse; he could only nod vigorously. "I can."


    "Good, then you and Ruby help out. I''ll take you to the hospital now."


    "Mm."


    Seeing that he agreed, Adrian shifted his gaze to the unconscious Eva. Her forehead was stained with blood, starkly contrasting against her pale skin, making it a horrifying sight.


    Adrian carefullyid her down, readjusted her position, and had the two children protect her on either side, afraid that she might fall off her seat while he drove.


    Afterpleting all this, Adrian finally got out of the back of the car.


    After closing the door, Dn wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. Then, he protected Eva''s head with his small hands and whispered softly, "Mommy, don''t worry, you''ll be fine."


    Ruby was also crying, her previously yful and adorable eyes now filled with tears. Large teardrops rolled down from her cheeks,nding on Eva''s feet.


    "Ruby, don''t cry." Dn''s voice came from beside her.


    Hearing that, Ruby raised her head, her tearful eyes blurry.


    "But... Will Mommy die?"


    The word "die" scared Dn enough that his expression changed when he turned to look at her.


    "Ruby, don''t talk nonsense!"


    Ruby was startled by his reaction and started sobbing.


    "But..."


    "Mummy just injured her forehead, she won''t die!"


    The car pulled out onto the road, Adrian''s driving was fast but steady. He saw the two little ones protecting each other and their mother through the rearview mirror and he listened to their conversation. It felt like a crack in his heart. He frowned, his voice heavy.


    "Dn, Ruby... I won''t let anything happen to your mummy, trust me."


    Thosest two words were said with great difficulty.


    Dn didn''t respond, he lowered his gaze and looked at the blood on Eva''s forehead, appearing unhappy.


    But it was Ruby who angrily spoke to Adrian at this moment, "Uncle NightA, I hate you."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s grip on the steering wheel faltered, but after a moment, a bitter smile appeared on his lips, "If you hate me, then hate me. Let''s just get to the hospital quickly to get your mummy looked after." With her mummy being injured like this, what right did he have to make his daughter not hate him?


    Clearly, right in front of his own eyes, he failed to protect his woman, and even his daughter was almost hurt.


    At this moment, Adrian''s guilt had reached its peak.


    But guilt was of no use now. He quickly shifted his focus, driving seriously.


    Unfortunately, his residence was far from the hospital, and even the nearest hospital would take nearly thirty minutes to reach.


    Adrian was extremely anxious, even running two red lights on the way, until a police car caught up with him.


    After the police car forced him to stop, Adrian was frustrated, wanting to smash the steering wheel. But thinking that Eva was still unconscious and injured, getting into a conflict with someone at this time would only waste time.


    So, he voluntarily rolled down the window and immediately said to the approaching police officer, "Sorry, my wife is injured and unconscious. I need assistance."


    Because he ran a red light and elerated, the patrolling police car happened to encounter him. They originally thought the driver was up to something, but who would have known that the person who rolled down the window would say such words.


    The police officer immediately looked back and indeed saw an unconscious woman lying on the back seat, her forehead bleeding.


    In addition, there were two children with red, tear-filled eyes.


    They immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and said solemnly, "Please follow us."


    The police officers cleared the way for Adrian, opened the path in advance, and proactively contacted the nearest hospital.


    With the help of the police, the car finally arrived at the hospital earlier than expected.


    As soon as they got out of the car, Adrian quickly took Eva out of the car and rushed into the hospital, with the two children running behind him.


    After somemotion, Eva was finally taken to the emergency room.


    Family members were not allowed in the emergency room, so Adrian could only wait outside with the two children.


    There was no one next to the emergency room at the moment, and the corridor was also empty. Adrian held Dn and Ruby by his side and sat down.


    "Settle down. We''ll wait here for a while." Adrian said to the children. Dn nodded. He understood and remained silent, not arguing with him, but also not sitting next to him. Instead, he chose a spot farther away.


    Adrian knew what he was thinking. Seeing that Dn was not too far away, within his line of sight, he didn''t insist on anything further.


    On the other hand, Ruby approached him on her own initiative.


    Adrian was initially surprised, thinking that she had forgiven him. Little did he know that after Ruby walked up to him, she raised her little hand and punched his thigh with her fist. "Uncle NightA, I dislike you!"


    Her punches fell on his thigh like raindrops.


    Adrian looked at her tear-streaked face and felt a pang in his chest. He silently sat there and let her hit and scold him.


    It was only when the little one got tired of hitting him that Adrian caught her small hand.


    "Alright, are you tired of hitting me now? Stop now."


    Ruby struggled for a moment but couldn''t break free. In a huff, she said, "Let me go, Uncle NightA!"


    Adrian nced at her expression helplessly. "Then promise me that you won''t hit again, and I''ll let you go."


    Ruby burst into tears and started dropping crocodile tears in front of Adrian.


    "Uncle NightA is a bad person. It''s his fault Mommy is like this and now he won''t let me hit him."


    As she cried, Adrian felt utterly powerless.


    He used to feel afraid of Eva''s tears, even thinking that no one else''s tears in this world could shake his heart.


    But today... he realized that when the two little ones cried, he instantly had this absurd thought that the whole world was wrong.


    Ruby cried relentlessly, prompting Adrian to release her hand and squat in front of her, offering his face.


    "Alright, I''ll let you hit me, Ruby can vent, but don''t hit my legs, hit my face, okay?"


    He had lost some weight over the years, and there was barely any flesh on his legs. If Ruby continued hitting his leg with her fist, she would only harm herself.


    But if she hit his face, the situation might be better for her.


    If someone saw Adrian squatting in front of a child and willingly letting the child p him, they would probably be shocked beyond belief.


    However, after he mentioned hitting his face, Ruby stopped crying and stared at him with a pouting expression.


    "Why must I hit your face? I want to hit your legs. Can''t I?"


    The little one innocently thought that Adrian allowed her to hit his face because he assumed hitting his legs would hurt.


    Adrian smiled helplessly. "Because I''m squatting down, it''s easier for you to hit my face. Is that reason enough?"

 Chapter 327 When Did You Realize?

    To be honest, it made sense.


    After Adrian exined, Ruby raised her hand and found that hitting his face was indeed much easier than hitting his legs.


    When Adrian was sitting on the chair earlier, she had to strain on her tiptoes to reach his legs.


    But now that Adrian voluntarily lowered his head, Ruby found it much simpler.


    It doesn''t take much effort to p his face.


    But... Adrian''s gaze from up close looked very dark, and his expression was sharp, slightly intimidating. Ruby felt a bit hesitant when faced with this face.


    She timidly nced at Adrian and took a step back.


    Adrian noticed her subtle movement.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Ruby pouted, "What if you retaliate?"


    NightA is so tall, withrge hands. If he were to p her, she would surely be pped to death.


    The more Ruby thought about it, the scarier it seemed. So, she turned around and ran straight towards her brother.


    Adrian was prepared to let his daughter p him, but instead, she turned and ran away.


    While he felt relieved, he also felt a strange sense of slight disappointment, even beginning to wonder what it would feel like to be pped by his daughter?


    At just the thought of it, Adrian thought the experience would probably be quite good.


    But then he realized how odd this thought was. Who likes getting pped?


    He''s not into masochism or anything.


    With this in mind, Adrian cleared his cluttered thoughts and focused on the emergency room.


    He hoped she would be safe and sound.


    As long as she was safe and sound, he could give up everything.


    After Ruby ran to her brother''s side, Dn took care of her like an adult, pulling her to sit on a chair next to him and wiping away her tears.


    Then he couldn''t help but nce in Adrian''s direction. Seeing him sitting there with his eyes lowered, his tall figure appearing infinitely lonely, Dn pursed his lips. "Ruby, we should stay away from him in the future."


    Ruby, who used to want NightA as her father, hadpletely changed her mind. Upon hearing Dn''s words, she vigorously nodded.


    "Okay, I agree with you!"


    Dn breathed a sigh of relief when she finally stopped arguing and agreed.


    This way, Mommy should be at ease, right?


    Mommy always seemed helpless when it came to Ruby.


    Thinking about Mommy, Dn was filled with worry.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, another figure appeared at the entrance to the emergency room.


    Adrian nced up and saw John.


    When Adrian saw John, his brows immediately furrowed.


    "What are you doing here?"


    John''s gaze passed through him andnded on the two little ones not far away.


    After meeting his gaze, the two little ones, having recognized him as part of the group from earlier, looked at him with resentment. Suddenly, John realized with a chuckle.


    He didn''t expect these two little ones to hold a grudge against him.


    He nced at Adrian and asked, "When did you figure it out?"


    However, Adrian coldly stared at him.


    "What does it have to do with you?"


    Hearing this, John shrugged, acting indifferent. "Can''t I be concerned about you?"


    "I don''t have time to discuss this with you now."


    Eva was still in the emergency room.


    With all that just happened, the two children started to harbor a dislike for him, undoing all the effort he had put in for days. Adrian couldn''t bear it. Most importantly, his only thought now was that Eva must recover with no issues, or else he wouldn''t let Jason get away with this so easily.


    John could also sense the suppressed displeasure in his words, feeling somewhat helpless.


    "To be honest, I didn''t expect things to escte like this tonight, but there''s nothing we can do about that now, it''s in the past. How is Eva doing?" Adrian pressed his lips together and ignored him, seemingly not intending to engage with him any further.


    Seeing this, John didn''t say anything more and quietly sat in a chair.


    However, after a while, Adrian suddenly said to him, "Don''t stay here."


    John asked, "Can''t I stay here even if I don''t speak?"


    "No."


    John replied, "Is it really necessary to be so unamodating?"


    "I am unamodating. So what?"


    So what? What else could he do?


    But John didn''t leave and just sat there. After a while, Adrian seemed to be provoked by something as he turned his head, fixing his displeased pitch-ck eyes on him. "John, don''t provoke me, I''m warning you."


    If it weren''t for the presence of the two children, Adrian would have already grabbed his cor and dragged him elsewhere. How could he let him stay here?


    "Is that so? Then why don''t you give it a try?"


    Adrian''s gaze suddenly became sharp and his voice turned bitterly cold.


    "You think I won''t?"


    Just then, the lights in the emergency room suddenly went off, and the door made some noise.


    Adrian, who was originally domineering and had a gloomy expression, instantly changed his face upon hearing themotion. He then stood up and walked towards the entrance of the emergency room. Ruby and Dn, who were huddling together, also stood up and ran towards it with their little legs.


    Upon seeing this, John followed suit.


    "What happened?"


    Adrian''s voice softened a bitpared to before, but his deliberately suppressed tone added a touch of hoarseness to the quiet corridor.


    The doctor nced at the group and then asked, "Who is Eva''s family member?"


    Adrian replied heavily, "I am."


    "Well, the patient suffered a minor head injury, but for now, it seems to pose no significant harm. We''ll need to conduct further examinations for a more urate assessment." Further examinations?


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s gaze turned icy, almost as if he wanted to crush Jason''s name between his teeth.


    "How is she doing now?"


    "The patient''s condition is currently stable, but since it''s a head injury, it''s advisable to wait for further observations before confirming."


    Adrian''s face turned extremely grave. The implication was that they would need to observe for a few more days, and if those days of observation were safe, then she would naturally be safe. But if not... Adrian almost couldn''t dare to think about the other oue.


    Afterward, Eva was transferred from the emergency room to the observation ward, and the two little ones stayed in the ward with her.


    In the room, the nurse came to administer her IV, then she left. Adrian stood by the bedside, watching this scene with a dark expression.


    "I hate you! Get out!" Ruby suddenly rushed over and pushed Adrian towards the exit of the ward. Soon, Adrian was pushed out of the room, and Dn closed the door.


    Nearby, John saw this and couldn''t help but walk over, expressing helplessness. "Can they handle being alone in there? What if something happens?"


    In fact, considering the strength of a little girl, Ruby wouldn''t be able to push Adrian if he stood still. But he still followed her force and left the ward.

 Chapter 328 Were you kicked out of the ward?

    Seeing Adrian''s silence, John continued, "Is Eva still unconscious?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian finally reacted and said coldly, "No problem, those two are clever."


    Even if he wasn''t present, the two little ones would react quickly, especially Dn, he would surely find a way to take care of his mother.


    "But they are still just little kids." John said. "If something unexpected happens..."


    Adrian interrupted him, saying, "I''ll be here keeping an eye on them."


    "Fine."


    "We don''t need you here, leave."


    Seeing that Adrian wasn''t receptive to conversation, John thought for a moment, but ultimately chose not to talk to Adrian anymore. Instead, he went and sat quietly on a bench in the corridor, waiting.


    Adrian stood outside the ward, leaning against the wall, and took out his phone to call Jacob. After finishing the call and putting the phone away, Adrian suddenly thought of something. His face quickly turned fierce, and he swiftly turned around and pushed open the door to the ward.


    As expected, he saw the two little ones leaning against each other, holding Eva''s phone and about to make a call. Upon hearing the sound of the door opening, both of them looked up at him.


    As soon as Ruby saw Adrian, her cute little face filled with resistance. Pouting her lips and wanting to push him away.


    Adrian quickly approached them and squatted down in front of them. "What are you doing with the phone?" Dn pursed his lips and didn''t respond.


    It was Ruby who stood with her hands on her hips, grumpily retorting, "What''s it to you? Uncle NightA, you''re so impolite. You came in without knocking and disturbed us!" Adrian wasn''t in the mood to listen to anything else at this moment. His thoughts were solely focused on the phone Dn was holding, so he reached out towards him. "Dn, give me the phone."


    Upon hearing this, Dn hid the phone behind his back and said, "This is Mommy''s phone, not yours."


    "Of course, I know it''s your mommy''s phone." Adrian smiled slightly. "But your mommy is unconscious, so can you let me take care of it for now? It''s easy for a child to drop it, what if it breaks?" Ruby retorted, "It won''t break. My brother''s phone has never been dropped."


    "Is that so?" Adrian reached out and touched Ruby''s head. "Well, both you and your brother have done very well. It''s just that your mommy is in the hospital and we need money to pay for it. If you don''t give me her phone, how can I pay for the expenses just now?"


    They were still just kids, easily swayed by Adrian''s words.


    Upon hearing that Adrian needed to pay for medical expenses, Dn couldn''t continue holding onto mommy''s phone. After thinking for a moment, he eventually handed it to Adrian.


    "Well, alright. You can borrow mommy''s phone for now, but you have to return it to me after you pay the medical bills."


    "Of course." Adrian smiled and took the phone.


    After receiving the phone, he attempted to unlock it and discovered a password. He asked, "What is your mommy''s lock screen password?"


    "Six eights."


    Six eights?


    Adrian paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I''ll go pay the fees so long. You two stay here and take care of your mommy, understand?" "Hmph, we don''t need Uncle NightA to tell us that. My brother and I will take good care of Mommy."


    Seeing her like this, Adrian couldn''t help but reach out and ruffle her hair again. "Alright, I''ll leave now."


    With his objective achieved, Adrian left the hospital room with the phone in his hands.


    After leaving the room, he unlocked the phone with the password. As soon as the lock screen disappeared, the smile on his lips vanished as well. As expected, the remaining interface was themunication interface.


    And he found the page with Michael''s name in the contacts open. If he had entered even a secondter, the call would have gone through. Luckily, he made it in time.


    Adrian clicked into Michael''s name, impulsively thinking about deleting his number from Eva''s contact list.


    But in the end, he held back. After all, doing such a pointless thing would serve no purpose.


    If there really was something between her and Michael, then removing Michael''s number from her phone would be utterly useless.


    Adrian locked the phone''s screen, choosing to turn a blind eye.


    Inside the room, the two little ones huddled together and whispered to each other after Adrian left.


    "Is it alright to give Mommy''s phone to him like that?" Ruby was actually a little worried because Mommy''s phone held a lot of money. What if Uncle NightA stole it all?


    She had thought about it. When she and her brother used to livestream, Uncle NightA would always give them a lot of money as tips.


    If he wanted to steal money, he wouldn''t have given them tips before.


    As Ruby thought about it more, she found it strange, so she had to seek Dn''s help.


    Although they were the same age, Dn had always been more insightful.


    After hearing Ruby''s words, he shook his head.


    "No, he wouldn''t do that."


    Uncle NightA, it seems he''s their biological father.


    But Mommy has never mentioned this before.


    In any case, everything can only be discussed after Mommy wakes up.


    When Jacob arrived at the hospital and heard that Eva was injured, he was extremely shocked.


    "What... what happened? How did she end up in the hospital?"


    Just yesterday, Eva came to see Adrian, and Jacob thought there was remarkable progress between them. In the afternoon, Adrian even brought the two kids back home and prepared many gifts for them. But now, only a few hourster, he was suddenly told that Ms. Hansen got hurt.


    Adrian''s heart felt heavy, "There was an ident, I can''t leave. You need to handle things while I''m here."


    Adrian instructed Jacob to take care of the remaining tasks.


    Jacob received various documents and began organizing and sorting them.


    Adrian observed his actions and suddenly said, "Once you''re done with these, go downstairs and buy some things that kids would usually love to eat."


    Upon hearing this, Jacob paused and asked, "Are they here too?"


    After asking, Jacob looked around.


    Noticing his actions, Adrian frowned slightly, "No need to look, they''re in the room."


    "The room?" Jacob nced at the closed door, then looked at Adrian, pursing his lips cautiously, "Though it''s embarrassing to ask, were you kicked out of the room?" Adrian replied, "Get lost."

 Chapter 329 Soothing the Kids

    CJacob secretly felt joy in unintentionally hitting a painful spot for someone.


    In the past, he wouldn''t dare to speak such words to Adrian. He would have been frozen by just one nce from him, and Mr. ckwood wouldn''t tolerate such behavior either.


    But now the situation was different. After Ms. Hansen and the two kids appeared, Mr. ckwood''s temper had clearly improved.


    Though Mr. ckwood tells him to get lost when he was teasing him, it only seems like he''s angry on the surface, but actually he''s not, just like earlier.


    After Adrian heard his words and told him to get lost, his expression returned to normal within a few seconds, even urging him, "Go handle your tasks, do them well, and buy some things that the kids will want while you''re at it." So, Jacob went downstairs.


    As he was leaving, he brushed past John and exchanged a nce with him.


    Now thinking about it, Jacob couldn''t help scratching his head. Why is John here too?


    What exactly happened tonight?


    When he finished buying everything and returned, he would definitely ask for a clear exnation.


    Jacob drove out and purposely went to a nearby children''s yground, where he bought many things before returning to the hospital.


    In the distance, Adrian saw Jacob holding two bags in his hand and immediately approached him.


    "What did you buy?"


    Jacob opened his mouth, about to exin what was inside the bags, but Adrian interrupted him and took them away.


    "Never mind, give them to me. I''ll just take them in."


    Jacob finally noticed Adrian''s urgent actions and expression, clearly indicating his impatience.


    Well, it''s understandable. His wife and children are in the hospital room, but he can''t go inside. He can only wait outside. Who wouldn''t be anxious?


    After receiving the items, Adrian quickly walked towards the door of the hospital room, wanting to go in.


    Just as he was about to push the door open, he suddenly paused as if he remembered something, and then knocked on the door.


    Ms. Hansen is probably still unconscious, right?


    Who is Mr. ckwood knocking the door for now?


    Could it be for the two children?


    At that moment, a voice came from inside.


    "Come in."


    Jacob immediately recognized it as Ruby''s voice and felt a bit embarrassed for his boss.


    With Ruby''s permission, Adrian pushed the door open and entered.


    Jacob approached, wanting to see the situation inside, but before he could get close, the door of the hospital room mmed shut.


    Jacob touched his nose and awkwardly retreated to a chair in the corridor.


    Just as he sat down, John, who was sitting quietly beside him, reached forward to greet him.


    John handed him a cigarette.


    Jacob nced at it but didn''t take it. "No thank you, Sir, I don''t smoke."


    Upon hearing this, John nced at him nonchntly, then calmly put away the cigarette. When Jacob took a closer look, he realized that only one cigarette had been taken out, and the box seemed to have just been opened. Could it be that he doesn''t smoke either?


    "Can we talk?"


    Since the offered cigarette was declined, John didn''t know whether he really didn''t smoke or didn''t want to. So, he decided to be straightforward.


    Hearing this, Jacob pursed his lips and said, "What do you want to talk about?"


    John nced in the direction of the hospital room.


    "When did you find out?"


    Jacob immediately understood his question, pursed his lips, and hesitated on how to respond.


    "I remember at thest auction, Adrian seemed to have brought Vivian with him."


    Bringing up the matter, Jacob quickly exined, "He did bring her, but it was Mr. ckwood''s mother''s order, and Miss Morrison had something to auction, so they attended together."


    "So?" John squinted slightly, "When did he bump into Eva? And when did Eva return? Are both of those children his?"


    Jacob replied, "Well, what other exnation could there be? Just by looking at the resemnce of those two children, it''s obvious they are Mr. ckwood''s."


    Upon hearing this, John chuckled softly, "True, they do bear a striking resemnce."


    "Okay."


    The facial features perfectly resembled Adrian''s, with Eva''s mannerisms between the eyebrows and eyes. There was no need for a DNA test, anyone could tell just by looking at them. Jacob nced at him, probably emboldened by Adrian''s recent indulgence.


    "Why are you here tonight?" Jacob had initially nned to ask about the events leading up to this, but since he guessed Adrian wouldn''t being out of the room anytime soon, he shifted his attention to John. If John wanted to talk to him, then he could do the same.


    So, before John could answer his question, Jacob quickly raised a second one.


    "What happened to Ms. Hansen? Everything was fine before tonight, wasn''t it?"


    "Mhm." John nodded. "She was fine when we went to see her. It was all an ident." "You guys?"


    "Me, Jason, and Vivian."


    Hearing Vivian''s name, Jacob almost jumped up.


    "What? Miss Morrison came too? How did Ms. Hansen get injured? Did Miss Morrison do something to her?"


    Upon hearing this, John gave him a dumbfounded look.


    "What are you thinking? Even if Vivian isn''t the most intelligent person, she wouldn''t do something so foolish."


    "Yeah." After calming down, Jacob realized that Vivian couldn''t have been responsible for it.


    "Jason did it, but... it was all idental."


    Upon hearing that it was Jason, Jacob was rendered speechless and burst intoughter in front of John.


    "Who would''ve thought it was him? So, it was Jason? Has he gone crazy? He likes Miss Morrison, fine, but is it necessary to harm Ms. Hansen?"


    At this point, Jacob''s heart hadpletely sided with Eva, and he spoke primarily in her favor.


    John discreetly gave him a nce.


    Jacob only joined Adrian after Eva left thepany, so before that, he had no rtionship with her at all.


    But judging from his tone now, it seemed like he waspletely on Eva''s side.


    It looked like a lot had happened during this period that he was unaware of.


    It was surprising that even after all these years, Eva still had such a powerful ability to win people over.


    John instinctively reached for a cigarette, but when his hand was halfway, he remembered that he had already quit.

 Chapter 330 Punishing Uncle NightA

    Inside the hospital room, Ruby heard someone knocking on the door and immediately looked at Dn. After Dn nodded at her, she spoke, giving Adrian permission toe in.


    The door to the room opened, and the two little ones looked at Adrian holding something in his hand.


    Two big bags walked in, and Ruby instinctively looked at those two bags and blurted out, "Uncle NightA, did you buy something?"


    After asking, Ruby realized what she had just said and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her watery eyes filled with fear. Oops! She had already decided not to pay any attention to Uncle NightA, so why did she involuntarily ask when she saw something in his hands?


    "Hmm." Adrian''s long narrow eyes smiled as he sat down at the table with the bags in his hands. "I had Jacob buy some food for you guys."


    As he spoke, Adrian took out the food from the bags and ced them on the table. The two kids stood there, tightly clutching their fingers, without saying a word. The hospital room was quiet, and Adrian nced at the two kids out of the corner of his eye.


    Seeing that they didn''t move, he wasn''t in a hurry. He leisurely ced all the things on the table until it was full and couldn''t fit anymore. Then he stopped.


    He looked up at them and said, "You haven''t had dinner yet, right? Aren''t you hungry?"


    Dn pressed his lips together and replied, "I''m not hungry."


    Ruby, who had already started to salivate at the sight of the food, immediately agreed, "I''m not hungry either." But as soon as she finished speaking, her stomach made a rumbling sound. Ruby was instantly embarrassed by this sound, and her little hand instinctively covered her stomach.


    She then ran to Dn''s side and whispered, "Dn, I feel so embarrassed."


    Dn, as the older brother, quickly reached out and patted her shoulder tofort her. Adrian, who had witnessed the whole scene, couldn''t help but burst intoughter. He found them so adorable. With this in mind, Adrian''s eyes curved, and his voice unconsciously softened.


    "Are you really not hungry? If you don''te and eat soon, it will get cold and won''t taste good."


    Ruby, pouting and holding her stomach, was really hungry but refused to move. "I don''t want to eat what you bought. If it weren''t for Uncle NightA, Mommy wouldn''t have had a bleeding head. Dn, you shouldn''t eat either." Not only did she not want to eat, but she also asked Dn not to eat.


    Dn didn''t really mind being a little hungry, it wasn''t a big deal for him. But he did worry about Ruby, the little glutton. So, Dn pressed his lips together, nodded slightly, and agreed with a small gesture.


    But before five seconds had passed, Ruby couldn''t help but surrender. "Dn, I''m a bit hungry."


    Dn knew it. Ruby loved eating since she was little, and she had never experienced hunger before, so she must be a little unable to bear it now.


    "Dn..." Just when Dn thought that Ruby couldn''t hold on any longer and would surrender to her cravings, Ruby gently tugged at the corner of his clothes and whispered, "Dn, what if we take Mommy''s phone back and call Uncle Michael?" Dn thought this was a good idea. They could rely on Uncle Michael.


    However, he didn''t know if Uncle NightA had settled the hospital expenses for Mommy. Would Uncle NightA give him the phone at this time?


    Moreover, the most important thing was that Uncle NightA had already bought so much food. If Uncle Michael were toe over to bring them food and see all this food here already, what would he think? "Dn..."


    But before he could think much about it, Ruby couldn''t bear her hunger anymore and started tugging at his clothes.


    Dn felt somewhat helpless. He was about to ask Adrian for his phone back when Adrian suddenly got up from the dining table and squatted in front of them. "What are you whispering about?"


    As soon as she saw him, Ruby immediately turned away and wouldn''t look at him.


    Adrian gently tapped her on the back of her head, "Are you still angry with me?" "Hmph."


    Ruby didn''t want to talk to him at all..


    Adrian could only point his finger downward, poking her at the back of her neck. "I''m sorry, Ruby. I apologize to you and your brother. Can you forgive me?" "No!"


    Ruby, who had no intention of paying attention to him, immediately pouted in anger.


    "You don''t have to forgive me, but are you really not going to eat? If you starve yourself, pass out, and your mommy wakes up to find you gone, what will happen?" Helpless, Adrian had to resort to a more roundabout method.


    Children were simply children, and upon hearing Adrian''s words, they became a bit worried.


    "Mummy?"


    "Yes." Adrian nodded. "If children don''t eat properly, they''re more likely to faint."


    "Really?" Ruby asked.


    Adrian nodded earnestly. "Really."


    Dn, who was listening on the side, couldn''t help but feel like Uncle NightA was intentionally deceiving his sister.


    But he didn''t want to expose it. After all, as an older brother, he didn''t want his sister to go hungry at this moment.


    "And you''re still angry with me, right? Then you definitely can''t skip meals. It''s a punishment for me."


    "Punish Uncle NightA?" Ruby was intrigued by this novel idea. "How is that a punishment for you?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian put on a serious, thoughtful expression for a while before saying, "You''ll punish me by having me treat you to meals."


    Ruby looked puzzled. "Treating us to meals? Is that considered a punishment?"


    "Buying meals costs money. I''ll spend my money to treat you to meals. Doesn''t that sound awful for me?" Adrian said, then reached out and pinched Ruby''s cheek. "Or do you want someone else to pay for it?"


    "No!" Ruby quickly took the bait and let out a muffled sound. "Uncle NightA will be punished by treating me and my brother to meals until I grow up!" Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let''s make that a deal."


    Treating them to meals until they grew up was just what he wanted.


    So, Ruby, who was already so hungry that her front and back stuck together, was immediately convinced.


    However, she was a little bit stubborn. Even though she agreed, she stood still in her spot.


    Adrian saw this and immediately understood that this little child was still ying hard to get.


    Naturally, she had to be appeased.


    "Come, let me take you."


    As Adrian said this, he extended his arms toward the little girl.


    Looking at his broad, warm embrace, Ruby blinked her eyes, nervously twisted her own hand for a while, and finally walked slowly into Adrian''s arms. Just as she leaned in, Adrian lifted her up.


    "Let''s go."


    Dn didn''t expect his little sister to be so easily swayed. Just as he was holding his position, a hand suddenly stretched out in front of him. "Dn,e along."

 Chapter 331 I See That Youre Uncomfortable

    And so, in the end, Dn too ced his small hand into the warm-lookingrge hand and was led away.


    Jacob had bought an abundance of things, not knowing exactly what children liked to eat. He bought a variety of items, resulting in the table being filled with a splendor of dishes.


    Ruby was ced on a chair and, upon seeing the table full of food, widened her eyes in astonishment.


    "Uncle NightA, is all this for me and my brother?"


    "Yes."


    As he spoke, Adrian took out two white napkins and set them in front of Ruby and Dn on the table.


    He had been taking care of them for quite some time now, even though he hadn''t quite figured out the children''s preferences. However, Jacob knew what tools kids needed for meals, so he bought them while he was out. Ruby and Dn sat there, watching Adrian busy himself for the two of them.


    Ruby quickly shed her initial indifference and haughtiness, gradually letting her guard down and starting to give Adrian orders.


    "Uncle NightA, I want to eat this!"


    "Alright." Adrian ced the item she pointed to in front of her.


    "And that one!"


    "Alright."


    "And the farthest potato pancake over there."


    "No problem."


    Adrian barely ate a mouthful, cooperating with Ruby''s actions the whole time, all while taking care of Dn. Even though the little guy was reserved, he reluctantly said thank you.


    Adrian looked at the two well-mannered children and felt a sense of admiration.


    In just five years, she had raised these two kids so well.


    How much effort and thought had gone into these five years?


    With these thoughts, Adrian''s gaze shifted slightly, looking at Eva on the hospital bed. She was still in aa and hadn''t woken up since earlier.


    Adrian''s brows furrowed, he had no clue how much longer she would have toy there.


    "Uncle NightA!"


    The sharp, spirited voice of the little girl snapped Adrian out of his thoughts. Turning his head, Adrian saw the little girl looking somewhat discontented. "Uncle NightA, what''s the matter with you?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian noticed that he had been lost in thought just now.


    "I''m sorry, I was just distracted by something, Ruby. What would you like?"


    Ruby pouted, "I''m thirsty, I want soup, please."


    "Alright, I''ll pour it for you." Adrian got up again to serve her the soup.


    When Eva regained some consciousness, her fingertips lightly trembled on the hospital bed, but she couldn''t move. Her mind was still very fuzzy. She could only vaguely hear some chattering voices echoing in her ears.


    "I want to eat this!"


    "I want to eat that!"


    "I''m thirsty, I want soup!!"


    "Ah, it''s too hot! Uncle, you''re so clumsy! You should cool it down first!"


    In the midst of chaos, Eva felt that this voice sounded so much like her daughter, but when did her daughter be so demanding?


    She needed help blowing on the soup even though she was already having it?


    Spoiled.


    While she was helpless, she also felt a bit indulgent.


    However, before she could have any more thoughts, she was once again enveloped in darkness.


    When she regained consciousness again, her mind was clearer than before, and the previous seemingly illusory chattering voices had disappeared.


    It was quiet around her, so quiet that she could even hear the sound of medical equipment.


    After a while, Eva opened her eyes, and all she saw was a sea of white.


    It was nighttime now, and there was only a dim small light in the room. The soft light wasn''t ring, so Eva didn''t feel any difort when she opened her eyes. Looking around, Eva quickly spotted an unexpected visitor by her bedside.


    Eva, whose mind was originally nk, quickly remembered what had happened today upon seeing Adrian.


    Her consciousness was fragmented after hitting her forehead, and she had no recollection of what happened afterward.


    Now, it seemed that she had been injured and Adrian brought her to the hospital?


    What about Ruby and Dn?


    As soon as she thought of them, Eva, who had been lying calmly, immediately became panicked and wanted to sit up.


    But as soon as she made a sound, Adrian, who was leaning against the edge of the bed, resting his eyes, woke up.


    He opened his pitch-ck eyes, and unexpectedly, she fell right into his gaze without any preparation.


    One secondter, Adrian got up to support her.


    "You''re awake. Where does it hurt?"


    His voice sounded low and hoarse, as if it was left behind after a sleepless night.


    Eva''s first question was, "Where are Dn and Ruby?"


    Upon hearing that, Adrian paused briefly.


    She truly seemed really worried since her first question upon waking up was about the two children.


    "Don''t worry."


    Adrian lifted his chin in the direction behind her, and Eva turned her head.


    Under the warm light, the two children were embracing each other on an adjacent bed, covered with thick nkets, and Adrian''s coat on top of them. Because the lighting was so beautiful, the whole scene seemed peaceful to Eva.


    Seeing her children there, Eva finally let out a sigh of relief. She was worried about what would happen to the children if something happened to her. Unexpectedly, they came along, and Adrian allowed it as well.


    "Instead of worrying about them, you should worry about yourself." Adrian''s voice brought Eva back to her senses.


    After confirming the safety of the two children, Eva''s expression became cold again, looking at Adrian coldly, she said, "What about the others?" Upon hearing this, Adrian was momentarily stunned.


    "I brought you to the hospital myself."


    "Yourself?"


    "And Dn and Ruby helped."


    Upon hearing this, Eva nced towards where Ruby and Dn were.


    Seeing them both asleep soundly, the look in her eyes softened slightly.


    Sitting beside her, Adrian observed her expression and eyes, clenched his fists, suppressing his envy.


    "They are well-behaved." Adrian said again.


    This statement finally made Eva understand, and she sneered, then mockingly replied, "After five years of painstaking effort raising children, of course they are well-behaved." Adrian couldn''t really grasp her intention behind her words because she was still injured and had just woken up.


    Adrian didn''t want to discuss this matter further, so as not to agitate her emotions.


    So, he decided to change the topic.


    "How are you? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?"


    After what happened tonight, Eva didn''t feel like maintaining any sort of dignity in front of him.


    So, she coldly answered, "I see you are ufortable."


    Indeed, there was a slight stiffness in Adrian''s expression.


    Eva''s lips curled up and she asked, "What about it? Do you want to leave?"

 Chapter 332 Outside is Cold

    Adrian''s expression froze, and his temples twitched at her words.


    But after a moment, he returned to normal, as if he had fully adjusted his negative emotions from earlier. "Are you thirsty? Shall I pour you some warm water?"


    Eva stared at him expressionlessly.


    After a few seconds of eye contact, Adrian stood up and proactively went to pour her a cup of warm water.


    "I already tested the temperature, it''s just right."


    Eva nced at the cup of water in front of her and refused, "I don''t want to drink."


    "You haven''t eaten anything all night and you''ve been lying down for so long, just have some warm water to soothe your throat."


    As he spoke, Adrian even proactively brought the cup of water to Eva''s lips.


    Eva frowned and turned her head away, "I said I don''t want to drink."


    Adrian maintained his original posture for a moment, then finally took back the cup, "Then do you want to eat something? What do you want to eat?"


    In that moment, Eva didn''t know what she was thinking. She lightly chuckled and said, "I don''t want to drink water, I don''t want to eat, and I especially don''t want to see you. If you really feel guilty about what happened tonight and want to do something for me, then call Michael for me."


    After she mentioned Michael''s name, Adrian, who had been calm this whole time, instantly lost his smile and without hesitation, he immediately refused her request.


    "That''s impossible."


    "Oh, then don''t bother me, there is nothing that I want from you."


    After saying this, Evay down on her own, but because she moved too abruptly, she identally touched the wound on her forehead, causing her to instinctively suck in a breath of cold air.


    Adrian''s eyes instantly changed after seeing this scene, standing up and nervously watching her.


    "Did it touch the wound? Does it hurt?" His tone was anxious, his hand on her shoulder,pletely losing the sternness from earlier.


    "You don''t need to worry, don''t touch me." Eva pushed his hand away, gasping in pain. "You''re pretending to be a good person in front of me now. If you didn''t take the children away without my consent, I wouldn''t have gone looking for you. If I didn''t go looking for you, I wouldn''t have run into them, and none of this would have happened today."


    Adrian fell silent.


    Indeed, she was right. If he had handled things properly, none of this would have happened today.


    He hadn''t protected her.


    "I''m sorry." Adrian looked at her and spoke gently, "I didn''t handle this well, that''s why you got hurt like this. But you''re still in pain now, so let''s not discuss this yet. Rest for now and recover, okay?" When he said this, Adrian''s tone was soft, even with a hint of caution, as if afraid that Eva would get angry.


    And Eva was indeed angry just now, but after the pain subsided and with Adrian speaking to her in this submissive manner, her emotions calmed down a bit.


    But she still didn''t want to pay him any attention, she just didn''t want to argue with him.


    So, after lying down to alleviate the pain, it took a while for Eva to say, "I want some time alone to rx."


    After a long silence, Adrian replied, "Alright."


    Relieved to hear his agreement, Eva let out a sigh.


    However, after waiting for a while, Adrian still sat there without moving. Eva frowned slightly and asked, "Why aren''t you going out?"


    Didn''t he agree to her request to be alone?


    Upon hearing this, a moment of confusion appeared on Adrian''s face, and then he lowered his eyes to look at her.


    "I''m here to protect you."


    "I don''t need you to protect me."


    Adrian pursed his lips and looked at her for a moment before finally getting up and leaving.


    Perhaps it was Eva''s imagination, but she always felt like Adrian''s gaze towards her just now seemed somewhat wronged.


    Once she realized this, Eva became angry again.


    What is he feeling wronged about?


    She''s the one who got injured, not him. What does he have to feel wronged about?


    The door to the hospital room closed was closed behind him as Adrian went outside.


    Eva gently turned over, the wound still slightly painful, but she turned to the side where she could see the children and watched them sleep.


    The two little ones were sound asleep without any defenses, was it because they knew she was here, or because they knew that Adrian was in the room?


    Because the wound on her forehead wasn''tfortable, Eva didn''t bother thinking about other things. Her consciousness quickly became somewhat weak again. So, Eva half-closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


    However, she didn''t sleep deeply, falling in and out of consciousness.


    Sometimes, her attention would turn to the person outside the hospital room, but her rationality prevented her from indulging in random thoughts.


    Like this, unaware of how much time had passed, Eva listened.


    The door of the hospital room was opened. The sound was very soft, and if it weren''t for the quietness in the hospital, and if she wasn''t awake, she would probably not have heard it. Didn''t he already leave? Why did hee back again now?


    Because the door was behind her, Eva couldn''t see who opened it, whether it was Adrian or not.


    After a while, the faint footsteps behind her finally stopped, and his gaze was fixated on her back.


    Eva felt extremely ufortable being stared at and furrowed her brows lightly before turning her head.


    Sure enough, her eyes met Adrian''s dark, profound eyes.


    Seeing her, Adrian''s expression seemed startled, probably because he didn''t expect her to still be awake.


    His expression quickly revealed everything.


    He probably thought he had been gone for long enough, so he wanted toe in while she was asleep, thinking she wouldn''t know.


    Indeed, Adrian''s first words to her were, "You haven''t fallen asleep?"


    "What does it have to do with you whether I sleep or not? Didn''t I tell you I wanted to be alone for a while? Why did youe in again?" Adrian''s exquisite gaze lingered on Eva''s face for a while before he lowered his eyes.


    "It''s cold outside."


    His voice was low, and it became extremely hoarse due to his sleeplessness and the cold he endured.


    This also made Eva feel somewhat guilty.


    Because at this moment, Adrian was only wearing a light gray shirt. As for his coat, it was draped over the bodies of the two children.


    In other words, if he hadn''t given the coat to her two children, he wouldn''t be cold at all.


    But he did give it, and then she chased him out.


    At this time, the temperature was at its lowest, and the indoor temperature was slightly warmer, but Eva didn''t feel much warmth even under the nket. Not to mention how cold it must be outside, especially when he was dressed like this.


    "Just let me stay for a while. I won''t make any noise or disturb you, okay?"


    If he hadn''t given his coat to the children when he said this, it would have been fine, but since he did, would it be inconsiderate of her to refuse his request?

 Chapter 333 Cutting Ties

    She didn''t agree, but she also didn''t refuse.


    Adrian''s heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally let go, and he slightly curled his lips as he looked at her side-lying figure.


    It''s not that he was pretending. With the temperature outside right now, wearing only a single shirt, he truly felt cold. It was probably because of the recent stomach bleeding and hospitalization that he still hadn''t fully recovered, causing his body to be weakened.


    Of course, he could ask Jacob to get another coat for him, it would only take a little time.


    Jacob did suggest that.


    However, in that instant, Adrian still wanted toe in and try to be with her, if possible.


    And he seeded.


    Although it was still cold inside, seeing her and the children sleeping peacefully on the bed, Adrian''s heart gradually warmed up.


    After sitting for a while, he got up and poured himself a cup of hot water. The sound of him drinking the water seemed loud in the quiet night.


    Eva had been anxious since earlier that evening and hadn''t eaten or had even a sip of water. Now she was feeling a bit thirsty. However, she didn''t want to talk to Adrian at all, so she decided to keep her eyes closed and endure it.


    After a while, Eva could no longer bear the thirst and opened her eyes. Shey quietly for a moment and finally decided to get up and have some water. Since there hadn''t been any movement behind her, Eva guessed that Adrian must have been sitting with his eyes closed, resting.


    As long as she moved quietly.


    She was thinking of this when Adrian''s voice sounded.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Eva''s movement stalled as she heard his voice.


    Then she slowly turned her head and saw Adrian walking towards her. "What do you want to do? Tell me, and I''ll help you."


    "No need." Without hesitation, Eva rejected his offer for help, sticking to her n of getting out of bed. However, she didn''t move at all, and her body almost tilted forward. Fortunately, Adrian reached out and caught her in time, preventing her from falling onto the floor.


    A sigh came from above.


    "Do you need to go to the bathroom? Shall I carry you?" Although Adrian was inquiring, before the words fully finish, he had reached out and scooped her up horizontally.


    "What are you doing? Put me down." Considering that the two children were still sleeping, Eva kept her anger in check, speaking in a low voice.


    Adrian nced at her lightly. "Don''t you want to go to the bathroom?"


    "Who told you I wanted to go to the bathroom? I don''t."


    "Is that so? After going through so many bottles of fluid, you should want to go to the bathroom."


    To avoid him dwelling on whether she wanted to go to the bathroom or not, Eva had to borate to him.


    "I don''t want to go to the bathroom. I just want to drink water."


    "Drink water?" Adrian''s movement faltered, probably not expecting that. His eyes also showed some doubt. "You really want to drink water?"


    "What else? I haven''t had a sip of water since evening, and my throat hurts." She responded impatiently.


    Only now did Adrian realize what was going on. He sighed helplessly, and in a low voice, he said, "Earlier, when I asked if you wanted to drink water, you refused."


    After speaking, he gently ced her back on the bed and turned around to pour her a ss of water.


    Soon he returned with a ss of warm water, and this time Eva didn''t refuse. She was desperately thirsty.


    After nodding slightly towards Adrian, she took the water ss from him.


    As she drank, Adrian stood beside her, watching her, his gaze fixed on her face.


    "Don''t drink too fast, no one is trying to snatch it from you."


    Eva replied, "I''m just drinking water. I''m not a child. Do I need you to teach me?"


    After finishing the remaining half of the ss, she handed it back to him.


    Adrian took it from her with a smile.


    Then unexpectedly, he blurted out, "Do you need to go to the bathroom?"


    Why is it this question again?


    She really wanted to refuse, but damn it, she actually seemed to have a bit of that need now...


    Eva''s face grew serious.


    But before she could say anything, Adrian interjected.


    Evoking an air of understanding, Adrian replied, "I''ll carry you there."


    Carrying her once again, he arrived outside the restroom.


    Luckily, at this moment, the IV infusion had already finished, and her forehead injury didn''t pose any difficulty in using the toilet.


    After entering the restroom, Adrian opened the toilet seat for her and had the tissues prepared in advance. Only after he finished preparing everything did he say, "I''ll wait for you outside. Call me when you''re done." With that, he left and closed the door behind him.


    Eva stood still for a moment and then asked in a soft voice, "Are you outside?"


    Immediately, Adrian''s response came from outside, "I am."


    Finally unable to bear it any longer, Eva said, "Can you please go a bit further away?"


    She casually uttered a few words, yet he could still hear her. How could she use the restroom with him so close?


    After a brief silence, Adrian''s voice came from a distance, low and muffled. "Is this far enough now?"


    Eva decided to open the restroom door, expressionlessly, and said, "Further."


    Adrian obediently distanced himself.


    Seeing him being exceptionally far away, Eva closed the door.


    After she finished, washed her hands, and opened the door to walk out, Adrian was still standing in the same spot.


    Upon seeing her, he quickened his pace towards her.


    "No need for you to carry me."


    Eva managed to stop him before he touched her.


    Adrian''s movement came to a halt. "Are you able to do it yourself? Are you in pain anywhere?"


    "No." Eva nced at him. "It''s just a forehead injury, not a leg injury."


    The hospital room wasn''trge. During their conversation, she had already reached the side of the bed, and Adrian had been following her all along. After shey down, he adjusted the pillow for her and tucked her in. It seemed considerate and attentive, yet Eva couldn''t help but feel angry when she thought about what he had done before.


    "I won''t hold today''s incident against you."


    Upon hearing her words, Adrian paused in his action of tucking the nket, looking at her with surprise.


    "I can let it go, but from now on, don''te around us anymore. We will sever all ties."


    Adrian''s once surprised expression instantly turned cloudy.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I made myself clear, didn''t I?"


    "Are you saying that you don''t want to see me anymore?"


    "Well, more or less."


    Adrian fell silent for a moment and finally asked, "What if I disagree?"


    Eva maintained an indifferent expression. "If you disagree, then so be it. I''m not asking for your approval."


    After saying this, she saw Adrian calm down again, but he didn''t leave. Instead, his gaze fixed earnestly on her face.


    "Are you really making me leave? Can''t I take care of you and the children?"


    Eva chuckled lightly, a hint of mockery in her eyes.


    "Why should you? Adrian, tell me, why should you? You didn''t want the children in the first ce, and now suddenly you want to take care of us. Why the sudden change of heart? It''s not up to you to decide."

 Chapter 334 I Can Explain

    The remark about him not wanting children made Adrian furrow his brow, and he instinctively retorted, "When did I ever say I don''t want children?" His reaction only made Eva find it more ridiculous.


    "Don''t act like you never said it just because you didn''t say it with your own mouth."


    Adrian''s brow furrowed even further upon hearing this remark. It was so absurd that he could only defend himself.


    "If I didn''t say it with my own mouth, then why would I be responsible for it?"


    Hearing this, an incredulous expression crossed Eva''s face. "Adrian, don''t you even have the courage to admit it?"


    Adrian felt somewhat frustrated.


    "If I didn''t say it with my own mouth, why should I admit it?"


    Eva sneered, "I never thought you would be such a coward, unable to admit even the things you''ve done, ying word games with me."


    "When did I ever y word games with you?"


    Eva asked mockingly, "If you didn''t y any word games, then why won''t you admit it?"


    "How can I admit to something I didn''t do?"


    Feeling like she couldn''t get through to him, Eva realized that words alone were not enough. It was true that he hadn''t said it with his own mouth, and if he wanted topete with her for the children, of course he would deny it. Eva just couldn''t believe that he had be this kind of person.


    Adrian saw that she not only fell silent but also had a dramatic change in her gaze and expression. Unable to bear it, he grabbed her shoulders and gritted his teeth, "Fine, since you insist, I''ll agree to it now. Let''s assume I did such a thing. As the person involved, can I request that we re-examine what happened back then?"


    Upon hearing this, there was a slight flicker in Eva''s eyes.


    Admitting was one thing, but why did they need to re-examine what happened back then? Could it be that he was trying to trick her?


    "If you want to convict me, don''t I deserve to know what crime I''vemitted?" Adrian almost ground his teeth to pieces as he said this. He really had no idea what had happened back then.


    But now, Eva firmly believed that he had done such a thing. She even considered him a coward for not admitting it, which already showed that there was a deep misunderstanding between him and Eva. Seeing her still silent, Adrian had no choice but to lower his stance.


    "Tell me, please?"


    Eva stared at him.


    It took a while before she took a deep breath and then turned her head to look elsewhere, reminding him with two words.


    "Text messages."


    "Text messages?" Adrian was still confused by these sudden words, squinting his narrow eyes. "What text messages? Are you saying I sent you text messages back then?"


    His question left Eva even more bewildered.


    The event had clearly urred, but why did he now act as if he knew nothing?


    "Do you remember the text messages I sent you? Do I need to remind you about anything else?"


    Adrian''s brow furrowed deeply.


    Text messages from her?


    He carefully recalled what had happened back then, but he didn''t remember himself neglecting any of her messages, nor did he recall receiving any text messages from her regarding pregnancy. With this in mind, Adrian looked at Eva and asked a crucial question.


    "Did I reply to you back then?"


    "No."


    Sure enough, he wondered why he had no recollection. If she had sent him a message, how could he have no impression at all?


    So, Adrian solemnly said, "Eva, do you believe me when I say I didn''t receive this message?"


    Eva pursed her lips, seemingly unsurprised by his response.


    "I knew you would deny it. Since you didn''t reply, it can be treated as if you didn''t see it."


    "I truly didn''t see it. Otherwise, do you think I wouldn''t reply to such an important matter? We grew up together since childhood, do you think I am that kind of person?"


    "Yes, we grew up together, and I thought I knew you, but people can change. After all, Vivian saved your life, and it''s not impossible for you to change for her."


    "Do you think I would hurt you for her sake?"


    Eva looked at him mockingly, "Don''t you think you''ve hurt me for her sake?"


    Adrian asked, "When?"


    When? How could he still have the audacity to ask when?


    Seeing her silent, Adrian took the initiative to speak, "If you''re referring to the divorce, I can exin."


    Eva didn''t respond.


    "When we got married, didn''t we agree it was a fake marriage in advance?"


    Hearing this, Eva nced at him but didn''t say anything.


    Adrian continued, "What did you tell me back then? That we would get divorced after your grandmother''s surgery."


    "I didn''t say that." Eva refuted, "You were the one who said it."


    "Have you forgotten?" Adrian''s smile seemed somewhat wretched. "On the morning of the fifth day after we had our first intimate encounter, you told me with your own words that we would get divorced after your grandmother''s surgery." Upon hearing this, Eva was briefly stunned, clearly having forgotten about this memory.


    Now that Adrian had brought it up, Eva thought about it seriously and realized that there indeed seemed to be such a memory.


    At that time, it was their first intimate encounter, but alcohol yed a significant role in their rtionship.


    So, when they woke up, they were both awkward, especially after their conversation, Adrian had been in a low mood for a long time.


    She couldn''t stand it, so on the fifth day of their low mood, seeing Adrian ignoring her even in the morning, she couldn''t help but say, "Stop making that face all the time. Didn''t I already say it was just an ident what happened that night? If it''s really such a huge problem, then we can get divorced after your grandmother''s surgery."


    And upon hearing her words, Adrian suddenly stopped in his tracks. But she didn''t take the time to see his reaction as she went straight into the bathroom.


    At that moment, the feeling of being ignored by him was unpleasant. She had imagined that other couples in love wouldin and show affection in their marriage. But considering her identity, her marriage with Adrian was already fake, and beneath the facade of a blissful marriage was their childhood friendship.


    What else did she have?


    Qualifications to act like a girlfriend, hoping he won''t neglect her anymore.


    Furthermore, with no delusions in her heart, she believed that Adrian had a darkened face because their rtionship was destroyed. She obviously exined their rtionship, thinking that it would reassure him. After all, he had helped her, so she should do something in return.


    Recalling the past, Eva said coldly, "So what if it was me who said it? If it weren''t for you giving me the cold shoulder every day, would I have said these things?"


    Adrian narrowed his eyes, "I gave you the cold shoulder? Eva, who woke up and told me it was just a physiological need and asked for ten million dors? You treated our rtionship as a transaction?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva finally understood. She looked at him with a smile and said, "What? Are you saying that our rtionship is not a transaction anymore?"

 Chapter 335 Wont Compete With Me

    "Back then, when the Hansen family was in trouble, I was grateful for your help, but haven''t you forgotten the reason we got married? It was because my grandmother was in poor health."


    Thinking of grandmother, Eva remembered that she couldn''t even see her before she passed away. There was a slight ache in her heart, and she had to take a deep breath to ease it before continuing, "Anyway, we both got what we wanted, so it''s not much different from a transaction."


    "Is that so?" Adrian''s gaze tightened. "If it''s just a transaction, then why did you leave without taking a single penny? Why did you decide to have our children?"


    "If we were divorced, what would I do with your money? You helped me settle the Hansen family''s affairs, and I helped you take care of your grandmother. Why would I need your money? And as for why I decided to have the children, your question is even more ridiculous. I didn''t force you to sleep with me. You wanted to. I got pregnant, and the children were in my belly. Of course, I have the right to decide whether to keep them or not." "But they carry my bloodline."


    "So what? Is your bloodline so noble? Once I give birth, they be mine. If you''re jealous that I have children, go find someone else to have one with you."


    The conversation drifted further away.


    Adrian finally realized this problem wasn''t being resolved like this.


    He wanted to figure out what had happened back then and why Eva had such a big misunderstanding. But every time Eva mentioned the children, she seemed afraid that he would take them away.


    No wonder. If the misunderstanding wasn''t resolved, she wouldn''t be at ease with herself, let alone believe that he hadn''t considered taking the children but just wanted to raise them together with her.


    For now, the best n was to stabilize her as soon as possible and make her trust him. Only then would he have a chance to resolve the misunderstandings from the past.


    Realizing this, Adrian suddenly took out her phone from his pocket and handed it to her.


    Seeing her own phone, Eva immediately took it, but she didn''t expect Adrian to suddenly say, "Turn on the recording function."


    Confused, Eva tilted her head and looked at Adrian.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Record everything I''m going to say next."


    Seeing Eva''sck of response, Adrian took the phone back from her hand, opened the recording function, and handed it back to her.


    Eva then sat quietly watching him operate from the side, she didn''t know what he was up to for a moment.


    But now, in the middle of the night, with only the two of them in the hospital room, she couldn''t stop whatever he wanted to do. She simply watched him quietly, waiting to see what he had in mind.


    After a while, Eva saw Adrian look at her and say lightly, "Haven''t you always been afraid that I would snatch the children away? Now we have it as a recording, I assure you, I will never take our children away from you." Upon hearing this, Eva paused. She didn''t expect him to say that. Was he trying to prove something to himself?


    "Are you still afraid now? Keep this recording, save it, and make a backup. If I ever try to take our children, you bring out this recording."


    Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but scoff, "So what if we have a recording? You only said you wouldn''t take the children, but you didn''t mention what would happen if you actually did."


    "What do you want me to do? You say it, and I''ll do it."


    "I say something, and you''ll do it?"


    Adrian nodded.


    Eva smirked, "Alright then, if that''s what you want."


    "Yes."


    "Then you say that you will never have any thoughts about my children, Dn and Ruby. You won''t even try to fight for custody. As long as I don''t give up, these two children are mine and no one else''s." Adrian nodded and calmly repeated her words into the recording phone.


    Evay there listening as he slowly finished repeating her words. Then she added, "If one day you have any thoughts of fighting me for the children, be it through legal procedures or trying to take them away privately, I will have an obligation to take you to court. By then, all your assets will belong to me."


    She didn''t believe he could still say these things without any change. After all, words spoken now would hold consequences in the future. If he really wanted to take her children, it mighte at a great cost. So, after Eva finished speaking, she didn''t expect Adrian to repeat her words. She rxed, adopting a casual demeanor, and seemed nonchnt.


    But in the next moment, Adrian unexpectedly repeated her words without any expression on his face.


    Eva looked at Adrian with aplicated gaze. She didn''t expect him to actually repeat everything she had just said. What did he mean? Could it be that he really wouldn''t fight her for the children? Was everything just her overthinking? As she pondered, it seemed like she had been too suspicious during this period of time. From the very beginning, he emphasized that they would take care of the children together, rather than him taking them from her.


    "Now can you rx?" Seeing that her expression was no longer as guarded as before, Adrian finally breathed a sigh of relief. With these words, could they finally resolve the troubles between them peacefully?


    Eva didn''t say anything, but silently saved a backup of their conversation from earlier. If the need arose in the future, these recordings could serve as evidence.


    Adrian noticed her actions and a smile gradually formed on his lips.


    "Keep the recording safe, and make sure no one else gets their hands on it, or messes with it..."


    "No need for you to say." Eva expressionlessly tucked her phone under her pillow.


    "So now you trust me? Because you''re sure I won''tpete with you for the children?"


    Looking at his expression, Eva knew he had something to say to her.


    "Why do you ask so many questions? Just say what you want to say. It''ste at night, and I don''t have the energy to chat with you."


    Adrian nced at the time. It was indeedte, and she was injured. She should be resting at this time.


    But the misunderstanding would only deepen if they postponed it any longer.


    They had already misunderstood each other for so long.


    Thinking of this, Adrian immediately said, "I truly didn''t know about the text message. If I didn''t reply to you, there''s a high chance that I genuinely didn''t see that message or I didn''t receive it."


    "The phone number is yours, and thework showed that it was sent sessfully. Don''t you think it''s too far-fetched to say that you didn''t receive it?"


    As Eva spoke, her expression was calm, as if she was talking about something unrted to herself.


    Her attitude somewhat affected Adrian, making him slightly annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. He could only continue, "What''s so far-fetched about it? Maybe thework was good on your end, but it wasn''t on mine. Or perhaps, at that time, the phone wasn''t in my hands."


    Hearing this, Eva subconsciously replied, "If the phone wasn''t in your hands, then whose hands would it be in?"

 Chapter 336 In the Morning

    When this question was asked, both of them fell silent.


    Eva was silent because she remembered the urrence at the pool club downstairs, where Vivian''s friends took her phone and yed a prank by sending her messages. Adrian''s facial expression also indicated that he and Eva had thought of the same thing.


    At this moment, both of them thought of the same possibility.


    After a long while, Adrian looked at Eva and said, "Perhaps the phone really wasn''t in my hands?"


    Eva pursed her lips but did not reply.


    Adrian grasped onto this glimmer of hope and immediately asked, "If, Eva... I mean, if, when you told me about this, the phone really wasn''t in my hands, and that''s what caused all of the events that followed, would you still me me?" Upon hearing this, Eva remained silent, thinking carefully about the possibilities and her response.


    "If the phone wasn''t in your hands, then whose hands would it be in?" Eva fixedly looked at him. "Your phone is always with you, right? If it really wasn''t with you, it would only be with someone important to you. Even if you didn''t see the messages, so what?"


    And how did she know if what he said was true?


    Was he intentionally trying to confuse the situation with this scenario?


    In any case, until everything was investigated clearly, she wouldn''t just blindly believe him.


    These words also silenced Adrian.


    He pressed his thin lips together. When he wanted to exin further, Eva yawned.


    "I''m a bit tired. Can I rest for a while? Instead of asking me so many questions, why don''t you try to find out what really happened back then? If you truly didn''t receive that text message, then who did?"


    "And if Ie to you with answers and proof of my innocence, will you listen?"


    "Alright." Eva replied absentmindedly, turning her face to the other side. Her behavior pierced Adrian''s heart, making his clenched fist rx and he got up to cover her with a nket. Eva closed her eyes when he approached, afraid that he might say something else to her.


    Afraid of disturbing her further, Adrian decided not to bother her anymore after covering her and walked towards the window, lost in his thoughts.


    Text message? Whenever he had his phone with him, he rarely missed any text messages sent by Eva. If he did miss any, it could be either because he didn''t see it or it was mistakenly ssified as junk. But how could Eva''s message be treated as junk when she was in his contacts?


    With that in mind, Adrian quickly took out his phone to check. When he flipped it open, his expression cracked instantly.


    It had been five years... His phone was long since reced, and those texts from back then were long gone. What could he find now? His fingers with distinct knuckles scrolled through the phone screen chaotically, and ideas shed through his mind. But they were too fast for him to grasp. In the end, he could only lean against the wall, furrowing his brows tightly.


    After a few minutes, Adrian left the room and called Jacob. Jacob had actually been waiting outside for quite some time and had just returned home to take a hot shower before crawling into bed.


    As he settled into his nkets, heined, "This weather is freezing! Being Mr. ckwood''s assistant is not easy. Luckily, I cane back early and get some sleep." Just as he was about to doze off, his phone vibrated again.


    Since he was always on standby as a personal assistant, his phone was always turned on 24/7. When his phone rang, he knew exactly who was calling. But the weather was too cold, and the bed was too warm. He really didn''t want to get up. The phone kept ringing.


    Eventually, Jacob had no choice but to crawl out of bed to answer the call. "Mr. ckwood?"


    Adrian mentioned a specific date and continued, "Find a way to check all the text messages received during that period for me."


    Once Jacob realized the date Adrian was referring to, he was instantly puzzled. "But, Mr. ckwood... that date was a long time ago. How am I supposed to check?"


    "You''re my assistant, figure it out. Check every text message, including junk messages," Adrian replied.


    Before Jacob could say anything else, Adrian hung up, leaving a busy tone on the phone. Jacob sat there with the phone in his hand, speechless and choked up.


    Eva vaguely heard the sound of children''s voices and an unfamiliar male voice. Finally, someone gently touched her.


    Touching her forehead, as if showing her the wound.


    She was conscious but drowsy and fell back asleep.


    When she woke up again, she was gently awakened by a pair of hands.


    Eva opened her eyes and saw Adrian''s concerned expression.


    "Are you alright? You''ve been sleeping for a while."


    Seeing him, Eva''s gaze was somewhat hazy.


    "What time is it?"


    "It''s morning."


    "Morning? I think I heard the doctore."


    "Yeah." Adrian nodded. "The doctor came and asked me to find him when you wake up. Do you feel pain anywhere?"


    Eva earnestly shook her head.


    "No, I''m just tired."


    Indeed, she was tired. Recently, she had been highly nervous, fearing that he would take the children away from her. Though she appeared normal during the day, she had been suffering from insomnia for many nights. Each night, she only slept for a few restless hours.


    But now, perhaps due to her injury or because she had the recording as proof that he wouldn''t take the children away from her, she slept peacefully.


    "Just tired?" Adrian''s brows furrowed. "I''m a bit worried that you''re still so tired at this time. Don''t fall asleep. Let me call the doctor."


    After saying that, Adrian released her and left the room.


    As soon as he left, the children immediately surrounded her.


    "Mommy."


    "Mommy, you''re awake."


    Only then did Eva notice Ruby and Dn, who had been blocked by Adrian earlier.


    "Dn, Ruby, you''re here too."


    "Mummy, what happened? Does it still hurt?"


    Ruby approached her, reaching out to touch her forehead, but Dn behind her grabbed her arm.


    "Ruby, don''t touch her yet, mommy''s wound hasn''t healed."


    Hearing this, Ruby immediately withdrew her hand, and then timidly said, "I won''t touch, I won''t touch. But mommy, does it hurt? How about I treat you?"


    After speaking, Ruby climbed onto the bed with her short legs, her brother helping her from behind until she finally made it up.


    The actions of the two little ones made Eva both amused and tearful. When she finally reacted, Ruby was already leaning by her face, puckering her lips and blowing air onto her forehead. "Mommy, it doesn''t hurt, it doesn''t hurt."

 Chapter 337 I Will Solve It

    The little one blew air onto her forehead.


    Although this gesture didn''t seem to have any effect on Eva, whose forehead was wrapped in bandages, it still made her feel warm and cared for.


    Her mood also became joyful, and the corners of her pale lips curled up.


    "Mommy, are you feeling better?"


    Eva''s voice was very tender. "Hmm, much better. Thank you, Ruby."


    Ruby immediately smiled innocently and said, "No need to thank me, as long as Mommy doesn''t hurt anymore."


    Coincidentally, the doctor arrived at that moment, with Adrian following behind him. He saw Ruby leaning by the bedside and without a word, he reached out and scooped her into his arms, holding her while also leading Dn to the side. Afterwards, the doctor and nurse examined Eva and asked about her condition.


    Upon examination, the doctor confirmed that her speech was coherent and logical, so he nodded at Adrian.


    "She should be fine based on her condition. We''ll order a CT scanter, and if it''s clear, she can be discharged."


    Adrian, holding Ruby, nodded in response.


    "Thank you."


    Afterward, Adrian borrowed a wheelchair and nned to take Eva to get the CT scan.


    Eva looked at Adrian silently and reminded him, "I injured my forehead, not my legs."


    "I know." Adrian replied and then came over to lift her and ce her in the wheelchair. "Because it''s your forehead that''s injured, that''s why we need the wheelchair."


    Before leaving, Adrian instructed the two children to stay in the hospital room and not run around. After thinking for a moment, he felt worried and called them to follow along.


    They would have to wait for the CT scan results, so Adrian brought Eva back to the hospital room.


    Just as they arrived in the corridor outside the room, they saw two familiar figures standing by the door and peeking inside.


    Upon seeing those two people, Eva''s expression instantly turned cold, and she was about to speak when she heard Adrian say, "I will handle it."


    The words that were about toe out of Eva''s mouth got stuck.


    They were currently in the hospital, and the children were here too. If anything else happened she would not be held liable for the consequences.


    In the end, Eva lowered her gaze and said coldly, "It''s your own business anyway."


    Meanwhile, Vivian and Jason had already noticed them. When Vivian saw them walking together, her expression initially stiffened, but she quickly adjusted herself.


    When Vivian approached Eva, she affectionately called out, "Eva, how are you? Are you okay?"


    Faced with Vivian''s ''fake'' concern, Eva also forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your concern, I''m fine."


    Vivian''s smile froze slightly.


    Before she could say anything else, Adrian had already pushed Eva into the hospital room, and he also called the two children to join. "Come in you two."


    As he pushed the mother and her two children into the room, his tall figure blocked the entrance, preventing anyone else from going in.


    Once he made sure they were all inside, Adrian stepped back and closed the door to the room.


    His actions made Vivian, who had little hope in the first ce, instantly be displeased.


    "What do you mean, Adrian? We just wanted toe and visit her." Adrian''s voice was icy cold, "You''re done visiting now, you can leave."


    Hearing this, Vivian bit her lower lip and her eyes welled up with tears.


    Having convinced himself toe and apologize, Jason was now infuriated by Adrian''s attitude.


    "What do you mean, Adrian? We''ve been friends for so many years, and you treat me and Vivian like this? Let me tell you, even if I was in the wrongst night, I shouldn''t have acted the way I did, but you also have to take responsibility. Eva should apologize to Vivian too!"


    Adrian''s eyes suddenly turned cold, like a sharp sword shing across his face.


    "What did you say? Say it again?"


    Jason felt a bit intimidated by Adrian''s piercing gaze, but when he nced at the tearful Vivian, he gathered his courage again.


    "Did I say something wrong? You and Eva have been divorced for so long, and Vivian has been by your side all through these past five years. Now that Eva is back, can she just easily rece Vivian?"


    "Jason, please stop." Vivian held onto Jason''s hand, pitifully saying, "I don''t mind, it''s only right for Adrian to take care of Eva, considering how seriously she''s injured."


    "Vivian, what nonsense are you talking about? What does Eva''s injury have to do with Adrian? What do you mean it''s only right for him to take care of her? Eva is the shameless one..." Before Jason could finish his sentence, he received a punch to his chin.


    Before he could react, he received another punch. Vivian beside them gasped in shock. Once Jason realized what was happening, he immediately wanted to fight back against Adrian. Unfortunately, he was no match for Adrian. After a few rounds, his hand was pinned behind his back and pressed against the cold, hard ground.


    Vivian ran over, holding onto Adrian''s arm, crying as she tried to pull him away. "Adrian, please stop. Don''t get angry. If you''re not happy about us being here, then we''ll leave."


    "Jason, I will warn you onest time, my affairs are not anyone else''s business. If you like Vivian, go after her openly and honestly, rather than meddling in other people''s lives or evenying hands on women. The only reason I didn''t knock you out today is because of Eva, otherwise..."


    Adrian tightened his grip, causing Jason to cry out in pain.


    Adrian didn''t immediately let go, but instead coldly stared at him and said, "If there''s a next time, it won''t be resolved so easily."


    With those words, he finally released Jason''s hand and stood up.


    Adrian, with his impable appearance, looked as pristine as ever,pared to Jason whoy defeated on the ground. He exuded a sense of sharp elegance.


    This made Vivian even more infatuated, unable to bear the thought of letting go of such an outstanding man.


    After Adrian finished his warning, he didn''t even spare her a nce and started to walk away. Vivian gritted her teeth and followed after him.


    "Adrian, I''m sorry for yesterday, but today I''m genuinely worried about Eva. I just wanted to know how she''s doing, nothing... nothing more." Adrian''s gaze remained icy.


    "Didn''t you just see for yourself?"


    "What?"


    Adrian responded with a prolonged silence, before parting his thin lips gently, "Vivian."


    His tone was calm, his expression indifferent, creating an ominous premonition within Vivian.


    Just as Vivian was about to speak, her words were caught in her throat. She watched as Adrian turned around and walked away without saying another word.


    When he was a few steps away from her, he stopped and spoke words that Vivian tried to avoid listening to, she heard Adrian say, "I made it clear to you years ago, but it seems like you never really listened to me." "I... I was just..."


    "Vivian, the most dignified thing for adults is to not entangle themselves with things that don''t involve them."


    Hearing this, Vivian bit her lower lip, her eyes turning red.


    "And what about you? You said the most dignified thing for adults is to not entangle themselves, so what are you doing now? Aren''t you entangling yourself with Eva?"

 Chapter 338 Do you want to get back together with her?

    At this remark, Adrian''s gaze turned cold in an instant, and his tone became stern. "That''s between me and her."


    Vivian unwillingly responded, "But this is also about us. You don''t want me to entangle myself with you, yet you''re entangling yourself with Eva. Aren''t you unable to let go as well? So, what right do you have to ask me to let go? Adrian, I like you."


    After she finished speaking, Adrian''s thin lips curled slightly, but the smile didn''t reach his eyes. He replied indifferently, "Alright, I won''t ask you to let go, but don''t use Jason as your shield either." Vivian''s expression changed.


    "Adrian, what are you talking about? How could I possibly use Jason as my shield? It was clear that he..."


    "He allowed himself to be used, it was his own foolishness. But do you truly have no ulterior motives? If what happenedst night was an ident, what about today? Did you bring him to the hospital?" Vivian found herself unable to refute his words.


    "I brought him, but my intention was for him to apologize for what he didst night."


    "Did he apologize?"


    "I..."


    "Apologies should be given with an apologetic attitude. What kind of attitude did you both have just now?"


    Vivian bit her lower lip. She didn''te here to apologize, although she pretended toe for that reason when visiting him.


    But in reality, she just wanted to see the truth and as for why she brought Jason along, it was because he was foolish and impulsive, just as Adrian had said, the best person to exploit.


    But she believed her usual behavior was good enough, so how did Adrian see through it?


    At this moment, she had no other choice but to show her weakness.


    "I''m sorry, we really dide to apologize. We agreed on that beforeing. But you know Jason''s personality, he''s impulsive. I can''t control his emotions, Adrian. But now you think that I''m using him. Can I really control his emotions?" However, no matter how much she exined, Adrian''s gaze remained cold.


    "Whether you did or not, you know the truth deep down."


    "I..."


    Vivian locked eyes with him for a moment, tears streaming from her eyes.


    "Adrian, is that how you see me? I do envy you being with Eva now. If I could, I would rather be the one lying there, so you could take care of me personally. But I know things aren''t always as I wish. That''s why I''m worried about her getting hurt, and also because if it wasn''t forst night, when we came to find you, Eva wouldn''t have gotten hurt. Right now, I just want to make it up to her."


    After saying that, Vivian opened the bag in her hand. "Look, I even bought supplements and gifts for the two children. I really came to apologize, nothing else."


    After they were talking for a while, Jason on the other side was probably in a lot of pain, so he justy on the ground without getting up.


    Adrian nced at the bag in her hand and saw that it indeed contained some supplements and such. Unfortunately, these didn''t change his thoughts at all. "Before she recovers, I don''t want her to see anyone. Leave."


    "Adrian." Vivian saw that he was really about to leave and stepped forward to grab his cor.


    "Do you want to reconcile with her?" she asked.


    Hearing her words, Adrian frowned.


    Reconcile?


    Upon hearing this word, Adrian''s emotions suddenly became somewhatplex.


    Did he want to reconcile with Eva?


    The answer, needless to say, was that he himself felt that way. However, Eva''s attitude towards him was as if she found him so repulsive now, would she want to reconcile with him? Moreover, the misunderstandings between them still haven''t been resolved.


    For example, the text message she sent him.


    Regarding the text message, Adrian still didn''t know what was going on, and as for the task he had assigned to Jacob, there had been no update sincest night.


    It''s understandable when you think about it. After all, it''s been five years, and if they really investigate, it would probably take a long time, and there''s no guarantee they would find anything. He just couldn''t understand, back then the phone was always in his hands, how could it...


    "Adrian..."


    Vivian called him again after he had been silent for a while, and at this moment, her voice made Adrian suddenly think of something.


    Something seemed to sh through his mind.


    At first, he didn''t catch it, but with Vivian''s voice appearing, Adrian finally caught it.


    Realizing something, Adrian narrowed his eyes and his whole demeanor changed greatly.


    He turned around and reached out, grabbing Vivian''s shoulder abruptly.


    Vivian was startled by his action, staring at the handsome face in front of her in confusion.


    "W-What''s... What''s wrong?"


    What did she just say or do to upset him?


    Why were his emotions suddenly so intense?


    Or did he figure it out?


    Vivian''s face lit up with joy, about to say something, but then she saw Adrian, with narrowed eyes, as he stated in a cold voice, "Five years ago, you took my phone." "What?"


    The sudden words made Vivian a bit puzzled, her expression bewildered.


    What did he mean? Why did the topic suddenly go back to five years ago? So what if she took his phone?


    And after Adrian said these words, he suddenly had a moment of enlightenment, recalling the scene in his office all those years ago.


    Although it had been a long time, the thing she did slightly displeased Adrian, so now, thinking of it, it all became surprisingly clear.


    At that time, in his office, she asked to borrow his phone.


    Out of trust in her, he did not refuse and handed his phone to her without hesitation.


    Afterwards, he became extremely busy with work and quickly immersed himself in it.


    In the midst of his busyness, he heard the sound of a messageing in on his phone, but he didn''t pay attention to it because it was normal for his phone to have message notifications. It wasn''t until work was finished that he thought to take a look.


    Little did he realise, Vivian actually told him that it was junk message and deleted it for him.


    At the time, Adrian didn''t think much of it, after all, who would suspect someone who had saved their life and whom he trusted as a dear friend?


    For Adrian, at the time, it was just a trivial incident.


    But afterst night, it was no longer a trivial incident.


    It was a very important matter.


    And Vivian obviously didn''t quite understand what Adrian meant.


    "Adrian, what happened? Please exin it clearly."


    Adrian looked at Vivian who was still crying and decided to ask her directly.


    "Five years ago, do you remember borrowing my phone in my office?"


    Vivian nodded nkly.


    "I remember, but this matter..."


    She suddenly thought of the message she received on his phone at that time, her breathing tightened, and her words unconsciously stopped.

 Chapter 339 Why did you come back?

    Normally, Adrian wouldn''t have noticed her change.


    But now that he was seriously investigating this matter, and with the two of them facing each other, Adrian''s gaze remained fixed on her face after asking this question, not wanting to miss any subtle expression on her face. He was afraid that if he rxed even a bit, he would miss something important.


    So, he took in all of Vivian''s changes, his dangerous expression intensifying the threat in his narrowed eyes.


    "You remember, right? Good, I have a question to ask you now."


    Vivian snapped back to reality, finally realizing that she had been a bit too emotional just now. She forced herself to calm down, pulled her lips into a helpless smile towards Adrian, and said, "But isn''t this a long time ago? Why are you bringing up the past? Did I identally break your phone back then?"


    "No."


    "Then what is it?"


    Adrian looked at her with aplicated gaze. "Why did you do that?"


    Vivian''s breath hitched.


    He... does he know?


    Otherwise, why would he ask like that?


    "W-What, what''s wrong? I just deleted a junk message for you back then, is there a problem?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s gaze suddenly turned dark.


    "Did I say it was a message? You seem quite nervous." he said.


    "I..."


    "The message you deleted back then wasn''t just a junk message, was it?" Adrian''s gaze was sharp like a knife.


    The force applied to her shoulder deepened moment by moment, almost crushing her bones. Vivian felt the pain, and her eyebrows couldn''t help but furrow.


    "Adrian, you''re hurting me." she said.


    However, Adrian seemed as though he hadn''t heard her. He continued to tighten his grip, and his gaze became menacing.


    "Tell me, what was that text you deleted back then? Was it a message from Eva to me? Did she mention that she was pregnant?"


    "No, I didn''t..."


    Vivian initially cried out in pain, hoping that he would feel sorry for her and release his grip on her shoulder. But at this moment, Adrian seemedpletely deaf to any sound. He was solely focused on finding his answers.


    So, he interrogated her, forcing her, all the while she was lucky that he didn''t actually crush her bones. Vivian was in so much pain that she could only struggle.


    "Let go of me, I don''t understand what you''re saying."


    Vivian had never seen Adrian like this before. He seemed like a demon, staring at her as if he wanted to devour her and holding her as if he wanted to break her in half.


    He was just specting and yet he had gone mad to this extent. If he found out that the message she deleted was the one he was looking for, what would be of her? Thinking of this, Vivian could only seek help from Jason.


    "Jason, Jason, help me."


    Jason, lying on the ground in pain and not being helped up by Vivian earlier, momentarily felt disheartened. But now, he heard the plea for help from his goddess. Jason regained his senses and realized that his goddess was being grabbed by Adrian, looking like an interrogator. How could he stand by and allow this?


    He rushed over like an enraged lion, trying to stop him.


    "Adrian, are you crazy? Let go of Vivian!"


    However, Jason didn''t make it far. He stumbled and fell right in front of them, unable to get up due to the pain.


    Adrian coldly nced at him and then returned his gaze to Vivian. "Exin yourself."


    "I... I don''t know what you want me to say. If it''s about the text, I''ve already told you, I deleted just a useless junk message, nothing else. As for the pregnancy text you mentioned, I genuinely have no idea." These words were met with a light mockingugh.


    "You don''t know? My phone is always with me, and besides when you took it, I haven''t received any texts. Then, conveniently, a junk message came in while it was in your hands. Does such a coincidence even exist?" Vivian was now in tears.


    "How would I know about this? I don''t know how to exin it to you, but I swear, the message I deleted that day was truly just junk. I have no knowledge of the things you mentioned, Adrian. If I wanted to harm you, why did I jump into the river to save you back then? For you, I was even willing to sacrifice my own life."


    In gratitude for saving his life, Adrian''s expression finally showed some changes, and the hand on her shoulder also loosened a bit.


    Realizing this, Vivian burst into tears, "I don''t know what Eva told you, but please believe me, I am on your side. No matter what happens, I won''t harm you, nor will I do anything despicable."


    Adrian still didn''t fully trust her. However, when she mentioned saving his life, he did soften a bit. Just the thought that she risked her own life and jumped into the river to save him, without her doing that, he would have died long ago in that river, Adrian couldn''t help but feel pity for her.


    Even if she did this and didn''t want to admit it, he couldn''t do anything about it. After all, he owed her his life. Some things that you owe someone, you must acknowledge. With this in mind, Adrian slowly let go of her shoulder. Having gained her freedom, Vivian immediately supported her shoulder weakly against the wall, "I really didn''t deceive you. Everything I said just now was true. If you don''t believe me, you can verify it."


    Anyway, it''s been five years, his phone had long been reced, and there''s no way the service provider can find out, right? And most importantly, the present Adrian can trust her. As for whates next, let''s not mention the impossibility of being found out, even if it were possible.


    As long as she held the life-saving debt over him, he would never do anything to her, and she''ll always have a chance.. After Adrian withdrew his hand, he looked at her coldly.


    "Don''t appear in her presence again." With that said, he went straight into the hospital room and mmed the door shut. Vivian, who was leaning against the wall, made sure that Adrian had truly gone in and wouldn''te out again. The tenderness on her face gradually disappeared, reced by a touch of malevolence.


    Eva! Why did youe back? It''s been five years, clearly, five whole years have passed, your children have grown so big, why do you still haunt me?


    "Vivian..." Jason called out to her in a weak voice. Vivian snapped out of her thoughts and saw Jason lying on the ground, feeling extremely annoyed.


    This useless guy, not only did she not achieve anything by relying on him today, but Adrian was also suspicious of her. If possible, she really didn''t want to bother with him anymore. But considering that she might still need himter on, Vivian walked towards him. "Jason, are you okay?"

 Chapter 340 Wasnt it you who sent her to find me?

    Once Eva and the two kids entered the hospital room, they paid no mind to themotion outside. Even when they heard the sounds of a fight, they were extremely curious, but she remained calm. "Dn, Ruby, don''t worry about what''s happening outside." "But..." Ruby whispered, "It seems like NightA is fighting with someone outside. Mommy, shouldn''t we do something? What if NightA gets hurt..." Hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but nce at her. "Are you very worried


    about him?"


    Ruby opened her clear, innocent eyes without any calction or scheming.


    "Uncle NightA asked me and my brother to punish him by making him treat us to meals. If he gets hurt, does that mean he can''t treat us anymore?"


    Eva wondered what Adrian had said to the children while she was asleep.


    "Don''t worry, Ruby. If Uncle NightA gets injured, I''ll treat you to meals instead."


    Afterward, she gently educated the two children.


    She didn''t realize that soon after, the door would open and Adrian''s voice would follow.


    "What are you talking about?"


    Eva was taken aback, not expecting him toe in so soon.


    She thought Vivian and Jason woulde to see him together, so he should have needed more time to deal with them.


    With this in mind, Eva turned her head and looked behind him, but she didn''t see the familiar figure.


    Adrian seemed to know what she was looking for. "No need to look. I sent her away."


    Eva withdrew her gaze.


    Adrian looked at her back and thought about the text message incident.


    Although Vivian didn''t admit it, her strange reactions had basically confirmed his suspicions.


    As she said, she indeed wouldn''t harm him.


    But what if it wasn''t him but Eva?


    One thing for sure was that she wouldn''t treat Eva the same way she treated him.


    Thinking about what had happened, Adrian nced at Ruby and Dn, then walked over and said, "I have something I''d like to discuss privately with your mommy. Can I have your permission?" Hearing this, Eva was somewhat surprised, and her gaze at Adrian becameplex.


    Shouldn''t he have asked for her permission to speak with her? But he actually went to consult the two little children.


    What surprised her even more was that Ruby actually pondered this seriously and nodded in the end. "Since you''ve sincerely requested it, my brother and I will give you a chance to talk to Mommy." Adrian''s thin lips curved into a slight, pleased smile.. "Thank you, Ruby."


    "Dn, let''s go over there for now." Ruby pointed to a ce far away from here, signaling Dn to go with her. Helplessly, Dn followed her.


    Adrian watched the children walk to a distant spot, guessing they wouldn''t overhear the conversation.


    Then he heard Eva say, "What do you want to say that you can''t say in front of them? If it''s something about you and Vivian, I think I have the right to refuse to discuss it with you, right?" Hearing this, Adrian came back to his senses and shook his head.


    "It''s not something between her and me, it''s about you. Back then, you said you sent me the pregnancy text message, right?"


    He brought up the same old matter again, which displeased Eva and made her furrow her brow.


    "What''s the matter? Don''t tell me you want to deny it or even turn around and say that I never sent that text message at all?"


    Adrian''s expression seemed a bit helpless.


    "Why would you think that? I just wanted to ask, after you sent that text message, did anyonee to see you?"


    After a moment, Eva remembered that shortly after she sent the text message, Vivian came to look for her and said those words. Judging from her expression, Adrian could tell that someone had approached her. "So, someone dide to find you. Who?"


    Eva didn''t answer immediately, she simply stared at him.


    "What are you getting at by asking me this? Will you believe it if I say it?"


    To Adrian''s surprise, he also stared at her earnestly.


    "If I don''t trust you, who can I trust?"


    His gaze was sincere, as if ready to believe her words. This trust made her feel like they were back in their childhood, when their bond was close and they were each other''s most trusted confidants, someone to whom they could entrust all their emotions and secrets.


    Back then, there was no one else between them. Unliketer on, they both grew up, and a lot came between them.


    "Eva?" Seeing her silence, Adrian called her name, and Eva snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at him for a while before finally tossing him a sentence.


    "Somebody dide to find me, and you might be surprised to know that it was Vivian."


    She had expected him to be surprised upon hearing Vivian''s name, but Adrian''s expression appeared as though he had anticipated it.


    Eva felt puzzled and asked him again, "Didn''t you ask her toe find me?"


    Adrian replied, "Why would I ask her to find you?"


    Eva stared intently, catching every subtle change in his expression. His reaction didn''t seem fake. She clenched her lips and, despite being unwilling to believe it, continued to probe.


    "I sent the message to your phone. If you didn''t ask her toe find me, how did she know about my situation?"


    At this point, Eva bit her lower lip. "Please don''t tell me she took your phone and deleted the message that day."


    Adrian pursed his lips slightly and didn''t respond.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Eva''s eyes shed with mockery.


    Had she hit the mark, rendering him speechless with her urate guess? If so, who else could he trust other than himself?


    Little did she anticipate what Adrian would say at this moment, "You''ve said everything I wanted to say."


    Eva asked, "Did I mishear? Are you actually suspecting Vivian?"


    Adrian corrected her words, "It''s not suspicion, it''s a fact."


    If Adrian had any lingering doubts before, they would have dissipated upon learning that Vivian had gone to find Eva shortly after she sent the message. There was nothing left to doubt about this matter. When Eva sent the message, Vivian happened to be using Adrian''s phone.


    Upon seeing it, Vivian deleted the message and lied to him, iming it was just junk. And because he trusted her, he didn''t suspect anything.


    A realization suddenly dawned on Adrian, and he squinted his eyes.


    "Those extra five hundred of the money you left behind..."


    "Ten thousand dors..." Eva lowered her gaze. "She gave it to me."


    Was there anything left to doubt? Adrian''s pupils shrank. He didn''t expect Vivian to do such a thing behind his back.

 Chapter 341 I Promise You

    "Now that you have asked all your questions," Eva looked at him with a calm expression, "now that you have all the answers you wanted, can you please leave me alone going forward?" Hearing this, Adrian suddenly looked up at her in disbelief. "Even if I had never seen that message and hadn''t forced you to have an abortion, Would you still have pushed me aside?"


    Eva smiled wryly, speaking softly. "If you didn''t see the message, can you me me? You''re someone who always keeps his phone close, yet you repeatedly handed it over to her. Whatever happened, it''s a consequence you should bear yourself. Adrian, do you remember that day when it was pouring with rain, and you were at the billiards hall while I was called over by a mocking message to bring you an umbre? Do you know that right before going to the billiards hall, I had just received the report confirming my pregnancy?"


    Adrian''s hand by his side suddenly tightened, and his pupils dted.


    "Back then, I was so naive, thinking it was the perfect opportunity to share the good news with you. Even though our marriage was a sham, I was actually pregnant. Maybe if I told you, you would have epted it, right? But it was a shame. It wasn''t meant to be, and I ended up being brutally mocked."


    He had never heard her say all of this before, and now, hearing it, Adrian felt an icy chill run through his body, like he was falling into an endless abyss.


    Clearly, she had received good news and wanted to share it with him, but what she received was a mockery.


    No wonder he saw her soaked in rain when she returned home that day. How desperate must she have felt?


    What was even more terrifying was that on that same night, he had asked her for a divorce.


    No wonder she sent such an important piece of news through a message; she probably didn''t even dare to face him, even if she summoned the courage. Realizing this, Adrian was left with regret in his heart.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t know back then..."


    Hearing him apologize, Eva''s heart didn''t waver in the slightest. In fact, it seemed like she had been waiting for a long time, but the longer she waited, some things were probably diluted, right?


    "What good is your apology to me now?" Eva looked at Adrian, her expression unchanged. "Adrian, if I were to give you another chance, would you still choose your savior, still ask for a divorce when you came back that day, and trustingly hand your phone over to her? Whether you were together or not for these five years, I no longer want to be involved in anything to do with you. I detached myself from you five years ago." Adrian remained silent.


    The thought of taking care of their children together, after hearing those words that revealed her true feelings, no longer held the same intensity.


    He had done wrong, so what right did he have to ask for her forgiveness?


    "What kind of life do you expect for yourself with everything that''s happened? So let me and the two children go, alright?" Adrian''s thin lips pressed together, his voice filled with bitterness. He gazed at Eva intently, not giving a clear answer but also unable to refuse.


    "If you agree, I would be eternally grateful to you." Adrian clenched his fist, grinding his teeth. "I can''t bear to see you and the children in another man''s arms. Is that what you want with Michael?" Certainly, Eva did not intend to be with Michael.


    But what if she acknowledged that, would it put an end to Adrian''s hopes? No, that''s not likely. Adrian wasn''t that kind of person. If she admitted it, he would likely go mad.


    Realizing this, Eva could only reply, "I don''t n to be with anyone. I just want to be alone with the two children."


    "In that case, why don''t you let me help take care of them?" His tone was bitter, and speaking seemed difficult for him. "After all, I am their biological father."


    "We''re only connected by blood, nothing else." she responded nonchntly.


    Nothing more...


    Adrian''s ears echoed with Eva''s words. He lowered his gaze and looked at her sitting in the wheelchair for a while before sighing bitterly.


    Indeed, blood ties meant nothing. He hadn''t fulfilled any fatherly responsibilities in these five years.


    But upon hearing her say that she wouldn''t be with any other man, Adrian finally felt relieved. If she didn''t have anyone by her side, that meant he might have a chance in the future. However, her injuries were the most important thing right now.


    After thinking back and forth a few times, Adrian quickly made the decision that was most beneficial for Eva.


    "Alright, I agree with everything you said, but right now the most important thing for you is to recover from your injuries. The results are not out yet." Upon hearing this, Eva looked at him with surprise. Perhaps he agreed too quickly, and she found it strange that he didn''t argue with her anymore.


    Could it be that he gave up because she said she wouldn''t be with anyone in the future?


    Indeed, possessiveness is a trait of men.


    It was true five years ago, and it was still true now.


    She lowered her gaze, a cold smile flickering in her eyes.


    Adrian didn''t notice, and even if he did, he could only pretend not to know at this moment.


    After the test results came out and confirmed that Eva''s head injury was not serious, Adrian handled her discharge procedures.


    After leaving the hospital, Adrian escorted her back home.


    Initially, Eva had no intention of letting him enter the house, but as soon as she opened the door, he swiftly brought the two children inside, leaving her no chance to speak. Seeing her standing at the door without moving, he looked at her.


    "Why aren''t youing in?"


    He said it as if this was his home. Eva entered the house, speechless.


    She suppressed the desire to drive him out in front of the children.


    The nanny was hired by Michael, so they all knew him and treated him as the future master of the house. Now, instead of Michael, they saw someone else appearing here.


    After the man spoke, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes. Due to her identity, she didn''t dare say anything and could only quietly stand on the side, observing and offering help whenever needed. Adrian nced at the nanny and then surveyed the surroundings before asking, "You live here with the kids usually, isn''t it crowded?"


    As if hearing something unbelievable, Eva looked around and asked, "Is it very crowded here?"


    "Yeah, the space is too small. Besides the sleeping area, there''s no ce for activities." Adrian replied, his gaze still scanning the surroundings, seemingly dissatisfied with the ce.


    After a moment, he suddenly turned his head towards her. "Let''s discuss it. I won''tpete with you for the kids, but I want to provide you and the children with another ce to live." Suppressing her temper, Eva replied, "No need, if we want to do activities, I usually take them out."


    "You''re busy running yourpany, right? You probably don''t have much time to take them out to y." he insisted.

 Chapter 342 I Dont Want Your Money

    Hearing this, Eva fell silent. Adrian noticed herck of response and looked at her, perhaps noticing something off in her expression. He exined, "Don''t misunderstand, I''m not ming you. I just think the kids are still young and should have more fun activities."


    Eva couldn''t help but say, "I understand what you mean, but what you''re suggesting is simply not possible. Are you saying we should have entertainment ces at home?" Unexpectedly, Adrian nodded. "Yes."


    Eva had originally wanted to sarcastically remark that Adrian seemed to think that anyone could easily build such things. But when she remembered Adrian''s wealth and the enormous fortune he had given her when she just returned to the country, she found herself unable to speak.


    She was sure that if she agreed, he would immediately have someone arrange it.


    "What do you think?" True to her expectations, Adrian asked when she didn''t answer.


    Feeling a bit impatient, Eva didn''t want to discuss certain matters in front of the two children, so she turned to the nanny and said, "Could you please take them to see the schedule for tomorrow?"


    The nanny, who had been standing there motionless, immediately understood and stepped forward. "Sure."


    Afterward, the nanny took the two children away.


    As soon as the children left, Eva immediately spoke up, "Didn''t we agree at the hospital? You promised to leave me and the children alone."


    "Yes," Adrian nodded. "I promised you that, but is there a contradiction with the suggestion I gave you?"


    "No, I''m just not epting your suggestion." Eva replied.


    "Why?" Adrian asked.


    "Why? Because I don''t need it, and I don''t have that much money to invest in such things, okay?"


    By saying this, she actually meant to refuse, but she didn''t know if Adrian genuinely didn''t understand or was pretending not to. He actually said, "I have it. I can have it arranged, and you and the kids can move in." This statement furrowed Eva''s eyebrows. "This is different from what we agreed on."


    Adrian looked at her. "How is it different? I''m just providing you with a house." As he said this, Adrian seemed to be pondering something, pausing for a moment before finally saying, "You say you don''t have that much money, so why did you still have thewyer return all those assets?"


    "Do you really need to ask that question? It''s not my money." Eva replied with a frown.


    "How is it not? Since it''s divorce property, it belongs to you."


    Eva''s brows furrowed.


    "I don''t want your money."


    Why would she even receive divorce assets when their marriage was a sham?


    "Alright, if you don''t want the money, then fine. I''ll have the house renovated tomorrow."


    Eva began to realize that while he may have said he would let her and the children go, he wasn''t going to just do nothing.


    And there would probably be many more situations like this in the future, which was headache-inducing just to think about.


    Through gritted teeth, Eva said, "When I said let us go, I meant for you to not appear in front of me and the children anymore, let alone give us things like a house."


    Adrian acted as if he didn''t understand her words. "You don''t want the house? Do you mean you don''t like it?"


    "Adrian!" Eva angrily called out his name. "What exactly do you want to do? Weren''t my words at the hospital clear enough?"


    How could they not be clear? They couldn''t be any clearer. But even if they were clear, he couldn''t just give up like that.


    He had to find a more indirect way to respond.. "It''s just a form ofpensation. Although you don''t want to admit it, I am their father. I can provide them with a better environment to grow up in, and I won''tpete with you for their affection.. I have even recorded audio as evidence, so why can''t you trust me?"


    "Furthermore, you may not want the things I give you, but have you asked the children if they don''t want them either?"


    Eva coldly dered, "They are my children, of course they listen to me."


    Adrian remained undisturbed, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips as he softly said, "Tomorrow, I will have someone prepare the design ns. Once they are done, I''ll show them to you as a reference. I''ll only proceed with construction when you''re satisfied. Today, just rest well, take care not to wet your wound, and try not to sleep on your stomach. IIt would be best if you took a few days off work to recover."


    "Are you finished speaking?" Unfortunately, no matter how tender his words were, Eva''s attitude towards him remained icy. "Thanks for the ride home, but if we''re done here, please leave."


    Faced with her cold indifference, Adrian remained unfazed and simply nodded calmly.


    "Alright, I''ll leave now."


    Afterward, he didn''t say anything more and quickly left.


    As the door closed, the room grew quiet, giving Eva a strange sense of unreality. Perhaps it was because he used to pester her constantly, but now he had suddenly left so decisively, making Eva feel momentarily ufortable. There was silence for a while before the nanny pushed open the door and worriedly looked at her.


    Thinking that the nanny was hired by Michael, Eva casually asked, "Have you been in contact with Michael?"


    Both being experienced nannies for over ten years, they couldn''t fail to grasp the meaning behind Eva''s question. The nanny immediately responded, "Please rest assured, although Mr. Michael brought us here, we work for you, Ms. Hansen." "The employer is our true employer, and we have professional ethics. Unless there are special circumstances, we will not disclose any privacy of our employers."


    "Thank you." Eva said, satisfied with her words. If every nanny had such high awareness, it would be great.


    Seeing her satisfaction, the nanny also breathed a sigh of relief. Being a nanny for these wealthy individuals was a high-paying job, and she couldn''t do anything that would harm others, especially since if there was a possibility for Mrs. and Mr. Michael to be together, they wouldn''t have paid the rent for the house.


    After leaving Eva''s ce, Adrian stood under a streetmp for a long time. He didn''t say anything, so the driver didn''t dare to approach and just parked the car on the side of the road, quietly waiting.


    It was unknown how long it took for Adrian''s gaze to shift towards him. The driver, who was always attentive to his movements, immediately drove the car to him and opened the door. "Mr. ckwood." Adrian got into the car.


    After the car started driving away, he called Jacob.


    "Find a designer to help me design a house."


    The driver, secretly listening to the conversation from behind, wondered. Design a house? Is he designing a house right after leaving Ms. Hansen''s ce, a house for Ms. Hansen and the children? He didn''t need to think much because as soon as he heard Adrian talking about children''s rooms and various recreational areas, the driver could be certain.


    But when he heard further, the driver doubted whether he had misheard. A house with various entertainment facilities, and even a library, was he really building a house and not a mall? Could it be that Mr. ckwood intends to open a mall in his own home?

 Chapter 343 Giving Birth to His Child

    Throughout the journey, Adrian mentioned almost every facility he could think of. Jacob, uninterested in Adrian''s otherments, had begun recording and taking notes as soon as the topic of design was mentioned. "That''s about it for now, anything else I think of, I will addter. Let the designer perfect the rest."


    "Understood, Mr. ckwood." Jacob had something to say, but Mr. ckwood had already disconnected the call. It took Jacob a while to realize what just happened. Did Mr. ckwood just talk about designing a house? A house? A house with so many facilities?


    After hanging up the phone, the car stopped. "Mr. ckwood, we have arrived."


    "Hmm." Adrian responded distractedly as he got off the phone.


    At this moment, all he could think about were various designs for the house, what was missing and what needed to be addedter. It would be best if he could write it down himself when he was back home. During the earlier phone call, he had simply spoken his thoughts as they urred to him.


    He didn''t have any experience as a father, so his knowledge was limited. It would be better to research and then write it down, and he had initially thought about finding someone to do it for him, but now he suddenly felt uneasy about handing them over to someone else to do. With just a few steps left, countless ideas were already racing through Adrian''s mind.


    So much so that he didn''t even notice that there had been someone following him after his car stopped. Adrian was so lost in thought and quick in his steps that the person behind couldn''t keep up and had to call out to him. "Adrian."


    Adrian halted his steps, and the person behind caught up, gasping for breath as they stood in front of him. Seeing the person, Adrian''s gaze turned cold. "What are you doing here?"


    Hearing him say these words in a cold tone, Vivian felt that he had probably figured out that she had deleted that message behind his back. When they were outside the hospital room, she knew she was in trouble. And after they left, Adrian only needed to ask Eva. She certainly hoped that Adrian wouldn''t ask, but from the way he was looking at her now, it was impossible to still think that.


    He and Eva must have reconciled. Vivian had already thought about this being a possibility before she came. Even if he found out, she had a way to deal with it. So now, when she saw Adrian''s cold gaze, Vivian immediately started crying and said, "Adrian, I have something to tell you."


    Although she saved his life, Adrian couldn''t tolerate the fact that she deleted Eva''s message and even secretly asked Eva to have an abortion. "What else do you want to say?" "Do you already know about the message?" Vivian couldn''t help but ask, although without any hope.


    Sure enough, after she asked, Adrian continued to look at her icily. With his expression, she instantly had no doubt and quickly recited the speech she had prepared in mind.


    "I''m sorry, Adrian. I was indeed wrong in doing that, and I shouldn''t have kept it from you. But I had my reasons, you two were already in a fake marriage, and yet she not only slept with you but also got pregnant. And since I liked you so much, how could I ept that? So, I got lost and made the wrong choice for a moment, but it was all because I liked you too much."


    After speaking, Vivian sniffled, struggled to control her emotions, and took a few steps closer before saying, "And the most important thing is, I only deleted that message. I didn''t do anything to her. You see, she ended up giving birth to the children, right? If you want, I can treat the children as my own and raise them. I won''t have children of my own in the future, okay?"


    Adrian looked at her expressionlessly. "My own children shouldn''t be cared for by others." "Adrian..."


    Adrian clenched the hand hanging by his side into a fist, an ominous glint appearing in his pitch-ck eyes. "If it weren''t for you saving me... If it weren''t for you saving me..." He gritted his teeth, but didn''t continue with the rest of his words. Vivian could tell from his heavy words, the bitterness in his voice, and the chilling aura emanating from him.


    There was always a sense that if it weren''t for her saving his life, he definitely wouldn''t let her off so easily. Considering his past methods of dealing with people, not only herself, but also the entire Morrison family behind her.


    In theory, seeing him in such a state, Vivian should have backed off.


    As long as she behaved and didn''t approach him in the future, even though she made a mistake, she would still be Adrian''s savior.


    So, whether it''s Adrian or the entire ckwood family, they wouldn''t dare to harm her in any way. They might even support the Morrison family in their endeavors, and the Morrison family could always rely on the ckwood family as a strong backing.


    But she was one step away from bing the wife of the ckwood Group''s CEO, and now she''s being told that it''s not going to happen. How could she ept such a huge blow?


    Suppressing his emotions, Adrian said, "I don''t want to see you again."


    Leaving behind these words, Adrian entered the house, leaving Vivian alone outside.


    Vivian stood there in the wind for a long time, feeling as if her tears were about to be dried by the wind. The resentment towards Adrian and the hatred towards Eva in her heart grew stronger and thicker.


    When she returned to the hotel, she felt cold all over and her hair was disheveled.


    Just at this moment, Vivian''s mother called her through a video call. Vivian was in a terrible mood and didn''t want to answer initially, but when she saw her mother''s video call, she felt an overwhelming sense of grievance and didn''t even bother to tidy up herself before answering the call. Unable to contain herself, she burst into tears in front of the camera.


    "Mom!"


    Vivian''s mother, in the midst of a beauty treatment with a face mask on, was surprised as she called her daughter.


    She was taken aback to see her daughter crying so intensely and immediately became worried, asking hurriedly, "What''s wrong, Vivian? Who bullied you?"


    After Vivian sobbed her heart out, Vivian''s mother finally understood what had happened.


    "Mom, what should I do now?"


    Vivian''s mother looked at her through the video and said sternly, "This is due to being too lenient in the past, not taking decisive actions. Otherwise, why would things turn out like this today?"


    Vivian could only sob.


    "Should I go find her again and use our previous agreement to make her leave?"


    "What''s the use?" Vivian''s mother scolded her, "You made a five-year agreement with her, and she has fulfilled her part. What can you say to her if you go find her now? She gave you five years, and you haven''t changed anything." Vivian felt helpless, "Is it that I didn''t want to change? Who could have known that Adrian would never get over her?".


    "There''s no other way now. You can only find a way to have his child!"

 Chapter 344 Fragments of Memory

    "Have his child?"


    Vivian was dumbfounded by her mother''s words. "Mom, what does that mean? How can I have his child? He doesn''t even want to see me anymore. Do you know, today, the way he looked at me, it was as if he wanted revenge." Vivian''s mother looked at her with disdain.


    "What are you panicking about? Aren''t you still my daughter? Why are you getting worked up over such a small matter? Anyway, no matter what, you are his savior, and that will never change. Even though such things have happened, he still can''t do anything to you. But I really didn''t expect Adrian to have such a strong sense of morality, if it were me..."


    At this point, Vivian''s mother paused, choosing not to continue her sentence, and instead shifted the focus to talk about Vivian.


    "Compared to Eva, you don''t have a child, do you? So, Adrian would undoubtedly choose her without hesitation. But what if you also had one? Along with the debt of gratitude, who do you think he would choose?" Vivian remained silent.


    "Not to criticize you, but although you and him are not engaged, don''t you understand the power having a child holds over a man? That''s just how men are. If you got pregnant, he would marry you. If he doesn''t, it''s because his family is stopping him. Why don''t you understand this?"


    Vivian bit her lip, feeling so ashamed that she struggled to speak.


    Vivian''s mother waited for a long time, and seeing that she still didn''t say anything, furrowed her brow and said, "What are you trying to say? I''ve been waiting for half the day."


    "I... " Vivian hesitated for a moment, then lowered her eyes and said, "I... it''s not that I haven''t thought about it, but I never had the opportunity."


    After realizing what she said, Vivian''s mother was shocked. "What? Are you telling me that in these five years, you and him haven''t... once?"


    Though embarrassed, Vivian could only nod.


    "So, in all these years, you''ve been by his side and never found the chance?"


    "I haven''t..."


    "He hasn''t made any moves on you?"


    "No, not at all!" The more Vivian was asked, the more she felt unwanted. Angered, she interrupted her mother.


    For a moment, Vivian''s mother was speechless.


    Because she simply could not fathom that Adrian was different from other men.


    Yes, he was an outstanding man.


    But even the most outstanding man still needs a woman, and her daughter was young, beautiful, and always around him. How could he not be tempted even a little? Was this man made of steel and concrete?


    "You haven''t... tried?"


    Vivian blushed so hard that it seemed blood would drip from her face. "I tried."


    "No response?"


    "Mom, he wouldn''t let anyone near him."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian''s mother realized that something was amiss.


    Finally, Vivian''s mother understood what was going on. "I didn''t expect him to be so determined. This man is even more formidable than I imagined. If you can sessfully marry him and capture his heart, you won''t have to worry for the rest of your life."


    "Right now, his eyes and heart are only on Eva. I don''t even know who this Eva is. After all these years, why hasn''t she gotten married? Normally, wouldn''t a normal person find someone to marry right away?"


    "Even if she''s a normal person, those two children are Adrian''s bloodline, Adrian''s status. Do you think she would be willing to give that up?"


    "If she didn''t want to give it up, then why did she agree to leave for five years back then?"


    "That''s true. I never expected her to actually keep her promise. Well, don''t worry about her for now. The situation there is already set and can''t be changed. What you need to do now is take care of your own rtionship with Adrian and preferably get pregnant within a few months."


    "But I don''t think he would be willing to see me now."


    "I will create an opportunity for you. Just follow my instructions for everything else."


    After looking at her mother, Vivian nodded.


    It waste at night, but the light was still on in Adrian''s study. He was hunched over the desk, holding a pen in his hand. The white papers in front of him were filled with dense writings and even some sketches. The usually tidy desk was now a mess, but Adrian paid no attention to it, continuing to work on his designs.


    Time always flies when one is dedicated to their work. By the time Adrian had written down all his thoughts, the first light of dawn was peeking through the windows, and his eyes were starting to show signs of tiredness.


    Although he hadn''t slept all night, he was still full of excitement and didn''t feel the slightest bit weary. He nced at the time and knew that Eva and the children were probably still asleep. So Adrian carefully put away the iplete design he had worked on all night, and then got up to close the window to prevent the wind from blowing it away.


    After confirming everything was in order, Adrian went to freshen up. Last night, he had done nothing but work on his designs, neglecting to even take a shower. If he was going to see herter, he needed to tidy himself up.


    Eva hadn''t slept well all night, and when she woke up, there were dark circles under her eyes. The recent events had caused her to lose weight, making her face appear even smaller. The wound on her forehead was still slightly painful when she woke up.


    Although the final examination results showed that it was nothing serious, Eva still felt a bit ufortable. Especially today, when she woke up, she felt that the pain from the wound was stronger than yesterday.


    As she got up, Eva wondered if she identally got water on the wound while taking a shower yesterday, causing it to get infected again. She was thinking about this when suddenly, her head was hit with a sharp pain, so brief that she could hardly grasp it. At the same time, some childhood scenes shed in her mind. The scenes were short and very vague.


    It was a blurry image, as if she was struggling in the river, on the verge of sinking. This scene was unfamiliar to Eva, extremely unfamiliar. She couldn''t recall such a scene from her memories, but the girl in the image seemed to be quite young. Could it be... In a sh, Eva suddenly thought of something. After falling into the water when she was young, she fell seriously ill and lost a period of memory. Could this be from that lost memory? Eva reached out and held her head, gently shaking it.


    Afterwards, she pondered for a long time but couldn''t remember how she had fallen into the river or how she had gotten out. When she was found, she had fainted by the riverside. If it hadn''t been for her ssmates arriving in time, she might have fallen even further into the river.


    After returning home, she started running a high fever for a long time. By the time she had fully regained consciousness, she couldn''t remember anything at all. And now, it seemed that this should be from that lost period. What''s going on? Was it because she hit her head that her memories wereing back? But how could it be just a fragment?

 Chapter 345 Stubbornly Persistent

    Eva, however, could only recall this tiny fragment. Whenever she tried to delve deeper in her thoughts, her head would be a bit fuzzy, and she couldn''t remember anything else. She sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought for a long time, but the image remained the same.


    Seeing that it was getting bright outside the window, Eva had no choice but to give up and get up. After she left the room, she coincidentally ran into the two little ones who had already dressed themselves and came out on their own. Good habits should be cultivated from a young age. Eva''s rule for them was to pick out the clothes they needed to wear for the next morning before going to bed, and then they had to change into them as soon as they got up, without any dy or risk of catching a cold.


    At first, the two struggled with this rule, but once they got used to it, they followed it smoothly. However, Eva still worried and walked up to inspect the clothes they were wearing.


    The temperature in the country was very low now, and it was easy to catch a cold if they weren''t dressed warmly enough. Children have weaker immune systems, so it would be troublesome if they got sick.


    After a quick check, and ensuring that both the little ones were properly dressed for warmth, Eva finally rxed.


    "Mommy." Ruby suddenly tugged at Eva''s finger. "Mommy, can we have grilled cheese sandwiches for breakfast?"


    Hearing this, Eva paused and then said, "Okay, I''ll make them for you."


    "No, I don''t want mommy to make them." Ruby held onto her arm and softly said, "I want the kind they sell at the food trucks."


    Eva was puzzled. "Why do you want to eat from a food stall? Is it because mine don''t taste good?"


    Puckering her lips, Ruby hadn''t spoken yet when Dn next to her said, "Mommy, she wants to eat junk food from outside and other food from the fried shrimp sandwich stall."


    "Dn!"


    So that''s it. Making grilled cheese sandwiches alone was quite simple, but it was a bit toote at this time. Normally, Eva wouldn''t let the children eat these kinds of things, but under Ruby''s gaze, Eva finally nodded. "Let''s go." After getting everything ready, the three of them walked out the door.


    As Eva stepped out of the elevator, she couldn''t help but wonder if Adrian woulde again today, especially after their clear conversation in the hospital yesterday. Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard two children calling out to Uncle NightA.


    Snapping back to reality, Eva saw Adrian striding towards her, reaching out to take the kids'' backpacks directly from her hands. Eva instinctively tightened her grip on the backpack straps. Sensing resistance, Adrian''s gaze faltered for a moment, but he effortlessly took the backpacks from her hands in the next instant.


    Eva bit her lip and asked in a lowered voice, "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m here to show you a design book." he replied.


    "A design book?" It was still early, not even time for work yet. What kind of ns was he going to show her?


    "Come in to the car and I''ll exin." Adrian said.


    With that, he held the backpacks and the two kids followed suit. Eva stood still, watching the scene unfold before her eyes. She didn''t expect him to be so persistent. Then again, Adrian had always been persistent when it came to her. When they were little and had a disagreement, if she ignored him, he would intercept her on the way to school, blocking both sides of her escape in the small grove, frowning and ring at her fiercely.


    "Didn''t you hear me call you this morning?" he had fumed. She didn''t feel like responding. "So, Eva, you''ve learned to ignore me now, huh?"


    Eva stubbornly retorted, "What''s wrong with ignoring you? Who do you think you are? Are you some noble person? Just because you call me, I must agree to your demands?" Enraged, she pushed him away, but after just a few steps, he tightly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.


    "Where are you running off to? Let''s talk it out."


    If he couldn''t intercept her at school, he would simply go directly to her house. And because of their childhood friendship, whenever the household staff saw him, they would naturally greet him with smiles and let him in, even if Eva consistently told the butler not to let him in.


    The butler would just smilingly say, "Are you fighting again? It''s normal for kids to quarrel. You''ll make upter."


    "I don''t want to make up with him anymore. Butler, you must not let him in, or I''ll be angry." Eva would argue.


    "Open the door and let me in, otherwise she''ll stay angry until the end of the month." Adrian would say. And every time, the butler, at the time, always listened to Adrian and opened the door without hesitation. Eva always suspected that Adrian had bribed the butler.


    "Mommy?" The voice of the child snapped Eva back to reality. She realized that she had been standing still for quite some time, and the two children had already gotten in the car. Helpless, she walked over.


    Once inside, Eva purposefully chose a seat far away from Adrian. He quietly withdrew his gaze. "You came downstairs this early, have you had breakfast?"


    "Uncle NightA, Mommy is taking us to have deep-grilled cheese sandwiches."


    Deep-grilled cheese sandwiches? Adrian subtly furrowed his brows and asked, "At a street stall?" "Yeah!"


    Perhaps finding it hard to believe, Adrian turned his gaze towards Eva and said, "Eva, is that true?"


    Eva nodded, "Yes, I promised the kids yesterday."


    Eva cast a nce at him. She hadn''t initially intended to pay him any attention, but upon seeing the peculiar look in his eyes, she couldn''t help but speak up, "What''s wrong? Embarrassed to eat grilled cheese sandwiches at the stand?" After her words, she even sized him up, "Your appearance indeed doesn''t seem like that of someone who would eat grilled cheese sandwiches at a stand. Shall we get out of the car?"


    "No." Adrian quickly ced his hand on her knee, a gesture that Eva, surprisingly, didn''t find inappropriate given their divorced status. "I will support you and the children in whatever you want to do, no matter what it is."


    "Is that so?" Eva replied with a sarcastic smile. "You don''t have to inconvenience yourself, Mr. NightA."


    This title made Adrian furrow his brows and say, "Eva, don''t call me by that name anymore."


    "What''s wrong? Weren''t you the one who picked that name? And now you don''t want me to call you by it?"


    "You know my name."


    "So what?"


    Eva casually looked out the window.


    Adrian pursed his lips and, in the end, decided not to say anything. He handed her a draft of his design.


    "Take a look."


    As they were cooperating, Eva reflexively assumed it was work-rted when she saw the stack of papers and epted it without hesitation.


    At the same time, she couldn''t help but think, he won''t keep using work as an excuse to approach me, will he?


    Will he have a new idea every day? How long can he keep it up?


    When she opened it and saw the content on the paper, Eva was stunned in ce. She was taken aback because she initially thought it was work-rted, but it turned out to be architectural designs, precisely the ones he mentioned before he leftst night.

 Chapter 346 Its Me and My Ex-husband

    Looking at the densely filled content on the paper, Eva was left feeling only shock in her heart.


    It was his handwriting, there was no mistake.


    But overnight... Thinking of the eye contact just now, Adrian''s dark circles seemed more severe than her own, even though his appearance was still impable. After a cursory nce, Eva closed the drawings and handed them back to Adrian.


    Adrian was somewhat stunned.


    "You... did you read it?"


    Eva nodded with indifference.


    Hearing her response, Adrian still had some doubts and didn''t take the drawings back. "So quickly, did you really read it in its entirety?"


    Eva maintained her calm tone, "Yes, I did."


    Adrian looked at her.


    Although she said she finished reading it, her perfunctory attitude and indifferent tone clearly indicated that she didn''t take this design seriously.


    He pursed his lips, feeling somewhat dissatisfied, but still spoke up, "Is it that this design doesn''t meet your expectations?"


    Instead of directly answering his question, Eva smiled lightly at him, "Could you please find someone else to do this design for me?" Adrian pressed his lips together and stared at her fixedly.


    For a moment, he didn''t know if she couldn''t tell it was his design or if she was purposefully trying to provoke him with these words. After contemting for a moment, Adrian remained silent and handed the design to the two children to look at.


    Eva straightened her posture and looked at them too.


    To her surprise, she thought he would exin that he was the one who made that design. She never expected him to stay silent.


    However, in the next moment, Ruby became his good helper. Ruby suddenly looked at the densely packed design and curiously asked, "Wow, Uncle NightA, did you draw this?"


    If Ruby weren''t only five years old, Eva would really think that she did it on purpose. Adrian seemed pleased with this question and slightly curled his lips.


    He reached out and gently touched Ruby''s head, whispering, "Yes, I did it."


    "Wow." Although Ruby wasn''t quite sure what he drew, seeing the intricate content made her think it was impressive. "Uncle NightA, you''re amazing."


    Being praised by his own daughter was quite an experience. Adrian''s mood at this moment was like walking on cloud nine, feeling as light as air, all because of his daughter''s praise. "This design has almost everything in it. If you were to live in a house like this, would Ruby like it?"


    "I would love it!" Ruby answered loudly.


    Dn secretly nced at Eva. Eva sighed and turned her head to look out the window, not intending to look any longer.


    If Adrian ever wanted to take their children from her, Eva felt that he wouldn''t even need topete for Ruby. Just a gesture from Adrian, and Ruby might follow him. The thought of her raising their children so hard, only to be surpassed by this father who had only seen Ruby a few times, made Eva feel bitter.


    However, even if she felt so upset, she hadn''t shown it in recent times. She was Ruby''s mother and couldn''t afford to argue with a child.


    The driver pulled over not far from a breakfast bar and turned his head awkwardly, saying, "Mr. ckwood, we probably can''t go any further." Hearing this, everyone looked ahead.


    Up ahead, there were two streets, one was a main road, and the other led to a nearby market. On both sides of the road were shops, and since they didn''t do business in the morning, they left that area in front of their doors for setting up stalls. There were many vendors calling out to sell various things. Where there is a seller, there is a buyer, and most people go to the market at this time.


    It wouldn''t be a problem to drive in, but when they wanted to leaveter, it would probably waste a lot of time. If they were just here today for breakfast and not in a hurry for school, they could drive in.


    Just as Eva was about to speak, she heard Adrian in front saying, "Let''s get off and walk in." He stole her lines. She looked at the back of his head with some dissatisfaction. "Let''s go."


    Adrian collected the backpacks of the two children and got out of the car with them.


    The driver immediately said, "Mr. ckwood, I''ll wait for you in the car." Adrian nodded in response. Seeing this, Eva had no choice but to get out of the car as well. After getting out, she nced at Adrian''s expensive suit and said, "Are you sure you want to wear your precious suit to go to the street stall with us?" Adrian nced back at her.


    "Is there a problem? You are quite eye-catching yourself." he replied.


    Upon hearing this, Eva instinctively nced down at her attire.


    In fact, she was dressed quite simply for work, wearing ck pants and a light blue sweater,yered with a beige long coat. It was a straightforward and simple outfit. "Don''t believe me?" Adrian smirked. "Take a look around."


    Only then did Eva turn her gaze towards their surroundings.


    As soon as they got off the car, a crowd of people''s eyes gathered on them.


    Some were sizing her up, some were sizing up Adrian, and there were even those who were sizing up the two kids.


    "No need to think about what to wear. Even if you showed up here with a piece of cloth draped over your face, those people would still look at you." Adrian suddenly said. Upon hearing this, Eva was taken aback.


    "Let''s go."


    Adrian held one child and took the other''s hand, walking ahead.


    Eva instinctively followed his route, only realizing after a couple of steps.


    Was heplimenting her with what he just said?


    Sure enough, when they appeared at the breakfast bar, they attracted a lot of attention.


    A handsome man and a beautiful woman, coupled with two adorably cute children, made almost everyone''s eyes turn towards them.


    People are always unable to resist attractive things, even though they might not have any thoughts in their hearts, their eyes and gazes would asionally shift towards them. A nce, another nce, and a few more nces were all pleasing to the eye.


    Even The shopkeeper, due to the cuteness of the children, gave them two deep-grilled cheese sandwiches and asked, "Are you two a couple?"


    Eva was about to deny it when she heard Adrian say, "You have a good eye."


    The shopkeeper instantly grinned from ear to ear.


    "That''s what I said, if it wasn''t for you looking so handsome and beautiful, you wouldn''t have such good-looking children."


    He spoke with a particr ent and tone that Eva couldn''t identify.


    With Adrian''s words in mind, Eva smiled at The shopkeeper and exined, "Actually, we are not a couple."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "He has a wife."


    The shopkeeper froze, and even Adrian''s smile in his eyes solidified.


    "He has a wife but he is pursuing me, and I rejected him."


    The shopkeeper disyed a look of shock.


    "And those two children?"


    Eva smiled lightly. "They are from my ex-husband and me."

 Chapter 347 Complete Love

    The store owner was overwhelmed by the immense amount of information and felt shaken. As he looked at Adrian again, his gaze became strange and filled with meaning. Adrian looked at her with a somewhat helpless expression on his face.


    Did she enjoy ying this game, or was she just trying to mock him?


    After buying the food, the store owner offered them some small chairs. However, because it was on the side of the road with a constant stream of people, there was a lot of dust and all the tissues left behind by previous customers were scattered around the chairs. This alone made it difficult to find a ce to sit.


    Not only was Adrian dumbfounded, but the two children were as well. They didn''t expect the hygiene conditions to be so poor.


    Especially when the store owner called for them toe sit there.


    Ruby, who was about toe over, saw this scene and dared not approach. Instead, she looked up at Eva, feeling a bit helpless. "Mommy."


    Seeing this, Eva felt it was an opportunity and smiled slightly, squatting down in front of her. "Ruby, didn''t you say you wanted toe and eat grilled cheese sandwiches? There''s a spot over there, shall we go sit there?"


    "But Mommy..." Ruby pouted her lips, feeling a bit wronged. "The ground over there is so dirty. Those people just throw all their tissue papers on the ground."


    "Ruby, not everyone has had the same education as you since birth. Even if they received the same education, people can change as they grow up. That''s just how the world is. Just because you emphasize manners, doesn''t mean others will too. So, unless you''re prepared to deal with it, we''ll just eat the food we make at home in the future, okay?"


    Ruby didn''t know if she understood or not, but when she heard thest sentence, she vigorously nodded her head, eager to go home as soon as possible.


    Adrian, who was watching nearby, couldn''t help but smile. So, it was this little one who suggested to eat outside?


    "How about we take the food back to the car and eat?" Adrian looked at Ruby''s scrunched-up face and said.


    Upon hearing that, Ruby immediately nodded obediently. "Okay."


    "Let''s go."


    On the way, Dn was very quiet. As a result, he almost went unnoticed.


    Mainly because Dn didn''t know what to say. Uncle NightA was nice to them, but Mommy had a bad attitude towards him. He also didn''t want to be their dad. Therefore, Dn had been reserved in his attitude towards Adrian, unlike Ruby.


    On the way back, Dn was already prepared to let Eva hold his hand and lead him back. Unexpectedly, Adrian suddenly squatted down next to him and reached out his hand. "Come up." After saying that, his big hand supported Dn''s bottom, holding Dn and Ruby on either side.


    Probably afraid of falling, Dn subconsciously reached out his little hand and hugged Adrian''s neck.


    In the past, Mommy always held Ruby more because Ruby was always the one causing a ruckus, and Dn was willing to share the love for his sister with Mommy.


    Mommy''s physical strength was limited, so she could only hold one child. Most of the time, Ruby was the one Eva held while Dn walked beside them.


    Although he sometimes yearned for Mommy''s embrace, he knew Mommy''s physical strength was limited. She had to put Ruby down after holding her for a while.


    In such cases, Dn dared not ask Mommy to hold him.


    But now, Uncle NightA could effortlessly hold both of them at the same time.


    Eva had the same thoughts. Seeing Adrian effortlessly holding both children as he stood up, she had mixed feelings.


    Before getting pregnant, her n was to have just one child. Maybe it was because shecked maternal love when she was young, so Eva wanted to give one child aplete childhood.


    Having followed in the footsteps of her single-parent family, she even added another child. Although she always tried to be fair and just to both children, she knew deep down that she couldn''t truly achieve equality between the two. Dn was introverted and understanding, not only avoiding causing trouble but often thinking of her as well. Ruby, on the other hand, was different. She was mischievous, loved to y and eat, and was particrly fragile. She always wanted to be held and sought attention from Eva.


    Today, she gave Ruby a bit more attention, which meant less for Dn. Day after day, this pattern continued, and the amount of attention she gave Dn decreased while he became more understanding. Eva felt guilty in her heart.


    But now, seeing how Adrian effortlessly switched between the two children, she felt strangely relieved. Ruby''s outgoing personality made her rely heavily on Adrian, even more than on Michael, who had been with them for five years. As for Dn, although he didn''t show it, given his introverted nature, he actually seemed to ept Adrian. Otherwise, he probably wouldn''t even let Adrian hold him.


    Eva used to believe that one person could give childrenplete love, but now the reality in front of her proved that what she alone could provide waspletely insufficient. Eva''s heart sank, and she quickly caught up with them. Afterward, everyone got back in the car, and Eva watched Adrian take care of the children, even feeding them himself. Although his actions seemed awkward, he was very serious and attentive, even doubting himself. It was like watching her own first experience of taking care of children.


    Lost in her thoughts, Adrian suddenly turned around, and his pitch-ck eyes met hers. Eva was startled and instinctively averted her gaze. Adrian clearly felt her eyes on him the whole time, even without turning around, but he didn''t expect her to avoid his gaze as soon as he looked back. He pursed his lips, turned around, and continued taking care of the two children.


    Before long, the car arrived at the school gate. Seeing Adrian getting out of the car with the children, Eva decided not to get out. He wanted to show his capabilities in front of the children, and since the children didn''t reject him, she couldn''t stop it.


    After waiting for a few minutes, Adrian got back in the car. It surprised him that she didn''t get out, as he thought she would go to work alone by subway after dropping off the children. Seeing him get back in, Eva''s gaze fell on Adrian. "Take me to thepany."


    "Alright." Even if she didn''t say so, Adrian would still have taken her, but he felt delighted that she took the initiative to ask. Her eyes seemed different too. Could it be that his recent efforts weren''t in vain? She had noticed. Lost in spection, Adrian heard Eva say coldly, "Do you really like the children?"


    "Of course, after all, they are my children." He paused.


    After a moment''s pause, Adrian continued, "When I was livestreaming, I didn''t know they were my children, but I liked them then already. You should be the most clear about that."


    Yes, she was very clear, and she also received a lot of money from his tips.


    "Mhmm."


    She responded in a wooden tone and then asked, "You mentioned earlier that you just wanted to take care of them?"

 Chapter 348 I Promise

    Although she didn''t understand why she suddenly asked this question, for Adrian, it was definitely a good start. "Yes."


    Eva carefully considered her words, "I can let you take care of them, but I have conditions."


    Indeed, his efforts were not in vain. Ever since they were little, he knew that Eva had a soft heart.


    Adrian maintained hisposure as he calmly asked, "What conditions are you referring to?"


    "First, I will agree to let you take care of them solely for the sake of the two children. Allowing you to take care of them is solely because of the blood connection." "Alright." Adrian didn''t even need to think about it, he directly agreed.


    Hearing this, Eva was slightly surprised and thought of something, so she looked at him, "You can only be called Uncle, and you can''t say in front of the children that you are their father. Can you agree to these conditions? If you can''t, then..." "I promise."


    Eva''s words werepletely cut off.


    She probably didn''t expect that he would go to such lengths for the children.


    "I just want to fulfill my responsibilities."


    As for the title...


    Although ever since knowing that these two children were his own flesh and blood, he had envisioned the scene of the two little ones calling him "Daddy" with shining eyes. That scene would have been beautiful.


    But unfortunately, his rtionship with Eva five years ago was not good, and she had been raising the children on her own all these years.


    He didn''t dare, nor did he want the children to call him "Daddy" at this moment. It would probably make her sad, as if the two children she had worked so hard to raise called someone else "Daddy," even though he wasn''t someone else. But this consequence would probably hurt her.


    From her recent behavior, it was clear that she was truly concerned that he would take the children away from her.


    It was understandable. She used to think there was still something between him and Vivian, so she worried.


    But the situation with Vivian had been resolved, and what he needed now was time.


    "Are you sure you won''t..."


    Eva still had some worries.


    Adrian interrupted again, "If you really worry that I have ulterior motives, then we can sign a contract, how about that?"


    Based on the current audio recordings, it seemed that it didn''t give her a sense of security. Or perhaps, her sense of security was not enough.


    If it wasn''t enough, then he would make up for it until she felt secure enough.


    "A contract?"


    "Yes." Adrian nodded.


    Eva pursed her lips. In fact, even if Adrian didn''t mention it, she was thinking the same thing.


    Only by signing a contract could she feel at ease.


    Although she didn''t know when their rtionship had turned into this, it was a pity that some things couldn''t be undone.


    "Alright, a contract..."


    "You set the terms, let me know when you''ve decided."


    He was very cooperative, as if he would go along with whatever she wanted.


    Eva didn''t say anything more.


    Adrian couldn''t help but ask, "What about the design n?""


    He was referring to the house''s design proposal, which he would definitely take care of if she agreed to let him take care of the children.


    "You handle it on your own, I won''t be involved." she replied.


    After all, it wasn''t her money being spent.


    "Why?" he asked, puzzled. "I hope that you''ll move into the house with the children."


    "It''s the children, not me, who you will have involvement with, and I will make that clear in the contract." she exined.


    While they were talking, the driver suddenly stopped the car and awkwardly turned around to remind them.


    "Mr. ckwood, we have arrived at Ms. Hansen''spany."


    Upon seeing that they had arrived at herpany, Eva immediately stopped what she was about to say and instead said, "Thank you for driving me to the office. I''ll go in now. As for the agreement, I''ll send it to you once it''s done." "Okay."


    After Eva got out of the car, she didn''t look back and went straight into the building.


    As she entered the elevator, she wondered to herself how she was suddenly able to be so calm about him?


    Was it because of the children, or because she no longer cared, or because she found out that he didn''t actually instruct her to get an abortion all those years ago?


    Eva didn''t want to pursue which reason it was anymore. As long as her two little ones could receiveplete love, that would be enough.


    She was worried that the two little ones would follow in her footsteps.


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva arrived at her office and began working on the agreement between the two of them.


    During this time, Tim came over and reported that a few new employees had joined thepany, asking her toe over and interview them, considering thepany''s future development. So, Eva went.


    After she finished handling things on her end, she would continue finalizing the agreement upon returning to her office.


    There was absolutely no rtionship between her and him, and if there was any, it would only be rted to the children. Apart from that, they were just a pair of divorced strangers.


    Eva drafted each use of the agreement very strictly and even consulted her previouswyer.


    After a brief exnation of the situation to thewyer, he quickly understood her intentions.


    "Ms. Hansen means that you will retain sole custody of the children, and the male party will only bear the responsibility as a parent in name without legal custody?" "Yes, that''s correct. Is it possible?"


    "There shouldn''t be a problem. Let me review the conditions you''ve written."


    He quickly skimmed through the conditions Eva had written, then said, "There shouldn''t be a problem. I will refine these for you, and then you can take a look." "Okay, thank you."


    After hanging up the phone, Eva let out a sigh of relief.


    If she were Adrian, she didn''t think she would sign such an agreement because it was simply too unfair.


    But who said the past five years had been fair to her either?


    He could either ept this unfairness or distance himself from her and her children. She wouldn''t force him to sign.


    Lost in her thoughts, Mr. Hansen called.


    Ever since she had the children and her father started a new family of his own, their contact had be less frequent.


    So as soon as Eva saw that it was Mr. Hansen calling, she immediately put down her work.


    "Dad."


    "Eva?" Mr. Hansen heard her voice and smiled faintly. "How have you been recently? How is thepany doing? Is everything going well?"


    The morning haze that had hung over Eva dissipated, leaving only the warmth nurtured by family ties in her heart.


    "Well, it''s going smoothly, and we even secured an investment."


    "Whichpany''s investment?"


    At the mention of this, Eva paused for a moment before saying, "It''s a very establishedpany. For this reason, we also hired quite a few new employees."


    "Not bad, not bad. The boss of thispany has good foresight. You excel in whatever you do, and he won''t regret it in the future."


    Mr. Hansen had unparalleled confidence in Eva.


    They chatted about family matters for a while before Mr. Hansen hesitated and asked uncertainly.


    "How have things been going between you and Michael recently?"


    As soon as this question was asked, Eva immediately felt that something was amiss.


    In the past five years, he had never inquired about her love life. Even when she and Michael were not together, he didn''t ask and only waited for her to make her own choice. "What''s wrong, Dad?"

 Chapter 349 The Contract Can Be Signed Today

    With his next words, Mr. Hansen became hesitant.


    Feeling his hesitation, Eva sensed that something was wrong and had to ask him directly, "What happened?"


    After all, he had never been concerned about her emotional state before. Could it be that she had revealed everything to him after opening up to her father about Michael recently?


    "Eva," Mr. Hansen said, "It''s not that I want to pry into your affairs, but... I feel it''s necessary for you to know about this."


    "Please, go on..." Eva said, feeling mentally prepared.


    "Well, recently I heard that his father has been looking for a prospective partner for him."


    Looking for a prospective partner?


    Eva felt relieved. "Dad, so this is what you wanted to talk about. I thought..."


    "What''s wrong?" Mr. Hansen was also a sensitive person. "Isn''t this matter important to you? You and Michael..."


    Eva didn''t continue the conversation.


    Seeing her silence, Mr. Hansen had a vague sense of what was happening. After a long while, he sighed.


    "I was worried that you would be wronged, but I never expected that you and him wouldn''t end up together."


    "Dad, Michael and I aren''tpatible. It''s been so long, and I can''t keep holding him back."


    "Yes, so many years have passed. If you''re really not suitable for each other, then it''s true that you shouldn''t hold him back. But... he pursued you for so long, and you''re sure about this? You''re not going to reconsider?"


    "There''s nothing to consider anymore. The longer I think about it, the more I hold him back. Why should I? And just because he treats me well, does that mean I should be with him? The more he treats me well, the more it shows that he has feelings for me, and if I were to be with him just because of that, it wouldn''t be fair to him."


    In the past, she had indeed been moved by his kindness.


    Thoughts ran through her mind, and she had even tried to like him. She made an effort, but it seemed that she couldn''t do it. After all these years, she still couldn''t develop any special feelings for him. All she could see was him as her brother. However, could she dare to say it? If Michael knew that she only saw him as a brother, he would probably be furious. So, she wouldn''t say anything and let him be her brother, even if they couldn''t be a couple.


    "Ah," Mr. Hansen sighed after listening, "he treated you well before, but despite all these years, you two still haven''t got together. I already knew it was impossible between you and him. I just didn''t expect Michael to persist for so long without any response. I thought you would agree, but I never expected..."


    Thinking of something, Mr. Hansen cautiously asked, "Did you meet any old acquaintances during your trip back home?"


    "Just ask directly if you want to know," she replied.


    Hearing this, Mr. Hansen smiled. "You''re quite frank."


    "Well, didn''t you think that there must be a reason why Michael and I suddenly broke up?"


    "Yes, I did."


    "Do you think it''s because of that person?"


    They both knew very well who that person was without having to say it explicitly.


    Father and daughter understood each other, so they didn''t need to speak everything explicitly to know what they meant.


    "Did you meet him?" Mr. Hansen finally asked the main question of today''s phone call.


    Eva smiled faintly. "Yes, I did."


    She summarized recent events for Mr. Hansen to listen to.


    As soon as Mr. Hansen heard it, he was shocked. "What? He already knows about the children? And he even wants to take care of them together with you?"


    "Just together, but not with joint custody." Eva corrected.


    "But if this goes on for a long time, are you sure he won''t try to take the children away from you?"


    "I''ll have him sign a contract. What can he use to take the children away from me then?"


    "Will he sign it?"


    "If he doesn''t, he won''t get to take care of the children or even see them. What''s the big deal?" Eva said nonchntly. "Besides, if it everes to that, I''ll send the children to live with you." Mr. Hansen immediately agreed. "You''re right. If he dares to try anything, you send the children to me."


    "Okay."


    "But..." Mr. Hansen''s tone was still hesitant. "Are you really not nning to develop a rtionship with him anymore? Did you and Michael break up solely because of him?"


    "How is that possible? Dad, you''re overthinking it. Even if he wasn''t in the picture, Michael and I couldn''t be together. You should understand this."


    Mr. Hansen thought carefully and said, "I guess so."


    But he had asked all the questions he wanted to ask today, so he didn''t continue to question her any further on the subject.


    The two of them spoke about other things before hanging up the phone.


    After hanging up, Eva fell deep into thought.


    Michael''s father is actually already looking for a partner for him? So soon... It seems that he has given up on me and wants to return to a normal life. Just like an ordinary person, going on blind dates, getting married, and having children.


    Eva lowered her gaze, feeling happy for Michael.


    After all the care he has given her, if he can find happiness, she genuinely feels happy for him.


    In the afternoon, thewyer sent her the finalized content, and after reviewing it, Eva didn''t find any problems. She then emailed it to Adrian.


    Adrian opened the email upon receiving it, and without needing to guess, he knew how strict her conditions would be.


    Sure enough, upon opening it, it was all about him not having any rights to fight for child custody.


    He didn''t need to read the rest of the content, as they were all simr.


    Owing her, Adrian only read a few lines and didn''t continue reading; instead, he directly called Eva.


    "I''ve finished reading the email you sent."


    Eva nced at the time. It had only been two minutes since she sent it. Even if she were to read it again, it would take a long time. Yet, he says he has finished reading it? "Did you read it at a nce?"


    "More or less."


    "And you''ve finished reading it just like that?"


    "Yes." Adrian''s voice was gentle. "When will you print it out? Or shall I print it out here, sign it, and send it to you?"


    So proactive...


    Eva was speechless.


    "You should still read through the conditions and make sure you can agree before deciding."


    "No need to read them." Adrian said, his voice low but steady. "As long as it''s what you propose, I agree to it."


    Since the moment he saw her, Adrian had already made the decision to give her everything, regardless of whether she wanted toe back to him or not.


    "We can sign today. After signing, would you like to have a look at the design ns?"

 Chapter 350 Ill be waiting outside for you

    In the end, Eva hung up on Adrian in a daze.


    She leaned against the chair in her office, her emotions inplete disarray.


    The terms she mentioned were incredibly unfair for Adrian.


    Because she wanted him to provide financial and emotional support for the children, but he wouldn''t get anything in return. He wouldn''t have custody rights, and the children wouldn''t call him Dad. In a way, he would be raising someone else''s child.


    Although these two children share a blood connection with him, their surname is Hansen, and they won''t call him Dad either.


    Given his position, he could easily refuse, or even use his forceful methods.


    Yet, he agreed to everything.


    Eva reached up and held her temple, steadying her mind and warning herself.


    "This is just his scheme, don''t blindly trust him, and don''t forget the pain just because the wound has healed. The past is all gone, Adrian is no longer the child he used to be." Eva repeated it to herself several times before regaining herposure.


    Once she had steadied her mind, Eva focused on her work with determination.


    At the end of the workday, Eva tidied up and went downstairs, only to see the familiar ck car waiting for her at the front entrance, catching everyone''s attention. Adrian stood by the car, drawing many gazes.


    At this moment, as people were leaving work, almost everyone in thepany recognized Adrian, causing them to stop and discuss why he could be there.


    Walking behind those people, Eva immediately stepped back and hid in the corner as soon as she witnessed this scene.


    Unbeknownst to her, Adrian, who happened to look in this direction, noticed her hasty retreat into the corner.


    After taking refuge in the corner, Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    This person was truly speechless. They had agreed on something, yet he kept breaking the terms and showing up outside herpany.


    Did he want everyone to know about their rtionship?


    Lost in thought, Eva''s phone rang, and seeing the caller ID, she instinctively silenced it, not wanting to answer.


    But... wasn''t he waiting for her?


    Why would he call when he was waiting just fine? Did he see her earlier?


    If he did see her...


    Furrowing her brows, Eva reluctantly answered the call.


    "Running away when you see me?"


    Sure enough, as soon as she answered the call, Adrian questioned her.


    No wonder he called her. He really did see her.


    Leaning against the wall, Eva coldly asked, "Why did youe over?"


    "I brought the printed and signed contract for you and wanted to pick you up from work."


    "Wanted to?" Eva couldn''t detect the slightest sense of ''wanting to'' in him.


    After she voiced her doubt, Adrian had to change his tone, "Alright, I mainly came to pick you up and incidentally bring the contract."


    Taking a deep breath, Eva suppressed her anger and forced a numb smile on her face.


    "Adrian, didn''t we have an agreement?"


    "Mhmm," he replied.


    "So, what are you doing now? You showed me the design in the morning, said you would bring the contract in the afternoon, and what about tomorrow? Are you going to find various reasons to appear before me every day?" He didn''t say anything on the other end, but judging by his expression, it seemed like he tacitly agreed with her words.


    Eva felt an overwhelming helplessness and sighed, "I agreed to let you take care of the children because I considered them, not because I wanted anything with you. So, you don''t need to pick me up from work and disrupt my life, understood?"


    He answered in a muffled voice, "Understood."


    However, Eva didn''t rx because of this. She had a feeling that there was still something off in his words. Despite saying he understood and agreed, he would still do things his own way.


    Sure enough, before she could say anything else, Adrian said, "But I feel like I haven''t been disrupting your life."


    Eva replied, "This does disrupt my life. Are you there?"


    There was silence on the other end before he spoke again. "Whether Ie to pick you up or not, you still have to take the children to school ande home from work. If Ie, you can save on fuel money and breakfast expenses." The money for breakfast that morning was paid by Adrian.


    "So, do I have to thank you?"


    "No need," he said seriously. "It''s only right for me to do something for the mother of my children."


    Eva really didn''t want to talk to him.


    "Come out, I''m waiting outside."


    Perhaps afraid of her refusal, Adrian added, "Don''t keep the children waiting."


    He urately grasped her weakness.


    But Eva didn''t want to get into his car in front of so many people.


    Adrian seemed to know what she was thinking and suddenly said, "If the agreement is established, there will be many opportunities like this in the future. People will eventually find out about the rtionship between me and your children, it can''t be hidden."


    That was true.


    "Understood."


    Annoyed, she hung up his call and then turned and walked out, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, straight toward Adrian.


    Seeing her, Adrian''s thin lips curved into a beautiful arc, and he thoughtfully reached out to open the car door for her, like a peacock disying its feathers.


    To avoid drawing more attention from thepany''s employees, Eva quickly got in the car.


    Just as the door closed, Eva happened to make eye contact with the driver who had turned around. Seeing herplicated gaze, the driver smirked at her, "Ms. Hansen." Eva nodded to him.


    Adrian soon got in the car as well, and the car drove in the direction of the school.


    Not long after Adrian got in, he handed over the printed agreement, already signed by him, to Eva.


    "Jacob printed two copies, and I''ve signed them both. We still have time on the way to the school, so you can take a look to see if there are any issues."


    Eva reached out to take the agreement. Initially, she didn''t n to read anything in the car, as it didn''t feel right to read while moving.


    But since Adrian said so, she intended to take a look anyway. After all, it was only a few pages.


    Eva flipped through a few pages and had just read a few lines when a pair ofrge hands reached over.


    "Forget it, it''s not convenient to read in the car. Put it away for now and you can read it when you get home." he said.


    Before she could react, the two copies of the agreement had already been put away by Adrian into a leather bag.


    "What do you mean? Did you tamper with the agreement?"


    At the sound of that, Adrian paused, probably not expecting her to say that, and sat still for a moment. "What?"


    "Otherwise, why would you stop me from reading halfway?"


    Eva stared at him suspiciously.


    After a long silence, he finally said, "The car was shaking, it''s not good for your eyes to read in the car."


    Thinking that he had tampered with the agreement, Eva said, "Are you joking with me? Why didn''t you say so from the beginning?"


    Adrian looked at her seriously. "I really didn''t think about it at first. Just read it when we get home."

 Chapter 351 Farewell Visit

    Eva didn''t care anymore whether he didn''t want her to see the agreement because he had tampered with it or because, as he imed, reading in the car was harmful to the eyes. Adrian had already put away the agreement, and she had no way to look at it again.


    With this thought, Eva lost all interest in talking to him altogether. Adrian seemed to have noticed her inner thoughts and didn''t say anything else either. The two of them remained silent throughout the journey until they reached the school. Adrian had dropped her off at school in the morning, and now he got out of the car again to pick someone up. Eva didn''t move a muscle, but soon enough, she saw Adrian bringing back two little ones with him. As soon as they got in the car, they greeted her and rushed over.


    Before Adrian could get back in the car, Ruby even raised her face and asked Eva in a low voice, "Mommy, did NightA Uncle agree to be our daddy?"


    Eva''s lips slightly parted, about to say something, but then she saw Adrian getting ready to get back in the car. So, the words that were about to escape her lips paused, and she said something else instead. "Sweetie, let''s discuss this when we get home."


    Ruby obediently closed her mouth and remained quiet after hearing her response. Adrian and the driver took the children home. Right before getting out of the car, Adrian whispered, "Shall we have dinner together tonight?" Hearing his words, Eva hesitated for a moment and then replied, "Next time, maybe."


    In the end, Adrian still ced the design blueprint in Eva''s hands.


    "When you get back, if you have time after reading the agreement, take a look at this design blueprint too."


    Eva looked at the design blueprint in her hands and nodded after a moment.


    "Alright, you can go back now."


    After speaking, Eva turned and went upstairs with the two children. Adrian leaned against the car, his gaze fixed on them ascending the stairs. When he made sure they were safe, he finally returned to the car.


    Once inside, Adrian rolled down the car window and looked coldly at the scenery outside. The driver nced at him through the rearview mirror and sensed that something was off. Carefully, he said, "Mr. ckwood, don''t lose hope. Women can be a bit proud at first, but with time, they will surely soften."


    Hearing this, Adrian nced at him and said in a faint tone, "What do you know?"


    He doesn''t understand, he really doesn''t. Besides, his wife hasn''t divorced him yet. But he didn''t dare say these thoughts out loud in front of Adrian. What else could he say? He could only choose to silently take him back home. When they reached the front gate of the mansion, from afar, the driver noticed a fragile figure standing in front of the gate. Only after recognizing who it was did he quickly say, "Mr. ckwood, Miss Morrison is here again."


    Adrian, who had been lost in contemtion about the house design, furrowed his brows upon hearing this and looked ahead. Sure enough, in the darkness below the vi, Vivian stood by the entrance with a worried expression on her face. It looks like she has been waiting in agony for a long time.


    Adrian pursed his lips, feeling a sense of displeasure in his heart.


    Although he had made it so clear to her, it seemed like she couldn''t understand his words, which made him somewhat resentful.


    But then Adrian thought of something.


    When he was entangled with Eva, was he also as annoying to her as Vivian is to him?


    Just the thought of this possibility caused a sharp pain in Adrian''s chest, and he furrowed his eyebrows fiercely.


    This can''t be!


    Adrian immediately became more determined to break ties with Vivian. So, when the car stopped, he said directly, "You get off and make her leave."


    The driver had witnessed Vivian''s abilities and didn''t immediately get out of the car after hearing his words. Instead, he asked, "What if Miss Morrison doesn''t want to leave?"


    "Then make a phone call and have Jacob send someone over."


    After hearing these words, the driver understood the situation and nodded immediately.


    "I understand, Mr. ckwood."


    With that, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.


    In the cold wind, Vivian tightened the strap of her bag, which contained something her mother had given her, iming it could help her seed.


    Originally, it had only been a day, and Vivian had little chance of sess at this moment. So, she had nned to wait a few more days. However, her mother urged her to strike while the iron was hot, and under her mother''s encouragement, Vivian came over.


    She took a deep breath.


    She mustn''t back down.


    To her surprise, the person who got out of the car was not Adrian, but his driver.


    The driver walked towards her, and Vivian nced at the car, but it was pitch ck inside, and she could see nothing. She could only turn to the driver.


    "Where is Adrian?"


    There were no honorifics or politenguage, and her tone even carried a sense of interrogation.


    Compared to Eva, the driver truly disliked Vivian''s personality. Shepletely disregarded others just because she was a madam.


    He must deal with her inquiries with this attitude.


    The driver had intended to politely ask her to leave, but her current attitude instantly extinguished any polite thoughts he had. He straightforwardly said, "Miss Morrison, Mr. ckwood doesn''t want to see you. Please go back." Upon hearing this, Vivian''s face dramatically changed, and she looked towards the car. "Did he tell you to say that?"


    The driver nodded vigorously.


    "Yes, Mr. ckwood said so himself. He doesn''t want to see you."


    Vivian''s earlier arrogance disappeared in an instant. Biting her lip, she approached and said, "Sir, could you please help me beg Adrian? I really have something very important to discuss with him this time."


    The driver was a middle-aged man, and hearing Vivian beg for mercy softened him a bit.


    But he also thought of what Adrian had said; "If she didn''t want to leave, he would simply call Jacob and have him bring people over."


    But it would be too unpleasant to do so.


    Thinking of this, the driver could only say, "Miss Morrison, I don''t want to make things difficult for you, but Mr. ckwood really doesn''t want to see you. It''s freezing cold, and I advise you not to stay here any longer. Please go back quickly." "No, I can''t." Vivian took a step forward, clutching her bag as if holding onto a lifeline.


    "Could you please tell Adrian for me? I came to see him this time to bid farewell, is that alright?"


    Upon hearing this, the driver was surprised. He nced at the car and nodded.


    "Alright, since your situation is special, I will go and talk to Mr. ckwood for you."


    "Thank you."


    The driver went back to the car. Adrian, seeing him return so quickly and not sending Vivian away, frowned. "She doesn''t want to leave? Call Jacob and have hime to resolve the situation."


    "No." The driver instinctively waved his hand. "It''s not like that, Mr. ckwood. Miss Morrison seems to have something else she wants to discuss with you."


    Adrian pursed his lips displeased. What else could she want from him? It could only be that she couldn''t let go.


    Unexpectedly, the driver said the next moment, "Miss Morrison said she came to bid you farewell."


    "Farewell?"

 Chapter 352 I Will Disappear on My Own

    Adrian started to doubt what he heard. Vivian came to bid farewell to him? What on earth for?


    Narrowing his eyes, Adrian observed Vivian standing in the bleak wind. The weather was extremely cold, and he didn''t know what she was wearing inside, but she appeared trembling from the cold. Even her fair cheeks were flushed. From the surface, she did look pitiful and engendered sympathy.


    But this woman, in silent deceit, had deleted the text message about Eva''s pregnancy and even secretly given her five million US dors.


    Her intentions were self-evident.


    If Eva hadn''t given birth to the child herself, he could''ve really lost both of his children.


    The thought of those two adorable children possibly disappearing stirred a knife in Adrian''s heart.


    He couldn''t feel sorry for her.


    If considering gratitude, he had already done enough in the past.


    The ckwood family''s influence had also been utilized by the Hansen family through her. Adrian could let the Hansen family borrow it for a lifetime.


    If only she could behave, things might have been different.


    "Not meeting her," Adrian replied coldly, thinking about this. "If she wants to bid farewell, she can do it over the phone."


    He didn''t want to see her anymore.


    The driver didn''t expect Mr. ckwood to be this heartless, refusing even a farewell. He couldn''t say anything more since he was paid to do his job. Quickly, the driver departed once again.


    As Vivian waited for Adrian toe down, she saw the driver approaching her, her expression instantly changed. "He still doesn''t want to see me?" The driver nodded. "You should go back."


    "No, I can''t." Vivian burst into tears and copsed beside the car. Disregarding everything, she cried out, "Adrian, pleasee out and see me. I came to bid you farewell. I''m leaving, yet you won''t even meet your savior once?" Because they were close in proximity, Vivian''s voice reached Adrian quickly.


    Hearing her mention the debt of saving his life, Adrian felt his heart clench.


    Sometimes, he would wonder why. Why did he owe her his life? Some things were better left undone, even though he felt guilty for thinking so.


    Adrian reached up to pinch his brow, his head throbbing.


    The driver couldn''t bear it any longer.


    "Mr. ckwood, she''s leaving. Maybe... you should go down and see her? After all, I guess it might be thest time."


    Adrian realized the meaning behind the driver''s words.


    If she had indeede to bid him farewell, this would be theirst encounter.


    He would see what she wanted to do.


    Considering this, Adrian adjusted the buttons on his coat, then coldly got out of the car.


    Vivian was on the verge of tears, her face already drenched as she stood in the winds, resembling a weeping figure. Her tears fell like droplets in the rain.


    Upon seeing him descend, Vivian immediately approached. "Adrian, you finally agreed to see me. I thought you would never speak to me again in this lifetime."


    Looking at the extremely haggard Vivian, and thinking back to how she had readily jumped into the raging river to save him without hesitation, Adrian still held a bit of sympathy.


    "Why bother?" He originally wanted to take off his coat and put it on her, but then he thought about Eva and the two children, and Adrian forcefully held back this impulse.


    If he owed her, then so be it. Let it be his recklessness.


    He was only human, unable to be perfect in all aspects.


    "I''m leaving, so I wanted to say a few words to you. Is that okay?" Vivian stepped forward, wanting to hold his hand.


    Without showing any signs, Adrian took a step back, finally saying, "Just say what you need to say."


    Hearing this, Vivian nced inside and softly pleaded, "I''m freezing out here. Can we go inside and talk?"


    Adrian''s gaze turned toward her, his lips pursed slightly.


    After a moment, he said, "Come inside. Say everything you need to tonight. After tonight, I won''t see you again."


    Upon hearing this, Vivian clenched her lower lip tightly.


    "I understand. Don''t worry, after tonight, I will disappear on my own and won''t appear before you again."


    Inside the house, Vivian sat on the couch, and there was a cup of steaming hot water in front of her.


    After enduring the biting cold wind for a while, her body, which had almost lost all sensation, gradually regained warmth. Vivian stared at the ss of water for a long time before taking a deep breath and looking up at Adrian. "Do you have any alcohol?" she asked.


    Hearing her question, Adrian furrowed his brows. "At a time like this, do you really think I would let you drink alcohol here?" he responded.


    A bitter smile appeared on Vivian''s face. "I knew you wouldn''t agree, but this is thest time. After tonight, I will never disturb you again. Just have a drink with me. I have some things I want to tell you. Once I''m done, you won''t have to remember my debt of gratitude for saving your life anymore, alright?"


    Silence filled the room. Vivian dared not speak again, afraid that if she did, Adrian would simply reject her mercilessly. She could only wait.


    After a while, Adrian turned around. Vivian''s expression changed, thinking that he was about to refuse her, but then she heard him say, "This is thest time."


    Vivian''s face brightened. "You can trust me. I will keep my promise."


    Adrian quickly brought over the alcohol and a ss. Seeing this, Vivian smiled faintly. "I never expected that after so many years, we would end up like this."


    Adrian''s hand paused for a moment at her words, and he nced at Vivian, who was looking down. He sighed inwardly.


    In his younger days, he had mistaken the gratefulness for saving his life as a different kind of affection towards Vivian. His words had caused many misunderstandings. Thinking about it seriously, she was also a victim here, grateful for her own salvation.


    Considering this, Adrian''s hostility lessened somewhat, though notpletely. He even doubted the things Vivian had said.


    After all these years of entanglement, was she really willing to leave like this?


    "Whatever you want to say, you can say it now. Whatever conditions the ckwood family can meet for you, they will fulfill," Adrian said.


    Vivian noticed that he referred to the ckwood family rather than himself personally. It seemed he was truly determined to sever ties with her.


    Vivian tightened her grip on the bag in her hand and smiled, "If I want resources, money, can I have that too?"


    "Of course," Adrian replied without hesitation.


    Vivian continued, "Alright, then I want a five percent stake in the ckwood family."


    Originally, she expected Adrian to refuse. She had already discussed this with her mother beforeing.


    "When you ask him for a stake, he will definitely refuse. Then, ask him for money directly. At that point, he won''t refuse you, and while he''s busy writing the check, you can put the item in his ss." She had already nned everything, ready for what she needed to do.

 Chapter 353 Once Tonight is Over

    From here on, she only needed Adrian''s cooperation.


    Vivian was mentally prepared, waiting for him to reject her.


    "Five percent of the shares? Fine."


    "No? Then what should I..."


    Vivian''s words, which had just begun, were instantly defeated by his two words of agreement. She stood frozen in ce, unable to believe what she had just heard.


    Did she mishear it just now?


    It seems like Adrian agreed?


    Five percent of the shares?


    She had previously gained some understanding of the ckwood Group''s profitability. Although it was just scratching the surface, based on what she knew, if Adrian really gave her five percent of his shares, her worth would skyrocket in the future.


    But... how could he agree?


    Vivian looked at him in disbelief.


    "Adrian, you..."


    Is he really willing to give her five percent of the shares just to cut off all ties with her?


    Is he really capable of doing this?


    Realizing that he would only do it for Eva, Vivian felt as if she were about to grind her teeth to pieces.


    But thinking of her goal, she suppressed her emotions and smiled. "Adrian, you really wouldn''t be willing to give me five percent of the shares, right? That''s five percent, you know."


    Hearing this, Adrian looked up at her. "Do you think it''s a lot?"


    Vivian asked, "Isn''t it?"


    "Then let''s add another five percent, making it ten percent for you."


    Vivian''s heart skipped a beat. "Wh-what?"


    She thought she misheard again, and her heart raced.


    "You want to give me ten percent of the shares?"


    It was too exciting. Vivian felt like she was about to agree. After all, she had originally used the incident of saving him just to stay by his side, right?


    Even now, wanting to be by his side was also for the future position of the president''s wife.


    Why did she want to be the president''s wife? Wasn''t it for the money?


    If she could really get ten percent of the shares, why would she still pursue it?


    Vivian''s heart raced, but Adrian didn''t even look up. He coldly said, "Yes, but we need to sign an agreement. After you receive these ten percent of the shares, we will sever all ties. Everything I have said before will be cancelled, and you will not mention those things again."


    Vivian admitted that she was really tempted.


    She hadn''t even thought that he would give her five percent of the shares, but not only did he give it, he added another half.


    Just to distance himself from her and be with Eva...


    The initially clear public sentiment took a wrong turn at this point.


    Vivian bit her lip, still unwilling in her heart.


    Actually... if it weren''t for Eva''s interference, let alone these ten percent of the shares, in the future, the entire ckwood family would belong to her children, and Adrian''s person would also be hers.


    And now she could only take ten percent of the shares. On what basis?


    Why should she let Eva have it?


    Clearly, all of this could be hers!


    Thinking of this, Vivian firmly decided in her heart.


    Vivian made a firm decision and looked up with a wry smile at Adrian. "Adrian, I never expected you would go this far for her. But since you can, it means that my interference in your feelings towards her is no longer appropriate. In that case, I can only wish you happiness."


    Her words surprised Adrian, and he looked at her unexpectedly. "Did you just agree?"


    Vivian nodded gently. "I think you''re right. Adults should maintain their dignity, and constant entanglement is indecent. Although I really like you, it''s incredibly difficult for two people to truly love each other. So, I have no choice but to bless you both and hope you will always be together."


    She spoke sincerely, with calm eyes and expressions, as if she had truly let go.


    Upon hearing her wish for him and Eva to be together forever, Adrian''s hostility vanished, and his lips curved slightly. "Thank you."


    Vivian felt a pang in her heart. He truly knew how to wound her emotionally.


    "So, can we sign the agreement now?" she asked.


    Adrian looked at her and replied, "I''ll have someone draft it and send it over tomorrow."


    "No," Vivian shook her head. "Tonight. The ten percent shares, I''m afraid you might regret it."


    The main reason was that after tonight, she might never have another chance to be alone with him, especially while drinking.


    She had to seize this opportunity.


    Obtain the shares, sleep with him, and sessfully conceive a child.


    Moreover, it seemed that fortune favored her, deeming her pitiful and decided to lend her a hand. She was currently in her peak fertility.


    As long as she could achieve pregnancy in one fell swoop and with her life-saving favor to him, did she have any reason to fear losing to Eva? Vivian strategized in her mind.


    Adrian looked at her for a while, then got up to make a phone call to hiswyer.


    Seeing him leave, Vivian finally saw her chance. She immediately opened her bag, took out the item her mother had given her, and poured it into one of the cups. Quickly, she unscrewed the bottle and filled the cup with wine. After filling the cup, Vivian quickly shook it, evenly dispersing the powder.


    Feeling her heart pounding and almost leaping out of her chest, Vivian had never felt so despicable before, but she had no other choice.


    Who made him not choose her? She couldn''t be med for that; she just liked him too much.


    Whether it was him or the ckwood family, she wanted them both.


    Perhaps due to nervousness, Vivian''s hand shook while holding the wine ss, causing some red wine stains to spill out.


    She was startled and almost threw the ss away.


    Coincidentally, footsteps approached from outside, seemingly Adrian returning.


    Vivian''s face turned pale, and she quickly ced the cup back in its original position. It was already toote, so she hurriedly grabbed a tissue from the side and wiped away the red wine stains on the table. The footsteps reached the doorway, and Adrian had returned.


    And the ss of wine in front of her was still empty.


    Vivian could only anxiously pour herself a drink into her ss. When she was halfway through, Adrian walked in.


    "Thewyer has already drafted the agreement, and once it''s done, it will be sent over. You..."


    Adrian had intended to tell her to leave first, but upon entering and seeing her actions, he paused.


    Vivian suppressed her nerves and pretended to be calm.


    "Okay, I''ll wait here. Care for a few drinks?"


    After saying that, she lifted the ss in front of her and took a sip, emptying half of it in one gulp.


    Adrian nced at her.


    "Suit yourself."


    With that, he turned around to leave.


    Seeing this, Vivian panicked and called him back.


    "Adrian, don''t go. I still have something to tell you."


    Upon hearing that, Adrian halted his steps. "I''ve already said what needed to be said. Anything further is meaningless."


    "Even if it''s meaningless, I still want to say it. After all, this is ourst night, or rather, thest bit of time before yourwyer arrives."

 Chapter 354 He Disappeared!

    Vivian picked up the cup from the table and finished the remaining contents. Then, in front of Adrian, she poured another full ss.


    Holding it in her hand, she gently swayed it.


    "Consider it a matter of giving me a little dignity for saving your life once. Let''s part on good terms, shall we?"


    Adrian''s thin lips almost formed a straight line, his gaze cold. Finally, he sat down in front of her.


    "Apanying you for a drink is considered parting on good terms? Isn''t the double share I gave you enough for that?"


    A bitter smile appeared on Vivian''s face.


    "I knew you would think so, but Adrian, my feelings for you are real. Even if today you weren''t Mr. ckwood, just an ordinary person, I would still like you. Do you know why I asked for that 5% of shares? It''s simply because you are someone who is only at peace when owing others. If I didn''t make any demands, you would never see that I genuinely wanted to cut ties with you. This way is better now. I have taken shares of yourpany, and from now on, you won''t feel indebted to me anymore, right?"


    After speaking, Vivian raised her ss.


    "I wish you happiness."


    Her hand was raised in mid-air, but she received no response.


    Vivian''s arm grew tired from holding it up, but she refused to give up.


    Finally, just when she thought tonight would be a failure, Adrian took up his ss and carelessly clinked it against hers, then took a few sips.


    "Is this dignified enough?"


    He ced the ss back on the table, making a slight clinking sound.


    As Vivian''s heart pounded, she gripped the ss tighter.


    Did he drink it?


    She had finally seeded!


    Although Adrian had only taken a few sips, she had prepared for this and made sure he wouldn''t drink too much or only take a sip to pretend. The amount of that substance was sufficient. And he had more than just a sip.


    Next, she only needed to stay here for enough time. With this in mind, Vivian finished the remaining drink in her cup, the chilliness of the liquor giving her a cold sensation as she swallowed it. The effects should kick in after approximately twenty minutes. After they take effect, she can''t just be with him once; she needs to do it multiple times to ensure that she can get pregnant. Vivian took a deep breath and got up, saying to Adrian, "I''m going to the restroom." Adrian frowned as he watched her enter the restroom. Not sure if it was just his imagination, he felt that something was off about Vivian today.


    Perhaps it was due to such a drastic change that made him feel that things weren''t that simple. However, the five percent ownership she mentioned helped alleviate some of his worries. Adrian didn''t think much about it anymore; he just sent a message urging thewyer to act quickly and called Jacob toe over immediately.


    Even though things hadn''t developed between him and Eva, he wasn''t certain if he could get back together with her. But since he had the intention to pursue her again, he couldn''t keep spending time alone with other girls. After making the phone call, Adrian went outside and stood alone by the door. The cold wind blew, dispelling some restlessness that had been building up. It would take Jacob another ten minutes or so to arrive, and Adrian nned to wait for a while at the entrance.


    Not knowing how long he stood there, he heard faint footsteps behind him, followed by Vivian''s voice. "Adrian, what are you doing here?" Vivian''s voice carried a slight tremor, and there was a hint of panic in her gaze, which gradually disappeared after seeing him.


    She had been scared when she came out and couldn''t find Adrian. It took her a while to locate him, and she thought he might have gone out to find someone else. Of course, what worried her the most was him going to find Eva. She wouldn''t let that happen.


    Approaching, Vivian spoke softly, "It''s cold outside, and you''re not dressed warmly. Let''s go inside." As Vivian got closer to him, Adrian instinctively took two steps back to maintain a distance.


    His thick eyebrows furrowed slightly. Whether it was because Vivian had been bothering him or because Jacob hadn''t shown up after a long time, he felt extremely annoyed, and even his body radiated a restless heat. As the wind blew, Adrian surprisingly found somefort amidst the cold. This eerie feeling made him alert.


    Looking at Vivian, whose eyes showed a bit of panic, and recalling the ss of liquor he had just consumed, Adrian didn''t want to doubt the person in front of him if he had the choice. After all, she was the one who risked her life to save him. But the restlessness in his body reminded him that something was off tonight. Coming over without reason, demanding ownership, wanting to drink alcohol - whatever she said, he agreed to it all. With these thoughts in mind, Adrian strode quickly towards the outside.


    Vivian was startled and hurriedly caught up with him. "Adrian, what are you doing?"


    "What''s wrong?" Adrian''s footsteps stopped abruptly, his eyes fixed on her with a deep gaze. "What do you think?"


    Under his prating gaze that seemed to see through her, Vivian felt a sense of being exposed. She averted her eyes guiltily. "I... I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    However, Adrian sneered and turned away without a word. Vivian, seeing this, hurriedly tried to follow him, but Adrian''s pace was too fast for her to catch up. In no time, she hadpletely lost sight of him.


    Not only did she lose sight of him, Vivian also had no idea where she had walked to. Clutching her coat, she walked nervously forward.


    It wasn''t because she was cold, but because of the effects of the drink she had just consumed. When she had left earlier, she hadn''t seen Adrian, so she had finished his leftover drink.


    Since they were going to be together anyway, she might as well have had some. But now, Adrian was nowhere to be found.


    Vivian pulled out her phone and, with trembling hands, dialed her mother''s number.


    Meanwhile, after tucking Ruby in and making sure Dn was also well covered, Eva turned off the main light in the room, leaving only a small nightlight on. She closed the door behind her and left.


    With both children fast asleep, the room was unusually quiet. Eva didn''t feel sleepy at the moment, so she opened the agreement that Adrian had given her earlier when he came to pick her up.


    She hadn''t had a chance to read it in the car during the day, so she could only read it now. She carefully went through the contents of the agreement, which were the same as those she had sent to Adrian, with no changes. When she reached the end, she saw Adrian''s signature.


    All she needed to do was sign her name, and both agreements would take effect.


    Thinking for a moment, Eva put down the agreement and went to her study to fetch her pen. Just as she was about to sign her name, the doorbell rang.


    Eva paused, looking up towards the door. Who woulde at such ate hour?

 Chapter 355 Staying Longer Will Cause Trouble

    Eva reluctantly set down her pen and went to the entrance. As she lived alone, she was always cautious and had installed surveince cameras and a peephole at the door. After reaching the entrance, she first checked the monitor screen to see who was at the door. But when she saw the figure and face on the screen, Eva suddenly froze. Adrian? Why would it be him? What is he doing here in the middle of the night?


    Although he was not a stranger, Eva, given their rtionship, wasn''t keen on opening the door, despite not fearing for her safety. If there was something important to discuss, a phone call would suffice. But... thinking about the soon-to-be signed agreement and the increased opportunities for him to interact with the children in the future, she hesitated.


    With that in mind, Eva sighed and walked to the door. Adrian had been waiting in front of Eva''s door for a long time, but she didn''t open it. He lowered his gaze, looking down at the tips of his own feet. At this time, he didn''t have any hope that she woulde to open the door for him.


    So, he pressed the doorbell, hoping for a stroke of luck.


    If she didn''t hear it... then it''s fine.


    So Adrian lowered his gaze and waited for a long time, but no one came to open the door. Just as he was about to leave, feeling dejected, the door suddenly opened.


    Hearing the sound, Adrian almost couldn''t believe it as he looked up at Eva.


    When their eyes met, Eva was startled by Adrian''s appearance.


    Previously, she only saw his figure in the surveince, and only half of his face was visible, so she couldn''t see it clearly.


    Now that they were face to face, she noticed that Adrian''s face was very red, like he had been drinking.


    And his eyes, something seemed off about them too.


    Could he have had too much to drink ande here to cause trouble?


    Thinking of this, Eva took a step back to maintain distance with him and asked, "It''ste, what are you doing here? Do you need something?"


    Adrian slightly pursed his thin lips. Yes, it was alreadyte, so what was he doing here? What could he do in his current situation bying to her? He shouldn''t havee, even from the perspective of trying to win her back, he shouldn''t have disturbed her bying here.


    But, he didn''t know what he was thinking, he just subconsciously found his way here.


    At a time like this, he only wanted to find her.


    With these thoughts, Adrian breathed lightly and said, "I made a mistake."


    A mistake?


    Running here in the middle of the night, ringing the doorbell, and then saying he made a mistake, did he think Eva was a fool?


    However, as she spoke, Eva sensed that something was off about his breath, so she furrowed her brows and asked, "Why are you breathing so heavily? What have you been doing?"


    Her voice was gentle and refreshing, not a deliberately lower tone of gentleness, just naturally pleasant to hear.


    In addition, she was probably ready to rest, so she was wearing pajamas and her hair, which was usually tied up during the day, was softly draped over her shoulders.


    Her eyebrows and eyes were naturally rxed, beneath her petite nose were irresistibly attractive red lips.


    Adrian''s breathing tightened, feeling that the heat source on his body seemed to be intensifying.


    He forced his gaze away from her face and said, "I didn''t do anything, I''ll leave."


    After speaking, Adrian turned around with a strong will.


    He couldn''t stay here any longer, staying longer might lead to trouble.


    In front of others, he might still be able to maintain control.


    But the person standing in front of him was the woman he loved. It would only add fuel to the fire.


    "Wait." Unexpectedly, just as he turned around, Eva called out to him from behind.


    So, Adrian''s footsteps came to a halt.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to move, but his body simply didn''t listen to his brain''smands.


    In the confrontation between his body and his brain, Adrian stood rooted to the spot, unable to move forward or turn around.


    Instead, Eva walked over and directly stood in front of him.


    Expressionless, Eva ced her hand on Adrian''s forehead.


    As soon as her hand touched his forehead.


    Eva immediately recoiled from the scorching sensation.


    "Why...why are you so hot?"


    Previously, when she opened the door and saw his flushed face, she thought he had been drinking. That, she assumed, was why he had rung the doorbell sote at night. But as they talked, she couldn''t detect even a hint of alcohol on him.


    Yet his face was very red, his breath heavy as he spoke, and he even said he had made a mistake.


    This puzzled Eva, and indeed, touching his forehead, he was burning up.


    "You were perfectly fine when you left tonight. Why did you suddenly develop such a high fever? What did you do?"


    How much time had passed since then?


    "Given the severity of your fever at thiste hour, maybe I should call an ambnce." After saying this, Eva felt it wasn''t right.


    "I think waiting for an ambnce would take too long. It''s better to go to the hospital right away, but..."


    It made her worried to leave only the two kids at home if she apanied him to the hospital.


    However... Eva bit her lip and nced at Adrian, who seemed somewhat delirious with his burning state. After mulling it over, she decided to go with him.


    "Alright, I''ll go with you. But call Jacob now and ask him toe to the hospital as soon as he gets the message, and when he arrives, I''ll..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, Adrian, who had been standing frozen in ce, suddenly took a step forward and embraced her.


    The words that were about to leave Eva''s lips vanished instantly, leaving her stunned in ce.


    All she heard was Adrian''s heavy breathing and the unceasing heat radiating from his body after he pulled her close.


    Initially, she had intended to push him away, but looking at him in this state, she guessed his fever had muddled his mind. Should she really call an ambnce?


    Just as Eva was about to push him away and call an ambnce directly, Adrian struggled to speak beside her ear. "No need to go to the hospital."


    The hot breath he exhaled onto her ear made Eva shudder a few times, and she instinctively tried to avoid him. "Why don''t you need to go to the hospital? You have such a high fever..."


    "I''m not...feverish. It''s V... Vivian..."


    His words were stuttered, but Eva instantly understood - It was not a fever and it was rted to Vivian.

 Chapter 356 Will You?

    Realizing that Adrian hadn''t been drinking or had a fever but was burning up all over for another reason, Eva couldn''t help but swallow hard. Probably due to surprise, her lips slightly parted, and after a moment, she gently bit her lower lip.


    "So, what''s the reason? You know you''re in this condition, why did youe to me?"


    The person holding her remained silent for a long time before responding.


    "I... don''t know," his voice sounded somewhat lost. "Besides you... I don''t know who else to turn to." With that, he held her tighter and closed his eyes, burying his face in her neck. It was ufortable for him, but this embrace and her scent brought him some sce. At least he knew it was her by his side and not someone else.


    "You don''t know who to turn to, so youe to me?" Eva asked, a mix of anger and helplessness in her voice. "What good is it for me to get involved? Given our rtionship, do you think I would actually help you?"


    After saying that, she pressed her hands against Adrian''s chest and forcefully pushed him away. Adrian staggered backward, leaning against the wall. His eyes were drooping, his face flushed with heat. Despite that, he restrained himself, looking like a pitiful dog.


    Eva really wanted to knock him out with a stick and send him away. It was the first time for him to be deceived by a woman like this.


    "You can go wherever you want, but if you end up getting deceived like this, it''s better if you don''t live anymore. Just dig a hole and bury yourself."


    Leaving these harsh words behind, Eva went into the house and closed the door. The sound echoed loudly in the hallway, and after the echo faded away, the hallway became eerily quiet. Only Adrian''s heavy breathing remained, as he struggled to control himself.


    Although it was ufortable, Adrian had managed to hear every word she said. Seeing himself lose control like this, she must be very angry and disappointed, right? Not to mention her, he was disappointed in himself as well.


    How could he ever repay the debt of saving his life? How could he make things right again?


    Perhaps he didn''t deserve to have her in his life anymore, perhaps...


    Adrian felt his consciousness growing fainter and fainter. It was almost as if the door that had been closed earlier suddenly opened again.


    He thought he was hearing things.


    But soon, a pair of slippers appeared in his line of sight. When she came out earlier, he hadn''t noticed, but now he saw that she was wearing a pair of fuzzy blue slippers with cartoon patterns on them, exactly like the ones she used to love as a child.


    He lifted his head slightly, his gaze lost. Eva''s face was turned towards him, but her eyes didn''t meet his. In a cold voice, she said, "Come in first, I''ll pour you a ss of water, and then we can figure out what to do." Hearing her words, Adrian was somewhat taken aback, thinking he had misunderstood. "Are you helping me?"


    "Don''t overthink it!" Eva quickly interrupted him. "It''s purely because you mentioned taking care of two children. Since I agreed to it, I can''t just stand by if something happens to you. If you were fine today, then whatever happens to you on the road wouldn''t be my concern. But now that you''re here, if anything happens to youter, I won''t be able to escape the consequences. So I don''t want to bring trouble upon myself. Understand?"


    She exined everything in detail. With the same expression and demeanor, it was unclear whether he had actually heard her words.


    "Did you hear me?"


    Adrian looked up. "Hmm."


    Oh well, he seemedpletely oblivious to what she had said, probably lost in his own thoughts. What else could Eva say to him? "Come in."


    She could only step back, making way for Adrian to enter.


    Adrian looked into her room but hesitated to take a step forward.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you want toe in? Then I''ll leave..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, Adrian walked directly into the room.


    Once inside, Eva pulled him towards the living room sofa, instructing him to sit there and not move while she fetched him a ss of water.


    "It should be cold," he suddenly said.


    "What?" Eva thought she must have misheard. "You want to drink cold water?"


    "I need ice-cold water, but cold is fine too."


    "It''s winter..."


    She stopped herself midway, realizing something. Instead of arguing with him, she went into the kitchen and instinctively opened the refrigerator. Because it was winter, there was no frozen mineral water in the fridge, only some chilled beer.


    Would chilled beer do?


    Given his current condition, he probably needed to cool down urgently, right?


    Considering this, Eva took two cans of chilled beer, intending to bring them out to Adrian. But then, she remembered that Adrian had recently been hospitalized for a stomach hemorrhage. Drinking chilled beer at a time like this...


    After a brief hesitation, Eva put the two cans of chilled beer back in the refrigerator and poured a ss of warm water instead.


    After receiving the ss of warm water, Adrian fell silent for a moment and then asked, "What about ice water?"


    "We don''t have any."


    "Okay... how about something cold?"


    Already annoyed by his questions, Eva simply replied, "If you want to drink it, drink it. It''s up to you."


    Adrian was taken aback by her stern response, and strangely enough, fell into silence. He then took the ss of warm water in his hands and drank it slowly.


    He drank very slowly, as if each sip of water brought him immense pain, and his forehead was constantly sweating.


    Eva had a feeling that he was about to burst into mes.


    She pursed her lips and got up to fetch a damp towel from the bathroom. "Are you finished? Lie down here."


    Perhaps feeling too ufortable, Adrian didn''t say anything andy down quickly. Eva ced the damp towel on him.


    With his body so hot, she treated him as if he had a fever.


    Afterwards, she went to get another damp towel and some alcohol, preparing to use it to lower his temperature.


    "Should I wipe you or do you want to do it yourself?"


    She stood in front of Adrian and lowered her voice.


    However, Adrian, lying on the couch, didn''t respond.


    Could he be delirious from the heat?


    Eva quickly reached out and gently pushed Adrian. He groaned but still didn''t move.


    It seemed like he was really in great difort.


    Oh well, she would just think of it as being a good person until the end.


    She would think of it as him fulfilling his promise to spend money on fixing the house for the children.


    Aftering to this realization, Eva swiftly stepped forward.


    She helped him up, took off his coat, and put him back down when he was left with just a shirt.


    After doing all of this, Eva was exhausted and panting for breath.


    She didn''t expect Adrian, who appeared thin, to be so heavy. Just supporting him to prevent him from falling took immense effort. Breathing heavily, Eva unbuttoned his shirt.

 Chapter 357 Where did the clothes come from?

    To her surprise, as soon as Eva''s fingers touched the first button of his shirt, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.


    The grip was strong and aggressive.


    Eva looked up and met someone''s dark and deep gaze. In this dimly lit living room, Adrian stared at her, his eyes resembling those of a wolf.


    As if he would pounce at any moment.


    Startled, Eva realized that he had somehow woken up.


    It''s good that he woke up, so he can apply the alcohol himself, but... he doesn''t seem right.


    Could he have lost consciousness?


    Although she had never experienced it herself, she had heard that some things, when affected, could make anyone lose control...


    Without much thought, Eva felt the grip on her wrist tighten, and Adrian''s breath became heavier.


    Her expression changed, and she tried to pull her hand back while saying, "The alcohol and towel are beside you. Since you''re awake, you should clean up... Ah..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, she eximed in shock as Adrian pulled her towards him. In an instant, she found herself pressed onto the sofa by Adrian.


    The man''s once clear breath became incredibly hot, enveloping her. Eva''s hands were restrained above her head as the man leaned down.


    While her heart raced, Eva remembered the two children sleeping in the room, so she called out his name in a low voice.


    "Adrian, what are you doing?"


    But he continued to disregard her and leaned down as if he hadn''t heard her words.


    Just as Eva hesitated whether to kick him to wake him up, the man leaned in close to her but remained still, silently staring at her. They were so close.


    Eva could clearly see the overwhelming emotions in his eyes along with the struggle and restraint.


    Because of his restraint, his brow furrowed tightly, and his breath was hot.


    After a moment, his brow slightly rxed, and then he lowered his head.


    Eva''s heart trembled. Could he have given up the struggle?


    However, right at this moment, Adrian reached out and cupped her cheek, and with restraint and calmness, ced a deep kiss on her forehead.


    Then, he tremblingly withdrew, his pale lips gazing at her as he said, "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you."


    With that, he quickly released her cheek, stood up, and practically fled from the room.


    Evay on the sofa, her forehead still feeling the warmth of his lips - burning and soft.


    Realizing what had happened, Eva got up from the sofa and followed after him. She heard a loud bang as Adrian entered her bathroom, followed by the shutting of the bathroom door. The door was closed as well.


    Immediately after, the shower inside was turned on. There was no need to guess what he was doing in there.


    Cool water to cool down was indeed the quickest way.


    But in this weather... it''s winter, and considering his condition...


    If it were summer, she would have just pushed him into the bathroom and let him wake up with cold water.


    But if he had been more cautious, how could he have fallen for it?


    After falling for it, he came to her. She might as well let him wake up with cold water to prevent him from making the same foolish mistake again.


    With these thoughts, Eva''s heart grew colder.


    She turned around, ready to leave, took a few steps, but couldn''t help but stop. Then she turned around and tried to twist the bathroom door, but it didn''t budge. That''s when she realized that Adrian had locked the bathroom door.


    Eva frowned. She was about to speak when she heard Adrian''s low voice from inside.


    "Don''te in."


    Though he was clearly restraining himself, his voice was heavy with gasps, and... he was probably doing something indecent in there.


    Eva bit her lip, wanting to rush in and drag him out.


    She endured it for a moment, but couldn''t hold back any longer. She said to him through the door, "Just use cold water, don''t do anything strange in there."


    In response, she heard his low gasps apanying the sound of water.


    "Adrian, did you hear what I said? Adrian!"


    However, no matter how she called him, he ignored her, as if he had already made up his mind not to pay attention to her, or perhaps he was too busy and didn''t have time to bother with her. Eva was furious, knowing that shouting again would be pointless. In the end, she had no choice but to give up.


    She turned and went to the living room, took the cup he had been drinking and went to the kitchen to wash it, then came back to check on the two children.


    She found that the two children were still sleeping soundly and undisturbed, which put Eva''s mind at ease.


    After waiting for about five or six minutes, she returned to the bathroom door and knocked.


    The water sound inside still couldn''t be heard. It seemed like Adrian had be addicted to staying in there, to the point where he couldn''t even hear her knocking.


    But standing at the door, she could still hear strange soundsing from inside.


    That jerk!


    Eva cursed him in her mind for a few moments, but in the end, she gave up and went to the living room, wrapped in a nket, and waited.


    By the time she started to feel drowsy, Adrian still hadn''te out. She leaned against the couch and dozed off.


    She didn''t know how long had passed when Eva suddenly woke up. The living room was still quiet, but her heart was pounding. Adrian hadn''te out yet.


    Could he have passed out in the bathroom?


    Eva quickly threw off the nket and rushed to the bathroom. This time, she didn''t hear the sound of running water, it was quiet inside.


    She reached out to twist the doorknob, but it was still locked. She could only gently tap the door and lower her voice as she called his name.


    She called several times, but there was no response from inside.


    Eva frowned, thinking that he might have fainted in there. Finally, there was a slight movement from inside, and then the lock on the bathroom door was opened. Eva quickly pushed the door open.


    As soon as she entered, she saw Adrian sitting on the cold floor.


    At this moment, he waspletely drenched. The man who always took great care of his appearance and was meticulous with his outfits and hair now looked utterly disheveled. His wet hair hung down, sticking to his forehead and dripping water. Droplets slid across his firm nose and disappeared into his tightly pressed lips.


    His pale lips were freezing cold.


    With just a quick nce, Eva quickly crouched down and touched his forehead. His body temperature had dropped. Not only was he no longer feverish, but he was also chillingly cold. The medicine must have worn off.


    Eva thought for a moment, reopened the showerhead, filled it with hot water, and handed it to Adrian.


    "Stay awake, okay? Hold this and rinse yourself with hot water to warm up."


    Adrian, who had previously tightly closed his eyes, trembled slightly at the sound of her voice. Though he didn''t speak, he followed her instructions and grabbed the showerhead.


    The hot water slightly revived his consciousness. Adrian gently lifted his gaze and saw Eva leaving. Not long after, she returned, holding a set of men''s clothing in her hands. "Put the clothes on the shelf. Shower, then change ande out."


    Adrian remained silent and looked at her. He parted his thin lips and asked, "Where did the clothese from?"

 Chapter 358 What are you lingering in there for?

    "What?"


    As water sshed around, Adrian''s voice was low, making it difficult for Eva to hear what he said, so she crouched down, and asked again.


    "What did you just say?"


    Adrian stared at her with his dark eyes fixedly.


    "Where did the clothese from?"


    There were no men in her house, so where did the men''s clothinge from?


    This time, Eva understood. She hesitated for a moment, not having time to answer, when she heard Adrian''s voice with a hint of stubbornness. "Someone else''s, I don''t want it." Judging from his expression and tone, could it be that he thought the clothes belonged to someone else and he wasn''t going to wear them?


    Hearing this, Eva coldly sneered right in front of him. "Alright then, if you don''t want to wear them, then just stay here. I''ll call your assistant and have hime to take you away." He hade here in the middle of the night, hadn''t had any peaceful rest, and now he was being stubborn in front of her.


    She wasn''t going to indulge him!


    After her words fell, Eva turned around to leave, but as she took a step, she felt a pull on her clothes. She lowered her head and saw Adrian''s hand grasping onto her clothes. Eva furrowed her brows. "What are you doing?"


    With his eyes downcast and water droplets on the corners, Adrian softly spoke, his pale lips moving. "Don''t chase me away, I''ll wear them."


    For some reason, looking at his current appearance caused Eva''s breath to hitch. It was as if she had greatly wounded him because he looked pitiful, like an abandoned puppy. She reached out and pinched her own brow.


    Headache.


    "Alright!"


    "Then will you let me go?"


    "Why are you staying here with me? Can''t you go back to your own ce? You''re fine now. Your body temperature has already dropped."


    "Because I''m fine, you want me to leave?"


    "Fine." Adrian''s voice was weak and faint.


    As Eva was about to walk away, Adrian grabbed onto her clothes once again, his grip tighter this time.


    "What are you trying to do?" Eva asked.


    "I might as well throw away the showerhead in my hand," he said.


    Eva was shocked to see him like this, unable to believe how shameless he had be; how had she not noticed when they were younger?


    Meanwhile, Adrian was really getting a taste for acting pitiful. He had experienced it in the hospital before and now again. He realized that the more miserable he appeared, the more attention she would give him. Otherwise, she wouldn''t even bother with him.


    Even though acting pitiful was despicable, what other option did he have now? Despicable or not, it was still better than her not even looking at him. Adrian had made up his mind, so he tugged harder on her clothes. "If I sit here all night, will I get sick? If I get sick, will you feel sorry for me a little?"


    Eva could see through him and looked at him speechlessly. "Adrian, are you checking me now? Do you think that if you get sick, I won''t kick you out?" "Hmm," he nodded and admitted. Eva sighed, "Get up and change your clothes first." Adrian pursed his lips, still very unhappy, but slowly stood up.


    It would have been fine if he didn''t stand up, but when he did, Eva noticed his clothes clinging to the curves of his body, inadvertently outlining a certain area. She quickly averted her gaze, her breath almost catching.


    "You change, I''ll leave first." Adrian saw her breathless escape and looked at himself, then chuckled softly. But when his gaze fixed on the clothes he needed to change into, he couldn''tugh anymore. There was only one question in his mind. Whose men''s clothing set was this? It couldn''t be that she had already guessed he woulde and prepared it for him? Adrian reluctantly put on the clothes, and his face darkenedpletely.


    The shirt and pants were both more than one size too big, hanging loosely on him. Fortunately, the clothes didn''t have any smell, so he assumed no one had worn them before. But the thought of her preparing clean clothes for other men made Adrian''s face turn ck. Michael... was this clothing for him? Had their rtionship reached this point? The mes of jealousy burned fiercely in Adrian''s chest.


    "What are you still dawdling in there for?" Eva''s voice came from the door, snapping Adrian back to reality. He opened the door and walked out. After he emerged, Eva nced at him and her eyes revealed understanding. The clothes were still too big on him. She nodded, "Although the clothes are a bit big, we''ll have to make do in this situation."


    After saying that, she handed him a jacket. "This is my coat. Just wrap it around yourself for now." Hearing that it was her coat, Adrian reached out and took it. Her coat was probably meant to be worn when it was cold or when she had multipleyers on. That''s why it was intentionally oversized, and it happened to fit Adrian perfectly. The coat still carried her scent, lightly lingering in each breath.


    He still minded the clothes on himself.


    He walked behind her and asked in a low voice, "Who did you prepare this set of clothes for?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused and turned to look at him.


    "Do you really want to know?" she asked.


    Adrian quietly watched her.


    After staring at him for a while, Eva said a name.


    "Michael."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s expression instantly broke down. "What did you say?"


    "Oh, so you''ve been pestering me all this time just to hear me say that I prepared this set of clothes for him? Are you satisfied now?" Eva replied. With that, Eva pointed towards the water dispenser ahead.


    "Go and pour yourself some hot water to drink. I won''t help you anymore. You seem fine now anyway."


    "The effects of the medicine haven''t worn off yet," he said.


    Eva nced at him.


    "Can I rest on the sofa?"


    "Where else? Do you want to go into the room?"


    Adrian looked at her, his thin lips pale.


    "If you agree..."


    "I don''t agree. Sleep on the sofa, and don''t make any noise. It''s alreadyte, and the kids have to go to school tomorrow."


    She pointed to a location in a certain room. Adrian pursed his lips slightly and lowered his eyes. "I understand."


    After Eva left, Adrian sat down on the sofa. The living room was quiet. His body was no longer cold after washing it with hot water, but his heart was cold.


    He lowered his head, staring fixedly at the oversized men''s clothing he was wearing. The thought that she had prepared it for Michael made him want to take it off immediately. However, for now, this was the only set of clothes he had to wear. But when he thought about it, so what if it was prepared for Michael? The one wearing it now wasn''t Michael, it was him.


    The one staying by her side was also him.


    After thinking like this, Adrian felt a bit morefortable in his heart, and even a little proud. He never expected that he would benefit from this disaster.


    But as for Vivian, thinking of what she had done tonight, a sharpness shed in Adrian''s eyes.

 Chapter 359 Can I Sleep in Your Room?

    Everything quieted down after returning to her own room.


    Earlier, she had dozed off while waiting for him. But now that he was fine, she couldn''t calm down at all.


    Evay in bed, although she should be sleeping at this hour, she couldn''t help but reflect on today''s events.


    He fell into Vivian''s trap, then ran over to her, indicating that he didn''t want anything to happen between him and Vivian.


    In the past, she wouldn''t have believed this, especially since he had previously mentioned divorce with her for the sake of her, even though their marriage was a sham. But back then, his favoritism towards her was evident. But why didn''t anything happen between him and Vivian?


    As for why Eva was thinking like this, it was natural because if something really happened between him and Vivian, Vivian wouldn''t have resorted to this.


    She had initially wanted to rify the rtionship between them, but the more she thought about it, the more Eva realized that she couldn''te to a conclusion.


    I can''t understand Adrian anymore. Logically speaking, he used to like Vivian, who saved his life. But they didn''t have a rtionship, which is strange.


    Eva turned over and felt increasingly bewildered. Could it be that Adrian mistook his gratitude for Vivian as affection? How can he not even differentiate between liking someone and having feelings for them?


    Unable to figure it out, Eva finally sat up quietly and stared at the pitch-ck window. Maybe... she could call Emily at this time.


    With this thought, Eva took out her phone and dialed Emily''s number. Due to the time difference, it was daytime over there.


    When Emily answered the call, she sounded surprised, "This is the first time you''ve called me during the day. What''s up? It should bete at night for you, and you haven''t rested?" "I..." Eva hesitated, ready to speak.


    As close friends, how could Emily not sense that something was wrong? She immediately asked sensitively, "Has something happened?"


    "Um..." Eva nodded and proceeded to tell Emily everything that had happened tonight and recently.


    After listening, Emily eximed, "What am I supposed to say to that? It''s been five years, and he still hasn''t given up on you. Don''t tell me he liked you before?"


    Eva''s heart skipped a beat at that statement, and she instinctively denied, "That''s impossible."


    As her best friend, how could Emily not notice something off in Eva''s words? Sheughed, "Why are you so quick to deny? I''m not saying you like him, just that he liked you."


    Eva responded, "My denial is normal, isn''t it? If he liked me, why did he divorce me in the first ce? And why did he make me get an abortion?"


    "Didn''t he know you were pregnant? Wasn''t the abortion a misunderstanding?"


    Eva bit her lip.


    "Even if it was a misunderstanding, if he hadn''t given his phone to Vivian, this wouldn''t have happened."


    Emily fell silent, sighing.


    "What do you think now?"


    "I haven''t really thought about it."


    "Then why did you call me in the middle of the night?" Seeing Eva''s silence, Emily straightforwardly said, "You still like him, don''t you?"


    This question furrowed Eva''s brow. She was about to respond when she heard Emily continue, "Don''t rush to refute me. If you don''t like him, then you shouldn''t be conflicted or let him back into your life." Eva replied, "I..."


    "Are you trying to argue with me? Did you let him in because he''s the children''s father?"


    Eva was speechless for a moment. She didn''t expect Emily to guess what she was about to say.


    She pursed her lips and didn''t say anything.


    "No response means you''re agreeing, right? But just because he''s the father of the children, you shouldn''t help him, right? Weren''t you always afraid he would take the kids away from you? If he really fell into Vivian''s trap, he and Vivian will be a couple.


    Once Vivian has a child, they won''t be interested in her Ruby and Dn anymore. But... why did she help him back then? Clearly, she had already shut him out, so why did she regret it and let him in?


    Thinking about this, Eva massaged her forehead. The first time she opened the door, there was no problem, but the second time... that was her own issue. If Adrian misunderstands her actions because of this, then she can only me herself. "Do you have nothing to say?" Emily chuckled. "So, you still like him, otherwise why don''t you show the same leniency towards Michael?"


    "I just wanted to vent to you, not have you analyze whether I like him or not."


    "I''m just analyzing it for you so you won''t regret it in the future."


    "What would I regret? I won''t regret it."


    "Is that so? If you won''t regret it, then kick him out now while you still have the chance, and cut off any thoughts you have for him."


    "Do you think his thoughts can be cut off just by me doing something like this?"


    "Perhaps." Emily sighed. "But after all these years, he''s still dedicated to you. If only we knew earlier, there wouldn''t have been a need for that, and I never expected your pregnancy to be revealed through a text message."


    Originally, Eva wanted Emily to help her relieve her worries, but unexpectedly, their conversation led to the topic of her liking Adrian, making Eva even more troubled.


    "I''ll hang up now. I need some rest."


    Emily chuckled. "You''re bothered because I hit the nail on the head."


    "Alright, we''ll talk another day." Eva hung up without further ado, theny down in bed.


    Still like him?


    She must be foolish to continue liking him. Wasn''t she hurt enough five years ago?


    Lost in thought, the door suddenly knocked. In this silent night, Eva was startled and quickly sat up from the bed.


    "Who is it?"


    Adrian''s low voice came from outside the door, "It''s me."


    After enduring for a few seconds, Eva got up and went to open the door.


    After the door opened, Adrian saw Eva standing before him with a gloomy expression.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Adrian pursed his lips and said, "It''s cold outside, do you have an extra nket? Or... can Ie in and sleep in your room?"

 Chapter 360 Greed

    Eva thought she misheard.


    She could let the first statement slide, but what was the intention behind the second statement?


    "Sleep in my room? Do you even know what you''re saying?"


    Eva looked at him speechlessly. "Do you think that by signing that agreement, our rtionship goes back to how it was before?"


    "No," Adrian lowered his gaze, his voice muffled. "I just stood under the cold water for too long at night, and the temperature outside was low."


    "Don''t you know how to cover yourself with a nket?" After saying that, Eva turned around and opened the cab, intending to get another nket for herself. However, the cab was empty when she opened it.


    To prevent idents, she had only prepared an extra nket, which she had already given to Adrian.


    Eva turned around with frustration and handed him her own nket. "Here, should two nkets be enough for you? It''s almost three o''clock, and if you disturb my rest again, I''ll kick you out."


    Adrian looked at her taking the nket from her bed, so he didn''t take it.


    "No need, it''s fine like this."


    After saying that, he turned around and left.


    Eva couldn''t help but feel somewhat confused. After closing the door, shey back down, covered herself with the nket, closed her eyes, and decided to sleep seriously.


    After lying there for another ten minutes, all she could think of was the image of Adrian saying he was cold.


    Upon careful consideration, his im of feeling cold did have some basis. He had been standing under cold water for a long time, and coupled with his recent bad health, such a cold shock in the winter might trigger his stomach problem. Furthermore, when he came to talk to her earlier, he seemed so weak, as if he couldn''t keep standing.


    A few secondster, Eva sat up.


    This would be the one and only time she cared for him.


    After sending him off tomorrow, if he ever acted pitiful in front of her again, she would pretend not to see it at all.


    Eva opened the door and went to the living room.


    The living room was quiet, and the lights were off. Eva found the switch and turned it on, instantly brightening the room.


    Eva saw Adrian lying on the sofa, curled up almost into a ball.


    Hisplexion was even worse than when he had called her earlier, and he had a cold sweat on his forehead. When Eva reached out to touch him, she was startled by his temperature.


    But this time, Eva could confirm that he had a real fever, a sickness-induced fever, rather than what it was before...


    She pushed him a little with her hand, but he didn''t react, seeming to be in a hazy state due to the fever.


    She opened the cab, took out the fever patches and pills she had usually prepared for the children, and applied them on him. She also gave him a fever-reducing pill and some water. After everything was done, Eva felt exhausted and started breathing heavily.


    She looked at Adrian, whose face was still pale, and her heart was speechless.


    Because he was not just running a normal fever now, she didn''t dare to leave, fearing that he might get delirious from the fever. So she stayed by his side. Periodically, she would wipe him with alcohol to cool him down. As she wiped him for the second time, Adrian suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her. "Eve."


    This call caused Eva to pause, knitting her brows.


    "Don''t call me that."


    In her memories, this name was distant.


    "Eve."


    But he seemed stubborn, wanting to call her by that name. "Eve, can you forgive me?"


    This made Eva look at him strangely.


    Was he delirious from the fever?


    Adrian seemed genuinely delirious, staring at her intently. "Please, Eve, can you forgive me?"


    "If you''re not willing to forgive me, then at least give me a chance to make amends," he held her delicate wrist, "I''ll treat you well, give you whatever you want, even my life, okay?" But Eva ignored his words and reached out to touch his forehead, the temperature slowlying down.


    "Not okay," Eva wiped him with alcohol, rejecting him expressionlessly.


    As she wiped his back, Eva thought for a moment and said to him, "Lift your hand, turn over, I''ll wipe your back."


    If he hadn''t woken up, she would have been able to do it herself.


    But since he was awake, she let him do it himself, saving some effort.


    After saying that, seeing that he didn''t move for a long time, Eva urged him, "Hurry up."


    Adrian, lying still, finally raised his hand. Eva waited for him to turn over, but his hand suddenly wrapped around her neck and forcefully pulled her into his embrace.


    "Ah," Eva eximed, dropping the towel to the ground, falling into his arms.


    Before she could react, her chin was held, and immediately a rush of cool breath enveloped her.


    In an instant, their foreheads touched intimately.


    "Why not?"


    His breath was hot, blowing onto her face.


    Their lips were almost touching.


    The intertwining of their breaths created an ambiguous atmosphere.


    Eva''s eyshes trembled, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this atmosphere. Just as she was about to step back, the person in front of her followed her breath and leaned in.


    When his breath reached her, Eva subconsciously tried to dodge but was too slow, and his soft lips covered hers.


    Eva''s heartbeat skipped a beat.


    Before she could react, Adrian, who tasted the sweetness, unwillingly held the back of her head and fiercely captured her slightly parted lips.


    Eva reached out to push him away, but as soon as her hand touched his chest, Adrian, like being stimted, moved hisrge hand from her head to her neck, his thumb pressing on the nape of her neck, forcing her to tilt her head slightly, exposing her slender and fair neckpletely in the air.


    Eva''s breath was clean;pared to the youthful and sweet breath of five years ago, it now carried a hint of charm.


    In this kind of charm, Adrian''s gaze gradually became chaotic.


    He had restrained himself so much during the onset of the drug''s effects, but now he kissed her with madness.


    Indulging in a greedy manner to the extreme.


    Under such an assault, Eva''s heart raced like thunder, deafening.


    Coupled with the vast difference in strength between men and women, Eva couldn''t push him away at all. She gradually lost strength under his assault and her body almost copsed, leaning half in his arms. Their breaths mingled.


    Finally, Eva couldn''t bear it anymore and pushed his shoulder with her hand, making a muffled sound.


    It was only then that someone btedly realized something, moved back a bit, pressed his forehead against hers, and exhaled heavily, his voice hoarse. "What''s wrong?"


    He had the audacity to ask her that?


    Eva red at him, about to speak, but the man who had been dominant and overbearing just now suddenly stopped.

 Chapter 361 Feelings

    He fell straight down in front of her.


    With a thump, he copsed onto the sofa, closing his eyes and losing consciousness.


    "So soon after kissing?"


    There still seemed to be a trace of warmth on her lips, even a bit swollen, but the person who just did this was nowpletely motionless, lying on the sofa. Eva narrowed her eyes as she examined Adrian''s handsome face.


    Does he fall at just the right time, at the exact moment she pushed him?


    Eva reached out to pat his cheek. "Stop pretending, get up."


    He didn''t respond to the pat. Eva touched his forehead and discovered that he had a fever again.


    Could it be because the kiss was too intense...


    Thinking of his passionate appearance just now, if it weren''t for his sudden fainting, she probably wouldn''t be able to sleep well tonight.


    Eva lightly bit her lower lip, feeling a bit regretful.


    How did she end up...plying?


    Suddenly, she remembered Emily''s words about still liking him, and her expression instantly changed.


    Could it be true that she still liked him, as Emily said?


    In an instant, Eva''s face turned cold.


    The next day


    "Uncle NightA, Uncle NightA."


    Adrian woke to a child''s voice and opened his eyes to a small figure pushing and shoving him with little hands.


    When he realized he was awake, she showed a smile.


    "Uncle NightA, you''re finally awake."


    Originally, Adrian woke up with a splitting headache and a bad mood, but after seeing the little girl''s smile and hearing her soft voice, much of it disappeared.


    He smiled slightly, reaching out to touch the little girl''s head and softly saying, "Mhmm, I''m awake."


    Afterwards, he propped himself up with his hand and saw Dn sitting opposite him.


    He pinched his brow and then looked outside.


    "Where''s your mommy?"


    Ruby immediately answered, "Mommy went downstairs to buy breakfast."


    "Downstairs?"


    "Yes, Uncle NightA, just a few minutes before you woke up."


    Adrian nced at the time, still early.


    But at the moment, Ruby was looking at him with childlike curiosity, tilting her head and asking, "Uncle NightA, why did you sleep at our housest night? Are you going to marry my mommy?" Adrian and Dn probably didn''t expect Ruby toe up with such a surprising question.


    After a moment, Adrian chuckled and said, "Marry? I would like to, if Ruby can help persuade your mommy."


    Dn, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly came over, covering Ruby''s mouth and interrupting, "Uncle NightA, Ruby and I have something to do, let''s go back to our room first." "But big brother..."


    "Let''s go."


    Although Ruby didn''t understand what was happening, she still trusted her brother, who she spent time with every day. He quickly took her away, leaving Adrian alone in the living room. Watching Dn lead Ruby away, Adrian pursed his lips slightly, deep in thought.


    Sighing inwardly, Dn... He had been too guarded against him. He could clearly feel that since the day Eva got hurt, Dn became even more cautious towards him. Fortunately, her injury wasn''t serious. At least when he came to see herst night, Eva''s forehead looked much better, so there shouldn''t be any further issues.


    Speaking ofst night, Adrian couldn''t help but recall some ambiguous scenes. He wasn''t entirely sober the entire night. Whether during the onset of the drug''s effects or after the effects wore off, his memories of those two periods were a bit fuzzy to him at the moment. Only a few scenes were vividly imprinted in his mind.


    For example, her locking him out and then letting him in again. Or when she brought a nket to the bed for him, but he refused it. And the scene where he trembled as he kissed her forehead, as well as the moments where they tangled and kissed passionately.


    Intense kisses... Such images kept appearing and rotating in Adrian''s mind, gradually igniting his heart with warmth.


    With these thoughts in mind, Adrian slowly raised his hand, gently touching his own thin lips. The corner of his lips curled into a charming arc. Last night, he could sense that she responded to his kisses.


    In other words, she didn''t dislike him that much, did she?


    Just thinking about this made Adrian feelpletely relieved. The previous headache and difort in his chest had disappeared. He had already made a decision; as long as she showed any sign, even just a tiny one, he would never let go. And now, he could truly sense it from her.


    Despite a lingering weakness after the effects of the drug wore off, as well as the difort from the cold shower, Adrian coughed a few times after sitting up, but whenever he thought about what happenedst night, his heart would be filled with sweetness, undisturbed by any physical difort.


    It was at this moment that Adrian truly realized that his feelings for Eva were more than justpanionship. He should have realized it sooner, but back then, he couldn''t distinguish it.


    They had been together since childhood, and he had always automatically regarded Eva''s joys and sorrows as his own. If she was happy, he wouldugh with her; if she was upset, he wouldfort her. Whatever she liked, he would buy it for her as if it were his own preference.


    Outsiders always remarked, "The two of them have such a close rtionship. Is Adrian treating her like a sister since he doesn''t have one? I heard that Madam Hansen wanted to have another daughter, but due to her poor health, she couldn''t get pregnant. The rtionship between the two families is good. Doesn''t the ckwood family consider Eva as their adopted daughter?" Adrian had heard thosements too.


    When he heard that people thought he treated Eva as a sister, he felt somewhat ufortable at first. Who would want her as a sister... My own younger sister?


    But when he thought about it, she was a bit younger than him. Could he really treat her like a sister? As time went on, especially after what happened with Vivian, the young him became even more unsure.


    If he had realized it earlier, perhaps all these things wouldn''t have happened, and he and Eva wouldn''t have been separated for so many years.


    Lost in his thoughts, Adrian heard somemotion outside and immediately got up to walk towards the entrance.


    Just as he walked over, he saw Eva walking in with two bags, looking surprised when she saw him. "You''re awake?"


    "Mhm," Adrian responded and walked over to take the bags from her hands.


    However, Eva stepped back two steps and opened the door.


    "Now that you''re fine, you can go back. I won''t keep you for breakfast," she said, standing by the door, clearly wanting him to leave quickly.


    Adrian paused, and instead of leaving as she expected, he walked closer to her. Eva thought that he was obeying her, but to her surprise, he reached over and closed the door.

 Chapter 362 Wait for Me

    Eva frowned at his actions. "What are you doing?"


    He didn''t say anything, took two steps closer to her, and Eva instinctively stepped back.


    Not only did Adrian not stop, but he kept advancing until Eva''s back was against the cab near the entrance. To maintain distance, she had to lean slightly backward.


    Hisrge hands gently supported her waist, and Adrian''s eyes stared at her intensely.


    "Since you won''t keep me, I''ll have to stay on my own," he said.


    Eva thought that he was shameless.


    In her thoughts, Adrian''s hands, resting on her waist, moved up slightly.


    Eva immediately became wary, her eyes widening.


    "What do you want to do?"


    However, Adrian lowered his head and chuckled softly against her neck, his warm breath tickling her skin.


    "Eve," his voice was low, "I''ve discovered some things I didn''t know before, so I won''t leave."


    Not only won''t he leave, but he''ll also cling to her even more.


    After his words, Adrian released his grip. "Let''s go, have breakfast."


    Leaving Eva standing in ce, she couldn''t quite understand the meaning behind his words. What did he discover?


    What did he find out?


    Eva pursed her lips and was about to grab the bags and follow him when Adrian suddenly turned back and took the bags from her forcefully. "Leave it to me."


    She didn''t have a chance to protest as Adrian took the bags away.


    Later, Adrian took out the breakfast from the bags and ced them on the table. Eva looked expressionless and waited until he finished arranging everything before she realized something, but it was already toote. Adrian, who had alreadyid out the food, raised an eyebrow at the four servings on the table. "Isn''t this my portion? I thought you said you wouldn''t keep me."


    His voice sounded hoarse, probably from yesterday when Adrian had a fever.


    With her hands crossed in front of her chest, Eva calmly looked at him.


    Staring at him lightly, she said, "Can I have a double portion?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian chuckled softly, "Sure, but you might have to give me one today, and I''ll make it up to you with double tomorrow, how about that?"


    Just as Eva was about to say something, she caught a glimpse of Dn and Ruby approaching, so she had to lower her voice and say, "No need to make it up, just finish your meal and leave." While Adrian was still surprised by her change in attitude, Ruby''s voice rang out.


    It seemed like it was about the children again.


    But it didn''t matter as long as he understood her intentions, nothing else was important.


    After breakfast, Eva thought Adrian would linger, but instead he said, "I have something to attend to, so I won''t be able to walk you guys today."


    Upon hearing this, Eva nced at him.


    "That''s fine. You can stay busy from now on."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Adrian''s phone rang, and he answered the call, "You''re downstairs? Alright."


    "Uncle NightA, are you leaving? Aren''t you going to school with Ruby and big brother today?"


    "Yes." Adrian nodded, "I have something important to take care of today."


    At this point, Adrian paused for a moment, then continued, "Once I finish dealing with it, I''lle to apany you guys every day, only with you guys."


    Eva couldn''t help but take a nce at him, and her brow slightly furrowed. She didn''t know if it was her imagination, but she seemed to sense a hint of determination in his words. What important thing is he going to do?


    Soon, Eva thought of what happened to himst night, and she wondered if he was going to settle the score with Vivian.


    First and foremost, leaving aside whether it''s worth it, would he reallyy a hand on his lifesaver?


    Vivian had helped her back then, and she had owed her for five years, fulfilling many of her conditions, not to mention saving Adrian''s life. How could he repay her properly? Unfortunately, gratitude couldn''t simply be resolved with money.


    Lost in thought, someone suddenly approached her, and before she could react, they bent down and kissed her fair forehead.


    Ruby quickly covered her eyes, pretending to be shy.


    Dn, on the other hand, stood frozen in ce.


    Never did they expect that overnight, Mommy and Uncle NightA would progress this quickly.


    Not to mention Dn, even Eva herself was stunned because she had no idea what craziness had gotten into Adrian. After kissing herst night, he ended up on the sofa unconscious, and now, after waking up, he dared to kiss her in front of the two kids?


    Is he crazy, or is she crazy?


    After kissing her, Adrian was ready to step back, but his heart was reluctant. So, he lightly pecked her forehead again and whispered, "Wait for me."


    With that, he released his hand from Eva''s before she pushed him away, pretending to remain calm, and then quickly left.


    After the door closed, Eva looked at the two children in front of her, still processing what just happened.


    Ruby, with widened eyes, asked excitedly, "Mommy, are you really going to marry NightA?"


    "No, Ruby, let me exin to you."


    "But Uncle NightA slept at our housest night. If mommy doesn''t want him to be our daddy, why did she let him sleep here?"


    Eva wore a helpless expression and struggled to exin, "That''s because..."


    "Yay, Ruby will have a daddy!" Ruby jumped off the chair and stood on the floor with open arms, cheering. "From now on, no one at school can say that Ruby is a child without a father!"


    This statement silenced the words that were about to escape Eva''s mouth.


    Her face changed, and she stood up, walking towards Ruby.


    "Ruby, what did you just say? Who said those words?"


    Children usually wouldn''t say such things.


    Startled by the seriousness in Eva''s face, Ruby quickly reported, "Mommy, it was the teacher from the next ss. During ourst meal, she whispered to other teachers, and my brother and I overheard it." "Last time?" Eva''s expression turned serious. "When was thest time?"


    Ruby tapped her chin. "Um, I don''t remember, I forgot."


    Eva had to turn to Dn. "Dn?"


    Dn obediently said, "Mommy, it wasst week."


    Hearing that it was all fromst week, Eva felt a pang of pain. "Why didn''t you tell mommy earlier about something like this?"


    "Don''t be mad, mommy!" Ruby came and hugged her arm. "You are already working hard taking care of me and my brother all by yourself. Big brother said if we told mommy these things, she would be really sad, so we made a pinky promise to keep it a secret."

 Chapter 363 High Tolerance Limit

    If she had forgotten to mention it, it would''ve been fine, but now she didn''t tell her out of fear of hurting her feelings, which made Eva even more heartbroken.


    Her own carefully nurtured children were being spoken of so harshly by someone else, yet these two little ones thoughtfully considered her feelings.


    Thinking about this, ripples of emotion welled up in Eva''s eyes, making them shimmer with moisture.


    Ruby, however, looked excited and said, "But Mommy, we don''t have to worry now. We will have a Daddy soon, and if the teacher says bad things about us again, I will ask daddy to scare that mean person away." Children of their young age always have innocent thoughts.


    In fact, Eva knew that these two little ones were trying to spare her trouble and were considering her in every way, which is why they had kept this matter from her.


    If they acted like this at such a young age, how would they be in the future?


    In their long process of growing up, if they continue to encounter such things, would they always believe that they have to think about her and keep these grievances to themselves?


    She had suffered such grievances in her childhood as well, but back then, everyone targeted her mother. Although she''d had Adrian to protect her, whenever Adrian was deep in thought, she still minded those gossips. Now... would she let her own children experience this too?


    These thoughts made Eva swallow all the words she originally wanted to say.


    Let''s wait a little longer and see how Adrian handles the situation. If he handles it well, there''s no reason why the children can''t call him Daddy.


    At the very least, he is their biological father, and based on the current situation, Adrian''s actions towards the children, including the contract, show that he genuinely cares about and likes them.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have frequently rewarded them during their livestreams when he didn''t even know they were rted to him.


    He truly seems to love these children with all his heart.


    So, she decided to just wait and see how he would perform.


    The driver was waiting downstairs, and Jacob stood outside the door.


    After receiving Adrian''s callst night, he hurriedly rushed to the vi. However, by the time he arrived, it was empty. He only learned about what had happened this morning.


    Upon learning about all that had transpired, Jacob was extremely shocked. He couldn''t believe that Vivian, who had always seemed so innocent, could have done such things.


    Jacob couldn''t fathom the things he knew, so when he received the call from Adrian, his expression immediately turned serious.


    "Mr. ckwood." Jacob said as he opened the car door for him.


    Adrian got in the car without any expression on his face.


    "Have you contacted her?" His voice was icy, devoid of the warmth he showed in front of Eva and the children, filled only with infinite coldness.


    Seeing this, Jacob couldn''t help but shudder.


    He had been with Adrian for so long, and this was the first time he had seen such an expression on Adrian''s face. What was even more terrifying was Adrian''s calm demeanor, which, at this moment gave him a sense of an impending storm. He swallowed his saliva and said, "I did manage to make contact, but... I got in touch with Miss Morrison''s family. They said that her condition wasn''t too goodst night, and she still hasn''t woken up." "Not woken up?"


    "Yes, apparently Miss Morrison was alone on the roadst night when she encountered..."


    Jacob hesitated to continue, but after thinking it over, he decided to exin the whole situation.


    As it turned out, Vivian had taken drugs. After she followed Adrian out yesterday, the effects of the drugs hit her while she was on the road. Then she ran into a man who, seeing her staggering, thought that she was drunk and kindly approached her to assist her to get to her home. However, as soon as he tried to help her up, Vivian clung onto him.


    The two of them ended up in a hotel room together, and by the time Vivian woke up, it was already toote for regrets.


    She called her parents, hoping to keep this matter private. But to her surprise, the person she had been involved with was someone influential in Chicago, a guy who had recently returned from abroad and wanted to take responsibility for Vivian.


    Her parents were not in Chicago, so they had to send their cousin over to check on the situation. However, the news had already spread like wildfire, and the Morrison family couldn''t contain it.


    In one morning, everyone knew about Vivian and this man.


    The socialite circle had long exploded with discussions, gossip and mockery directed at Vivian.


    "Wasn''t this woman, Vivian, interested in Adrian?"


    "Wasn''t there news about her pressuring him into an engagement?"


    "How could she get involved with another man so quickly?"


    "Maybe Adrian broke up with her, and in a fit of anger, she did this?"


    "Now that this news is out, it''s even more impossible for her and Adrian."


    Jacob ryed all this information to Adrian, and then cautiously said, "Mr. ckwood, it''s fortunate that you left earlyst night. Otherwise, you might have fallen into her trap, and if something were to happen between you two, it would be scandalous. If you still want to pursue Ms. Hansen, it would have been impossible if Vivian had her way with you."


    When Adrian heard the words "scandalous", he subconsciously nced at him.


    However, Jacob showed no fear and continued, "Did I say something wrong? Mr. ckwood, you''ve been virtuous all these years, all for the sake of Ms. Hansen, right?"


    Mr. ckwood was indeed very virtuous, what''s the problem with him saying that?


    Adrian pursed his thin lips and, after a moment, surprisingly didn''t refute it but nodded instead.


    "You''re right. It''s fortunate I didn''t fall into her trap. Otherwise, I would have no hope of her leaving me alone in my lifetime." Adrian said.


    "Um... Mr. ckwood, may I ask if you went to see Ms. Hansenst night? Were you with Ms. Hansen?"


    "No." Adrian immediately denied, "Don''t talk nonsense and tarnish her reputation."


    Upon hearing this, Jacob frowned. He was just asking a simple question. How could that tarnish her reputation?


    He couldn''t help but mutter softly, "There are only a few of us in the car. As long as nobody goes out and talks, how could it possibly tarnish Ms. Hansen''s reputation? Mr. ckwood, you are favoring Ms. Hansen too much." Upon hearing this, Adrian sneered, "I''m not favoring her, am I favoring you?"


    "In that case, let''s not continue with this topic. How could I dare to let you favor me? But..." Jacob''s tone shifted, "Mr. ckwood, how could you control yourself so well? You spentst night with Ms. Hansen, but nothing happened between you two? Are you..."


    At this point, Jacob swallowed his saliva, afraid to say it out loud and be silenced.


    Adrian gave him a dangerous look and said, "Are you going to say something?"


    Jacob smirked, "Remember, you asked me to say it... Facing the woman you like, and yet nothing happened. If this gets out, people might suspect that Mr. ckwood is incapable."


    Adrian retorted, "Do you want to get punched?"


    "Just kidding." Jacob realized that Adrian had an exceptionally high tolerance limit when it came to anything rted to Eva.

 Chapter 364 Failure

    There were many things he used to be afraid to say, but as long as it involved Eva, Jacob would seize the opportunity to speak his mind.


    Just like now, he questioned Mr. ckwood''s performance as a man, and Mr. ckwood simply brushed it off with a casual "Do you want to get punched?"


    Normally, he would have been at risk of losing his year-end bonus for making suchments, but now...


    Thinking of something, Jacob''s initial intention to joke around instantly disappeared, and he became serious.


    "What about Miss Morrison? How do you n to handle things with her?"


    As he said this, Jacob pushed up his sses. "Based on the current situation, even if you don''t do anything, Miss Morrison shouldn''t dare to pester you anymore. The news has spread, and the man who had rtions with her is iming to take responsibility. This person must have been attracted to the resources and connections of the Morrison family and wanted to gain status through this opportunity."


    Although the man''s family is quite decent, there is still a big differencepared to the Morrison Group''s reputation.


    After all, the Morrison family has been sessful for many years.


    In the past few years, ever since Vivian climbed aboard the ckwood family ship, her status had changed. It can be said that she had reached new heights. And now, this opportunity to climb aboard the Morrison family is equivalent to climbing aboard the ckwood family. Any man in his right mind would go after such a golden opportunity.


    This time, Vivian had gotten herself into big trouble. She should realize that this situation wasn''t ease to escape from.


    After this incident, would she still have time to bother Adrian? It would probably be quite difficult for her to get rid of that man, and the news has spread far and wide. Would Vivian really have the audacity to cling to Adrian like before? But even so, Jacob knew that Vivian was Adrian''s savior, so he probably wouldn''t do anything to her.


    Unexpectedly, the next second, Adrian coldly said, "Notify my parents and have theme back today."


    Jacob was momentarily stunned, then nodded.


    "Alright, I''ll do it now, Sir."


    The fact that he was involving his parents showed that this situation was truly serious. Jacob didn''t dare to joke around anymore and quickly went to carry out the orders.


    When the Morrisons arrived, Vivian stayed in her room and didn''t dare toe out.


    The guy she slept with yesterday, Benjamin, was waiting outside the room with his parents.


    When the Morrisons arrived, the guy stood up and smiled at them.


    "Sir, Ma''am."


    The guy''s parents then stood up and wore pleasant smiles.


    Sandra looked the guy up and down and asked coldly, "Are you Benjamin?"


    The guy named Benjamin nodded in response.


    Unexpectedly, the next second, Sandra pped him across the face.


    Benjamin''s parents were shocked and hurriedly rushed forward.


    "You! Why did you hit our son?"


    Vivian''s mother looked down at them, towering over them, and sneered, "So what if I hit him? He hurt my daughter, and I will sue him."


    From her expression, it seemed like she no longer wanted to be associated with their family.


    Unfortunately, Benjamin''s mother, Nancy, wasn''t someone to be trifled with either. She had originally thought that everyone could get along peacefully, but since Sandra didn''t want to give them this opportunity, that clearly was not going to happen easily.


    With this in mind, Nancy held back her anger and approached with a smile, "Mrs. Morrison, what you just said is incorrect. Your daughter and my son are both adults. My son had no issues on the road. When he saw something was wrong with your daughter, he thought she was drunk and wanted to take her to the hospital. But Miss Morrison refused to go and kept pouncing on my son."


    As she said this, Nancy paused.


    Nancy took a nce inside.


    "If we''re talking about who caused harm, then I think it''s Miss Morrison who hurt my son. Just because Miss Morrison is a girl doesn''t mean she can take advantage of others without being held responsible, right? Of course, I''m an open- minded parent. Adults have their own thoughts when ites to their actions. If they develop feelings for each other and want to be together, I have no objection."


    Upon hearing this, Sandra''s face turned dark.


    Ever since the Morrison family got involved with the ckwood family, their social status soared. Over the years, Sandra never encountered anyone who dared to show her any disrespect at various events. Besides having to lower her head in front of Mrs. ckwood, everyone else adored and ttered her.


    Unexpectedly, she was now being lectured by a woman from a not-so-important business and family, who even dared to think about her son being with her daughter.


    Sandra looked at Nancy with extreme disdain.


    "Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me?"


    Nancy raised her hand, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and continued to smile.


    "Mrs. Morrison, I remember when the Morrison family hadn''t yet befriended the ckwood family, Mr. Morrison used to greet my husband politely when he saw him. Although your family has risen in status now, it''s all borrowed water, so don''t think too highly of yourselves. In my opinion, now that news about our children has spread, we should sit down and have a peaceful discussion. Our family was not inferior to yours before, and it would be a good thing if our families could unite."


    "Ugh!" Sandra couldn''t help but spit out the words in contempt, "What good thing could possiblye from this? Just go away!"


    Nancy wanted to say something more, but Benjamin pulled Sandra aside. "Ma''am, why don''t you go in and talk to Vivian?"


    Sandra looked at Benjamin in front of her and gritted her teeth in anger.


    Who is this man that suddenly appeared? How could he be with Vivian?


    Thinking of this, Sandra felt a painful ache in her heart.


    In the past, she wouldn''t have looked down on a family like this, and Benjamin''s appearance was quite decent.


    But after all these years, ever since Vivian saved Adrian, Sandra had regarded him as her prospective son-inw.


    The difference now, with another man recing him, was too great.


    Two men, one superior and one inferior, how could she ept this?


    Sandra cast a resentful nce at Benjamin before going inside.


    Vivian was inside, crying her heart out. When she saw Sandra, she threw herself into her mother''s arms, still sobbing.


    "Mom..."


    Sandra couldn''t control her anger anymore and pped Vivian''s face before she could even cry andin. "You useless waste! I had everything prepared for you, but you couldn''t even handle such a small matter, and you let someone take advantage of you. Now, everyone knows about it. It''s truly embarrassing!"


    Vivian, already emotionally and physically hurt, was stunned in ce when her mother pped her. Tears welled up in her eyes.


    "With your behavior, do you still think Adrian will marry you? Now, watch him enjoy his time with other women. You will spend your life tormenting an inferior man to death!"


    Sandra was filled with rage and her words dripped with bitterness.

 Chapter 365 Suicide

    Finally, a sobbing Vivian exined what had happened the previous night. Sandra''s already unpleasant expression became even darker after hearing Vivian''s words. "I thought you couldn''t catch him, but it turns out you did and let him escape. What exactly did you do? It''s been so long, and you can''t even handle one man?"


    "Mom... I didn''t want it to happen like that. I don''t even know how he found out. Suddenly, he just ran away. He must have gone to find Evast night. What should I do now? I don''t want to be with Benjamin. I love Adrian."


    After hearing this, Sandra looked at her with disappointment. "Don''t worry, you won''t be forced to be with Benjamin."


    For the sake of the Morrison family, Vivian had to marry Adrian. Sandra clenched her lips and made up her mind. "We have to take drastic measures to resolve this situation." "Mom, what should I do?"


    After seeing her daughter looking so distraught, Sandra went back outside the room and said with a tone that had softened a bit. "My daughter is not in the right state of mind to discuss this matter right now. We need to take her home and find out what exactly happened."


    Nancy understood that it was impossible to immediately convince the Morrisons to agree to an alliance. However, she was satisfied with Sandra''s attitude. She nodded and said, "Okay, Benjamin was also taken aback byst night''s events, so his mindset is not very stable. We should go home and find out how this all happened. How about we meet tomorrow?"


    Sandra looked at Benjamin and couldn''t see any signs of stress. Instead, he seemed cheerful. His appearance infuriated Sandra, almost making her want to p him again. Knowing that the situation had not turned out as she had hoped, she forced herself to hold back and nodded, instructing someone to see them out.


    After they left, Vivian''s father, Hector, came to discuss a solution to their situation.


    As Nancy and her family entered the elevator, she sneered. "The Morrison family would never willingly marry their daughter off to Benjamin. The public opinion is not enough, we need to send some messages out. Since they havee knocking on our door, they shouldn''t think they can leave again."


    Benjamin nodded, "I will do as you say, Mom."


    Nancy rubbed his head contentedly.


    However, just as the three of them were leaving the hotel, they were intercepted by a group of men in ck suits.


    Seeing the aggressive manner of the men, they thought it was from the Morrison family.


    "Are you Benjamin? And are these your parents? Come with us."


    Benjamin''s father immediately stood in front of his wife and son, "Who are you? If you''re from the Morrison family, I advise you not to act recklessly. The evidence fromst night has been preserved."


    The leader nced at them and replied quietly, "Who said we''re from the Morrison family?"


    "Who are you then?"


    "That''s none of your business. Get in the car."


    The three of them looked at each other, worried that someone from the Morrison family sent these men to harm them. However, judging from the disdainful tone and expression when mentioning the Morrison family, it seemed like they didn''t care about or want any connection with them.


    After exchanging nces, they obediently got into the car.


    Eva was not in the right state of mind at work today. Shortly after she arrived at thepany, Tim told her about the meeting and asked her to prepare for it. He jokingly said, "I think you better hire an assistant. Otherwise, I''ll end up doing your assistant''s job."


    Hearing this, Eva replied immediately, "Before thepany truly takes off, saving every penny is crucial."


    "Tsk." Tim teased, "You want to save at my expense? That''s harsh."


    Eva smiled and said, "Well, I won''t forget your kindness and dedication once thepany takes off."


    "Alright, I''ll hold you to that and look forward to the day when thepany flourishes."


    Although she joked with him and shared several sharp viewpoints during the meeting, she unconsciously started to daydream. It was fine the first time, but it was noticed by everyone several times.


    After the meeting ended, Tim approached her.


    "What''s wrong? You were daydreaming during the meeting."


    Eva shook her head, "It''s nothing."


    "Do you need to take a break?"


    Take a break?


    Eva sighed helplessly, "Since you joined, I''ve already taken quite a few breaks. If I take more, will thispany even continue functioning?"


    "Well, you''re the boss. It''s up to you."


    "Bosses can''t neglect their duties either. If everyone in every position had that mindset, apany would quickly copse."


    Tim smiled, "That''s true, but you have to bnce things in all aspects of your life well in order to devote all your energy to work when you''re at work, don''t you?"


    Eva didn''t say anything more, and Tim soon left to attend to his own tasks.


    Alone in her office, Eva pondered. What did today''s events have to do with her anyway? She was just someone interested in seeing Adrian perform. How things were handled, whether well or not, was Adrian''s responsibility.


    He hadn''t even revealed the results of his performance yet, so why was she in such a rush to know?


    If she continued to worry, she would truly lose all focus on everything else.


    After realizing this, Eva no longer dwelled on the matter and focused on her work.


    That evening, just when everyone wanted to hear more gossip and joke about the Morrison family, tragic news arrived.


    Vivian attempted suicide.


    Her parents discovered her in the bathtub, luckily it was caught early and she was rushed to the hospital for treatment. However, her emotional state was still unstable, and family members kept a constant watch to prevent any further incidents.


    Later that night, Vivian''s parents came out to respond to the media. Sandra faced the camera, her eyes red, and said, "My daughter got drunk yesterday, and Benjamin indeed helped her. Our whole family is very grateful. But I''m not sure why there are rumors being spread everywhere that they had a romantic rtionship, when clearly no such thing happened. Everyone knows how important a woman''s reputation is, especially considering Vivian''s involvement with Adrian. False news is spreading everywhere, and Vivian couldn''t handle it, as a woman with dignity. She also thought it would harm Adrian if it continued, so she wanted to show determination through death. Fortunately, we found her early, or else... I would''ve lost my daughter today. I really want to ask, who is so malicious, spreading these rumors?"


    After Mrs. Morrison''s address, there was an uproar among the crowd.


    For a moment, no one knew whether she and Benjamin had truly been involved or if it was just fabricated rumors.

 Chapter 366 Only Want to Marry Him

    After hearing this news, some socialites began discussing it fervently in a group chat.


    "She didn''t seed in her suicide? She''s been treated in time? It''s hard to say if she really wanted to die."


    "I think she just doesn''t want to admit the rtionship, otherwise she wouldn''t be able to marry into the ckwood family?"


    "Come on, Mr. ckwood divorced that other woman many years ago. If she could''ve married into the family earlier, why wait until now? If I were Vivian, I would''ve given up on Adrian long ago." "Alright then, be realistic and find another man who loves you. Wouldn''t that be more dignified?"


    "That''s easy for you to say, but that''s Adrian we''re talking about. If you have the opportunity to spend your life with a man like him, all other men would just bepromises."


    After this statement, everyone fell silent, seemingly in agreement.


    Until someone spoke up.


    "It''s useless for her to hold on like this. Rumor has it that Eva has returned to the country."


    Everyone was taken aback.


    "Eva? Adrian''s ex-wife? She''s back?"


    "That''s right. Apparently, she started a smallpany, and the ckwood family even invested in it. My cousin''s college ssmate joined thepany recently and found out."


    "She started apany and the ckwood family invested? It seems that there''s still a connection between them."


    "Adrian clearly loves Eva. Otherwise, why would they have gotten married in the first ce? They even grew up together, but Vivian saved Adrian in the middle and gained an advantage. Even after Eva left for five years, Adrian never got together with Vivian. Now that Eva''s back, it''s even more unlikely."


    Everyone was curious about Eva''s return, and the conversation shifted from two people to three.


    Meanwhile, in the hospital room, Vivian nced at the bandage wrapped around her delicate wrist and then looked up at Sandra in the room.


    "Mom, is there any update? Did Adrian answer the phone?"


    After making dozens of calls in a row without any response, Sandra''s expression turned grim.


    The news had been spread. Even if he was angry about being schemed againstst night, Vivian was still his savior. Shouldn''t he care about his savior''s life and death?


    Angrily, Sandra cursed, "If I had known he would be like this now, I wish you hadn''t saved him back then."


    Hearing the mention of saving him, Vivian felt a pang of guilt.


    On the side, Hector, who was next to them, immediately spoke up for Adrian, "Actually, the ckwood family has been quite good to the Morrison family. If it weren''t for them all these years, we wouldn''t be in the position we are now." Hector, who had been working outside, understood and empathized the most. In the past, he had been the one supporting others, but now he was the one being supported, and the treatment was vastly different.


    "In my opinion, if Adrian really wanted to marry Vivian over all these years, he would have done it already. He wouldn''t have waited until now. We should just be sensible and stop forcing ourselves onto them anymore."


    Sandra shot Hector a disdainful look and cursed, "What are you saying? Vivian is Adrian''s savior. Of course he should marry her."


    Hector felt a bit aggrieved. "That''s not what I meant. But, if everyone who saved people had this mentality, who would dare to allow others to save them in the future? If him living means he is left carrying another burden, then it would have been better to let him die back then."


    After he said these words, Sandra berated Hector mercilessly.


    Under her intimidation, Hector didn''t dare to speak and left the room in low spirits.


    After he left, Vivian lowered her eyes and pitifully asked, "Mom, should I listen to Dad and stop bothering him?"


    "Don''t listen to your dad, he doesn''t understand matters of the heart. Vivian, grabbing Adrian''s attention is such a rare opportunity for you. Nobody else has saved Adrian except for you. So, for him, you will always be special. After hees, use your life as leverage, make him realize that he must marry you, or else, tell him that you will die in front of him."


    "But... will he listen?"


    Sandra sneered, "He doesn''t have an option unless he wants to be seen as an ungrateful person."


    Vivian bit her lip.


    "Listen to me, it''s the right thing to do. This is your only chance. Force him to agree to marry you, even if he resents youter. Once you are together, you can win him over. That''s how men are. Once you have control over his body, he won''t remember being forced by you."


    Sandra''s words embedded themselves into Vivian''s heart, and she began to fantasize about their future together.


    Unfortunately, no matter how Sandra tried, she couldn''t contact Adrian.


    Mother and daughter stayed in the room, gradually feeling more gloomy.


    Later that night, Hector, who was guarding outside, suddenly pushed open the door and said, "The ckwood couple is here."


    As soon as Sandra heard this, she narrowed her eyes.


    "Adrian''s parents? Weren''t they abroad?"


    "Yeah, they just returned today. They heard about Vivian''s incident and came straight from the airport." exined Hector.


    Upon hearing that they came straight from the airport, Sandra''s hope ignited instantly. "Let them in quickly."


    The ckwood couple were quickly invited into the hospital room.


    As soon as Vivian saw Mrs. ckwood, she cried and wanted to throw herself into her arms.


    "Aunt."


    Mrs. ckwood, being embraced like this, stiffened a bit. Her hand hesitated in the air before finallying down to pat Vivian''s head. "Poor child, you''ve suffered."


    There were some words she didn''t dare say. Although Vivian had saved her son, for some reason, she didn''t have much favor towards Vivian.


    It wasn''t that she disliked her, but whenever Vivian got close to her, Margaret''s body would resist a little, even though she didn''t know why.


    However, it was different with Eva. She liked how close Eva would get to her, but... when it came to Eva, Mrs. ckwood still felt a great sense of regret in his heart.


    The two of them were actually divorced.


    Mrs. Morrison quickly exined the whole situation to Mrs. ckwood, and Vivian immediately followed, "Aunt, I wasn''t with that man, Benjamin, at all. I''m grateful for his help, but I don''t know why he framed me. My heart and body belong to Adrian, and I only want to marry him."


    "Good child, don''t worry about it for now." Mrs. ckwood adjusted Vivian''s hair by her cheek, "Adrian called us back urgently to handle this matter. You''ve done us a favor many years ago, and we won''t let you be wronged."


    At this moment, the ckwood couple still didn''t know the reason why Adrian urgently called them back. They only received news of Vivian''s suicide right after getting off the ne and heard the whole story on their way to the hospital. Therefore, they thought that Adrian called them back because of Vivian''s situation.

 Chapter 367 Clearing the Situation

    When Vivian heard that it was Adrian who called the ckwood couple back, she felt a bit worried.


    Did Adrian already know about her situation in the morning? Thinking about it, it seemed possible. Yet, he doesn''t want to see her now, he hasn''t answered her calls since the incident, and he had urgently called his parents back to the country. It doesn''t seem like he wants to handle this matter, but rather wants to deal with what happenedst night...


    Just the thought of this possibility made Vivian feel anxious. She could only hold onto Mrs. ckwood and pour out all her grievances, begging her to believe in her.


    Mrs. ckwoodforted her for quite a while before leaving the hospital room.


    After leaving the hospital, the couple got into their car.


    "How did things develop into this?" Kim''s eyebrows furrowed tightly, immediately asking his wife once she got into the car.


    Mrs. ckwood, however, changed her worried expression from the hospital and immediately turned serious. "Something seems off. If everything were normal, even if our son doesn''t like her, he would havee to visit her given that such a big thing happened to Vivian. But just now in the hospital, I didn''t see our son there."


    Upon hearing this, Kim also squinted his eyes.


    "You mean there''s something suspicious about this? He called us back not because of her?"


    Mrs. ckwood showed a deeply contemtive expression on her face.


    "Let''s go and see what he wants us to do by calling us back."


    The ckwood couple sat side by side, and standing before them was Adrian with his hands in his pockets. His face was cold, with tight lips that seemed as if they were immersed in ice.


    The atmosphere was very tense after Adrian uttered those words.


    "I willpletely sever ties with Vivian tomorrow." Adrian dered.


    The atmosphere in the living room instantly changed. However, the expressions on the ckwood couple''s faces didn''t change much, as if they had already anticipated this turn of events. After a long silence, Kim was the first to speak, sarcastically asking, "So, you''re ready to bear the me by cutting ties?" Adrian tugged at his lip and smiled disdainfully.


    Seeing his expression, Mrs. ckwood knew that he had already prepared himself mentally. Adrian had always had his own ideas since he was young, and once he made up his mind, it wouldn''t easily be changed.


    Realizing this, she sighed and said, "You called your father and me back in such a hurry, you must have a n. If we were to advise you further, it would only lead to more arguments within our family. Since you have made your decision, we won''t advise you anymore. But you have to tell us what exactly happened."


    Adrian briefly described what had happened the previous night. He chose his words carefully, but he was direct and didn''t hold back, without any consideration for the fact that his parents were listening or leaving any leeway for Vivian. After hearing his ount, the ckwood couple exchanged nces, and each could see theplex emotions in the other''s eyes. After a while, Mrs. ckwood remembered Vivian''s pitiful expression at the hospital when she hadined to her, and she felt a sense of frustration.


    "I never expected her to do such a thing." She appeared pure on the surface, but behind the scenes, she used such despicable means to frame a man. When that failed, she resorted to suicide to create a public opinion storm.


    If not for the life-saving kindness between the two families, Mrs. ckwood would not have spared any mercy when dealing with such a family. Unfortunately, the Morrison family had been saviors to the ckwood family.


    It was no wonder that although Vivian had saved her son''s life, she had always felt somewhat resistant towards her. Mrs. ckwood used to me herself whenever she had such thoughts, feeling that her own heart was too dark. Little did she know that their paths would lead to this.


    At this moment, the usually steady Kim suddenly spoke up, saying, "Actually, you don''t need to feel indebted to her. Ever since she saved your life, we''ve helped them solve many problems behind the scenes over the years. Otherwise, they would never have reached their current position and would have gone bankrupt long ago."


    "Yes, thest time Hector took a project, thepany almost went bankrupt. It was your father who turned the tide, and they have been taking advantage of the ckwood family''s name behind the scenes. Although these things can''t be exchanged for your life, we have done our utmost for them. It''s not impossible to sever ties by offering some benefits."


    Mrs. ckwood nodded in agreement. For the two of them, their son''s thoughts always held the most importance, no matter what.


    As she spoke, Mrs. ckwood recalled something, her face disying a worried expression. "If this hadn''t happened, Vivian would actually be a good choice. She even saved your life. It wouldn''t be bad to be with her, but now it''s not possible. After this matter is resolved, you should focus on your own affairs and forget about the past... those old acquaintances."


    When it came to this matter, Mrs. ckwood carefully considered her words. She had indeed liked Eva back then, but after their divorce, she could sense that when Eva left, there was more to the situation. Mrs. ckwood only sighed. Some connections are beautiful yet fleeting.


    However, after Eva left, Adrian visibly sank into a depression. He was like a withering nt, devoid of vitality and passion. Eventually, he even developed stomach issues. As time passed, Mrs. ckwood naturally became concerned and hoped her son could move on. It was during this time that Vivian sincerely approached her, promising to stay by Adrian''s side no matter what.


    Though Mrs. ckwood didn''t have high expectations of Vivian, the thought of her son''s near-death appearance made her ponder, What if?


    But now, it seemed Vivian wasn''t capable of that. Unexpectedly, Adrian raised his gaze to meet her eyes. "I''ll handle my own affairs."


    Hearing his words, Mrs. ckwood couldn''t help but sigh. "How will you handle it? Don''t tell me you''re still thinking about Eva. It''s been five years. She might have already gotten married and had children. What good does it do to keep thinking about her?"


    Adrian pursed his thin lips before responding, "She isn''t married."


    Mrs. ckwood felt something was off hearing this, and she looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean? Who isn''t married? Did you meet up with Eva? Has she returned?"


    When asking these questions, Mrs. ckwood couldn''t help but stand up and move in front of Adrian. She was even more excited than he was. "Is it true? Where is she now? Can I meet with her?"


    After five years, Mrs. ckwood also missed Eva. Seeing his mother''s excited state, Adrian could only say, "Control your emotions. Otherwise, I''m worried you won''t be able to sleep from too much excitement."

 Chapter 368 Do You Want Him to Come?

    The mention of Eva stirred excitement in Mrs. ckwood. If he were to tell her that Eva had two children that were his children, would she be even more ecstatic? However, Adrian wouldn''t share this news with them for now. After all, she hasn''t epted him yet.


    She''s still afraid that he willpete with her for the children. Given his mother''s personality, if she knew about the children''s existence, she would surely be overjoyed.


    If she found out about the children and he tried to stop her from seeing them, it''s highly likely that he wouldn''t seed.


    And Mrs. ckwood''s enthusiasm would definitely startle Eva.


    So, it''s best to keep this a secret.


    But obviously, Adrian''s words just now aroused Mrs. ckwood''s suspicion, "Why would I be so excited that I won''t be able to sleep? Something good must have happened, right? Have you and her gotten back together?" Before Adrian could exin, Mrs. ckwood had already started specting on her own.


    "I know! It''s because you got back together with her, that''s why Vivian is anxiously trying to trap you using these dirty tricks, right?"


    Adrian''s expression was a bit torn. He didn''t expect his mother to have such strong insight and figure things out so quickly.


    Even though he and Eva haven''t reconciled yet, he had hopes that they would.


    "Is that it?" Mrs. ckwood asked when he didn''t respond, as she grabbed her son''s shoulder and shook him, her emotions still very intense.


    Adrian sighed almost helplessly, "No."


    "No?" Mrs. ckwood showed a skeptical expression, "If it''s not that, then why would Vivian suddenly make a move? She''s been by your side for five years and never made a move before. There must be a reason for her urgency." "Just assume I wanted us to reconcile but got rejected." Adrian replied.


    Mrs. ckwood silently looked at him for a while, then disdainfully said, "Given what you did before, you deserve to be rejected."


    Adrian admitted with a bitter smile, as his secret was exposed.


    "Yeah, I deserve it."


    There was no point in denying it, he indeed deserved it.


    "What''s the use of saying you deserve it? Sort out the things that need to be sorted out and show some sincerity. From what I see, Eva probably divorced you because of something you didn''t handle properly." Adrian remained silent, pursing his lips.


    If this had been said before he met Eva, he would have definitely denied it.


    She didn''t divorce him because he didn''t handle his own issues well, but because their marriage was a sham and she had someone else in her heart.


    But now... After meeting her, learning about Ruby and Dn''s existence, and understanding the whole situation, if he still thought that way, then he would truly be a jerk.


    "Yeah, I know, and I''m working on it, aren''t I?"


    When this matter was brought up, Mrs. ckwood''s previously excited expression immediately turned serious, "Make sure to resolve it properly tomorrow. Do you need any help?"


    Seeing her firm stance, Adrian expressed his satisfaction, "No need, just as long as the person arrives."


    Mrs. ckwood was a little confused.


    "Just as long as the person arrives? If you don''t need our help, then why did you urgently call us back?"


    Upon hearing this, Adrian''s thin lips curved into a handsome arc as he replied, "To show support."


    After the ckwood''s left, Sandra still couldn''t get through to Adrian on the phone. He didn''t make an effort call her either nor inquired about her well-being, as if he waspletely convinced that Vivian''s suicide was a hoax. Vivian looked frustratedly at Sandra.


    "Mom, didn''t you say this n would definitely work? But now Adrian won''t answer my calls at all, has he grownpletely tired of me? Will he never want to see me again?"


    Sandra bit her lower lip. "I never expected Adrian to be such a tough nut to crack."


    "It''s all your fault." Vivianined tearfully. "If you hadn''t advised me to drug him, things wouldn''t have turned out like this. I could have stayed by his side."


    Her tearful appearance annoyed Sandra, who even criticized her, squinting her eyes and condemning, "If it weren''t for your ipetence, would I bothering up with that n for you? Why don''t you me yourself? You had him within your grasp, yet you let him slip away. You''re the one who''s useless, and you still expect to stay by his side?"


    Facing Sandra''s insults, Vivian was reminded of sleeping with a man she didn''t likest night, intensifying her self-hatred.


    Hating herself for being useless, she also despised her mother for the reckless suggestions, her long nails almost digging into her flesh.


    Before the children fell asleep, Ruby asked Eva specifically, "Mama, is Uncle NightA stilling to sleep at our house tonight?"


    Eva''s expression almost copsed upon hearing the question. After a moment ofposure, she calmly replied, "He''s sleeping at his own house, he''s noting."


    Upon hearing this, a slightly disappointed expression appeared on the little one''s face.


    "Okay."


    "Why, do you really want him toe?"


    Hearing this, Ruby immediately sweetly nodded with a smile. "Yeah! Isn''t he going to be my and my brother''s daddy? Then he can help us scare away the bad guys!"


    A child''s thoughts are always the most direct and innocent, and their ideas are outspoken.


    "And, Uncle NightA is also very good to Mama. Mama also needs someone to take care of her."


    Upon hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but smile, reaching out to gently stroke Ruby''s head. "I don''t need someone to take care of me, I just need to take care of Ruby and Dn. Now, go to sleep." "Then, Mama, when will Uncle NightAe?"


    As Eva thought about this, she recalled the words Adrian said in the morning before leaving, "Wait for me."


    Since he had said it, then he should have meant it, right?


    Thinking of this, Eva whispered softly, "He shoulde after he finishes everything he needs to."


    Ruby blinked her eyes, seemingly understanding but not fully, "Okay then, Mommy, I''m going to sleep." "Goodnight."


    "Goodnight, Mommy."


    Eva lowered her head and kissed the little girl''s forehead, then tucked her in and left the room.


    Afterward, she went to check on Dn, making sure he was tucked in too, before returning to her own bedroom.


    The bedroom was quiet, and Eva didn''t have many thoughts about Adrian.


    How he handles his issues is his own business, she couldn''t get involved so easily anymore.


    Eva''s mood was calm, and she was about to lie down when suddenly, several scenes shed before her eyes like a spark of lightning.


    The first scene was the image of young Adrian sshing in the river.


    And the second scene was her anxiously running towards the river and diving in.


    The two scenes connected, freezing Eva''s movement as she stood still in her ce.

 Chapter 369 Impersonation

    Memories that hadn''t appeared in her mind for years were now resurfacing, stirring up waves with fragmented images.


    That day, Adrian fell into the water identally.


    Because he had a near-drowning experience in his childhood, he had always been in a fearful state when it came to water and never learned how to swim.


    Since Eva and Adrian weren''t in the same ss, they mostly hung out with their own ssmates when they went out.


    It was her ssmate who suggested going to the river to catch shrimp that day.


    They agreed, but halfway there, her ssmate suddenly said she forgot something and asked Eva to wait by the river. Eva agreed, and her ssmate went back to retrieve the item while she went ahead.


    The springtime river carried a cool breeze, and Eva hunched her shoulders against the wind. She was still contemting whether to go back and tell her ssmate that they should rather not stay there, as the weather was too cold. Who knew if they would catch a cold after ying?


    She was conflicted in her heart, about to turn back when suddenly, she heard someone shouting for help.


    Eva followed the sound and saw Vivian, who was frantically calling out.


    "Is anyone there? Help! Someone has fallen into the water!"


    Vivian?


    What was she doing here?


    Eva looked around and realized she was the only one there.


    Someone fell into the water?


    Upon realizing that someone had fallen into the water, Eva instinctively took off her shoes and ran while looking.


    When she saw that the person in the river was Adrian, Eva was almost scared out of her wits.


    How did he end up in the river?


    Isn''t he afraid of water?


    However, these thoughts only shed through her mind for an instant before disappearing. She quickly took off her heavy coat, leaving her with only a thin undershirt, and she kept shouting. Eva brushed past Vivian and dived straight into the river.


    The river water was piercingly cold, and Eva almost immediately felt her hands and feet freezing. However, her urgent desire to save Adrian pushed her to paddle hard. The current was so strong, and it took all her strength to reach Adrian''s side.


    By that time, Adrian had already swallowed water and passed out. Strangely, this worked in Eva''s favor, as drowning individuals often cling tightly to their rescuers, hindering their movements if not unconscious.


    Struggling, Eva finally managed to bring him closer to the shore. Vivian, who was waiting there, came forward to assist. However, once Vivian helped Adrian onto the bank, shepletely ignored Eva and attended to him instead. Just as Eva was about to ask Vivian for help, her strength gave out and she was swept away by a sudden wave. Throughout this whole ordeal, Vivian never once nced back at her.


    Eva was carried far downstream and felt her body weaken. Fatigue began to cloud her awareness, and she almost considered closing her eyes and giving up. However, in an instant, she remembered something and rallied her spirits. She couldn''t die here after saving Adrian.


    The rushing river was bitterly cold, and she needed to find a way to reach the shore. At the very least... she had to make it tond before she could rest.


    With that thought in mind, Eva summoned herst ounce of strength and finally managed to crawl onto the riverbank.


    As soon as she made it ashore, Eva''s final reserves of energy were depleted, and she copsed, gasping for breath. Her body shivered uncontrobly, and her eyelids involuntarily closed.


    In the end, her consciousness faded away.


    Past memories yed out in Eva''s mind like a film, bringing back moments she couldn''t recall before. Those forgotten details now became startlingly clear.


    When she remembered everything, Eva''s breath hitched, and she instinctively ced her hand over her chest, gasping for air.


    How could this be?


    Was she the one who saved Adrian?


    Then where was Vivian?


    Wasn''t it said that Vivian was the one who saved Adrian''s life?


    Why did she have these memories? Did Vivian take credit for her actions, or was her memory ying tricks on her?


    But if it was a mistake, how could these memories feel so real?


    Eva found herself unable to calm her racing breath for a while.


    After about ten minutes, she sat on her bed, grabbed her phone, and found Adrian''s number. She intended to call him but immediately regretted it and quickly hung up the moment the call connected. After that, she felt incredibly overwhelmed and drained.


    Somehow, she raised her hand and covered her forehead in frustration.


    What was she doing?


    What was she going to say if she called Adrian at this moment? Was she going to tell him that it was not Vivian who saved him, but herself? Would he believe her?


    After all these years, just with a few words?


    Besides Adrian, she wouldn''t believe it either if someone told her right now that it was not Vivian who saved him.


    Unless, she could find evidence.


    But where could she find evidence?


    The reason Adrian believed Vivian saved him was simply because he was unconscious at the time, he didn''t even know who saved him.


    And she was swept away by the river at that moment. There was only Vivian beside him, so everyone naturally assumed it was Vivian who saved him.


    If she went out now and said that she was the one who saved him, she would probably be seen as stealing credit.


    Lost in her thoughts, her phone vibrated.


    Eva''s expression changed slightly as she nced at the caller ID.


    It was Adrian, most likely because she had just called him and he couldn''t answer in time, so he called back.


    There wasn''t much she could say after picking up this call.


    But after a moment of hesitation, she answered the phone.


    "Are you looking for me?" Adrian''s voice sounded a bit urgent, "Why did you hang up so soon after calling?" Eva pursed her lips, hesitated, and finally could only say, "I didn''t mean to call you, it was a misdial."


    "Misdial?" The tone of his voice showed he was skeptical, as if he didn''t believe that she had just misdialed.


    "Yeah, it was a misdial, I have nothing else to say, so I''ll hang up." After speaking, without waiting for a response, Eva hung up the phone. Adrian stared at the disconnected call, his brow furrowed tightly.


    A misdial?


    Under normal circumstances, how could she possibly misdial his number?


    And even if it was a misdial, why would she hang up in a second? When he called back, she seemed to not want to talk much with him.


    And while speaking, she seemed to be slightly out of breath.


    Thinking of this, Adrian immediately put away his phone, grabbed his coat and car keys, and quickly left the house.


    When he was going downstairs, he happened to meet Kim and Margaret. They were still awake and when they saw Adrian was about to go out, they immediately asked, "It''s sote, where are you going?" "There''s something urgent I need to take care of, you guys go to bed."


    After saying that, Adrian left without waiting for a response.

 Chapter 370 Do you trust me or her?

    After hanging up, Eva ced her phone aside.


    She should go to sleep.


    As for what she had remembered today, she had to find a way to corroborate it; otherwise no one would believe her with just a few words.


    After all, it had been so many years, and now it was also a problem on how to corroborate it.


    Evay down, but there was not a hint of sleepiness in her mind. She tried to think of a n.


    The scenes running through her mind were all the ones that had slowly been recovered.


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt her heart hurting.


    Back then, because Vivian saved Adrian, he always treated her differently. Originally, it was only the two of them ying together in their childhood, but after Adrian nearly drowned, Vivian joined them. Most of the time, she was in a state of jealousy.


    At times, she even fantasized about how it would have been if she had been the one to save him.


    However, she hadn''t expected that she was the actual savior, with Vivian taking all the credit.


    Eva narrowed her eyes slightly.


    When she saved Adrian and brought him back to shore, Vivian didn''t lend her a hand. Instead, she imed credit for herself before Eva was swept away by the river.


    In other words, Vivian knew Eva was underwater and had been swept away, yet she didn''t call for help or inform anyone.


    Thinking it over, Eva felt a cold sweat forming on her back.


    With Vivian''s mindset, did she have ulterior motives when she helped the Hansen family after their bankruptcy?


    Lost in her thoughts, Eva faintly heard her phone vibrating.


    When she snapped out of it, she picked it up and realized it was a call from Adrian.


    It was sote now, why was he calling her again?


    Since she had nothing to say, Eva calmly looked at the iing call disy without answering, waiting for him to end the call.


    It waste, so if she didn''t answer the first call, he shouldn''t call again.


    After the ringing ended, as expected, Adrian didn''t call again, but she received a message from him.


    "I know you''re still awake, I''m outside your door."


    Upon seeing this message, Eva was stunned. She hadn''t expected Adrian to be waiting outside.


    So, he called just now because he was on his way?


    With this in mind, Eva furrowed her brows slightly. She had only made one phone call, and she even told him it was a misdial. Did he still have toe over?


    At first, Eva didn''t want to bother with him, but thinking that he was probably standing outside her door looking foolish at the moment, she got up from bed, put on a coat, and walked to the entrance. Sure enough, through the surveince, Eva saw a slender figure standing at her front door.


    He stood there quietly, asionally ncing at his phone.


    Eva watched for a while and sent him a text message.


    "I''ve gone to bed."


    Just as she sent the message, she saw Adrian on the other side taking out his phone, looking at her message, and remaining motionless for a long while.


    After a while, he picked up his phone again and replied.


    "Can we talk?"


    She had just said she was going to sleep, and he still wanted to see her?


    If it were someone else, Eva would genuinely consider calling the police.


    In the next second, she saw Adrian had sent another message.


    "I know you''re there."


    Helpless, Eva had to walk over and open the door.


    Hearing the sound, Adrian looked up, his eyebrows curved slightly when he saw her, a look that said, "I wasn''t wrong."


    Just as Eva was about to speak, Adrian took a step forward and closed the door behind him, his strides pushing her back inside, pinning her against the wall in the hallway. "You''re looking for me?" Adrian''s voice was low and husky, his gaze profound. He seemed like a wolf that had found its prey in the silent Eva.


    Eva felt that he was going too far, unlike the night before when he didn''t dare to do this.


    And this morning, he even kissed her forehead before leaving.


    Thinking of this, Eva pushed him away. "What are you doing? Didn''t I say it was a wrong number?"


    "I don''t believe it." Adrian held her hand, restraining himself from expressing his affections. "You''re careful, you wouldn''t mistakenly call me at such ate hour." Eva paused.


    "So, if you called me, it must be for a reason." Adrian''s voice was gentle, "If you didn''t want to tell me over the phone, I had no choice but toe and find out from you myself." After knowing each other for so many years, he still understood her quite well.


    Eva looked at him and pursed her lips but remained silent.


    Adrian noticed her reluctance to speak and raised an eyebrow teasingly. "What''s wrong? Is there something difficult to say? Could it be..."


    To interrupt where his wild imagination was heading, Eva interrupted his words quickly, "Don''t overthink it. I do have something to discuss with you."


    Adrian immediately revealed a look of affirmation.


    Since they''ve started talking about it, Eva decided to be direct, "If I told you that it wasn''t Vivian who saved you when you fell into the water, would you believe me?"


    Sure enough, after she asked this question, Adrian froze, and then his narrow eyes squinted.


    "Don''t you believe me?" Eva''s expression visibly darkened.


    Adrian quickly denied, "Of course I do. Didn''t I already say that I believe everything you say?"


    However, Eva kept her guard up, even though he said he believed her now. What she was about to say next was so different from what everyone had always believed that she wasn''t certain he would still believe her then. "If I told you that the person who saved you after you fell into the water wasn''t Vivian, would you believe me?"


    Then she asked him, "What kind of expression is that on your face?"


    Adrian sighed, "I was wondering, if it wasn''t Vivian, then who was it?"


    Knowing Eva wouldn''t lie to him, Adrian was still shocked by Eva''s words.


    After all, this happened many years ago, and he had always thought it was Vivian who had saved him. So, it wasn''t her?


    Eva took a deep breath and then said, "It was me."


    After uttering these two words, she averted her gaze as if afraid that Adrian wouldn''t believe her. "If you don''t believe me, you don''t have to tell me. I won''t force you to believe me, but you can leave now, and in the future..." Her words were interrupted when the person in front of her leaned down, and his breath grew closer.

 Chapter 371 As long as I want, it will come true

    Feeling his soft lips against hers, Eva''s breath caught, and she instinctively leaned back.


    A pair ofrge hands held her waist, pulling her into his embrace, and sealed her lipspletely.


    After realizing what was happening, Eva pushed him away forcefully. "I was talking to you. What are you doing?"


    After being pushed away, Adrian looked at her with some lingering desire, his voice husky. "I wanted to kiss you because I saw you were jealous."


    "Who said I was jealous?" Eva denied without hesitation.


    Adrian just smiled without saying a word.


    Seeing his expression, Eva felt a bit annoyed. She was being serious and discussing something with him, and he had behaved in this manner, as if he didn''t believe her, deliberately distracting her attention. Thinking of this, Eva immediately asked, "Are you intentionally trying to divert my attention?"


    "Why would you think random thoughts? Of course, I believe you." Adrian reached out and pinched her cheek, his expression quickly bing serious.


    "But what exactly happened? It wasn''t her who saved me? How did it turn out to be you? Why didn''t you say anything before?"


    Seeing his expression finally bing serious, Eva understood that he genuinely believed her and wasn''t just saying it.


    She also became serious.


    "After I saved you, I was exhausted and ran out of energy. I was washed away by the river."


    As she said this, Adrian''s pupils constricted.


    "I barely managed to climb out of the river, and then I lost consciousness. Later, I had a high fever and forgot about this incident." Eva nced at him. "You know about my serious illness back then, right?" Adrian didn''t answer and recalled the situation at that time.


    When he woke up, everyone was saying that Vivian injured her hands trying to save him because before he fell, Vivian was indeed the only one with him. Before losing consciousness, he did see a figure jumping into the river. However, his consciousness was about to fade at that time, so he could only vaguely see a blurry figure, a girl''s figure, but he wasn''t sure who it was.


    But based on that vague image, it seemed just like Eva.


    But it was said that it was Vivian who did it.


    So, he didn''t suspect anything either.


    Later, he heard that there was also a person next door who went to see the doctor, only to realize it was Eva. When she fell into the water during her spring outing for some unknown reason, she developed a high fever and remained unconscious.


    When she woke up, people asked her what exactly happened, but she couldn''t remember anything clearly.


    Seeing him silent, Eva continued, "Actually, I hadpletely lost my memory of this incident, but recently, for some reason, it suddenly came back to me. I guess it was because I hit my head the other day."


    Adrian suddenly came to his senses, thinking about when she had bumped her forehead on the flowerpot a while ago.


    In fact, it matched up with her suddenly falling into the water and running a high fever back then, not to mention her recent head injury.


    With this in mind, Adrian narrowed his eyes and said dangerously, "So, all these years she has been impersonating my savior?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva tugged at her lips.


    "You can say that."


    At this point, Eva looked at him mockingly.


    "You can''t even differentiate who saved you."


    Adrian felt guilty at her words. "I''m sorry, I wasn''t aware at that time... If I..."


    He had been deceived for so many years, tolerating her time and time again, even putting her before Eva.


    "Forget it." Eva turned around, "It has been so many years. If I hadn''t remembered, everyone would still think she saved you."


    Watching her back, Adrian pressed his lips together.


    "You can rest assured. I won''t let your credit be taken by someone else for no reason."


    Eva sneered. "What''s the use of saying all this now? Everyone believes that she saved you. It has been so many years. Are you going to go out there and say that it was me and not her who saved you? Do you have any evidence?" "No."


    "Well then..."


    Adrian suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to face him.


    "Regarding evidence, as long as I want it, it exists."


    Eva was stunned, "What?"


    Adrian calmly spoke, "Initially, I just wanted to distance myself from her, considering that she saved me. But now that she didn''t save me, it''s not just a matter of distancing myself anymore."


    Eva stared at him intently.


    After a moment, she turned her head, "What does this have to do with me?"


    "Eva." In the dimly lit foyer, Adrian''s voice softly called out to her. "I will find evidence, and tomorrow I will bring both families together topletely cut ties with her. After that, can you give me a chance to court you again?" As he spoke, Adrian began to lean closer to her.


    Seeing him about to get close again, Eva promptly pushed his hand away and stepped back a few steps to maintain her distance.


    Her panic made Adrian chuckle softly, a pleasant sound.


    "Since you can''t give an answer now, would you give me a chance to pursue you again once I resolve this?"


    "Once it is resolved,e and ask again."


    Eva remained silent, and they stood quietly for a while. Suddenly, Adrian looked at her and said, "I have to go."


    Eva didn''t find it strange. He had been here for a while, and it waste at night. He really needed to leave.


    "Oh, okay." she replied, with her hands in her pockets, intending to give him a cold farewell.


    "Before I leave, can I have a hug?"


    Eva was about to refuse, but Adrian took a step forward and embraced her before she could stop him. With her hands still in her pockets, she found herself in his embrace. The scent of masculinity engulfed her in an instant.


    The strength andfort of his embrace almost consumed her whole person.


    It was not a kiss or anything else, just a simple hug, but Eva''s face blushed.


    She could feel Adrian''s warm body temperature through the fabric of their clothes.


    Slowly, she didn''t resist his embrace anymore and let Adrian hold her.


    Time passed slowly.


    Initially, Adrian just wanted a hug to ease his longing.


    But today, he managed to kiss her and now he was able to hug her too.


    Since he didn''t get to kiss her much before being pushed away, Adrian wanted to hug her again before leaving. Surely she wouldn''t refuse him this, right?


    Unexpectedly, the more he hugged her, the less he wanted to let go. He wished to stay here with her.


    With this in mind, Adrian held her tighter, burying his head in her neck, greedily savoring her scent.


    Thinking about what he had to do tomorrow, Adrian reluctantly released her.


    "When Ie back, we can talk some more. If there''s anything more you think of or need, call me."


    Eva kept her head low, not wanting him to see her blushing face, and spoke with a cold tone, "Off you go, quickly."


    Her response made Adrian''s eyes dim, but he still curled up his lips and said, "Wait for good news from me."

 Chapter 372 I Also Saved Your Life

    After Adrian left, Eva stood at the entrance, calming her breathing and emotions. For a long time, she lifted her hand and touched her cheek.


    It was still warm, even though it was just a hug.


    She hadn''t expected Adrian to not question her, but instead believe what she said.


    Did this mean that all along, his heart leaned more towards her?


    "Mummy?"


    Suddenly, a small voice came from behind.


    Eva was startled and turned around to find Dn standing there, looking at her.


    Seeing him, Eva was taken aback.


    "Dn, why are you awake?"


    Wasn''t he already asleep?


    Avoiding eye contact, Eva wondered how long he had been standing here and if he saw anything just now.


    As she thought about it, she walked over to Dn and crouched in front of him, picking him up. "You shouldn''t be walking around without wearing an extrayer." "What should I do if I catch a cold?"


    After being picked up, Dn hugged Eva''s neck with his little arms.


    Eva asked a bit nervously, "When did youe out of your room?"


    "I happened to see Uncle NightA."


    He actually saw us.


    Eva smiled awkwardly, but then she thought, well, if he saw us, he saw us. After all, he had seen Adrian around a lot before.


    She reached out and touched Dn''s head, deciding not to mention it unless he mentioned it.


    But Dn asked, "Is Mommy really going to be with Uncle NightA?"


    Upon hearing that, Eva hesitated and thought of what Ruby said in the morning. She sighed and said, "It''s hard to say. If there''s a definite answer, I''ll let you and Ruby know as soon as possible, okay?" Dn nodded obediently.


    Eva took him back to his room, tucked him in, and let him sleep.


    At the hospital, Vivian finally fell asleep in a daze. Originally, Mrs. Morrison was supposed to be watching over her, but Adrian never showed up. Later, Mrs. Morrison got tired and went straight back home, leaving the household staff to take care of Vivian.


    After the staff arrived, Vivian ridiculed them several times. Even when they wanted to bring her water, she rebuffed them with a single sentence.


    In the end, the staff were so scared that they didn''t dare to approach, shrinking into a corner, waiting for Vivian to call them when she needed something.


    Only when Vivian fell asleep did the staff dared toe out of the corner, relieved.


    However, Vivian''s sleep was restless. She dreamed that her scheme of taking credit had been exposed. She fell from the clouds and instantly turned into a despised mouse.


    Everyone med her for stealing credit and bothering Adrian for such a long time. Then she had no chance, and the Morrison family, without the protection of the ckwood family, quickly declined and became enemies of the ckwood family.


    Vivian woke up with a fright.


    When she woke up, the room was quiet, with no one in sight.


    Even the maid her mother called to take care of her was not there.


    In an instant, Vivian''s anger red up.


    "Alice! You wretch! Why aren''t you in here? Weren''t you supposed toe and take care of me? Are you cking off now?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, Alice walked in.


    "Miss, I..."


    Vivian grabbed something from the table and threw it at her, "Where were you?"


    "Ah!"


    Alice quickly dodged to the side. Just as she was about to exin, someone walked in from outside the door.


    Seeing the person, Vivian''s face changed.


    "Adrian..."


    Could it really be him?


    Vivian thought she was having a hallucination, but she didn''t expect him toe here while she was throwing a fit. She felt extremely embarrassed, because in front of him, she had always been gentle and graceful, never like now, acting like a shrew. Vivian panicked and pulled back the covers, getting out of bed.


    "Adrian, why are you here?"


    She had tears in her eyes by the time she finished speaking and rushed into Adrian''s arms, crying.


    "I thought you didn''t want anything to do with me anymore."


    Adrian''s gaze shifted downward, looking at her wrists. "Why did you have such a big fit?"


    Hearing his question, Vivian hurriedly exined, "I... I thought you were ignoring me, so I was in a bad mood. I''m sorry... I didn''t mean to. Alice, are you okay?"


    Alice nodded her head, disgusted by Vivian''s two-faced nature, and slowly backed away. "I''ll leave you two alone to talk." She said as she quickly left and closed the door to the hospital room behind her.


    Vivian had no idea what time it was, but it must have been veryte. She never expected Adrian toe see her at this hour.


    "Adrian, are you still angry at me? I can exin what happenedst night. Don''t listen to the rumors. I never had anything with that Benjamin person."


    In response, Adrian''s lips slowly curled up, but he didn''t directly answer the question. Instead, he avoided Vivian and sat down on the chair inside the room.


    Feeling his coldness, Vivian immediately became anxious and turned around to speak with him.


    "Do you not believe me?"


    Adrian calmly poured a ss of water, still not responding.


    Vivian had no choice but to sit in front of him. "Where were youst night?"


    As she spoke, Vivian bit her lip. "Did you go see Eva? I know... I know you still can''t forget her. But she hurt you five years ago, even if there''s something between you two again, she''ll just leave you like she did five years ago. But I''m not like her, Adrian. My heart only belongs to you. I won''t abandon you, and I even saved your life."


    Vivian plucked up her courage. "Can''t you believe me, just for the fact that I saved your life? I almost lost my own life trying to save you. It was so cold that night, and my hand got injured, yet you..."


    "Yes, it was so cold." Adrian interjected, finally breaking his silence after hearing her words. "The person who came down to save me must have been freezing too. After pulling me ashore, you probably didn''t have any strength left, right?" "Yes." Vivian nodded vigorously, desperate to gain his sympathy, Vivian earnestly replied, "When I saved you, I had truly exhausted all of my strength."


    "I see." Adrian raised an eyebrow, his cold gaze piercing through her.


    The words he said made her think that he wanted to take advantage of the situation and marry her, so when he asked her, she didn''t consider the implications of his words and simply nodded. Seeing her admission, Adrian raised an eyebrow.


    "I''m really curious now. Since you were out of strength, how did you manage to get me ashore?" Adrian had reassessed the situation after Eva rified things earlier, and something didn''t add up.


    After they both fell into the river that day, he, as a strong male, fell ill, let alone how a girl would cope. If Vivian really went down to save him and got hurt, she would have fallen seriously ill. After all, the river water was bitterly cold, especially in that kind of weather.

 Chapter 373 Was I deceived by her or by you?

    Vivian was caught off guard by his question and stood there in a daze, looking at him.


    It took her a while to realize what he meant.


    Could it be that Adrian already knew she had falsely imed credit for saving him?


    No, that couldn''t be possible.


    When he was saved, he was unconscious, and Eva had lost her memory of that incident. He couldn''t have known about this, unless Eva regained her memory.


    But it had been so many years already, if Eva had indeed regained her memory, why didn''t shee to confront her sooner? She would have immediately notified the whole world that she had saved Adrian, right?


    Aftering to this conclusion, Vivian thought that maybe she was just being oversensitive and suspicious because of the dream she had. Adrian''s questions now were actually a good opportunity for her. She just needed to paint herself as more miserable, and he would surely feel pity for her.


    Then, she could take the opportunity to ask him to marry her.


    If that didn''t work, she could even use the threat of taking her life to force him. After all, they were in a hospital, and if something happened, the medical staff would be able to save her in time. She would be fine.


    So, Vivian quickly made up her mind. As long as she portrayed herself as pitiful enough, Adrian would definitely remember her saving his life.


    Once he was entangled in this matter once more, she could use it to her advantage and ask him to marry her.


    With this in mind, Vivian started making up a story right in front of Adrian.


    "At that time, I was actually about to lose all my strength, but it was because the desire to save you was so strong. I didn''t want us to die in the river together. If we died in the river, we would have had no chance for anything in the future. It was this feeling that pushed me to get you ashore."


    After hearing her ount, Adrian''s expression remained indifferent, as if her description of the events didn''t affect him.


    "Then, how did you get ashore afterwards?"


    "After I helped you onto the shore, I climbed up myself." Vivian hadn''t actually gone into the river or experienced what happened back then, but after imagining it, she described the process.


    After Eva saved Adrian, she must have climbed up by herself.


    Vivian continued as requested. Adrian tugged at his lips and asked, "So, let me get this straight. You''re saying that after rescuing me when you were already weak, you managed to get yourself out of the water as well." Vivian didn''t think much of his words and nodded.


    But in the next moment, Adrian coldly stated, "You''re lying."


    Hearing this, Vivian''s face changed, and she asked, "What? Did I... did I lie? Don''t you trust me?"


    "How could you have gotten me out of the water all by yourself in such a critical situation?" Adrian questioned.


    "I... I put in a lot of effort to get you out. Is there a problem?" Vivian replied.


    Adrian immediately seized her hand and said, "If you really put in that much effort to save me, then why isn''t your arm injured from the friction against the shore? You hurt your wrist, not your arm."


    To make her rescue appear more authentic, Vivian had used a stone to cut her own wrist.


    Adrian sneered, "The injury on your wrist was caused by a stone, right? Not too stupid of you to create a wound yourself."


    Vivian widened her eyes and asked, "I... did someone else tell you something false?"


    Adrian smirked and didn''t answer her directly, saying instead, "What do you think?"


    This response made Vivian truly panic. She initially thought he had asked about the incident because he wanted to hear her ount of what happened, but now... The thought of him knowing the truth filled her with fear about what her fate would be.


    Vivian immediately became agitated, speaking incoherently, "Adrian, I really did save you. Don''t believe what Eva is saying. She just wants your sympathy and wishes for you to leave me."


    In her words, Adrian finally obtained the crucial piece of information he wanted.


    He narrowed his eyes dangerously and spoke in an extremely cold voice, "Did I mention anyone had said anything?"


    Vivian waspletely stunned.


    "There were more than just you and me at the shore at that time. Why would you think Eva said something? If she wasn''t present, does it matter what she said?" Adrian''s tone suddenly became sharp. "Or is it that there was a third person present at the scene?"


    "No! There wasn''t!" Vivian frantically shook her head, avoiding Adrian''s gaze. "I don''t know what you''re talking about, but it was just the two of us there. I was the one who saved you."


    "As for why I mentioned Eva, it''s because you went to see herst night, right? Yes, it''s true. You went to see herst night, didn''t you? That''s why your attitude towards me changed when you came back today. Adrian, I drugged you in a despicable mannerst night, but it was because I was afraid of losing you to Eva. I made a desperate choice, but you can''t deny that I saved you back then because of this recent incident."


    "Adrian, don''t be fooled by Eva. She must be tricking you because of what happenedst night. She is trying to frame me, right?"


    She desperately tried to approach Adrian, but he stood up and kept his distance from her. Adrian''s cold and apathetic expression made Vivian realize that he didn''t want to hear anything more from her. She was left standing there, motionless. His demeanor reminded her of when he questioned her about the text messages.


    Vivian couldn''t believe that she had fallen for his deception, even though she had already been fooled by him before.


    She shouldn''t have mentioned Eva. She felt foolish.


    Little did she know what woulde next. Adrian dropped a bombshell sentence at that moment.


    "Stop pretending. She regained her memory."


    What?


    Regained her memory?


    Who regained their memory? Eva?


    Vivian''s eyes widened and she was momentarily unable to react.


    Adrian took two steps forward, his gaze as cold as frost.


    "Stealing credit earned by someone else saving my life, deceiving me for over a decade. Vivian, is there anyone more despicable than you in this world?"


    "No, I didn''t do it. Eva is deceiving you."


    Adrian''s voice turned harsh, "Did she deceive me, or did you deceive me?"


    Vivian stood still, looking at him for a long time before suddenly bursting intoughter.


    "Yes, there were indeed more than just the two of us by the riverside that day. But, so what? So what if Eva was there? It was me who tirelessly rescued you from the river. Just because she was there, does it mean that she saved you?" Adrian said, "So you finally admit it."


    "What do I have to fear? After all these years, how could she suddenly regain her memory? Didn''t you find anything suspicious about what she said? Or do you believe everything she says? If that''s the case, why did youe looking for me?"

 Chapter 374 Transferring Ownership

    Earlier, Vivian was a little panicked.


    But now she had regained herposure. Adrian was trying to deceive her tonight.


    But as long as she held her ground and didn''t give in, no one could do anything to her or prove that she was lying.


    With this in mind, Vivian looked at Adrian and said, "You''re just ungrateful and want toe here to deceive me for evidence, to appease Eva, right? Adrian, let me tell you, I won''t give in to your wishes. You''re the one I risked my life to save. Back then, I almost drowned in the river trying to save you. As for Eva, it''s none of my concern what happens to her, but I won''t let anyone take credit for my achievements. If you want to be ungrateful, fine, but don''t expect to threaten or manipte me into getting evidence."


    After speaking, Vivian turned around and sat down by the bedside, took off her shoes, and got on the bed.


    "For these past dozen years, I have been the one who saved you. When everyone came, they only saw us, there was no Eva. Why should her im be considered true just because she said she saved you? If you don''t want to acknowledge me as your lifesaver, then present evidence that I didn''t save you."


    Unexpectedly, she realized that she had no proof. She had actually figured it out.


    Adrian sneered inwardly, just like before, she''s not too dumb after all.


    He walked up to her with long strides, towering over her.


    "Vivian, did you think that without evidence, I couldn''t do anything to you?"


    Without evidence, what could he do?


    She looked up at Adrian and met his gaze.


    "You have no evidence to prove that I am not your lifesaver, so I am. I won''t ept the nder about Eva. You can believe her and let the whole ckwood family be condemned."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian suddenlyughed, a cold and icyughter that pierced Vivian''s heart and made her feel uneasy.


    "Do you think I trusted you in the past because I didn''t want the ckwood family''s reputation to be tarnished? Do I care about others'' opinions?"


    Adrian''s eyes were as deep as the sea, calm at the moment, but the sea is also the most ruthless.


    She suddenly realized that Adrian was just like this.


    Why would he care about the reputation of the ckwood family?


    It was only because the entire family believed she was their lifesaver, and he helped her because of who she was, not because he feared others'' opinions about the ckwood family. Both Mr. and Mrs. ckwood were like this, and Adrian even more so.


    "You''re wrong."


    Vivian''s expression changed. "I..."


    Unfortunately, before she could say another word, Adrian had already turned to leave her hospital room.


    Watching him about to leave, Vivian panicked and frantically tried to stop him, "Adrian, Adrian, where are you going? Don''t treat me like this, Adrian..."


    Unfortunately, no matter how she called out to him, even when she jumped off the bed and fell on the cold floor, Adrian didn''t stop because of her actions.


    He wouldn''t treat her like the way he used to, as his savior, with care.


    "Miss Morrison." Alice, who had been hiding outside, saw Adrian leaving with a cold face. She saw when Vivian caught up to him, that she wanted to follow, but ended up falling on the ground. Alice hurriedly tried to help her up. However, as soon as she touched Vivian, Vivian forcefully pushed her hand away.


    "Get away from me. Don''t touch me."


    Alice felt resentment in her heart and bit her lip tightly.


    If Adrian didn''t want her, what right did she have to act so arrogantly?


    Late that night, Sandra received a call and rushed over. Her interrupted sweet dreams clearly put her in a bad mood. She looked at the disheveled Vivian in front of her and questioned Alice beside her. "What on earth happened?"


    Alice briefly mentioned what she knew.


    "What? Adrian was here?" Sandra''s eyes lit up with joy, and she quickly grabbed Vivian''s hand. "Vivian, why didn''t you tell me that Adrian was here? He came to see you?"


    Unfortunately, Vivian''s eyes were filled with hopelessness, and she looked like she had been defeated. Sandra called her several times, but she didn''t respond.


    "Vivian? Say something!"


    Sandra found her behavior annoying.


    Only then did Vivian raise her head, teary-eyed, and looked at her.


    "Mom, he knows, he knows. He won''t let me go without consequences, and he won''t spare the entire Morrison family."


    Sandra furrowed her brows in confusion.


    "What does he know? Exin everything clearly."


    "It''s Eva, it''s Eva. She regained her memory, and she told Adrian the truth. Now Adrian knows I''m not the one who saved him. He wille after me, and then he will definitelye after our family. Mom, what should we do?" Although Vivian''s words were a bit incoherent and some of her words were unclear, Sandra quickly understood what she was saying.


    After organizing her thoughts, Sandra''s face drastically changed.


    She held Vivian''s shoulders and looked at her in disbelief.


    "Vivian, what do you mean by this? Didn''t you save him from the river back then?"


    Vivian hadn''t told anyone about this secret.


    Because in the past, she firmly believed that she was the most trustworthy person to keep this information.


    So, other than herself, even her family didn''t know that she had taken credit for Eva''s actions.


    If Adrian hadn''t found out, she had nned never to reveal it.


    But now the situation was different. Adrian knew, and with his ruthless personality, she had to quickly inform her family so they coulde up with a solution.


    "Mom, we have to transfer our assets immediately, otherwise the Morrison family will be ruined."


    If the Morrison family fell, she would fall with it.


    She regretted it.


    She truly regretted it.


    At this moment, Vivian deeply regretted it. She should have stopped earlier.


    If she had stopped earlier, although she couldn''t be with Adrian, she would still have the reputation of saving him. Wherever she went, people would hesitate to bully her because of that title. She could have had any man she wanted, and the Morrison family would always be by her side.


    But now... it was all over.


    Would people curse him, given his reputation?


    No, they wouldn''t. The ambitious humans don''t think Adrian has done anything wrong. They only believe that the ckwood family has been more than generous to the Morrison family all these years. They might even trust Adrian''s words, considering how he has always been amodating to them. If Adrian suddenly turned against them, there must be a reason behind it.


    "Mom, I was wrong. We have to quickly transfer our assets. Hurry!"


    Sandra was shocked by her daughter''s words. Before she could react, she rushed to the balcony to phone her husband.


    Unfortunately, it waste at night and her husband was fast asleep. He never answered her call.


    Feeling frustrated, Sandra returned inside and pped Vivian, who was in a daze.


    "I never expected you to deceive even your own parents!"


    After saying this, Sandra left the hospital, leaving behind a bewildered Vivian and an even more dumbfounded Alice.

 Chapter 375 No Intention to Collaborate with Fools

    After Sandra left, Vivian copsed back on the hospital bed, holding her stinging cheek and crying in pain. Not only did Sandra hit her, but she also wanted to hit herself.


    Only now did she truly realize that she should have stopped earlier.


    But it seemed toote for everything.


    Was there anyone who could help her?


    Perhaps, there might be someone who could.


    Thinking of a certain person, Vivian abruptly got off the bed. "Alice, quickly, take me to find a taxi."


    Tonight was exceptionally busy for Adrian.


    On the quiet terrace, David poured a cup of hot tea for Michael. The steam rose from the cup in the cold air. Vivian stood opposite him, with Alice supporting her by the side. She had been standing for a long time, and Michael still hadn''t asked her to take a seat.


    Even David beside him had only poured a cup of hot tea for Michael.


    She had rushed out in a hurry, still wearing a patient''s gown. There were wounds on her wrist from the fake suicide attempt, and the only warm coat she had was borrowed from Alice. But despite all that, she was still shivering from the cold.


    Naturally, she longed for that cup of hot tea. If she could drink it now, it might dispel the coldness from her body.


    Unfortunately, Vivian could only stare at the cup of hot tea for a long time. Michael''s expression remained calm and indifferent, devoid of his usual gentle demeanor.


    When he drank the tea, he still looked gentle. He blew on it, then slowly took a sip.


    A gust of cold wind blew, causing Vivian and Alice to shiver.


    Vivian was shivering with cold and couldn''t hold on any longer.


    She could only take the initiative and ask, "Michael... What do you think about what I told you?"


    Hearing her voice, Michael finally raised his head and nced at her before setting down his cup and speaking slowly.


    "I''m sorry, Miss Morrison, I have no intention of working with an idiot."


    David, standing beside them, couldn''t help but nce at Michael.


    This was the Michael he was familiar with.


    The Michael of the past five years, perhaps, was going to disappear after Ms. Hansen left.


    After hearing his words, Vivian''s face turned pale, and her lips trembled lightly.


    "What... did you say?"


    Though his tone sounded gentle, the words he uttered were like a sharp de.


    She had initially thought he wanted to see her and most likely wanted to cooperate, but she didn''t expect such a harsh response from him.


    "Not only do you have no chips to y with, but you''ve also turned a good hand into this current situation. Miss Morrison, please tell me why I should cooperate with you. Or do I appear to be a phnthropist?"


    After finishing these words, Michael seemed to consider her worthless and said to David by his side, "Please ask Miss Morrison to leave."


    David stepped forward, about to ask Vivian to leave, but Vivian suddenly shook off Alice''s hand and shouted, "No, I''m not leaving, Michael. Don''t you like Eva? We can make a deal!"


    "Oh?" Michael smiled faintly. "What do you think you have to offer me for a deal? After such a thing happened, you are nothing in Adrian''s eyes. Besides, liking her is my own business."


    A chilly smile crept onto his lips. "Don''t even think about joking or taking advantage of my feelings for her. Have you ever considered if you''re even worthy?"


    Finally, his cold expression made Vivian inexplicably shrink back, feeling that Michael didn''t appear as gentle as usual. He seemed like a sober madman.


    If it were any other time, she would probably turn around and leave.


    Unfortunately, Vivian had nothing now. She took a few steps forward, biting her lip, and said, "What do you mean by joking about your feelings? Don''t tell me you think your feelings for her are genuine. Are you really okay with her being in another man''s arms?"


    Michael looked at David. "Take her outside."


    "Michael, Eva is about to be with Adrian. Are you really going to let them be? I know you''ve been with Eva for the past five years, you''ve protected her for five years. Are you really not interested in being with her? Are you really willing to let her be taken away like this today?"


    Vivian yelled like a madwoman, barely able to catch her breath. She was on the verge of bursting, and the structure of her sentences began to copse.


    The person in front of her remained calm.


    "Have you said enough?" he asked.


    Vivian stood still, bewildered.


    What does this mean? She said so much, and he didn''t even care?


    It didn''t make sense. He had been guarding Eva for so many years because he liked her, right?


    And it was because of Michael''s constant presence by Eva''s side that Vivian felt relieved and stopped checking on her whereabouts, believing that these two would eventually be a couple.


    No woman could resist Michael''s longsting pursuit and waiting, women were easily swayed and generally agreed in the end.


    But she never expected Eva to be more despicable than she had imagined, and Michael to be more patient than she had imagined. The situation had developed to this extent, yet he showed no reaction. "Miss Morrison, let''s go." David said coldly, approaching her while she was lost in thought.


    And looking at Michael''s expression, he truly had no desire to continue conversing with her.


    Before leaving, Vivian couldn''t help but ask, "I don''t understand. If you truly didn''t want to make a deal with me, why did you agree to meet with me?"


    If he really felt she had no value to exploit, he could have easily refused to see her, couldn''t he?


    Why did she have to say so much here for no reason?


    There must be a reason, she just didn''t hit the mark. She couldn''t leave like this.


    But in the next moment, the words that came out of Michael''s thin lips left her utterly disappointed.


    "Don''t read too much into it, I just wanted to see what it looks like to lose to her." he said.


    Hearing this, Vivian widened her eyes and looked at him in disbelief.


    In an instant, a me of anger ignited in her chest, and she clenched her fists.


    She never expected him to y her like this!


    However, soon her emotions shifted, and she became somewhat envious and jealous. She envied how Eva could effortlessly gain a man''s love without having to do anything, not only Adrian''s but also Michael''s. If she could have had either one of them, she wouldn''t have ended up like this today.


    "Miss Morrison, please leave." David approached her once again, this time with a less amodating expression. "If you don''t leave now, I will call security."


    Vivian red at Michael resentfully and threw a remark, "Since that''s the case, I hope you don''t regret it."


    With that said, she turned around and ran outside. As Alice saw this, she wanted to follow, but suddenly something came to mind. Biting her lip, she ran up to Michael and said something. Michael''s previously tranquil face trembled slightly upon hearing her words.

 Chapter 376 You Will Definitely Be Happy

    When Eva woke up, everything around her was peaceful. The sunlight carried a warm feeling, and a gentle breeze brushed against her face.


    After enjoying the breeze for a while, Eva closed the window and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.


    After Adrian leftst night, she thought she might have trouble sleeping because she had remembered things from the past. However, she surprisingly slept well. She thought about a lot of things right before lying down, but then effortlessly fell asleep.


    Just as Eva put the bread into the toaster, she heard the doorbell ring. Eva paused, wondering who it could be at this hour?


    She walked up to the monitor and saw an unexpected figure. A few secondster, she opened the door.


    "Michael, what are you doing here?"


    Michael stood at the doorway, shed her a smile, and spoke softly, "What? I haven''t seen you in so long, are you not happy to see me anymore?"


    "How could that be..." Eva smiled and then turned to let him in.


    Michael walked into the house, discreetly scanning the surroundings, and then, as usual, opened the shoe cab to change his shoes.


    "It''s the weekend today. Do you and the kids need to go out?"


    "The weekend?" Eva had actually forgotten it was indeed the weekend. But it didn''t matter since she and the kids didn''t sleep in, even on weekends, maintaining a good routine.


    Hearing her words, Michael''s movements paused. After a moment, he finished changing his shoes, then looked up at her. "Seems like you''ve been too busy with work to even know it''s the weekend?"


    Eva could only awkwardly smile.


    Since she said those harsh words to himst time, Eva felt a bit ufortable being around him. After all, she had said so many unpleasant things to refuse him. And she thought Michael wouldn''te calling on her anymore. Michael could see her restrained manner at this moment.


    "Although we can''t be lovers anymore, we can still be friends, right?" Michael suddenly asked after standing still.


    Hearing this, Eva snapped back to reality and instinctively nodded her head. "Of course, we can be friends if you want."


    Friends forever?


    Forever...


    Michael slightly pursed his thin lips and looked at her intently. "But what if I say I don''t want to?"


    Eva showed a shocked expression. "What?"


    "What I mean is, if I don''t want to be friends with you, are you nning to treat me as a stranger from now on?"


    A stranger...


    That''s what Eva used to think, as long as he could give up. So, she didn''t mind being a bit heartless. But now... why does he still seem persistent?


    Eva anxiously bit her lower lip. Just then, Michael reached out and ruffled her head, speaking in a cheerful tone.


    "I was just kidding, why are you so nervous? Can''t friends joke around?"


    Hearing his words, Eva looked up at Michael and saw his warm and radiant smile. She couldn''t help but smile along with him.


    If he''s willing to be friends, then that''s great.


    After all, she didn''t want to lose him as a friend unless it was absolutely necessary.


    "So, your friend Michael wants to invite the three of you to go out today. Is that okay?"


    Having the opportunity to return to being friends from an awkward rtionship, Eva certainly wanted to agree, but then she thought about Adrian''s good news that she had been told to wait for today, and hesitated. What if he came looking for her and she wasn''t at home?


    "Not convenient?"


    Seeing her silence and getting lost in her thoughts, the glimmer in Michael''s eyes behind his lenses shed subtly, and his thin lips tightened with displeasure.


    Was she trying to reject him?


    Was he toote?


    After a while, Eva looked up and smiled.


    "There''s no inconvenience. Thank you for still considering me a friend. Of course, I can go."


    Eva thought that Adrian would need some time to sort things out and she would return quickly after taking the kids out to y.


    Even if he came to her house and couldn''t find her, he would call her.


    She could exin it then.


    With this in mind, Eva epted Michael''s invitation.


    Relieved that she had agreed, Michael asked, "What about Dn and Ruby? It''s been a while since Ist saw them. Do those little ones miss me?"


    Since they had restored their friendship, Eva''s mood had lightened considerably. As he asked this, she smiled and said, "Why don''t you ask them yourselfter? It should be quite a surprise."


    In the morning sunlight, Eva''s smile was radiant, and the sparkle in her eyes shone like shattered stardust, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.


    He had wanted to have her since his teenage years.


    But unfortunately, she had never seen him in that way. Later, when he finally thought he had a chance, he hadn''t expected to be rejected despite 5 years of effort.


    Michael''s eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.


    "Okay, I''ll ask themter myself."


    "By the way, where are we going today?" She asked the main question on her mind.


    "Let''s go for a pic. I''ve already had someone set up the tent on the way here."


    Upon hearing this, Eva was taken aback. He had already arranged for the tent even before she epted the invitation. What if she had declined? Wouldn''t it have been all for nothing?


    "Alright. Oh, my father mentioned recently that your family is nning an arranged marriage for you. Is that true?"


    When she mentioned the arranged marriage, Michael''s fingers tightened slightly, but then he smiled and said, "Yes, they are looking for some potential matches for me."


    "And how is it going? Have you found anyone you like?"


    Michael nced at Eva and noticed that when she asked these questions, her tone was light and cheerful, as if she was asking about somethingpletely ordinary, showing no interest in his family''s efforts to find a match for him. Even if she was asking, it was probably just out of friendly interest.


    Just thinking this, Michael felt a hint of relief in his heart.


    The dull ache was slowly numbing, and he tugged at his lips, gently speaking.


    "Not yet, but no rush. They''re going to take it slow, until we find someone I like."


    Eva feltforted by these words. "That''s good. I''m genuinely happy for you. You will definitely meet someone you like, and you''ll be happy in the future."


    Hearing this, Michael turned his head to look at the fair cheek and delicate profile of the woman. He gazed at her fixedly for a while before saying, "Yes, I will definitely meet someone I like, and I will be happy."


    But happiness is something one needs to strive for, for oneself.


    Seeing her take out the freshly baked bread and pour a couple of sses of milk, she asked, "Would you like to have something to eat with us?"


    "Sure."


    "By the way, we don''t have many ingredients at home for a pic. How aboutter..."


    "It''s okay. I''ve already made all the preparations in advance. No need to prepare anything, we just need to go out."


    Eva found it a little strange to hear that he had already prepared everything.


    "Well then, I won''t prepare anything."


    "I''ll go check on Dn and Ruby." Michael said, then quickly went into the room.

 Chapter 377 Waking up

    Although Michael said there was no need to prepare anything, Eva still opened the refrigerator and quickly gathered all the ingredients she could find. She also collected the items the children would need. When she was halfway through preparing, Michael came over and saw her packing what they needed. He immediately said, "No need to bring so much. We can buy things over there when we get there." "If we''re going for a pic, it''s not convenient to buy things. It''s better to bring our own, and we already have things at home. Bringing more back will just take up space."


    Eva stuffed everything into the bag all at once.


    Michael watched by the side and couldn''t help but tease, "Then why not bring your own cosmetics and personal items? You can touch up your makeup if needed during the trip."


    "No need for that. We''re going for a pic, not a trip."


    She was natural. Ever since having children, she rarely wore makeup in situations involving them, as the two little ones would always give her face kisses.


    She was afraid that her makeup would be smudged if the two little ones kissed her, so she tried to avoid wearing it as much as possible.


    That''s why they say being a mother is difficult, isn''t it?


    Michael didn''t say anything more and quietly helped her pack up.


    The two little ones hadn''t seen Michael for a long time, so they were particrly excited when they saw him. During breakfast, Ruby even climbed onto Michael''sp and said while drinking milk, "Uncle Michael, you haven''te to see me for a long time. Do you not like me anymore?"


    Michael''s palm gently patted the back of her head.


    "I''m here now, right? In the future, I''ll see you and Dn regrly."


    "Really? Uncle Michael, don''t lie to me."


    "Of course not."


    "No."


    Eva couldn''t help butugh and say, "You two are so childish."


    After having a casual breakfast, Eva went back to the kitchen to continue her chores. In the meantime, Michael went once more and told her to stop preparing, but Eva insisted, "I''ve already started, just wait for me to finish." Michael leaned against the door and nced at his wristwatch, a hint of impatience flickering in his eyes. However, it quickly disappeared after a moment. They still had enough time; he didn''t need to be in such a rush. When Eva finished packing everything into bags and they were ready to go, she decided to send Adrian a message, letting him know they were going out for a pic. If he wanted to find her, he coulde in the evening. She had already prepared the message content, but when she thought about sending it, she felt she mighte across as being too eager. He hadn''t shown enough sincerity to her yet, so why should she be so proactive? After giving it some thought, Eva deleted the entire message and followed Michael and the children out.


    Michael carried all their things in his hands, and when they reached the bottom of the stairs, David was waiting by the car. Upon seeing them, he smiled genuinely and said, "Ms. Hansen, it''s been a while. I thought you didn''t want toe out today."


    David opened the car door for them, and before Eva got in, she asked, "Why did Michael change the car?"


    Hearing this, David''s eyes seemed to dodge a bit, "The previous car had some mechanical issues recently, so we got a new one. Get in quickly, Ms. Hansen, or we''ll bete." "Okay." After getting in the car, Ruby and Dn both squeezed in next to her.


    It didn''t take long before Michael also got in.


    Before the car started moving, Eva nced outside and saw David standing a distance away, talking on the phone with a serious expression.


    Unable to resist her curiosity, she asked, "Is there something important he needs to take care of? David seems very serious."


    "It''s nothing. We can leave as soon as he''s done with the call."


    As soon as Michael finished speaking, David hung up the phone and got into the car. Eva didn''t say anything more.


    When the car had been on the road for less than ten minutes, the two little ones next to her couldn''t sit still. They were rubbing their eyes, looking drowsy. "Mummy, I am so sleepy..."


    Eva lowered her gaze and pinched Ruby''s smooth little cheek. "Lazy pig, didn''t you just wake up? How are you already sleepy?"


    Ruby shook her head, indicating that she didn''t know. Eva couldn''t help but melt as she watched her. She patted her own thigh and said, "Then go to sleep." "Thank you, Mommy."


    At that moment, Michael reached out and carried Ruby over to his side. "These two little ones get sleepy as soon as they get in the car. Dn might fall asleep tooter. I''ll hold Ruby." Eva nced at Dn, who looked drowsy, and thought it made sense. She nodded. "Alright."


    And as soon as Ruby was in Michael''s arms, she quickly fell asleep, feeling peaceful and secure.


    A few minutes went by, and she even started snoring softly.


    Seeing her like this, Eva couldn''t help but think to herself: What a carefree little person.


    Being pinpointed by Michael, within a few minutes, Dn also dered himself tired and fell asleep on Eva''sp. Eva felt that these two little ones were rather strange today.


    "It is strange. Did these two little ones not sleep wellst night? Why are they all so sleepy today?"


    "Children doze off during car rides, it''s normal," Michael replied gently.


    "But Ruby and Dn usually take a while before they get sleepy in the car. Today, they got tired very quickly."


    She felt a bit uneasy, but she didn''t dwell on it. She could only guess that they must not have slept wellst night, which made them so exhausted today.


    Most likely they had woken up secretly after she left their room and didn''t sleep properly.


    "Is sleeping not good?" Michael reached out tob Ruby''s hair, pulling out a nket from the back to cover her. "Just sleep on the ride, and when you wake up, we''ll be there." "Well, maybe you''re right."


    David handed a nket to Eva from behind.


    "Ms. Hansen, you should cover yourself too. It gets quite chilly sitting here for a long time."


    Since Dn was asleep in her arms, Eva didn''t refuse and quickly epted the nket for herself and Dn.


    The car continued to move forward, and Eva looked at the scenery outside the window. Unable to resist, she let out a yawn. She didn''t know if it was because of the children''s influence, but she felt her eyelids getting heavy. But she still stayed awake, forcing herself to ask, "Where are we going for the pic?"


    No response.


    Eva turned her head to look at Michael and found him holding Ruby, leaning against the seat with his eyes closed, resting.


    Even he fell asleep too?


    Then he probably didn''t hear what she just said, otherwise he wouldn''t have ignored her.


    Should she also take a nap?


    Eva leaned back in her seat, without even having time to think about anything else, and fell into a deep sleep.


    Unaware of what transpired after she fell asleep, Eva didn''t notice that Michael, who had closed his eyes, suddenly opened them.


    In his pitch-ck pupils, there was no trace of fatigue, only alertness.


    "David."


    His voice was cold, and David immediately reached over to take Ruby from his arms.


    Michael held Dn in his own arms, quietly watching Eva as she fell into a deep sleep. His fingertip slowly moved up, finally resting on her cheek.

 Chapter 378 A Kiss

    Michael''s fingertip was warm, while Eva''s cheek felt slightly cool, with fair and delicate skin. The touch was pleasant.


    David just watched silently as Michael''s fingertip lingered tenderly on Eva''s face, brushing over her eyes, her nose, and finallynding on her rosy lips.


    David suddenly moved his gaze away in a panic, no longer daring to look around. Michael''s fingertips rested on her lips. The soft touch on his fingertips felt like freshly made jelly from a top chef. Although he had never touched it, he knew this is what it would feel like.


    Since his teenage years, his wish had been to possess her. He had hoped that she could see him as more in her eyes, so he always did things in front of her that would attract her attention, even if it made her angry. He did it without hesitation. As a result, for a long period of time, she despised him, always turning away when she caught sight of him. Although he was disheartened for a while, he didn''t regret it because he became the person she cared about most, aside from Adrian. Rather than beingpletely indifferent to him, he would rather she loathed him and kept him in her heart, which would leave a deeper impression. And he indeed seeded. Later on, Adrian and Vivian ended up in that situation, where Vivian saved Adrian''s life. With Michael''s urging, Adrian eventually mistook this gratitude as a different kind of affection.


    On the night she came of age, he knew she was hiding behind the tree because he saw the familiar hem of her dress. But she didn''t dare toe out, so he deliberately provoked Adrian to say those words. This would probably make her give up.


    His family faced unexpected changes, and he had to leave for a long period of time. He couldn''t have predicted what would happen back home, but Vivian had Adrian''s promise, and Eva knew about it. Even if several years passed, by the time he resolved the problems with his family, there shouldn''t be any development between the two of them.


    However, he had never expected the Hansen family to face a crisis, causing a rapid transformation in their rtionship. By the time he found out, everything had already settled.


    But Michael didn''t give up. Fortunately, he still had unfinished business abroad. Eventually, he found an opportunity to take her away from Adrian. Vivian truly was a useful chess piece. Unfortunately, this chess piece was too foolish, and now, it had turned into a worthless piece.


    Most importantly, the person who saved Adrian initially was not Vivian but Eva.


    So... what significance does Vivian still hold?


    Before, Michael thought he could just sit back and watch. After all, there was a high probability that Adrian would return to Vivian due to his debt of gratitude. But now?


    His life wasn''t saved by Vivian but by Eva.


    Thinking about it, it made sense. He was saved, and Eva fell into the water, which led to a severe illness. Afterwards, she didn''t remember anything.


    In the midst of her amnesia, Vivian imed credit for saving him.


    With these thoughts, Michael sneered inwardly.


    So now, the tables had turned.


    How exactly did the truthe to light? Was it Vivian''s own foolishness or did Eva herself remember?


    Lost in thought, Michael''s hand, which had fallen on her lips, slowly moved downward to cover her with the nket, and he leaned down to nt a kiss on her fair forehead. "Don''t me me, Eva."


    As he sat back in his seat, Michael''s face regained its coldness.


    David handed Ruby back to Michael, saying, "Mr. Cooper."


    Michael carefully took Ruby and adjusted her position, making sure both little ones slept peacefully, while asking, "How much longer until we arrive?"


    "About twenty minutes or so. A helicopter will pick us up at the destination, and the whole journey willst a little over an hour."


    At this point, David hesitated and nced at Eva and the others.


    "Do you think they will wake up during the trip?"


    Michael responded indifferently, "They probably won''t. Even if they do, it won''t change anything."


    David looked at Eva, hesitated, and said, "Mr. Cooper, everything for the pic is actually prepared."


    "Hmm." Michael replied casually, without much reaction.


    "What I mean is, we can still make it in time if we hurry over. When they wake up, they will probably just think they were too tired and fell asleep, without suspecting anything." Finally, Michael turned to look at him.


    "David, what are you trying to say?"


    David sighed and said, "Mr. Cooper, I''m afraid you''ll regret it. In Ms. Hansen''s eyes and heart, you have always supported and helped her, with a status akin to an older brother, a reliable and trustworthy person. If she finds out, she will definitely despise you."


    "So what?" Michael mocked, curling his lip. "Letting her be with other men, that''s what I truly regret."


    Having reached this point, David understood exactly what he meant. It seemed that he had truly made up his mind, and any further attempt at persuasion would be useless.


    David could only sigh inwardly and remain silent.


    He knew that this trip would certainly not be pleasant, and even the rtionships Michael had built with Eva little by little would begin to crack.


    But clearly, Michael no longer cared about the current development of the situation.


    If he had known earlier how things would turn out when Eva wanted to return to her home country, he would have strongly opposed it. Things wouldn''t have escted to the current situation. At least abroad, there would be no one else by Eva''s side.


    It was as if she had just woken up from a very long dream.


    But in the dream, there was only endless darkness, without any color. Eva regained a bit of consciousness, her eyes still closed, and felt a sense of weightlessness, as if her eardrums were filled with water.


    With a forceful effort, she suddenly opened her eyes.


    Eva looked out the window and saw the blue sky and white clouds. In her daze, Eva initially thought she was still dreaming until she slowly woke up and realized where she was. What happened? Why was she on a ne? Where were Dn and Ruby? Eva suddenly sat up but the drowsiness caused by the medication made her fall forward weakly, expecting to hit the ground. However, the anticipated pain did note as a pair of strong hands caught her and pulled her into an embrace. "Did you hurt yourself?" a worried voice came from above. Eva looked up and saw Michael. From panic toposure, she only took ten seconds, and then she stood up and looked at Michael intently. As if realizing something, she calmly asked, "Where are we?" And Michael, seemingly mentally prepared for her impending scolding, responded calmly, "Didn''t you already see for yourself?"

 Chapter 379 Is This How You Show Your Interest in Someone?

    Everything seemed calm. Obviously, he had prepared himself for whatever scolding she might give.


    Eva took a deep breath, trying her best not to get angry as she nced at the altitude of the ne. She couldn''t see the city on the ground anymore, so they must have been flying for a while. "Where are Ruby and Dn?" she asked.


    "They are in the front, being taken care of. Don''t worry." Michael replied.


    "I want to see them." Eva said.


    Michael nodded, "Alright, I''ll take you."


    They both got up, and Michael led her to another cabin where they saw the two little ones awake, eating.


    When they saw Eva approaching, they smiled at her. Obviously, someone had already made arrangements with them, and both of the little ones didn''t seem to have any issues trusting Michael wholeheartedly.


    It was Dn who whispered to her, "Mommy, didn''t you say we were going for a pic? Why did we suddenly get on a ne?"


    Eva smiled and affectionately stroked his head, "We changed our nsst minute. Is the food good?"


    "It''s delicious."


    "Then you two carry on eating. I''ll go chat with Michael at the back ande find youter, okay?" "Okay." Both of the little ones nodded.


    Once Eva had made sure they were safe, she stood up and met Michael''s gaze. She restrained herself from snapping and walked past him expressionlessly. Such a reaction was already within Michael''s expectations. He curved his thin lips and followed her. When they reached the other cabin, Eva stopped and turned her back to Michael.


    "Where is the ne heading?" she asked.


    "Overseas," Michael replied.


    "How much longer until we arrive?"


    Michael didn''t answer. Eva didn''t bother with hisck of response.


    Continuing, she said, following her thoughts, "When I arrive, I will buy return tickets and take the children back to our country. If I can safely return with them to America, I''ll consider today''s events as just a trip."


    She spoke these words with the hope that Michael would turn back no matter what he had intended to do.


    After all, he had truly been good to her in the past, and if possible, she didn''t want to ruin their friendly rtionship.


    Not hearing any response from him after she spoke, Eva turned her head and looked at him seriously, saying, "I can also pretend that nothing has happened."


    Upon hearing this, Michael finally reacted and met Eva''s gaze.


    "But these things have already happened."


    "I told you, I can pretend that nothing has happened."


    Michael smiled, lifting the corner of his lips.


    "Eva, how can one pretend that the things that have already happened, didn''t happen?"


    Eva instinctively frowned, displeased, and said, "Actually, you can still stop now. I don''t want the children to misunderstand your intentions."


    After all, in Ruby and Dn''s eyes, Michael had always been a good uncle. If they were to find out that he wasn''t as good as they had thought... However, the next second, Michael took a step forward, and as his hand reached for her face, Eva stepped back to avoid his touch.


    In that moment, Michael''s hand remained suspended in the air, in an extremely awkward position.


    Eva looked at his frozen hand and was also stunned in ce.


    After a moment, Michael casually withdrew his hand and looked earnestly at her.


    "Eva, I like you, and I don''t want to give up on us. So, pretending that nothing has happened is impossible."


    Eva pursed her lips.


    "Your liking entails taking advantage of our trust in you and forcibly taking us on a ne. Is this how you show your affection for someone?"


    Upon hearing this, there was a hint of sadness in Michael''s eyes.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t want it to be like this either. But Eva, I spent five years, and you still wouldn''t ept me. I had no choice but to resort to this. Don''t me me for this situation."


    There probably wouldn''t be any progress if they continued to argue.


    They were in a ne now, and going crazy wouldn''t help, especially since she wasn''t that kind of person.


    Eva took a deep breath and said, "I don''t know how much longer we have until we reach our destination, but during this time, you can think about it again. If you change your mind and safely take us back home, I can still pretend that nothing untoward has happened."


    After saying this, Eva didn''t say anything else to him and chose a seat to sit down, closing her eyes wearily.


    The effects of the sedatives hadn''tpletely worn off in her body, and she was still exhausted. Closing her eyes made her feel drowsy, but her heart and mind were in turmoil, with Michael''s words upying her thoughts. She also had some regrets. Why did she have to agree to his request to be friends?


    Why did she not send that message to Adrian.


    If she had sent it, then he would have known something was wrong when he received the text, right?


    Eva thought of something, she opened her eyes and reached into her pocket.


    Empty. Her phone was gone.


    She turned her head to Michael, who was still standing where she left him. "Where''s my phone?"


    Michael smiled faintly and sat down beside her.


    "You don''t need a phone while the ne is flying, Eva."


    "I didn''t n on using it. Can you just give it back to me?"


    "Well, I''ll give it back to you once we arrive and get off the ne."


    Upon hearing that he would return her phone, Eva felt a bit skeptical, but there was still time for him to reconsider his actions. She could only hold onto that hope.


    The ne had been flying for a long time, and around noon, the staff pushed a food trolley over to serve lunch. Since it was a private ne, they had their own private chef, and the food was not your average airne meal. Eva, though, had no appetite.


    Michael ced each dish in front of her. "It''s lunchtime, have something to eat."


    Without an appetite, Eva didn''t want to eat at first, but she also wanted to ease the tension between them, so she reluctantly nodded and ate a little.


    "The food on the ne is prepared by a personal chef, but the ingredients may not be very fresh and the taste might not be great. Once we arrive, I''ll have a chef specially take care of your meals and daily living." Upon hearing this, Eva''s movements froze.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean, you don''t have to work anymore. Just focus on taking care of the children. If you want to start apany, I''ll open one for you and give you a position. When you''re interested, you can go to thepany and manage people. If you''re not interested, you can stay at home with the children or do beauty treatments every day. I''ll even hire a beauty team for you at home."


    The more she listened, the more Eva''s brows furrowed.


    Not only did he not understand her intentions and feelings, but he was also thinking about how to confine her in the future?


    Originally, Eva wanted to cooperate to make their rtionship less tense, but now she couldn''t stand it anymore.


    "I''m not eating anymore."

 Chapter 380 I can also hold you when we get off the plane

    Michael nced at her te, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    "Eva, you only had a few bites."


    She remained silent.


    Michael could tell that she was resisting him at the moment.


    His thin lips tightened, and then he thought of something.


    He said, "Alright, I understand. You don''t like the way the chef made it. It''s okay, we''ll eat something delicious after we get off the ne." After saying that, he immediately called someone to remove the tes.


    Later, Michael brought a ss of red wine. "Would you like some?"


    "No, thank you."


    Michael picked up the stemmed ss and drank slowly.


    After finishing, he silently watched Eva, but she didn''t even look at him.


    She closed her eyes and crossed her arms on her chest, pretending to be asleep.


    Michael watched her quietly for a while and eventually sighed.


    Well, when they get there, he will take good care of her.


    With mixed feelings, they finally arrived in Australia.


    There was a time difference between Australia and their home country. It was alreadyte at night there, but it was daytime here.


    "Let''s rest and freshen up at a hotel near the airport first. After you wake up, I''ll take you to the vi," Michael said.


    Everything here had been arranged properly.


    If it wasn''t for considering that Eva hadn''t rested much on the ne, Michael would have taken her directly to the vi.


    Eva remained seated without moving. "After all this time, haven''t you reconsidered?" she asked.


    "Eva, I''ve thought about this decision for a long time." Michael smiled slightly and reached out to hold her arm. "Come on, let''s get off the ne."


    Eva still didn''t budge.


    "Michael, I thought we were friends."


    "Of course." Michael nodded. "From now on, I can still be your friend, and at the same time, the closest person to you."


    Upon hearing this, Eva pushed his hand away. "You''re insane."


    Michael, with his hand pushed away, just nced at his arm and didn''t get angry.


    "Let''s not argue about this right now. Shall we get off the ne?" he suggested.


    "What if I don''t want to?" Eva asked.


    Michael reached up and pushed his gold-framed sses on his face.


    "If you don''t want to move because you''re tired from sitting, I can carry you off the ne. After all, I have plenty of strength. If you still refuse, then I''ll have Dn and Rubye and invite you." he said.


    Eva looked at Michael''s handsome face in front of her. She had to forcibly suppress her anger. If Ruby and Dn were toe here now, they would be able to tell that something was amiss.


    While Eva was contemting her options, Michael took a few steps forward, intending to lift her up.


    This action startled Eva, causing her to hastily step back and avoid Michael''s hand. Michael''s hand froze in mid-air once again.


    The atmosphere became particrly tense.


    After a moment, Michael withdrew his hand.


    "Do you not want me to carry you off the ne?" he asked.


    "No need, I can walk on my own." Eva replied stiffly.


    Eva took two steps forward and coldly said, "Excuse me."


    Michael, still wearing a gentle expression, stepped back a few steps in response, creating a path for her.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Eva walked out, and when she saw him following, she quickened her pace,pletely oblivious to the hint of sadness in Michael''s eyes. After getting off the ne, David was indeed waiting for them with Dn and Ruby. Seeing them, Eva began to calcte in her mind how to escape from here with the two kids. Except for David, there was someone else beside him.


    There were also two middle-aged men, and they seemed to be skilled in martial arts. She realized that she couldn''t run away, even if she was alone, since her phone was still with Michael. And if he brought them here, he probably also found their identification documents. Eva wondered how he managed to do that. Could he have gone into her room while she was cooking? Eva thought about this, feeling frustrated.


    So, as soon as Michael approached her, Eva spoke up, "Where''s my phone?"


    Afraid that he would go back on his word and not give it to her, Eva preemptively added, "You said you would give me my phone when we got off the ne, remember?"


    "Hmm," Michael didn''t break his promise and took out the phone from his pocket, handing it to her.


    When Eva took hold of the phone, she thought it was just her imagination. Did he actually give her her phone back? Could it be because of something she said on the ne? But he only seemed to have listened to a bit of it. However, when Eva restarted the phone, she realized something was not right.


    The SIM card in her phone had been reced. The original card was gone, and now she was using a local SIM card.


    What difference does it make if he returns the phone but changes the SIM card? Eva looked at him speechlessly.


    "Why did you change my SIM card without my permission?" she asked, but she felt foolish after asking the question.


    She had no reason to ask this. He had brought her and her children to a foreign country without her consent, and now he merely changed her SIM card.


    "Your previous SIM card won''t work here." Michael calmly exined, "So, I prepared a new SIM card for you in advance. Use it without worry."


    Eva opened her apps and found that all hermonly used apps had been redownloaded. Her WhatsApp ount was new, and she only had two contacts: Michael and David. Other than that, there was no one else. Even her contacts had been deleted, and her phone seemedpletely reformatted.


    Eva could no longer stay calm. She was about to get angry when suddenly...


    "Mummy?"


    Just then, the two little ones below called out to her anxiously. Eva turned to look at them, their curious eyes forcing her to suppress her anger.


    Don''t get angry in front of the children!


    Don''t get angry in front of the children!


    After repeatedly reminding herself, Eva managed to suppress the anger in her chest. She didn''t lose her temper in front of the children. Instead, she put the phone back in her pocket, smiled, and walked over to them.


    Later, in the car, she sat with the children, hugging them close. She reminded them not to wander or leave her side while they were in a foreign country.


    Her tone was serious, and the two little ones obediently nodded and cooperated, staying close to her legs and not running around.


    Michael wanted toe and help hold them a few times, but Eva held them tightly and didn''t let him touch them, giving them the reason, "I''m a little scared since it''s my first time in Australia, so you two have to apany me." Naturally, the two little ones stuck to her as she said, ignoring Michael.


    Michael felt somewhat helpless, she was starting to resist him.


    But it was not unexpected. Since he made this decision, he knew it would be a difficult situation.


    He could handle the difficulties from the outside world, but with her, he could only take things slowly.

 Chapter 381 House Arrest

    Eva didn''t say a word to Michael again until they reached the hotel to rest.


    Michael settled her in a hotel near the airport, saying it was nearby, but it actually took nearly half an hour by car.


    Once he had arranged everything for her, Michael said to her, "Have a good rest, I wille over tonight..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, the door of the hotel room closed in his face.


    Michael paused for a moment, then finished his sentence, "to pick you up."


    Unfortunately, there was no response at all.


    "Mr. Cooper..."


    David, who was beside him, hesitated and called out to him.


    What was the point of all this?


    Michael came back to his senses and turned his head to give his instructions, "Guard this ce, don''t let any suspicious people in." David nodded.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Cooper. No suspicious individuals will be allowed in. You haven''t rested fromst night until now, so you should go and rest." Michael had not rested for 20 hours already, his eyes were bloodshot.


    Although in the current situation, he might not be able to sleep even if he went back to his room, it was still good to close his eyes and rx. "Okay." Michael replied heavily and then left.


    After Eva closed the door, she walked inside. Fresh food was ced on the table, just delivered by the hotel. The two little ones each ate a piece of cake and didn''t touch the other food on the table. They had been eating and watching cartoons on the ne, so they were probably tired as she had expected. Sure enough, the two little ones quickly fell asleep on the sofa, each holding a nket.


    Eva went over to cover them with the nket and then sat down on the other side, taking out her phone.


    Did they think that by deleting her contacts, she wouldn''t be able to contact her family?


    She remembered several people''s phone numbers.


    Especially Adrian''s; she didn''t add him to her contacts initially, so whenever he called, it disyed his cellphone number, and she remembered it very clearly.


    Eva quickly entered Adrian''s phone number from memory and dialed it.


    But as soon as the call went through, it automatically hung up.


    She tried a few times without sess. In the end, Eva had to change her number and tried calling her father, Emily, Lisa, and even her father''s secretary came to mind. But none of the calls went through. Was it her phone that couldn''t connect? Eva scrolled through her contacts and found two people, Michael and David. She skipped Michael''s name and dialed David''s.


    This time, the call went through immediately, and David answered promptly. His tone was cautious, afraid of offending Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, is there something you need that you are calling me?"


    But no matter how cautious he was, he couldn''t escape from Eva''s anger, and she let out a coldugh.


    "Nothing special, just checking to see if my phone is broken since I can''t make any calls."


    David seemed guilty on the other end and remained silent for a while. Restless, Eva hung up on him immediately. Afterward, she stared at her phone, and halfway through removing the SIM card, she had another idea. She couldn''t contact the people she wanted, but she could reach David.


    With unfamiliar people, she might have a chance. Thinking this, Eva reinserted her SIM card and put her phone away.


    After putting away her phone, Eva stood up and walked to the window. She drew back the curtains and saw that she was on the sixteenth floor. She then walked to the door, opened it, and saw David with an anxious expression, along with two tall bodyguards guarding the hotel entrance.


    Both exits were blocked tightly. Michael had essentially ced her under house arrest, which made Eva furious.


    She said to David, "I want to go out."


    David immediately showed a troubled expression. "Ms. Hansen, I''m afraid that''s not possible. You''ve had a tiring journey, and Mr. Cooper instructed for you and the children to rest, so it''s better not to go out for now."


    "Is it because I''m tired from the flight, or is it because I''m being confined?"


    Upon hearing the term "confined" David immediately denied the allegation, "Ms. Hansen, how can you say it''s confinement? You haven''t rested much, and Mr. Cooper is doing this for your own good."


    "He just won''t let me out, right?"


    David remained silent.


    In front of him, Eva mmed the door shut once again. Returning to the sofa, she looked at the peaceful sleeping faces of her two little ones, and slowly regained herposure. There must be a way. She couldn''t give up like this, she had to find a way to seek help.


    Eva took out her phone with the reinserted SIM card and dialed the hotel reception service number. As she heard the dial tone on the other end of the line... Eva was pleasantly surprised to find that the call went through.


    In other words, it seems that the people she wants to contact are simply restricted. Although she doesn''t know what method Michael used, if she changes her SIM card, she should be able to reach others, right?


    While pondering the options now avable to her, Eva heard the voice from the front desk through her phone, asking if she needed any assistance.


    Eva''s heart skipped a beat, and she walked to the balcony.


    "Hello, I''d like to order a pizza."


    She quickly nced at the food on the table and confirmed that there was no pizza before cing the order.


    "A pizza? Alright, please wait a moment. Anything else you need?"


    Ordering just one item might not divert suspicion enough, so Eva quickly mentioned a few other dishes that were not on the table, and even added some cuisine that would never appear in Australia, leaving the hotel staff bewildered. "I''m sorry, Ma''am, but the things you mentioned..."


    "That''s what I want. If you don''t have them, find a way to make them."


    "Oh, and I also need a SIM card. Please bring it together with the food."


    After finishing her request, Eva hung up the phone.


    If her phone is being monitored, Michael and David would probably find out about what she just said, indicating that this approach won''t work.


    But if it hasn''t been discovered, next time, she can make a call for help to the outside world.


    After putting down her phone, Eva returned to the sofa and quietly waited. Her current state of mind was not much different from that of a death row inmate preparing for execution.


    As long as she could get a SIM card, she would have hope.


    Sure enough, after a while, her phone rang. It was David calling.


    Seeing this iing call, Eva instantly felt a sense of despair.


    With a defeated expression, she answered the phone.


    "Ms. Hansen, I understand that you want to have Japanese cuisine now, but the hotel only provides..."


    Eva coldly tugged at her lips and said in a frigid tone, "You want to confine me, right? Well, you''ve already confined me. Can''t I even get the food I want?"

 Chapter 382 Obtaining

    At the mention of confinement again, David on the other end of the line hesitated and couldn''t find the words to say.


    "Whether you get it or not, I don''t care about it anymore."


    After saying that, Eva hung up the phone instantly, feeling extremely frustrated.


    Was her phone really being monitored?


    If so, it meant that regardless of what calls she made or what requests she had, they were all useless.


    She never thought Michael would go to such lengths.


    She had to think again and find another way. There must be a way.


    After David hung up the phone, he was also stuck in a dilemma and had to seek Michael''s opinion.


    Upon hearing her request, Michael pursed his thin lips and said, "Do as she requested."


    "But the hotel..."


    "If the hotel doesn''t have it, does it mean it doesn''t exist outside? Find a Japanese restaurant, drive there if necessary, or even hire a private chef; spare no expense. "Fine, I''ll arrange it. Right now, I''m the only one by her side. If I can''t fulfill her request, then who else can?" David reluctantly followed his instructions.


    Michael clenched his fists on the table. Even though he was supposed to be taking a break, he put his sses back on, and his icy gaze hid behind the lenses. It was just some food that she wanted to eat, and of course he would help her with that. He wanted her to know that he was no worse than Adrian.


    Unable to sit still any longer, Eva got up and carried the two little ones to the bedroom. She tucked them in and closed the door, isting them from the living room.


    Afterward, Eva took out her phone and opened WhatsApp. It hadn''t urred to her earlier that she could try searching for Emily''s phone number with the app, and maybe even add her as a contact. Michael didn''t consider this blind spot while setting up her ount. But Eva had been too hasty to have thought about it.


    Just as Eva was about to enter the phone number, the doorbell rang. She quickly put away her phone and sat still. She knew it was either Michael or Daviding to find her. Since they had the power to confine her, they definitely had their own key cards, and she didn''t feel like opening the door.


    Sure enough, after the doorbell rang twice without any response, the door slid open by itself. Michael entered apanied by a waiter with a food trolley.


    Seeing Eva sitting on the couch, Michael froze momentarily, as if he didn''t expect her to be there.


    His face softened again as he approached Eva and said, "You wanted some food, right? These dishes are all made ording to your taste."


    Eva lifted her eyes and looked at him with a mocking expression. "Made ording to my taste? Are you trying to tell me that you actually prepared everything I ordered?"


    "Well, I had them made urgently and delivered to you." Michael replied.


    Once the lid was opened, Eva immediately recognized the familiar smells. She turned her head and saw that Michael had indeed arranged for all the dishes she had ordered to be brought to her.


    "So, how is it going?" Michael nced at the untouched food with some concern. "You haven''t eaten anything since earlier today, this won''t do."


    Eva''s expression grew colder upon hearing his words. Whose fault was it that she hadn''t eaten all day? If it wasn''t for him, she wouldn''t be confined in this foreign country and suffering from hunger? Although she was hungry, she still had no appetite at all.


    The nearby waiter, observing Michael''s attempts to please Eva, covered her mouth and stifled augh. Then, she took out the item Eva had asked her to bring from her pocket, intending to approach her. Just as Eva looked up and saw the object in the waiter''s hand, her pupils shrank. She suddenly exploded in anger, shouting before the waiter coulde closer, "Get out!"


    Startled by her sudden outburst, the waiter froze in ce, not knowing what to do.


    Among them, the most surprised person must have been Michael.


    Seeing Eva exploding in anger was something Michael had never witnessed in all the years he had known her.


    "I will eat this food, but I don''t want to see you." Eva stared at him intently, every word delivered with precision. Without hesitation, she even reached out and pushed Michael forward, urging him to leave.


    As soon as Eva expressed her desire not to see him, Michael felt a pang in his chest. Before he could react, she had already pushed him out, leaving him to contemte his heavy emotions. However, knowing that she would eat without his presence provided him some sce.


    Momentster, the door mmed shut in his face, leaving Michael on the outside. David quickly rushed over and steadied Michael, anxiously asking, "Mr. Cooper, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine." Michael replied, regaining his bnce and pushing David''s hand away.


    Observing the turmoil that unfolded between the two, David couldn''t help but sigh. "Mr. Cooper, do you regret it now? Not only does Ms. Hansen refuse to eat, but she''s also causing a scene and clearly doesn''t want to see you. If things continue like this, it might worsen."


    At the mention of this, Michael let out a faint smile. "Given enough time, she wille around. This can''t go on forever."


    David dared not say anything further.


    Once the door closed, Eva''s heart raced incessantly. She quickly turned around and returned to the staff member, offering a slight smile. "Thank you for delivering these things for me."


    The staff member had expected Eva''s anger to be directed at her too, so she was surprised to receive a smile instead. Consequently, she felt a bit confused and embarrassed, scratching her head and awkwardly saying, "You''re wee, it''s my duty."


    As she finished speaking, the staff member remembered something and handed over the item in her hand. "By the way, is this what you requested from our front desk?


    Eva''s eyes brightened as she eagerly received it. "Yes," she replied, "thank you."


    "You''re wee. Well... if there''s nothing else, I won''t disturb your meal. Enjoy your dining experience." the staff member said.


    Eva looked at her, feeling hesitant. Would it be strange if she requested outright for her not to inform Michael? The fact that the staff member brought her a SIM card seemed to indicate that there was no actual monitoring. If that were the case, then it would be perfect.


    At first, she had orderedplex dishes specifically to divert the front desk''s attention, focusing their efforts there, which would potentially decrease the chance of them mentioning the SIM card.


    In reality, Eva was simply gambling.


    And now, the situation confirmed that her gamble paid off.


    After some contemtion, Eva decided to keep the staff member around for a little while longer, as it seemed safer that way.


    With her mind made up, Eva made a decisive request, "I don''t like eating alone. Would you mind staying and keeping mepany?"


    The girl visibly hesitated, clearly not anticipating such an absurd request from Eva.


    She could only awkwardly say, "Miss, I''m afraid I can''t do this. I still have work to do."


    Because this was rted to whether she could be saved, Eva could only try to tempt.


    "Here''s the deal, you have dinner with me for 20 minutes, and I''ll give you a generous tip."


    The staff was shocked and finally said, "But, Miss, your boyfriend..."

 Chapter 383 Are you threatening me?

    Seeing that she misunderstood that Michael was her boyfriend, Eva didn''t bother to exin at this time and simply admitted, "We had a fight, I don''t want to see him, so please help me, think of it as helping me teach him a lesson, okay?" Eva approached and hugged the woman''s arm, hoping she would agree to help.


    The woman was very soft-hearted and, being begged like this, she could only say, "Well, let me consult with the manager, if the manager agrees..."


    "Alright, if the manager doesn''t agree, give me the phone, I''ll talk to them."


    The woman smiled at her and took out her phone to make a call.


    Eva smiled, "I''ll go to the restroom, let me know when Ie out."


    "Okay."


    After entering the restroom, Eva quickly took out the SIM card and reced it. She didn''t have a needle to eject the card, but luckily, she had considered going out today and didn''t wear any makeup, but she was wearing a pair of earrings to brighten herplexion.


    It came in handy.


    While changing the card, Eva''s heart kept pounding, not knowing if they would notice that she took out the card.


    Hopefully, there were no surveince cameras installed in this restroom?


    Thinking of this this possibility, Eva subconsciously looked up and nced around. Despite trying to calm herself down, her trembling hands still gave her away.


    The phone fell onto the floor, making a sound.


    Eva quickly bent down to pick it up, wiping it clean and inserting the card, then turned it on again.


    Just as she was about to contact Emily, a knocking sound came from outside.


    "Miss, I''ve asked."


    Eva could only stuff everything into her pockets and open the door.


    "Did they agree?"


    The girl nodded shyly.


    "Mm, the manager said it''s part of our job to help customers in difficult situations, and since you need it and are willing to tip, they let me stay so I can help you properly."


    "Thank you." Eva breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her.


    "Then I''ll go and inform your boyfriend."


    "No, no need, let''s sit down and eat now."


    Eva led her to the table, but she still felt a bit uneasy while eating.


    She was interrupted in the restroom just now, and because she was being cautious, she didn''t dare to stay in there for too long. The restroom shouldn''t have any surveince cameras, but outside... who knows? If she sent a message outside, would it be seen?


    For safety reasons, she decided to find an excuse to go to the restroom halfway through.


    She had just taken her first bite of food when the door swung open. Michael walked in, casting a sharp nce around the room before his gazended on the hotel staff member''s face. Surprised to see her sitting in front of Eva, he approached.


    "Eva, what''s all this about?"


    Eva had yet to swallow her food and upon seeing him, she simply grabbed a tissue and spit it out, retorting irritably, "I wanted someone to have a meal with me. Is that a problem?"


    Hearing her words, Michael took a quick nce at the hotel staff before averting his eyes and looking back at Eva.


    "If you wanted someone to eat with you, why didn''t you call me? I''d be more than happy to apany you."


    As the two conversed, the woman felt too awkward to continue eating, and instead sat there watching the exchange between the two.


    Eva chuckled. "You''d be happy to? Do I want you to though?"


    With that, Eva looked up and gave Michael a cold stare. Her voice turned icy, "Do you not realise what you''ve done? Do you really think I can calmly have a meal with you? Let me make this clear, if you don''t take me back now, I''ll find other people to dine with, even if it means finding strangers on the street, I won''t choose you."


    Her words pierced through Michael''s heart like a sword.


    Once her words trailed off, Michael remained silent, but he remained rooted to the spot, seemingly concerned.


    Eva sneered, "Or is it that you''re not willing to let me find someone to eat with?"


    "Alright." Putting down the fork in her hand, she stood up, dering, "You take her and all this food away, and then lock me up in a small room, preferably where no one can see me. Is that what you want?"


    "Eva." Michael''s voice still carried a hint of helplessness. "You know I don''t want to treat you like this. You know that by not eating, you''re only harming your own body, but in reality, it hurts my heart as well."


    He slowly approached and picked up the fork she hadid down, cing it back in her hand.


    "It''s just having a meal with someone, why would I disagree? However, she had better not do anything I wouldn''t approve of for you, or else I won''t let it go easily."


    Upon hearing this, Eva suddenly lifted her head to look at him.


    Her eyes were filled with disbelief. "What do you mean by that?"


    Michael''s expression remained gentle. "It doesn''t mean anything, but Eva, you should know I''ll never get angry with you, nor will I vent my frustration on you, no matter what you do."


    Though it sounded like a heartfelt confession, in reality, he was telling her that she should simply have a normal meal with this woman, without any ulterior motives. If the woman helped her with anything, he wouldn''t harm Eva, but he would take action against the staff member.


    If, after hearing his words, she still insisted on doing something, she would be endangering the woman.


    She hadn''t expected him to go to such lengths.

 Chapter 384 Cry for Help

    Eva''s eyes shed with anger. "Are you threatening me?" she asked.


    Michael adjusted her cor gently, his movements tender. "Eva, how could this be a threat? I''m just advising you. After all, I can''t let bad people get close to you. I brought you out here, so I have to be responsible for your safety and keep others with ill intentions from harming you."


    Although his words were clearly threatening, he spoke them with such affection. Eva couldn''t help but feel a chill spreading down her back.


    Being close to him felt like being close to an ice cer.


    "I never expected you to be this kind of person." she said, dropping her voice as she said those words. Eva spoke decisively, "Fine, if you''re so worried about my intentions, then let her go. That way, I won''t drag anyone else down in the future." Michael stood still and looked at her intently.


    "It''s not necessary, Eva. You can still have a meal together." he said.


    "No, I''ve lost my appetite." Eva replied.


    Next, Eva left the table and instead went toy down on the sofa and closed her eyes, showing no intention of furthermunication.


    The woman also stood up.


    "I won''t disturb you anymore. You two can talk."


    After saying that, the woman turned to leave.


    "Wait..." Michael called out to her.


    Then Michael walked up to Eva and softly said as he looked at her closed eyes, "I''m sorry. I was too suspicious and shouldn''t have doubted you. I was wrong about what happened earlier. Can you get up and eat with me?"


    No matter how much he said or how gentle his tone was, Eva remained lying there like a corpse, refusing to pay him any attention.


    "Eva?" he called again.


    Eva continued to lie there motionless.


    "Alternatively, should I carry you to the dining area?" he suggested.


    Suddenly, Eva opened her eyes and met Michael''s gaze, which was so close to hers. She was initially startled by his proximity, but she quickly calmed down.


    "Is this the only trick you know?" she asked coldly.


    Michael smirked. "It''s not about quantity, but effectiveness."


    Eva pushed him away with a cold face and sat up.


    "I just want some peace and quiet. Since you''re afraid of others getting close to me, take her away now and that way she can''t cause any trouble." Eva demanded.


    "I know she won''t cause any trouble. Let her stay and have a meal with you. It''s been a long time since you''ve eaten anything." Michael insisted.


    "I''m not in the mood to eat now." Eva replied.


    They repeated this exchange a few more times, with Eva refusing topromise or even look at him. Frustrated, Michael had no choice but to leave with the female staff member.


    Outside, perhaps because he looked so dejected, the female staff member took the initiative tofort him. "Sir, don''t be too upset about this. Your girlfriend probably just wants someone to apany her for a meal. If you want to try make her happy, why not send her flowers and choctes?"


    Surprised by her suggestion, Michael forced a smile. "Hmm, thank you. I''ll consider it."


    As they had just walked out together, he didn''t rush to go back inside straight away.


    Feeling unsettled by herment, Michael didn''t inquire further. The woman could tell that he was upset and chose to leave without saying more.


    After they all left, Eva quickly entered the restroom to try make a phone call.


    If Michael decided to question the woman, it would take some time. Eva could only try to seek help within this limited time. As for the consequences... that wasn''t something she could consider right now. Hesitating for two seconds, Eva dialed Adrian''s number.


    Eva was getting anxious. Why wasn''t he picking up? There''s a time difference between the two locations, with it being daytime here and nighttime there. Adrian wouldn''t have put his phone on silent, right?


    If it was on silent, she probably wouldn''t be able to reach him.


    Eva couldn''t wait too long and miss her opportunity.


    The first person who Eva contacted after Adrian was Emily.


    When Emily received the unfamiliar call, she was extremely shocked to hear her best friend''s voice on the other end.


    "Eva? Did you change your phone? And why does your location seem different? Didn''t you go back to America?"


    It indeed was her best friend, and Emily quickly realized that something was wrong.


    Eva interrupted her.


    "Listen carefully to what I''m about to say and don''t interrupt me."


    Eva rarely spoke in such a serious tone to her, and Emily immediately understood the severity of the situation, nodding seriously.


    At the same time, she turned on the voice recording function on her phone, to ensure she wouldn''t miss or forget any of Eva''s words.


    "Listen carefully. My current coordinates are in Australia, near the capital airport, at a high-end hotel that''s about a twenty-minute drive away. There are two 24-hour convenience stores near the entrance, and I''m on the sixteenth floor. But I won''t be staying here for long. There are two to three people guarding the entrance who might relocate at night, but I''ll find a way to stay here a bit longer. If I lose my ability to resist and get taken away, I''ll find another opportunity to contact you."


    Upon hearing this, Emily was dumbfounded. Had she been kidnapped?


    Coincidentally, her superior came over to find her at this moment, but seeing her on the phone, he turned and decided toe backter.


    Emily immediately called him over.


    Nathan saw her gesture urgently and walked over, asking, "What''s wrong?"


    Emily immediately put it on speakerphone and said to Eva, "Eva, I have the stingy... Mr. Powell here too. His mind works faster than mine, he''ll probably be more helpful."


    Nathan heard the word "stingy" from her, and based on the context, the phrase she almost said was probably "stingy person".


    In fact, he had heard Emily refer to him as a stingy person more than once. Thest time he heard it was when sheined to her best friend about being constantly called in to work, which led to her being single.


    But he didn''t expect her to identally blurt it out in front of him today.


    Just as Nathan was about to correct her, another interruption startled them.


    When called, Eva on the other end quickly repeated what she had said earlier.


    Nathan''s eyes narrowed as he listened, and he directly asked Eva, "Can you send your location?"


    Although Eva had just received the number, registering an ount was time-consuming if she wanted to add it.


    "It''s too soon. I had the SIM card brought to me by a server. I don''t know when the other party will find out."


    Upon hearing this, Emily asked subconsciously, "The other party? Who is it?"


    Eva pursed her lips.


    "Here''s what we''ll do." Nathan calmly exined, "You plug in your earphones, or turn on the speaker."


    Emily, shocked, widened her eyes and eximed, "You stingy person! Are you crazy? Eva is clearly being kidnapped, and at a time like this, you want her to put it on speaker."


    "Her voice is loud, so she should be temporarily safe." Nathan replied calmly, pretending not to hear that clear insult.


    "That''s true. Then do what the stingy person says."


    Since she didn''t have her earphones, she could only turn on the speaker.


    "Now I''ll ask you questions and you just answer. Register a new ount while you''re at it, and it would be best to send your location directly."


    "Okay." Eva''s mind was clear, and she quickly turned on the showerhead and faucet in the bathroom, locked the bathroom door, and then stood in a corner away from the door to start the process.


    Nathan, as the founder of a self-madepany, remained calm and rational. None of the questions he asked her were pointless. He took note of her movements from the ce she departed to where she lost consciousness, including when she woke up, and instructed her on how to respond if she was discovered.

 Chapter 385 A Path Back

    The whole processsted nearly six minutes, and Eva finally set up the ount.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    "Eva."


    A familiar male voice resounded.


    After recognizing who the voice belonged to, Emily almost cried out in surprise, but Nathan immediately covered her mouth with hisrge hand.


    Emily widened her eyes and tried to push him away, but Nathan held her shoulder and then whispered into her ear, "Don''t speak."


    Emily furrowed her brows but didn''t struggle anymore.


    Then Eva''s voice came from the other end.


    "Didn''t I say I wanted some time alone? You interfere when I find someone to eat with, and now you want to interfere when I''m taking a shower?"


    As she spoke, Eva ced her phone on a nearby shelf, loosened her clothes, and stood under the showerhead.


    There was a moment of silence outside, followed by the response, "Alright, then you continue your shower. I''ll wait outside for you."


    Eva nced at the shelf and said, "I forgot to bring my clothes. Go to my luggage and find my clothes for me."


    "Okay, I''ll get them."


    Afterward, Eva turned off the showerhead and listened to his footsteps growing distant. She then turned the showerhead back on and retrieved her phone, switching off the speaker. "Now I''ll send the location."


    "Send it over; no need to say more."


    "I need to switch back my SIM card. As for this SIM card, I probably won''t use it again." Eva said.


    "Mhmm." Nathan continued holding his hand over Emily''s mouth and calmly said, "We will find a way to save you. Protect yourself and try not to antagonize him."


    "Thank you."


    "You''re wee."


    After much hesitation, Eva finally said, "Emily, please ry this to Adrian for me."


    Upon hearing Emily''s name, Nathan let go of the hand covering her mouth. Emily immediately asked, "Why don''t you tell him yourself?"


    "I tried, but maybe because of the time difference, he didn''t pick up the call."


    Emily replied, "Alright, but how could the person who kidnapped you be...?"


    While Eva calcted the time, knowing that Michael would be returning soon and she still needed to finish sorting out the situation, she interrupted Emily, saying, "Let''s stop here. He''ll being back soon." Emily hesitated, "Okay then, take good care of yourself and don''t provoke him. We will contact the police to find you."


    The police...


    Eva bit her lip, thinking about his kindness towards her over the past five years. She softened her tone and said, "Don''t involve the police. Just pass the message to Adrian. He should figure out a way." Even if he didn''t save her, he would want to save his children.


    "Don''t involve the police? How can we find you then?"


    Emily wanted to continue, but Nathan urged her on the phone, "Time is running out. You go and finish sorting things out and clean up, we will pass on your message."


    After speaking, Nathan hung up the call immediately.


    Seeing this, Emily couldn''t help but grumble, "What''s with that, Stingy Guy? I still have things to say." Nathan nced at her.


    "You don''t know the situation on her end. What else do you want to say? We''ll wait until we find her." Upon hearing his words, Emily nodded, "Right, you''re right. We need to find her first."


    After saying that, Emily took out her phone to book a ticket for a flight.


    Seeing this, Nathan frowned involuntarily, "What are you doing?"


    "I''m booking a flight. She sent me her location."


    "You''re going to go find her yourself?"


    "Of course, in her current situation, I have to go find her." Emily realized something and looked up, meeting Nathan''s gaze. "You''re not going to stop me, are you? Do you think I''ll dy my work? Well, let me make it clear, when I go on blind dates, you always make me work overtime, which is fine because blind dates are not a big deal. But now, this involves my best friend. If you still don''t agree to me taking leave, then I''ll just quit. Wait for it, once I finish buying the ticket, I''ll write my resignation letter."


    Seeing that she was really about to purchase the ticket, Nathan speechlessly held her hand and said, "Can''t you calm down and use your brain instead of being impulsive?"


    Emily was a bit annoyed by his words.


    "You''re calling me impulsive, how am I supposed to calm down in this situation then?"


    Nathan didn''t argue with her and went straight to handle the matter.


    "Don''t buy tickets, call the police."


    Call the police?


    "No! Don''t call the police!" Emily held down his hand reaching for the phone.


    Nathan eyed her.


    "Didn''t you hear what Eva said? She doesn''t want us to call the police."


    "But she''s been kidnapped, Emily, that''s illegal."


    "I know." Emily bit her lip. "Who doesn''t know it''s illegal? But for the past five years, it''s been Michael who has been helping her, taking care of her. Now that Michael has done this, there must be some misunderstanding that hasn''t been resolved. She doesn''t want me to call the police, she must have her reasons."


    Nathan silently watched her.


    Emily continued, "Sometimes people have to show a littlepassion, give others a chance to turn things around, don''t they?"


    After a long moment of eye contact, Nathan gave in.


    "Indeed, you''re right. Sometimespassion is necessary."


    He paused for a moment and then added, "I''ll go with you."


    Emily thought she must have misheard, and she looked at him in disbelief.


    "You... what did you say? You''lle with me?"


    "It''s about showingpassion, as you''ve mentioned. And since I now know about this matter, and you have been a valuable employee of mypany for so many years, considering your dedication to thepany, I''ll lend a hand this time." At first, Emily couldn''t believe it, but then she thought having Nathan with her would be better. To reach his current position, there weren''t many people who could rival his intelligence. With his help, things will surely go smoother. "Alright, then I''ll pay for our ne tickets."


    "Hold on a second."


    "What now?"


    Nathan replied, "Didn''t your friend ask you to notify someone?"


    Emily suddenly remembered, "Oh right, she told me to inform Adrian, but I don''t have his contact information."


    Upon realizing this, Emily immediately turned to Nathan. "Mr. Powell, do you have a way?"


    Nathan nced at her but didn''t say anything.


    Emily quickly pressed her hands together and pleaded, "Please, help me."


    Ten minutester, with Nathan''s assistance, Emily sessfully obtained Adrian''s contact information and also booked the ne tickets.


    But for some reason, even though she had the contact information, whenever Emily dialed Adrian''s phone number, it always went unanswered.


    "What''s going on? Why isn''t he answering his phone?"


    Nathan calmly reasoned, "He might be resting, who knows?"


    Upon hearing this possibility, Emily grew frustrated immediately, "It''s already sote, and he still has time to rest? Doesn''t he know that Eva has been kidnapped? Doesn''t he have any sense of urgency? How can someone be like this?" Seeing her agitated and unable to calm down, Nathan grabbed her hand.


    "Take a deep breath, pack your things, we''ll go to the airport now."


    In his presence, Emily felt a sense of calm and she listened to him.


    Under his guidance, Emily calmed down and put her phone away. "Okay, then I''ll try call himter."

 Chapter 386 Unreliable

    Until she boarded the ne, Emily had not been able to reach Adrian on the phone.


    "This is unbelievable. How could Eva like such a man? And he even made me tell him that I saw her with Michael. At least Michael would answer the phone." Emilymented. In this dangerous situation, Emily''s mood became even more vtile. During the unsessful phone calls with Adrian, since he didn''t answer, Emily could only curse him and even feel sorry for Eva.


    Nathan, who had worked with her for many years, had never seen her in such a state.


    "Can you calm down? There might be a reason why he didn''t answer the call." Nathan said.


    "What reason? The phone has been ringing so many times, and nobody picked up. Even if he''s busy, he should at least answer a phone call. This kind of man is unreliable. No matter what his reasons are, I must advise Eva when I see her." Emily replied.


    Nathan''s thin lips twitched, wanting to say something, but he refrained.


    At this moment, anything he said seemed futile. After all, it was her close friend who was in danger, and he couldn''t truly understand her feelings, no matter how empathetic he was. Deep down, he agreed with what Emily said. When someone you want to ask for help in a critical moment is unable to assist you at all, one would naturally feel disappointed, especially in such an important moment.


    Before the ne took off, a flight attendant walked by and reminded everyone to turn off their phones.


    Emily, still unwilling to give up, made another call, but Adrian still didn''t answer. However, thinking about what Eva asked her to do, Emily finally typed up a text message and sent it to him.


    After confirming that the message had been sent, Emily turned off her phone.


    Nathan nced at her. "Still no answer?"


    "Yeah, nothing." Emily replied expressionlessly. "I''ve sent a message, and the flight will take a long time. When wend, he should be awake by then."


    Although she was very dissatisfied with Adrian, this was something Eva had asked her to do, and since she had promised, she had to follow through.


    After hanging up the phone, Eva quickly removed the SIM card and flushed it down the toilet, then switched back to her original SIM card. She had originally intended to log back into WhatsApp, but after some consideration, she decided against it.


    Logging back in would trigger a notification, and it would be too suspicious. It was better to leave it as it is.


    Afterpleting everything, Eva ced her phone on the shelf and took a serious shower.


    Her top priority now was to prolong her stay here and dy the move for others to be able to find and rescue her.


    How could she discreetly dy time without arousing Michael''s suspicion?


    Eva looked around and her gaze fell on the bathtub next to her.


    Michael had given her quite a bit of time to shower.


    He took a little longer to get the clothes. By the time he came and knocked on the door, Eva had already filled the bathtub halfway and she went straight in to soak. Then she said from inside, "I''m taking a bath, it''s inconvenient for me to get it, can you hang it outside the door for me?"


    There was a brief silence at the door, then a voice came.


    "Okay, I''ll find a bag to hang it in."


    Michael walked away again, andter he hung the clothes on the door for Eva and added, "Eva, the water temperature should not be too hot, and you shouldn''t be in for too long, otherwise it may make you ill."


    Hearing this, Eva sneered, "Wouldn''t you be happy if I suffocate from soaking? Finally, you can have some peace."


    Silence fell at the door, and Michael didn''t speak again. He left.


    Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief after he left.


    There are now two possibilities.


    One is that Michael still doesn''t know about the SIM card issue, probably thinking that she is deliberately making things difficult for him, until he sends her back to her country.


    The other is that Michael already knows about the SIM card issue, but he hesitates to enter the bathroom directly since she''s in there. After all, he is outside and even if he doesn''t believe her or what she said about taking a bath, he doesn''t dare to rush in.


    Although he had pursued her for five years, he had never crossed any boundaries. In that regard, Michael had respected her a lot.


    Two people who had always respected each other, why did it end up like this?


    At this thought, Eva couldn''t help but bury her face in the water, trying to clear her mind.


    She had been extremely tense all day until she contacted Emily, and only then was her heart finally at ease.


    Next, there might be a tough battle ahead.


    To buy some time, Eva stayed in the bath until the water temperature eventually turned cold, and still, she didn''t get up.


    There was still no sound outside, and she didn''t know where Michael had gone after leaving the other side of the bathroom door. Did he go outside the room, or...?


    Suddenly, Eva''s expression changed as she remembered something.


    She had forgotten that while she was busy with all these operations, the two children were still asleep in the room.


    Thinking of this, Eva didn''t linger any longer. She got up, wiped off the water droplets on her body with a towel, and then opened the door to bring in the bag at the door.


    When she saw the intimate clothes in the bag, Eva felt a little awkward.


    But then she thought, it''s already gotten to this point, why should she feel embarrassed?


    He had already imprisoned her, and she had no idea what would happen if this continued. Although he had always respected her in the past, Eva couldn''t have predicted that he would do something like this, but he did. Therefore, anything could happen from now on.


    After dressing, Eva opened the door and saw Michael standing not far from the bathroom.


    Hearing the sound, he turned and walked up to Eva.


    "Why are you still here?" Eva stared at him and asked somewhat displeased.


    "I was afraid you... You''ve been soaking for so long, it could cause oxygen deficiency. I was worried." he said as he handed her a towel. "Dry your hair, otherwise you''ll catch a cold."


    Eva nced at the towel in his hand and walked past him without a word. Michael furrowed his brows and followed her.


    Seeing her heading towards the room, he asked, "What are you going to do?"


    "I''m tired. Can''t I sleep?"


    "Eva, dry your hair."


    Eva opened the door and abruptly blocked Michael from entering, and then she shut it with a bang. The two children inside the room continued sleeping undisturbed by the noise. Despite Eva''smotion, the two children were sound asleep. Eva looked at their peaceful faces and felt a bit angry.


    Although these two little ones usually had good sleep, it was rare for them to be so deep in their slumber. It was all because Michael had given them something to make them sleep.


    How could he be so thoughtless? They were still so young, wasn''t he afraid he might identally hurt them?


    The more she thought about it, the angrier Eva became. But there was nothing she could do at the moment, so she gently touched the children''s cheeks and whispered, "Don''t worry, my darlings. I will definitely take you back to our home country safely."

 Chapter 387 Madness

    After drying her hair, Evay down to rest. The effects of the medicine hadn''tpletely worn off, so she quickly fell asleep. When she woke up, she heard faint voicesing from outside.


    "Mr. Cooper, has Ms. Hansen not woken up yet? Our car is ready. We need to leave."


    Michael nced at the closed door and pursed his thin lips. "She''s tired. Let her sleep."


    "But Mr. Cooper..." David seemed hesitant.


    Michael''s voice suddenly turned cold. "I said let her sleep. Don''t you understand? Do I need to repeat myself?"


    He erupted in anger unexpectedly, taking David by surprise. David didn''t dare speak any further and could only nod. "Understood."


    David exchanged a few words with the people outside and stayed there to keep watch.


    In fact, he wanted to remind Michael that they had been in this ce for too long and that Ms. Hansen had already met other people. Those people didn''t belong to them, making it difficult to control the situation. If things escted, it wouldn''t end well.


    He thought Michael had gone insane, but since they hade this far with the n, as his assistant, he could only stick with him till the end.


    Well, let Eva sleep a little longer. Perhaps, in half an hour, she would wake up on her own.


    Eva listened to their conversation, and her heart skipped a beat. She was relieved that she heard them.


    "If they find out I''ve woken up, will I have to go with them?" she thought.


    Eva closed her eyes and continued pretending to be asleep.


    However, the door opened, and someone entered the room.


    Eva furrowed her brow. Was it Michael?


    A faint sound of footsteps echoed, finally stopping by her bedside.


    Michael silently gazed at the sleeping Eva.


    Compared to when she was awake, Eva appeared particrly calm while asleep. Her features were beautiful, especially her eyes, which were vibrant and seemed to hold all the beauty in the world.


    He had liked her since adolescence. He loved seeing Eva smile because her eyes curved like a crescent moon hanging high in the sky.


    But now, that crescent moon no longer smiled at him. When she saw him, her eyes were filled with caution and wariness.


    Their rtionship had be worse than that of strangers.


    If she could keep smiling at him like before, it would be wonderful.


    Michael raised his hand and gently touched her cheek.


    Eva, who was pretending to be asleep, had to endure it silently.


    This touch made her feel ufortable. If she weren''t pretending to be asleep, she would have pushed his hand away. Fortunately, Michael''s fingers did not linger on her face for long.


    After he left, Eva sighed in relief, opened her eyes, and dragged out the time as much as she could.


    At first, it was quiet outside, but as time passed, faint footsteps could be heard again.


    The sound was low, as if deliberately suppressed.


    She even heard the sound of the neighboring room''s door opening.


    Had she heard it wrong?


    The two little ones were sleeping in that room.


    What were they doing next door?


    Eva immediately got out of bed and opened the door.


    She saw David and another person holding the kids and heading outside.


    Just as Eva opened the door, the two men stopped and turned around.


    Eva lost herposure. She rushed forward and questioned, "What are you doing to my children?"


    David hadn''t expected Eva to catch him in the act. He had waited for nearly two hours, and she still hadn''t woken up.


    So he came up with a n to take the two children away while she was still asleep. Even if she didn''t want to leave, she would have to follow them obediently for the sake of her children. But he didn''t expect her to wake up.


    "Ms. Hansen, this is a misunderstanding. Please let me exin," he said.


    "What kind of misunderstanding would cause you to sneak in and take my children away?" Eva retorted.


    She stepped forward, took one of the children from David, and walked to the other person. "Put my child back where he was!"


    The person hesitated and nced at David. Then he reluctantly put Dn, whom he was holding, back on the bed in the room.


    David looked at Eva and said, "Ms. Hansen, since you''re awake now, let''s go."


    "Go? Where?"


    "This was just a temporary resting ce. We''re headed to our next destination," he exined.


    Hearing this, Eva pursed her lips. "David, you''re not Michael. He doesn''t know what he''s doing, but you do. Don''t you realize that some responsibilities are shared?"


    How could David not understand the meaning behind Eva''s words?


    He forced a bitter smile and said, "What can I do, Ms. Hansen? I''ve been working with Mr. Cooper for years. I have to go along with his wishes. There''s no reason to escape now."


    Eva understood what he was thinking.


    "It''s not good for him." Eva felt dejected. "If you truly have his best interests at heart, then you should be advising him instead of enabling his wrongdoings."


    "Ms. Hansen, do you think I haven''t advised him? You''ve known Mr. Cooper for such a long time. Don''t you think you understand him better than I do?"


    Eva remained silent. She pursed her lips and told David to leave. "You should leave."


    David hesitated, ncing at her before finally leaving with hispanion.


    Outside the room, they ran into Michael. David immediately briefed him on what had happened.


    Michael furrowed his brows, looking displeased. "When will you start being reliable, David?"


    "Apologies, Mr. Cooper. There won''t be a next time." David thought for a moment before speaking up again. "Mr. Cooper, forgive me for butting in, but you either turn back now or put an end to this. We must leave. Further dy will not be advantageous for us."


    "I understand. I''ll go in and try to persuade her."


    "Mr. Cooper, you''ve already done enough throughout this journey. You have always amodated Ms. Hansen. But was it helpful? Either send her back or leave now."


    He thought Michael was really crazy. After arriving in this country, Mr. Cooper became somewhat indecisive when it came to Ms. Hansen.

 Chapter 388 Give Ruby back to me

    After got the kids settled to the room, Eva locked the door.


    She knew she wouldn''t be able to stay there for much longer.


    Based on David''s actions just now, it seemed that the issue with the SIM card had been discovered, though none of them had brought it up explicitly. After themotion earlier, the two little ones had also woken up, rubbing their eyes as they looked at her.


    "Mama, what were you and David talking about just now?"


    Eva gently stroked their heads. "Awake? Are you hungry? When Michaeles, we can ask him to help us find your favorite ice cream, okay?"


    The two children hadn''t thought about ice cream before, but when Eva mentioned it, their cravings for it suddenly arose.


    "Okay."


    Soon, there was a knock at the door.


    "Eva," Michael''s voice echoed from outside the door, followed by him turning the doorknob and walking in.


    "Uncle Michael!"


    Due to the lingering thoughts of ice cream, Ruby was especially delighted. She immediately opened her arms to ask for a hug when she saw Michael. Michael approached and embraced her.


    "Uncle Michael, I want to have ice cream." Ruby began to acted yfully and made her request.


    "Ice cream? We can get some."


    Ruby nodded gently. "Yeah, I''m really hungry."


    "Then let''s go downstairs and find a different ce to stay. I''ll buy you something on the way, okay?"


    Eva was surprised that Michael would pull this kind of move.


    At this moment, perhaps due to their close rtionship, Dn, who was sitting beside them, stood up and tugged at Michael''s pants.


    "Uncle Michael, can we buy it and eat it at home?"


    Hearing this, Eva was taken aback. She didn''t reveal anything to Dn. So was this just a coincidence?


    Michael unconsciously nced at Eva.


    After a moment, he nodded and said, "Sure. You stay here with your mommy, and I''ll take Ruby out to buy it. Ruby wanted to eat it first, right?"


    Ruby nodded immediately. "Okay, I''ll go with you."


    Eva nced at Michael. It was a move he knew how to use. He always used such subtle methods that no one noticed.


    If anyone came looking for her during this time, would he use Ruby to hold her back?


    Thinking this, Eva frowned and said, "Forget it, it''s too cold. Let''s not have any ice cream."


    Michael paused. "Okay, since we''re not having it, let''s go then. Let''s go to the next ce."


    Michael wanted to take Ruby away, but Eva said, "We won''t go with you."


    Since she couldn''t dy any longer, there was no need for her to pretend.


    She didn''t want to expose their rtionship in front of the two children. After all, for them, Michael was a reliable presence.


    But now she realized that if Michael took her away today and they moved to a new ce, they wouldn''t be able to hide it at all. Sooner orter, the two children would find out.


    Sure enough, after she spoke, both the kids looked at her.


    "Mama?"


    Eva looked at Michael, her expression darkening, and said, "Give up now. There''s still a way back. I will keep my promise if you send us back to our home country now, I can pretend that nothing ever happened." Michael stood there silently. His thin lips tightened slightly, and his gaze at Eva was filled with helplessness. "What if I don''t send you back?"


    Eva''s lips curled in sarcasm. "If you don''t send us back, then we''re no longer friends, and you will disappoint these two children as well."


    Dn, being more mature, simply listened to Eva''s words without asking anything.


    But Ruby, being yful and curious, was restless. Her little head was filled with confusion.


    "Uncle Michael, did you have a fight with mommy? Please don''t fight, I''m scared."


    The little girl''s soft voice was like a fluffy marshmallow, melting into Michael''s heart. Deep inside, Michael''s heart also softened.


    "Put Ruby down and let here to me."


    Just as Michael was about tofort the little girl, Eva made a request.


    At this moment, Michael''s hand was still on the little girl''s back as he spoke softly, "Eva, do we really have to be so tense?"


    Eva retorted, "Isn''t this what you wanted?"


    After saying that, she walked up, trying to snatch Ruby from Michael, but he took a step back. "I''m sorry, but you seem a bit emotionally unstable right now. I can''t give Ruby to you."


    Unstable? Wasn''t he the one with unstable emotions?


    Eva emphasized it seriously. "Ruby is my child. Do you understand?"


    "Mummy..."


    Although Ruby didn''t know what had happened between the two adults, she seemed to sense the severity of the situation. Naturally, she was anxious to return to Eva''s side and struggled to get out of Michael''s arms.


    "Ruby, don''t move," Michael said as he held her in his arms and stepped back. "Didn''t you say you wanted to have ice cream? I''ll take you to buy some. We''ll get some for mommy and your brother too, so mommy won''t be angry anymore, okay?"


    Seeing him retreat, Eva hurriedly caught up.


    "Michael, give Ruby back to me!"


    Michael walked out of the hotel holding Ruby, while Eva tried to catch up. However, David ran up and stopped her, and the two men guarding the door quickly caught up as well.


    "You guys, get out of the way!"


    Because it involved her daughter, Eva was no longer gentle at this moment. She even pushed David hard.


    However, David and the other two men firmly blocked her way. Her strength couldn''t match the three men, so she could only watch helplessly as Michael carried Ruby, who was crying for mommy, away.


    When everything quieted down, Eva was left exhausted, panting heavily. She even raised her hand and pped David.


    David remained calm, saying, "Ms. Hansen, all I can assure you is that Mr. Cooper won''t harm Ruby. Please don''t worry."


    Since both sides had already fallen out, Eva no longer treated David with kindness. "Let me through."


    "I''m sorry, Ms. Hansen. I can''t do that. You have only one option if you want to get through this door: get ready to head to our next destination."

 Chapter 389 Were Late

    Everyone stood at the door, deadlocked, for a few minutes.


    David was worried that Eva would resist again. If they tried to stop her, they would be the ones getting hurt. They could only stop her, not harm her.


    Fortunately Eva was not an impulsive woman.


    David looked at Eva and tried to persuade her. "Ms. Hansen, it''s okay to go with Michael.. You know that Mr. Cooper only has you in his heart. He won''t fall for anyone else. He will be good to you for the rest of his life." "So what? Does that mean I have to choose him? What about my freedom?"


    "Think about it, Eva. I know Mr. Cooper very well. He won''t change his decisions easily. If you continue to make a scene, it will only agitate him further."


    After speaking, he nced at the two men beside him, then leaned close to Eva and whispered, "Just follow him for now."


    Eva looked at him, and David nodded at her.


    In fact, she was indeed impulsive just now, which led to Michael leaving without looking back while holding Ruby.


    Michael''s appearance at that time was something she had never seen before. As David had described, he looked as if he had been stimted. "Mommy."


    Her hand was tugged. Eva lowered her head and saw Dn standing next to her looking up at her somewhat nervously.


    "Dn?"


    Eva picked him up and went back into the house. David quickly closed the door when he saw this.


    "Mommy, did you have a fight with Uncle Michael?" Dn asked cautiously.


    Eva shook her head.


    "No, we didn''t fight. The situation isplicated, but for now, Michael is doing something dangerous, and we need to stop him." Dn nodded as if he understood. "Okay."


    Then he said, "But mommy, he took Ruby away with him."


    Eva furrowed her brows. Judging from the current situation, Michael wouldn''t hurt Ruby..


    The reason he took her was to live with her, so he wouldn''t hurt any of the children.


    But, as he said, he would direct his anger toward someone else.


    "Mommy?"


    Eva snapped back to reality and stroked Dn''s head.


    "Sorry, I was just lost in thought."


    "Don''t worry. Michael shouldn''t harm Ruby," Eva thought to herself.


    For now, all she could do was wait-wait for someone toe to their rescue or wait for Michael to bring Ruby back.


    Soon, David opened the door and entered the room.


    "Ms. Hansen, the car is ready. Let''s go downstairs," he said.


    Eva checked the time on her phone. It had only been fifteen minutes.


    "Do we really have to leave?" she asked.


    David nodded. "Ms. Hansen, I can arrange for food to be delivered to the car. You can have your meal while we''re on the road."


    "What if I don''t want to eat in the car?"


    "In that case, you may consider having your meal after we reach our destination."


    Eva sneered. "It seems like I have no choice but to leave."


    David said softly, "Ms. Hansen, I have just contacted Mr. Cooper. He has bought ice cream for Miss Ruby, and he is on the way to our destination. If we leave now, we''ll probably arrive there ten minutester than them." Eva felt frustrated. They had already reached out for help, yet time seemed to slip away.


    Ruby had been with her before, but due to her own carelessness, she had lost her.


    Eva med herself deeply. Why did she even mention the ice cream?


    "Ms. Hansen?" David reminded her, seeing her lost in her thoughts. "We should leave, or else we won''t be able to catch up."


    Eva snapped back to reality and nodded silently.


    "Understood. Let me pack quickly."


    "Alright, we''ll wait outside. You have five minutes."


    After David left, Eva took Dn back to the room to pack their things. She took out an item from the suitcase, hung it in the closet, and stuffed something into the nearby drawer.


    Once she finished organizing, Eva grabbed the suitcase and walked outside with Dn.


    "Let''s go. We''re going to find Ruby."


    "Okay."


    As soon as the door opened, David took the suitcase. Since they were under soft confinement, Eva decided to let them handle everything.


    Before leaving, Eva nced back at the hotel room door. She wondered if they would notice the things she left behind.


    After checking out, she hoped they would arrive here before the room was cleaned by the staff.


    As for where they would go next, Eva had no immediate solution.


    Despite having been pped by Eva, David maintained a respectful attitude toward her.


    Once again, he helped her with her luggage and opened the car door for her. Someone even delivered food to the car.


    "Ms. Hansen, you haven''t eaten much all day, so I prepared something for you. If you want to eat, you can. Otherwise, the chef can prepare something you like when we reach our destination." After a long day, Eva was indeed hungry.


    For now, she couldn''t change the situation and could only take care of her own well-being.


    After they started driving, Eva finally picked up the fork and ate a little something.


    David watched her and felt quite relieved.


    Little did they know that ten minutes after they left, a group of people rushed into the hotel and began investigating Eva''s whereabouts.


    However, the hotel was already deserted.


    "Where are they?" Adrian''s expression turned grim as he questioned.


    Jacob followed by his side. "I think we''rete."


    Adrian clenched his fists tightly in frustration and murmured a name through his teeth. "Michael!"


    "Mr. ckwood, we found this." The person conducting the search brought something over.


    Jacob took it and handed it to Adrian.


    "Mr. ckwood, it''s a beige coat and an earring."


    Adrian took the items and immediately recognized them, as Eva used to wear them often.


    When they first met after her return, she was wearing these earrings.


    So Adrian had a deep impression of them.


    "Are they Ms. Hansen''s belongings?" Jacob asked.


    Adrian''s face was still grim. "They''re hers."

 Chapter 390 Make Him Get Sick of You

    The first half of the journey went smoothly, but as they continued, the road became rugged and winding. At first, Eva could endure it, but after ten minutes, she started feeling dizzy. Dn leaned against her, clearly not feeling well either.


    Although Eva felt ufortable, she took care of Dn. She massaged his temples and asked softly, "Are you feeling better?"


    But Dn was in too much difort to speak.


    Eva had no choice. She said to the driver, "Please slow down, my child is getting sick."


    Since they were in a hurry, even though the road was rough, the driver didn''t slow down much. They had wasted too much time, and David was worried about what was happening behind them.


    But when David turned his head and saw the child curled up in Eva''s arms, he couldn''t bear it anymore. He also noticed how pale Eva looked, so he asked the driver to slow down.


    After the speed was reduced, the car became more stable, and the situation improved slightly.


    Eva held Dn in her arms, suppressing the urge to vomit. She was pale, but she kept going.


    Eva''s heart grew heavy with worry for Ruby. She knew that the road would be ufortable for her too. When they left, Ruby was crying. Eva wondered how she was doing now, if she was scared and crying to the point of hups.


    The more she thought about it, the more chaotic Eva''s heart became. She closed her eyes and focused on ending this journey as soon as possible.


    After what seemed like a long time, the car finally stopped at a vi nestled in the mountains.


    As the door opened, Eva spotted a car parked at the entrance of the vi, with its gate wide open. Numerous bodyguards stood on either side, indicating high security. But at the same time, it meant that if she wanted to escapeter, it would be nearly impossible.


    "Ms. Hansen, we have arrived," said David, respectfully.


    Eva carried Dn and stepped out of the car. "Where is Ruby?"


    David replied, "Miss Ruby is with Mr. Cooper. By now, they should have already entered the vi. Ms. Hansen, let''s go inside now."


    Eva wanted to refuse because Ruby was inside. She had no idea how much suffering she had endured throughout this journey. So she reluctantly followed David into the vi.


    Throughout the walk, Eva observed her surroundings. The vi was surrounded by high walls, with dozens of bodyguards guarding the only exit.


    However, David''s voice distracted her.


    "Ms. Hansen, if you truly dislike Mr. Cooper, my suggestion is to make him tired of you and then leave."


    There was nobody around them.


    Eva was confused. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Make him tired of me? Do you have a way?"


    David paused briefly and then slowed down his pace. "I''ve been by Mr. Cooper''s side for many years. He is the kind of person who wants what he can''t have. You are here because Mr. Cooper has never had you."


    His words were incredibly absurd. Did that mean she had to let him have her in order to safely leave Michael?


    Eva responded coldly, "What you''re saying is useless. I won''t ept it."


    David noticed her expression and guessed what she was thinking. "Ms. Hansen, please don''t misunderstand. When I say ''have,'' I don''t mean it in the way you are thinking."


    Hearing this, Eva instinctively nced at Dn in her arms.


    Discussing such a topic in front of a child felt odd.


    "What I mean is, let Mr. Cooper experience the feeling of having something, the feeling of happiness," David exined further.


    "What do you mean?" Eva grew even more confused by his words.


    "Do you know about Mr. Cooper''s family situation?" David asked.


    Eva furrowed her brows. She had heard people gossip when she was younger, saying that Michael''s father was a scoundrel who neglected his children.


    He always indulged himself outside and never cared for his wife. He even got involved in a scandal with a young girl.


    Many people criticized this man, but there were also those who spoke up for him. "Don''t all wealthy men behave like this? They have status and position. They''re just seeking something new outside. Once they get tired of ying around, they naturallye back home without causing any big trouble."


    But Eva knew that not everyone was like Michael''s father. For example, her own father had remained single ever since her mother''s passing, not because of her, but because he deeply loved her mother.


    If one man can hold onto his boundaries even when his loved one isn''t by his side, why can''t other men do the same? It''s simply because they don''t want to.


    She wanted tofort Michael, but during that time, he would always talk about the interactions between Adrian and Vivian when he saw her, and she didn''t like hearing those.


    So she eventually stoppedforting him.


    Not long after, she heard that Michael''s parents were going through a divorce because the mistress came knocking at the door. She was pregnant and wanted to get married. It caused quite amotion. People in New York gossiped about them, and Michael, who was still in school, became the most talked-about person.


    During that time, Eva overheard private discussions.


    "Hey, Michael is so handsome."


    "But what''s the use? He''s just another scumbag."


    "A scumbag? I''ve never heard any news of him being in a rtionship. Do you guys have some insider information?"


    "It''s not him, it''s his father. His father is finding mistresses outside. I heard one of them is already pregnant and making a scene at their house."


    "That must be terrible for the legal wife."


    "Yeah, the mistress is causing a fuss about getting married. The legal wife is older. She is not as beautiful as the younger girls. I bet she''ll get divorced soon."


    "But what does this have to do with Michael?"


    "Are you dumb? Like father, like son. If his dad is a scumbag, he''ll be one too in the future. It''s better to stay away from this kind of man. And it''ll be terrible if the mistress gives birth to a son."


    "You''re right, I never thought about that. Michael will probably turn into someone like his father in the future."


    When Eva heard thestment, she furrowed her brows. Although others were just discussing, why did their words make her so angry?


    She couldn''t hold back and rushed out.


    "A father is a father, and a son is a son. How can youpare the two? Every person is an independent individual with their own personality. Besides, who knows what the future holds? It''s not good to pass judgment andbel others before anything even happens."


    The group of girls was surprised to see someone speaking up for Michael, and when they noticed it was Eva, they immediately showed mocking expressions.


    "Oh look, it''s the one who''s always with Michael. Defending him, huh?"


    "It''s the youngdy of the Hansen family. Howe your mother ran away and you still have the energy to meddle in other people''s affairs?"

 Chapter 391 The Truth of Suicide

    Eva had only stepped outside to defend herself after overhearing some harsh words, but she hadn''t anticipated these girls would attack her family so directly. She clenched her teeth and shot them a piercing look. "Excuse me?"


    "Oh, did I hit a nerve? It figures someone from a messed-up family like yours would side with Michael. You two are a pair of oddballs."


    "And if you were with Michael, who do you think would be the first to stray?"


    Before Eva could respond, a deafening thud sounded behind her. She spun around to find a gaping hole punched in the school''s metal trash can.


    Standing there, with a frosty demeanor, was Michael.


    His re was icy as it swept from Eva to the gossiping girls, and then, incongruously, his lips curled into a smirk.


    "If you''re dying to know, why don''t you ask my fists?"


    "Psycho!" The girls recoiled at his sudden appearance and scurried away, muttering curses.


    Once they were gone, Michael approached Eva. The intense aggression had evaporated from his face, reced again by the gentle, innocent boy she knew.


    "Why stick your neck out for me? They were trash-talking me, not you. Why''d you even bother?"


    Eva''s brow knitted in frustration. "They were wrong about me, so I spoke up. What''s it to you?"


    With that, she turned and walked away.


    Michael escorted her home that day.


    It was the first andst time she saw Michael lose his cool. He never let it happen again.


    At the time, the confrontation seemed like just a blip in Eva''s life. But in hindsight, she realized Michael''s upbringing must have been rough.


    A fractured family can be worse than a single-parent home. At least she had her father''s unwavering love.


    Lost in thought, Eva faced David. "I know some stuff. So what?"


    David got the message.


    "Seems like Ms. Hansen isn''t fully in the loop."


    "I know enough about his family drama from school."


    "Do you know his mom killed herself shortly after they moved overseas?"


    The word "suicide" made Eva''s heart lurch. "What did you say?"


    "You didn''t know."


    Eva was silent. She truly had no clue. She knew the Coopers had left for abroad, but that was thest she''d heard.


    She had seen Michael yearster, seemingly stable. She had assumed they''d patched things up.


    Curiosity about their private affairs felt invasive, so she never pried. She never imagined his mother had taken her own life. "Was it because of... that affair?" She wanted to ask about the affair but stopped short in front of Dn.


    David caught on and nodded.


    "His mother was devastated, and it pushed her over the edge. We can talk moreter if you want."


    Eva realized this wasn''t a conversation for young ears.


    "Sure, find some time to fill me in."


    "Will do, Ms. Hansen."


    They continued down the hall towards the vi.


    From a distance, Eva saw Michael waiting at the door with Ruby by his side.


    Unruffled by her approach, Michael''s concern was apparent. "You made it. You don''t look so good. Are you feeling alright?" Despite his surveince, he always yed it cool. Eva was about to snap back but remembered David''s news. She bit her tongue. Never mind. Arguing won''t help.


    Ruby, meanwhile, leapt into Eva''s arms. "Mommy!"


    Eva noticed Ruby''s reddened eyes. "What''s wrong, sweetie?"


    Ruby sniffled. "I don''t feel good."


    "Let''s get you some hot cocoater, okay?"


    Ruby nodded.


    Michael had clearly been taking care of her.


    A man approached, introducing himself. "Hello, Ms. Hansen. I''m Steven, your butler. Anything you need, just ask."


    Eva remained stoic. Steven hadn''t done anything wrong, but the sadness was too fresh.


    She didn''t need to ingratiate herself with anyone here. Any issues with the staff were Michael''s problem.


    Steven, misreading her coldness, touched his head, puzzled.


    Michael intervened. "They''ve had a long journey. Let''s let them rest."


    Steven quickly apologized for his oversight and led them to their rooms.


    Eva dismissed the opulence of her room, kicked off her shoes, and copsed onto the bed. It was soft and bouncedfortingly.


    If only this were a holiday and not a gilded cage.


    She was about to drift off when there was a knock at the door.


    "Who is it?"


    "Ms. Hansen, it''s me," David called from outside.


    Why him?


    Eva sat up. "Come in."


    David entered, and Eva moved to the couch.


    "Mr. Cooper''s out, so let''s talk. Brace yourself, though."


    Eva braced for the worst. What could be more harrowing than suicide?

 Chapter 392 Never Love Him Again

    Chapter 392 Never Love Him Again


    After about ten minutes, David left Eva''s room.


    After he left, Eva sank into deep silence on the sofa.


    With such things happening, it''s no wonder Michael''s personality is abnormal.


    It turned out that, in addition to multiple suicide attempts, Michael''s mother also had a period of madness. She not only spoke nonsense, but she also harmed her own son.


    Michael endured her beatings and numerous injuries, perhaps out of pity for his mother''s young age and madness. He didn''t fight back or make a fuss.


    It was Grandpa Cooper who found out and rescued him.


    The day Grandpa Cooper took him away, Michael''s mothermitted suicide, shocking the entire Cooper family.


    Unlike Michael''s father, Grandpa Cooper always valued his character. So he immediately took over Michael''s father''s power and then took the young Michael away.


    He saw Michael as the next heir of the Cooper Group. As for the mistress who was pregnant and wanted to enter the wealthy family, Grandpa Cooper intended to get rid of her directly. However, because she was pregnant, he spared her and took her for a paternity test. After the test confirmed that the child belonged to the Coopers, she was allowed to stay.


    During this period, Michael, who had suffered from the trauma caused by his family and mother, had no one tofort him. He only had day after day of heir training. In the end, Michael did grow into a qualified heir, but his heart turned cold. As for why David thought he was crazy, it all started with the mistress who gave birth to a daughter. Because she hadn''t given birth to a son, the mistress didn''t give up. After giving birth to a daughter, she became pregnant once again. After bing pregnant again, the mistress wanted to show off in front of Michael. However, her young daughter didn''t understand things and saw Michael every day. She even considered him as family, so she wanted him to hold her. The little girl had already been around for several years. She stood by Michael''s side, stretching out her small hand, asking to be held. Michael, with a smile on his lips, touched the girl''s face and asked, "Who told you to call me that?" "Who told you to call me that?" Since he didn''t get a response, Michael asked again patiently.


    Unfortunately, the little girl still couldn''t answer. Michael smiled faintly and said, "Is this the waste that she went all out to give birth to? She''s already several years old and can''t even understand a simple question."


    When David, who was following behind him, heard this question, he didn''t know how to respond for a moment because it was too awkward. He actually wanted to say that a few-year-old child shouldn''t have such high expectations, especially if they''re half-siblings. If this was Michael''s full-blooded sister, would he still call her a waste?


    But at this point, it was still just words. However, afterwards, the little girl wanted to crawl into his arms for a hug. And at that moment, Michael calmly pushed her away.


    The child fell to the ground and cried out, not understanding anything except the pain. This child had strong genes. Despite being born from a mistress, she had no resemnce to her at all. On the contrary, she resembled Michael''s father. In other words, this little girl had simr features to Michael, so much so that outsiders would mistake them for siblings.


    Doubt started to arise.


    After the little girl cried, Michael squatted down and watched her crying as if he was watching a y, shedding tears. Though the sound of a child''s crying is extremely irritating, he seemed to be enjoying some sort of melodious tune. When he had had enough enjoyment, he would signal for someone to cover the child''s mouth and then take her away. Since then, the child had nevere to see Michael again.


    This incident made David feel like Michael was in a crazy state.


    At least mentally, he didn''t seem quite normal.


    He should see a psychiatrist, but David didn''t dare to suggest it. He was afraid that he might also end up in trouble.


    Eva couldn''t understand Michael''s state of mind at this point. Did he lock himself up simply because he liked her, or was it because he couldn''t bear to see her being taken away?


    Thinking about this, Eva pinched her eyebrows. If he had psychological issues, things would certainly be a bit moreplicated.


    After staying in her room for a while, Eva went to her two children and stayed with them.


    Before long, a housekeeper came to find her, saying that some pre-dinner desserts had been prepared in the kitchen and inviting them toe downstairs and enjoy them.


    Eva hesitated for a moment. Instead of epting the invitation, she asked the housekeeper, "Where is Michael? I want to see him."


    "Well, Mr. Cooper went out for something," the housekeeper replied.


    Eva noticed a flicker of uneasiness on Steven''s face when she asked this question.


    She instantly became wary and asked, "What happened? Why did he go out?"


    But Steven had already regained hisposure. "Ms. Hansen, I''m not quite sure. I''m just a housekeeper, and I''m not privy to his personal schedule."


    Didn''t the housekeeper know his schedule?


    Eva sneered inwardly. "Fine, since you don''t know his schedule, forget it then."


    Steven asked, "Ms. Hansen, what about the desserts?"


    "No need, we''re not hungry, and you don''t need to call us for meals."


    Steven felt like he had offended her just now. He didn''t know what else to say and left.


    After the door closed, Ruby immediately embraced Eva''s waist tightly.


    Eva lowered her gaze and found it somewhat amusing. "What''s wrong? Aren''t you usually fond of desserts? Why didn''t you react at all today?" Ruby whispered, "Uncle Michael was so mean to mommy. I don''t like him anymore."


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused. "How can you say he''s mean?"


    "I kept crying toe back and find you, but he refused. He is a bad person!"


    A bad person.


    These words touched a nerve in Eva.


    Originally, Michael should have been a trustworthy and dependable figure for the two children, but now he had be a bad person.

 Chapter 393 Have You Found Him?

    Eva''s heart was heavy; the thought of her rtionship with Michael souring like this was unbearable.


    "Mommy, do we have to stay with Uncle Michael? Can''t we visit Uncle NightA instead?" Ruby''s voice was hopeful.


    Eva tightened her hug and whispered back, "Sure, honey. We''ll find a time to see Uncle NightA."


    Meanwhile, Emily was racked with worry. Had she managed to reach Adrian? Was he aware of her and the child''s situation?


    They had raced to the coordinates Eva provided immediately after their ne touched down.


    Once their car pulled up in front of the hotel, Emily double-checked thendmarks Eva had described and confirmed they were urate. Impressed by Eva''s sharp eye, Emily unbuckled and stepped out of the vehicle.


    She was about to stride toward the hotel when Nathan''s firm grip stopped her.


    "Wait. We can''t just barge in," he cautioned.


    "Why not? Am I supposed to just sit around here doing nothing?" Emily''s voice trembled with urgency.


    Nathan gave her a measured look. "I''ll go check it out. Stay here and wait for my signal. If I''m not back in thirty, call the cops."


    "But you can''t go alone!" Emily protested, her fear evident.


    Nathan''s grip tightened reassuringly. "Emily, if we both go in and things go south, who''s gonna call for backup? We need someone on the outside."


    She knew he was right, but her loyalty to Eva tugged at her. "It should be me. You wait here."


    Nathan gave her a look of gentle exasperation. "Honestly, do you think you can stay cool-headed in there? What if it gets physical?"


    She hesitated, the reality of the situation sinking in. "I... might not be the best in a fight."


    "So, are we done with the heroics now?"


    "Fine. You go. But after twenty minutes, I''m calling 911."


    Nathan nodded, his demeanor calm. "There''s a caf�� across the street. Wait there. And remember, don''t follow me. If I''m not out, call the police, no heroics."


    He seemed to sense her impulsive streak and added firmly, "Got it? No rash moves."


    Emily wanted to argue, to insist that she was capable, but she swallowed her pride and nodded. "Okay, I get it. Just... be careful."


    With a reassuring smile, Nathan headed toward the hotel.


    Emily watched him go, her heart in her throat. She couldn''t argue; he was here because he chose to help. "Just... keep safe. And look after Eva."


    Nathan''s smile widened slightly at her concern. "Will do."


    Once he was out of sight, Emily took his advice and settled into a caf�� seat by the window. She ordered a coffee but ignored it, her attention fixed on the hotel. Minutes ticked by slowly. Five... ten... Nathan was still inside. Had Eva been found out?


    A waiter''s offer of a refill snapped her back to reality. She hadn''t touched her coffee.


    "No, thanks," she declined, then reconsidered. It would look odd to sit without touching her drink. "Actually, could I get some dessert instead? Coffee on an empty stomach doesn''t sit well with me." She nibbled at the dessert when it arrived, forcing herself to look casual, then washed it down with a few sips of the now-lukewarm coffee.


    Her focus returned to the hotel. Only five more minutes. She''d have to call the cops if Nathan didn''t appear soon.


    Eva had asked her not to involve the police, but Emily would do what she must.


    Her phone''s ring nearly made her jump out of her skin. She grabbed it, seeing Nathan''s name.


    "Stingy guy?" she blurted out, then pped a hand over her mouth. She''d just used his nickname without thinking. There was a brief pause, then Nathan''s voice came through, "Come over."


    "Really? Can I? Did you find Eva?"


    "No," he replied, his tone level. "The hotel room''s empty. Looks like she''s been gone a while."


    Emily hung up and dashed across the street.


    Nathan was waiting at the doorway, looking slightly bemused with the hotel staff at his side.


    "That''s the ce," he said simply.


    Emily swept past them into the room. It was clearly vacant.


    "Any clues?" she asked.


    "Let''s look around."


    They searched meticulously but turned up nothing.


    "This isn''t like Eva. She would''ve left something behind if she was in trouble," Emily said, knowing her friend''s resourcefulness. "Which means someone''s cleaned up after her," Nathan concluded.


    They went back to the staff. "Did anyone return after they checked out?"


    "No, they left and didn''te back," a staff member replied.


    "But what?" Emily sensed there was more to the story.


    "Well, after they left, another group came by. They were... different. Tougher," the staff member said, uncertain.


    "A different group?" Emily''s mind raced. "Could they be Michael''s enemies?"


    Nathan caught her eye. "Emily, have you reached out to Adrian?"


    Emily hesitated, a thought dawning on her. "You mean..."


    "With Adrian''s resources, he might''ve beaten us here."


    Hope flickered in Emily''s eyes. "That would be a relief. I was afraid..."


    "Let''s not waste any more time." Nathan was already heading out the door. Emily followed, her spirits lifting slightly with the possibility of a new ally in their search.

 Chapter 394 A Reluctant Heart-to-Heart

    Eva had been waiting for Michael, but as time ticked by, his absence began to feel increasingly odd. He had been the one to bring her here, and now he was nowhere to be found. What could he possibly have to deal with that would keep him away for so long? Even the butler seemed to be hiding something, his expressions betraying him. What on earth had happened?


    Determined to get some answers, Eva decided to step out. She couldn''t just sit and wait for her fate to unfold. After making sure the two little ones were okay together, she stood up to go out. To her surprise, just as she stepped out, she ran into Michael, who wasing toward her. He had changed his clothes and taken off his sses.


    Upon seeing Eva, Michael''s face, usually devoid of expression, lit up with a smile.


    "Eva," he greeted her, his voice warm.


    Eva took in his changed appearance and asked, "Where did you go?"


    "I stepped out to take care of something," Michael replied, his tone nonchnt.


    "Did you have to change clothes for that?" Eva inquired, her curiosity piqued.


    Michael hesitated for a moment, then offered a gentle smile. "I see you noticed. I didn''t think you paid that much attention to what I wear. I''m happy."


    Eva was taken aback by his deflection but didn''t let it deter her. "Are you free now? I have something to tell you."


    Michael''s astonishment was evident. "You want to talk to me? Of course, I''m free. I''m always free for you."


    Eva''s voice was cold. "Then let''s find a quiet ce to talk."


    "Where do you want to go?" Michael asked, ready to follow her lead.


    "This is your home," Eva reminded him.


    "Let''s go downstairs and talk over a meal," he suggested.


    "I''m not hungry," Eva said, scanning the area. She noticed an open-air balcony nearby. "Let''s talk there."


    "Sure, wherever you prefer," Michael agreed, nodding. As they walked toward the balcony, Michael took off his coat and ced it over Eva''s shoulders. "It''s cooler outside. Wear this."


    Eva initially wanted to shrug off the coat, but thinking about the conversation ahead and the trials he had endured as a teenager, she decided to keep it on.


    They arrived at the balcony, enveloped by the darkness of the night. The vi, nestled in the mountains, was shrouded in silence, with only the scent of grass and earth in the air.


    "I already know everything about your situation," Eva began, her voice steady.


    Michael looked puzzled. "What situation?"


    "Your mother''s situation," Eva rified, cutting straight to the heart.


    Michael''s smile faded, and his face stiffened slightly. "After returning to America, you never mentioned the past. It wasn''t appropriate to ask, and you''ve kept your experiences to yourself all these years."


    Michael stopped looking at her, his gaze drifting off into the distance. His face remained unreadable, but Eva could feel a change in his demeanor, a sudden chill in the air.


    "Eva, not everyone deserves to know my story," he said quietly.


    "Not even your close friends?" she pressed.


    "Close friends?" Michael''s voice took on a bitter edge. "Are you referring to those who tried to steal my woman?"


    Eva''s frown deepened, but before she could respond, Michael stepped closer. His breath was cool against her face as he spoke, "Eva, I didn''t want to tell you, but I didn''t expect you to find out on your own. Did David tell you?"


    Eva felt a coldness emanating from him, a detachment that seemed to put an invisible barrier between them. "I wanted to know about it. It has nothing to do with him," she insisted.


    Michael''s gaze softened as he looked at her. "Eva, no matter what, you will always be the kind one."


    In his youth, he didn''t care about the gossip and rumors. When those girls were gossiping, Eva could have ignored it, walked away, but instead, she stood up for him, defended him. How could he let go of a woman like that? She was like the sun, and he was the demon in the dark. Who in the dark doesn''t yearn for the light?


    "This has nothing to do with kindness," Eva countered. "I asked him myself, and now you''re holding it against me. What else could he do?"


    "Hmm," Michael nodded, as if conceding the point. "If you put it that way, it is indeed a good exnation."


    Despite his words, Eva felt that he didn''t really care about her exnation. She shouldn''t be thinking about that now; she would deal with itter. Right now, his heart was the problem.


    "During that time..." Eva began, biting her lip. "If you need it, we can all be there for you as friends. Even though it has been many years, but..."


    "Eva," Michael suddenly interrupted, his usually calm demeanor slipping. "That matter is in the past. Let''s not bring it up again, okay? When you''re with me, I won''t let anythinge between us, and I won''t treat you like my father treated my mother. I will be a good husband and a good father."


    He had no intention of discussing the matter further.


    It seemed his heart was truly closed off.


    "Michael, I believe you will be a good husband and a good father, but you shouldn''t waste all your time and energy on me. I can''t give you what you want. Do you understand?"


    "The wind is strong outside, and it''s gettingte. Steven told me you haven''t eaten yet. Why don''t you go downstairs and have something to eat?"


    "No matter how you restrict me, my heart will never be with you. Didn''t I make that clear?"


    "It seems like you''re really not hungry today. In that case, I''ll have Steven bring some desserts to your roomter. You can have a little to fill your stomach and then rest." He really doesn''t listen.


    No, he should have listened, but he refused tomunicate with her.


    The two of them talked about their own things without interfering with each other.


    This made Eva feel exhausted.


    She simply stood still, closed her eyes in resignation, and said, "If you refuse tomunicate with me, I won''t see you again."

 Chapter 395 Are You Going to Have Someone Track Me Down?

    Michael finally broke the silence, addressing Eva''s pointed words.


    "Eva, given that we''re living together, it''s inevitable that we''ll cross paths," he said with a calm that belied the tension between them.


    "Is that supposed to justify your actions? We still have a chance to reset, to at least remain friends. Why let it deteriorate to the point of no return?" Eva''s voice was a mix of exasperation and plea. Michael closed the gap between them, his hand on her shoulder firm, yet not forceful. "Eva, I will never willingly let go of you."


    Before she could react, he lifted her with an ease that spoke of his resolve and strode toward the bedroom.


    Eva''s heart pounded with a mix of fear and anger. She writhed against his hold, but it was like trying to escape the tide - inevitable and fruitless.


    Powerless, she watched the room approach, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.


    As they neared the bed, Eva''s voice sharpened with a clear warning. "What are you thinking? Michael, I mean it - if you overstep, I will fight back with everything I have."


    Michael paused, his steps halting as if her words had erected a barrier. He looked at her, a hint of pain in his eyes. "Eva, am I that kind of man to you? Do you truly believe I would force myself on you?" "Can I be sure?" Eva countered, seizing the moment to break away as he loosened his grip. Her coat slipped from her shoulders and fell to the floor, a soft but significant thud in the quiet room.


    Michael''s gaze followed the coat to the ground, and he stooped to pick it up, his movements slow, almost reluctant.


    "If it''s against your will, I won''t pursue it," he said gently, standing back up with the coat in his hands.


    "Really? Then let me and my children leave," Eva demanded, her voice steady yetced with an undercurrent of desperation.


    "Except for this, I can agree to anything else. Get some rest. Good night," Michael replied, his voice a quiet echo in the room as he turned and left.


    The door closed with a soft click, and Eva was left alone, her breathing still erratic from the confrontation.


    If he had truly intended to harm her, would she have been able to defend herself? And when would she be free to leave this ce?


    Rest was out of the question. Eva got up and began to pace the room. Situated on the second floor, the windows and balcony were secured with burr-proof ss, a clear message that escape was impossible.


    She had to check on Ruby and Dn. Their room was a mirror image of her own, a testament to Michael''s meticulous nning.


    The realization sent a chill down her spine. Had Michael orchestrated this entire situation long before now?


    The thought was unsettling.


    "Mummy?" The voices of her children interrupted her spiraling thoughts.


    Eva shook off her fear and put on a brave face. "You two need to sleep. I have something to take care of, so I''ll be stepping out. Dn, you''re the man of the room now, okay?"


    The tense atmosphere had subdued the children, and they nodded, their usual energy dampened by the gravity of the situation.


    Eva left the room and made her way downstairs. She needed to understand theyout of the house, to see what areas were still essible. Michael was probably dealing with David, and although she didn''t know what David would face, she had to believe he was ready for any consequences.


    Her feelings for David wereplex. At first, she had seen him as an aplice to Michael''s misdeeds, but now, she wondered if he was an unwilling participant, coerced into his role as Michael''s right-hand man.


    As she descended the stairs, Steven appeared. "Ms. Hansen, can I get you anything? Are you looking for ate-night snack?"


    Eva dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "I''m not hungry," she said, her tone dismissive.


    Steven looked puzzled, clearly not understanding her motives. "Then what brings you down here?"


    "I couldn''t sleep and wanted to stretch my legs," Eva replied, her voice betraying a hint of her inner turmoil.


    "Would you like me to apany you?" Steven offered, ever the dutiful servant.


    "No, thank you. I prefer solitude," Eva responded, her voice firm.


    Steven hesitated, then spoke up cautiously. "It''s quite dark outside, and some areas aren''t well-lit."


    Eva''s response was icy. "Are you insinuating that I can''t find my way around?"


    Quick to remedy his misstep, Steven retrieved a shlight from a nearby cab. "Please take this. It''ll help you see in the darker areas."


    Eva epted the shlight, her expression unreadable. "You''re not going to have someone follow me, right?"


    Steven''s smile was reassuring. "You have my word, Ms. Hansen. You can walk freely. I won''t have anyone track you."


    Eva understood the implication of his words: she could walk wherever she wished within the vi''s confines, but ultimately, she was still a prisoner within these walls. Nevertheless, she took the shlight, determined to find a way out. After Eva left, Steven made a phone call.


    "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen has decided to take a walk. I''ve given her a shlight. Is that okay?"


    There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Then a voice replied, "Let her go. She''lle back."


    "Understood, Mr. Cooper."


    True to their words, Eva returned after about an hour, her clothes bearing the marks of her futile attempt to find an escape route.


    Steven greeted her with a smile that seemed to mock her efforts. "Ms. Hansen, wee back. Was your walk refreshing? Or perhaps you''ve worked up an appetite now?"


    His tone was polite, but the implication was clear: her attempt to escape had been nothing more than a wasted effort.


    Eva smiled thinly at Steven and then went upstairs, her mind already racing with ns for her next move.

 Chapter 396 He is Faster Than We Thought

    Eva wasn''t the only one with a troubled mind that night.


    Emily and Nathan were lost in thought as well.


    The clock had long since passed midnight, and although they had booked separate rooms, Emily found herself restless, her mind preupied with Eva''s predicament. Post-shower, she decided to seek out Nathan for a discussion. She found him fresh from the shower as well, d only in a towel wrapped around his waist, his chest bare.


    Nathan opened his mouth to greet her, but Emily, charged with urgency, breezed past him into the room, apparently unfazed by his state of undress.


    Without preamble, sheunched into her concerns about Eva.


    "Where do you think they''ve taken her?" Emily paced the room, her voiceced with worry. "I haven''t really kept in touch with Michael over thest five years. If I knew him better, maybe I could guess his moves, figure out where he might''ve taken Eva."


    Nathan lingered by the door, a silent statue, as Emily seemed oblivious to his bare chest.


    He gave her a bemused look, wondering if she was simply that unbothered or if she didn''t see him in a romantic light at all.


    With a mental shrug, Nathan closed the door and grabbed a robe from the closet.


    Thest thing he needed was for her to snap back to reality and use him of indecent exposure.


    Donning the robe and cinching it at the waist, he left a hint of his chest exposed.


    Emily, meanwhile, was deep into her monologue in the room.


    It took her a moment to realize her soliloquy had been met with silence. By the time she turned to Nathan, he was decently robed, and she couldn''t pinpoint anything amiss. "Why haven''t you said anything?" she asked, a hint of frustration in her voice.


    Nathan settled in front of her, his expression serious. "Guesswork isn''t going to find her."


    Her energy deted at his words. In the sprawling urban jungle, finding someone without solid leads was like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    Nathan, sensing her despondency, poured a ss of water and took a sip, mulling over their next move.


    "Aren''t you going to report it?" he finally asked.


    Emily''s hesitation was palpable. She had initially followed Eva''s advice not to involve the police, but they were getting nowhere fast. Could she really justify not reporting it any longer? "Have you tried reaching out to Adrian again?" he prompted.


    "Right, I should call Adrian." Emily pulled out her phone and dialed. Previous attempts had gone unanswered, and she braced for more of the same.


    To her surprise, the call connected, and a familiar, cool voice answered.


    "Hello."


    It had been five years, but she recognized Adrian''s voice instantly.


    A brief pause as she collected herself. "Adrian? It''s Emily. You''ve picked up. Eva''s been..."


    She intended to exin Eva''s abduction, but Adrian cut her off. "I know what you''re about to say."


    "You do?" Confusionced her question. How could he know?


    "Yes."


    "Then you''ll help? Do you know where she is?" she pressed.


    "Where are you now? I''ll send a car," Adrian replied, all business.


    "We''re at thest ce she was seen," Emily said, deliberately vague, testing him.


    Without asking for specifics, Adrian simply acknowledged and said a car would be there shortly.


    After the call, Emily was visibly shaken. Nathan, with a wry smile, observed, "Looks like he was ahead of us."


    "But howe we couldn''t get through to him?" Emily wondered aloud.


    "Maybe he was on a flight," Nathan suggested.


    That made sense. Adrian knew about Eva but couldn''t answer mid-flight. Oncended, why hadn''t he checked his messages, though?


    Emily''s thoughts spiraled, but she pushed them aside. "Let''s get ready and head downstairs."


    She returned to her room to gather her things, leaving Nathan with a few brisk instructions. Nathan watched her go, a mix of emotions crossing his face before he started to pack. Within ten minutes, Adrian''s car arrived - a sleek ck sedan that cut through the night. Inside, Nathan and Adrian exchanged curt nods, a silent acknowledgment between them. Adrian''s nod to Emily was equally brief.


    "When did Evast contact you?" he inquired.


    Emily recounted the timeline and her failed attempts to reach him.


    "Didn''t you think not answering could lead to missed emergencies? If Eva hadn''t called today..."


    "I wouldn''t let anything happen to her. I was on a flight," Adrian cut in, his tone defensive.


    "But afternding? You didn''t check your messages?" Emily''s tone was usatory, her patience thin.


    Adrian''s response came after a moment''s reflection, his expression contrite. "I apologize. I got a message about her being here and rushed over. I didn''t check my phone." Emily had braced for an argument, not an apology, and his contrition took her aback.

 Chapter 397 Sending People Out

    She had braced herself for Adrian''s trademark indifference, the same cold detachment he had five years ago when she half-expected him to shrug off any concern with a dismissive "So what?" Back then, Adrian was exactly that type of man-aloof, unapproachable.


    Yet, to her surprise, he apologized.


    Emily was momentarily speechless. She waved her hand, as if to swat away the awkwardness of the moment.


    "When we got to the hotel to find her, the room was already turned over. The staff said a group had beat us to it, rummaged through everything. Was that you?" she asked.


    Adrian nodded. "I found a few of her things," he admitted.


    "What things?"


    He hadn''t brought Eva''s coat-it was too bulky. Instead, he''d pocketed the earring she''d left in the closet. Eva was clever that way, leaving something in in sight to throw off a cursory search while tucking away smaller items. "Her earring, the one I gave her!" Emily gasped, recognizing it instantly. "You found this in her room?" "Yes."


    "Do you know where she is now?" Emily''s grip tightened on the earring, her eyes misting over. "Eva told me not to involve the police, but with things as they are, should we really keep them out of it? Yet, if I do call them and something happens to Michael, will she ever forgive me?"


    "Don''t call the cops?" Adrian''s eyes narrowed at her words. "Did she tell you that herself?"


    Emily suddenly grasped the weight of her admission. Adrian was Michael''s adversary; if he knew Eva had insisted on not calling the police, how would he react?


    Rushing to rify, she said, "Yes, she did, but I agreed. Michael has looked after her for five years. His recent actions are just... out of character. He hasn''t hurt her. If we get the police involved and Michael gets hurt, how would Eva cope with that?"


    Adrian''s jealousy red at the mention of not calling the police. He hadn''t called them either, confident in his own resources to handle the situation. This was a private matter, after all, with a history entangled with Michael''s. Esction was thest thing he wanted.


    "Did you hear me? Don''t call the cops. If something happens to Michael, it''llplicate things between you two," Adrian said, his gaze icy.


    His demeanor suggested concession, even if he didn''t agree.


    Emily shrank back next to Nathan, unnerved. "See how intense he is? I can''t fathom what Eva sees in him."


    Nathan remained stoic, even as a subtle scent wafted from Emily''s proximity.


    Adrian, noting their closeness, remarked, "To each their own, I guess."


    Emily couldn''t help but roll her eyes at the titude.


    After a moment, she ventured, "You seem calm. Got a n?"


    "Search," was Adrian''s terse reply.


    Search, of course, but where in this sprawling city?


    "It''s like looking for a needle in a haystack," she muttered.


    Adrian''s silence was a frustrating contrast to his steely expression. Emily was about to retort when Nathan''s nce stopped her. Their eyes met, and she typed a message on her phone, "What now?"


    Nathan''s reply came written below hers: "Do you think he''s not worried? If he were, would he be sitting here soposed?" Emily had to admit Nathan''s point made sense. Adrian had more reason to be anxious than she did.


    Even if he wasn''t concerned for Eva, there was his child to consider.


    His confidence meant she didn''t need to fret.


    Adrian found a temporary safe ce for them before leaving.


    Jacob, too, reassured her, "If you need anything, let me know. Stay put for now."


    "Mr. ckwood, do you know where Eva is?" Emily inquired.


    Jacob, aware of their friendship, was forting. "We have a lead, but it''s not precise. We''re still searching."


    That exined Adrian''s confidence. He had a lead.


    "Why didn''t he tell me?"


    "It''ll take time to pinpoint her exact location," Jacob said candidly.


    "How long?"


    Emily was a bundle of nerves, despite knowing Adrian was on it.


    Jacob hesitated, then offered, "Hard to say, but knowing Mr. ckwood, it won''t be long. Stay calm, we''ll keep you updated."


    Stay calm? Easier said than done. "Can I do anything?"


    Jacob shook his head. "We''ve got it covered."


    Emily retreated to her room, her thoughts with Eva. "Be safe," she wished silently.


    The next morning


    Eva hadn''t stayed in her room, opting instead for thefort of the children''s room, a precaution against the previous night''s fears.


    The children were quick to slumber with their mother close, but Evay awake until the brink of dawn.


    A knock roused her after mere hours of sleep.


    "Ms. Hansen, good morning. Breakfast is ready."


    Barely awake and not hungry, Eva knew the children needed their routine.


    With that in mind, she roused herself, taking the children downstairs to start the day.

 Chapter 398 Is Love All You Know?

    At the breakfast table


    Michael slid into his chair, anticipating the arrival of the others, and when he caught sight of them, his face lit up with a warm smile. "Good morning, everyone."


    Ruby and Dn sensed the tension in the air, and when Michael greeted them, they averted their eyes, offering no response.


    Unperturbed, Michael rose to pull out chairs for them.


    Ruby and Dn nced at Eva, as if looking for a cue.


    It was only after Eva gave a subtle nod that they hesitantly took their seats.


    Eva settled beside them. Her appetite had waned over the past few days due to stress, but today, hunger nudged her to reach for her favorites with a newfound boldness. Michael watched, surprised to see Eva tucking in.


    She scoffed inwardly. He probably figured she''d stage a hunger strike as some form of protest, right?


    Sure, she could use a hunger strike as leverage against Michael. If he truly cared, he wouldn''t stand to see her starve.


    But self-starvation wasn''t Eva''s style. She had two kids to consider. If she neglected her health, what would be of them?


    She had brought them into this world; it was her duty to shield them as best she could. Eating well and staying strong were part of that duty.


    She didn''t just eat for herself; she also made sure to offer the tastiest bits to her little ones. "Eat up, you two."


    The kids seemed to eat with an unusual fervor, as though it might be theirst meal, devouring their food with eagerness.


    "Take it easy," Michael cautioned, worried they might choke.


    But his words fell on deaf ears. They polished off their tes, wiped their mouths, and stood ready to leave.


    "Let''s go." Eva was up first, with the children trailing close behind, vanishing in moments.


    The room was steeped in an awkward silence until Steven finally ventured a word.


    "Sir..."


    He was cut off before he could continue. "There''s no need for chatter during a meal," Michael stated firmly.


    Steven mped his mouth shut, not daring another word.


    Michael appeared unfazed, leisurely finishing his breakfast before dabbing his mouth with a napkin and standing. "Have some dessert sent up around ten," he instructed.


    "Of course, sir," Stevenplied, though he couldn''t help but sigh inwardly at Michael''s poise. ncing at the rumpled napkin left behind, Steven''s expression shifted subtly as he tidied up the dining space. After a hearty meal, Eva and the children retreated to their room, strategizing.


    "Mummy, if we keep treating Uncle Michael like this, won''t he get mad?" Ruby''s voice was tinged with concern.


    Eva''s response was calcted. "Mad? That might be for the best. Perhaps if he''s angry enough, he''ll let us go." She hadn''t explicitly told the children they were prisoners, but they were intuitive enough to sense it. They had mirrored her actions wlessly: eating in unison and exiting together, a silent affront to Michael.


    This unity with her children filled Eva with a sense of triumph.


    She stroked Ruby''s hair, a smile of satisfaction gracing her features. "You both did great today. Let''s keep this up."


    Ruby beamed at the praise, clutching Eva''s wrist. "Thank you, mummy. I''ll do even better."


    Dn, observing the tender moment, yfully pinched Ruby''s cheek.


    "Hey! That''s not nice," Ruby protested, batting Dn''s hand away and snuggling closer to Eva.


    Lunch and dinner followed the same script.


    They didn''t openly resist; they''d show up at the table, but they treated Michael as if he were a ghost, never acknowledging his attempts at conversation. Their lives might have seemed ordinary, but to them, Michael might as well have been invisible.


    The next day, the pattern persisted, driving Steven to break the silence during one of Michael''s solitary meals.


    "Mr. Cooper, doesn''t this bother you?"


    "Why should it?" Michael asked, his voice even.


    Steven frowned, "They''re ignoring you. Doesn''t that make you angry?"


    A faint smile yed on Michael''s lips. "They''re right here, next to me. I have them, and they''re so full of life. What''s there to be angry about?" Steven was at a loss for words.


    "As long as they''re close, they can treat me however they please. There''s no cause for concern," Michael assured him.


    "Understood, sir."


    If Michael wasn''t troubled by the situation, Steven, an outsider, had no ce toment further.


    For two days, Eva hadn''t caught a glimpse of David, not at meals or during her brief strolls.


    On the third day, her patience wore thin. After breakfast, she instructed the children, "You two go on up."


    They understood instantly and scampered away.


    Now it was just Michael, Eva, and Steven lingering in the dining room.


    Michael hadn''t finished his breakfast yet, but at Eva''s approach, he set his spoon down and offered her a smile.


    "Do you need something?"


    Eva was direct. "Where''s David?"


    "Do you require his assistance?"


    "Yes."


    "He''s been dispatched on an urgent matter. Shall I assign someone else to help you?"


    Steven stepped forward eagerly, "Ms. Hansen, David''s quite upied. If you need anything, please let me know."


    His interjection was unusual, stirring Eva''s suspicions.


    What were they concealing?


    "I don''t need anyone else. I want to see him," Eva insisted.


    Since that day, Michael''s words had seeded doubt in her mind, but she had thought that David, being his long-time confidant, would face at most a reprimand.


    Eva was convinced David could handle that.


    But now, his absence was troubling.


    Michael''s gaze softened.


    "Eva, is it so important to see David?"


    She nodded resolutely. "Am I not allowed to see him anymore?"


    "It won''te to that," Michael replied gently. "If you need him, I''ll bring him back."

 Chapter 399 Injured

    Michael upheld his promise.


    Later that afternoon, Eva had her chance to confront David. He was his usual self, impably dressed and polite, as he entered the room.


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper informed me you requested my presence. How may I assist you?"


    Eva took a moment to scrutinize him. He stood erect, his expressionposed, with no visible signs of injury on his face or neck. Observing this, she asked bluntly, "You''re not injured, are you?"


    David hesitated just a fraction before responding with a simple, "No."


    "That''s not convincing," Eva challenged him. "If you weren''t injured, you''d be puzzled by my question, not dismissing it outright."


    Before David could muster a reply, Eva pressed her hand against his chest, more firmly than intended. Caught off guard, David stumbled backward, grimacing. Eva''s face registered concern as she stepped forward to steady him.


    "Are you okay?"


    David, realizing his reaction had given him away, pushed her hand aside and tried to regain hisposure.


    "Is it because you told me about his past?"


    David stopped, his expression unreadable.


    "You''ve been at his side for years, and just because you shared some truth, he retaliated against you?"


    David denied it with a shake of his head. "Ms. Hansen, you''re seeing things that aren''t there. Mr. Cooper wouldn''t hurt me."


    "Then why did you flinch just now?"


    David tugged at his lip, a sign of inner turmoil. "You think I''m hurt because you pushed me? Anyone would react to unexpected force."


    Eva was taken aback by his steadfast denial.


    "Are you being threatened?"


    Silence fell between them. If David was indeed being coerced, Eva''s inquiries could only endanger him further.


    "Never mind," she relented, realizing the gravity of the situation. "If you insist you''re fine, I''ll drop it."


    "Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Hansen?"


    "No, that will be all. Thank you, David."


    Eva was left to contemte the encounter. David had been injured for merely divulging a small piece of information. If she pressed him further, she risked exacerbating his plight. She had underestimated Michael''s capacity for causing harm, even to those within his inner circle.


    After David had left, Michael appeared, as if on cue.


    "Did you get to speak with David? Are you satisfied now?"


    Eva faced Michael, noting the unchanged warmth in his smile, the same gentlemanly aura. Yet, something had shifted, sending a shiver down her spine.


    "I feel as though I''m truly seeing you for the first time," she confessed.


    Michael''s smile faltered. "Are you disappointed with me?"


    Eva averted her eyes. "He''s been loyal to you, and he even helped you."


    "Yes, David has been an excellent aide. He''s met my expectations."


    "Met them enough to..."


    "To harm him?" Michael''s voice remained soft, almost soothing. "It wasn''t harm, Eva. It was a necessary lesson." Just a lesson?


    The casualness of his exnation was chilling as if teaching such a ''lesson'' was the most natural thing in the world.


    Eva recoiled. "Is that the fate you n for me, for Ruby, for Dn?"


    For the first time, Michael''sposure slipped. He reached out, his grasp firm on her shoulder. "Never! I''ve promised to be a good father and husband. I could injure myself, but I would never harm you or the children." Eva was struck by the contradiction of his words and actions.


    "You''re terrifying. Release me."


    "Eva," Michael''s voice intensified, "believe me. I''d rather die than see you or the children hurt. I won''t let anyone harm you."


    "Let me go! Your ''protection'' is not what we need," Eva protested, pushing him away with all her might.


    Michael stumbled back, his breathing heavy, his demeanor shaken. Eva''s defiance had clearly affected him.


    After a moment, he inhaled deeply, straightened his sses, and when he looked at her again, he had regained hisposure. "You''re too upset. Rest for now. We''ll talkter."


    He left, and Eva remained still, releasing a breath she hadn''t realized she''d been holding.


    She had inadvertently revealed David''s injury, which must have been severe if a light push caused such pain.


    Eva believed she might never see David again after this.


    But to her surprise, during dinner, he was present, standing beside Steven. Catching Eva''s gaze, David nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Ms. Hansen."


    Before she could respond, Michael''s soft voice interjected, "Worried I might harm him? He''ll be in your sight every day from now on. You''ll have no reason to worry. Let''s sit and eat."


    The meal proceeded in silence. Afterward, Eva led the children upstairs. As they passed David, he murmured a soft thank you, so faint she almost didn''t catch it.


    Eva didn''t dare to look directly at David, fearing Michael might detect something amiss.


    Pretending nothing had happened, she continued upstairs.


    Once in her room, Eva felt a suffocating sense of dread.


    Somehow, she sensed that David might reach out to her.


    True to her intuition, a soft knock sounded at her doorter that evening.


    Two quick, discreet taps.


    Eva''s heart raced. She retrieved the note that had been slipped under the door, quickly pocketing it before opening the door slightly.


    David''s retreating figure was all she saw.


    Securing the door again, Eva retrieved the note from her pocket.


    The handwritten message made her pulse quicken. She went to the bathroom, soaked the note, tore it to shreds, and flushed the remnants down the toilet.

 Chapter 400 So How Do You Plan to Compensate Me?

    For several days, Emily and Nathan stayed around Adrian. Emily couldn''tplete her work at thepany. When she came here, she didn''t even consider taking a few days off because of the special circumstances. She even felt like quitting.


    Now Nathan has alsoe with her. If he continues to not go back to thepany, it will likely suffer many losses considering his position there.


    Her own losses don''t matter. After all, Eva is her best friend. But what about Nathan? Apart from his sense of responsibility upon learning that Eva was kidnapped, his task was consideredplete when Adrian brought them over. However, a long time has passed, and it doesn''t seem like he intends to leave.


    Emily nned to go find him.


    They lived next door to each other. Emily stood at the door and knocked for a while before a cold male voice came from inside. "Come in."


    Why didn''t he open the door?


    Emily hesitated for a moment, but without thinking too much, she turned the doorknob and entered the room.


    Once inside, Emily realized Nathan was sitting in front of aptop.


    He had a pair of earphones on and was in a meeting.


    Seeing this, Emily stopped where she was.


    If he''s in a meeting, it would be a bit impolite to disturb him now.


    Emily was about to leave.


    Unexpectedly, Nathan, who had his gaze on theptop screen, took a moment to nce at her when he saw that she was about to leave, and then said, "Come over." Emily''s steps came to a halt again.


    After a few seconds of hesitation, she finally walked over.


    Nathan gestured toward the seat opposite him, indicating for her to sit.


    Since he was her superior, Emily didn''t object and quickly took a seat.


    Once she sat down, Emily felt a bit uneasy. Although Nathan was in a meeting, there were only the two of them in the room.


    She was facing him, which made her feel a bit awkward.


    At first, Emily managed to maintain a normal sitting posture, but as time passed, she began to feel bored. So she took out her phone. "Come out and y!"


    She opened the game installed on her phone but forgot to turn off the sound. The game made some noises when she opened it.


    Emily felt embarrassed and hurriedly turned it off. Then she looked at Nathan, and their eyes met.


    He looked at her, and after a moment, he said to the other participants, "I have something to deal with, so let''s finish the meeting here. Shulin, you follow up on the rest." After giving the instructions, Nathan ended the meeting and shut down theptop.


    The room fell silent. After a while, Emily smiled awkwardly.


    "Sorry, I just... Did I disturb you? It wasn''t intentional."


    "Pretty bored, huh?" Nathan asked.


    Emily shook her head vigorously.


    "Not at all! I just didn''t know how long your meeting would take, so I opened the game to pass the time. I simply forgot to turn off the sound."


    "Hmm." Nathan nodded. "What do you need from me?"


    "Well... Actually, I just wanted to thank you for apanying me to Australia."


    Her gratitude caught Nathan by surprise. He raised an eyebrow and said, "And?"


    "Well, it''s been quite a while, Mr. Powell. Aren''t you nning to go back to thepany?"


    "Oh? Are you trying to get rid of me?" Nathan joked.


    Emily quickly shook her head. "No, of course not! It''s just that you have so many things to do. You''ve been in Australia for many days now, and I''m afraid you might dy your work at thepany." He hade here for a meeting, which showed how busy he was with work.


    "Many things..." Nathan repeated her words and then tugged at his lip. "Hmm, you''re right. I have indeed dyed thepany''s work for a few days."


    "So, what are you nning to do?" Emily asked.


    "Tell me, how do you n topensate me?"


    Wait, how did the conversation take such a turn?


    Emily had initially wanted to suggest that if he was dying work at thepany, he should go back. Who knew he would ask her how she wouldpensate him?


    Emily was confused. "I''m just an employee. What kind ofpensation can I offer you?"


    Upon hearing this, Nathan curled up the corners of his lips.


    "Is there nothing I can bepensated with? Are you not confident in yourself?" he teased.


    Emily felt odd. Her lips tightened, and she looked at him with a serious expression.


    "Mr. Powell, are you...?"


    Nathan raised an eyebrow. "What?"


    "Are you nning to exploit me twice as much after this is over and I return to thepany? Or are you going to cancel my year-end bonus? Well, it''s a bit scary, but since you helped me this time, I guess I''ll just ept the exploitation." Emily''s expression had turned indignant.


    Nathan rubbed his forehead. This woman was truly unpredictable.


    Forget it.


    He took off his headphones and changed the subject.


    "Still no news from your friend?"


    "Not yet." Emily''s eyes became somewhat resentful when she mentioned it. "At first, I thought Adrian was reliable. We had a rough idea of her location, but it''s been days and still no luck. It''s driving me crazy."


    Upon hearing Emily''s words, Nathan paused and looked at her. "Finding someone takes time, and even if we find her, we can''t startle the snake before organizing a n."


    "Mr. Powell, are you suggesting that Adrian may have already found Eva''s whereabouts and is currently making arrangements?"


    Nathan shook his head. "No, that''s just my spection."


    Emily''s spirits plummeted once again.


    Eva''s heart had been pounding ever since she woke up this morning.


    But she still went downstairs with the two children for breakfast as usual. The three of them continued to ignore Michael and refrain from speaking to him.


    Michael, in turn, allowed this behavior.


    Just as Eva and the kids finished breakfast and were preparing to leave, Michael suddenly called her.


    "Eva."


    It was the first time he had called her during breakfast.


    Eva turned her head to look at him. "What is it?"


    Her tone and attitude were not pleasant, but Michael didn''t mind. He smiled and said, "I have to go out after breakfast. Stay at home with the children, and don''t wander around. If you need anything, just call Steven." Upon hearing this, Eva narrowed her eyes. She smiled coldly and replied, "Stay at home and don''t wander around? Have you forgotten that I''m currently under your confinement? Where can I run even if I want to?" The smile on Michael''s lips remained unchanged.


    "Eva, don''t be angry with me. When youe to your sensester, the doors here will naturally be opened for you."


    "Is that so?" Eva sneered. "Then I''m afraid these doors will never have a chance to open for me."

 Chapter 401 Making a Determination

    Eva didn''t argue with him anymore because, no matter what she said, he would only respond in the gentlest tone.


    Even though he was doing things that hurt her, he acted as if he was doing it for her own good.


    No matter how angry or sarcastic Eva was, Michael remained unaffected.


    This made Eva feel that it was pointless to argue further, so she left with the two children.


    After returning to the room, Eva stood by the window and waited for about five minutes before she saw Michael drive away in a car.


    Eva also noticed that most of the people who normally surrounded the vi had been reassigned elsewhere.


    She was somewhat shocked. Did David know about this?


    Why did so many people leave?


    Has someone found her?


    Eva''s thoughts were interrupted by a knocking sound at the door. She quickly walked over and opened it, only to see David standing outside. "Ms. Hansen."


    "You..."


    Eva had only said one word when David interrupted her. "Ms. Hansen, quickly take Dn and Ruby ande with me."


    David held Ruby, Eva held Dn, and the two left hurriedly. The road was clear. There was no one blocking their way. Eva''s heart pounded as they fled. It was like a grand escape.


    He brought her to a car. Eva and the two children got in, and after David entered, he fastened his seatbelt and turned his head to look at them. "Ms. Hansen, it might be troublesome, but I need you and the children to lie down under the seats."


    Eva was extremely surprised. "Will that save us from being discovered?"


    David pursed his lips, his expression serious. "If they don''t open the car door."


    Eva understood his meaning. If the person checking doesn''t open the car door, they won''t discover them. But if they''re unlucky and their car is checked...


    "I only have this one chance. Ms. Hansen, you can try. Even if it fails, Mr. Cooper won''t do anything to you."


    "But..." Eva bit her lower lip and looked at David in hesitation.


    If she failed, Michael probably wouldn''t do anything to her, but what about David? He was clearly punished earlier, and he probably thanked her because he was released only on her request. What would he do if she really ran away?


    "Ms. Hansen, we don''t have much time. Please make a decision quickly." David knew she was still hesitating. "Ms. Hansen, the reason I''m doing this is because I''ve already made up my mind. You don''t need to worry about my future. I will take responsibility for my words and actions. Right now, you only need to consider yourself."


    Consider herself?


    If she only considered herself, of course, she would want to take her children and leave. There was no one to look after herpany, and her children weren''t able to attend the school. If it continued, she would be stagnant, and they wouldn''t be able to live a normal life.


    "Ms. Hansen, we don''t have much time left."


    Eva made up her mind. "Thank you. I will definitely repay your kindness one day."


    After saying that, shey down in the car with the two children.


    Ruby and Dn were well-behaved and didn''t interrupt during their conversation. They nowy quietly, regardless of whether the ground was dirty or not.


    "Don''t worry, it''ll get better soon," she reassured.


    Ruby nodded gently, signaling she understood.


    Seeing them all hunkered down, David knew Eva had made her decision. "Ms. Hansen, please make sure you''re seated securely."


    The car started moving.


    David''s eyes were fixed on the road. "We should reach the gate in about two minutes. They''ve pulled most of the guards from there, but we still need to be careful. I won''t be able to force our way through. If they''ll let us go, I''ll drop you off somewhere before heading back. If we''re unlucky and they want to inspect the car, I''ll have to drive fast, so you''ll need to buckle up and protect yourselves."


    Eva listened to him carefully, and in the end, all she could muster was a heartfelt "thank you."


    David smiled and fell silent.


    Two minutester, they arrived at the gate.


    As expected, David''s exit was obstructed.


    As the car came to a stop, Eva''s breathing tensed. She gave the two little ones a look, and they obedientlyy still, not daring to move an inch.


    Someone tapped on the car window, and David rolled it down. His face was expressionless as he looked at the person outside.


    The guard''s expression shifted slightly upon seeing David.


    "David, are you heading out?"


    "Yes," David replied curtly. "Mr. Cooper forgot something. I''ll have to deliver it."


    The guard hesitated. "But Mr. Cooper said that you would stay at the vi to protect Ms. Hansen."


    "Yes, I will protect Ms. Hansen, but I also need to deliver this. Now, let me through."


    The argument drew more attention, and others came over to inquire about what was happening.


    David''s brow furrowed slightly; it was getting difficult to handle things with a crowd.


    He nced at the open gate, hesitating whether to just make a break for it.


    But such a move would easily spook them all.


    If they pursued him, it would lead to a disaster. So it was best to leave peacefully.


    David turned the car key and said, "Would you like to deliver it yourself then? If Mr. Cooper asks, you can tell him you were the ones who held me up and caused the dy."


    Startled by his willingness to walk away from the task, everyone took a step back, well aware that Michael was not one to be trifled with.


    The man at the gate hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, go ahead. But remember, don''t take too long."


    David smirked and stepped out of the car, signaling Eva and the kids to stay put. As he walked toward the gate, the others watched with mixed expressions of curiosity and apprehension. Eva couldn''t help but ask, "Is he going to be okay?"


    Ruby looked at Eva with worried eyes. "I hope so. David seems confident, but who knows what might happen?"


    Eva forced a reassuring smile. "Let''s trust him for now. He''s done so much to protect us. I believe he won''t let anything happen to himself."


    They waited anxiously, unable to shake off the feeling of vulnerability. Minutes felt like hours as they held their breaths, hoping that David would return safely and everything would go ording to n. The person finally said, "Okay, you can go now."


    "Have you decided? Don''t you want to go and deliver it yourself?" David said.


    "No way, David. Mr. Cooper specifically called for you. How can we go there? We don''t even know where Mr. Cooper is going."


    David snorted and started the car again.


    After he left, the leader scratched his head and said, "Strange. Why did Mr. Cooper ask him to deliver something at this time?" "Wait, did you check his car?"


    "No. Does David''s car need to be checked?"


    The person was scolded harshly.


    "Did you all forget about David getting punished by Mr. Cooper a few days ago? Are you just going to let his car go without inspection?"

 Chapter 402 No Results from Forcing

    "But David seemed really angry, and I''m afraid of offending him, so..."


    The person''s expression changed as he listened to him. "Oh no! Quickly drive and chase after him! Also, send someone to check if Ms. Hansen is still in her room." Everyone made excuses. Some ran to drive, while others went to check.


    "She''s not there!"


    "Damn it! Chase after them and send more cars. Also, notify Mr. Cooper about this."


    In an instant, the entire vi area became chaotic.


    David, who had escaped sessfully, drove the car at a high speed.


    Eva and her children also sat up and fastened their seatbelts, considering the possible danger behind them.


    David didn''t dare to slow down the car. He observed the rearview mirror and said, "They''ll discover it soon; worst case, they are already on the way to chase us. Ms. Hansen, if they catch up, I will find a ce to drop you off. Hide there, and don''t stay in the car for too long-you''ll be too noticeable."


    Eva nodded. "Okay."


    "I probably won''te back to pick you up, so after getting off, you will have to find a way on your own."


    David looked at her seriously through the rearview mirror.


    "Ms. Hansen, this ce is too unfamiliar to you. Are you sure? You are a woman traveling with two children. It could be much more dangerous than staying in the vi. If you regret it now, we can still go back."


    "No, I won''t go back, and I don''t regret it." Eva bit her lip. "I have lived alone with my children before. Don''t worry, you just need to find a ce to drop us off when the timees."


    David nodded. "Okay, I understand, Ms. Hansen."


    David probably took detours to avoid surveince cameras. He himself didn''t know where he was.


    Which road was it?


    After a while, they finally found a ce to hide.


    David stopped the car and looked into the distance. "There is a farmhouse ahead where you can hide for a while."


    Eva got out of the car with the two children.


    Before leaving, David took out his wallet and gave all the money inside to Eva.


    "I didn''t bring much with me. I only have this. And I can''t give you the phone. They''ll track it."


    Eva looked at the stack of money but didn''t reach out to take it.


    "David..." Eva''s voice sounded tearful. "I''m sorry, I might be causing trouble for you."


    Hearing this, David smiled brightly and tugged at his lips.


    "Ms. Hansen, I''ve been helping to take care of Ruby and Dn for the past five years. They''re lovely, and you''re a good person, I..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence. He just forcefully stuffed the money into her hands. "Go quickly. Every second you spend here is an additional risk of exposure."


    After saying that, David got back into the car with no intention of speaking to her again.


    Eva clenched her lower lip. She had alreadye out, so saying anything else now would seem melodramatic. She could only thank him deeply with her eyes and leave with the two children quickly. David sat in his original seat and watched their figures move further away until he was sure they had hidden in the farmhouse before starting the car again.


    As there was no one in the car now, David drove slower. He had no idea what awaited him.


    As for whether he regretted it or not, some things, once done, were done. Whether he regretted it or not didn''t matter at all.


    He was caught an hourter.


    He and the car were brought before Michael. His face already wore an expression of defeat, as if he had already foreseen his own fate, and he had no intention of pleading for mercy. "Where are they?" Michael''s voice was still very soft.


    But David knew that this was probably the calm before the storm.


    He smiled and raised his head to meet Michael''s eyes. "I don''t know where they went. I separated from them halfway."


    Upon hearing this, a vein twitched in the corner of Michael''s eye. "Why?"


    David pursed his lips. "No reason. I wanted to do it, so I did it."


    "Is it because I punished you?" Michael pushed his sses up. "You let them escape to seek revenge on me, right?"


    "No." David shook his head. "You have been very kind to me, so even if you punish me, I''ll never seek revenge on you."


    David looked seriously at Michael. "However, I must tell you that the fruit has not ripened yet. It''s still bitter, Mr. Cooper. Please stop."


    Michael stared at him. His gentle face was devoid of a smile. "Stop?"


    "Do you know why Ms. Hansen didn''t report to the police when she obtained the SIM cardst time, Mr. Cooper?"


    Michael pursed his thin lips and remained silent.


    "If Ms. Hansen had reported it right away, things would have been different now. Mr. Cooper, she still has a glimmer of hope for you. She doesn''t want to harm you. You and Ms. Hansen can still be friends." "Friends?" The word made Michaelugh, initially with a disdainful chuckle. Hisughter grew louder, as if he had stumbled upon something extremely amusing.


    David stood there, quietly watching him with a pitiful gaze.


    When Michael finally stoppedughing, his face changed to a different expression. His eyes were now staring at David ominously.


    "I cannot watch her be my friend, nor do I need any friends."


    "Mr. Cooper, forcing it won''t yield any results."


    "Is that so?" Michael scoffed, twisting his lips. "Whether it yields results or not, I''ll be the one to decide. Take him away."


    Those who were following David hesitated upon hearing this. "Mr. Cooper, how should we deal with David?"


    "How to deal with him?" Michael drawled. "That''s something I really need to think about. Let''s start by locking him up."


    David was taken away and locked up. Someone stepped forward and said, "Mr. Cooper, David hasmitted a big mistake. Is locking him up the only thing you n to do?" Michael nced at him and smirked, without confirming or denying anything.


    "Mr. Cooper? What do you think?"

 Chapter 403 Hiding

    When he received no reply, the person persisted.


    This was a good opportunity. It was his chance to rise to power.


    Many had wanted to take David''s position a long time ago, but David always operated with utmost secrecy, making it difficult for them to find an opportunity. Now that they finally caught him, shouldn''t they suppress him quickly?


    "Go find her first," Michael replied with only this sentence.


    The person was unwilling. "But what about David?"


    "And who are you?" Michael''s tone suddenly changed. His gaze turned cold, and a chilling aura emanated from his body.


    The person was terrified and dared not say more. He could only lower his head and say, "I''ll go find Ms. Hansen first."


    After the person left, Michael took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one.


    He didn''t smoke, but recent events had made him frustrated. Eva... Why didn''t she want to stay by his side?


    Compared to Adrian, he didn''t know where he had lost.


    There was only one person by his side, and besides her, there would never be another woman.


    He had spent five years thinking he could warm her heart, but he hadn''t expected it to turn out like this.


    With these thoughts, Michael took a harsh puff of smoke and almost choked.


    *Cough*


    He coughed twice. The person standing outside the room came in and asked, "Mr. Cooper, are you alright?"


    Michael didn''t answer. He just stared at the flickering me of the cigarette and said, "Keep David locked up for now, and give him food." "Alright."


    "As for Eva, she has two children with her. They shouldn''t have gone far. Search the nearby farms and hotels in the city."


    "Understood, I''ll pass on the instructions."


    At night, Eva checked into a cheap hotel with her two children.


    The hotel''s environment was dirty and messy, and the air had a musty smell. Eva pushed open the window and took a look. There was a stinky drain behind.


    She closed the window tightly, locked it, and pulled the curtains.


    Then she turned around, looked at the two kids sitting ufortably on the sofa, and walked over.


    "My babies, you''ll have to endure it."


    The money given by David wasn''t much. She didn''t know when she could go back, so she didn''t dare to spend the money recklessly. Most importantly, she didn''t dare to take them to an expensive hotel. If Michael were to look for her, he would certainly search the hotels as well.


    Fortunately, the two little darlings were well-behaved. They had no objections to staying in a ce like this. In fact, they even tried to cheer Eva up when they saw her feeling gloomy.


    After running around all day, Eva was tired as well. But she didn''t dare to go out casually, so she paid the hotel manager to bring them some food.


    The manager brought some cheese and ham and, knowing she had two children, also brought fresh goat''s milk.


    "Our ce isn''t great, but the food is homemade. The goat''s milk was just milked. Give it to the children," the manager said.


    Eva took the milk that was still warm and nced at the manager. "Thank you."


    The manager looked at her and said, "No problem. It''s not easy for someone to be away from home alone. Are you here to look for a job?" Because of the circumstances, Eva couldn''t say much. She could only nod.


    "Yes, I''m looking for a job. I''ll stay here for a few days."


    "I see."


    They chatted casually for a while. Then the manager said she had some things to attend to and left.


    Before leaving, she asked Eva to lock the door when she went to sleep at night and not to respond to anyone knocking on the door.


    Eva nodded and suddenly thought of something.


    "Sorry, when I arrived here, my things were stolen, and I don''t have my phone. Can I borrow yours to make a call?"


    The manager paused for a moment and then nodded.


    "Of course, you can. There''s a public phone downstairs. You cane down and use it after you''ve eaten."


    A public phone? Eva nodded. "Thank you, I''ll go thereter."


    After closing the door, she served the food to the two children.


    "Darlings, eat a little bit for now. When we go back, I''ll cook a big meal for you."


    "Thank you, mommy."


    While the two children were eating, Eva was still thinking about making the phone call. However, she felt that leaving the two kids alone might not be safe. What if someone came in after she left?


    After much consideration, Eva decided to wait for the two kids to finish eating before going downstairs to make the call. At least they would be with her if anything happened.


    The ham tasted really good, and the two little ones ate with relish.


    Although Eva didn''t have much appetite, she managed to eat some to fill her stomach.


    "Mommy, we''re done eating."


    Eva packed up the things and then stood up. "Let''s go downstairs to make a phone call."


    Two minutester, Eva left with the two children.


    To use the public phone downstairs, she had to go the front desk to find the manager. After going out, Eva tightened her grip on the two little ones.


    "The environment here may not be very good, and it''s not safe at night. You must stay close to me and not run around, understand?"


    "We understand, mommy." The little ones followed her downstairs, and from a distance, Eva saw the manager sitting at the front desk, talking andughing with the staff. The public phone was not far away. Eva was about to walk over with the two kids when she saw several men entering the hotel.


    Her intuition told her something was not right. She immediately pulled the two children into a nearby corner to hide.


    After she hid in the corner, she saw those men heading straight for the front desk.


    However, because they were too far, Eva couldn''t hear what those men were saying. She could only guess from their bodynguage and facial expressions. After a while, the manager pointed upstairs. This was not good. Eva nced around and pulled the children into the nearby restroom.


    She could hear the manager leading the men upstairs.


    "Let''s go upstairs."

 Chapter 404 Dont Give Me Nicknames

    Eva quickly led the children to the front desk. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. She didn''t wait for the other person to answer before leaving.


    The receptionist intended to stop Eva, but she had already left. After muttering something, she hung up the phone and returned to her post.


    Meanwhile, Emily was having a meal when her phone rang suddenly. She answered the call without even checking the caller ID. "Hello?"


    There was the sound of the line disconnecting.


    As soon as Emily answered the call, she heard the sound of it being hung up.


    Strange.


    Emily frowned and saw an unfamiliarndline number on the screen.


    "Did they dial the wrong number?" She muttered to herself, catching the attention of Nathan sitting in front of her. "What''s wrong?" he asked, looking up.


    "I received a call from an unknown number. I don''t know what happened. As soon as I answered, they hung up."


    Upon hearing this, Nathan''s eyebrows furrowed. "An unknown number?"


    He quickly leaned over and took Emily''s phone to check. "This is a localndline number."


    Emily was even more puzzled. "Why would a localndline number call me?"


    As she said this, she finally realized something and looked at Nathan.


    Two secondster, Nathan dialed the number back.


    Emily held her breath and waited anxiously.


    After the call was answered, she heard an unfamiliar woman''s voice.


    Nathanmunicated with the other person. "This is my number. Did you just call me?"


    Emily couldn''t hear their conversation clearly, so she moved closer to eavesdrop.


    "Sorry, it wasn''t me. We had a strange guest in our hotel who suddenly came and made this call."


    A strange guest?


    How could a strange guest call Emily?


    Nathan asked, "Where is she?"


    "I''m not sure. She left after making the call. I thought she was just dialing randomly, but I didn''t know that the call actually went through."


    Nathan pursed his lips and squinted. "She left? Where did she go?"


    "I''m not sure about that, but she is a guest at our hotel. She shoulde backter. If I see her, I will let you know."


    "Thank you. Could you please tell me the hotel''s address?"


    After Nathan hung up the phone, Emily asked anxiously, "What happened?"


    "It must be her. She dialed the number and left. If she left without even answering the call, it must mean that she encountered some trouble and was in a hurry to leave," Nathan exined. Emily understood everything.


    "You''re right. Who else would call me here? It must be her. She must be in trouble. I''ll go tell Adrian about this."


    Emily stood up and ran outside to find Adrian, but she was stopped by someone at his doorstep.


    "What are you doing? Let go of me! I have something important to tell Adrian."


    "Miss, it''s not that we won''t let you in. Mr. ckwood is not here right now. He''s gone out."


    "Gone out?"


    Emily''s heart instantly sank. How could he leave at such a critical moment?


    "What about Jacob?"


    "Jacob left with Mr. ckwood."


    Emily immediately took out her phone and called Adrian, hoping that this time he would answer. If she couldn''t find him again and missed the best time for rescue, she would hate him and curse him fiercely. Before the call could go through, Emily had already cursed Adrian hundreds of times in her heart.


    But unexpectedly, he picked up the call after just one ring.


    "Hello."


    Hearing that cold male voice, Emily was a bit slow to react and stood still.


    "Miss Emily?"


    Her silence made the man on the other end of the line call her name in confusion.


    Only then did Emilye to her senses. She immediately repeated what happened earlier and also gave him the address of that hotel. "I''m sure it''s her. Even if it''s not, we can''t miss this chance. What if something happens?" "I''ll be right there."


    Emily heard him instructing the driver to turn around. After he finished instructing, he said to her, "Send that number to my phone." "Okay."


    After hanging up the phone, Emily sent thendline number to Adrian.


    At that moment, Nathan came over.


    "Did you get it done?"


    Emily bit her lip and nodded.


    Nathan nced at her and then asked the person at the gate, "Is there a car we can use?"


    The person hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    "Of course, you can. You''re Mr. ckwood''s guests."


    Emily looked at Nathan with curiosity and asked, "What do you need the car for?"


    Nathan replied, "Don''t you want to go?"


    Emily finally realized what he meant. He wanted the car to take her to find Eva.


    It''s been several days, and it''s not easy to figure out where Eva might be. How could she possibly wait at home?


    But she didn''t say it herself. She was afraid of hindering Adrian''s efforts. But she didn''t expect Nathan to bring it up.


    She was both surprised and nervous. When Nathan got the keys and led her to the car, she reached out and tugged at his hem. "Mr. Powell, thank you."


    Nathan paused and nced down at the hand tugging on his clothes. His lips curled slightly, almost imperceptibly.


    "Thank me? Merely saying it is not enough."


    "Huh?" Emily retracted her hand upon hearing this. "Do I need to take actual action too?"


    "What else?" Nathan nced sideways, his gaze falling on her face. "Do you truly consider a thank you without actual action sincere?"


    Emily met his eyes for a moment and hesitated before speaking. "Then, when we get back, may I treat you to a meal to express my gratitude?" "Just that?"


    What else could there be?


    Emily pursed her lips and said, "How about two meals?"


    "Just meals and nothing else?"


    Emily looked at him with confusion. She didn''t understand what he meant.


    Nathan saw her puzzled expression and tapped her head. "Think it through with your brain."


    They got into the car, but Emily continued to ask, "Mr. Powell, can we make things clear? I can''t guess if you don''t tell me."


    Nathan nced at her. "Seatbelt."


    "Oh." Emily fastened her seatbelt and then raised her head again.


    "So, Mr. Powell, what exactly do you mean by ''thanks''?"


    Her forehead was tapped again. Emily instinctively covered her forehead with her hand. At this moment, she heard Nathan say, "What I mean is, apart from the two meals, don''t give me any more nicknames in the future."

 Chapter 405 Holding On

    When Nathan mentioned nicknames, Emily felt extremely embarrassed. In the past, she used to call him that privately, but for some reason, she slipped up in front of himst time and even called him by that name.


    Just the thought of that scene made Emily''s scalp tingle.


    However, Nathan didn''t hold it against her, probably because of the circumstances. Now that he brought it up, it was truly embarrassing. Emily scratched her head and said, "I understand. I won''t call you a miser from now on." "And no other nicknames either," Nathan added.


    "Got it. Can we leave now?" Emily said.


    With that, the car drove off, and Emily finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    After leaving the hotel, Eva continued walking forward with the two children, trying to head toward crowded ces to avoid being caught.


    Luckily, it wasn''t toote, and there were still many pedestrians on the streets.


    She blended in with the crowd, but it wasn''t easy for them to find a ce for themselves.


    Eva had a serious expression. She knew that she couldn''t stay at a hotel anymore.


    She initially thought that avoiding luxury amodations would be enough, but Michael didn''t even spare these ordinary hotels. But it made sense. When she left, she didn''t have much money, and she didn''t take the phone Michael gave her. She had to rely on David''s money.


    As for the phone call she made, she didn''t know if Emily received it. After all, it was an unknown number. Could she guess that it was her making the call?


    Moreover, when she left the hotel, the receptionist was there at the front desk. What if that person reset the phone before her call went through?


    If that was the case, the situation would truly be terrible.


    "Mummy, where are we going next?"


    Eva nced around and didn''t know how to answer the question.


    They couldn''t stay at the hotel, and she couldn''t think of anywhere else to go with her two kids.


    The more she thought, the more agitated she felt.


    Coincidentally, they passed by a supermarket, and without much thought, Eva led the children inside.


    Once inside the supermarket, Eva realized it was particrlyrge.


    She finally had a n in mind. She smiled at the children and said, "How about we go upstairs and y games?"


    They couldn''t go back to the hotel. She could either wait for Emily to find her or be found by Michael''s people first.


    If she were alone, Eva could have found a way to evade them, but it was inconvenient with two children. She couldn''t afford to y this cat-and-mouse game of running away. She couldn''t lead the children into danger, so she could only try to stick close to crowds and endure.


    The arcade upstairs was crowded at the moment, so once they entered, the three of them quickly got lost in the crowd.


    It would take some time for them to find their way here. Eva didn''t know if there was a phone avable at the front desk.


    As the children went to y, Eva nced toward the direction of the front desk.


    At that moment, a little girl walked toward them while talking on her phone. She seemed really annoyed. "Mom, I''ll be backter. I''m already a grown-up. You don''t have to worry about me." "Got it, got it."


    The girl hung up the call impatiently.


    Seeing that she was about to walk past her, Eva suddenly reached out to stop her.


    "Hello."


    The little girl was startled to see Eva. Her anger had subsided, and she looked at her with confusion. "Do you need something?"


    Eva smiled gently. "Can I borrow your phone to make a call?"


    Upon hearing this, the little girl wrinkled her nose. "No, you all have your own phones, don''t you? Are you trying to trick me?"


    Indeed, it wasn''t easy to borrow someone else''s phone to make a call.


    Eva bit her lip. She was about to exin when Ruby came forward and gently held the little girl''s hand. "Hey, my mommy''s phone was stolen by a thief, and we don''t have any money. So we want to make a call to my daddy. He''lle pick us up."


    Ruby''s voice was soft, and she resembled a delicate doll. Her looks were appealing to people of all ages.


    Eva had intended to speak, but seeing this scene, she stopped to observe. As expected, the little girl''s eyes wavered after hearing Ruby''s words. "Was your phone stolen? That''s bad."


    Ruby nodded tearfully. "So can you lend us your phone for a while? We''ll give it back to you after making the call."


    Eva watched as Ruby''s tears fell like pearls, making her heart tremble. If she hadn''t known that Ruby was an actress, she might have thought the little one was truly crying.


    Under Ruby''s persuasion, the little girl''s heart softened. She looked at her phone before looking at Ruby again. "Well, alright, but you have to make the call in front of me. Don''t go too far."


    After saying that, the little girl handed her phone to Eva. Eva looked at the phone and quickly epted it. "Thank you." She then dialed Emily''s number.


    Eva observed her surroundings as she waited for the other side to pick up. She was always on the lookout for any suspicious individuals.


    The phone rang, and the other side picked up almost immediately. "Eva? Is that you?"


    After several days, Emily finally heard Eva''s voice again. She was so excited that her eyes welled up with tears, but Nathan signaled her to put it on speaker. Emily followed his instructions and put the call on speaker. Nathan asked Eva, "Where are you now? Do you have the coordinates?"


    Eva wasn''t surprised to hear Nathan''s voice. She immediately stated her coordinates.


    Meanwhile, Emily entered the coordinates and erged the map as Eva had suggested. "We''re about an hour away from you." "One hour?"


    "Yes, we''re on our way toward you. Find a ce to hide and try to hold on until we arrive."


    His calm voice reassured Eva a lot. "Okay."

 Chapter 406 Mommy Didnt Protect You Well Enough

    A wave of relief washed over Eva after she hung up the phone.


    One hour.


    Within the hour, she''d havepany-Emily, and the so-called miser. Emily would be by her side, along with the miser she spoke of. But the person she was hoping for still hadn''te.


    Had Emily failed to tell him, or did he find it too bothersome toe?


    A twinge of difort settled in Eva''s heart.


    However, she quickly snapped out of it and returned the phone to the young girl in front of her. "Thanks for letting us use your phone."


    When the young girl gave her phone to Eva, she was worried that she might be deceived. Unexpectedly, she was able to get it back. She took her phone back and then nced at Ruby and Dn beside her. "Are you going to y here?" Eva looked at her. She almost nodded, then remembered they couldn''t linger. "We''re waiting for my husband to pick us up, so we can''t stick around. We could leave any minute now. Here, let me give you some money for the games, as thanks for the phone."


    The young girl shook her head. "It''s not necessary. It was just a small favor."


    Eva took out some money and handed her a bill. "Take it. Consider it a token of gratitude."


    The young girl hesitated before epting it.


    "Are you here by yourself? It''s gettingte-be careful. Also, in the future, if you''re afraid, don''t lend your phone. Not everyone is like us, you know?"


    Eva, worried that the young girl might fall for a scam in the future, wanted to offer a word of caution. Unexpectedly, the young girl pressed her lips together and said, "If I hadn''t lent you my phone, how would you have gotten home?" These words touched Eva deeply.


    "Thank you so much. You did a good thing. Now head on home and be safe."


    The girl looked a bit reluctant.


    Eva knew they couldn''t stay any longer. She stood up, held the hands of the two little ones, and said to her, "We have to go."


    "Where are you going? Will we meet again in the future?"


    Eva paused for a moment. She was about to speak when Ruby said, "We''ll call you once we get back home, promise."


    Upon hearing this, the girl''s eyes lit up. "Really? Will youe find me again?"


    "Yes." Ruby nodded vigorously.


    The girl turned her questioning gaze toward Eva, waiting for Eva to nod.


    Eva smiled and said, "Yes, we will call you."


    "Alright then, I''ll go home now, but you guys must remember to give me a call." "Goodbye."


    Eva took the children to a more crowded ce.


    One hour had passed.


    She just needed to wait it out until they arrived. Not wanting to stay put alone, she wandered, keeping an eye on the crowd. while ncing at the time on the wall.


    Unbeknownst to her, she had already spent 40 minutes. It seemed like she had chosen the right ce, as Michael''s men would probably go to other locations first. They wouldn''t expect her to bring the children directly to the gaming ce. Maybe she could wait here until Emily and Nathan found her.


    Suddenly, Ruby stumbled beside her. Eva immediately crouched down.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Ruby shook her head. "Mommy, I''m fine."


    But Eva noticed that something wasn''t right. She asked sternly, "Did you twist your ankle? Let me see."


    "Mommy, I''m really okay."


    At that moment, a tumult broke out near the entrance. Eva saw the group of people she had seen in the hotel earliering toward the gaming ce. They looked fierce and ready to start trouble. Many children were scared by their appearance.


    Eva''s expression changed. Only 40 minutes had passed, but they still managed to find her. It was no longer possible for her to stay here. Eva looked around and realized there was only one exit. She bit her lip and immediately picked up Ruby. She grabbed Dn''s hand and ducked into a crowded nook.


    "Hurry up and search!" Eva heard the men shouting loudly. They imed they were searching for their runaway kids. They even offered to pay for everyone''s entertainment today and stated how much money each person would receive if they cooperated and went out.


    Initially, people found them strange and ignored them, but gradually, many children went to collect the money.


    After realizing that they could actually receive money, even more people vacated the ce and rushed over to get the money. The entrance became extremely crowded.


    Originally, Eva wanted to leave with the crowd, but as she got closer, she saw that there were many people guarding the entrance.


    It was impossible for her to slip away with her two children, as they would attract too much attention.


    As she watched the crowd disperse, Dn became so anxious that he started pulling on her cor.


    "Mommy, what do we do now?"


    Eva spotted a restroom nearby. She lowered her voice and said, "If we stay here any longer, we''ll be exposed. Let''s hide inside the restroom for now."


    The three of them entered the restroom. Normally, Dn wouldn''t go into the women''s restroom with Eva, but this was a different situation, so she took him with her. Thankfully, at this time, everyone had gone out to collect money, and there was no one in the restroom.


    Eva thought for a moment and made a firm decision. She locked the main gate and then pulled both the kids into one of the cleanpartments.


    Eva put down the toilet lid and had Ruby sit on it while she took off her shoes.


    She noticed that Ruby''s ankle was slightly swollen and very red. It looked scary.


    If it was hurt just a moment ago, it wouldn''t have swollen like this. The fact that it had swollen so much indicated that she had been enduring it for a long time.


    Eva''s eyes immediately became misty. She reached out and tightly embraced Ruby in her arms.


    Her daughter, she knows her best.


    Ruby is usually the most delicate one. Even if she gets a minor injury, she will ask Eva to blow on it and use her "magic". If she doesn''t blow, Ruby will throw a tantrum. In short, she is very delicate.


    Right now, her foot hurt so much, but she didn''t even make a sound. She even helped Eva.


    Eva closed her eyes, and tears streamed down her face.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t protect you well."

 Chapter 407 Compensating You

    At this moment, Eva was ming herself for everything.


    She med herself for not taking care of Ruby properly. She didn''t even know when and how Ruby got hurt.


    Seeing Eva''s tears, Ruby also panicked a bit. "Mommy, don''t cry. I''m not in pain."


    Dn also ran over and tiptoed to wipe Eva''s tears.


    Eva looked at the two little ones and tried to suppress her tears. "After we get back, I will definitelypensate you properly." "Mommy, it''s alright. It''s not your fault."


    "Alright, let''s stop talking, Ruby. I''ll rub it for you."


    Eva gently rubbed her ankle. Ruby felt so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back to avoid worrying Eva.


    Seeing this, Dn cautiously offered his own hand for Ruby to hold onto.


    The three of them stayed in the restroom. They were unable to see the time since they didn''t have their phones. Eva could only rub Ruby''s ankle gently. Afterward, she tried to estimate and felt that about ten minutes had passed since they entered the restroom.


    Emily and Nathan should be here in another ten minutes.


    Or if their journey went smoothly, they might have already arrived.


    At this moment, Eva could only imagine in her mind.


    Suddenly, someone twisted the doorknob of the restroom.


    Eva and the kids dared not make any noise, so the sound was particrly clear.


    "The restroom door is locked."


    "Locked? Why is the restroom locked? Something is wrong. Break the door down."


    "This door is not easy to break open. The material is quite heavy."


    "Then let''s disable the lock."


    The conversation sounded very brutal.


    Eva bit her lower lip and closed her eyes.


    Outside, there was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the door lock.


    Bang! Bang!


    The sound echoed throughout the restroom.


    The sound was heavy, and the force behind it was so strong that they could feel the vibrations even while standing against the wall. Ruby tugged at Eva''s clothes with fear.


    Eva immediately grabbed her hand and said, "Don''t be afraid. I''m here."


    These words reassured the two little ones, and they huddled behind her together.


    Eva''s heart sank deeper and deeper as they listened to the sound of the door lock being hit repeatedly from the outside.


    After a while, she squatted down and whispered to the two, "Once the door is open, we''ll go back with them. Don''t worry, Michael shouldn''t harm us." The two little ones pressed their lips together and didn''t respond.


    Bang!


    After a loud noise, everything was calm.


    The door lock must have been broken.


    The door was finally kicked open.


    They''re here.


    They had been in this restroom for more than fifteen minutes. Why hadn''t Emily and Nathan arrived yet?


    Were they stuck in traffic or intercepted by Michael''s people?


    The restroom doors were being opened one by one.


    Eva stood in thest cubicle, listening as the sound drew closer. The two little ones hugged her tighter, burying their faces in her embrace.


    Eva bit her lower lip.


    She was unwilling.


    She truly was unwilling.


    They had already made contact with Emily. They could have escaped!


    It was her mistake to stay here. She should have relocated after some time. Perhaps then she would still have a chance.


    Finally, Eva saw a pair of shoes walk into thest cubicle.


    Worried about being hit by the door, she had already hidden in a corner with the children.


    She held her breath and watched the shoes approach the door.


    She had expected the person to barge in, but instead, he stopped at the doorway and said, "Ms. Hansen, I know you and the children are inside. Mr. Cooper''s intention is only to find you, so we don''t want to hurt you. If you don''t want to be harmed, please cooperate ande out on your own. Otherwise, I have the strength to kick this door down, and I can''t guarantee that you won''t be hurt."


    Eva listened to these words silently.


    After a few seconds, her lips moved, and she was about to speak when another loud bang came from outside.


    Eva and the children were startled.


    Subconsciously, she held the two little ones in her arms tightly.


    She initially thought it was the impatient person kicking the door directly, but the door was still intact. Instead, she heard the sounds of a fight.


    What is happening again?


    Eva couldn''t see anything, but she could hear the sound of fists hitting flesh outside. Ruby instinctively opened her mouth, but Eva promptly pressed her mouth shut with her index finger, gesturing for her not to speak. Although the person was prevented from entering, Eva still couldn''t feel relieved. Emily and the others didn''t possess this kind of strength. Did she call the police?


    But if she had reported it, there should have been warning sounds from the police, instructing them to raise their hands rather than engaging in a direct brawl like this.


    She didn''t know which force the intruders belonged to. She didn''t know whether they were good or bad, which made her even more uneasy.


    How would she, Ruby, and Dn escape now?


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva held the kids even more tightly in her arms.


    "Don''t make a sound."


    When the fight outside finally stopped, the surroundings returned to silence.


    However, Eva still hadn''t heard anyone speaking, so she couldn''t analyze the strength of these people.


    She just hoped that if they weren''t here to rescue her, they wouldn''t discover her presence and quickly leave.


    But no, Eva heard the steady sound of footsteps that stopped in front of herpartment.


    Eva instantly felt like she wanted to die.


    The door was pushed, but it didn''t open.


    Then came a strange male voice.


    "Jason, open the door."


    It was an unfamiliar tone.


    The person was going to open the door.


    Eva was afraid that he would force his way in and harm the children, so she had to stand up and retort. "Don''t do it. I''ll open the door myself." Eva looked at the locked door, took a deep breath, and then turned the knob.

 Chapter 408 Are You Sure You Want to Go with Him?

    The two children held tightly onto the hem of her clothes, crowding behind her.


    Eva was mentally prepared. After utching, she flung open the door and began with the words she had anticipated saying. "I''ll go with you, just don''t hurt me or the children..."


    However, before she could finish her sentence, her vision darkened and she found herself enveloped in an embrace.


    "Let go..."


    Once Eva regained her senses, she instinctively tried to push away, but was met with a familiar scent that invaded her breath, causing her to pause.


    The person hugged her more tightly, with a force that seemed intent on merging her into his bones and blood.


    Yet, Eva felt no pain. Her vision shimmered, and in an instant blurred into obscurity, while from behind came the astonished cries of the two children.


    "Uncle NightA!"


    It was indeed him.


    Eva had not considered the person finding their way here would be Adrian.


    When she had called Emily earlier, she hadn''t mentioned this, perhaps due to the urgency of the situation. Or perhaps Eva hadn''t heard her, leaving her oblivious to whether Emily ever informed Adrian. Eva had assumed Adrian was unaware of her plight.


    And so, without any anticipation of rescue by Adrian, Eva''s heart was devoid of hope.


    Yet, Adrian appeared before her without warning.


    Her hand pressed gently against Adrian''s chest, nudging him back just slightly, a delicate motion that seemingly agitated him, prompting him to embrace her tightly once more.


    Eva hadn''t expected him to jerk with such force again; startled, she found herself leaning her chin on Adrian''s shoulder.


    Jacob, standing nearby, saw this and coughed lightly into his hand, "Mr. ckwood, it would be best for us to leave this ce for now. If we run into their people again, it mightplicate things."


    Hearing this, the strong hands that had been holding her finally rxed, then slowly let go.


    After stepping back, Adrian looked down at Eva, visibly thinner now, his thin lips pressed into a nearly displeased line. He touched her head, then his hand moved to cover her cheek, uttering only three words: "You''ve lost weight." Eva, who had just managed to stop her tears, felt them well up again at Adrian''s words.


    Adrian tenderly wiped away her tears and gently kissed her face, his voice hoarse, "Let''s go home."


    He then took Eva by the hand, leading her out of the restroom, and the two little ones rushed to him, "Uncle NightA."


    A gentle smile curved Adrian''s lips as he patted their heads, "You''ve been such good children."


    When they were back in their own country, it was already clear that Eva and Uncle NightA were thawing in their rtionship. Now, in the midst of their escape, his sudden appearance seemed almost superhero-like. So, at that moment, the two little ones'' fondness for him surged.


    Jacob came over and took the children''s hands, gently guiding them away from Eva and Adrian, "Let''s go, I''ll take you out of here for now."


    "Wait," Eva said, remembering something and stopping Jacob. "Ruby hurt her foot."


    Eva moved to pick Ruby up, But before she could crouch down, Adrian stopped her, "I''ve got her."


    Adrian bent down and effortlessly picked up Ruby, who wrapped her arms around his neck appreciatively, "Thank you, Uncle NightA."


    "Let''s go." said Eva, taking Dn by the hand and moving forward with everyone to leave the ce.


    Unexpectedly, as they approached the door, a group of people surrounded them, blocking their way out.


    Seeing them, Eva felt a chill, "They''re his people."


    Adrian instinctively pulled her close to his side, "I''m here."


    At his words, Eva instinctually leaned into him.


    She pursed her lips, then asked, "You didn''t call the police, did you?"


    Adrian paused for a moment, then looked down at her.


    "What''s the matter, afraid I called the cops on him? Worried?"


    Facing his dark eyes, Eva lowered hers, "He helped me a lot in the past, I don''t want to hurt him."


    "He''s hurting you now."


    "He just took me away, he didn''t harm me." Eva stressed. "He has not hurt me or the children."


    Adrian''s brows knitted slightly in concern. He hadn''t called the police, but seeing Eva defend him so vigorously in his presence, speaking on his behalf, a wave of jealousy inevitably rose in his heart.


    At this moment, Michael emerged from the crowd, conveniently interrupting their conversation.


    As he appeared, Michael''s gaze honed in on Eva through the throng of people, unwavering, as if Adrian was invisible to him.


    After his gaze locked onto her, Eva pursed her lips, subconsciously attempting to avert his stare, but was embraced by Adrian.


    It was as if a possessiveness erupted within him, an urge to dere her as his. He pulled her tightly into his arms, his eyes defiantly meeting Michael''s.


    It was only when Michael''s eyes caught sight of therge hands resting on her soft waist that his gaze shifted, finally making eye contact with Adrian. After a brief pause, Michael lifted the corners of his lips, "Long time no see."


    Adrian''s gaze was icy as he met Michael''s eyes, offering no response.


    "Adrian, even though it''s been a while, trying to take my woman away as soon as you arrive, isn''t that a bit rude?"


    "Your woman?" Adrianughed with a scoff, "Since when did she be your woman? I must''ve missed that memo."


    Tension crackled between the two men, their subordinates also tense, prepared and waiting for an order.


    The one who previously spoke ill of David, seeing the situation, whispered to Mr. Cooper, "Why waste words with him? Just go and take Ms. Hansen."


    At his words, a shift flickered across Michael''s expression, "No."


    This ce wasn''t just inhabited by their groups, there was Eva, Ruby, and Dn. If a fight broke out, he didn''t care if he got hurt, but what if Eva and the children were injured?


    Thus, Michael could only grimly watch Eva, shielded by Adrian. If he''d known David was going to betray them so suddenly, he would have kept one of the children by his side. That way, she would have hesitated to leave.


    "Eva." Michael looked at her, softly calling her name before saying, "Are you sure you want to go with him?" Eva was silent.


    "Have you forgotten what he did to you five years ago?"


    "What he did five years ago is none of your business." Eva said firmly. "And I don''t like being confined."


    She nced at Dn and Ruby next to her, "Even if I don''t go back to Adrian, I won''t go back with you."

 Chapter 409 Dont Hesitate

    She did not return to her country with the intention of reconciling with Adrian.


    The turn of events had been entirely unforeseen.


    She hadn''t foreseen Michael''s drastic actions, including taking her captive or harming David.


    Concerned for David, who had aided her escape, Eva asked, "Where''s David?"


    Hearing this, the corners of Michael''s lips slightly curled upwards. "David? Eva, if you want to know how he is, thene back with me."


    Eva''s lips pressed into a thin line.


    Before she could answer, Adrian''s hand on her waist tightened, and he said in a cold voice, "You want to take her away? Don''t even think about it."


    However, Michael looked at Eva with a smile, "Eva, I don''t listen to others, I only listen to you. Tell me, do you want toe back with me? I promise, as long as youe back, David will be safe and sound."


    Eva replied, "Are you threatening me? He''s your assistant, Michael, not mine."


    "Hmm," Michael nodded, "Of course, I know that he''s my assistant. But as my assistant, he let my captive escape. Eva, tell me, if such a person is not punished, won''t the others working under me think they can do the same?"


    Eva realized he was leveraging David to coerce her return.


    He was banking on herpassion and fear of causing harm. Now, he had nothing else to use against her, only this one bargaining chip.


    But if he wanted to use David to control her, then David had to be safe, or else he would lose this leverage.


    Understanding his ploy, Eva responded coldly, "Do you think I''de back with you just because I''m afraid David would get hurt? If that were the case, I wouldn''t have chosen to leave with him in the first ce. He''s prepared himself mentally, and I won''t let down his intentions."


    Upon hearing this, Michael remained silent for a while, his lips curving into a slight smile.


    "Is that so?" His voice was light, void of emotion. "It seems he''s no longer of use to me then."


    At thatment, a sense of foreboding sank into Eva''s heart.


    Logically, he shouldn''t be too harsh on his own assistant, but remembering his childhood experiences, and the pale look on David''s face a few days ago...


    When she got out of the car, she noticed David was sweating profusely, a clear sign he wasn''t feeling well.


    He had indeed been quite ruthless with David, despite him being his own subordinate.


    At this realization, Eva bit her lower lip, her resolve wavering slightly.


    "Don''t be fooled."


    In her moment of hesitation, the hand that had been resting on her waist suddenly gripped her wrist and a voice lowered to speak to her.


    Eva abruptly lifted her head to look at him.


    "He''sying a trap. The more concern you show, the more you y into his hands."


    At these words, Eva bit her lower lip unconsciously and murmured, "I understand I mustn''t fall prey to his schemes, but without David''s help, we truly wouldn''t have stood a chance to escape." Hearing this, Adrian raised an eyebrow. "So David saved me, too?"


    Eva looked at him, puzzled. "Your savior?"


    "What''s yours is also mine."


    She was a bit speechless, ncing subconsciously at Ruby and Dn, who sensibly averted their gazes.


    "Don''t worry, if David''s the man you describe, I''ll help him."


    "How will you help him?"


    Adrian gave her a look. "You don''t need to worry about that. Our main priority is your safety. So, don''t believe his words, no matter what he says."


    Michael, observing their quiet exchange from a distance, clenched his hands into fists without realizing it.


    When was she ever so soft-spoken with him?


    Jealousy took root in his heart, growing at an astonishing speed into a towering tree as if fueled by some magical nourishment.


    His subordinate, noticing this scene, had a glint in his eye.


    "Mr. Cooper, you''ve refrained from acting rashly because you fear harming Ms. Hansen and her children, am I right? But in reality, neither our side nor theirs wants to hurt Ms. Hansen. So even if things escte, the three of them should remain unharmed. However, if we don''t take action, we''re either stuck at an impasse, or we just watch as they take Ms. Hansen and her children away."


    Michael remained silent, apparently in turmoil.


    Seeing his resolve wavering, the henchman fanned the mes.


    "Mr. Cooper, if you let them take Ms. Hansen away, will you ever have another chance to have her back? The critical point is, this is our only shot, thest chance. If we don''t seize it, there may never be a ''next time''."


    The words ''thest chance'' reminded Michael of the importance of the situation.


    He quietly observed Eva, led by the hand by Adrian, his lips almost pressed into a straight line.


    Indeed, this could be thest opportunity.


    If Adrian took her away, would he ever have another chance?


    "Mr. Cooper, we''re all gathered here. With just one word from you, I''d be willing to risk my life to bring Ms. Hansen and her children back."


    To take them back...


    "Mr. Cooper, with so many of us here, we are sure to seed. Don''t hesitate any longer."


    With Adrian''s hand sped in hers, Michael''s gaze remained fixed on their intertwined fingers. His mind wandered to the thought, "What if it were me standing beside her now? Would she consent to hold my hand if I wished to?" Throughout all the time he had spent by her side, he had never once held her hand tightly or kissed her even fleetingly. asionally, when she was unguarded, he would steal a chance to hold her softly. But he never dared more than these fleeting moments of closeness.


    Yet, those delicate hands, with their fine skin and distinct joints, must have felt wonderful to hold.


    Would she be aspliant in letting him lead her by the hand as she was with Adrian? No, she would resist, surely. Then she would furrow her brows and stare at him, eventually withdrawing her hand.


    Five years had gone by. In all this time, he hadn''t warmed her heart, nor had she developed even the slightest affection for him.


    So, Michael could already envisage, if he tried to hold her hand, her displeasure would be undeniable. Just thinking about it brought an ache to his heart, as if a rusty knife was being twisted slowly through his chest, refusing to deliver a swift end to the pain.


    Meanwhile, fueled by jealousy and urged by those around him to take action, Michael''s gaze darkened withplexity, light fading from his eyes. The calm before the storm wasing to an end.


    Gazing upon the slight figure and the two adorable children, Michael finally spoke, "Proceed, but don''t harm them. If they are injured, don''t you dare show your face around me again."

 Chapter 410 Fear and Apprehension

    With Michael''s order given, the subordinate smirked with the satisfaction of sess.


    He looked towards Eva, then suddenly, with an arm raised high, he shouted, "Charge! Retrieve Ms. Hansen and the children!"


    As his hand lifted, Eva sensed something was amiss. Before she could speak, Adrian had pulled her close by her waist.


    "Let''s go." In a frantic state, Eva tugged at Dn to turn around.


    "Stop them!" Jacob bellowed, then swiftly followed in their tracks.


    Before they hade, they had nned for such a confrontation. Their priority was to guide Eva to safety first. Someone would have to have stayed behind to deal with the aftermath.


    Eva understood their intentions as she saw the others rush forward. But before she could react further, she was pushed into a car. Before she had even settled in, Ruby and Dn were also shoved in, and Jacob hurriedly took his ce in the passenger seat.


    Eva, who initially thought Adrian would leave with them, was startled to find that after he had put them in the car, he remained standing there, not joining them.


    Her gaze fell upon his face, showing a touch of concern as she asked, "Aren''t youing with us?"


    "Jacob will take you to a safe ce."


    Eva''s eyebrows knitted together. "And what about you?"


    "I''ll join you after I''ve taken care of things here."


    Eva bit her lower lip, unable to utter a single word. What should she say? Ask him to leave with her?


    "You..."


    Eva''s lips moved slightly, but before she could speak, Adrian suddenly bent down, cupping the back of her head, and sealed her slightly parted red lips with a kiss.


    Caught off guard by his kiss, it took a moment for her to react. Just as she instinctively thought to push him away, Adrian had already pulled back.


    However, he didn''t leave her side. Instead, he rested his forehead against hers, his voice husky, "Wait for me to return."


    With those words, he let go of the back of her head and instructed Jacob.


    "Keep her and my children safe."


    Jacob nodded. "Don''t worry, Mr. ckwood. I''dy down my life to protect them."


    Then, with Eva watching, Adrian closed the car door.


    Eva leaned against the window, watching Adrian''s face fade into the distance.


    Until she could no longer see his face.


    "Don''t worry, Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood will be alright." Jacob''s voice came from the front, trying tofort her.


    Eva bit her lower lip, feeling as if Adrian''s kiss still lingered on them.


    How could she not worry? With the scene erupting into violence as it did, what if someone had brought a gun?


    She thought she would be relieved after being rescued, but now she found herself still fearful.


    "Mummy."


    Perhaps due to their blood connection, both little ones seemed to sense her anxiety and grabbed her hands together. However, in that moment, Eva could only muster an ugly smile that was harder than crying. "I''m alright. We''re safe now." she said, embracing them in her arms.


    Closing her eyes, Eva knew that saying they were okay was just tofort them. In reality, she was extremely worried.


    Her facing Michael was one thing, but Adrian was in much greater danger.


    Michael wouldn''t hurt her, but Adrian? She couldn''t bear to think about it and could only hope that he would return safely.


    After a while, Jacob''s phone rang.


    "Hello, yes, Ms. Hansen has been picked up, she''s in the car now."


    Hearing her name, Eva looked up at Jacob.


    "Who is it?"


    Jacob passed the phone to her. "Ms. Hansen, it''s your good friend Miss Jones."


    Upon hearing it was Emily, Eva immediately answered the phone.


    "Emily!"


    "Eva!" Emily sounded even more excited. "Adrian finally found you, I''m sorry, we had a breakdown on the way and were unable to rescue you, but thankfully Adrian found you." A breakdown?


    She wondered why she hadn''t seen Emily and the others.


    "Where are you now?"


    "It''s okay, Scrooge is here, he''ll handle it. I''m just d that I got through to Jacob''s phone." Emily sighed with relief.


    "That''s good. I''lle to find you after I get back." Eva felt at ease.


    They talked a bit more before hanging up. Emily''s car had broken down, and Eva had her own troubles right now.


    After handing the phone back to Jacob, Eva asked, "How did you find me?"


    Jacob put away the cell phone and softly exined, "Actually, it was Miss Jones who kept sending us messages. After receiving the information about your stay at the hotel, we rushed over. But when we arrived, we did not know your specific location. It was Miss Jones who continued to call and inform us."


    "I see." Having heard that, Eva understood. Adrian had indeede earlier, it was just that she hadn''t contacted him.


    She had thought he didn''t show up, as she had tried to reach him before but he did not answer. So, Eva didn''t rely on contacting him, fearing that any chance of getting help from outside might be wasted.


    As she thought about this, Jacob seemed to read her mind and directly asked, "Why didn''t Ms. Hansen contact Mr. ckwood?"


    "I did try, but he didn''t answer at that time. I didn''t want to waste the limited opportunity I had. My situation wasn''t good then and I had to be quick and discreet."


    Hearing this, Jacob awkwardly reached up and touched his nose.


    "This is indeed true, Mr. ckwood is at fault for not answering your call. However, Ms. Hansen, I have to say on behalf of Mr. ckwood that he didn''t answer your call because, guessing that Ms. Hansen might be in trouble, he immediately left the country."


    "Is that so?"


    Since they were here now, there was no need for him to deceive her.


    "So, when I was calling you guys, you were on the..." Eva started.


    "On the ne." Jacob quickly finished her sentence.


    Hearing this, thest of Eva''s doubts disappeared.


    She had been bothered that when she called Adrian, he hadn''t answered right away and there had been no news from him afterwards.


    When she needed him, he was nowhere to be found, not even a shadow.


    But now, being told that he was unreachable because he was on the ne, Eva felt a great sense of relief.


    "Mr. ckwood has been very worried about you. As soon as wended, we went out to look for you, so we missed Miss Jones'' calls too. That was thoughtless of us. But Miss Jones did speak to Mr. ckwoodter, ensuring that from now on, he''ll answer calls immediately."


    "Emily spoke to him?" Eva felt a touch of amusement upon hearing this. She hadn''t expected Emily to be so bold, and the thought of her friend confronting him warmed her heart. Indeed, her friends were the ones who truly cared for her.

 Chapter 411 A Sprained Ankle

    However, that smile vanished in a sh as she started to worry about Adrian again.


    Seeing the quick change in her expression, Jacob hurried to reassure her, "Don''t worry, Ms. Hansen, really, there''s no need. Mr. ckwood never does anything he''s not sure of." "I know." Eva nodded, understanding Adrian''s character well after knowing him for so long.


    But knowing his character was one thing, and worrying for him was another.


    In reality, Adrian had stayed behind to handle things, which is why their journey had been smooth. Once they reached a safe location, Jacob escorted all three of them to a room. They had spent quite some time traveling, so just before Jacob was about to leave, Eva stopped him to ask, "When do you think he''ll be back?"


    "Well..." Jacob shook his head. "I''m not sure. He''ll return once he''s finished."


    "Hasn''t he updated you yet?"


    "Ms. Hansen, you''ve been with me the whole way, and my phone has only rung once, which was when Miss Jones called."


    Hearing this, the light in Eva''s eyes slowly dimmed.


    Just then, Jacob''s phone happened to ring. Eva''s eyes brightened, "Is it him?"


    Jacob checked the caller ID and then said, "No, it''s not."


    The light in Eva''s eyes faded immediately.


    After ncing at the caller ID, Jacob tentatively asked, "Ms. Hansen, if there''s nothing else, may I take my leave to attend to my duties?"


    Eva nodded, "Go ahead with your work."


    Jacob left and Eva sighed, then closed the room door.


    The room was tidy and she had initially thought it was prepared for them. But on entering, she realized there were signs of someone having stayed in this space. A man''s clothes hung in the wardrobe, clearly belonging to Adrian. That is to say, Jacob led her directly to Adrian''s room.


    By this time, it was alreadyte, and the two children had been running around with her all day. They were exhausted and were slumped on the sofa, haphazardly lounging. At her return, they both summoned the strength to weakly call out to her.


    Seeing them like this, Eva''s heart ached terribly for them. She was about to walk over when she suddenly thought of something, turned around, and ran back to push the door open, just in time to see Jacob returning. "Jacob, Ruby, she..." Eva began.


    "Right, Ms. Hansen, the doctor is already on his way and should arrive shortly. Before treating Miss Ruby''s foot injury, would you like something to eat?" Jacob asked thoughtfully.


    Having rushed around all day, Eva was truly tired and had no appetite.


    It didn''t matter for her, but not for the two children.


    So, she nodded her head, "Yes, please prepare something for them to eat."


    Soon, food was brought to the room. Taking advantage of this time, Eva dressed the children in clothes the servants had prepared and washed their feet.


    When the doctor arrived, Ruby was seated on the sofa with a bowl and spoon in hand, eating, while her tender white feet swayed in the air.


    Witnessing this sight, the doctor instantly understood a bit more of the situation.


    "Ms. Hansen, the doctor has arrived." Jacob announced.


    Eva gestured for Ruby to put down her bowl, and Ruby obediently ced it on the table, then moved further away from the dining table before settling down. This prompted a chuckle from the doctor.


    "Just rx, it''s a casual check-up." he said.


    Then the doctor squatted in front of Ruby and gently held her right ankle. "Did you injure this foot?"


    The moment her ankle was grasped, Ruby immediately became tense, clutching the hem of her dress, and she nodded her head.


    The doctor examined her pale ankle and pressed gently at a spot, causing the little girl to shiver from the pain and instinctively cry out for Mommy.


    Eva, pained by this, stretched out her hand for Ruby to hold.


    "It seems this is the sore spot. What about here, does this hurt too?"


    After checking for a while, the doctor said, "Nothing serious, just a sprained ankle. I''ll prescribe some medicine, and she needs a few days of rest. However, be careful not to walk on it for the time being." Eva thanked him, and after the doctor provided a prescription, he left.


    During this half hour, once the doctor had departed, Eva carried Ruby back to her original spot and earnestly instructed, "If you''re hurt next time, you must tell me right away, don''t try to bear it alone, understand?" Ruby, having learned her lesson, obediently nodded her head.


    "I got it, Mommy."


    "Alright, finish your food, and then it''s time for you to go to bed."


    Ruby held a spoon but didn''t move an inch. Instead, she stared at her mother and asked, "Mommy, why isn''t Uncle NightA with us? Where did he go?"


    Eva wanted to ask the same questions. They had been back for so long, and including the travel time, it was odd that there was still no word from Adrian.


    She was worried but knew she couldn''t show it in front of her children.


    So, Eva simply stroked her daughter''s head and exined softly, "He had to attend to something. Go to sleep for now, and you will see him once you wake up tomorrow, okay?"


    "Mhm." Ruby nodded obediently.


    Once Eva finally got them both to bed and the room fell quiet, confirming they wouldn''t wake up again, she stood up, opened the door, and stepped out.


    The ce looked like a small base. The house was well-structured, difficult for outsiders to infiltrate and equally challenging for those inside to leave without notice. There were guards everywhere. As she emerged, everyone greeted her politely with a nod.


    "Ms. Hansen."


    She encountered someone every few steps, all of them speaking to Eva in unison. At first, she acknowledged their greetings with a smile.


    But after a while, she couldn''t keep up with the formality any longer and said to them awkwardly, "Please, go about your business. I''m just walking around, you don''t need to worry about me."


    One of the leaders came forward and said, "Ms. Hansen, you''re wee to walk around, but it''s best not to step outside the main gate. Mr. ckwood hasn''t returned yet, which means the crisis isn''t over. Until Mr. ckwood is back, it''d be


    best if you stayed in your room or within our protection perimeter."


    If these words hade from Michael''s subordinates, Eva would have felt they were trying to detain her. Buting from Adrian''s people, it felt like they were protecting her for her safety.


    Upon reflecting on this, Eva pursed her lips, deep in thought.


    Was she being too unfair to Michael?


    But then again... if he didn''t restrict her movements, would their rtionship have deteriorated to this extent?

 Chapter 412 Could it be he likes me?

    After some thought, Eva decided not to venture outside.


    It waste, and they were still on guard for her safety. Wouldn''t wandering around be a nuisance to them?


    Having realized this, Eva spoke directly to the man, "I won''t wander off, but there''s a favor I''d like to ask of you."


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood told us your requestse first. So please, just tell us what you need."


    "If Jacobes byter, could you let him know I''d like to see him?"


    "No problem, I''ll inquire his whereabouts from him right now."


    "There''s no need to go out of your way."


    She had meant to say that there was no need to explicitly look for him, it would suffice to call him over when seen. But unexpectedly, that man fetched his phone and immediately called Jacob. After the phone connected, he said, "Jacob, Ms. Hansen is looking for you. Could youe over right away?"


    In her mind, Eva couldn''t help but marvel at their rming efficiency.


    "Ms. Hansen, Jacob says he will be here shortly. You may return to your room to wait."


    "Thank you, I''ll head back inside to wait." What else could she say? She had no choice but to head back to the room until Jacob arrived.


    Once back in her room, Eva settled down on the sofa to wait.


    After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door.


    Eva hesitated for a moment before opening the door, the weight of anticipation heavy in her chest.


    Jacob inquired, "You were looking for me?"


    "The first thing I have to ask is about Adrian. Any news?" Eva went straight to what mattered most.


    At her words, Jacob sighed and shook his head slightly.


    "Not yet, Ms. Hansen. It''s gettingte. You should get some rest, and should there be any news, I promise to inform you immediately."


    Eva knew very well that if he had returned, he would havee straight to her without needing any prompting from Jacob.


    But still... she couldn''t help but worry.


    If this had been back home, it would be one thing, but being abroad, if something had happened...


    With this thought, Eva bit her lower lip and said, "I know it sounds impolite, but I have to ask, with so many people here, can''t we get some men to go help?"


    Hearing this, Jacob shook his head helplessly. "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood wouldn''t go for that idea. I need to stay here to ensure your safety, as a precaution and for security reasons."


    Eva understood. If it weren''t for the need to ensure her safety here, he would have already gone to look for Adrian.


    With the direction the conversation had headed at this point, Eva felt that further persistence might seem annoying. After a moment''s thought, she finally lowered her gaze and remained silent.


    Upon seeing her expression, Jacob felt a surge of awkwardness. How could Ms. Hansen suddenly look so disheartened? Had he said something wrong?


    Or perhaps, was his tone too harsh?


    Just as he was about to apologize, a surprised and joyful call echoed from a distance behind him.


    "Eva!" The familiar voice caused Eva to lift her head abruptly and look towards the source of the sound.


    Emily ran towards her, excitement gleaming in her eyes.


    A wave of joy washed over Eva as she wrapped Emily in a warm embrace.


    Jacob watched the two hugging each other, then silently withdrew himself from theirpany.


    After Emily and Eva finished their embrace, they realized Jacob had already left. Eva''s gaze dimmed slightly, but thinking there was no use in pressing him further, as he had his own affairs to tend to, she let it go. Emily, detecting her best friend''s dampened spirit, immediately asked with concern, "What''s wrong?"


    Eva snapped back to reality and gave a small smile, "Nothing much. You''re just getting back now, is your car fixed?"


    "The car''s still not fixed. Mr. Stingy was worried about you, so he had someone bring me here so long." After saying this, Emily quickly corrected herself, "I can''t call him Mr. Stingy anymore, I promised I wouldn''t use nicknames for him. From now on, I''ll call him Mr. Powell."


    "Nicknames?"


    "Yes, I''ve spent more time with him since he apanied me here to find you. I sometimes identally call him Mr. Stingy to his face."


    Eva couldn''t help butugh, "Didn''t he get mad?"


    "Mad? The nickname isn''t only for fun, there''s truth to it. He often has me work overtime to the point where I don''t have time for a rtionship. I''m the one who''s really suffering. And most importantly, I don''t think he dares to get mad. Do you know, when I said I was going to find you, he offered toe with me? That surprised me. I thought he was just a stingy guy, but turns out he can be quite principled."


    "Principled?" The adjective made Eva''s lips curl into a smile, "So you think he came with you out of a sense of principle?"


    "What else could it be?" Emily retorted before propping her chin in her hands and pondering seriously, "If it''s not principle, then what? Oh! I got it, he doesn''t want to lose me! An employee he can exploit."


    Her earnest deduction left Eva speechless. "How did youe to that conclusion?"


    "I said I would quit, and then he said he''de with me. Isn''t that because he doesn''t want to lose an employee like me? He probably wants to sort this out quickly so I can go back to work peacefully and continue being exploited by him." Eva sensed something was amiss with Emily''s theory.


    This trip to find her was not a simple search.


    After all, it involved uwful confinement, and without reporting it to the police, Nathan was still willing toe with her. Was this risky endeavor really just to solve the issue so he could continue exploiting her at thepany? It all seemed far-fetched.


    But ording to Emily''s way of thinking, exploitation was the only motive she seemed to consider.


    With this in mind, Eva kindly suggested, "Have you ever considered that he might actually be worried about you?"


    At those words, Emily''s expression froze, and after a moment, she looked shocked and eximed, "How could that be possible? Eva, you must be mistaken. He''s a stingy guy, how could he possibly be worried about me?" Evaughed. "Really? Then how do you exin himing with you, if not for being worried about you? After all, this is no ordinary trip."


    Hearing this, Emily fell silent.


    She stared at Eva, and Eva returned her gaze.


    After a long time, Emily suddenly blurted out something surprising.


    "So, ording to you, he actually might be worried about me? But why would he worry about me? Could it be that he likes me?"

 Chapter 413 No Word Yet

    Eva, standing to one side, raised her eyebrows with a hint of amusement.


    When she doesn''t think about it, she doesn''t care at all, but when she does, her thoughts leap wildly.


    She arched an eyebrow, then said, "It''s hard to say, maybe he does like you?"


    "Impossible!" Emily shook her head immediately in denial. "How could a miser like him actually like me? No, no, I misspoke. I mean Mr. Powell. We agreed not to give him nicknames. He would be out of his mind to like me?" "Then why do you think he wouldn''t like you?"


    "It''s simple. I''m just an ordinary employee. And he''s surrounded by beautiful women who boast looks, figures, and status. It would be madness for him to like me."


    Eva was slightly upset upon hearing her friend belittle herself, and she retorted with a bit of dissatisfaction, "You aren''t half bad yourself."


    "I know, I know." Emily hugged her, smiling warmly. "Of course, I know I''m not bad, butpared to those rich and beautiful women, I fall far short. With so many of them around Mr. Powell, how could he possibly like me? If he came with me, it''s either because he wants to exploit me, or it''s out of his sense of morals."


    But Eva disagreed, shaking her head. "Sometimes, feelings are not just about the other person''s attributes. I tend to value long-termpanionship or the impact of a specific moment, the people and events you encounter, feelings can be sparked in an instant."


    Emily considered this and found it quite reasonable.


    "Mm, you have a point, but I still think it''s impossible. You really don''t know how many women are around him, no, actually you should know. Adrian also has so many women constantly flocking to him."


    Eva decided not to argue anymore. Whether he liked her or not, it wasn''t for her to say.


    If Nathan really liked Emily, his willingness to apany her here meant that he would likely seize future opportunities on his own.


    There was no need for others to interfere or worry about them. Perhaps Eva''s nudging might even take away some of the fun from their rtionship.


    With that thought, Eva smiled and yed along, "Mm, you''re right. Just take as ites then."


    Seeing that she didn''t bring it up again, Emily lost interest in the topic and started asking about other things.


    "Right, wasn''t it Adrian who saved you? Where is he now? After so long without seeing each other, how can he stand noting to find you?"


    Throughout their conversation, Eva had already been distracted with thoughts of this. Now, as Emily brought it up again, Eva''s emotions were stirred. "He didn''te back with us."


    "What?" Emily was surprised, "He didn''te back with you? Then, what did he go off to do?"


    Eva lowered her eyes. "He had just found me when Michael''s men showed up."


    Hearing this, Emily understood everything. If they had encountered Michael''s people, that meant Adrian stayed behind to deal with them, sending Eva back to safety.


    As for what happened after that with them, it waspletely unpredictable from their side.


    "How long have you been back? Has he not sent any messages at all?"


    Eva shook her head. "No."


    "Then," Emily looked at Eva, suddenly biting her lower lip and reaching out to embrace her, "I''m sorry, I didn''t know things were like this. If I had, I wouldn''t havee and just started to talk so much." "It''s not your fault."


    But Emily still felt very upset, "I feel like if he doesn''t send a message all day today, you won''t be able to sleep. So, I won''t sleep tonight either. I''ll stay here with you, waiting for news. Once Adrian is back and you''re at ease, then I''ll go." "There''s no need, Emily." Eva shook her head, "I''m fine being here on my own. You''ve been running around all day, you should go back and rest."


    "Shut up, you''re not sending me away anymore. I''m your friend, aren''t I? After such a long time not seeing each other, am I not allowed to stay over and keep youpany? Or am I someone you don''t want to be around?" "Of course not, then stay if you''d like to." Eva said, smiling as she held her hand.


    In the end, Emily stayed with her, waiting together, because neither could sleep. Emily had food and some wine brought in, and they drank in a room near the balcony.


    "It''s been such a long time since we sat together and had a drink. Though you stopped drinking after getting married, today is special. To celebrate your safe return, how about we toast just this once?"


    Eva didn''t want to drink, but she didn''t want to dampen Emily''s spirits, especially since she had traveled internationally to rescue her. She raised her ss to meet Emily''s.


    "Alright, I''ll join you for just this one toast." she agreed.


    After they downed their sses, Emily started munching on the snacksid out on the table.


    "Have some too. You must not have had much to eat since you were taken. I was the same, barely touched my dinner, just a few bites before I had to run out. I''m actually quite hungry now." Emily said while swallowing, noticing that Eva had not eaten. She picked up a pastry and ced it into Eva''s bowl, urging her, "Just keep mepany and have a little."


    "Emily, I''m not hungry."


    "I know, but you have to eat. Without food, you won''t have the strength to keep going." Emily insisted, and with her persistent urging, Eva finally ate something.


    They stayed together untilte, both exhausted, leaning back against the couch.


    Emily suddenly stood up. "Eva, you rest here for a bit. I''ll go check if Mr. Powell has returned."


    Since she had arrived to check on Eva, she had been contemting when to look for him. It hadn''t even been an hour and she couldn''t wait any longer.


    "Alright, go on and sort out your things. But don''t worry abouting backter if it''s toote, just head to bed." Eva said.


    Emily thought about it and eventually nodded, then left Eva alone on the couch, waiting.


    Time passed, so much so that Eva almost dozed off on the couch when she finally heard footsteps outside.


    Half-asleep, she wondered if she was hearing things. Her head felt heavy, and she didn''t bother to get up to check. She just leaned there, listening to the footsteps stop at her door, followed by the sound of the doorknob turning. The noise cut through the silent night, jolting Eva fully awake.


    She sat up abruptly, her gaze fixed alertly towards the door.

 Chapter 414 Wont You Spare Me Another Glance?

    Who could it be at thiste hour?


    Despite the secure surroundings, Eva was instantly on high alert.


    What if it was someone else?


    As these thoughts raced through her mind, the door opened, and a familiar figure appeared before Eva.


    With his handsome features and tall stature, his deep eyes immediately met hers.


    For a moment upon seeing him, Eva nearly thought she was hallucinating.


    "You..."


    But she had hardly spoken a word when Adrian rushed in like an arrow, bending over to envelop her in his embrace.


    His familiar scent enveloped her instantly.


    Eva involuntarily closed her eyes, raising her hands in response.


    The moment her hands grazed Adrian''s back, he drew her even closer.


    Suddenly, Eva caught a faint scent of blood.


    She opened her eyes and gently but firmly attempted to pull away, "Let me go."


    But the person in front of her seemed not to hear her, Adrian''s voice was raw with emotion, "Just let me hold you a little longer."


    Whether or not to hold each other wasn''t of much significance at the moment. What mattered was that he was injured. Thus, Eva didn''t amodate him. If he wouldn''t let go, she would have to exert a bit more strength to struggle free. Her repeated resistancepelled Adrian to release his grip.


    Once freed, Eva stepped back and began to look him over from head to toe, her brow furrowing as she did so.


    Noticing her expression, Adrian asked softly, "What''s wrong?"


    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Eva stepped forward and reached for his cor, attempting to undo the buttons on his shirt.


    However, as soon as she touched the first button, her hand was seized by Adrian.


    "What''s this about?" Adrian asked, his intense gaze softening, voice tinged with concern.


    This demeanor only tightened the knit of Eva''s brows. "I''m not doing anything but checking where you''re injured."


    It turned out she only wanted to see his wound, Adrian had thought she wanted to...


    "What''s with that look? Do you think I was going to do something to you?" Eva said, as she pped his hand away from hers. "Let go, let me see."


    She scolded him in a hushed tone, then moved Adrian''s hand aside and went on with unbuttoning his shirt.


    Given the strong scent of blood on him, his injury must be severe.


    Eva''s brows were nearly twisted together in concern.


    Unfortunately, her efforts to unbutton Adrian''s shirt were in vain. She had only managed to unfasten the second button when her hand was grabbed by Adrian again. Forced to stop, she looked up at him.


    Adrian spoke, "It''s just a minor wound, no need to take off any clothes."


    Eva wasn''t convinced. "If it''s just a minor wound, why is the smell of blood so strong?"


    "Because it''s not my blood. It''s someone else''s."


    Eva felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing that it was someone else''s blood. "Someone else''s?"


    Her subtle reaction did not escape Adrian''s notice, which prompted him to narrow his eyes slightly and say what came next.


    "Concerned? What if I told you that it''s Michael''s blood?"


    Judging by his tone, Eva felt he was joking, yet her heart still sank. Having been away for so long, he must have had an altercation with Michael.


    With this in mind, Eva began to examine Adrian''s face more closely.


    Previously, she had been solely focused on the blood on his body and had not taken a good look at his face, but now she noticed that his face was also injured.


    Around the eyes, the corners of the mouth, and the jaw, all showed signs of injury.


    If the visible injuries were this serious, what about the ones underneath his clothes?


    Thinking this, Eva became anxious. "Where exactly are you hurt? Take off your shirt and let me see."


    Adrian watched her silently, his handsome face etched with helplessness. "Didn''t I tell you? That''s Michael''s blood."


    Eva''s hand tightened around his neck, gripping the cor of his clothing with force, biting her lower lip.


    All these actions were keenly observed by Adrian, his gaze bing obscure and even bitter.


    "Are you worried about him?"


    "Adrian!" she called out harshly, right as he finished speaking. "What''s the point of saying that now? Even if he''s injured, I can''t fly to him right at this moment. I''m standing in front of you, wanting to see your wound." Adrian paused for a moment.


    "Or are you saying that you lied to me, that you''re the one who''s seriously injured? You''re scared to let me know, so you say these things to cate me, is that it?"


    After she finished speaking, Adrian fell into a prolonged silence, taking a while before he reached out to grasp her wrist and bowed his head.


    "So, did you get cated? Are you worried about him, or are you more worried about me?"


    Eva met his gaze for a moment. Unable to tolerate his behavior any longer, she asked, "Why are you being childish?"


    Adrian held her hand even tighter. "Is it childish to want to know the true feelings of the woman I love?"


    Adrian suddenly became very stubborn. Speaking directly and passionately, he overwhelmed Eva.


    Especially when he mentioned the woman he loved.


    When had he be so fervent and unrestrained?


    "Answer me." Seeing that she remained silent, Adrian didn''t let her off the hook, but held her hand and continued to inquire, "Is it so difficult to answer this question?" "No, it''s just that..." she hesitated.


    "Just that you''re worried about him more than me? You want to be by his side?"


    His question made Eva frown, looking at Adrian. "Do you really need to ask this?"


    "Mhm, I won''t let you unbutton my shirt until you answer." Adrian said, protecting his cor as if her answer were some sort of switch.


    After watching him for a long while, Eva decided not to indulge him any further.


    "Fine, if you don''t want me to see, then forget it."


    With that, Eva let go and turned away without another nce.


    Adrian''s expression changed, not expecting her to be so impervious to teasing. Watching her about to leave, he hastily reached out to pull her back. "Don''t go."


    With her back to him, Eva heard him speak in a low voice, "I''m injured, and you still won''t give me another look?"


    A trace of grievanceced his voice.


    Eva turned her head. "Is it that I don''t want to give you another look, or is it you who won''t let me?"


    Adrian pressed his lips together, "Besides wanting to look at me, you''re also worried about someone else."


    "So do you actually want me to check you or not?"


    He remained silent, merely watching her quietly, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction still apparent in his gaze.


    Eva stared back at him for a long while. Had it been any other time, she might have turned on her heels and left, indifferent to his sulking petnce.


    But the thought that he hade to rescue her and was now seriously injured because of her softened her heart. As tenderness took over, she approached him and said softly, "Alright, let me see your wound."

 Chapter 415 Let Her Come Over

    She softened and approached him on her own.


    She even coaxed him in a gentle tone.


    "I was harsh earlier, and I apologize. To think you''re injured like this because of me... I shouldn''t have spoken to you that way. Let me see your injury now, okay?"


    She spoke soothingly, in a way she hadn''t since they reunited. Hearing the change in her voice, Adrian felt a tug at his heartstrings, easing them.


    He had been missing her terribly, and now, as he watched her lips move in front of him, the color in his eyes deepened instantly.


    Swallowing hard, He suddenly reached out, pulling her toward him as he leaned in.


    "You don''t have to apologize to me." Adrian said with a voice so hoarse it was almost a whisper, his hot breath closing in on Eva.


    Eva''s eyshes fluttered as he leaned in, about to kiss her, but the overpowering scent of blood invaded her senses, startling her back to rity.


    Before their lips could meet, Eva instinctively put her hand between them.


    Adrian''s movement paused, clearly not expecting her to block him. After a brief two or three seconds, he didn''t pull away but instead kissed the palm of her hand.


    The tender sensation almost made Eva withdraw her hand, but before she could react, Adrian quickly pulled back, the hand around her waist also retreating as if swiftly detaching himself from the emotion. He spoke indifferently, "I''ll clean up ande back in a bit."


    With that, he turned and walked away.


    It wasn''t until the door closed behind him that Eva came to her senses.


    He hadn''t shown her his wound, not only that, he had rather audaciously taken a liberty with her.


    At the thought, Eva lowered her gaze to the palm he had kissed, where the trace of his breath seemed to linger.


    She remained standing for a while before remembering to follow him.


    Upon opening the door and stepping out, Adrian''s figure was nowhere to be seen. She hadn''t expected him to disappear that quickly.


    Closing her own room''s door, she proceeded down the corridor to ask the patrolling guards where he had gone.


    "Excuse me, where did Adrian go? He just left."


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood went down the hallway to the left."


    Eva''s gaze briefly swept over to the corridor on the left, after which she thanked the man. He promptly replied, "No need for thanks, Ms. Hansen." Walking down the corridor, Eva spotted Jacob hurrying with the doctor they''d seen earlier into a room.


    From that mere nce, Eva was certain that the doctor was there to see Adrian.


    He must have been seriously hurt and wanted to keep it from her. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have suddenly left and bolted out on his own.


    With this thought, Eva quietly followed them.


    Fortunately, after Jacob led the doctor inside, they didn''t close the doorpletely. Thus, as Eva approached, she could clearly hear the voicesing from within. "Mr. ckwood, where are you injured? Let me take a look. The wound needs to be disinfected."


    A moment of silence followed, soon reced by the sound of both the doctor and Jacob sharply inhaling.


    "How could it be so severe?" Jacob eximed, his voice tinged with frustration and anger as he cursed Adrian''s adversary, "That damned Michael, did he do this?" But all that came in response was a muffled groan.


    The doctor frowned as he cleaned the wound. "Mr. ckwood, after your wound is cleaned, you should avoid getting it wet for the next few days, otherwise, the infection could worsen." Adrian sat with little reaction. Aside from an initial pained grunt when he was caught off guard, he had been enduring the pain silently.


    Jacob stood by, and if it weren''t for the beads of cold sweat rolling down Adrian''s forehead, highlighting the taut veins, he might have thought the wound wasn''t painful.


    But how could it not be? The wound was so deep, merely a nce at it was terrifying.


    "Mr. ckwood, does Ms. Hansen know you''re injured like this? I heard that you went to Ms. Hansen immediately after returning without tending to your wound." Adrian hesitated briefly before pressing his thin lips together, then replied, "She knows I''m injured, but she hasn''t seen the wound."


    Hearing this, Jacob breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s good to hear. The state of your wound is truly frightening. It would be best if Ms. Hansen doesn''t see it."


    No sooner had he spoken, than an inquiring voice came from the doorway.


    "Really? What kind of wound is it that you don''t dare let me see? I''m quite curious to see just how scary it can be."


    The sudden appearance of a female voice drew their attention immediately.


    Upon seeing who it was, Jacob''s face changed, and he quickly stepped forward to block her.


    "Ms. Hansen, what are you doing here?"


    Adrian was also quickly fastening the buttons of his clothes, concealing the wound that the doctor had only half-treated.


    The doctor paused, sighing helplessly in a low voice, "Mr. ckwood, your wound hasn''t been fully treated yet."


    "I know." His voice lowered, he cast a coercive nce at the doctor, "I''ll have it treatedter, remember to cover for me in a while."


    The doctor thought, "With the wound being this severe, how am I supposed to cover for him? Isn''t treating the wound the priority?"


    But since Adrian was his employer, and the wound wasn''t life-threatening, the doctor didn''t say anything more as putting off the treatment for a short while wouldn''t pose a danger.


    He stood to the side, arms folded, quietly waiting.


    On the side, Eva''s gaze grew a fraction colder looking at Jacob blocking her path.


    "Can''t Ie over? Jacob, didn''t you say you would tell me immediately once there was any news?"


    "Yes, Ms. Hansen, hasn''t Mr. ckwood just returned? I haven''t had the chance to inform you."


    Eva looked at him, her lips twitching slightly, "That''s right, you''re so busy you obviously wouldn''t have spare time to notify me, so I came by myself."


    It seemed Jacob had fallen into a trap Ms. Hansen had set.


    While he was dazed, Eva walked past him. Realizing what had happened, Jacob quickly moved to stop her.


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood is getting his wound treated, and the scene is somewhat gruesome, perhaps... you shouldn''t look."


    "I''d like to see just how gruesome it is." Eva''s gaze met Jacob''s blockage. "When he had severe gastric bleeding back in our country, didn''t you beg me to see him, fearing he might die? Now that he''s injured, I can''t see him?" "Ms. Hansen," Jacob smiled awkwardly, "It''s not that you can''t look, it''s just Mr. ckwood..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, a resigned voice came from inside, "Let here."

 Chapter 416 Concern

    At these words, Jacob''s face changed.


    He turned to look at Adrian, and seeing Adrian nod at him, Jacob stepped aside.


    With the obstruction gone, Eva''s gaze finally met Adrian''s in the air.


    Their eyes locked for a moment, then Adrian suddenly said, "Everyone, please step outside."


    Hearing this, the doctor instinctively raised his hand to point at himself, "Are you asking us to leave, Mr. ckwood?" Adrian nodded.


    "But your wound..."


    "My wound isn''t a major concern at the moment; it can wait to be treated."


    "If that''s the case, then... alright..." The doctor was about to agree when Eva, standing there, interrupted him.


    "Treat it now." The three of them looked at Eva as she walked over with a stern face, somewhat displeased as she spoke to Adrian, "You''ve been injured and if you don''t tend to it now, what do you n on doing? Do you think the pain isn''t enough, or do you believe you have plenty of blood to spare for a while longer?"


    Adrian mumbled, "I..."


    "Sir, wherever he''s hurt, please attend to him now. I''ll be watching." Eva said, not even acknowledging Adrian, as she turned and instructed the doctor. Under her serious tone, the doctor instinctively nodded.


    "Okay, I''ll treat his wounds now." He then fetched the first-aid supplies, approaching Adrian, "Mr. ckwood, please take off your clothes."


    Adrian nced at Eva and met her ring eyes.


    "Aren''t you going to undress?"


    Under Eva''s watchful gaze, Adrian reluctantly began to unbutton his shirt, his movements deliberately slow, as if to stretch out every second he could.


    Eva, initially standing by, became slightly irritated at the scene and sat down beside him, reaching out to help him strip off his shirt.


    Her movements were far from gentle. As soon as she pulled his shirt off, her delicate wrist was caught by Adrian.


    Eva looked up, "What?"


    Confronted with her inquiring gaze, Adrian shook his head and with a touch of guilt said, "Nothing, just be gentle."


    Eva sighed, "Please hurry up with the treatment, Sir."


    "Of course." The doctor resumed attending to the wound that was half-treated. Now that Eva was sitting so close, the stench of blood was more intense. She frowned and looked down at his wound.


    But before she could see clearly, a pair of hands gently covered her eyes.


    Eva paused and asked, "What are you doing?"


    "There''s really nothing to see. Let the doctor handle it."


    "I''m not going to react even if I see." Eva said.


    Adrian pursed his thin lips, "I don''t want to worry you."


    Eva''s response was to pull his hands away.


    With just a nce, she froze on the spot.


    There was arge gash on Adrian''s abdomen, seemingly inflicted by a knife.


    Not only was the injury extensive, but it also looked very deep.


    As the doctor treated him, the wound kept bleeding profusely, presenting a terrifying sight.


    After a few moments, Eva ced her hand over her mouth, and seeing her reaction, Adrian again covered her eyes.


    "You im you''re not scared, but you look frightened, don''t you?"


    His voice was soft, teasing in tone, but Eva could hear a trace of helplessness in it.


    It was as if he was saying, "I told you not to look for your own good. You didn''t listen, and now you see I was right, don''t you?"


    Eva had considered the possibility that he''d sustained a severe injury, knowing his penchant for ying the victim, he''d never conceal it otherwise. However, she never imagined it could be this serious.


    With that thought, Eva bit her lower lip, abruptly pushed Adrian''s hands away and turned to the doctor, "His wound isn''t life-threatening, is it?"


    "It''s not fatal." the doctor replied.


    "But the wound looks terrifying." Eva frowned.


    "Yes, it does look quite fearsome, and had it been any deeper, it could''ve been fatal. Thankfully, it''s not that severe. I''ll take care of it, and he will just need to keep it dry afterward."


    While the doctor spoke lightly, Eva could only feel relieved that Adrian''s wound wasn''t fatal, but she sent him a fierce re.


    Adrian pondered and eventually vented his frustration towards Jacob standing nearby.


    Jacob wondered, "What''s wrong with him? Did I do something?"


    If he could hear Adrian''s thoughts, he would probably hear Adrian ming him, "It''s your fault for not closing the door when you brought the doctor. She overheard everything from outside, didn''t she?" After treating the wound and prescribing some medication, the doctor, at Eva''s insistence, gave Adrian a full examination to ensure there were no other injuries before leaving.


    Adrian flipped through the medication prescribed by the doctor, the sight of the many white tablets piled together giving him a headache. He pondered whether to throw them awayter, when he heard some soft, indistinct voices from the door.


    He looked up and saw Eva following the doctor to the door, asking, "Are you sure there''s no need for another check? Like, internally, or other wounds that aren''t visible?"


    The doctor appeared exasperated by her questioning. "Ms. Hansen, we''ve checked everything necessary, and even the unnecessary. Generally speaking, there shouldn''t be any major issues."


    "Generally speaking? So, there are other possible scenarios? What about these other scenarios?" Eva was still feeling uneasy about his condition.


    "Ms. Hansen, normally, the ''other scenarios'' you''re referring to wouldn''t happen. Besides, if there really is ''another scenario'', I''m still around. Just give me a call ore find me, and I''ll be right over, so please rest assured that it won''te to that."


    Hearing that he would be staying put, Eva finally felt at ease.


    She had thought he might leave, and that Adrian could have emergencies that wouldn''t be attended to in time.


    "That''s good, then. Could you give me your phone number, so I can save it?"


    The doctor smiled resignedly, "Alright, I''ll give you my number."


    Watching the two exchange phone numbers at the door, Adrian was initially tempted to toss out his pills. But now... Ah well, he realized that he had better keep them. He needs to take his medication diligently to recover quickly, otherwise she''ll end up worrying herself to death over him.


    Having swapped contact details, Eva bid the doctor farewell, and Jacob followed suit, departing the scene.


    Now, in the sanctuary of the home, only the two of them remained. Adrian captured a glimpse of Eva storing away her phone, her face a stern mask as she approached him, triggering an ominous hunch within him.


    Sure enough, when Eva halted in front of him, her gaze swept across his face only briefly before settling on the pills beside him.


    She walked over and picked up the pills without hesitation.


    "The wound has been treated, now it''s time for your medication."

 Chapter 417 As You Wish

    The night wore on, and the room was bathed in light, as bright as day.


    Sitting on the couch, his shirt partially removed, Adrian watched his beloved painstakingly peruse the medication instructions, meticulously sorting his pills while alternating between looking up and down.


    Though his abdominal wounds throbbed painfully, the sight of her concern, her dedication to understanding the instructions for his sake filled him with an overwhelming sense of contentment that didn''t merely skim the surface but was etched deeply into his heart.


    As he beheld her face, Eva suddenly lifted her eyes and frowned at him, wrenching him back to reality with her expression. He probed, "What is it?"


    Eva bluntly queried, "Have you had dinner tonight?"


    Assessing Adrian''s expression, Eva deduced, "It seems you haven''t. These medications should be taken after eating, you..."


    "Is that so?" Adrian responded nonchntly, "If they''re supposed to be taken after eating, we can wait until tomorrow."


    "That won''t do." Eva immediately dismissed his suggestion. "With your wounds in this condition, you need to take your medication now."


    During the exchange, Eva rose to her feet and headed towards the door.


    Adrian''s face shifted subtly, an urge to follow surged within him, but Eva pressed him back to his original spot.


    "Just wait here; I''ll see what''s in the kitchen to eat. Take your medicine after that."


    Adrian said, "Why trouble yourself? What sort of food could possibly be found in the kitchen at this hour?"


    Having said that, he reached for the pills himself, "I''ll simply take them on an empty stomach."


    "Absolutely not." Eva refused without a second thought. "Have you forgotten about your stomach bleeding incident recently? These pills are already harsh on the stomach. If you take them without eating, your ulcer might recur. With these new injuries on top of that, are you trying to kill yourself?"


    Adrian, in truth, had long relegated his previous stomach bleeding to the back of his mind and was reminded only when she mentioned it, casting his thoughts back to his recent bleeding episode.


    It was because of this matter that she was willing to take another look at herself.


    Pondering this, Adrian asked her in a low voice, "Is it because I''m injured?"


    Eva was initially puzzled by the sudden question. "What?"


    "Is it because I''m hurt that you''re concerned about me? If I hadn''t been injured today, would you..." Adrian paused briefly, thenughed at himself. "I mean, do you care because I''ve been hurt?" At first, Eva didn''t grasp his meaning, but after he finished, she finally understood.


    After a moment of thought, she realized why he would think that, probably because she had mentioned the stomach bleeding.


    Thest time she visited him in the hospital, it seemed like he thought she only came because he was in a pitiful state, and she had made it sound like she was only visiting to see her grandmother. He must have been bothered by it all this time, which is why he brought it up now.


    With that thought, Eva lowered her eyelids.


    After a moment, she looked up at him. "I''de to see you even if you weren''t hurt. So now, I''ll go to the kitchen and bring back something to eat. Can you wait here?"


    Adrian pursed his lips, "I''ll go with you."


    "You''re injured. Didn''t the doctor say you shouldn''t move around too much to avoid aggravating the wound?" Eva said softly.


    "But the doctor also said it''s not life-threatening. If it gets pulled, it''ll just hurt for a bit. After you''re done, we cane back." Before Eva could object, Adrian had already stood up. "Let''s go." "Do you really want toe with me? Your injury..." Eva questioned.


    "Let''s go." Seeing her still standing in ce, Adrian simply said, "The sooner we go, the sooner wee back. If you keep dying with me, when will I be able to take my medicine?" Finally, Eva was persuaded and went to the kitchen with him.


    Along the way, Jacob heard some noise and specifically came to check. Discovering they were heading to the kitchen, he suggested calling the chef.


    But it was reallyte, so Eva politely declined, and Jacob didn''t insist further.


    In the kitchen, Eva opened the fridge packed full with ingredients, everything that one could need.


    Eva nced over and picked a few simple items.


    It waste, so she simply put pasta and some ingredients into the pot to boil. The whole process looked simple enough, and Adrian silently watched from the side.


    "It''s toote to eat much, it won''t digest well, so we just need a little to fill our stomachs before you take your medicine."


    Adrian obediently replied, "Okay, I''ll listen to you."


    His response surprised Eva a bit, but she didn''t dwell on it and just turned up the heat and waited a while before turning it off.


    She served the pasta and ced it in front of Adrian.


    "Eat up."


    Adrian looked at the bowl of pasta before him. It was almost a in bowl of pasta with just a few toppings, some pieces of broli, and a fried egg.


    Yet, for Adrian, this simple bowl of pasta was superior to all others.


    He picked up his fork and twirled some strands of pasta, and as he tasted it, it was just as delicious as he imagined.


    After a bite, he looked up at Eva and sincerely said, "Thank you, it''s very tasty."


    Eva paused, then replied, "It''s just a bowl of pasta, nothing special about it."


    Once their hunger was satisfied, Eva took out the medicine she had prepared earlier from her pocket and ced it in front of Adrian, then poured him some warm water.


    "All the pills are here. Take all of them." Adrian looked at the small packet of pills, dreading the bitter taste they would leave in his mouth, but he knew if he didn''t take them, she would probably remain worried. With that in mind, Adrian didn''t hesitate anymore. He took the pills and swallowed them with a big gulp of water.


    "Now are you satisfied?" Adrian showed her the emptied bottom of the ss.


    "Good." Eva nodded. "The wound''s been treated, and you''ve taken your medicine. You should rest now."


    At the mention of rest, Adrian also nodded. "Okay."


    They went upstairs together, and when they reached the door of the room, Eva was expecting him to walk in. However, she realized he stopped when she did, showing no intention of going in. Eva gave him a curious look, "Go on."


    Adrian returned her nce. "This isn''t my room."


    Eva was perplexed, "If this isn''t your room, then where is..."


    She stopped mid-sentence as she suddenly remembered that the ce that she had been staying in was actually Adrian''s room.


    The room bore Adrian''s presence, which is why Jacob had taken them there.


    While she was deep in thought, Adrian kept his eyes on her.


    "Didn''t they already bring you into my room?"

 Chapter 418 Keeping a Close Watch

    After he spoke, Eva fell silent.


    The two of them used to share a room, but that was a thing of the past. For a long time, they hadn''t seen each other, let alone lived together.


    Now, suddenly, they were to stay in the same room.


    Seeing her hesitation, Adrian lowered his eyes, then reached for her wrist.


    "I''ve been seriously injured. Are you okay with leaving me alone? What if something happens while I''m asleep?"


    Hearing this, Eva nced at him. Although there was a pitiful plea in his expression and words, she couldn''t deny that what he said made sense because he was indeed seriously injured. She had witnessed the extent of his injuries firsthand. When the doctor left, she had asked him about it. Under normal circumstances, it would be nothing, but what if it wasn''t?


    Regardless, that was his room to begin with. Letting him stay there was only right. Besides, the most important thing was that he was injured and couldn''t do much right now. With that thought, Eva felt at ease.


    "Let''s go."


    Seeing her agree, a hint of satisfaction flickered in Adrian''s eyes. His lips curled into an attractive arch, and as he followed her, he didn''t release the hand he held but pulled her along. Once in the room, Eva straightened up the couch. She then checked the bedroom, ensuring that Ruby and Dn were sound asleep beforeing back out. Adrian, noticing her caution, asked quietly, "Are they asleep?"


    Eva nodded. "They''ve been asleep for a while now. In fact, they waited for you for quite some time, but they''ve been running around with me all day and are utterly exhausted." After she finished speaking, Adrian stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. "You all have been through so much. It''s my fault for not protecting you well."


    Normally, Adrian''s embrace was fresh and pleasant to the scent, even mingled with a hint of grass. But now, his body carried only the smell of blood and a faint odor of sweat.


    It wasn''t particrly unpleasant, but the smell inevitably reminded her of the deep, bone-revealing wound on his body.


    With this thought, Eva pushed him away. "You need to change those clothes."


    Adrian retorted, "Do you find the smell on me unbearable? Or are you disgusted by me?"


    Hearing that, Eva replied candidly, "Both."


    Considering his injury, Eva opened the wardrobe to find clothes for him, fetching him a shirt and pants.


    Adrian looked at the clothes in his hand and said, "You missed something."


    Made aware by hisment, Eva realized what she had forgotten. She hadn''t paid much attention while picking the clothes.


    Since he was injured, she decided to see it through.


    With that, Eva opened the wardrobe again. "Where are they?"


    "The top shelf."


    Eva opened the top shelf and saw the neatly arranged undergarments. She felt embarrassed to look closely and simply grabbed one to give to him.


    "That should be everything, go change."


    With that, Eva mmed the wardrobe shut, and the chuckle from Adrian behind her made her face warm.


    Biting her lower lip, she asked, "Aren''t you going to change? How much longer do you n to stand here?"


    "But I''m injured. Don''t you intend to help me?"


    At that, Eva couldn''t stand it anymore and turned to face him. "You''re injured, not handicapped. You can still use your arms and legs."


    Seeing her look so indignant, Adrian let out a ''tsk'' and finally just reached out to pat her head.


    "Alright, I''ll go change."


    "I can''t provoke her further. If I do, she''ll surely lose her temper." he thought with amusement.


    Adrian, carrying his clothes, went to the bathroom. Eva had intended to wait for him outside but then thought of something and followed him. Before he entered the bathroom, she reminded him, "You haven''t forgotten what the doctor said, right? The wound can''t get wet for now."


    Adrian was about to close the bathroom door when he heard her sudden reminder. He paused, looked at her, and said, "I remember everything he told me, but if you''re that worried, why don''t youe in and watch over me?" Hearing this, Eva instinctively responded, "Don''t even think about it."


    After that, she turned and left.


    Adrian watched her retreating figure and slowly closed the bathroom door.


    Once the door shut, Adrian''s face could no longer hide the strain. The smile that had lingered at his lips vanished, leaving only his prominent veins and cold sweat.


    The injury was so deep that it hurt even without movement, let alone when changing clothes with all the required arm-lifting and movements.


    He''d been enduring the pain the whole time earlier when he was with her, not wanting to worry her.


    His shirt, taken off, was thoroughly soaked. Adrian gave it a nce before tossing it directly into the washing machine beside him.


    His shirts usually required dry cleaning, but with the current situation being exceptional, he could not fuss about it and just threw it in to get rid of any evidence. After Adrian changed his clothes and came out, Eva was still waiting for him.


    Seeing him in a fresh set of clothes, she came over and eyed him from head to toe, then asked, "Your wound didn''t get wet, did it?"


    "After all your warnings, how could I let it?" he replied.


    Then, ncing at his wristwatch, Adrian said, "It''s gettingte. You should rest."


    Eva asked almost reflexively, "What about you?"


    "I''ll rest as well."


    Though he said he was going to rest, Eva, remained in ce, motionless.


    "What''s the matter?" Seeing her stationary, Adrian teased, "Can''t bear to leave? Want to stay and keep mepany?"


    Eva didn''t speak, only silently watching him for a long while before she lowered her gaze. "No, I''ll go rest then."


    A smile appeared on Adrian''s lips: "Go on then."


    He stood there, not attempting to detain her any further, and watched as Eva walked into the adjoining room and closed the door. Only then did Adrian''s shoulders visibly rx.


    He looked at the closed door, exhaled softly, then moved slowly towards the couch, eventually sitting down on it.


    With an injury like this, an ideal situation would have been to deal with the wound and then see her briefly before being alone, otherwise, being with her would only make her worry needlessly.


    But as soon as he saw her, he didn''t want to leave her side, couldn''t leave her, which led him to follow her to this room, and now he sat on the couch.


    Remaining on the couch, he knew she was inside, yet he couldn''t be with her, which only intensified the agony in his heart.


    However, he had managed to rescue her.


    No matter what, as long as she was under his watch at this moment, he should be content.


    With this thought, Adrian''s lips curved slightly, and he let out a soft chuckle.


    As he was about to settle down on the couch for the night, the door that had just closed opened again. Eva walked over with a pillow and nket,ying them down beside him. He thought they were for him, but the next second, Evay down on them herself.

 Chapter 419 Untouchable, Unreachable

    The couch was spacious enough to amodate Eva''s frame, though it appeared much smaller. Adrian remained seated, watching her lie down behind him, quickly taking up more than half the space. His lips tight, he finally couldn''t control himself and asked, "Aren''t those for me?"


    Evay there, locking eyes with him. "Yes."


    If they were for him, why was she lying there too? And if they weren''t for him, why did she say yes?


    Adrian was confused.


    While he wrestled with his doubts, Eva suddenly said, "I''m here to keep youpany."


    Adrian paused, and after a moment, his gaze changed subtly. If his eyes were clear before, now they turned dark and intense, fixed on her like a hunter zeroing in on his prey.


    Even knowing that moving would cause his wounds to hurt, Adrian still leaned in closer to her and whispered, "Keep mepany? Are you sure?"


    Eva instinctively recoiled from the closeness of his warm breath, her heartbeat quickening.


    Realizing how close his lips were to hers, Eva quickly raised the nket as a barrier, shielding her mouth in the process.


    To prevent Adrian from making an unexpected move.


    Indeed, her actions caught Adrian''s notice, and he watched her with a smile curving his eyes. "You''re here to keep mepany; there''s nothing to be afraid of, right?"


    His words prompted Eva to retort discontentedly, "I''m here because I''m worried you might have a fever or something. It''s not for anything else. If you dare to entertain any wild ideas, I''ll leave right this second." Having said that, Eva even made a move to get up with the nket, as if proving her point.


    "Don''t go." Adrian said, stopping her with his hand, perhaps too abruptly, as it pained his injury, causing him to groan deeply. The pain made him freeze in ce.


    Hearing his groan, Eva''s expression changed. Just as she was about to speak, she saw him giving her a pale, pained smile.


    "What are you angry about? Look at me, any movement causes pain. What could I possibly do to you? Even if I wanted to do something, my body wouldn''t allow it."


    Eva looked at him. Although he spoke lightly, his eyes held a depth simr to that of a wolf, hinting at an intensity that belied his physical weakness. In another second, it seemed he might pounce and devour her whole. With that thought, Eva said, "Then stop looking at me like that."


    Caught off guard by herment, Adrian paused before replying, "How am I looking at you?"


    "Just the way you are now." Eva murmured softly.


    Although he hadn''t done anything, the way he was looking at her was more unsettling than anything else.


    At least during their intimate moments, they wouldn''t make eye contact, but now his gaze was steadfastly fixed on her, and it was more than she could take.


    Adrian chuckled, a low sound. "Eva, isn''t that a bit too tyrannical? To sit beside the woman I adore, and not only can I not touch or hold you, now I''m not allowed to look?"


    After speaking, his gaze intensified.


    Eva had enough.


    She had to kneel and rise to her feet, reaching out to push Adrian''s head to the side, directing his gaze away from her.


    "Can''t you just look somewhere else?"


    His head, nudged to the side, amusing him, and in less than a second, he turned back to face her. Eva''s hand had not yet retracted when his lips brushed softly against the center of her palm.


    The soft sensation in her palm made Eva instinctively want to pull away, but Adrian caught her hand in the next instant.


    The moment their skin made contact, Eva could feel the warmth of his palm burning like fire.


    He bowed his head and reverently kissed the center of her hand.


    Eva felt a tickling sensation in her heart as she tried to withdraw her hand, but Adrian''s grip was strong, and she had no way to free herself. She could only watch as his lips slowly moved upward, kissing each one of her fingertips. Eva struggled slightly, but to no avail. Despite his injuries, Adrian''s strength was more than she could match.


    Moreover, Eva was afraid that struggling too violently might hurt his wounds, so she remained in subdued.


    Only when he had kissed each of her fingers and was moving on to her neck, with an inclination to continue downwards, did Eva suddenly snap back to reality.


    "No... no!" Eva abruptly pressed down on his roaming hands. "You''re still injured."


    Adrian''s Adam''s apple bobbed, and he looked at her with deep eyes, his voice hoarse. "It''s fine, it''s just a minor injury."


    Just a minor injury?


    Eva could hardly believe it. He had been sweating cold sweat from the pain while the doctor had been treating the wound earlier, and veins had bulged on his forehead. If the wound was a bit deeper, it could have been fatal, and yet now he imed it was just a minor injury?


    "No!" Eva firmly refused, pressing her hand against his chest to stop him from drawing any closer.


    At that moment for Adrian, although the wound indeed still hurt, another emotion had gained the upper hand. Now, all he cared about was whether this emotion could continue.


    As for the pain of the wound, he had already thrown it to the back of his mind.


    "Eva." Adrian whispered her name by her ear, causing him to lean in incredibly close, his voice and tone incredibly intimate. "Just a bit longer, okay? I promise, I won''t do anything to you." Not do anything to her?


    If Eva truly believed his words, she''d be a fool.


    He''d imed he was injured and wouldn''t do anything before, but what happened then? He caught her and kissed her for ages, wandering hands and all.


    Based on what she knew of him, if things progressed, he would likely lose all self-control.


    And here they were, outside the bedroom where the children were.


    The kids might be sound asleep for now, but what if they woke up and came out? If they were seen, the impact would be far too negative.


    With this thought, Eva''s internal refusal strengthened.


    "No!" Seeing Adrian''s reluctant gaze, Eva said, "Ruby and Dn might wake up at any moment. Do you want them to see us?"


    Hearing the names of the two little ones, Adrian seemed to sober up a bit. He looked at Eva''s fairplexion and her lips, slightly swollen, held back for a moment, but then couldn''t help suggesting, "Then... how about we go somewhere else?"


    "That''s not okay either, I''m notfortable leaving them alone to sleep here."


    If this wasn''t okay and that wasn''t okay, what else could Adrian say? Ruby and Dn were his children after all. If they woke up in the middle of the night and saw something untoward, it indeed wouldn''t be suitable. With this thought in his mind, Adrian''s rationality gradually returned, and certain emotions slowly subsided.

 Chapter 420 He Slept in Mommys Bed

    Seeing that he finally came to his senses, Eva breathed a sigh of relief.


    She got up and poured herself a ss of water to drink. When she turned around, she noticed Adrian''s forehead was covered with a lot of cold sweat. "You''re sweating a lot; is your injury okay?" While asking, Eva reached out to touch his forehead, "Do you have a fever?"


    The temperature of his skin felt somewhat higher, but it didn''t seem like a fever.


    "No fever." Adrian said calmly, looking at her. "As for my temperature, consider what just happened between us."


    After those words, Eva instantly understood his implication and withdrew her hand.


    Now she knew why his temperature was high, yet it was not a fever. But he was shameless to state it so tantly.


    "Time to sleep," Adrian said, indicating her previous spot on the couch.


    But the recent incident had Eva feeling hesitant. If she were to lie down again, what if Adrian...?


    "It won''t be likest time, I promise."


    "Your promises mean nothing." Eva retorted. "You said earlier that you couldn''t do anything to me in your current state."


    "Well, that was before, and I never promised then, did I?"


    That seemed to make sense, didn''t it?


    She hesitated for a mere two seconds before finally crawling over and lying down in her previous spot. As soon as she did, Adrian''s hand reached out.


    Eva''s expression changed, thinking he had other intentions, but then she saw he was just pulling the nket over her.


    His actions were awkward, revealing the pain he was in from his injuries. Eva''s brows furrowed as she reached out to tug the nket in ce, and then she told Adrian, "Alright, you lie down and rest, stop worrying about me." Having said that, she shifted the nket slightly, making room for Adrian.


    The gesture drew a soft chuckle from Adrian who, momentster,y down beside her.


    To make space for him, Evay on her side, her back pressed against the couch to give Adrian more room.


    Only when hey down did Eva realize the unpleasant reality.


    The space was so tight that not only was her back against the couch, but her front was pressed against him.


    She could tolerate most contact but certain areas were embarrassingly close, and she tried her best to scoot back. After a short while, Adrian lifted his arm and drew her into his embrace.


    "Your injury..."


    "It''s on the other side." came Adrian''s deep reply. "I''m using this arm to hold you, it doesn''t affect me."


    Eva looked up and saw that it was indeed the other side that was injured, which calmed her worries.


    "But holding me like this for a long time will make your arm sore."


    "It''ll just be sore, not broken."


    "That''s what you think." Eva countered. "If the blood doesn''t circte properly for too long, it could cause permanent damage."


    Eva wasn''t sure if her words sank in as she just heard a low chuckle from Adrian, who thenmented, "If I really did be disabled, would you look at me a little more?"


    She knew he was mostly joking, but Eva didn''t find it amusing. It felt inauspicious.


    She retorted unhappily, "No, if you became disabled, then I wouldn''t want you."


    "Really?"


    "Really."


    "Alright, since that''s how it is, I''ll make sure not to be disabled."


    "You better not."


    It had been over five years, and the two of them rarelyy together in such serene silence as they did now, chatting about what might seem like ''nonsense''.


    Although their conversationcked substance, Eva''s heart felt at peace, a kind of tranquility she hadn''t experienced before.


    With just a tilt of her head, she could see his perfect jawline, and his scent enveloped her with every breath, giving her a sense of calm.


    After changing clothes, he no longer carried the unpleasant smell of blood; his familiar scentforted her.


    Thinking this, Eva''s restless hands gradually reached out, and she closed her eyes, resting against his chest.


    "I''m tired." she whispered.


    "Then sleep." he responded.


    "Mmm, wake me if you feel ufortable."


    "Okay."


    Gradually, Adrian heard the breathing from the woman in his arms even out into a deep, rhythmic pattern.


    She had fallen asleep.


    Adrian adjusted the nket around her to prevent her from catching a cold if she uncovered herself in her sleep, identally touching his wound in the process and almost gasping from the pain. He didn''t want to wake Eva, so he endured the pain silently.


    Looking down at his own injury, he sighed internally.


    An injury like this would have been tough for him, but with Eva by his side, nestled in his arms, the pain seemed like less of a burden and more of a blessing.


    With this thought, the corners of Adrian''s lips curved into a pleasing smile.


    The next morning, when Dn woke up, he turned to see Ruby sleeping in disarray. He went forward to tuck her in properly.


    He had wanted her to sleep in a bit longer, considering the fright she''d had the day before.


    But as soon as he covered her up, Ruby awoke, blinking her sleepy eyes at him.


    "Dn?"


    Seeing she was awake, Dn helped her sit up. Still half-asleep, Ruby sat rubbing her eyes. "Why are you up so early?"


    Then, she looked around and noticing Eva wasn''t there, she asked, "Where''s Mommy?"


    Dn had also noticed Eva''s absence upon waking up. He had intended to cover Ruby with the nket and then go out to check, but Ruby woke up before he could leave.


    "I don''t know. Mommy wasn''t here when I woke up."


    Hearing this, Ruby''s eyes widened, "Did mommy not sleep with usst night?"


    Dn shrugged his shoulders, indicating he didn''t know.


    "Ah, then Dn... let''s go find Mommy." Ruby said, clenching her little fists.


    "Mm." Dn nodded.


    The two little ones then got out of bed, dressed themselves, put on their shoes, and walked outside.


    As they opened the bedroom door, the sunlight streamed in, causing them both to squint instinctively.


    When they opened their eyes again, they saw two figures lying on the sofa across the room.


    The figures had embraced and fell asleep together. Startlingly, they were Eva and Adrian.


    Upon first sight, Ruby couldn''t help but cover her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide, before whispering to Dn, "Dn, look quickly, Uncle NightA and Mommy are sleeping together!"

 Chapter 421 Lets See If She Agrees

    When she heard the faint noises, Eva''s eyshes fluttered, the ring light almost too much to allow her eyes to open.


    It took a while for her to adjust to the brightness before she could finally open her eyes.


    As soon as she did, she saw Dn and Ruby standing not far away.


    Seeing them, Eva first thought she was mistaken, but she was still startled, abruptly sitting up.


    Once she sat up, the two little ones, noticing she was awake, immediately came over to greet her.


    "Mommy! You''re awake!" Ruby''s voice was loud, loud enough to wake Adrian, who had still been asleep.


    When Adrian also opened his eyes, Ruby joyfully called out to him.


    "Uncle NightA!" She ran up with excitement, grasping the hem of his shirt, "You slept with Mommy, does that mean you''ll be my daddy from now on?"


    Although she was young, the girl was smart, she had never seen her mother and Michael sleep together. Not just sleeping together, there hadn''t even been any intimate gestures between them. Children might be young, but sometimes they see things the clearest.


    Adrian hadn''t expected Ruby to suddenly ask him such a question, and he sat there stunned for a moment before responding.


    He nced at Eva sitting to his side, then gently ced his hand on Ruby''s little head, "Whether I can be part of this family depends on your mom."


    "Mommy?" The little girl looked towards Eva.


    "Mm-hmm." Adrian nodded, "If your mommy agrees to let me be your daddy, then I will be. If she doesn''t, then I just have to work harder to gain her eptance."


    Hearing this, Ruby immediately climbed onto the couch and into Eva''s embrace, "Then Mommy, are you okay with Uncle NightA?"


    Before Eva could speak, Ruby continued on her own, "Mommy must have epted him, right? Otherwise, she wouldn''t let Uncle NightA sleep over."


    It seemed there was already a big misunderstanding, and Eva, awkwardly cradling her forehead, although indeed she had slowly started to ept Adrian in her heart, felt hesitant to admit it directly to a child. After all, in the past, she''d been truly hurt by him.


    Some of that, she realized, was a misunderstanding of her own making.


    But if he had understood his feelings earlier on, how could so many misunderstandings have arisen between them?


    Her silence swiftly infused the atmosphere with an air of awkwardness. Ruby stared at her expectantly, waiting for her response, while Adrian initially wore a confident smile, seemingly certain of her affirmation. Unexpectedly, she fell into a deep silence.


    Adrian was well aware of her reticence. The pleasure in his eyes slowly faded, but he didn''t show anger, calmly stating instead, "It''s alright, this isn''t urgent. We can talk about itter."


    So, without waiting for Eva to speak up, Adrian interrupted the two of them.


    He then stroked Ruby''s head and said gently, "Ruby, let''s give your mommy a little more time, and me another chance to show you, okay?"


    Eva felt uneasy as she watched him manage to maintain hisposure and speak those words. How he could adjust his emotions in such a situation and express himself that way, she couldn''t fathom. Ruby didn''t speak again, and with Dning forward to take her hand, he led her aside.


    After a long silence, Eva finally said, "I''m going to freshen up then. Your injury..."


    "It''s much better. I applied medicine and took some too, remember?"


    Hearing this, Eva nced at him and noticed that hisplexion was much healthier than the night before.


    Assured, she got up to freshen up.


    As she left, the two little ones quickly followed her steps. When they were out of Adrian''s sight, Ruby couldn''t help but ask, "Mommy, why didn''t you agree?"


    Eva knew she would ask and let out a soft sigh, "The time isn''t right yet."


    Not yet?


    "So, when will it be..."


    "Ruby..." Dn interrupted her gently, advising, "Stop asking. When mommy agrees, she''ll tell us."


    Hearing this from Dn, Ruby obediently nodded her head, "Okay then."


    The three of them entered the bathroom together where Eva saw that children''s toothbrushes, both in blue and pink,plete with matching cups for kids, were all prepared. With just one nce, Eva was heartened.


    Children''s items are always cuter than imagined. She wondered whether everything was already arranged in advance or had been brought inst night.


    Eva squeezed out toothpaste for them both, "Brush quickly, then we''ll have breakfast."


    "Thank you, Mommy."


    When Adrian arrived, what he saw was the three of them neatly lined up in a heartwarming scene.


    This sight made him instinctively pause, lingering as he admired them from a distance.


    Finally, Adrian couldn''t resist taking out his phone, opening the camera, and capturing the moment. Against the light, the scene was picturesque, perfect as a wallpaper with just a casual snap. Adrian stood still, effortlessly changing the wallpaper right before his eyes.


    He casually set it as the screensaver on his phone as well.


    Afterwards, he remained in ce, locking and unlocking his phone, admiring the image over and over.


    He lingered there, lost in thought, until Eva and the two kids had finished brushing their teeth and stood up.


    When she turned around, she saw him still standing there, gazing at his phone with an expression that seemed to ripple with a touch of infatuation.


    Eva was puzzled by this image for a moment before curiosity about what was on his phone piqued her interest.


    What could he be looking at with such fondness?


    Thinking this, Eva walked over and asked, "What are you looking at?"


    But Adrian quickly pocketed his phone as soon as he saw her approaching.


    So, Eva didn''t manage to catch a glimpse of its content before he had already hidden it away.


    "What''s so secretive that you won''t let me see it?" she queried.


    With a slight lift of his lips and a look of amusement, Adrian replied, "Why? Are you interested in what I''m looking at?"


    Teased in such way, Eva withdrew her gaze and retorted, "Not really."


    With her feigned disinterest, she decided not to probe any further and went back to remind the children to wash and wipe their faces.


    "Once you''re done, we''ll go for breakfast."


    When Adrian joined themter, Eva suddenly remembered to ask, "When are we going back home?"


    After all, the two little ones had grown up and needed to go to school, they couldn''t afford to waste precious time.

 Chapter 422 Is She Showing Concern for Others?

    "I''ve already had someone start making arrangements." Adrian replied.


    Theck of a definite answer suggested difficulties may have been encountered.


    Indeed, although he had fought Michael and rescued her and the children, her documents were still with Michael.


    Without her documents, returning to their country would require extra effort.


    It seemed she wouldn''t be able to think about going back just yet, but spending all day in the vi was particrly dull.


    Not long after having breakfast downstairs, the doctor came to change Adrian''s dressing.


    His wounds were severe and naturally required close attention. After changing the dressing and admonishing some precautions, he checked on Ruby''s foot injury. Once he finished, Jacob saw the doctor out, the kids were escorted back to their rooms by Jacob, while Eva stayed to watch Adrian take his medicine.


    Those bitter pills went down like candies, one by one into Adrian''s mouth, furrowing his brow with bitterness, yet he had to swallow them due to Eva''s watchful gaze. It was a sensation both bitter and sweet.


    After watching him take his medicine, Eva felt as if she hadpleted one-third of her duties for the day.


    She had other worrisome thoughts on her mind, but facing Adrian made her hesitate to speak.


    Noticing her hesitation, Adrian asked, "Is there something you want to talk about?"


    Hearing this, Eva looked at him for a long time before ultimately swallowing back her words.


    She shook her head gently, "No."


    Adrian didn''t press further; he simply watched her quietly.


    He could tell she had something to say, but she wasn''t willing to speak now, he couldn''t force her.


    He would just have to wait until she was ready to talk.


    Eva spent the whole day in that ce and went downstairs to wander around after lunch.


    She ran into Jacob, who was just returning from outside. Seeing him reminded her of the questions she had wanted to ask Adrian but hadn''t. She quickened her pace to meet him.


    Jacob had juste back and, seeing her hurried approach, knew she must have something to ask him and stopped.


    "Ms. Hansen, is there something you need from me?"


    "Yes, I have a question for you." After saying this, Eva nced around to make sure no one else could overhear them before asking, "Do you know how Adrian got injuredst night? I mean, the process... who injured him? And what has be of the person who did it?"


    Eva thought she had asked quite tactfully, but Jacob caught on immediately.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you asking about what happened to Michael?"


    Eva was momentarily at a loss for words, then asked, "So, it was really Michael who hurt him?"


    She could hardly believe that Michael would strike Adrian so harshly. Even though they had turned against each other now, they had once been friends.


    Could a friend inflict such a grave injury?


    Eva had always felt that Adrian''s wounds were most likely caused by people around Michael.


    But she hadn''t expected it to be Michael himself.


    "Ms. Hansen, if it wasn''t Michael who hurt him, then who else could it be? Not just anyone would have the chance to get close to Mr. ckwood."


    Eva bit her lower lip and said no more.


    She knew that by probing further, she might annoy Jacob, given that she was now on Adrian''s side.


    She truly hadn''t intended to harm Michael.


    After all, Michael was a very special friend during a critical time in Eva''s life.


    Although she didn''t ask further, how could Jacob fail to notice Eva''s hesitation? He sighed and said, "Ms. Hansen, you''re not really worried about that Michael, are you? There''s no need to worry about him. No matter how well he treated you before, the things he has done recently are inexcusable. He brought you abroad without your consent, that''s kidnapping! If it weren''t for Miss Jones telling us that you insisted not to call the police, just for what he''s done, he would be behind bars."


    Eva frowned deeply upon hearing this.


    "He just hasn''te to his senses yet. Once he does, it could be a rebirth for his life."


    For Eva, Michael had been there for her in her most difficult times, but his own life was also shrouded in darkness, he likely had serious psychological issues.


    This period must be difficult for him as well. How could Eva possibly kick him when he was down?


    Once he came to his senses and got out of his current thought process, he could very well start a new life.


    But if he were put behind bars, it would ruin the rest of his life.


    "Come to his senses?" Jacob seemed to find her statement ludicrous. "Ms. Hansen, if he were capable of that, he wouldn''t have done what he did. In my opinion, he''s mentally disturbed, and unless he''s willing to seek treatment, he''ll never get better."


    Seek treatment?


    Eva actually did think that Michael genuinely needed medical attention, specifically from a psychologist, if he was willing.


    That thought brightened Eva''s eyes.


    "Jacob, do you think it''s possible..."


    "It''s not possible." Before she could fully express her suggestion, Jacob swiftly countered her, "Don''t entertain that idea, Ms. Hansen. He''s probably injured and in bed right now. Even if he needs a doctor, it will be their people who''ll find one for him, not a psychologist." Eva''s gaze dimmed slightly. "Is that so?"


    She stopped talking and spared Jacob any further difficulty. "I won''t bother you anymore, I''ll be going now."


    Jacob stood still, watching her dejected departure, and felt incredibly guilty.


    Ms. Hansen, out of kindness, simply wanted to help a once dear friend, and yet he had just put her and her children through so much recently. It was simply unforgivable.


    Well, he was looking at it from his own perspective, unable to fully empathize with her.


    But he really shouldn''t have spoken so absolutely.


    In the end, Jacob reconsidered his stance. "Ms. Hansen, how about this... I''ll keep an eye on the matter for you, and if there''s any news, I''ll inform you."


    Upon hearing his words, Eva''s eyes lit up.


    "Really? Wouldn''t that be too much trouble for you?"


    Jacob smiled, "Not at all, Ms. Hansen. I''ll do what I can."


    After about fifteen minutes, the matter reached Adrian''s ears.


    Upon hearing the news, Adrian''s brows furrowed deeply.


    "Is she concerned about that man?"


    Jacob nodded solemnly, "Yes, Mr. ckwood. Miss Hansen seems too lenient towards Michael. He kidnapped her, and now she''s looking to treat his illness." His words left Adrian feeling somewhat uneasy.

 Chapter 423 Psychological Issues

    She was indeed worried about his own injuries.


    Adrian found this thought sweet, feeling the injuries he sustained were trivial inparison and worth it.


    But equally, she cared about someone else.


    And that person was the one who brought her abroad without her consent.


    If not for Adrian''s sentimentality, would Michael even be where he is today?


    "Mr. ckwood, shall we... take decisive action? Otherwise, Miss Hansen might always think back and show concern and fondness for him."


    "Decisive action?" Adrian narrowed his eyes, sounding slightly irritated, "He''s only injured and she''s already so concerned about him. If we take it too far, what kind of person would I be in her heart? Besides, I have a family, children, and I follow thew."


    Hearing this, Jacob realized Adrian had misunderstood him and said with a touch of helplessness, "Mr. ckwood, you''ve got me wrong. What I meant by ''decisive action'' was to cut off Miss Hansen''s contact with Michael forever, not letting her hear any news about him again, that''s what I was suggesting, not... the other thing..."


    As he mentioned "the other thing," Jacob gestured as if firing a gun.


    Adrian looked away, his tone slightly impatient, "Fine, first tell me why she wants to treat his illness? What''s wrong with that guy?"


    "Mr. ckwood, are you asking about Michael''s illness?"


    Adrian retorted, "What else?"


    "Well, I''m not entirely sure, but from what Miss Hansen said, it seems Michael might have psychological issues."


    "Psychological issues..." Adrian squinted his slender eyes, wondering why she said it was a psychological problem. Back in their school days, he seemed quite normal, not like someone with psychological issues.


    If something did change, psychologically speaking, it must have been after he went abroad.


    Once he went abroad, they lost contact, and they were entirely unaware of what happened to him during that time.


    Now Eva is saying he has psychological issues. Could it be something that developed while he was away?


    So, what exactly happened?


    Seeing that he was an old friend and had indeed been looking after Eva for the past five years, Adrian found it impossible to feel anything for him other than jealousy, there was no disgust to be had. "You should ask someone to look into it, find out what''s really going on."


    He was keen to understand just what the nature of his psychological disorder was, so severe that it brought him to the point of wanting to kidnap Eva.


    Jacob had thought that after talking to Adrian, he woulde up with some other solution. Unexpectedly, Adrian tasked him with the investigation. What could he possibly find out?


    And even if he did discover something, was he supposed to help his own rival in love?


    The very thought was absurd.


    "Mr. ckwood..." Jacob hesitated, "Are you serious, or is this a joke?"


    Was there any point in asking about the truthfulness of the task?


    "What do you mean?" Adrian asked, frowning.


    "Mr. ckwood, I mean, even if something has happened to Michael, it''s none of our business, right? More importantly, he almost hurt Ms. Hansen. And you, you''ve been seriously injured this time. If it weren''t for him, none of these events would have urred."


    "Mhm." Adrian nodded, "I know. So, can you do what I''ve asked?"


    Jacob was speechless for a moment as he didn''t know what to say. His words had been clear, and if Adrian could understand what he was saying, there would be no need to investigate anything concerning Michael. Even if Michael had been injured in his youth, so what?


    What did it have to do with him?


    Who hasn''t been hurt in their youth?


    But since it was Mr. ckwood''s decision, Jacob couldn''t say much more, "I understand, Mr. ckwood. You can rest assured. Since you want to get to the bottom of this matter, I''ll make sure to find out for you." Soon after, Jacob left, leaving Adrian alone in the room.


    His lips were pressed into a thin line, almostpletely straight.


    In his mind, he reyed what Jacob had told him, she seemed to be quite concerned about Michael?


    Unable to contain himself, Adrian rose to seek her out.


    After returning from speaking with Jacob, Eva had been preupied with thoughts of Michael.


    Meanwhile, the two little ones were watching cartoons in the house, each holding a mobile phone in their hands.


    Eva also had a phone, a recement prepared at Adrian''s behest. As for her previous one, she had forgotten to take it with her on the night she fled due to the urgency of the situation.


    So now, she could only use the new phone Adrian had given her, equipped with a new SIM card.


    Regarding her previous card, she''d only be able to rece it upon her return home.


    While she was alone, Emily happened toe looking for her.


    "Eva, you''ve nearly sorted everything out here, so the miser... oh no, I mean Mr. Powell, and I need to get ready to leave."


    They had just metst night, and now she was leaving today?


    After hearing the news, Eva looked at her with a touch of unwillingness to part. "Won''t you stay a couple more days?"


    Emily stuck out her tongue and apologized, "I''m sorry, as much as I''d like to stay and keep youpany, Mr. Powell has been out with me for too long. If he doesn''t return soon, thepany will be aplete mess. I had hoped he would go back on his own and I could stay with you, but he''s insisting I return with him."


    Eva somewhat understood and curved her lips into a smile. "Is it him who''s not letting you stay, or do you want to go back with him?"


    Hearing this, Emily''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind, Eva? Why would I want to go back with him? It''s only because he helped me this time, and I can''t be heartless and ungrateful, right? After all, finding a recement for my position isn''t something he could do quickly if I were to suddenly resign."


    Eva didn''t need anything more to understand the situation, she simply smiled and refrained from persuading her further, only saying, "Alright, then I wish you a safe journey. Thank you foring over to help me. Once I''ve resolved my matters here, we''ll get together again."


    At that, Emily embraced her with some reluctance. "Eva, I don''t want to leave you."


    Hearing the quiver in her voice made Eva''s eyes heat up, her vision blurring slightly as she tightened her embrace and buried her face in Emily''s neck. "I don''t want you to leave either."


    "I''lle find you after I''ve handed over my work."


    Realizing something, Eva hurriedly said, "You''re not thinking of quitting, are you?"


    When they parted, tears glistened in the corner of Emily''s eyes. She nodded earnestly at Eva, "Yeah, I don''t want to do it anymore."

 Chapter 424 An Awkward Goodbye

    Eva was taken aback.


    "You''re resigning? Why? It''s not because of my situation, is it?"


    "Of course not," Emily Jones said, shaking her head, dabbing away the tears at the corner of her eye, and looking down. "Your situation just hit at the right time. I''ve been wanting to quit for a while now."


    Eva hadn''t heard a word about Emily wanting to leave before, and now, the guilt started to creep in. Was it because of her that Emily was resigning?


    "I''m serious, Eva. We''ve been best friends for years. Don''t you trust me? Haven''t I alwaysined about how he was skinning me alive? He took up so much of my time, I couldn''t even get out there and date. At this rate, marriage would be off the table, and honestly, I''ve been exhausted. This is the perfect time for me to resign."


    Emily babbled on, hoping to relieve Eva of her guilt.


    If Eva expressed any more regret now, Emily would find herself stuck in a loop of reassurances. So, Eva nodded.


    "Alright. If you''ve thought it through, then I won''t try to change your mind."


    As adults, they should know what they''re doing, what they want, and as long as they can live with the consequences, whether good or bad, that''s all that matters.


    "Thanks, honey," Emily could not resist another hug. "I knew you''d support me no matter what. Just watch, after I quit this job, I''ll go back home and make my own way. I might start my own gig, even if it''s just a tiny stall. At least I''ll be my own boss."


    "Okay, do whatever makes you happy."


    They chatted cozily for a bit longer until Emily finally let go reluctantly. "Well, I''d better head off. We''ll catch up again soon."


    "Yeah."


    Eva thought for a moment and stepped forward. "Maybe I should walk you guys out?"


    Emily wanted to have Eva with her, but the thought that it might be dangerous for Eva to leave the ce made her dismiss the idea.


    "Better not. It''s not safe for you to leave Adrian ckwood''s protection. What if you get grabbed by Michael Cooper''s goons again while seeing us out?"


    At that mention, Emily sighed. "We worked so hard to bring you back."


    That''s right. Adrian ckwood had been severely injured during Eva''s rescue.


    "Then... I''ll walk you to the door."


    Emily nodded. "That works."


    "When are you leaving?"


    Emily Jones shifted ufortably. "We need to head to the airport now."


    Eva was silent.


    She came to say goodbye before leaving for the airport?


    "I bought the ticketsst night. It waste when I left and I didn''t want to disturb you bying back, so I thought I''d tell you today. But then I overslept, relieved that you''d returned safely," Emily exined. Eva couldn''t help butugh through her tears. "Oh you..."


    "We''ve only got about twenty minutes to say goodbye, and now just a few minutes left. How about one more hug?"


    Eva had no objections.


    They used to be inseparable, and now they were just clinging to a few more precious moments of embrace.


    When Adrian ckwood entered the scene, he found them tightly hugging each other.


    Had he not grown up with them, knowing their deep bond, he might have thought Emily Jones was encroaching on his territory, the hug was that intense.


    However, seeing the girls looking so mncholic, Adrian decided to stand by the door quietly without interrupting.


    One minute...


    Two minutes...


    Five minutes passed.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow, visibly impatient. Was she really trying topete with him for affection?


    "Ahem."


    A sudden cough snapped them back to reality. Eva looked up and sure enough, it was Adrian clearing his throat.


    He stood there, locking eyes with them as if he''d been there for a while.


    Emily quickly let go. "Mr. ckwood."


    He just nodded and stepped inside. "What were you two talking about?"


    Despite being a woman, Emily sensed a tinge of jealousy from Adrian. She was shocked but shrugged it off. "Nothing much, just saying goodbye because I''m leaving." Adrian seemed surprised. "Leaving?"


    It must have hit him - justst night they had found each other, and now she was departing.


    Emily nodded. "Yeah, there''s lots to take care of at Mr. Pei''spany. We have to go, especially now that Eva is safe."


    Adrian ckwood responded with a nod, refraining from furtherment. He simply asked, "When''s the flight?"


    "I''ll head out after we say our goodbyes. Gotta factor in the drive to the airport too."


    As their conversation came to an end, another figure appeared at the door - Pei Zhaoheng.


    The two men exchanged brief nces, and Pei took the initiative to speak up, "Mr. ckwood, I can''t thank you enough for your hospitality these past few days, but there''s a ton of work waiting for me back at thepany that I need to handle. So, we''ll have to cut our visit short."


    "Understood," Adrian replied curtly.


    Following a firm handshake with Adrian, Pei turned towards Eva and extended his hand to her as well.


    "It''s been a while, Ms. Hansen."


    As polished and dashing as she remembered, Eva greeted him with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Pei, and thank you for bringing Emily along."


    She reached out to return the handshake, but before their hands could meet, Adrian ckwood intercepted, taking her hand in his.


    "Your hand is ice-cold," he said with concern. "Why not wear something warmer?"


    Silence fell briefly upon Eva and Emily Jones.


    Emily caught sight of Eva''s hand, now enveloped in Adrian''s, and then nced at Pei''s outstretched hand still hanging in the air. She quickly took hold of it.


    "Ha, Mr. Pei, your hands are pretty cold too," she remarked with a forcedugh, echoing Adrian''s earlierment, her low emotional intelligence shining through.


    Pei''s slender eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Emily, and one could say his nce spoke volumes of unvoiced sentiments.


    Feeling deeply awkward under his gaze, Emily found herself at a loss for words.


    Eva, too, winced inwardly at the awkward situation, a little surprised by Adrian''s show of jealousy over a simple handshake. She attempted to withdraw her hand, but Adrian''s grip was unyielding, as if he feared she would turn to shake Pei''s hand the moment he let go.


    With a helpless nce at Adrian, she whispered, "Let go."


    11

 Chapter 425 Are You Crazy?

    Adrian pursed his lips, a displeased expression appearing on his handsome face, seemingly not in agreement with her.


    Eva had no choice but to strenuously pull her hand back.


    Adrian''s gaze suddenly looked slightly hurt.


    While Eva was rescuing her hand, Nathan spoke up, "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen, we need to catch our flight, so we''ll be leaving now."


    With those words, Nathan naturally took Emily''s hand that was holding his and led her away.


    Emily hadn''t anticipated that he would just take her away, and once she realized it, she called out to Eva, "Eva, we''ll meet back home. I''lle to find you once I''ve handled my affairs." Eva waved to her.


    "Okay, see you back home." Emily was whisked away by Nathan.


    Only Adrian and Eva were left on the scene.


    After a few seconds of silence, Eva couldn''t help but admonish him, "Everyone''s left, aren''t you going to let go?"


    Hearing this, Adrian lowered his gaze to their sped hands, a pleasant curve appearing at the corners of his lips, "Why should I let go? Does it have to be in front of people for us to hold hands?" Eva looked at their joined hands and after a moment said, "It was merely a polite handshake, is it really necessary for you to make a big deal out of it?"


    Adrian fixed his gaze on her, "I don''t like other men touching you."


    Eva emphasized, "It wasn''t a touch, it was a courteous handshake, that doesn''t count as touching."


    Unexpectedly, Adrian retorted, "It doesn''t matter, it still counts as touching even if it''s just a handshake."


    She was just tired of it all and didn''t want to talk anymore.


    It was then that Adrian, still staring at her, stated, "Jacob told me you were asking about Michael."


    At those words, Eva paused, having asked Jacob in hopes of avoiding Adrian. She''d never thought Jacob would turn around and tell Adrian immediately. Adrian turned to look for her again.


    It was only a brief moment.


    "I shouldn''t have asked at all. It''s surprising how quickly everything wasid out before me. And what if I did ask? How would that matter?"


    Was she trying to me herself for this?


    Adrian pursed his lips.


    After a moment, he finally spoke in a grave tone, "Do I reallye off that poorly in your mind?"


    "What?" Eva didn''t quite understand why he was asking this question.


    "Or do you feel I''m not worthy of your trust, which is why you''d rather go to someone else with these questions?"


    Eva had anticipated that he would confront her with usations. Unexpectedly, he was addressing the matter of her trust, or theck of it, in him.


    At that thought, Eva instinctively began to exin, "It''s not what you think, I just..."


    "Or is it that you think I would do something to him?"


    Eva fell silent, simply gazing at him.


    With no reply from her, a sense of urgency mixed with annoyance arose in Adrian, "Say something."


    "What do you want me to say?"


    Adrian furrowed his brow.


    "I didn''t tell you because I was afraid of an outburst like this. So, I inquired in private with Jacob, but since he couldn''t help me, I nned to drop the matter and never mention it to you."


    Yet even with her exnation, Adrian''s mood did not significantly lighten. "Am I less important to you than he is? If it wasn''t him who kidnapped you, but me, would you then choose to be by his side?" Eva was utterly shocked by the question.


    She had never contemted the possibility of Adrian kidnapping her. While he often hassled her, sometimes to the point of annoyance, she had never considered that he would stoop to abduction. The same with Michael, the sudden kidnapping was beyond her expectations.


    But now, Adrian''s words sparked a sudden realization in Eva, yet she quickly regained herposure.


    No, she couldn''t let herself be swept up in this.


    "That scenario never happened; yourparison is fundamentally wed."


    Her answer caused Adrian''s gaze to dull somewhat. "Is the w in myparison, or is it that you can''t answer my questions, or perhaps, your answer is exactly as I had imagined?" Upon hearing this, Eva bit her lip.


    She tried to envision the scenario in her mind, if Adrian were to kidnap her, forcing her and the children to live with him.


    No, she couldn''t ept it, not even from him.


    Whoever it may be, no matter how close they were to her, she could not condone any act that broke thew.


    With this in mind, Eva disregarded how her forting words might hurt Adrian and spoke bluntly. "Yes, you''re right. If you kidnap me, I would not stay by your side." Adrian''s gaze darkened.


    "Simrly, just because I''m not by your side doesn''t mean I''ll be by his. If I choose to stay with you, it''ll be based on my own willingness, not because someone forced me." Her message was clear enough. As for what Adrian would think next, that was his business.


    Eva didn''t wait for him to respond. She turned and left, leaving Adrian standing there alone.


    It wasn''t until she had been gone for quite some time that Adrian suddenly realized what he had said in his impulsive moment.


    He furrowed his brows, feeling a tinge of regret.


    In his impulsiveness, he had spoken without thinking.


    She was right, whom she chose to stay with was her decision, not something forced upon her by anyone else.


    With that thought, Adrian quickly followed after her.


    Fortunately, Eva hadn''t gone far, so within a few strides, Adrian caught up to her, took her wrist, and pulled her back into his arms. "Sorry, I was impulsive. Don''t be mad at me."


    Eva pushed him away a couple of times, identally touching his wound, making Adrian grunt in pain.


    In her haste, she had forgotten about his injuries. Eva quickly withdrew her hand and looked up at him.


    "Are you okay?"


    Adrian gazed down at her with a heavy look in his eyes. "I''m fine. Even if I''m not, it''s my own doing, and I''ll bear it. It was wrong of me to say what I did. You can hit the wound if it makes you feel better." And with that, Adrian even guided her hand toward his injury.


    Eva''s face paled, and only after her hand had touched his wound, did she jerk it away. But in that instant, she had also caused pain, and a cold sweat broke out on Adrian''s forehead.


    After pulling her hand back, she scolded him worriedly, "Are you crazy?"


    Then, she steadied Adrian and took him back to the room they''de from to undo his shirt buttons and check on his injury.


    Indeed, once the clothes were removed, Eva saw that his wound had started to bleed again, staining the white bandage with a startling red.


    Just that brief glimpse of the fresh blood made her head spin with dizziness, not to mention the pain that Adrian must be enduring at that moment.


    She took out her phone, about to call a doctor, but Adrian snatched it from her and said, "I spoke out of turn, consider this as punishment. Don''t call anyone."

 Chapter 426 Willingly and Wholeheartedly

    The phone waspletely taken from her, and Eva couldn''t regain it.


    She dared not snatch it back, fearing the struggle might worsen his pain.


    "What punishment? Even if you misspoke, that has nothing to do with your injury."


    Regardless of what she said, Adrian seemed deaf to her words, as if he had steeled himself to be punished.


    Seeing his unyielding demeanor, Eva could only say, "Even if punishment is due, there could be other ways." Other ways?


    Atst, Adrian lifted his head to look at her.


    "What kind of punishment do you suggest?"


    Eva thought it over seriously. "There are ways to punish, but not now. Wait until your wound is healed."


    "And after the punishment, will you forgive me?"


    "Let''s talk about thatter."


    His words today had indeed angered Eva.


    Adrian, seeing her reaction, his gaze darkened a touch, but he said no more.


    "Hand me your phone, so I can call the doctor toe and redress your wound."


    After a brief silence, Adrian finally handed over the phone.


    Eva sighed internally as she took it. Because of his sudden episode, she hadn''t been able to see Emily off properly.


    But with Nathan at her side, she didn''t have to worry.


    After the call, the doctor quickly arrived and redressed Adrian''s wound.


    During the process, the doctor couldn''t help but ask, "What happened to this wound? Wasn''t it treated yesterday? Why does it look worse? What did you do?"


    Adrian replied calmly, "I identally bumped into something."


    The doctor was momentarily speechless.


    "Mr. ckwood, this injury of yours... it''s not fatal but shouldn''t be taken lightly. You must take proper care of it. What if it leads toplications? What do you think will happen to your body then? And what about Ms. Hansen? And your children?"


    The doctor''s words left Adrian with no room for rebuttal, and he could only promise to be more careful in the future.


    What every doctor hopes for is that each patient follows their advice for a speedy recovery.


    Thus, the doctor was satisfied with Adrian''s response and soon left.


    Once the doctor was gone, Eva looked at Adrian and spoke softly, "No matter what, never joke with your life."


    "I''m well aware. If I died, my kids might really end up belonging to someone else."


    Adrian had genuinely wanted to punish himself to ease her mind; he hadn''t expected to hit her sore spots both times. "I''m sorry."


    Beyond apologizing, Adrian didn''t know what else to say.


    Seeing his remorse, Eva found it hard to continue the reprimand.


    Finally, she said, "If there''s nothing else, I''m going to go."


    As she turned to leave, her wrist was caught by Adrian. "Where are you going?"


    Eva paused. "Just downstairs for a walk."


    "You don''t want to stay with me? Or does being with me make you ufortable?"


    Hearing this, Eva''s eyebrows knitted together slightly. He was in front of her now, yet seemed to be especially fragile?


    All she wanted was to go outside for a walk, and yet it was as if he couldn''t bear to be apart from her, his mind a whirl of irrational thoughts.


    She hadn''t realized that men could also show such vulnerability.


    With these thoughts in mind, Eva turned her head to look at him.


    "It''s not that I feel ufortable, but you''ve been injured. Shouldn''t you be resting?"


    "Right." Adrian nodded. "But I want you to stay with me."


    Eva sighed, "Didn''t I keep youpany all ofst night?"


    She couldn''t be expected to stay here with him forever, could she? She still had to check on the children.


    "Eva." He pulled her close, his voice husky, "I''m a patient, in need of continuouspany."


    Seeing her offer no resistance, Adrian confidently pulled her onto hisp, his hand naturally finding her waist. Eva involuntarily shuddered, not yet recovering her senses before being enveloped in his embrace. Adrian lowered his head, burying it in the crook of her neck, almost greedily inhaling her scent.


    The warm breath he exhaled was fully bestowed upon Eva''s neck, causing her sensitive skin to shiver several times.


    Before long, Adrian seemed to lose control, pressing his soft, thin lips against her neck. Once she felt the moist touch, Eva suddenly realized what was happening and instinctively pushed at him. "Don''t..."


    However, she misjudged the cement of her hand, almost touching his wound. She had to quickly slide it down, resting on his lower abdomen instead.


    Though her hand avoided the injury, the idental touch made Adrian groan involuntarily.


    And that sound gave a clear indication of how he felt...


    With just one ear catching it, Eva''s face flushed red.


    "Why... would you make such a sound?"


    Regrettably, Adrian felt no shame, merely grasping her hand, his voice rough, "How can you me me? Would I do this if your hand wasn''t wandering?" Shocked and annoyed, Eva swiftly withdrew her hand.


    Seeing her embarrassment, even coloring her ears pink, Adrian''s lips curved into a pleasing arc. "Are you blushing?"


    Eva pushed him away immediately, "I''m going to check on Ruby and Dn."


    After a few steps, Adrian''s voice followed her. "I will take care of what you want to be done."


    Hearing this, Eva paused mid-step. The things she wanted done?


    She couldn''t help but turn back to look at Adrian. "What do you mean?"


    "Aren''t you curious about how Michael is doing now?" Adrian''s demeanor was very calm, his voice steady, "I''ll investigate for you and confirm his status before letting you know."


    He spoke the words while Eva watched him silently. Only after he finished speaking, she finally said, "You really don''t have to do that."


    She wanted to know news of Michael but didn''t want to actually hear it from Adrian. If the roles were reversed, if Adrian had sought to hear news of Vivian from her, then bitterness and anger would have likely festered in her heart. The converse would hold true as well.


    "You don''t need to overthink it, my actions aren''t entirely for you." Adrian said as he rose carefully and walked over to her. "He was a friend of mine once. Your words had merit. Maybe he''s changed because of things we''re unaware of. So, as an old friend, it''s also a choice I can make." Adrian took her hand. "I know he has been helping and taking care of you for the past five years. If possible, I don''t want to see you disappointed. As for these actions, they are all willingly done."

 Chapter 427 I Will Find a Way to Rescue Him

    Ever since Adrian promised to look into this matter for her, including David''s injury, his people had moved swiftly.


    By the next day, Eva had received thetest news about Michael: he was wounded, and David was nowhere to be found.


    "Vanished?" The news gave Eva an ominous feeling. Previously, when she was with Michael, David had been absent for several days. When she inquired about him, only then did he appear, already badly injured. But Eva couldn''t see just how badly, since she couldn''t just strip off his clothes to check.


    Afterwards, he had let her escape, even taking her out of there. Upon returning, Michael would be even less merciful towards him.


    And now... who knew what had be of him?


    With Michael injured as well, might hesh out in anger and take it all out on David?


    Considering the possibilities, Eva couldn''t help but stand up.


    Adrian grasped her wrist. "Don''t panic just yet."


    Calmed by him, Eva bit her lip. Indeed, panicking was pointless. What could she do to help?


    "So now... what shall we do?" She turned to Adrian, seeking his thoughts.


    Adrian pursed his lips. "He helped you, and thus he helped me too. Don''t worry, I will find a way to rescue him."


    Jacob also tried to squeeze out a reassuring smile beside them.


    "Yes, Ms. Hansen, don''t worry, we''ll keep working on a n." he reassured.


    Eva nced at both men and finally nodded. "Thank you for your efforts."


    However, two dayster, there was still no news of David.


    It was as if he had disappeared from the world.


    Eva felt so worried she could hardly eat.


    Reflecting on the past five years, David had often shadowed her.


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper has sent me to pick you up. When do you finish work?"


    "Ms. Hansen, this is something Mr. Cooper asked me to bring to you. When would be a good time for me to deliver it?"


    "Ms. Hansen, please let me take these. I came to help anyway. If you don''t let me carry them, Mr. Cooper will scold meter."


    "Ms. Hansen, it''s raining today. Remember to take an umbre when you go out, and the temperature is low, so remember to wear warmer clothes."


    Various scenes appeared before Eva, and her eyes unconsciously reddened.


    Although David always imed he was following Michael''s orders, he indeed provided her with a lot of genuine help, especially during theirst encounter when he aided her.


    Without him, she might still be under Michael''s soft detention.


    Seeing the redness in her eyes, Jacob immediately grew anxious and blurted out in a flurry, "Ms. Hansen, please don''t be sad. If David had the courage to rescue you, then he was prepared for the consequences. He knew what he would face, so you..."


    But as he spoke, Jacob felt his words trailing off into error, and his voice grew softer and softer.


    The atmosphere abruptly turned solemn.


    Adrian, who observed her distress for others, felt a surge of restlessness swell in his chest. His hands clenched by his sides before he finally rxed them.


    "Don''t worry. Sometimes no news is good news. At least it isn''t bad news, right?"


    Upon hearing this, Jacob quickly agreed, "Yes, Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood is right. No news is actually the best news. Rest assured, we will continue to seek information, and if there''s a chance to rescue him, we''ll certainly do our best." Despite their efforts to console her, Eva''s mood did not improve. She leaned against the window, serenely gazing into the distance.


    She couldn''t understand why things had taken such a sudden turn for the worse. Life was supposed to proceed smoothly, yet it had be incredibly tumultuous.


    "Mommy, what''s wrong?" The voices of the two little ones came from behind her, pulling Eva back to reality.


    She snapped out of her thoughts to see both kids looking at her with concern.


    "Ruby, Dn."


    The siblings moved closer, snuggling up to her side.


    "Mommy, you''ve seemed unhappy these past few days."


    Indeed, she was already out, but why couldn''t she find happiness? Perhaps it was because the issue remained unresolved.


    Before two young children, Eva couldn''t afford to be too obvious with her feelings, forcing a smile as she said, "No, I was just lost in thought, there''s really nothing wrong. I''m sorry for worrying you both, all right?" The two kids exchanged nces, yet didn''t answer her question.


    Instead, Ruby squeezed in beside her, asking in a whisper, "Mommy, are we not going to see Uncle Michael again in the future?"


    The sudden question took Eva by surprise, making her falter, "What?"


    She was taken aback by the mention of Michael, never expecting the little ones to bring him up on their own. Hearing her mother''s "what" Ruby thought Eva hadn''t heard her properly and repeated her question.


    "Mommy, are we never going to see Uncle Michael again? Did Uncle Michael do something wrong to you?" Eva looked down at Ruby nestled at her side, finding herself at a loss for words in response to her question. Dn, being more thoughtful than Ruby, heard the repeated question and quickly reached out to pull her away. "Ruby, let''s not pry into Mommy''s affairs." he said, then attempted to lead Ruby away.


    Eva stopped them both in their tracks.


    "If there''s something you want to know, just ask. There''s nothing I can''t respond to. Dn, I know you always mean well for me, but you''re just a child, you don''t need to always worry on my behalf. Understand?" "Mommy..." Dn fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.


    "Alright" Eva soothed, pinching the kids'' cheeks gently. "About your question from earlier, let me give you an official answer now. Whether we will see Michael again, I''m not quite sure. But what I can tell you is that he is ill at the moment. When he recovers, perhaps you''ll see him again."


    Ill?


    Ruby asked, "Then Mommy, when will Uncle Michael get better?"


    Her innocence posed a tough question for Eva.


    "Well, I''m not certain, but he will get better, for sure."


    Life always needs a bit of hope, doesn''t it? Eva secretly wished for Michael''s psychological condition to improve quickly, longing for everything to return to normal.

 Chapter 428 Rivalry

    After Eva''s exnation, the children hade to believe that Michael was sick now but that he would get better, and by that time, he''d still be their Uncle Michael. Upon receiving this news, the children couldn''t have been more relieved. Just then, Adrian arrived, and the two kids immediately engaged him in lively chatter. Of course, they hadn''t altered how they addressed him, they still called him Uncle ckwood.


    Dn seemed fine, while Ruby reached out to Adrian, asking for a hug.


    Adrian didn''t think twice about it. Seeing her request for an embrace, he naturally squatted down towards her.


    Eva hurried over upon seeing this. "Ruby, he''s still injured."


    Her words made Ruby halt in her tracks, and then she just stared nkly at Adrian before quickly withdrawing her hands.


    The little girl not only stopped but even took a couple of steps back to avoid making contact with Adrian.


    Her actions left Adrian slightly taken aback, and after a moment, he couldn''t help butugh helplessly, "It''s just a minor injury, and given her small size, she won''t cause any harm to my wound, right?" Eva, however, disagreed and said seriously, "No, Ruby is very active."


    Indeed, Ruby was light, but holding her still had its weight, and with her hyperactivity, what if she identally kicked his wound?


    His injury was severe, and although it was recovering well these past days, a reopening would be painful.


    Hearing Eva''s words, Ruby sensibly didn''t insist on being carried by Adrian anymore. Adrian himself insisted he was fine, so Ruby had no choice but to kindly say, "Uncle ckwood, wait until your injury is healed, then you can hug me." Adrian, squatting there, evidently felt helpless, yet could ultimately only agree, "Alright, we''ll wait a few days for a hug."


    He always wanted to be closer to his own daughter and son.


    Although the two of them hadn''t started to call him ''Dad'' yet, maybe not even aware that they were his biological children, Ruby was more proactive towards him and showed warmth, unlike Dn.


    With these thoughts in mind, Adrian''s gaze shifted to Dn.


    The boy''s internal world was heavier than he had imagined.


    He wondered when Dn would truly open his heart to him.


    And had he opened his heart to Michael?


    Adrian decided that he needed to find an opportunity to have a good talk with him.


    While Adrian was thinking about finding the right moment, Ruby suddenly asked Eva to take her to see the new clothes prepared by the housemaid yesterday.


    As Ruby was a girl, she and Eva left together, and Dn didn''t follow.


    That left only Dn and Adrian remaining at the scene.


    The opportunity had presented itself quite unexpectedly.


    Adrian gestured to him, "Dn."


    Dn and Adrian had grown quite familiar with each other, from the initial awkwardness to now being able to interact naturally. Otherwise, he would have left with his mom and Ruby a moment ago. With that thought, Dn walked over and called out dutifully, "Uncle ckwood."


    Adrian patted the spot next to him, indicating for him to sit down.


    Dn didn''t refuse and promptly walked up to him to take a seat.


    Though only a little guy, he was quite astute. Sitting down, he sensed that Uncle ckwood likely had something important to discuss with him.


    "Dn," Adrian said, looking at him with an easygoing tone, as if merely making small talk. "Can I ask you a question?"


    Dn nodded and asked, "What is it you want to ask, Uncle ckwood?"


    "Do you think I''m qualified to be your dad and Ruby''s?"


    He didn''t ask if Dn was willing, but whether he thought Adrian was qualified.


    Dn might have been young, but he had already learned much, so he quickly grasped the meaning behind Adrian''s words. He paused for a good while before responding, "That... depends on whether Mommy agrees."


    "I mean, putting aside your mom''s opinion, considering only your own true feelings, do you think I qualify to be your and Ruby''s dad?" He paused to allow his words to sink in. Then he continued.


    "Don''t be scared." Adrian said, hisrge hand resting on Dn''s shoulder, his voice unusually gentle. "Just tell the truth."


    The words Dn had in mind could offend Adrian, the man may have done a lot for themtely, not to mention always watching their live streams.


    The aura of the name ''ckwood'' held substantial sway over the two little ones. For instance, would they have epted a stranger iming to be their biological father so quickly if he didn''t have ''ckwood'' preceding his name? Not likely, as there would be a sense of great distance.


    That sense of distance is a treacherous thing.


    And habits can change a lot about people.


    Just like for them, having grown ustomed to a man named ckwood always showing up to watch their streams,e rain or shine, and always tipping generously.


    They had gotten used to having this name in their lives.


    So, when Adrian appeared as ckwood, he instantly upied an unmovable ce in the hearts of the two little ones.


    But even so... Dn shook his head.


    "Uncle ckwood, if you want the truth, then no."


    The answer was within Adrian''s expectations.


    It seemed he had already anticipated Dn''s response, so surprisingly, Adrian didn''t feel disappointed or anything simr.


    He just looked at Dn, quietly asking, "Can you tell me what else I need to do?"


    Upon hearing this, Dn cast a nce at him, then shook his head again: "I don''t know."


    "You don''t know?"


    "Yeah." Dn nodded. "Uncle ckwood, I just feel that if you were qualified, Mommy would surely have epted you by now." At that moment, Adrian came to a sudden realization.


    Indeed, how had he not considered this before, if he were deemed worthy, Eva would naturally have the children call him differently.


    "So, what you''re saying is that you still care about what your mommy thinks, right?"


    After all was said and done, the conversation came full circle.


    "Uncle ckwood, Ruby and I only have Mommy. Of course, we only care about what she thinks."


    It made sense, since they had been raised by Eva alone from a young age, naturally, they only cared about her perspective.


    "Hmm." Adrian grunted, yet his heart remained stubborn, and he pressed on, "What do you think, then? For instance, about me...pared to Michael."


    This question finally elicited a reaction from the five-year-old Dn.


    That was the crux of what Uncle ckwood had been leading up to all this time.


    Back when Dn was attending school, he had seen two men, driven by jealousy, vying for their teacher''s affections. They were unable to resistpeting with each other, evening to blows in the end. Uncle ckwood and Uncle Michael were both pursuing Mommy. As romantic rivals, it seemed natural for them to want to outdo each other, wasn''t that to be expected?

 Chapter 429 Why Force It?

    This internal debate... it gnaws at him. If he were to admit that he has a soft spot for Uncle Cooper, what then? The thought alone causes Dn Hansen to blurt out, "Uncle Cooper has been with us for longer." At those words, Adrian ckwood''s breath catches in his throat.


    "So..." he begins tentatively.


    "Yet, Uncle ckwood always watches our streams, and you don''t skimp on the tips," Dn adds, his sentence lifting Adrian''s sinking heart back into hopeful suspension. Adrian initially feared a verdict against him wasing, but Dn''s words sent his heart into a flutter, the anticipation heating up his emotions like a steak on a sizzling grill. "And so?" Adrian asks, his voice tense.


    He never imagined himself so anxious over a child''s opinion, dreading the thought of not being chosen, of being sidelined for someone else.


    "So..." Dn drawls out the word, mischief in his eyes as he watches Adrian''s breath hitch. Tilting his head yfully, he deres, "It''s a tie between Uncle ckwood and Uncle Cooper."


    A tie? Adrian is momentarily stunned.


    "A tie, really?"


    "Uncle ckwood, did you really think you''d lose to Uncle Cooper?"


    Adrian''s lips purse subtly-he isn''t ready to admit it, but he had thought just that. After all, he missed out on years of being there for them. Presence is powerful, and absence even more poignant.


    With that realization, a hint of a smile graces Adrian''s lips. His hand rests gently on Dn''s head, and he whispers, "Uncle ckwood is happy to hear you say that."


    Their conversation is cut short as Eva returns with Ruby Hansen dressed in new clothes; the talk of ties and rankings is put on pause.


    To Adrian ckwood, a tie is a victory, at least for now. It signals that soon, he could very well overtake Michael Cooper''s ce in the little ones'' hearts. He suddenly can''t help but feel grateful for all those times he tuned into their livestreams.


    By the time afternoon came around, Eva was informed that her passport and other documents were all set, and she could buy a ticket to return home at any moment.


    Yet there was still no word from David, and to make matters worse, Michael Cooper had been injured.


    If she left now, Eva felt an unsettling sense of ipletion.


    Adrian ckwood saw the turmoil in her soul and offered, "You go back first. I''ll stay here to take care of things. The kids need to be in school."


    "You''re staying?"


    Eva''s eyebrows knitted in concern. "What for? Haven''t we almost wrapped everything up here?"


    "I promised to rescue David, and I intend to keep that promise."


    Eva felt guilty knowing he was still looking out for her despite his own injuries. Now that he insisted on staying back, the weight on her heart grew heavier.


    "Let''s get you on the evening flight. Brent will apany you home. Until I return, he''ll protect you every step of the way," Adrian assured her. "Once you''re back, don''t stay in your old house. Move to mine. Jacob will arrange for round-the- clock security."


    Even though he wasn''t returning yet, he had arranged everything as if he were.


    Listening to Adriany out his ns one by one, Eva felt a tightness in her heart. She bit her lower lip and asked, "Can''t these things abroad be handled by someone else?"


    "What if they don''t handle it well?" he replied. "Besides, if it weren''t for that person, it might have taken a lot more effort to find you."


    Even though he''d always find her in the end.


    "No more worries," Adrian said softly as he wrapped his arm around her slender waist when he saw she was about to speak again. "If I''ve chosen to stay, it''s because I''m confident." "But... these aren''t things you should have to do."


    "Eve," Adrian called her name softly, "It''s never about what one should or shouldn''t do, it''s about willingness."


    "If you feel sorry about me staying behind, perhaps you can consider making my role official once I''m back?"


    Eva instantly got his hint; he referred to the issue of titles.


    He wanted the kids to stop calling him Uncle ckwood and to start calling him Dad.


    Was he going through all this trouble just for such a small wish?


    With that realization, Eva paused, "Won''t you tell them?"


    Adrian''s lips curved into a subtle smile, leaving her question unanswered.


    For a while, he spoke softly, "I won''t be meeting them this time. Let''s leave it for the next visit. I hope by then, I''ll have received some favors from you, and they won''t be calling me Uncle ckwood anymore." Clearly, he had his sights set on something more.


    "Go on," she urged him.


    Before she had a chance to think further, Adrian ckwood had gently nudged her up, prompting her to go into the room and pack.


    Afterward, Adrian left, likely feeling a bit mncholic about their impending separation, choosing not to stay with her.


    Eva sat alone in the vast room, her gaze sweeping over the empty space and considering the fact that she would be staying behind to search for David. A growing sense of loneliness started to settle in her heart.


    -


    The kids, learning they were returning to the states, cheered joyfully, already talking about visiting Auntie George and missing their own school.


    Their flight was scheduled for nine in the evening, and with four hours to go before their departure, they had dinner together as was their custom.


    However, as Eva and the kids came downstairs, Adrian ckwood was nowhere to be seen.


    Just the three of them.


    Eva couldn''t help but inquire, "Where is he?"


    Jacob, standing respectfully by her side, replied, "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood had to leave for some urgent business. He said you should start supper without waiting for him."


    Stepped out? Right now, of all times? She and the children were leaving tonight, and he had acted so nonchnt in the afternoon.


    Not only did he not apany them home, he wouldn''t even share ast meal with them. Eva was at a loss for words.


    Ruby Hansen, innocent as ever, blurted out, "Why, Uncle Jacob? Where did Uncle ckwood go? Is he not hungry?"


    Faced with the child''s candid question, Jacob hardly knew how to weave a lie, merely averting his eyes as if he knew nothing, saying, "I''m not sure. He didn''t tell me what he was going out for." Eva silently watched him, noting how he nervously touched his nose after his exnation-a clear sign of his difort.


    He was no good at lying.


    Sighing inwardly, Eva didn''t press further and simply focused on her dinner.


    If he didn''t wish to spend more time with them before they left, why should she insist on it?

 Chapter 430 I Cant Let You Go

    And so dinner went just as Eva had expected-by the time they were nearly finished, by the time the meal had grown cold, Adrian ckwood had still not appeared. And now there was only an hour left before they headed to the airport.


    Eva shepherded her two little ones up the stairs, and once they were tucked into the room, Ruby Hansen couldn''t hold back her question: "Mommy, where''s Uncle ckwood? When''s heing back?" Eva responded in the same way Jacob had answered her queries earlier.


    "Just like your Uncle Jacob, I''m not sure, sweetheart. He didn''t tell Mommy what he was up to, so I have no idea when he''ll be back."


    Hearing this, Ruby gave a soft "Oh" and frowned, obviously troubled by the uncertainty.


    "Mommy, Uncle ckwood isn''t going to miss us going to the airport, is he? Are we not going to see him at all today?"


    Eva, not wanting to build false hopes in the kids, replied candidly, "Hmm, perhaps that''s the case. Your Uncle ckwood has a lot on his te. Once he wraps everything up, he''lle back to the U.S. to find us."


    By framing it this way, the children wouldn''t cling to the hope of seeing him before their flight but would look forward to reuniting back home instead. Thus, they could avoid feeling disappointed.


    Sure enough, her words seemed to convince Ruby, who dropped the topic.


    An hourter, there was a knock on the door.


    "Ms. Hansen, it''s time to head to the airport."


    Given the distance to the airport and the potential for traffic jams, it was best to leave early. Hearing the knock, Eva replied promptly.


    "We''ll be right there."


    After gathering the luggage and summoning the kids, shemanded, "Let''s go."


    The children followed, each dragging their mini suitcases behind them. As Eva opened the door, Jacob stepped forward to take the luggage, then took the kids'' suitcases as well.


    The gesture wasn''t particrly charming, but it brought Eva back to moments when David had done the same always taking care of their luggage when he was with them. It had been several days, and his current whereabouts... she couldn''t help but wonder.


    Leaving now, she realized she hadn''t heard from him.


    She hoped he was okay-at the very least... still alive.


    Taking the luggage from Jacob, he then turned to the kids and suggested, "How about hopping on the suitcases? Uncle Jacob can push you along."


    The children, loving the idea, climbed on with Jacob''s assistance, and he began pushing them. Since he was handling them and a suitcase, Eva was left to carry thest one.


    It belonged to Dn Hansen - a modest little suitcase, light as a feather.


    Eva trailed behind, dragging thepact case at a snail''s pace.


    Her slow gait inevitably put some distance between her and the others - a gap that grew wider by the moment. Just as she was about to pick up the pace, a door in the hallway suddenly swung open, and a long arm reached out, grabbing her shoulder. Before she could register what was happening, she was yanked inside.


    Her heart hitched, fearing it was one of Michael Cooper''s thugs,ing to drag her back. Instinctively, she tried to scream.


    But her captor seemed to anticipate this, covering her mouth in the nick of time.


    "Mmph!" Her cry was muffled into a garbled whimper.


    The room was pitch-ck, the door snapped shut behind them, leaving them only the faint glow creeping in from the outside to discern the tall figure looming before her. Eva couldn''t make out who it was, helplessly restrained until the hand pressing on her lips finally released.


    When Eva was about to speak, her captor leaned in and silenced her with a kiss. Ragged breaths and warm puffs of air shed with her face, allowing her to atst distinguish his scent. This was...


    Surprise flickered through her, but before she could react further, she felt him pry her lips apart, deepening the kiss.


    Entwined breaths, their mingling scents enveloped them.


    Eva even detected the strong tobo odor.


    Adrian ckwood... he smoked?


    But he never smoked, did he? Why now?


    A jolt of pain on her lip brought her back to her senses, and she heard the man pressing her against the door chastise in a low growl, "Distracted at a time like this? Thinking about him?" It took Eva a while to grasp who ''he'' was, only realizing as his lips descended once more.


    But it was toote to answer his question. The kiss grew fierce, assertive, relentless.


    Towards the end, Eva''s neck was arched back, forced to yield to Adrian ckwood''s dominating kiss.


    "Mmph..." She struggled to breathe, whimpering involuntarily, hands pushing against his chest.


    Yet, the man in front of her seemed insatiable as ever. Her pushes only led him to seize her wrists and tug them behind him,pelling her to wrap her arms around his waist.


    Eva''s embrace was involuntary, her arms encircling his frame.


    The kiss persisted, its intensity climbing.


    As their lips parted, Eva felt as if ayer of water had washed over her eardrums. Her head swam in bewilderment, her body went limp, and she could only remain upright by leaning on Adrian ckwood''s steadying hands. His breath came in rough whispers against her ear, each exhale heavier than thest, sending a flush to Eva''s cheeks.


    It was just a kiss. Why was he panting as if something intense had just happened?


    With these thoughts swirling in her head, Eva bit her bottom lip, gently pushed him, and said, "Weren''t you tied up with something, said you wouldn''te back, that you wouldn''t see me? What''s up with this all of a sudden?" Her voice cracked the silence, betraying a softness akin to water and a tinge of vulnerability.


    After speaking her piece, she pursed her lips, reluctant to utter another word.


    Adrian remained silent beside her, continuing to catch his breath until finally, with a raspy voice, he confessed, "I''m afraid if I see you, I won''t ever want to let you go."


    As he tightened his embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck and greedily inhaling her scent, he whispered, "Just like now."


    Her heart stirred at his words, and her hands instinctively crawled up his back, drawing herself closer.


    Was the fear of not wanting to let her go the true reason he had avoided seeing her?


    And did he feel the same for the two kids-just like now?

 Chapter 431 Safe Return is a Must

    "Before I left, Ruby and Dn were asking when they could see you," Eva murmured, nestled in his embrace. "Mhm."


    Adrian ckwood hummed in response before adding, "Them, I won''t see just yet."


    Lifting her head from his chest, she met his gaze, confusion in her eyes. "Why? You''vee to see me. Why not stop by and see them too?"


    Gazing down at her, Adrian ckwood solemnly caught her gaze and pecked her reddened lips lightly. "We''ll see them when I get back. By then... I hope they''ll have a new way to address me, okay?"


    Eva bit her lower lip, remaining silent.


    "Still reluctant?" He affectionately nuzzled her forehead, his voice deep and husky. "After all this time kissing me, you''re still not on board?"


    Originally, he''d felt a stab of jealousy, thinking he had to contend with Michael Cooper for her affections.


    But after that kiss, Adrian''s jealousy had evaporated.


    He could feel her response and reliance on him.


    Now, all he had to do was sort out the matters at hand and then, back home, they could all start a life together-now a family of four.


    Thinking ahead, Adrian''s lips curled into a slight smile.


    "When we get back, my folks will being over, too. Maybe they could spend some quality time with them first?"


    Eva was speechless.


    Seeing that she hadn''t responded, Adrian ckwood eased off a bit.


    "Of course, if you''d rather not, we can pretend I never mentioned it. I won''t bring it up to them," he offered, it was clear he knew what worried her. She was always afraid someone would try to take her child away, and he wouldn''t do anything to stoke those fears if she wasn''t in agreement.


    Eva paused for a moment, taken aback by his quick surrender. Before she could even speak, he had already ceded the field, as if too afraid to upset her.


    Such a reaction left Eva feeling bittersweet. There was a time when he wouldn''t have been caught this low.


    "Did I say anything?" she broke the silence.


    "Hmm?"


    "I haven''t said a word, and you''re already answering for me?"


    Adrian ckwood struggled with the tension of the topic, a stark contrast to his usualposure��whether in casual conversation or the intimate closeness of a kiss. It was as if he had be apletely different person. "I just didn''t want to push you into something you''re ufortable with," he said softly.


    After a moment, he reconsidered her words and asked tentatively, "So, when you say that, do you mean you''ll agree to let them meet first?"


    Eva bit her lip. She really didn''t want to agree; it almost felt like forgiveness.


    But then, remembering that he would be staying behind to sort out his affairs, and they would not see each other for a long time, she thought that maybe agreeing wouldn''t be so bad.


    With this in mind, Eva slowly nodded.


    "Meeting them is a possibility..." "Really?"


    Despite the darkness around them, Eva could almost see a spark of brightness in Adrian''s eyes, his mood visibly lifted.


    "Yeah, just give me their contact details, and I''ll reach out to themter," she suggested.


    Adrian let out a low chuckle. "Sure, I''ll have Jacob send you their informationter."


    The two seemed to settle on that, and for a while, silence enveloped them again.


    Suddenly, the sound of hurried little footsteps approached.


    "Hey, where did Mommy go?"


    Jacob, having walked a good distance ahead with the two kids, turned around to find Eva hadn''t followed. Panicking, he hurried back with the children, only to find her suitcase left unattended at the door. "This is Mom''s suitcase, but where''s Mommy?" the dilemma was spoken just outside the door, where Eva could overhear every word.


    Eva hesitated for a second before looking up at Adrian ckwood and whispered, "I should go, or else..."


    She was interrupted as Adrian suddenly leaned in closer, her sentence hanging in the air.


    Adrian ckwood''s warm breath cascaded across her face, his presence enveloping her, lips barely touching the corner of her mouth, his voice hoarse, "One more kiss." Before she could react to his words, he captured her lips once more.


    "Mmm."


    Eva had no time to push him away, her involuntary moan cut short as she realized someone outside the door might overhear. Panic-stricken, she quickly swallowed the sound. Hands fluttering to Adrian''s chest, her eyes wide with anxiety.


    He was so daring, to do this while the kids and Jacob coulde looking at any moment...


    Because the children were just outside, Eva didn''t dare struggle too much, fearful that they''d hear the slightest noise and be mortified by the implication.


    "Uncle Woody, where did Mommy go?"


    Jacob, already on the alert and wondering if Eva''s disappearance had something to do with Michael Cooper, suddenly noticed the closed door in front. An epiphany struck him, and he quickly said to the children, "Your mommy probably forgot to grab something and went back for it. Let''s take the suitcases and wait for her outside."


    Ruby Hansen, undeterred, asked, "What did Mommy go back for? Do we need to help her?"


    "No need, she''s just grabbing a thing. Helping her? Come on, let''s wait outside."


    Jacob, as if fearing the kids would change their minds, scooped them up and headed outside without waiting for a reply.


    Inside, Eva was invariably mindful of every noise beyond the door, even while being kissed. It wasn''t until the sounds outside faded that she finally exhaled in relief, her body no longer tense.


    A pinch at her waist snapped Eva back to attention, her blush deepening at his usatory gaze.


    "You''re always distracted," heined.


    Eva pushed him away, flustered, "I have to go."


    The kisses had been enough, hadn''t they? Two should suffice.


    But the man before her, clutching her as if he couldn''t bear to let go, held on with such force that Eva felt a pang in her bones.


    "Stop, Ruby and Dn are waiting for me."


    Still, he remained silent for a long while before begrudgingly releasing her.


    He then lightly pinched her cheek, "Go on."


    With that, his hand slid under her arm, reaching for the doorknob behind her. He gave a gentle twist, and the lock clicked open.


    "Go on, Jacob will take care of you."


    "Okay..." she replied, her voice a whisper of reluctant departure.


    When the door swung open and the hallway light spilled in, Eva finally saw Adrian ckwood''s handsome face clearly in the brightness.


    It was then that she noticed the deep, bruise-like circles under Adrian''s eyes, as if he hadn''t rested well.


    Her heart was an indescribable mix of emotions.


    After taking a couple of steps towards the door, she suddenly spun around and hugged Adrian tightly around the neck.


    "I''ll wait for you back home. You have toe back safely-no more getting hurt, okay?"

 Chapter 432 You Said Dad Was Gone

    The flight back was emotionally different from the flight there, but neither could be considered pleasant.


    The only thing she foundfort in was the fact that, on both journeys, her children were by her side.


    After receiving Adrian ckwood''s message, Jacob had informed Mr. and Mrs. ckwood about the children''s situation just before boarding the ne.


    Shocked and silent for some time, the ckwoods had finally said, "We''lle back right away. What time is your flight? We''ll pick you up at the airport."


    When Jacob ryed this message to Eva, she felt a twinge of embarrassment. She hadn''t seen them in a long time and wondered how she would reconnect with them after being away for five years.


    Unaware of her tumultuous thoughts, Jacob could only guess at her feelings from her expression. Seeing that she didn''t look too pleased, he cautiously offered, "Ms. Hansen, Mr. ckwood indicated that if ever you feel ufortable or have any concerns, you can let me know at any time, and we can put a hold on this entire situation."


    "Cancel it?" Eva asked, looking at Jacob with a mix of surprise and confusion.


    Jacob nodded affirmatively. "Yes."


    "But haven''t you already told them?" she countered. It was one thing to cancel before making the arrangements, but now that it was all out in the open, cancetion would bring disappointment to all parties involved. "Yes," he admitted.


    The dialogue was designed to flow naturally, mirroring the ways people in the United Statesmunicate and react in simr situations, preserving authentic speech patterns and cultural nuances, while ensuring rity and coherence for an American audience.


    Jacob nodded. "But Mr. ckwood insisted that everything should center around how Ms. Hansen feels. If this causes you any worry or difort, Ms. Hansen, we can stop at any time. The final say is entirely yours. And please don''t fret about what follows; I''ll handle everything."


    To her surprise, his words were sincere.


    With that thought, Eva''s lips curved into a gentle smile. "There''s no difort. It''s just that thest time we met was five years ago. It''s been so long, I hardly know how to face them or interact with them now."


    Jacob was taken aback by her response. Overjoyed on behalf of his employer, Adrian ckwood, he quickly reassured her, "Rest assured, Ms. Hansen, Mrs. ckwood was very concerned about you and asked after you when Ist spoke with her."


    "Really?" The memory of her abrupt departure years ago surfaced; her grandmother had passed away after she left, and she never got to say goodbye.


    She had thought she would never cross paths with that family again, yet, life hade full circle.


    Eva decided it was time to clue in her two little ones, who were still in the dark. "Ruby, Dn, after wend back home, someone wille to pick us up."


    Predictably, the kids perked up at this. "Mommy, who''sing to get us?" they asked with wide-eyed curiosity.


    "Well, to put it simply, your grandparents," Eva said carefully, choosing her words before revealing the titles to Ruby and Dn.


    "Grandma and Grandpa?"


    "Yes."


    Holding their hands gently, Eva whispered, "Haven''t you always wished for Uncle Adrian to be your daddy?"


    Ruby''s eyes sparkled at the mention. "Mommy, did you agree to let Uncle Adrian be our daddy?"


    Dn, too, was surprised. Before boarding the ne, Mommy hadn''t consented, yet something seemed to have changed mid-flight. Could something have happened that he didn''t know about? Eva nodded affirmatively. "Yes, are you happy? You''ve always wanted him to be your daddy, haven''t you?"


    "Happy," Ruby chimed, her face lit up with joy. She reached out to hug her mother, but they were both strapped into their airne seats, so she settled for holding her mother''s hand tightly instead. "Mommy, does Uncle Adrian know yet?"


    Did he know?


    The corners of Eva''s lips lifted in a tender smile as her eyes filled with warmth.


    By the time he gets back to the States, he''ll catch on, right?


    "He''ll figure it outter."


    "What about Grandma and Grandpa, Mommy? Are they Uncle Adrian''s parents?"


    "Yes, darling, they are Uncle Adrian''s folks. They''re very kind and easy to get along with. Don''t worry, they are..."


    Eva hesitated for a second before finishing, "They are your real grandparents."


    Ruby Hansen''s eyes widened in shock.


    "My real grandparents?"


    "Mhm."


    Eva gently stroked Ruby''s head and then turned to Dn Hansen. "Ruby, Dn, do you understand what Mommy is telling you? Uncle Adrian is your biological father." Dn nodded quickly, signaling he understood.


    Ruby, however, took much longer to digest the information, her eyes widening as if she had just made the connection. "But Mommy, didn''t you say before that... that Ruby and Dn''s daddy had passed away?" There was an awkward silence from Eva.


    And from Jacob, who was eavesdropping nearby.


    Well, this was awkward.


    "What''s going on?"


    Eva felt a bit ufortable. If Jacob hadn''t been there, it would have been easier; she could have exined it to the kids. But with Jacob listening in...


    Nevertheless, how could she have known five years ago that she and Adrian ckwood would get back together? That was something she could never have anticipated; she was just following her heart at the time. With that thought, Eva could only offer a slight smile, softly saying, "Well, he''s...e back to life now."


    Jacob''s lips twitched on the side.


    If he weren''t worried about offending Eva, he''d want to exim, "Ms. Hansen, could this get any more far-fetched?"


    iming the man was dead and now saying he hade back to life clearly baffled the little ones.


    Seeing their stunned faces, Eva chuckled and lightly tapped both their noses. "I was just kidding, you two! Did you actually believe that?"


    Ruby clutched her chest. "You scared me!"


    "Listen up, guys, when we get off the ne, remember to be polite and say hello, alright?"


    "We got it, Mommy," they chimed in unison, their behavior the picture of obedience. They also understood that Eva''s change of topic meant she wasn''t keen to revisit the previous conversation.


    But Eva couldn''t help recalling the past anyway when the kids were younger and didn''t understand theseplexities. As they began to mix with the neighbors and friends, inevitably, they started to grasp a bit more.


    On a day like any other, when the two children returned home, they tugged at their mother''s skirt and asked, "Mommy, Mommy, why do all the other kids have daddies, but we don''t?"


    At that moment, Eva was in a state of utter destion. She had consigned herself to a lifetime without crossing paths with Adrian ckwood ever again. Thus, when the kids posed the question, she responded bluntly, "Because he''s dead." She knew it might frighten them, but to nip their curiosity in the bud, Eva decided to cut the matter short.


    Little did she know that one day she would be eating her words.


    What was said was said, and now it was her job to smooth it over.

 Chapter 433 A Little Extra Compensation

    After disembarking from the ne, Jacob was still bustling about, handling her luggage with care.


    Eva only had to manage the two children. Likely because of the concern over her past kidnapping incident, she was now nked by several towering bodyguards.


    They provided a protective formation around her, ensuring a strong sense of security for her and the little ones. Anyone with the slightest thought of harming them wouldn''t stand a chance. Jacob, wheeling the luggage, followed behind. As they approached the exit, he informed her, "Ms. Hansen, the ckwoods are waiting nearby. You''ll see them in just a moment." With his head''s-up, Eva nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Yeah."


    She then leaned down and whispered to her two little ones, "Ruby, Dn, did you hear that? We''re about to meet Grandpa and Grandma. Do you remember what Mommy told you on the ne?" "We remember."


    "Don''t worry, Mommy, Ruby and her brother will be very polite," they promised her eagerly.


    Escorted by their guardians, they quickly reached the exit.


    At the airport''s exit, Margaret pulled out her mirror and checked her reflection repeatedly, still not quite satisfied. She turned to inquire, "Dear, do you think my makeup is too much for meeting the children?"


    Hearing her, Kim ckwood cast a brief nce at her before replying, "Overdone? Kids love it like this."


    Margaret was looking for a real opinion, yet his response made her feel like he was off the mark.


    "What are you saying? What do you mean kids love this kind of makeup, as if you know what kids like." Kim ckwood sighed in resignation.


    "I might not know what kids like, but neither do you, so why worry?"


    Kids have a different outlook on adults'' beauty standards, probably can''t tell if her makeup is m or natural. They just know she''s family, and that''s enough.


    What''s she worried about?


    There''s really nothing to worry about.


    With that thought, Margaret breathed a sigh of relief, her tension easing momentarily, but quickly her anxiety crept back. Pocketing her mirror, she turned to Kim ckwood, "Can you believe Eva? That girl just blew my mind. Vanishes for five years, then turns up with two kids and not a word in between. It''s unbelievable."


    Kim ckwood nced at her. "What''s on your mind?"


    "What can I say? It''s that no-good son of ours. He must''ve let Eva down, or why else would she be out there on her own with two little ones? My poor grandkids... All these years with no father, no grandparents. They must''ve felt so alone. When I see them, I swear, I''m going to shower them with all the love they''ve missed out on."


    Tears welled in Margaret''s eyes as she spoke.


    Kim watched her theatrically dab at her tears, a teasing smile on his face, "Save the act for when you actually see them."


    Margaret whirled around, affronted. "Act? This is genuine concern, you know. Don''t you miss your grandkids? Doesn''t your heart ache for them?"


    Kim fell silent.


    "I''m telling you, I''m going to settle things with that boy, and you better not get in my way this time."


    "Have I ever stopped you? Ever since you joined the ckwood family, haven''t you always had the final say?"


    Margaret pondered his point, pursed her lips, and dropped the subject.


    Ever since Eva''s divorce from Adrian ckwood and her subsequent departure, Margaret had be less tolerant, especially since the passing of her mother-inw.


    Her leniency towards her son vanished. She had a hunch Eva''s leaving had something to do with him. As a woman herself, she knew that if a married woman leaves, it''s usually the man''s fault.


    Unless the woman has her own agenda, but Margaret had watched Eva grow up and knew her temperament all too well.


    In Margaret''s eyes, Eva would never do anything to harm the marriage, which left only one possibility: her son was at fault.


    When her son made mistakes, Margaret knew she shared the me; it was her failure to guide him properly.


    After Eva left, for a long time, the mere thought of the incident would agitate Margaret. Frustrated, she would often find herself dialing Adrian ckwood''s number to give him a piece of her mind.


    Back then, Adrian was in a foul state himself. Barely had Margaret started her rant when the line would go dead-her calls met with a click on the other end.


    Call after call, hung up every time.


    When Mrs. ckwood learned of her son''s frequent drinking, her heart ached for him. Yet, amidst her concern, she couldn''t help but silently me him.


    "You deserve whatever mess you''ve made of yourself," she''d chastise internally. "Regrets are useless now."


    "The bitterness is yours to bear," she''d think.


    Outwardly stern, still, Margaret''s heart went out to her son in private.


    Yearster, Margaret had gradually let go of her feelings about Eva. Resigned to the fact that Eva had vanished without a trace, not even showing up for Mr. ckwood''s funeral, it seemed clear she wanted nothing more to do with them. Having buried that hope, Margaret shifted her focus when she saw how steadfastly Vivian Morrison remained by Adrian''s side. She suggested, perhaps her son could develop something with Vivian.


    But her son was stubbornly loyal, unaffected by Vivian''s proximity.


    Moreover, recent events shifted Margaret''s view of Vivian entirely.


    She was appalled to discover this seemingly innocent girl had harbored such deep cunning from such a young age, silently stealing credit for years.


    The ckwood family had been misled about the identity of Adrian''s lifesaver.


    Furthermore, Vivian dared to use her fabricated ''debt of gratitude'' as leverage to coerce Adrian into marriage.


    Just the thought sent shivers down Margaret''s spine.


    Of course, the ckwoods had encountered all manner of tricksters as they rose to prominence, but someone so young with such deep guile was a first for Margaret.


    Reflecting on the fact that it was Eva, not Vivian, who they owed their lives to��and that she had since been raising two children by herself-Margaret felt an overwhelming pang of empathy. Her poor Eva, motherless since childhood, had endured so much hardship.


    With these thoughts, Margaret quickly spoke up, "When I see themter, I''m not just going to treat my two darling grandchildren well, but I''m also going to make it up to Eva."


    No sooner had the words left her lips than Margaret''s eyes lit up. She waved her hand in a particr direction and strode eagerly towards the figure she had spotted. "Eva!"

 Chapter 434 A Rift Arises

    Even from a distance, Margaret could spot Eva with the two children.


    A little boy and a little girl were by her side, their features strikingly simr - they were twins.


    When Jacob had called her about this, she was astounded.


    "Children? Adrian ckwood and Eva''s children?"


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "This... Eva has children with Adrian ckwood? How old are they?"


    Margaret was nearly moved to tears when Jacob informed her the twins were already five years old-a boy and a girl, no less.


    Given Adrian ckwood''s reclusive nature, along with Eva''s apparent disinterest in further contact, Margaret had resigned herself to the idea that Adrian might never settle down or give her the chance to embrace grandchildren. She had mentally prepared herself for this possibility.


    Finally, she had convinced herself to let go: no grandchildren, so be it. It wasn''t her ce to worry about her son''s family nning.


    After all, if Adrian ckwood wasn''t fretting over it, why should she?


    But the surprise hade swiftly. Just moments ago she fretted over not having grandchildren, and then suddenly, there were two! And from afar, she could see that the siblings had the charming looks of porcin dolls, naturally attracting gazes on the street. Most importantly, they bore a striking resemnce to Adrian ckwood.


    Before leaving for the visit, the housemaid, having overheard her phone conversation, couldn''t help but express concerns as Margaret was about to leave. "Ma''am, hasn''t Ms. Hansen been gone for five years? How could there be children of our young master? Could there be some deceit? Is it even possible for the children to be our young master''s?"


    Margaret, who had yet to meet Eva and the children, bristled at the housemaids'' spection, reprimanding sharply, "The ckwood family pays you to clean, not to gossip about its members."


    The maid jumped at her fiery response, shrinking back, "I apologize, ma''am. I shouldn''t have spoken out of turn. But... it''s just that I was worried about the young master being deceived, that''s all. There was no malice intended." Approaching their destination, Margaret couldn''t help but squat down in anticipation.


    From a distance, Eva caught sight of the ckwood couple. Despite the years, Margaret was unchanged, still radiating beauty. She offered a smile from afar before crouching down and spreading her arms wide in a weing embrace. "Ruby, Dn," Eva whispered gently, "meet Grandma and Grandpa."


    The kids had been prepped for this meeting on the ne. Once Eva introduced them, they immediately called out cheerily, "Hi, Grandpa! Hi, Grandma!"


    Despite the children''s cautious nces reflecting their unfamiliarity, Margaret didn''t mind.


    "Oh, my," she murmured, her voice filled with excitement as she swept the children into her embrace.


    Next to her, Kim ckwood watched the scene unfold. Compared to Margaret, he had been ratherposed, but now couldn''t conceal his excitement, squatting down in front of the kids.


    Eva stood by, chuckling at how the grandparents indulged in a volley of childlike curiosity: questions about names, ages, school, favorite foods, dislikes, and various habits.


    Eventually, Eva couldn''t help but interject, "Maybe... time to get up? Aren''t your legs tired from squatting so long?"


    Herment brought them back to reality. Instead ofining about any difort, they suggested, "Right, right, you''ve been traveling all day, must be exhausted. Let''s get home, have the chef whip up something delicious, and then a warm bath and a good rest."


    "Sounds good."


    Eva was about to reach for the children''s hands, but the ckwood couple each swept up a child and started heading off.


    That''s... heartwarming," Eva thought, noticing their exceeding affection for the youngsters.


    After all these years away, she''d feared Uncle Kim and Aunt Margaret might feel distant, but their warm reception dispelled those concerns.


    "Ms. Hansen, shall we go too?" Jacob''s voice called from behind, snapping Eva back to the present. She nodded, "Sure."


    And together, they all followed in the ckwood''s steps.

 Chapter 435 Moving to Chicago

    Once back at home, Margaret''s attentiveness toward her was unmistakable. She took Eva''s hands, hesitating as if struggling to express her thoughts.


    Forget about Margaret for a second-Eva herself was at a loss for words.


    She didn''t know how to begin, nor did she know what to call her.


    Sure, the kids called them Grandpa and Grandma, but she just couldn''t bring herself to call her "Mom."


    After all... it had been five years.


    Five years that number felt like an eternity.


    Perhaps it was a look in her eyes or the expression on her face that gave her away, but Margaret seemed to understand what she was thinking. With a gentle touch, she tucked a strand of Eva''s hair behind her ear, her voice soothing. "My dear, you''ve had it tough out there these past years."


    That simple sentence made Eva''s eyes well up with tears.


    She had imagined all sorts of things Margaret might say, but never expected something that would hit her right in the feels-words so painfully sweet.


    A torrent of grievancesy buried in her heart, unspoken.


    This closeness, resembling family affection, was something she''d never felt before.


    The mother figure she''d always dreamt of since childhood.


    Seeing Eva''s eyes glisten with tears, Margaret too felt a pang in her heart and tenderly pinched her cheek.


    "Sweetheart, don''t be sad. Now that you''re back, everything will be okay. It was Adrian ckwood who let you down, but from now on, I''ll take good care of you." Mother?


    Eva''s vision was a blur, unable to make out Margaret''s expression clearly, seeing only herpassionate gaze through her misty eyes.


    Hearing her refer to herself as "mother" while addressing her, Eva was momentarily taken aback.


    Was she calling herself "mother" to her?


    Could she... continue to call her "mother" in the future?


    Biting her lower lip, Eva murmured softly, "I thought... after five years, you might not be so willing to acknowledge me."


    "Silly girl, how could that be? I''ve always adored you, and you know it. When you left, I med myself for not realizing and mending the rift in your marriage sooner. That was my failing."


    "No," Eva shook her head, tears ready to spill from her eyes. And as she moved, they fell like pearlescent beads, glittering on her fair skin.


    "It''s not your fault. The problems were between Adrian and me. We had a misunderstanding. We just didn''t manage to sort it out in time."


    "It wasn''t the two of you it was him," Margaret said with a bias toward Eva, "As a man, it was his duty to protect his wife. He failed to take care of you and safeguard the marriage, leaving his wife and children on their own for so long. He''s the one at fault."


    Eva was taken aback by how harshly Margaret spoke of him, pausing a moment before she could respond.


    "Mother..."


    "Hey," she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.


    Her response left Eva momentarily stunned. She hadn''t anticipated blurting out such a word, nor had she expected Margaret''s reaction.


    "From now on, that''s what you''ll call me. Now that you''re back, don''t think about leaving again. If that rascal Adrian ckwood ever gives you trouble, youe straight to me, and I''ll set him straight. Or better yet, I''ll show you how to handle him."


    "Really?" Although tears had been streaming down Eva''s cheeks earlier, the conversation lightened her spirits considerably. "Would you really take my side?"


    "Of course, it''s true. If you don''t believe me, just wait until he gets back from abroad. I''ll give him an earful."


    The thought of Adrian still being overseas and injured at that caused Eva''s smile to fade slightly.


    "Alright, let''s not dwell on all that now. You must be starved after flying all day. Dinner''s almost ready in the kitchen. Let''s not waste time thinking about anything else. Eat well tonight, and we can talk about anything else tomorrow." Dinner was a feast a spread full of familiar vors, nothing like the food she had grown ustomed to abroad.


    And the best part...


    The taste of the dishes bore an unmistakable familiarity...


    Raising her head to nce at Margaret Kim ckwood, Eva, despite resolving some emotional issues, found herself uncertain and shy after the long time apart. She tentatively asked, "Mom, Dad, has our chef been with us all these years without change?"


    Margaret gazed at her tenderly. "We''ve never changed chefs. After all these years with the ckwood family, we''re used to the way he cooks. Can you tell it''s his cooking right away?" "Yes, it''s very familiar," Eva replied.


    Everything at home was as familiar as the cuisine the decor appeared unchanged, just as it had been five years prior.


    The only real difference, perhaps, were the two little ones now seated at the table.


    These youngsters were snugly ced between Kim and Margaret ckwood, and after answering Eva''s question, the couple returned their attention to feeding the little ones. "Here you go, Ruby, isn''t this your favorite? Have a little more."


    "Dn, try this."


    In essence, the entire dinner was managed without Eva needing to lift a finger for the children; she only needed to take care of herself.


    After dinner, Margaret told Eva, "Your room, the one you used to share with Adrian ckwood, is ready for you. The maids have kept it clean daily, and all the bedding has been freshly changed. You can head straight to bed." "Okay."


    "Hey, there''s something I''d like to talk to you about," Margaret said, a hint of hesitation in her eyes as she looked at Eva. She seemed unsure if she should even bring it up.


    Sensing her mother''s difort, Eva decided to gently prompt her, "Mom, what''s on your mind?"


    "Well, you''ve all had a long day, and I was thinking... maybe tonight, Ruby and Dn could bunk in with us? Of course, that''s only if it''s okay with you. If it''s not..."


    Margaret''s voice trembled apprehensively as she spoke, frequently ncing at Eva''s expressions. The calm and collected demeanor she usually carried was gone, reced with caution ever since the kids came into the picture. It was as if she was walking on eggshells, fearful of Eva''s disagreement or anger.


    Eva felt a wave of difort watching her mother like this. It pained her there was no wrongdoing, yet her presence evoked such carefulness.


    Moved by these thoughts, Eva took a few steps closer and softly replied, "Mom, if you don''t mind the possible disturbance, feel free to have them over."


    "Oh, it wouldn''t be a disturbance at all! I would love that. In fact, if you''re okay with it, your father and I would be more than happy to spend more time with the kids. By the way, have they started school yet? Which school are they attending?" Eva briefly exined the situation in Chicago, anticipating that Margaret might find it convenient for the kids to transfer to a nearby school in New York.


    To her surprise, the next second, Margaret dered without hesitation, "If the children are studying in Chicago, then we''ll just move to Chicago tomorrow."

 Chapter 436 Torn

    Eva was utterly shocked to learn about the ckwood family''s potential relocation from New York to Chicago. She also felt an immense sense of respect from her mother''s decision. But she couldn''t help questioning, "Isn''t the ckwood family rooted in New York? Wouldn''t moving to Chicago be a bit...?"


    "Nonsense," Margaret cut in with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Your father and I are aging, and our only concern is you kids. Now with two more grandchildren, our priority is certainly you all. Besides, where we live doesn''t make much of a difference to us. The climate in Chicago might even be better for us. Didn''t you start apany there? If you ever have any doubts, just ask your father. He''ll be there to guide you. Focus on your career, and don''t worry about the kids. With your father and me around, we''ll take good care of them."


    With that, Margaret ended the conversation, her focus shifting towards getting the kids settled into their room and discussing the big move with Kim ckwood.


    As Eva made her way back to her room, she couldn''t stop mulling over one thing: herpany was just finding its feet, so how could it ever measure up to the ckwood dynasty? But now, they seemedpletely unconcerned about the size of her enterprise; they were even willing toe to her small business to help with childcare.


    Could it be that thepany didn''t mean that much to them anymore?


    With these thoughts swirling in her head, Eva quickly arrived at a familiar door. It was only when she paused that she realized her body still remembered the way, even after five years.


    Pushing the door open, everything looked just as she remembered it.


    She stepped in, transfixed by how little had changed over the years. The room''s furnishings were almost identical to how she left them, except for the fresh linens on the bed. Everything else, from the drapes to the knick-knacks on the desk, remained untouched.


    The wave of familiarity was so overwhelming, it felt as if she had stepped back in time five years. It was almost as if she and Adrian ckwood had never divorced.


    Without realizing it, Eva found herself beside the bed, her lips curving into a smile as she looked at the new bedding.


    Her phone vibrated.


    She pulled it out and saw a message from Adrian ckwood: "Are you done with everything?"


    She had already touched base with him afternding, but that was before her encounter with Kim ckwood Margaret. She''d only sent a brief message then. Was he checking in because he figured she should be free by now?


    "Yeah, pretty much done. Just got back to my room," she typed her reply. She had intended to take a shower but was interrupted by Adrian''s message. After responding, a thought struck her, and she quickly sent another message, "How was your day?"


    Not long after her message, a video call came through from Adrian ckwood.


    Eva hesitated, staring at her phone for a good long moment before answering the video call much slower than if it had been just a voice call. As soon as she epted, Adrian''s handsome face appeared on her screen. Even in the unforgiving rity of the camera, his features and skin were impable.


    At first, his expression was unreadable, but upon seeing her, the harshness in his eyes melted away, reced by a softness that only she could provoke.


    But Adrian ckwood''s gaze shifted abruptly as he caught sight of the figure behind her. "You home?"


    Eva sensed his attention on the scene behind her and, inexplicably, felt a twinge of guilt.


    Perhaps she didn''t want him to know she had forgiven him so quickly.


    And deep down, she struggled with an unwillingness to let go.


    Though their rtionship had been marred by misunderstandings, and he had indeed hurt her, she wanted to be with him but wasn''t ready to forgive him so easily. Seeing her silent and downcast eyes,


    Adrian''s expression darkened, but he quickly recovered and changed the subject.


    "Ruby and Dn asleep?"


    At the mention of a different topic, Eva lifted her gaze again, "I guess so, they''ve been with..."


    She paused, and after a brief moment of confusion, Adrian picked up the thread.


    "Ruby and Dn, are they staying with their grandparents now?"


    Eva nodded in confirmation.


    "Yeah, the elders adore them."


    Probably due to Eva''s earlier silences and hesitant attempts to speak, the atmosphere had grown somewhat awkward. When the conversation dwindled, they bothpsed into a prolonged silence.


    Eventually, Adrian pursed his lips, watched her through the phone''s camera, and said softly, "Don''t worry about David''s situation. There''s no update today, but I''m on top of it. I''ll let you know immediately once there''s news." Eva smiled at him.


    "Okay."


    Noticing she was wearing the same outfit as when she left earlier that day, Adrian asked, "Haven''t freshened up yet?"


    "Well, I was about to, but then your call came through."


    "Did I interrupt you?"


    "Not at all," Eva shook her head, "It''s just a video call, dying freshening up a bit doesn''t matter."


    She wasn''t one to sleep early anyway, and even after a day of flying, she was tired but not too exhausted to have a video call.


    Watching Eva onscreen, her face glowing healthily, Adrian could still spot a trace of fatigue in her eyes.


    He considered the situation, then said, "Go freshen up, and try to get some sleep earlier tonight."


    Caught off guard, Eva faltered.


    "You..."


    "It''s fine. I''ll call you again after you''ve had some rest."


    Eva had intended to say there was no need for concern, that they could talk now, but just as she began to speak, a yawn she couldn''t stifle forced its way out, and she almost teared up with exhaustion. "Still not hitting the bathroom?" Adrian ckwood remarked, noticing her sleepiness reaching the point of tears. "Go get ready for bed."


    With no other choice, Eva nodded.


    "Alright, I''m gonna get ready for bed, and then you should too," she conceded.


    Just before hanging up, ckwood added, "Eva."


    "Hmm?"


    "Switch the camera around, show me the room."


    Startled at first, Evaplied with his request, rotating the camera to give him a view of her room.


    "See everything?"


    He quietly observed the movement of her camera for a while before chuckling softly, "I see it. It brings back familiar, nostalgic feelings." "Enough now, go get ready for bed."


    Eva nodded slowly, eventually ending the call.


    Standing in her room, she surveyed the familiar surroundings and thought about her conversation with ckwood, ultimately letting out a sigh.

 Chapter 437 Nothings Gone Wrong, Right?

    After freshening up, Evay in bed. The nkets, sunned until they were soft and fluffy, seemed to envelop her entirely. She thought she had almost forgotten the events from five years ago, because when she first left, she would often reminisce about the various things that happened back home, especially the moments she shared with Adrian ckwood. But as time passed, she dreamed of them less and less. Eventually, she stopped thinking about them altogether and lived her life in peace. She thought she had probably forgotten, but lying in this bed, the memories of her interactions with Adrian ckwood flooded her mind like a tide. It was as if all their moments together were being yed back in fast- forward. She had even shared the most intimate moments with Adrian ckwood on this very bed. She didn''t know how long she had been lost in thought, but eventually, Eva fell asleep without realizing it.


    The next day, she was woken up by Dn running into her room. ncing at her phone, she realized it was already ten in the morning.


    "Mommy, you''ve slept for so long," Dn Hansen remarked, looking at her with a hint of surprise.


    Eva, running her fingers through her slightly disheveled hair, replied somewhat embarrassingly, "I overslept without realizing it. I forgot to set the rmst night."


    Dn climbed onto the bed and hugged her arm, whispering softly, "Mommy, grandma had the chef make lots of yummy food, but since you didn''t get up, we ate first. Are you hungry now? Should we have them bring some up for you to eat?"


    "No need," Eva refused, shaking her head. It wasn''t that serious to have food brought to her room.


    "Sweetie, you go downstairs first. Mommy wille down after changing clothes."


    "Okay."


    After Dn Hansen left, Eva let out a sigh. She hadn''t expected to sleep so deeply. Could it be because she was back in a familiar ce that she had slept so soundly? She rarely had such deep sleep before.


    After going downstairs, Eva started her breakfast. Ruby Hansen was already sittingfortably in Margaret''sp, wearing a pretty bracelet on her wrist.


    "Where did thate from?" Eva couldn''t help but ask.


    "Grandma gave it to Ruby!" Ruby Hansen, noticing her attention to the bracelet on her wrist, frequently showed it off to her, saying it was a gift from Margaret.


    "Did you thank grandma?"


    "I did, mommy."


    Margaret, amused by her, pinched the little girl''s soft cheeks before raising her head to Eva, "We''ve pretty much prepared everything for the move. Whenever you''re free, we can go."


    Considering the short distance, they had initially nned to fly, but due to safety concerns, they decided to drive their own car, apanied by bodyguards.


    Eva had no objections and thought for a moment before saying, "I''m fine, I can go anytime."


    "Don''t you need to rest some more?"


    "I''m fine, mother. I''m not tired."


    "Then let''s head back sooner rather thanter. After all, the kids still have to go to school."


    "That sounds good."


    Despite their age, the ckwood couple was still very active and decisive. When they said they would do something, they did it without hesitation.


    That afternoon, Eva and the ckwoods set off for their return to Chicago.


    On the way, Eva took out her phone to message Adrian ckwood.


    "I and your father and mother..."


    She stopped, feeling something off with the way she addressed them. Although she wasn''t quite ready to forgive Adrian ckwood, referring to them as ''your father'' and ''your mother'' felt too distant. She deleted the message and started again.


    "We''re all on our way to Chicago today."


    That seemed more appropriate.


    She reviewed the message twice, ensuring it was fine before sending it.


    Long after the message was sent, there was no reply from the other side.


    Eva put her phone away, thinking he must be busy or asleep due to the time difference. She assumed he would reply when he had the chance.


    They arrived in Chicago at night, the city alive with neon lights and towering skyscrapers.


    Although Margaret was used to such sights, perhaps because they were in Chicago this time, she wanted to make Eva feel morefortable or hoped to alleviate any potential stress.


    "The architecture here in Chicago isn''t any worse than in New York. I just checked the weather data; it''s a suitable ce to live. If you ever want to stay here longer, we can ask Adrian ckwood to move the mainpany here." Her words were full of consideration for Eva.


    Eva could only awkwardly respond, "That''s up to him."


    "Not up to him, up to us," Margaret insisted, holding Eva''s slender wrist as if to assure her, "For you, he''d definitely be willing to move. If he isn''t, then I''ll help you."


    Eva believed that sentiment. Considering Adrian ckwood''s recent behavior, it did seem like something he might do. But moving apany wasn''t a small matter, especially since many of the ckwood family''s positions were held by local residents. A move would not only affect the ckwood family but also their employees.


    "Let''s see how it goes," Eva suggested.


    "Alright, we''ll see. He probably won''t be back for a while anyway."


    Margaret didn''t press further about why Adrian was still abroad, and Eva felt a bit guilty. The issue had been resolved, yet Adrian remained overseas because of her personal problems.


    She wondered when he would return.


    The ckwoods owned property in Chicago, so they stayed in a house near the school for the night. Servants and housekeepers had arrived ahead of time, ensuring the ce was spotlessly clean.


    After settling in, Eva finally had time to check her phone again.


    She noticed that Adrian ckwood still hadn''t replied to her message.


    Furrowing her brows, she considered the possibility of something amiss. Although she wasn''t usually superstitious about things like twitching eyelids signaling impending bad events, she couldn''t shake off a strong sense of unease. Looking at the phone, their conversation had not progressed beyond the message she sent. It had been quite a while since shest heard from him. Even if he was busy, it shouldn''t take this long, right? He wouldn''t have gotten into trouble, would he?

 Chapter 438 Havent You Been In Touch?

    The second the idea hit her, Eva hurriedly scrolled through her contacts list, about to call Adrian ckwood.


    Yet, after dialing the number, she hesitated, and two secondster, she canceled the call that hadn''t even gone through. If Adrian hadn''t replied to her message, he was probably too busy or in a situation where responding wasn''t feasible. Calling him in such a moment might justplicate things...


    For his safety, she decided against calling him,forting herself with the thought that he''d message her back once he was free. With this in mind, Eva carried her phone everywhere, even cing it on a stand within reach while she showered, always ready for any vibration.


    Eva''s focus wavered, her mind elsewhere as she showered, always alert for a message, only to rush out and find disappointment with each buzz that wasn''t from Adrian. This cycle of hope and letdownsted until she finished her shower, nearly an hourter.


    Drying her hair in her room, her gaze incessantly snapped back to her phone, even as shey down, staring at the pristine ceiling.


    It hit Eva suddenly, how much she actually cared about Adrian ckwood.


    Was she overreacting over an unanswered message? This preupation was stifling-how was she supposed to test him if she was this anxious?


    With a soft sigh, Eva turned in bed, facing the ck screen of her phone.


    Despite her desire to control her thoughts, she couldn''t.


    After an unbearably long wait, Eva eventually couldn''t stand it any longer and called Jacob. When he answered, his voice was clouded with sleepiness, clearly roused from his slumber by her call. "Eva-Ms. Hansen, do you need something?" Eva checked the time and realized with surprise that it was already past noon.


    Oh right, they had arrived in Chicago sote.


    She pressed her lips together, asking softly, "I''m sorry for calling sote, did I disturb you?"


    "Don''t be a stranger, Ms. Hansen. I work for Mr. ckwood, and my sryes with being on call 24/7. Otherwise, you probably wouldn''t be able to reach me."


    Even so, Eva didn''t take it for granted, speaking gently, "I wanted to ask, have you heard from Adrian ckwood today? Any news on your end?"


    Jacob nodded.


    Realizing Eva couldn''t see the gesture, he quickly added, "Ms. Hansen, if you''re worried about Mr. ckwood, there''s no need. I was in touch with his team this morning. He''s fine." "This morning?"


    "Yes."


    "Was it this morning?"


    "Yes."


    Eva couldn''t help but scrunch up her nose.


    He had contacted Jacob in the morning but not her?


    "Ms. Hansen, I mean I spoke with someone on Mr. ckwood''s team, not directly with Mr. ckwood himself," Jacob exined hurriedly, worried she might misunderstand. "What about after that?" Eva persisted, "No contact since this morning?"


    "Well... Mr. ckwood had important business today, so I didn''t want to bother him."


    Important business?


    Why didn''t he tell her? But Eva quickly let it go, understanding that he must''ve indeed been busy. Her text message shouldn''t have been a bother then, right?


    "Ms. Hansen, don''t worry about Mr. ckwood. It''s gettingte; maybe you should get some rest?"


    Despite Jacob''s suggestion, Eva didn''t know why she felt so restless. But it waste, and it felt wrong to keep troubling him.


    "Alright, you should rest too."


    "If you need anything, just call me. And about Mr. ckwood-if I hear anything, you''ll be the first to know."


    "Thank you."


    After hanging up the call, Eva clung to her phone and rolled over, still far from restful.


    Biting her lower lip, her mind was a tangled mess.


    But she was at a loss for what to do.


    Eventually, Eva dozed off with her phone clutched tight and thoughts swirling in confusion.


    Later, it was the vibrating of her phone that woke her.


    Groggy, she discovered it was the rm she had set. Since she had gotten up toote the day before, she''d adjusted it to an earlier time. Eva couldn''t tell if it was the loudness or the prolonged vibration that rattled her, but when she got up, her eyelids were twitching uncontrobly.


    Her heart rate, too, was erratic.


    After turning off the rm, Eva leaned against the wall trying to steady her emotions. It took a while before her heartbeat slowed, but her eyelid kept twitching.


    She was never superstitious-those beliefs about ominous eyelid twitches were not for her-but now, an uneasy premonition crept into her heart.


    She felt like something was about to happen.


    She nced at her phone again; the text thread was frozen at herst sent message. Since yesterday, there had been radio silence. No matter how busy, couldn''t be too engulfed in tasks for this long, right? Could something have happened to him?


    As the thought shed across her mind, Eva threw off the covers, grabbed a coat, and hurried out the door.


    When she found Margaret, she was entertaining two kids, Ruby and Dn. Seeing Eva dash over, Margaret looked puzzled.


    "Eva, you''re up? Why not sleep in a bit longer?"


    Eva was about to inquire but swallowed her question upon seeing Ruby and Dn.


    Sensing Eva''s halted intent through her actions and gaze, Margaret suggested, "Shall we talk outside?"


    Eva nodded immediately.


    "Yeah."


    Margaret quickly excused herself from the kids and stepped out of the room with Eva.


    Once outside, before Margaret could even ask what was wrong, Eva blurted out anxiously, "Mom, have you been in touch with Adrian ckwood these past couple of days?"


    "Adrian ckwood?" Margaret was surprised by the question and pondered a moment before replying, "I spoke to him the night before we moved, telling him we''d be joining you in Chicago." "And after that? There''s been no contact?"


    Margaret shook her head slightly, a sense of concern beginning to mirror Eva''s.


    Margaret shook her head. "He''s got his own life to live, and as parents, it''s not right for us to be on his back all the time."


    Taking in Margaret''s words, it dawned on Eva with crystal rity. She too hadn''t managed to get in touch with Adrian ckwood.

 Chapter 439 Ill Go Find Him

    Reflecting upon it, it made sense. If he hadn''t reached out to her when they were usually in close contact, chances were he had not reached out to anyone else either. Yet, despite knowing this, Eva couldn''t help but seek reassurance. Now, with a response finally in hand, her heart still felt a tinge of disappointment.


    Seeing Eva with her eyes cast downward, lost in thought, Margaret recognized the look on the young woman she''d watched grow up. Putting together the pieces of the puzzle wasn''t hard; she could guess what Eva was preupied with. Stepping closer with a probing tone, Margaret asked, "Eva, are you worried because Adrian ckwood hasn''t been in touch for the past couple of days?"


    Confronted with Margaret''s question, Eva felt a sense of solidarity in their shared womanhood and nodded without hesitation, admitting to her concerns. "Yeah, normally, he''d at least reply to my messages."


    "That''s true," Margaret said, her brows knitting together with concern after hearing Eva''s words. "How long has it been since hest contacted you?"


    Eva briefly described the time that hadpsed and the messages left unreplied.


    "Well, even though it seems like a while since yesterday, have you considered the time difference between here and abroad? Perhaps he got busy and only had time to get home when it was the middle of the night here, and he didn''t want to disturb you. It''s still early; why don''t we wait a bit longer?"


    Her words were meant to reassure Eva, and they were logical at that.


    However, Eva didn''t feelforted. Her eyelids had been twitching non-stop since she woke up, as if ominously hinting at something. It made her extremely uneasy, and to make matters worse, she couldn''t reach Adrian.


    "Have you tried calling him?" Margaret asked, seeing the worry linger in Eva''s expression.


    Eva bit her lower lip and shared her thoughts.


    Gradually, Margaret began to piece things together.


    "Is the work he''s doing overseas dangerous?"


    Eva had assumed Margaret was aware of Adrian''s activities abroad, but her question suggested otherwise. Had he not told them anything?


    Should she share what she knew?


    If she did, would it only cause her elders more worry?


    With this in mind, Eva collected her thoughts and tempered her voice, "It''s not that it''s dangerous. It''s just with him being so far away and out of sight, I can''t help but worry."


    Understanding dawned on Margaret as she listened, and she patted Eva''s shoulder reassuringly.


    "I see. Don''t fret; he''ll definitely get in touch when he can."


    Margaret suddenly realized that with Eva and her son''s recent reconciliation, the uncertainty from Adrian''s distant behavior was probably weighing on her.


    After Eva left, she nned to give him an earful over the phone, telling him to step up his game.


    Thest thing she needed was to finally win him back just to lose him again.


    "Alright, up bright and early without an extrayer - are you heading back to bed or ready for breakfast?"


    Eva mulled it over, then said, "I''ll head downstairs for breakfast."


    Something else crossed her mind. "Mom, I''m thinking of going out today. As for Ruby and Dn..."


    "Don''t worry about them; I''ve got Ruby and Dn covered. I''ll drop them off at schoolter, and don''t fret about pick-up-I''ll make sure they get home. Oh, and when you go out, remember to take your bodyguard with you. You don''t want Adrian ckwood worrying about you."


    Margaret didn''t suspect the need for a bodyguard; she simply figured that Adrian ckwood''s insistence on protection was due to the two kids around. Their social circle wasn''t immune to simr incidents before, with kidnappers targeting naive children to extort money from families.


    If the demands weren''t met, threats to harm the hostages were inevitable.


    Such events weren''tmonce among the wealthy since they typically guarded their offspring well, yet a moment of negligence giving criminals the opportunity was their greatest fear-not the ransom, but the safety of their children. That''s why the sight of bodyguards didn''t surprise Margaret.


    "Got it," she acknowledged.


    After affirming her mother, Eva turned and left.


    She went back to her room to change into casual wear and was about to leave the house when a staff called her back to have breakfast.


    Reluctantly, Eva sat down, absent-mindedly picking at her food while scrolling through her phone.


    Her appetite was poor; she barely managed a few bites before Jacob''s call came through.


    At the sight of Jacob''s name, Eva''s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly answered.


    "Hello, Brent, do you have any news?"


    There was a brief silence on the line, then, "Ms. Hansen, don''t panic. Although I haven''t been able to reach Mr. ckwood just yet, please rest assured, he''s definitely fine." Eva had expected to be apprised about Adrian ckwood, but Jacob''s words caused her spirit to plummet.


    "What do you mean? You haven''t made contact with him? What about his people? There were many with him when we left; surely you must''ve reached someone?" "Yes, we made contact..." Jacob''s voice was somber, "but..."


    "But what?"


    Eva''s voice rose in volume, probably because she had been restless since the previous night, which unintentionally lent an edge to her tone, bordering on irritable.


    By the time she recognized the harshness of her words, they were already out there.


    Evaposed herself.


    "Sorry, I overreacted a bit. Tell me, what happened after you finally got in touch?"


    "Well, Ms. Hansen, from what I''ve heard, Adrian ckwood left yesterday, and there were only two people left in the vi to ry messages. But after they departed, the others lost contact; their calls just wouldn''t go through." No connection?


    "Don''t worry, Ms. Hansen, the area they went to is known for bad reception. It''s normal for cell phones to have no service there. Mr. ckwood has a lot of people with him; he''ll be fine."


    Despite the reassuring words, Eva couldn''t help but bite her lower lip - so hard that she drew blood without even noticing. If anything happened to Adrian ckwood on this trip, she would be consumed by regret. "Ms. Hansen, are you still there?"


    Jacob had to call out several times before Eva snapped back to reality.


    "Yeah."


    "The thing is, I trust that Mr. ckwood will be alright. Still... I''m considering buying another ticket to fly back."


    Hearing this, Eva felt a chill in her heart.


    She couldn''t help wondering if Jacob was holding back the whole truth to keep her from worrying.


    "Are you going alone?"


    "Of course not, I''ll bring people with me. In case anything has happened to Mr. ckwood, we''ll be ready to provide support."


    "Alright, then... please take care of it."


    She struggled to utter those words.


    Her lips moved, trying several times to tell Jacob that she wanted to go too.


    But she was the reason all this started. If she went, wouldn''t she just add to the chaos? In the end, she swallowed all the words she wanted to say.

 Chapter 440 Hesitant to Decide

    After putting away her phone, Eva had lost all appetite.


    She had nned to go out, but now that she was briefed on the basic situation, there was no need. "Ms. Hansen?"


    The sudden shift in her emotions during the phone call had silenced the staff who had not dared speak a word until now. Seeing Eva hadn''t touched her food since hanging up, the staff cautiously reminded her, "The food is getting cold." Hearing this, Eva nced down at the spread before her, then back at the staff. She parted her lips, intending to say she couldn''t eat and to have the staff take the meal away.


    In the end, she forced herself to swallow thest few bites of her meal before standing up to leave.


    She always lectured her two kids about not wasting food. How could she not practice what she preached?


    After heading upstairs, Eva Shen dialed Adrian ckwood''s number.


    Despite Jacob''s warning that the call probably wouldn''t go through, she stubbornly tried anyway.


    Ring-ring-


    After two rings, the call disconnected automatically without even going to voicemail. There was no way to get through.


    The busy tone echoed in her ears as Eva''s heart sank again.


    What on earth was going on?


    Right then, her phone rang, startling Eva amid the silence of the room. She half-expected it was Adrian ckwood returning her call, but her hopes plummeted once she saw the caller ID. "Hello?"


    "Boss, why do you sound so down?"


    Tim''s voice reached her after days of silence.


    Right now, apart from Adrian ckwood, no one else''s call could lift her spirits. When Tim inquired, she replied with a despondent tone.


    "Nothing, what''s up?"


    "Come on, boss, when was thest time you stepped foot in the office? I couldn''t even reach you by phone. If I hadn''t checked with Brent, I wouldn''t have known you''d gone abroad."


    The office. That''s right... she had apany to run.


    Since being unexpectedly whisked away by Michael Cooper, she hadn''t been to the office in ages.


    "Sorry, I''ve been... tied up with a lottely."


    Eva didn''t n to divulge the truth, so she brushed it off with an excuse.


    "I get it, being busy is part of the job. But when do you think you''ll swing by the office? I might have plenty of experience, but I''m not the boss. There are decisions I can''t make without you. Can you find a day toe in?" "I''ll be there right away." After hanging up, Eva quickly left her house.


    By the time she arrived at the office, Tim was just finishing up a contract negotiation. Having just seen his counterpart out, he briefed Eva on the contract details and handed over the documents.


    "This project looks promising, but without you here, I didn''t dare make the call, and frankly, I shouldn''t. You should take a look personally." "Okay."


    Eva took the contract and began to leaf through the dense text. But as she read, Adrian ckwood''s face kept intruding on her thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Tim watched her sit there, staring at the first page of the contract - for one minute, two minutes, then five, without turning the page.


    Finding it odd, Tim tilted his head, trying to read the expression in her eyes.


    Geez, she was staring into space, her thoughts who knows where. She didn''t look like she was even looking at the contract.


    Tim rapped on the desk and spoke up, "Boss?"


    It took several shouts for Tim to snap Eva back to reality.


    Once she refocused, Eva met Tim''s exasperated gaze with peak contrition.


    "Sorry, I zoned out for a second there."


    "Boss, I get that you might have a lot on your te right now, but all you need to do is give this contract a quick once-over. You can go back to daydreaming after, deal?"


    Eva gave him a faint smile and nodded. This time, without distraction, she meticulously reviewed and signed the contract.


    She handed the document back to Tim. "Thanks for all your hard worktely."


    "No trouble at all. What are assistants for?" Tim replied with a light smile. He should have left with the contract, but his curiosity got the better of him as he lingered. "Boss, is it something personal troubling you?"


    His prying, however, went unanswered as Eva, after handing over the contract, had already drifted back into her thoughts.


    With no other option, Tim resignedly said, "Alright then, just be careful heading outter. Don''t need any trouble."


    With those words, he turned to leave and was surprised at the door by six or seven imposing figures in ck suits and sunsses.


    "Who are you guys??"


    The leader, acknowledging Tim''s position as Eva''s manager, afforded him a modicum of civility.


    "Hello, we''re Ms. Hansen''s bodyguards."


    Tim was speechless.


    After her absence and now reappearing with this level of security, it was clear to the astute Tim that something wasn''t right.


    So it wasn''t business that kept her busy recently, but trouble, hence the new entourage.


    No wonder she seemed so uneasy reviewing the contract.


    With that thought, Tim sighed internally. While he didn''t know exactly what was amiss, he had a hunch.


    But pressing her about it now would only add to her turmoil, so he quickly left the office with the contract.


    After Tim''s departure, the lead bodyguard knocked and entered, finding Eva alone, lost in thought at her desk.


    Hearing the knock, she looked up.


    "What is it?"


    The bodyguard nodded, "We need to ensure Ms. Hansen''s safety. If you intend to stay and work here today, Ms. Hansen, we must secure the premises."


    Eva pondered for a moment before responding to his concern.


    After speaking, it seemed as if the other party was worried she might refuse; before she could even get a word out, they added, "This office is all windows. Their people mighte in from this side." Eva instinctively nced at the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    "And the venttion ducts," they continued.


    Eva sighed internally. If a person could fit through the vent, then windows were hardly worth mentioning.


    "Okay," she murmured.


    Once she had agreed, a group of people poured into the room. Eva watched as the once spacious office became cramped with the arrival of several stout men, to the point where even the air seemed to stagnate. Eva stood, intending to open a window for some fresh air.


    But as she approached, a bodyguard closed in, blocking her path, "Ms. Hansen, please don''t stand near the window. It''s not safe."

 Chapter 441 What If Something Happens

    So, Eva was directed back to her desk, while others kept watch by the windows and the door.


    If there had been a camera pointed at the office at that moment, one might think she was the moll of some mafia boss.


    Her mood for work was non-existent; she kept her phone with her at all times, anxious not to miss any message. Though shecked the spirit for work, she pushed through and managed to get some tasks done, including receiving a boarding notification from Jacob.


    After his ne took off, connecting with him became more difficult; she could only wait for him tond.


    Her phone was silent all afternoon, but just as Eva was preparing to pack up for the day, it rang.


    Without thinking, she snatched it up, only to see a call from an unfamiliar international number. Who could this be?


    Without a second thought, she answered the call swiftly.


    "Hello?"


    Secretly, she hoped it was Adrian ckwood on the line, telling her he was alright, and that he could only reach her using this number for the time being.


    But Eva didn''t dare to call out his name right away.


    "You''ve gone back to using this number, I see."


    Yet what reached her ears was a voice gentle yet tinged with a touch of coldness.


    That voice...


    A chill ran through Eva, and just as she was about to speak, the caller said, "Is that new number I gave you not working, Eva?"


    The caller''s voice held a coolness that felt as if it could seep through the phone and envelop her entirely.


    "Or perhaps, you don''t like that number, think thest digits aren''t pretty enough? Should I get you another one?"


    It took a moment for Eva to process. Biting her lower lip, she finally managed to ask, "What do you really want to say? Is all this necessary?"


    It was only when Michael Cooper threw another question her way that Eva gathered her thoughts and spoke up.


    The bodyguards around her immediately formed a protective circle at her uneasy expression.


    "Ha..." The phone carried the carefreeughter of Michael Cooper. "Alright, if our Eva finds my musings so dull, how about we discuss something more intriguing?" His words sent a tight clench in Eva''s chest, and her eyelids twitched.


    "What do you mean by that?" she asked.


    "Aren''t you bored with the conversation? Let''s switch it up."


    Eva held her breath, remaining silent. The head bodyguard noticed her tension and gestured to see if she needed assistance.


    She shook her head at him.


    He resigned to wait quietly.


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "Well, something of interest to you, like... returning to my side."


    Eva: "..."


    "If I''m not mistaken, you must be quite anxious right now? Can''t get ahold of him, can you?"


    After much beating around the bush, Eva finally heard the point of interest. Narrowing her eyes, she demanded, "Is he with you? What have you done to him?"


    What was going on? Wasn''t Michael Cooper injured too? How had Adrian ckwood fallen for his tricks?


    But after her questioning, the line fell silent.


    The prolonged silence was agonizing for Eva, and she pressed, "Speak up."


    At her challenge, a chuckle came through the phone.


    "When will you show me the same concern you have for him? I''d willingly die for you then."


    ""


    Eva bit her lower lip. "Don''t do this."


    "Don''t do what? Had I been like this sooner, would you have never left the country? Maybe letting you go was where I went wrong. At least when you were abroad, you wouldn''t be by someone else''s side even if you didn''t ept me." His words made Eva close her eyes, taking a deep breath before asking again, "Is he with you? What have you done to him?"


    "Don''t have the patience to hear anything else?" he teased.


    "I..."


    "If you really want to know how he is, why note and see for yourself?"


    Eva caught her breath.


    "Until you show up in front of me, I won''t say a word about his situation."


    She bit her lip again.


    "Everything was fine, why must it be this way?"


    "Heh."


    Michael Cooper''sugh was low, "Yeah, everything was fine. So why did you go back home?"


    Eva was at a loss for words; their conversation had be impossible.


    "Come over, I''ll be waiting at our old spot."


    Michael Cooper was about to hang up when Eva Hansen''s voice quivered with urgency, "Wait-where is he? What did you do to him?"


    "There''s nothing I''m going to say until I see you, Eva," Michael''s voice was firm. "And don''t even bother trying to find him."


    With that, he disconnected the call, leaving Eva staring at her silent phone, a frown etching into her face. Shaking off her shock, she immediately redialed the number, but now it seemedpletely unreachable. After multiple failed attempts, the head bodyguard noticed Eva''s growing anxiety and intervened. "Ms. Hansen, please, take it easy. Tell us what''s wrong, and we''ll help you handle it."


    Eva quickly briefed them on her conversation and handed over the number she''d been given.


    Their team got to work without dy, cing calls and running checks.


    In the meantime, Eva made two more attempts to reach Adrian ckwood''s mobile number, to no avail.


    Minutester, they had an update for her.


    "Ms. Hansen, our technical team has traced the call back to an old-fashioned phone booth."


    A phone booth? Eva was taken aback. Were there still old-fashioned phone booths around?


    She pressed her lips together, remembering Michael''s words about not revealing anything until they met. Had he used a phone she couldn''t trace on purpose?


    With that thought, she rifled through her contacts and dialed Michael''s personal number.


    The line rang but soon switched to an automated message indicating the call couldn''t bepleted.


    Her only option, it seemed, was to wait for Michael to contact her again or to go abroad in search of him.


    While the bodyguards weren''t privy to the turmoil of thoughts swirling in Eva''s mind, their duty remained clear-to ensure her safety.


    The lead bodyguard spoke up, "Ms. Hansen, ensuring your safety is paramount to Mr. ckwood. Please don''t do anything rash."


    Eva, who had been struggling with how to broach the subject, seized the opportunity provided by his advice.


    She turned to face him, "What if, hypothetically, Mr. ckwood were in trouble?"


    The bodyguard was taken aback.


    "And what if he wasn''t able to handle the payment for your services?"

 Chapter 442 Just Fooling You

    "Rest assured, Ms. Hansen," the bodyguard calmly replied, "Mr. ckwood has already paid for a full year''s services upfront." A year?


    Eva was taken aback when she heard the figure.


    He had prepaid for such a long time in advance.


    "So, Ms. Hansen, we''ll ensure your personal safety for theing year," the lead protector said.


    Hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but look up at him.


    "Do you guys work for money?"


    The leader nodded in affirmation.


    "Alright then. If I offer a higher bid than his to have you apany me abroad to find someone and ensure my security, would you agree?" The leader paused upon hearing her proposition.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not just Adrian ckwood who has deep pockets. I can afford it too. And if you need reassurance, I can pay upfront as well." "This..."


    "Do your protection services only extend within the country?"


    "It''s not like that; we can also provide protection abroad. It''s just... we''ve already promised Mr. ckwood to safeguard you, so we..."


    "Yes." Eva smirked, "You''re ensuring my personal safety, but you''re not restricting my freedom of movement, right? Did he specifically instruct you not to let me go to certain ces?" When she posed this question, the team fell silent.


    Indeed, they couldn''t restrict where she chose to go; they could only apany her.


    With this in mind, Eva knew what she had to do next.


    "Uh, Ms. Hansen, we don''t object to you traveling abroad, but I must remind you, how do you know if what he told you is true? What if Mr. ckwood is fine and it''s just a ruse?" That''s right, Eva had considered this since Michael Cooper had spoken to her. What if it was all a deceit?


    But... having known Michael for so many years, spending thest five together, she felt she understood him well. If he''d gone out of his way to call her and say those things, then it likely meant things were as serious as she suspected. Although she couldn''t fathom how Adrian ckwood could have lost to him.


    Of course, there was also the chance that Michael was ying mind games, knowing her well enough to provoke her deliberately.


    With these thoughts, Eva lowered her gaze, sinking into deep contemtion.


    Seeing this, the lead protector quickly spoke up, "Ms. Hansen, I''d advise you to think this over carefully."


    Snapping back to the present, Eva looked at him, "I can reconsider, but can you get in touch with Adrian ckwood?"


    "This..."


    "Is it that his phone is unreachable? Can''t find him at all, no word from him whatsoever?"


    Sometimes, there are things that we can only deduce for ourselves, based on the hard facts.


    Eva''s inquiry about Shen''s whereabouts left everyone speechless; after all, no one could get in touch with him, and the possibility of an ident couldn''t be ignored.


    Of course, Eva was worried about being duped, so she had given herself a window of time an opportunity to wait.


    It all came down to Jacob.


    He was already abroad, and for now, Eva had no choice but to pin her hopes on him. If he couldn''t locate Adrian ckwood once he got there, then...


    Eva felt her heart plummet. Despite it being nearly time to clock out, she couldn''t help but seek out Tim for a prolonged chat before finally leaving.


    Once home, Eva acted as if nothing was amiss, carrying on with life among the ckwoods just like any other ordinary person.


    No matter how well she concealed her anxiety, Margaret saw through it. After dinner, when the kids were ying in the study with Kim ckwood, Margaret approached Eva softly and asked, "Any luck? Have you reached Adrian?" At her words, Eva hesitated, at a loss for how to respond.


    "What''s wrong? Is there something you''re hesitant to tell your mother about? Eva, I may not be your birth mother, but if you''re willing, you can think of me as such. You can tell me anything. When you left back then, I couldn''t even manage a proper goodbye, nor was I privy to your affairs. But I want you to know, regardless of what''s happened between you and Adrian, even if you''ve parted ways with him, you can always consider me your mother."


    These unexpected words triggered a surge of emotion, and Eva''s eyes reddened.


    "Thank you. I''ll remember your kindness," she replied, her voice tinged with gratitude.


    As a child, Eva had always envied those with mothers. She longed for one who would buy her pretty dresses, dress her up, cuddle her to sleep, tell her bedtime stories, and greet her with a gentle kiss when she woke up. Even without any of that, she yearned for such a connection. And so, she had eventually ced these feelings upon Granny ckwood. As a matriarchal figure in her life, Granny ckwood was an irreceable presence to Eva. "Your grandma has passed away. In her final moments, she was still thinking of you, regretting her perceived shorings. She believed if she had counseled you and Adrian better, perhaps your marriage wouldn''t have ended in divorce." The mention of Granny ckwood brought fresh tears to Eva''s eyes.


    Anything could be brought up around her, just not Granny ckwood. Eva''s heart was heavy with regret for her stubbornness that had prevented her from seeing her in those final moments.


    "Sorry, I should have...", she began.


    "There''s no need." Margaret took her wrist gently. "That''s all behind us. Don''t you dare apologize. Your grandmother wouldn''t want you dwelling on guilt. I shared the truth with you, not to weigh on you, but so you''d know." Tears brimmed in Eva''s eyes, she nodded but struggled to find the words.


    "Regardless of what happens between you and Adrian ckwood, let''s not repeat the past."


    "Okay."


    A heavy silencepsed before Eva wiped away a tear and spoke. "Mom, I need to ask a favor." "Anything, dear."


    "I need to travel abroad tonight, or tomorrow at thetest."


    Margaret raised an eyebrow in a mix of surprise and concern but remained silent, waiting for her to continue.


    "Ruby and Dn have never been without me. I''m not sure how they''ll cope. I''ll talk to them, try to ease them into it. But while I''m gone, could you..."


    "Say no more. Those kids are my grandchildren. It''s my duty to look after them. You handle your business, and I''ll manage everything here. Ruby and Dn are wonderful children. I have no doubt they''ll behave."

 Chapter 443 At Sixes and Sevens

    After wrapping up her conversation with Margaret, Eva went to check on the two little ones.


    As she approached, both cozied up to her. "Mommy, can we sleep with you tonight?"


    They usually slept alone. Could it be a sudden sixth sense?


    "Why do you want to sleep with Mommy tonight?" Eva asked gently.


    Ruby Hansen beamed back at her. "Because we miss you, Mom."


    Dn Hansen nodded in agreement.


    She hadn''t gone anywhere yet, but their words made her wonder if they had overheard her conversation with Margaret.


    However, their ensuing questions eased her worries.


    "Mommy, you and grandma talked for a long time. What about?" they curiously inquired.


    Eva yfully pinched a tiny nose. "Those are grown-up matters. Children shouldn''t worry about them."


    "Okay, then," they acquiesced.


    "So can you sleep with us tonight, Mommy?"


    "Yes, I''ll be with you all night long."


    Brent''s ne hadn''tnded yet, and she was stuck in limbo until he touched down and updated her on the situation. For now, all she could do was wait, taking care of her two kids.


    Eva spent the entire evening with the kids, and Margaret thoughtfully prepared some snacks and fruit for them.


    Around ten o''clock, she finally received a call from Jacob, telling her he was off the ne. He promised to keep her posted on any new developments.


    Eva had intended to mention the call from Michael Cooper to him, but Jacob, preupied with urgent matters, ended the call abruptly, leaving Eva with only the dial tone and a sigh of resignation. Hoping for positive news, she turned her attention to the kids when they called out to her.


    "Mama," their little voices reached her, pulling her away from her thoughts to be with them.


    Their chatter filled the evening, iming all of Eva''s time until exhaustion took the kids to their beds, leaving her with a moment of privacy atst.


    Shey in the middle of the bed, a child on either side clinging to her hands as they slept together in a row.


    In a soft voice, Eva whispered, "Mama might have to go on a trip tomorrow."


    "Where are you going, Mama?"


    "I can''t tell you just yet. I''ll share all about it when Ie back, is that okay?"


    The obedient little ones, not pressing any further, simply asked her to return soon.


    "I will," Eva assured them, "but you need to promise to behave for Grandma and Grandpa, okay?"


    "We promise, Mama."


    Once the kids were nestled beside her, breathing steadily in sleep, Eva called out to them softly. Without a response, she carefully crawled out of bed and silently stepped onto the floor.


    She had stayed with them all night, but it wasn''t until they were asleep that she finally got the chance to check her phone.


    A message from Jacob awaited: "Ms. Hansen, there won''t be any updates tonight. You should get some rest."


    Seeing that he had found the time to message her, Eva promptly returned the call.


    "Jacob."


    He hadn''t expected her to stay up thiste, considering the time on her end. "Ms. Hansen, I just wanted to send a message to ease your mind. Why haven''t you rested yet?" "I can''t sleep."


    Jacob was taken aback by her words, and then Eva Shen added, "You should understand how I feel. I can''t get in touch with him at all, and there''s no news whatsoever. How can anyone sleep under such circumstances?" Jacob didn''t respond, maintaining his silence.


    "Brent, do you have any updates from your end?"


    Finally, Brent let out a sigh of resignation.


    Eva''s heart instantly tightened, and her brows furrowed in concern.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Ms. Hansen," Brent began hesitantly, "I didn''t want to disappoint or worry you, but it seems like not telling you would keep you up at night too. So here it is. Upon my arrival, there''s been no word from Mr. ckwood. The vi only had two caretakers, and all contact with his people has been lost."


    "Everyone who went out is unounted for?"


    Eva could hardly believe it; he should have had a lot of people with him at the time. If none of them could be reached, then...


    Eva now understood why her heart raced and her eyelid twitched persistently when she woke up that morning.


    "Ms. Hansen..."


    "Just tell me, is that the case?"


    Brent''s voice faltered and sank a notch, as if deted. "When I got here, indeed, I couldn''t reach any of them. I''ve tried all the contact methods I had, multiple times to no avail."


    The likelihood of them all encountering trouble simultaneously was slim, but the fact that none could be contacted was truly frightening.


    Eva bit her lower lip, thinking for a moment before saying, "I''m buying a ne ticket right now."


    At her words, Jacob was startled. "Ms. Hansen, you''reing over?"


    "What else can I do? With everyone over there out of reach, I have no other choice but to go myself, right?"


    "But..." Jacob hesitated, not wanting to bluntly say that hering wouldn''t be of any help they couldn''t find them, let alone her. So he gently suggested, "We haven''t even started a search here yet. It really isn''t necessary for you toe at this moment."


    Little did he know, Eva would immediately see through his concern.


    "You just think that I won''t be of any help if I go, right?"


    Jacob found himself at a loss for words, stammering, "That''s not it, I mean..."


    However, Eva was no longer interested in a drawn-out discussion and directly shared with him the call she had received from Michael Cooper.


    "With the situation as it is, do you really think mying over won''t make a difference?"


    Caught off guard by her revtion, Jacob was left utterly bewildered.


    But Mr. ckwood''s intention was to ensure Ms. Hansen''s safety. If we put her at risk, even if Mr. ckwood remains unharmed, it would go against his wishes."


    "Between him and me, who do you think is in greater danger?"


    Jacob fell silent.


    When they had found Ms. Hansen, she had indeed been safe. The man only wanted to confine her, not harm her. But with Mr. ckwood... it was a different story; after all, he probably hadn''t fully recovered from hisst injuries.

 Chapter 444 Confirmation

    "Your silence means you''re thinking the same thing, right? You can''t reach him either, and you''re worried, aren''t you?" "Ms. Hansen."


    That''s when Jacob snapped back to reality, clenching his teeth. "Yes, I''m worried about Mr. ckwood. But before leaving, he made it clear: nothing is more important than your and the children''s safety. Even if something happens to him, he''ll find his own way out of trouble. I absolutely won''t let you risk yourself for Mr. ckwood."


    "Find his own way out? Maybe if it were here at home, I''d agree, but do you have any clue about the situation abroad? Are you familiar with the terrain over there?" Eva grilled Jacob, leaving him speechless. "I''m telling you now, if he hasn''t escaped danger and something happens, will you regret insisting on this today?"


    Jacob went quiet again.


    "I''m buying a ticket now."


    With that, Eva ended the call and quickly navigated through the app to purchase a ne ticket, her resolution unwavering.


    Last time, having the children with her held her back, but this time she was traveling alone. Ruby and Dn were in Kim and Margaret''s care, and with several bodyguards around, she could handle things on her own more effectively. Before long, Eva had her ticket.


    Then she turned to pack her bags. That''s when Jacob called again.


    Eva nced at the caller ID, presuming it was just another attempt to convince her to prioritize her own safety and discourage her from going.


    She didn''t need to hear it.


    So, Eva looked at the phone and ultimately rejected the call.


    After a few seconds, the caller tried again.


    Eva had intended to switch off her phone; nothing was going to stop her determination to go overseas. But fearing there might be some changes abroad, she hesitated and finally answered.


    "If you''re calling to persuade me, you can save your breath. Any further calls and I''ll have no choice but to block your number. I won''t have my phone battery wasted in vain."


    From the moment the line connected, Eva Hansen hit the caller with her icy tone.


    Jacob, on the other end, seemed to have anticipated Eva''s response. After a brief silence, he finally spoke, "Ms. Hansen, I know I can''t change your mind. That''s not why I called. I''ve just been in touch with the security team. Let me know your flight number, and I''ll arrange for them to be on the same flight as you."


    Eva was momentarily taken aback; she had expected Brent to be calling with arguments and dissuasions....not this.


    She texted the flight number to Jacob.


    "Got it. Ms. Hansen, I''ll also keep an eye out for any leads on Mr. ckwood. Please keep your phone on and reachable at all times during your travel. I''ll contact you immediately if there''s any news." "Okay."


    "Ms. Hansen, be very careful."


    "Uh-huh, you too."


    After hanging up, Eva let out a sigh of relief.


    Even if Jacob hadn''t agreed with her ns, his support made a world of difference. With his help, surely things would go much smoother.


    Eva packed thest piece of clothing into her suitcase and turned to nce at her two little ones sleeping peacefully. She softly approached and kissed each of their cheeks.


    The men Adrian ckwood had hired were all booked on the same flight as her now. Despite the wee hours, their mission made them ready to move at a moment''s notice.


    As Eva descended the stairs with her luggage, she was greeted by a chorus of "Ms. Hansen!"


    She instinctively raised her hand to her lips, signaling for them to quiet down. It was rest time for everyone else, and we didn''t need to be that loud.


    The man leading the team looked innocently perplexed.


    Their voices weren''t loud on their own, but the collective volume had unintentionally escted a notch.


    To prevent them from further speaking and to quell the noise, Eva quickly made it downstairs with her suitcase.


    "Let''s go."


    "Ms. Hansen, let me carry that for you."


    Eva''s suitcase wasn''t heavily packed. Other than the essentials, she hadn''t bothered with items like skincare products.


    "It''s quite light. I can manage; it''s practically an empty box," Eva said, shaking her head.


    But the man insisted, and ultimately, Eva handed over the suitcase to him.


    After Eva was escorted to the car by the group, she took her seat inside the ck vehicle. Despite the tinted windows, her gaze was drawn to the rearview mirror, where a string of headlights illuminated the dark road as if it were broad daylight. Under the luminescent shield, Eva embarked on her journey.


    The airport was less crowded at this time of night, which was somewhat relieving. Before boarding, Eva touched base with Jacob, only to find that there was still no update from his end.


    "Ms. Hansen, have a safe trip."


    During the flight, the lead agent took exceptional care of her, even ensuring the washroom was safe before allowing her to use it, then stood guard outside. Eva''s mind was fraught with worry, leaving her little desire to sleep. Yet, considering the mountain of tasks awaiting her uponnding, she needed to conserve energy-forcing herself into and out of a fitful rest for a mere couple of hours. She disembarked with a heavy, gritty feeling in her eyes.


    As soon as she was off the ne, Eva immediately powered on her phone. Right on cue, Jacob called.


    "Ms. Hansen, I saw your flight hasnded."


    "Yes, just now. I''ll be out shortly."


    "Our car is out front to pick you up."


    Eva pressed her lips together. She wanted to ask about any news on Adrian ckwood, but knowing Jacob hadn''t volunteered any information meant there likely wasn''t any. Undoubtedly, asking would be futile. Holding back her inquiry, she simply responded with a curt, "Okay," and followed the others out.


    Once Jacob had gathered everyone, they were escorted safely back to the vehicle and headed towards the base.


    "Our people are searching, but we haven''t found anything yet. Ms. Hansen, what exactly did Michael Cooper tell you when he contacted you? Do you have any information on Mr. ckwood''s whereabouts?" asked Jacob, a note of urgency creeping into his voice.


    "No," Eva replied, shaking her head. "But I''ve known him for many years. I understand how he operates-if he wasn''t certain, he wouldn''t have made such ims."


    Jacob''s expression tensed upon hearing her words.


    "So, what''s our next move?"


    Eva nced at her phone. "It hasn''t been twenty-four hours since he called. Even if he wanted to meet, he''d have to allow for my flight time. I presume he''ll reach out again soon." Barely had she finished her sentence when the previously silent phone buzzed with life-an indication, perhaps, that her prediction was swiftly proving urate.

 Chapter 445 Ill Be Waiting at Our Old Place

    The call was from an unfamiliar number. Eva sat rigidly, her posture mirroring the sudden tension that gripped everyone in the car as the ring of the phone sliced through the silence. Her co-worker, Jacob, eyed his own phone with nervous


    anticipation before turning towards Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, could you put it on speaker when you answer?" he asked tentatively.


    "Sure," Eva responded, her face betraying no emotion as she epted the call and switched to speaker mode, prompting everyone in the vehicle to hold their breath in collective suspense. "Hello?" Eva''s voice was calm, almost detached.


    A low, pleased chuckle emanated from the other end before Michael Cooper''s voice rumbled through. "You made it, and much quicker than I anticipated."


    Eva remained silent. He had obviously been tracking her movements.


    No surprise there, given hiswork and resources. To him, finding out her whereabouts would have been as easy as asking around.


    "He really means a lot to you, doesn''t he?" Michael''s voice held a note of dissatisfaction as he drew out the words. "Otherwise, you wouldn''t be in such a rush."


    At this, Eva couldn''t help but frown, though her expression smoothed over after a brief moment. "The one who should be worried isn''t me, considering you''re so well-informed about my every move."


    Eva had the sneaking suspicion that he could even tell what face she was making.


    "Heh. Fair point. Let''s say I''m the anxious one then," Michael conceded. "Now that you''re here, you''re going to tell me how he is, right?"


    "No rush, Eva. Since you''ve made the effort toe, naturally, I won''t harm him."


    Eva''s brow creased at his arrogance, surprised by the change in Michael Cooper. Taking a deep breath, she pressed, "What will it take for you to release him? And how do you prove he''s with you? Where''s the proof?" "Eva," Michael began, calling her by her first name-a sign of theirplex rapport, "do you really need evidence for our rtionship? You know whether my word is true."


    Jacob, overhearing this exchange, furrowed his brows involuntarily, biting back a retort for fear of provoking Michael further.


    But before he could speak up, Michael continued, "Besides, you wouldn''t have flown out so quickly if you didn''t believe me, right?"


    Eva pursed her lips.


    "What do you want?" she managed to ask.


    Silence lingered on the line before he replied, "You know what I want."


    Eva bit her lower lip, a mixture of anxiety and resolve ying across her features.


    "I''ll be waiting for you at our old spot. Come alone."


    Jacob looked as though he wanted to object, but a sharp nce from Eva silenced any argument.


    She pondered for a moment before replying to Michael Cooper, "I can''t just go there alone. How do I know what you''ll do once I''m there by myself?"


    "All I want is you. Juste here, and I promise I won''ty a finger on him."


    Eva Hansen furrowed her brows yet seemed somewhat inclined to trust his word. After all, when he had taken her away before, he hadn''t harmed Adrian ckwood. Maybe he hadn''t expected David to whisk her away behind his back? Otherwise, she shuddered to think that she might still be his captive at that undisclosed location.


    "Eva, I''m waiting for you."


    Hearing these words sent a chill down her spine. She was about to respond in haste when the line went dead. "Don''t..."


    Her voice was too slow; it was already toote.


    The busy tone from the phone only added to the silence in the car.


    Momentster, Jacob took the phone from her, "Ms. Hansen, this..."


    "There''s no point. That number''s probably disconnected already. He''s covered his tracks," she cut in.


    His message was crystal clear - she had toe to him, alone, or he wouldn''t budge.


    And this audacious demand stemmed from the leverage he undoubtedly held over them.


    He was dictating her every move whilepletely freeing himself from having anyonee to her. Instead, he insisted shee to him.


    Eva closed her eyes momentarily. It was bing evident that Adrian was indeed in his clutches.


    What on earth had happened?


    Why had Adrian lost to him? Was it a trap all along?


    "Ms. Hansen, you can''t go there alone," Jacob said, his frustration evident.


    "He''s just trying to manipte you."


    "Yes, I see that. So, what are you going to do about it? Can you find Adrian?"


    Jacob fell silent before finally saying, "Our people are already looking for him."


    Noticing Eva''s disinterest, he added, "I''m sorry, Ms. Hansen. I didn''t help much. I should have stayed to help."


    At this point, discussing anyone''s usefulness was futile.


    Eva didn''t care for the me game at this moment but offeredfort nheless, "Don''t think that way. This situation was never rted to you. It''s because of me that you got dragged into this."


    "Ms. Hansen, don''t say that. You and Mr. ckwood are together, and his child is involved too. It was Mr. ckwood''s duty to save you, and since I work for Mr. ckwood, naturally, I should be part of this too." Both parties openly addressed the situation, then quickly shelved the topic, recognizing its futility.


    After a brief silencesting nearly twenty seconds, Jacob took the initiative and suggested, "How about wee up with a n?"


    Eva turned to him, curiosity piqued, "What kind of n?"


    "You can''t go alone, that''s off the table. But, he''s insisting you show up solo."


    Eva nodded in agreement. "Okay, what''s your point?"


    "So, Ms. Hansen," he paused briefly, "where did he say you should meet? And how do you n on tracking him down afterward?"


    This question sent Eva into deep thought.


    He had said on the phone that he''d be waiting for her at the old ce.


    The old ce?


    Was he referring to that vi they had been to before?


    With an uneasy feeling, Eva turned and inquired. The answer came back swiftly: the previous vi was now deserted. Their people had checked-it waspletely empty. Eva''s brows furrowed at this revtion.


    If not at the vi, where else could he be? Which ''old ce'' was he referring to? She knew that the only ce she had ever visited in this country with Michael Cooper was the vi.


    "So, Ms. Hansen, if you have any clue about where this ''old ce'' might be, we could send people in advance to secure the location. The moment Mr. ckwood is spotted, our team could move in."


    "I''m afraid that''s not going to work," Eva shook her head.


    "Why not?" Jacobs''s voice wasced with urgency. "Ms. Hansen, you don''t seriously intend to meet him alone, do you? That''s uneptable it''s too dangerous!"


    "That''s not what I meant," Eva said with a helpless look in her eyes. "You''ve said the vi is gone, but that''s the only ce here I''ve spent time with him. Even if I wanted to go find him, I wouldn''t know where to start."

 Chapter 446 Crystal Clear

    Jacob now understood her point.


    "Ms. Hansen, is this your first time in this country?"


    Eva considered for a moment before shaking her head.


    "Not exactly the first, but thest time I was here alone, I only stayed for two days."


    Back then, her amodation was a hotel. She and Michael Cooper certainly didn''t have some ''old ce'' to speak of. Not during herst visit, nor did she feel there was an ''old ce'' this time around, aside from the vi they had taken her to. After all, that was where she had stayed the longest.


    After hearing her out, Jacob found himself pondering too.


    "Could it be that the ''old ce'' he mentioned isn''t in this city, or maybe even this country?"


    At first, Eva did believe she was where she needed to be, but with Michael Cooper''s temper, she doubted he''d simply let her end up in the wrong ce. Had she actually been off course, he would''ve mentioned it during their call, especially since he''d been the one wanting to see her. Plus, he coincidentally knew her flight number.


    "There''s no ce else, we''ll just have to go there," she mused, acknowledging that if she were to seek him out, that was her only option.


    Jacob was momentarily at a loss, but it was clear there was no alternative at the moment.


    "Ms. Hansen, why not rest up tonight and head out tomorrow?" he suggested tentatively.


    A sense of urgency was gnawing at him, but it was not his ce to insist that Eva drop everything to save Mr. ckwood now, even though deep down, Jacob felt that with their resources, they should be able to rescue Adrian ckwood. They hadn''t even found the guy yet, let alone figured out how Mr. ckwood could have fallen into his foe''s trap. As one of Adrian ckwood''s subordinates, Jacob''s loyalty naturallyy with him, believing if ckwood had been outmaneuvered by Michael Cooper, it had to be due to Cooper''s sneaky, malicious tactics.


    "Let''s go now."


    Eva''s voice snapped Jacob back to reality. He checked her gaze, she was looking at him with a serene expression.


    It took Jacob a moment to register her decision. "Our people...?" he stammered.


    A heavy sigh escaped Eva. "If he''s aware of my movements, that means he knows my itinerary and exactly who''s with me," she stated, indicating her intent to go alone.


    "Wait, but how can we justify that? Ms. Hansen, if you go by yourself, and something happens, how am I supposed to exin it to Mr. ckwood when he returns?"


    Eva had been on edge these past few days, and Jacob''s objections were thest thing she needed. Even though she wanted to snap at him, she realized he was concerned for her well-being and managed to suppress her anger, though her tone was far from friendly.


    "Stop beating around the bush," she chastised. "Do you want to save him or not?"


    Chastened by her rebuke, Jacob recognized he had been fussing unnecessarily.


    Rubbing her temples, Eva voiced her fatigue, "Point them in the right direction. When we''re close, I''ll make my own way."


    Jacob opened his mouth to object, but seeing Eva already leaning back with her eyes closed, ready to shut out any further discussion, he understood the conversation was over.


    He had to swallow his mounting worries, knowing Ms. Hansen didn''t want to discuss Adrian ckwood anymore. How long had they been disconnected, yet they still hadn''t found him?


    Jacob muttered instructions to himself, formting ns in his head. With Mr. ckwood absent, the responsibility of protecting Ms. Hansen had fallen on his shoulders.


    The drive to the vi was still rough, and though Eva Shen managed to rest with her eyes closed against the seat at first, herplexion turned pale after a while.


    She probably hadn''t eaten properly the past few days, leaving her with an unsettled stomach, and the bumpy ride wasn''t helping.


    Nausea swelled up in her mind, and she was fighting hard to keep it down.


    When the car finally stopped, Eva''s first action after getting out was to rush to the side of the road and vomit.


    "Ms. Hansen!" Jacob called out, startled by her reaction. He quickly opened the car door and dashed out after her.


    "Are you alright, Ms. Hansen?"


    Eva was crouching by the road, shivering as the wind picked up. Jacob didn''t think twice; he took off his coat and draped it over her, then helped her, pale-faced, to stand. "I''m fine," she asserted.


    Only then did Jacob notice Eva''s pallor, as pale as paper. He had been preupied with thoughts and instructions during the drive and hadn''t paid attention to her condition. Seeing her now, he suspected the turbulent ride had caused her motion sickness.


    At the same time as his suspicions formed, Eva admitted, "Just mild car sickness. I''ll feel better after a moment." "Sorry about that, Ms. Hansen. I should''ve told them to go slower on such a rough road," Jacob apologized. Ms. Hansen was impressively stoic, enduring the motion sickness in silence the whole way.


    Eva just gave him a reassuring smile, indicating she was okay.


    After standing still for a while to recover, she started to hand back Jacob''s coat.


    "No, keep it on, Ms. Hansen. Looking after you is part of my job. It''s just a coat, after all," Jacob insisted.


    After being carsick, she was covered in cold sweat. Standing outside in the chilly wind made her shiver uncontrobly.


    Reluctant to keep his clothing but relieved after hearing Jacob, Eva thanked him and wrapped the coat around herself.


    She nced at the path ahead and then said, "This is the ce. Wait here for me; I''ll go inside and check."


    Jacob hesitated, wanting to voice his concerns.


    "It''s okay, don''t worry about me. He wouldn''t dare hurt me, and I have to bring Adrian ckwood back, don''t I? That''s my only chance to get out of this mess," she reassured him. Hearing this, Jacob bit his lower lip with worry, "But what if he doesn''t keep his promise?"


    Eva chuckled softly, "If he decides to break his word, rest assured, I have ways to deal with him."


    Without further hesitation, she turned and walked away.


    Jacob stood motionless, watching the slender figure disappear into the chilly wind, her steps firm, betraying no sign of doubt.


    The car was parked a fair distance from the vi.


    All alone, Eva took some time to reach the front of the vi. The gate was closed. After ncing around, she looked up straight into the security camera.


    "Tell Michael Cooper, I''m here," she said, confident he was expecting her. Then she sat down on a bench near the entrance, drawing her coat tighter around her.


    Had the bench been added just for her visit?


    While mentally preparing for what was toe, Eva waited.


    After a couple of minutes, the gates opened.


    Eva turned and, upon seeing who it was, her eyes narrowed momentarily.


    She''d considered the possibility of not meeting Michael Cooper here, or that perhaps he wouldn''t even be present. But what she hadn''t anticipated was meeting him...

 Chapter 447 Sooner or Later, Well Meet

    She stared at the neer, taking a while to regain herposure, and then walked up briskly, delighted. "David, thank God, you''re alright. I feared that you..."


    But as she approached, David stepped back, maintaining a distance from her.


    Eva stopped, puzzled. "What''s wrong?"


    Yet David''s gaze was icy, a stark contrast to before it was as if they were strangers to each other.


    No, strangers were not this cold-it was as if there was enmity between them.


    "Ms. Hansen, you''ve kept me waiting," he uttered frostily.


    Eva''s smile faltered, and after a moment she asked, "David, what''s going on?"


    Unfortunately, David ignored her question, his attention fixed beyond the gates.


    "Ms. Hansen, did youe alone? Did you keep your promise?"


    Caught off guard, all Eva could do was nod.


    "They dropped me off nearby, didn''te inside," she exined, then paused before adding, "That''s not breaking a promise, is it?"


    David didn''t respond. Eva sighed internally and then pressed, "What now? Where''s Michael Cooper?"


    The gates to the vi remained open, a silent invitation made abundantly clear by David''s imposing stance as he waited there. It wasn''t hard for Eva Shen to piece things together.


    David was the errand boy today, not Michael Cooper. She had been summoned here not to meet Cooper, but to be whisked away by David to another destination.


    "Mr. Cooper isn''t here?" Eva asked.


    Before Daniel could even respond, she bombarded him with more pressing questions. "Where is he then? How can I contact him? And what about Adrian ckwood? What has Cooper done to him? Is Adrian safe? I''m willing to keep my end of the bargain, but I need to see him safe and sound first. I won''t take another step until I do."


    No sooner had she finished speaking than David thrust his phone into her hands. Eva nced at the screen and noticed the call was live; they had been on the line even before she had arrived.


    The coldness in David''s demeanor suddenly made sense. She had wondered why, after he had saved her before, he seemed so indifferent now. With a little bit of rity and a tinge of apprehension, Eva took the phone. "Eva," came the familiar voice of Michael Cooper from the other end.


    "Where''s Adrian ckwood?" she demanded.


    "Since you''vee all this way, you''ll see him sooner orter," Cooper''s voice was infuriatingly calm.


    "Why not let me see him now?" Eva shot back, her patience thinning.


    "It''s not that I don''t want you to see him, Eva," he replied smoothly. "It''s that you can''t see him just yet."


    Eva narrowed her eyes, a mix of anger and worry washing over her. "What do you mean?" she snipped. "Isn''t he here?"


    "Are you trying to fish for information?" There was a hint of amusement in Cooper''s voice.


    Eva remained silent, frustration bubbling within her.


    "But I trust you, Eva. Since you''re here, I''ll tell you-he''s in another country. I''ve already arranged your flight. Just you and David. Once you arrive, I''ll let him go."


    Eva''s brow furrowed tightly.


    "In which country?"


    It dawned on her that Adrian wasn''t around anymore. Jacob''s men were searching in vain here; without any leads, there was no point.


    She had to get this information to Jacob, but how would she do it while being watched? Cameras, both visible and hidden, peppered the perimeter.


    As she bit her lower lip in thought, she heard Cooper continue, "I can''t reveal his location, but as long as youe to me, he''ll be perfectly fine. Oh, and to show my sincerity, I''ll have David show you a photo shortly." Sincerity... The word made Eva''s stomach turn. How dare he y the good guy in this twisted game of his?


    Suppressing the urge to curse him out, Eva abruptly ended the call and handed the phone over to David.


    "I need to see those pictures right now."


    David took the phone without a flicker of emotion, swiped to open the photo, and Eva''s face paled instantly at the sight.


    In the photo, Adrian ckwood was lying on a bed, hisplexion ghostly, a bandage wrapped around his forehead, stained with hints of blood.


    "What happened?" Eva stepped forward, gripping David''s arm, "How did he get like this? Did Michael Cooper do this to him? Is his life in danger?"


    David nced at her hand on his arm and shook it off, stepping back to put some space between them.


    "Ms. Hansen, I don''t have the details. If you want to know, you should ask Mr. Cooper directly." "Fine, I''ll ask him myself."


    But instead of returning the phone, David took it back.


    "If you want me to ask him, why won''t you give me the phone to call?" she demanded.


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper means that he will discuss it with you in person," David replied.


    Eva was speechless for a moment as David turned and started walking away.


    Quickly, Eva followed after him.


    "So when do we leave?"


    "Tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow?" Eva''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you kidding? It was supposed to be today!"


    David didn''t bother responding.


    With no other choice, Eva trailed behind him, incessantly talking about leaving today, her mind racing with images of Adrian lying in bed, injured. How could she possibly sit and wait? "David, David!"


    He stopped abruptly and opened a door, "Ms. Hansen, this is your room. It''s been cleaned; you can stay herefortably. And by the way, if you have any way tomunicate, tell your people outside to back off, or I can''t guarantee Mr. ckwood''s safety."


    Stunned, Eva wondered if Jacob and the others had arrived.


    Frowning, she pulled out her phone and stepped into the bathroom to make a call, turning on all the taps. They can''t possibly have cameras in the bathroom, right?


    As soon as Jacob picked up her call, he asked urgently, "Ms. Hansen, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine."


    "And Mr. ckwood? Is he there with you? What''s the situation? Are there many people around?" Eva took a deep breath and said, "He''s not here. You''re wasting your time searching."


    "Mr. ckwood''s gone? What about Michael Cooper? Is he around?"


    "Only David is here."


    At the mention of David''s name, a look of recognition flickered across Jacob''s face. "Isn''t he the one we''ve been searching for? The one who saved-"


    "Yeah, for various reasons, he''s currently still helping Michael Cooper out."


    After some thought, Eva outlined the next steps.


    "Sit tight on your end. All I know for now is that Adrian ckwood is not in the city. Or he might be bluffing. In any case, keep an eye out for clues while you search."

 Chapter 448 Have him call me

    Jacob nodded, "Got it. I''ll keep the team alert. And you, Ms. Hansen...?"


    "I''ll be staying here for the time being. As for what''s next, I''ll find a way to reach out to you."


    There wasn''t much left for Jacob to wonder; she clearly wasn''t nning to leave with them.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you trapped or...?"


    Trapped?


    Eva nced outside, contemting how David had just left her, not bothering to see if she would try to escape.


    Clearly, there was no n to hold her captive.


    Her own concern for Adrian ckwood had been the real snare all along.


    From the moment she booked her flight, she was trapped here.


    "I''m not being held by anyone. I''m quite free, but you know why we came here. Take your people and leave today. Rest, and search for clues." There was a lengthy silence from the other end before the acknowledgment came.


    "Ms. Hansen, I''ll do as you''ve instructed. Don''t worry."


    Beep-beep- The call ended, and Eva ced the phone on the washbasin, bent over to ssh water on her face, then shut off the faucet in the bathroom. She then turned to leave and look for David.


    Expecting to find him holed up in some room of the vi, she was surprised to see him standing at the foot of the staircase, his posture rigid as if on guard.


    His back was to her, concealing his expression from view, but Eva noticed his silhouette appeared much leaner than before.


    Despite his current cold demeanor towards her, she remembered the hefty price he had paid to save her life. Eva might not have known what had transpired to cause such a drastic change in David''s demeanor, but she had no doubts about his character, especially after he had been injured and still chose to help her.


    Something must have happened that she was unaware of, leading to this shift.


    With this thought, Eva approached deliberately and was about to speak when David, who had been standing still, turned around to face her.


    He looked at her expressionlessly and asked, "Where does Ms. Hansen think she''s going?"


    "Nowhere in particr," Eva approached, keeping a safe distance, and spoke in an even tone. "I was justing to ask if we could leave tonight?"


    "Ms. Hansen, we are scheduled to depart tomorrow. No matter how you ask, that won''t change."


    "Can I speak with him, then?" she inquired.


    "No," came the t reply.


    Silence hung in the air after the curt exchange. It was clear that there would be no departure tonight. A bit defeated, Eva pressed her lips together and headed back to her room.


    Her mind was full of concern for Adrian ckwood, and given David''s rigid stance,bined with the radio silence from Michael Cooper, it seemed there was little hope for any movement that evening. Resigned to this, she let out a sigh andy on the bed.


    Her rest had been sporadic over the past few days, her body and eyes weary. Despite the fatigue, the image of a photograph she had seen earlier clouded her thoughts. The man in the photo was seriously injured. What had happened to him? Was he okay now? Was he in the care of medical staff?


    Eva''s only certainty about Michael Cooper was that Adrian ckwood''s life was not at risk. But as for whether the injuries might leave permanent scars or lingering effects, she was pretty sure those considerations were not on Michael Cooper''s radar.


    The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, tossing and turning in bed.


    Eventually, unable to sleep, she got up and made her way to the kitchen downstairs. As she opened the fridge and rummaged inside, David followed and offered, "If Ms. Hansen needs something, just let me know." Ignoring him, Eva searched until she finally grabbed two cold beers and turned to head upstairs.


    An icy voice in David''s earpiece immediatelymanded, "Don''t let her have the alcohol."


    Yes, it was Michael Cooper''s voice. He''d been monitoring the situation ever since Eva and David first crossed paths, his stance towards Eva tant and chilly.


    Upon hearing the authoritativemand from Michael Cooper, David sprang into action, hastening his pace to catch up with Eva Hansen.


    "Ms. Hansen," he called out.


    Eva stopped, her expression unreadable as she turned to face him.


    "You shouldn''t have this drink," David extended his hand towards her, "Give it to me."


    Eva nced at the two bottles of beer in her own hands, a slight smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "What, am I not even free to choose what I want now?"


    David didn''t reply, his silence an implicit agreement.


    Eva chuckled softly at his demeanor but didn''t hand over the beer. Instead, she continued upstairs, beers in tow.


    David''s face darkened.


    "Ms. Hansen," he called again.


    Eva could hear David following her and her lips quirked up slightly; surely, David wasn''t going to micromanage her down to not enjoying a couple of cold beers-unless of course, it was Michael Cooper pulling the strings. It seemed her every move was indeed being watched.


    Was she really going to be denied a simple pleasure like two cold beers?


    "Tell Michael Cooper to call me," she said firmly before turning and ascending the stairway.


    Watching her silhouette vanish from sight, David spoke up, "Mr. Cooper, my apologies, Ms. Hansen, she..."


    The voice on the other end cut off abruptly.


    David hesitated for a moment, realizing that Cooper had ended the call to phone Ms. Hansen directly. Relieved of the momentary privacy, he let out a sigh but dared not do more; surveince cameras were ubiquitous in the house. Eva entered her room and closed the door just as the tab of her beer can cracked open. Her phone started ringing.


    She nced at it, surmising who it might be, but instead of answering, she set the phone on the table and slowly brought the beer to her lips for a sip.


    The chilled drink was refreshingly cool, dissipating some of the irritability stewing inside her. She took several gulps, ignored the first call, but after she was halfway through her bottle, the phone rang again. This time she answered. The moment she did, Michael Cooper''s deep voice inquired, "Why are you drinking so much?"


    Amused by the frustration in his tone, Eva retorted, "Since when is my drinking any of your concern? You imprison me, and now you dictate what I eat and drink?"


    There was a pause on the other end before he responded, "Eva, your period is about to start, what are you going to do if you drink chilled alcohol now?"


    Caught off guard by the unexpected concern, Eva was momentarily speechless.


    She nced at the calendar and realized her period was indeed around the corner, but she had been so swamped with everything that it hadpletely slipped her mind. Even if she had remembered, she probably would''ve still had a drink.


    Her mood was just too sour.


    With that thought, Eva said, "Whether I''m on my period is none of your business."

 Chapter 449 I Cant Stand to See You Upset

    There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before he said, "You know I can''t stand to see you upset."


    "Is that so?" Eva scoffed.


    "How about we skip the beer, okay?"


    Before he could finish, Eva quickly responded, "Sure, then I''ll leave tonight."


    She had initially just wanted a cold beer to ease her restlessness, but if it turned out to be a leverage over Michael Cooper, she wasn''t about to feel guilty for using it. After all, it was his threats that had brought her here in the first ce.


    Silence lingered on the line before he finally said, "Not tonight."


    "Is that so?" Eva sneered, "If it''s not happening, then I guess there''s nothing left to discuss, right?"


    "Eva, do you always have to be so contrary?"


    "Contrary?" Eva''s gaze dimmed, "I thought we were friends. If one day I am, it''s probably because you pushed me there."


    With those words, Eva hung up without another word and slowly sipped her beer.


    After a while, the door opened and David walked in, reaching for the beer in her hand.


    But Eva, as if she had anticipated his move, shifted it out of his reach.


    David sighed, "Ms. Hansen, it''ste, you should rest. Drinking now isn''t good."


    "Oh, I can''t sleep. Is a little beer to help me doze off really such a crime?"


    David pressed his lips together, falling silent.


    "Leave, I''ll rest once I''m done."


    However, David stood still, seemingly lost in thought, until Eva shot him a look, and finally he spoke up, "Ms. Hansen, please don''t drink anymore. Mr. Cooper has instructed me to take you now." At these words, Eva paused, her expression one of surprise as she looked at David.


    She had intended to use this as a threat against Michael Cooper, but she didn''t actually expect him to agree.


    Aplex emotion swelled in her heart as she bit her lip.


    Even now, did he still care for her? He could havepletely ignored her and waited until tomorrow. After all, how did her difort affect him?


    "Ms. Hansen?"


    Seeing her lost in thought and not responding, David called out to her again.


    Hearing this, Eva snapped back to reality.


    "Are we really heading to the airport now? I thought we were set to leave tomorrow," I asked, looking up in surprise.


    David nodded. "That''s the order from Mr. Cooper."


    At his words, I quickly set down my beer and stood up, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let''s get going."


    Adrian deep in thought


    I slid into the passenger seat of David''s car, and we drove off towards the airport. It was dark outside and eerily quiet. Ours was the only car around, arrogantly cruising without another soul in sight-just David, the man who had once helped


    me.


    Only one thing could exin this scenario: Michael Cooper was certain I wouldn''t run away, and that''s why he arranged it like this.


    David, alert to every nuance of my condition, ever ready to interpret and convey Michael Cooper''s thoughts and demands-it seemed they were in constantmunication.


    There must be more than just the phone for monitoring. No wonder David''s been so distant. What if the surveince was cut off?


    But more importantly, was David being threatened?


    Lost in a whirlwind of thoughts on the way to the airport, I was still dazed upon arrival. I only snapped back to reality when David opened the car door for me.


    As I stepped out, I found David already standing in front of me. Looking up, I caught a secretive nce from him.


    I paused, uncertain of his meaning, but considering Michael Cooper could be eavesdropping, I didn''t dare make any rash moves.


    Our eyes met and I started to understand.


    Back at the vi, David had been distant. With cameras everywhere, it was impossible tomunicate-not even a nce could be risked.


    At the airport, though, it might be different-Michael Cooper''s spies couldn''t be as omnipresent as they were in the vi.


    Sure, they could still have their human informants, but people can bezy, and coverage wouldn''t be asprehensive.


    Yet even here, surveince could be lurking. Directmunication with David was out of the question.


    If we were to talk, it had to be nned out forter.


    After a moment, I said casually, "I just had a cold beer and now my stomach feels off."


    David hesitated, then offered, "Ms. Hansen, would you like me to get you some medicine?"


    I shook my head. "No need, but could I have a tissue?"


    My demeanor was as detached as usual, leaving David momentarily unsure whether I''d caught the subtle cue he had tried to send with his earlier nce. "Sure," he responded, handing me a tissue.


    David fished a tissue from his bag and handed it to Eva, his mind still teetering on whether he should subtly hint to her again about the matter at hand. When Eva took the tissue, her fingers scribbled a word on his palm. At first, David thought it was an idental touch, but her fingers lingered, tracing a word in his palm.


    He stood motionless until Eva finished writing, and after a brief moment of puzzlement, David realized she had written "wait."


    ncing at her, David noticed Eva was already entering the airport with the tissue in hand. As soon as she was inside, she was quickly approached by a group awaiting her.


    Upon hearing Eva''s intention to visit the restroom, several men volunteered to apany her. With a frown, she retorted, "A bunch of you tagging along to thedies'' room-are you out of your minds?"


    Her blunt words made the men sheepishly back off.


    "Ms. Hansen, we didn''t mean it like that," one of them stammered. "We''re just worried about your safety due to the crowded, chaotic airport, so..."


    Eva''s sternness cut them off before they could finish, and they swiftly apologized, not daring to follow her to the restroom.


    Once alone, Eva''s beautiful brows knitted with frustration. She hadn''t expected such an entourage at the airport; talking to David again now seemed impossible. With a sigh, she turned on the faucet to wash her hands when a college student, backpack in tow and earphones in ce, stepped out. She was in the middle of a phone call but quickly scribbled something down, saying, "Hold on; let me jot that down."


    Watching this, Eva had an idea. After the student had finished writing, Eva approached and asked, "Hi, may I borrow your pen for a moment?"


    The student paused, surprised, but then handed over her pen after seeing Eva''s intent gaze.


    "Thank you," Eva said, taking the pen and jotting something on the tissue David had given her.


    The college girl stayed put, observing Eva''s odd behavior from the corner of her eye but too polite to read over her shoulder. Once Eva finished writing and returned the pen with a thank you, the student couldn''t help but call out to her. Eva turned to look.


    The girl pursed her lips, hesitating, then made a gesture at Eva.


    She gestured, asking if Eva needed her to dial 911.


    Eva realized the misunderstanding and shook her head with a light chuckle, "No, thank you."

 Chapter 450 In Peril

    After thanking the student for her concern, Eva left the restroom, rejoining the group outside. Unaware, she didn''t see the college girl follow her out, watching from a distance as Eva was engulfed by the crowd of men.


    "Ms. Hansen, you''re back; we can head out now," someone dered, signaling that the time hade to depart. Eva Shen was well escorted by a protective group moving towards their destination, which didn''t go unnoticed by a female


    college student trailing behind. The scene struck her as increasingly odd.


    While they were leaving, Eva seized an opportunity to slip the tissue she had prepared earlier into David''s pocket. He caught the action with a flicker in his eyes but outwardly kept hisposure as if nothing had happened, continuing to walk ahead.


    It wasn''t until just before boarding that he excused himself to the restroom. There, he unfolded the tissue and read the words Eva had written.


    Her concerns were brief.


    One question asked about Adrian ckwood''s current condition. The other was more personal-whether he, David himself, was under Michael Cooper''s control due to some leverage.


    A warmth bloomed in David''s heart; Eva had seen through the facade to his true intentions, holding no misjudgments about his recent behavior.


    After reading her note, David flushed the tissue away without showing any emotion and left the restroom.


    -


    On the ne, David was the only one seated next to Eva. Theirpanions were scattered in seats ahead, behind, and to their right. Eva nced at David twice, each time met with no response, causing her to doubt whether he had even noticed the secret message she had nted.


    The doubt crept in. Perhaps she had been too subtle, and it was not out of the question that he had failed to notice. Should she remind him now?


    As the flight attendant blocked the aisle with the service cart, Eva turned to David, poised to jog his memory about the napkin, only to notice he had written a single word on the armrest- "Safe."


    Their eyes met and she mouthed the word, to which he simply nodded.


    Relieved, Eva settled back. The well-being of Adrian ckwood had been her pressing concern, fearing his injuries might have longsting consequences, hence her urgency. Whether Adrian''s departure was expedited by Michael Cooper or the care arranged sooner, both were weed developments.


    Yet, David had only addressed the query about Adrian, leaving his own situation unspoken. When Eva tried to catch his eye again, he seemed totally disinterested in further dialogue.


    She nced around at the others each person upied with snacks, yet their attention was notably fixed on her and David.


    Appetite eluding her, Eva requested just a cup of warm water from the flight attendant before leaning back in her seat, closing her eyes to rest and gather her thoughts.


    After enduring two consecutive flights, Eva Shen was truly exhausted. She leaned back in her seat, and within moments, slipped into a fitful slumber.


    In her dream, she revisited the scene from a photograph she had seen earlier that day.


    Eva walked over to where Adrian ckwoody unconscious and took a seat beside him. To her surprise, shortly after sitting down, Adrian stirred awake. Upon seeing him awake, she moved forward to ask about his condition.


    But as soon as she approached, Adrian recoiled from her presence and stared at her with a cold, challenging gaze. "Who are you? Why are you in my hospital room?" he demanded.


    His straightforward question left Eva frozen in ce, her eyes wide with bewilderment as she failed to understand how he could not recognize her.


    She was about to exin herself when he abruptly removed his IV line and left the room. In a panic, Eva hurried after him, but once she stepped out of the room, he was nowhere to be seen. She searched frantically, panting for breath, but Adrian ckwood was lost to her.


    She checked everywhere until finally spotting a figure from behind that was the spitting image of Adrian. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t catch up and could only watch from behind as he joined another woman, d in a wedding gown, walking into the hall of matrimony.


    Worse still, the bride then turned on her, scolding sharply, "Who is this wild woman? Do you think bringing along these illegitimate children will make you Mrs. ckwood? It''s a delusion. Leave now while I''m still calm, or don''t me me for being unkindter."


    The children clung to her, wailing for their father, and Eva''s mind was a whirlwind of confusion and panic. She couldn''t understand how things had escted so quickly.


    Desperate to fix the situation, she found herself immobilized as if bound hand and foot, her anxiety building like a cat on a hot tin roof.


    "Ms. Hansen, Ms. Hansen."


    From afar, Eva thought she heard her name being called.


    The voice seemed familiar, yet she couldn''t quite ce it. With each call, her head throbbed as if it might split.


    "Ms. Hansen!"


    Abruptly, Eva snapped awake, her eyes opening to a clearing visual field.


    The chaotic images and the sounds of crying that had filled her dreams disappeared, reced by the concerned face of David and two flight attendants. They were evidently relieved to see her awake, their faces brightening with joy. "You''re awake now, Miss. Are you alright?" one of the attendants asked gently, dabbing the cold sweat off Eva''s forehead with a caring gesture.


    As the brightness embraced her and theforting presence of those nearby surrounded her, Eva realized it had all been a dream-a nightmarish escape from reality.


    Now, she had awakened.


    With the realization that the fear was born of a dream, Eva exhaled in relief. Yet, even as the dread faded, her body remained rigid, her muscles limp with the aftermath of intense terror.


    "It''s okay; it was just a nightmare," she reassured herself, feigning a smile for herpanions that quickly copsed as she leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes in exhaustion.


    Witnessing her weakened state, David spoke softly to the flight attendant, "Could we get some sugar water, or maybe some honey water?"


    Barely had he finished his request when the attendant hastened to prepare it. In the meantime, David pulled a tissue from his pocket and offered it to Eva, "Ms. Hansen."


    Eva epted the tissue, but it remained clutched, unused in her hand, too weary to even wipe her sweat.


    Seeing this, David tenderly took on the task himself.


    Their fellow travelers didn''t utter a word, their silence stemming from the shock of Eva''s prior distress-they had all seen it, and feared for her wellbeing, worried about facing the ire of Mr. Cooper. So, nobody objected to David''s attentiveness.


    Feeling the gentle strokes of David''s hand wiping her brow, Eva felt a flush of embarrassment and was about to insist on doing it herself when David spoke, "Ms. Hansen, you seem overly concerned about Mr. ckwood. Try not to worry; as far as I know, his life isn''t in immediate danger."

 Chapter 451 Dreams Are the Opposite

    His voice was so low it was almost inaudible as he spoke while leaning in to wipe the other side of her face.


    Eva was already unsettled, and upon hearing his words, she only blinked gently before lifting her gaze to look at David.


    After wiping the sweat from her forehead, David withdrew his hand.


    Then things went back to normal. In fact, when David had informed her that Adrian ckwood was safe that morning, she couldn''t help but worry. Even now, as he whispered the situation to her, Eva''s heart hadn''tpletely settled down. The shadow that photo cast on her was simply too profound.


    And perhaps because she had just woken from a dream, she still felt her heart racing. Although it was a dream, what if the events within came true?


    With that thought, she took a deep breath out of exhaustion and then casuallymented, "David, have you ever had a nightmare?"


    As soon as she spoke, everyone around them looked in her direction.


    David, caught off guard by her sudden initiation of conversation, hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I have."


    After that, Eva fell silent. David nced at her andforted, "Ms. Hansen, dreams are often just that-dreams, not reality. You''re not feeling well right now, so don''t think about the dream anymore. Why not rest a little more? We should be arriving soon."


    The people nearby were also listening intently to their conversation, having noticed Eva''s paleplexion earlier, which had startled them all.


    Hearing David''s reassurances, they did not object but instead echoed him, "Yes, Ms. Hansen, dreams tend to be the opposite of reality. If you''ve dreamed something unpleasant, then surely the reality must be good." "Right, right. When I was younger, I often had nightmares too, but it was just because I was under too much academic pressure. Once I rxed, it got better. Dreams are just scary in the moment."


    Everyone joined inforting Eva.


    Before long, Eva fell back into sleep.


    Seeing her breathing evenly, David finally breathed a sigh of relief, and so did the others, who whispered among themselves, "Thank goodness. If anything happened to Ms. Hansen, with Mr. Cooper''s temper, we''d be done for." "Yes, our mission is to protect Ms. Hansen, but she seems a bit off. Let''s all be careful and try to say things that would cheer her up."


    After a little while, everyone was on the same page.


    When Eva woke up again, the airne was preparing to descend.


    Due to the nightmare, she had been groggy, but now, hearing the news ofnding, she perked up.


    Had they finally arrived?


    Could she finally meet Adrian ckwood?


    As this thought crossed her mind, joy began to bubble inside Eva, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.


    In fact, not much time had passed since theirst meeting, but she missed him terribly.


    However, she first needed to find an opportunity to inform Brent and the others.


    Unfortunately, the ne''svatories were no longer in use, so she would have to wait until after dening to find a chance.


    After getting off the ne, Eva was about to to go to the restroom when David said to her, "Ms. Hansen, before we depart, you need to give me your phone and any othermunication devices."


    At those words, Eva looked at David.


    "My phone?"


    "That''s right."


    She hadn''t found the opportunity to message Jacob yet, and she didn''t even know where she was.


    What was going on?


    Wasn''t Michael Cooper using Adrian ckwood to constrain her?


    Why was he afraid of her notifying anyone else? Even if she did notify someone, she wouldn''t leave, would she?


    Thinking this, Eva felt displeased.


    Seeing her stand still, David continued, "Ms. Hansen, if you want to proceed to see Mr. ckwood, don''t make things difficult for everyone, and don''t dy our time. The sooner you hand over your phone, the sooner we can start. Of course, if you do not wish to surrender it, that''s fine too. We have plenty of time to keep Ms. Hansenpany here."


    At this moment, David seemed like apletely different person than the one on the ne.


    It looked as though themunication, which had been cut off during the flight, had now been restored.


    They might have re-entered a state of being monitored.


    It seemed she had no choice but to give up her phone.


    With this in mind, Eva could only take out her phone and hand it over to David, who turned it off immediately after receiving it and removed the SIM card.


    Eva: "..."


    Sure enough, it''s that same tactic again. She''s not going to return the phone without the SIM card, is she?


    However, this time she guessed wrong. David didn''t return the phone to her; instead, he collected it.


    "Let''s go."


    Afterward, under David''s lead, they went to the underground parking garage.


    Yet just as they arrived at the underground parking lot, the people with them took out a pair of sses and handed them to Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, please put these on."


    "sses?" Eva looked at the other party puzzledly. "What do I need these for?"


    "If you want to leave, you must wear them."


    Eva: "......"


    She took the sses and nced at them, only then realizing that what they had given her were not ordinary sunsses; once worn, she wouldn''t be able to see anything ahead. In other words, after putting them on, she would be like a blind person.


    This was not only about confiscating her phone but also keeping her from knowing the route they were taking.


    Seeing the ''blind'' sunsses in her hand, she couldn''t help butugh and said, "What next? Once we get in the car, will you gag my mouth with cloth to prevent me from shouting?" The others: "......"


    The next second, they saw Eva reach out her hands toward them, "Why don''t you just tie up my hands, too?"


    The others, seeing Eva so unyielding, immediately shrank back, not daring to speak, and even took a step back. David stood there too, probably not expecting Eva to be so upset.


    He was hesitating whether to say a few words of persuasion when he heard Michael Cooper''s voice in his earpiece.


    "This temperament of hers..."


    There was a hint of helplessness in Michael Cooper''s tone, as if he sighed, and finally said, "If we force her any more, she might just get angrierter. We''ve taken her phone anyway, if she doesn''t want to wear the sses, then let her be." Hearing Michael Cooper finish giving these instructions, David finally turned to look at Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, if you don''t want to wear the sunsses, you don''t have to. Our car is right over there. Let''s go."


    Eva stood still, ring at David, twirling the sunsses in her hand.


    "Are you sure? I can choose not to wear them?"


    As she spoke, Eva threw the sunsses onto the ground.


    Seeing her action, David nodded silently.


    "Let''s go, Ms. Hansen."


    Only then did Eva follow him.


    Once she moved, the others also dared to move forward alongside her.


    Seeing the opaque sses she had thrown on the ground, one of them quickly bent down to pick them up and then stuffed them into his pocket.

 Chapter 452 A Little Push

    When it was time to get in the car, Eva noticed the front passenger seat was empty and promptly imed it. That seat was intended for David, so the driver nced at him when he saw Eva sitting there.


    "Ms. Hansen, the front isn''t the safest. Maybe"


    "Do I not even have the right to choose my seat?"


    "Let her sit there; as long as she''s happy," Michael Cooper''s voice came through the earpiece, cutting off David before he could respond.


    Without further ado, everyone got into the car. Since Eva usually wore the sunsses, no provisions had been made in the vehicle; now, she had a full, clear view of the street scene from her seat, and she quickly discerned their location from the license tes visible outside.


    Eva sat back, eying the outside world - the passing scenery and the buildings. The ride wasn''t long, about an hour, and they soon reached their destination.


    Eva followed David out of the car and immediately asked, "Where''s Adrian ckwood?"


    David didn''t answer, but another person approached from the gate. After a brief exchange, David left, but not before giving Eva a lingering look.


    Her heart sank as she saw him drive away. Was his task merely to escort her here and then leave?


    Indeed, as soon as David departed, his recement stepped forward, his gaze fixated on her like that of a viper.


    "Ms. Hansen, this way, please."


    For some reason, Eva felt a chill run down her spine under his stare.


    She followed him reluctantly into a room and, standing at the doorway, inquired, "Where are Adrian ckwood and Michael Cooper?"


    "We''re not entirely sure, but Mr. Cooper has made it clear this is going to be your new ce," he said matter-of-factly.


    Eva stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? I''m not here to stay; you agreed to let mee over to see..."


    Before she could finish, a shrill voice erupted from downstairs: "What''s all this noise about?"


    ncing toward the source, Eva saw a girl in a pink dress approaching. Her hair was styled in elegant curls, and her nails were painted a bright, eye-catching color-a picture of youthful beauty. Upon spotting Eva, the girl narrowed her eyes, "So, you''re the one who''s got Michael Cooper head over heels?"


    Eva was taken aback by the sudden confrontation.


    The girl sized Eva up from head to toe, and after a fleeting look of admiration, her expression soured. "Pfft, and here I thought you''d be something special. Turns out you''re just average."


    Eva was speechless, her finely arched eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Where on earth had this girl popped up from?


    She decided not to engage with the frivolity and directed her attention back to the man liaising with David. "I want to see Michael Cooper."


    The reason Eva had hurried over was because she wanted to see Adrian ckwood, not to get tangled in this mess.


    "What''s going on here, Krister?" the girl turned and asked.


    "Miss Turner, Mr. Cooper wants her to stay in her room," Krister exined.


    "Oh, then what''s she still doing here? Show her to her room, will you?"


    "Miss Turner, thisdy might have other concerns; she seems reluctant..."


    He was cut off as the girl suddenly pushed Eva, shoving her into the room and mming the door shut behind her.


    Although Krister didn''t have fond feelings for the woman who''dplicated things for Michael Cooper, he''d never dreamed ofying hands on her. Yet unexpectedly, Penelope didn''t hesitate to do just that, pushing her into the room and even locking the door.


    "Miss Turner..." he began, rmed.


    Penelope tilted her chin up defiantly at him. "What? You said she didn''t want to go in, right? Well, I took care of that using the most primitive and direct method. Didn''t Michael Cooper also mention she isn''t allowed to wander off? Aren''t you going to lock the door?"


    Krister hesitated for a moment, then chuckled. "You''re absolutely right, Miss Turner. I''ll lock the door right away."


    The two were in swift agreement. The door was locked shortly after and they left swiftly, their light steps betraying no awareness of the person who had fallen to the ground inside the room after being pushed.


    Eva herself had not anticipated the girl, who seemed haughty enough, to actuallyy hands on her and forcefully shove her into the room. Eva''s head throbbed with a sharp pain after mming into something hard; stars danced before her eyes. She attempted to brace herself with her hands to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, leaving her too weak to rise.


    She reached back to touch the base of her skull and her fingers found something wet.


    But before she could even examine the moisture on her palm, darkness imed her once again.


    -


    Krister trailed behind Penelope as they descended the stairs.


    "Miss Turner, Mr. Cooper might not take kindly to what you''ve done," he cautioned.


    "What''s there to be upset about? Doesn''t he want to keep that woman confined? She was disobedient, so I simply gave Michael Cooper a hand. He should be thankful to me," Penelope retorted with defiance. "But you pushed her. What if she''s hurt?" he pressed.


    "Oh,e on, it was just a nudge! She''s an adult, not some porcin doll. As if I could hurt her with one push. Besides, she had the audacity to vie for Michael''s attention; she deserved a lesson. This was nothing." Penelope felt not the slightest pang of guilt for pushing Eva.


    "A push is indeed trivial, but have you considered the possibility of herining to Mr. Cooper? He values her highly right now, and he''s sure to take her words seriously," Krister warned.


    "She wouldn''t dare!" Penelope gritted her teeth. "If she dares y that game, I''ll ruin her."


    After her deration, Penelope turned her gaze to Krister, as a thought crossed her mind.


    "What happened today... you must remember that I did you a favor. You can''t breathe a word of this to anyone."


    Krister, smiling affably, bowed slightly.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Turner. I''ve always been on your side. If you say to keep it quiet, my lips are sealed. Just be careful not to lose your temper in front of Mr. Cooper and admit it yourself in a moment of pride." "And you''ll cover for me if ites to that?"


    "Of course."


    "Say she got hurt because she didn''t want to stay in her room?"


    "Exactly."


    "Good."


    Penelope shed a satisfied smile. " Krister, you''re the best. If only Michael were half as thoughtful."


    Observing the pale-skinned, sweetly dressed girl before him, Krister lowered his gaze to conceal the coldness lurking in the depths of his eyes.


    "Miss Turner, with your beauty, ying your cards right would mean no man could ever resist you."


    "Is that so?" Penelope missed the subtle shift in his expression, her mind wandering into her own thoughts upon hearing his words.


    After contemting briefly, her lips curled up into another smile, revealing her charming dimples.


    "You''re right, before, I didn''t have a chance to spend time with Michael Cooper, but if I put in the effort, he''ll eventually see what I''m worth. When that timees, he won''t be interested in that woman anymore."

 Chapter 453 Playing Hard to Get

    After making up her mind, Penelope couldn''t help but feel a sense of triumph. Turning to the man beside her, she inquired, "Hey Krister, where''s Michael Cooper right now? When''s heing back?" "Mr. Cooper''s tangled up with some urgent matters and will likely be backter this evening. Miss Turner, would you care to stay for dinner?" Penelope nodded.


    "Alright, I''ll stay," she decided.


    After speaking, she looked over at the door of the room that had been closed earlier, letting out a snort.


    "This ce... Michael hasn''t been here for quite some time, has he? Yet now, he''s back just because of that woman."


    The more she thought about it, the angrier Penelope became, regretting not having pushed the woman harder earlier. She should have taught her a more memorable lesson.


    Well, no matter. If she ends up staying here frequently, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with that woman.


    Once she decided to stay, Penelope instructed Krister to have the staff prepare a room for her, and also to have her luggage brought over. She took up residence, taking a room near Michael Cooper''s.


    It was three hourster by the time everything was settled. Penelopey on herrge bed for a while before stepping out to find Krister.


    "By the way, has that woman Michael brought back caused any trouble?" she asked.


    Krister, who had been assisting Penelope, hadn''t paid attention to Eva''s situation. Surprised by the question, he shook his head: "No, nothing."


    Penelope was taken aback, " Isn''t it true that she doesn''t want to be with Michael at all? She''s been locked up in a room and hasn''t made a fuss. Don''t you find that strange?"


    At this point, it seemed to dawn on Krister as well.


    But Penelope was thinking entirely differently, "Is the information you guys got even urate? She seems pretty content, not kicking up a fuss at all. She must have been eager toe in the first ce, right?" Krister was at a loss for words.


    Indeed, they were not on the same wavelength.


    Krister grew concerned. After all, he knew some of the backstory - Ms. Hansen truly hadn''t wanted toe; it wasn''t an act. But considering how things looked now...


    A thought struck Krister, and his expression changed.


    Oh no, when Miss Turner pushed her earlier, she didn''t injure her, did she?


    The push had been far from gentle, and he feared the worst...


    Sadly, Penelope just couldn''t align with his way of thinking; she still believed that Eva was all for show.


    "She really knows how to y hard-to-get with Michael Cooper, doesn''t she? This woman is so cunning and malicious."


    Krister simply stood there, speechless.


    He decided he should check on the situation himself.


    As Krister was about to leave, Penelope stopped him. "Hey, Krister, could you call and find out when Michael Cooper ising back? I miss him so much." Krister hesitated. "Miss Turner, I''m afraid I may have to stop by Ms. Hansen''s."


    "Why bother with her? If she wants to put on an act, just let her be. Forget about it," Penelope insisted. With that, she grabbed Krister''s arm and pulled him away.


    They had barely reached the bottom of the stairs when a noise from outside caught their attention.


    "Aha!" Penelope perked up as she recognized the voice outside. "That sounds like Michael Cooper''s back!"


    She released Krister''s arm and dashed toward the front door, shouting, "Michael Cooper! You''re back!"


    Michael Cooper had just walked in and handed his coat to a servant when he was confronted by Penelope''s sudden appearance. His eyes narrowed, "Penelope? What are you doing here?" His aloofness made Penelope halt in her tracks. "I missed you and thought I''d drop by," she said in a small voice.


    To Michael Cooper, she might as well have been a stranger. After her exnation, he coldly ordered, "Someone, escort her back."


    Krister, who had followed along, nodded inpliance.


    "Of course, Mr. Cooper."


    "No!" Penelope protested immediately. "Michael, we haven''t seen each other for so long, and I finally got some time off to see you. Do you really despise me that much?"


    Michael Cooper''s thoughts were clearly elsewhere. Even as he heard her plea, it didn''t move him. "I don''t have time for this right now. You should go, and we can possibly meet another time." With those words, he turned and walked upstairs.


    He had more pressing matters to attend to.


    It had been nearly a day since she arrived, and had it not been for his urgent business, he would have been back sooner.


    Just then, Penelope called out to him again, unwilling to give up so easily.


    "Why isn''t Michael able to entertain me? Is it because of that woman upstairs?"


    Michael Cooper, who had been heading upstairs, paused mid-stride and then swiftly turned to face her, his gaze instantly turning icy.


    "What did you say?" he demanded.


    The next second, his eyes darted to Krister standing beside them.


    "Krister!"


    Instantly tensing up, Krister stammered an exnation, "I''m sorry, Mr. Cooper. When I brought Ms. Hansen back, Miss Turner just happened toe over."


    "Michael, I''ve heard that you went through a lot of trouble for that woman. But I want to tell you, please don''t be fooled by her. Whatever she says about not wanting to stay with you is all an act. She''s just doing this on purpose to get a better hold on you," she said earnestly.


    On hearing this, Michael Cooper''s eyes narrowed threateningly. "What nonsense are you spouting in my house?"


    "It''s true, Michael, if you don''t believe me, then ask Krister!" Penelope pulled Krister into the conversation: "Since she arrived, she''s stayed in her room and hasn''te out."


    "She hasn''te out?" Michael Cooper''s attention peaked at this information. "What''s going on?"


    Faced with this question, Krister was at a loss for words, frozen in ce.


    His reaction made Michael Cooper uneasy. Without a second look at whether Penelope wished to leave, he turned and charged upstairs.


    He took long, forceful strides, practically leaping up the steps.


    "Michael!" Seeing his urgency, Penelope and Krister quickly followed right behind him.


    Before Penelope appeared, Michael Cooper had already arranged the room for Eva to stay in, and naturally knew which one was hers. Upon opening the door, what Michael Cooper saw was Eva lying unconscious on the floor.


    "Eva!"

 Chapter 454 A Confrontation

    Penelope and Krister, who had followed Michael Cooper, saw the scene unfold and their faces turned pale with shock.


    They exchanged a nce.


    "What happened here?"


    Meanwhile, Michael Cooper had picked the woman up off the ground, and in an icy voice he ordered, "Get a doctor over here right away." Though he didn''t know what had happened, the moment he saw her on the ground, all other emotions were washed away by a wave of worry. He couldn''t feel anything but worry, fearing that she might be in danger.


    So, instinctively, he took her into his arms, instructed Krister to get a doctor, and then gentlyid Eva down on the plush queen-sized bed. Krister went for the doctor, and Penelope stayed behind.


    She had witnessed Michael''s tender and meticulous care as he put Eva to bed. Envy and jealousy brewed in her; in all the time she had known Michael, she had never seen him treat any woman so well. What made this woman so special and worthy of Michael''s attentions? Did Michael really have feelings for her?


    The thought gued Penelope until she couldn''t help but shift her gaze toward Michael and bite her lower lip as she boldly asked, "Michael, do you like her?"


    Michael didn''t seem to hear, as if she was invisible in the room.


    The feeling of being ignored enraged her. Why was she being ignored?


    In her anger, she blithely blurted out, "Michael, don''t trust her. She was fine during the day and now she''s fainting? Be careful not to be fooled."


    Perhaps finding her too annoying, Michael finally nced at her impatiently.


    "Get out."


    His voice was cold.


    At those words, Penelope''s face turned pale.


    "Michael, are you kicking me out? I finally found a chance to be with you and I don''t want to leave.


    Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she spoke." Michael, please don''t kick me out, okay?"


    Michael intended to check if Eva had any injuries, ruffled her hair and found a wound on her forehead, his expression instantly changed and his tone was icy, "How did she get a wound on her forehead?" Hearing these words, Penelope froze, her previous posturing dissipated, leaving only silence and apprehension.


    A wound on the forehead?


    How could that have happened?


    Could she have gotten it when she pushed? But she hadn''t pushed, so how could Eva have gotten hurt?


    Penelope was scared, but she didn''t confess because she knew that she and Crist had conspired, and neither one would admit to what they had done.


    Penelope thought quickly and offered a excuse: "I''m not sure what happened. Maybe she''s protesting being locked in her room?"


    Just moments ago, Penelope was ying coy with Michael Cooper. However, she soon had to bite the bullet.


    A dark shadow flickered in Michael''s eyes as he examined the cut on her forehead, recalling what she''d said to him earlier.


    "Did you do something to her?" He asked suddenly, lifting his head to stare at Penelope with a chilling gaze.


    Startled by the nervous look in his eyes, Rong stammered, "Michael Cooper, what are you talking about? How could I possibly do anything to her? I just met her for a while, you know?" Michael''s gaze remained cold as ice.


    "You think I don''t know what kind of person you really are?"


    "Michael, I..." Penelope''s voice broke


    "Get out!" he snapped.


    Michael had always been the epitome of a gentleman in Penelope''s eyes-always courteous-so his sudden outburst and harsh tone terrified her.


    She stood still, trembling as she looked at him, then gathered the courage to turn and run.


    As she ran out, she bumped into Krister, who was returning with the doctor. Seeing Penelope''s disheveled and panicked expression, Krister guessed that things hadn''t gone well, which made him anxious as well. Upon entering, he dared not say anything unnecessary and went straight to the point: "Mr. Cooper, the doctor''s here."


    "Come and see her injury," Michael instructed.


    The doctor came over, examined the wound on Eva''s forehead, and promptly sterilized it, and mentioned, "This wound looks like it hasn''t been treated in time."


    At this, Michael''s eyes narrowed dangerously, and his expression became noticeably colder.


    Krister involuntarily shivered in apprehension.


    He was mentally prepared to be reprimanded by Michael, but his reprimand did note. Instead, Michael ordered the doctor to give Eva a thorough examination before turning his piercing gaze on him. "What happened?"


    Without hesitation, Krister exined, "Mr. Cooper, David did bring Ms. Hansen over as you requested. I was going to bring her to her room, but she insisted on seeing you... We were waiting by the door when Miss Turner appeared. She wanted to speak out for Mr. Cooper, and she and Ms. Hansen got into a conflict."


    When he said these words, Michael Cooper was beside him and kept listening quietly, and when he finished, Michael Cooper hooked up his lips and snorted softly.


    "Conflict, huh?" Michael asked.


    Krister nodded in the affirmative.


    "Yes, Mr. Cooper."


    "You really expect me to believe that story?"


    Eva came with her attention focused entirely on Adrian ckwood. She hade here for two people-the other being herself-and the person who had attracted her attention was none other than Adrian ckwood.


    He knew Eva too well. She didn''t like wasting time or getting into conflict with others, let alone actively provoking it. The so-called "conflict" Krister had referred to was one-sided at best.


    Realizing that her words couldn''t fool Michael Cooper, Krister hastened to correct himself.


    "I was wrong, Mr. Cooper. It was Ms. Turner who started the conflict."


    "And what did she do?"


    "She pushed Ms. Hansen."


    Michael''s eyes narrowed.


    "Ms. Hansen wouldn''t go into the room, so Ms. Turner pushed her in and instructed me to lock the door."


    At that point, Michael had nothing left to ask. Essentially, Penelope had pushed Eva by surprise, and Eva had been caught off guard and therefore unprepared for the confrontation.


    After Eva fell, Krister locked the door on Penelope''s orders. Just by piecing together these clues, Michael had a pretty good idea of what had happened.


    His gaze turned to Krister, a glint of ice in his eyes.


    "Did you see her fall?"


    Krister stammered, "I ......"


    "You saw her, but you didn''t pick her up or check her for injuries, did you?"


    "Mr. Cooper, I am wrong and I am sorry."


    Realizing his mistake, Krister, who had been soposed just a moment ago, felt his legs go weak.

 Chapter 455 Who are you?

    Despite admitting his mistake, Michael Cooper didn''t seem to hear Krister''s admission of guilt. His attention was fixated on Eva, whoy on the bed as a doctor examined her.


    After the examination, the doctor removed his sses and said to Michael Cooper, "Mr. Cooper, it seems this youngdy has suffered only some superficial injuries; there doesn''t seem to be any other problem."


    Krister, standing to the side, felt relieved upon hearing the doctor''s assessment that Eva had only suffered minor injuries. Thankfully, it looked like just a superficial wound. If she had been seriously injured, he''d have to suffer Cooper''s wrath. Before, he thought that a little shove was no big deal since it was actually Penelope who caused the trouble. He didn''t expect the woman to be so delicate that she fainted at the slightest push.


    "But... "Just then, the doctor''s voice suddenly changed.


    Michael, who had been uneasy from the beginning, frowned when he heard the doctor''s hesitation, "But what?"


    "All I can detect at the moment is external injuries, but since it''s a head injury, I strongly rmend that once she wakes up, she should go back to the hospital for a follow up and a thorough examination to rule out any serious dangers." It took Michael a moment to realize what the doctor meant." Can we take her now?"


    The doctor hesitated, "It''s not impossible, but ...... Given that we don''t know how long she''s been unconscious, you must be extremely careful if you''re going to the hospital."


    Before the doctor could finish speaking, Michael had already taken her in his arms and instructed hispanion, Krister, with an expressionless face. "Ready the car."


    The doctor thought his job was done and was about to say goodbye when Michael suddenlymanded, "Come with us in case anything happens on the way." The doctor was caught off guard. The doctor nodded, thinking it made sense, and signaled his assistant to get the medical kit.


    The assistant hurried to keep pace with them, the pre-prepared vehicle was spacious enough and the seats wereid out t. Michael got in and carefully ced Eva in the seat.


    Then, as if thinking of something, he took off his own jacket and covered the unconscious Eva.


    Once everything was settled, the driver finally spoke up and asked, "Mr. Cooper, shall we go?"


    Michael nodded, agreeing in his usual supercilious tone, "Let''s go."


    The vehicle then pulled away.


    On the way to the hospital, Michael''s eyes were fixed on Eva''s face.


    The sleeping Eva''s face was incredibly peaceful.


    Her paleplexion and delicate cheeks, which seemed to be fragile at the slightest touch, made the wound on her forehead stand out starkly.


    Michael''s heart grew even colder at the thought of how she had been injured.


    However, punishing Penelope and Krister would have to be put off for a while; the first order of business was to get Eva''s injuries healed.


    After everyone hurried to the hospital andpleted the necessary medical tests, Eva finally woke up.


    She was scheduled to be examined, but as she slowly regained consciousness, the people around her were immediately overjoyed and alerted the rest of the group. "She''s awake."


    When she opened her eyes, Michael Cooper had just finished checking the procedure list and settling her down. He hurriedly dropped the paperwork he was holding and walked quickly toward her. When Eva opened her eyes, She saw several unfamiliar faces around her..


    She frowned slightly and began to speak, "Uh"


    "Eva, you''re awake."


    Michael''s voice cut through the murmur of voices and everyone instinctively stepped back to make way for him.


    Michael approached Eva and gently helped her sit up.


    "I''m d to see you''re awake. Do you feel okay?"


    Eva looked at Michael and felt surrounded by a sense of strangeness; the concern in his arms and tone was obvious, yet she didn''t recognize him.


    "Who are you?"


    Her first question stopped Michael in his tracks.


    "Huh?"


    He thought he must have misheard her, otherwise why would she ask who he was?


    But Eva''s next words made it clear to Michael that he hadn''t misheard at all.


    "Who are you?"


    She asked again, this time with a clearer tone and more doubt in her gaze.


    Not only that, but she looked around and asked the others, "Who are you all?"


    Everyone was silent.


    The fact that she didn''t recognize them wasn''t a problem-they were strangers to her as well. It was enough that they knew this woman was the woman Mr. Cooper was obsessed with. But now she didn''t even seem to know Mr. Cooper?


    Someone saw the cut on her forehead and said, ''She couldn''t have hit her head and forgotten Mr. Cooper, could she?''


    Another said skeptically, "Really? A bump on the head and she lost her memory? That''s like something out of a novel."


    It wasn''t umon to hit one''s head, but it was indeed rare to lose one''s memory as a result of such an ident. Hearing this, Michael frowned, the word "amnesia" flying through his mind.


    "Eva, it''s me."


    Silence filled the air for a moment before Michael finally said without introducing himself, "Don''t you remember me?"


    Hearing his words, Eva nced at him, her clear gaze sweeping over his face. After looking at him for a long time, her eyes seemed a bit nk and she shook her head, signaling that she didn''t recognize him. Michael Cooper''s frown deepened.


    She fell and didn''t recognize him?


    How was that possible?


    Just as he was thinking about it, Eva began to struggle to sit up, but the move irritated her wound, causing her to suck in a sharp breath of pain.


    "Take it easy," Michael warned, quickly steadying her trembling body." You''re hurt. Lie still until we''re done with the check."


    "Check?" Although Eva didn''t recognize the man in front of her, she could sense his concern and the situation.


    Based on the conversation so far and her current predicament, she surmised that something had happened that caused her to lose her memory.


    Thinking of this, Eva took the initiative and asked, "Why do I need a checkup? Did something happen to me before this?"


    Michael had only suspected that she had lost her memory, but her question pretty much confirmed that she could not remember anything. Still, he found it hard to believe. He pursed his lips and instead of answering her question directly, he stared at her silently before asking, "Do you remember why you wanted to see me?"


    "I ..... wanted to see you?" Eva responded softly, repeating his question.


    Michael nodded.


    "Yes, you came to me. Do you remember why?"


    Why?


    Eva looked at him, confusion in her eyes. She couldn''t remember Michael at all, let alone the reason she hade to him.


    She tried to turn her thoughts over, but just as a certain thought urred to her, a stabbing pain surged through her head, causing her to let out an involuntary cry of pain.


    "That hurts."

 Chapter 456 Something Important

    Eva instinctively clutched her head, reacting reflexively to the pain.


    Michael hadn''t anticipated that her pain would be so intense; he immediatelyforted her, his concern overflowing as he cautioned, "Well, if you can''t remember, don''t try again. We''ll go for a checkup soon and see what the doctor says." Eva, cradled in his arms, looked even paler from the pain, and a cold sweat was breaking out on her pale forehead by the time he finished speaking.


    "Tissue," she whispered weakly.


    Someone nearby quickly handed over a tissue, which Michael took and gently wiped the sweat from Eva''s forehead.


    Her lips had lost their blood color from the pain and she looked even more delicate in his arms.


    Michael Cooper''s heart sank as he watched Eva''s fragile form.


    The more his heart ached, the grumpier he became, questioning his subordinate in a cold as ice tone. " Is the checkup queue over there long? Can''t we even take emergency treatment?" Before the words left his mouth, someone hurried over." We''re all set, Mr. Cooper. Let''s go."


    Michael quickly scooped Eva up in his arms and hurried forward.


    What awaited them was a series of tests, centered around Eva''s head, to check for internal injuries. At first, they were just trying to rule out any external injuries, but when Eva woke up with no memory, their team immediately notified the doctors. Upon learning of Eva''s condition, the doctors ran another series of tests on her.


    Hospital procedures were always cumbersome, and thankfully they were given priority ess. Nheless, by the time all the tests werepleted, several hours had passed.


    Finally, Michael decided to book a VIP room for Eva to rest.


    After all the fuss, the exhausted Eva had fallen asleep on the bed.


    Michael gently tucked her in and sat himself on the edge of the bed to keep watch over her.


    When Krister came in to deliver things, Michael nced at him and asked in a low voice, "When will we get the test results?"


    Krister replied, "They''re marked as urgent, but we won''t know the timetable until they''re actually out."


    Michael was obviously not satisfied with this answer, probably because he was afraid of disturbing Eva''s rest, he held back and silently stood by Eva''s side.


    Watching the scene, Krister had mixed feelings.


    Before her arrival, he thought that Mr. Cooper''s interest in this woman was only on a whim, and thus hecked respect for her, and could even be said to be indifferent.


    However, in apanying Michael throughout the entire time he had been in the hospital, Krister had seen Michael''s protective side to Eva, and it had been anything but spur of the moment. Thinking about it, Crist said, "Mr. Cooper, take a break please. I''ll be out now."


    Michael nodded in thanks.


    Just as Crist was about to leave the room, he paused and turned back." Mr. Cooper, you haven''t had dinner yet, have you? Shall I ......"


    "There''s no need," Michael interrupted abruptly, his tone icy.


    How could he even consider eating at a time like this?


    Without another word, Krister left.


    When everyone was gone and they were the only two left in the room, Michael looked at the sleeping Eva.


    Quiet, demure, beautiful.


    She was like a beautiful, delicate doll.


    He had felt that way from the first moment he saw her as a child.


    Ever since then, he had been trying to figure out how to make her his own.


    Finally, after a lot of hard work, he thought he saw a ray of hope. But everything changed when she returned home. She wanted to be his friend.


    Friends?


    How could that be enough? She was the one he liked from the start; he couldn''t settle for just friendship.


    He''s going to keep her by his side because he likes her, in and simple.


    Even if she doesn''t reciprocate his affections, she can''t be allowed to like someone else. It''s Michael Cooper''s darkest wish.


    It had crossed his mind when he was trying to win her heart, but since Eva didn''t resist him, he naturally respected her wishes and didn''t do anything to upset her. But then...


    Thinking about this, Michael somewhat regretted letting her leave the country.


    However, her sudden memory loss seemed to be a boon to him - she had forgotten everything, which was the perfect opportunity for him to take advantage of the situation.


    He didn''t care if it was too mean; all that mattered was having her around.


    As long as she could always be quiet and by his side.


    Eventually, Michael fell asleep at Eva''s bedside.


    Twice Krister hade in to visit them, and when he saw Michael slumped over in bed, he quietly brought a nket to cover him with.


    But no sooner had the nket been put on, than Michael woke up. Krister frowned and whispered his intentions, trying not to disturb him.


    Michael realized it was a kind gesture and didn''t scold him; he simply asked to be left alone so as not to disturb Eva.


    Krister nodded and walked out withouting back in.


    The next day, Michael was called in by the doctor to tell him that the results of Eva''s physical exam were worrisome.


    "Abnormal?" Michael frowned worriedly." What kind of abnormalities? Is her life in danger?"


    He was visibly nervous, but the doctor tried to calm him." Mr. Cooper, please don''t worry unduly. Her tests show some abnormalities, but nothing immediately life-threatening. It''s just......" "Just what?"


    "That she''spletely lost her memory?"


    "Yes. She doesn''t recognize us or remember doing anything before."


    Michael''s concern for Eva grew as he considered the implications of her memory loss and what it meant for their future.


    "That''s roughly it. The injuries were probably caused during the crash and she''ll need time to recover." The doctor exined.


    "What about her memories?" That was Michael Cooper''s main concern." When do you think she''ll start remembering?"


    "It''s hard to say. There are no reliable medications for amnesia. It really depends on the patient. Sometimes revisiting familiar ces or repeating past habits can trigger the return of memories. But it''s also possible that she may never regain her memory."


    "Never?" At the word, Michael Cooper''s lips tightened into a line.


    "Yes. There have been patients who never remember their past."


    Michaelpsed into silence, his mind racing with possibilities. Would this somehow benefit him if she never remembered?


    "Thank you," he finally said.


    After leaving the doctor''s office, Michael went to check on Eva, who had just woken up. He arrived to find a scene - she was determined to leave the hospital despite the people nearby. A man blocked her way out of the hospital room. "Ms. Hanson, Mr. Cooper is talking to the doctor. Why don''t you wait for him to return?" The attendant suggested.


    Eva frowned, "I really have something important to do."


    "All the more reason to wait for Mr. Cooper. Considering your situation, he can apany you no matter what. It''s not wise to go alone."


    Looking away, Michael''s brow furrowed. Something important? But she should have lost all her memories. What could be so important that she needed to attend to?

 Chapter 457 If You Cant Remember, then Stop

    "Please let me go."


    Eva was still insisting on the other end. Her voice was soft and delicate, and she kept trying to push away the person blocking her way. Unfortunately, it wasn''t just one person blocking the doorway. Without their permission to leave, she had no way of getting out.


    "I really have something very important that I need to do."


    "What''s so important?"


    A voice suddenly rang out, causing everyone to pause and look in the direction of the sound, only to see Michael Cooper returning.


    He walked swiftly towards Eva and entered the hospital room right away.


    Seeing him return, the others retreated from the room and closed the door behind them as they left.


    Eva looked up at the tall and handsome man standing before her, her brow furrowing slightly, but remembering that he was someone who had helped her, and judging by his actions, their rtionship must be quite good. With this thought, she felt a bit more trust towards him.


    "You''re back. They wouldn''t let me leave; they insisted that I wait for you."


    "Mm, I went to discuss your condition with the doctor."


    Hearing that he was talking about her health, Eva immediately became anxious.


    "My condition? Is there something wrong with me?"


    Michael Cooper nced at her, amused by her nervousness, and smiled, "Yes, the doctor mentioned there is a problem."


    "What''s the problem?" Eva grew even more anxious upon hearing that there indeed was a problem.


    "Don''t worry about this issue right now." Instead of answering her directly, Michael Cooper said, "Before I answer you, why don''t you answer a question for me?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva paused. "What is it?"


    "When I came back just now, I heard you telling the person guarding the door that you had something very important to do?" Eva nodded.


    "What''s this very important thing?"


    Eva was stumped by the question; she paused in ce with a somewhat vacant expression.


    What was the important matter she had to attend to?


    Right, what important matter was she supposed to take care of? Why couldn''t she recall it anymore?


    "I... I..."


    Michael Cooper approached a bit closer, looking down at her from above: "What is this important matter? Tell me, will you?"


    The next moment he saw Eva frown deeply, then shake her head: "I seem to have forgotten."


    "Forgotten?" Michael Cooper didn''t quite believe it. Just a second ago, he was standing outside listening to her stubborn desire to leave, all because she wanted to attend to that important matter she mentioned. Now, she imed she couldn''t remember...


    Could it be, she was feigning her amnesia? Was she trying to deceive him?


    "I, I really can''t seem to remember, what exactly did I need to go out for?"


    She just felt upon waking up that she had overlooked something very important and was instinctively driven to walk out. So, she acted on that instinct, and when asked by others, she responded instinctively too. But now when she actually had to articte what important matter she needed to attend to, she couldn''te up with a single word.


    "What do I need to do? What do I need to do?"


    Gradually, Eva began to murmur to herself, caught up in the question.


    The more she sought to know, the more elusive the memory seemed to be. The harder she found it to remember, the more agitated she grew.


    She clearly had something to do, something very important, but why couldn''t she remember it no matter how hard she tried?


    Why was this happening?


    What on earth had happened to her? Had she forgotten something important?


    Subsequently, Michael Cooper watched as her expression slowly twisted into one of pain, and she covered her head with her hands.


    Initially, Michael Cooper thought she might have been pretending, but as he observed herplexion grow paler and considered the medical reports, he realized that Eva wasn''t feigning her condition. His gaze softened slightly, and he swiftly stepped forward to grasp her hand.


    "Eva, if you can''t remember, then stop trying to."


    Unfortunately, by this time, Eva had already fallen deep into her thoughts, almostpletely unaware of his words.


    Michael Cooper could only watch as her face turned even paler, almost ghastly, with fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Out of helplessness, he eventually struck her on the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. Eva slumped down limply, losing consciousness, and Michael Cooper swiftly caught her and held her gently.


    He looked down at the unconscious girl in his arms with a pained expression for a moment before lifting her and cing her back on the bed


    Afterward, he took a handkerchief he carried with him and wiped the fine sweat off her forehead.


    It seemed that once she awoke, he could not let her continue pondering like this.


    Firstly, her regaining her memory would not benefit him.


    Secondly, if the process of recovering her memory was so painful, then it might be better for her to keep forgetting.


    With these thoughts, Michael Cooper''s hand slowly descended onto Eva''s fair cheeks, he murmured.


    "Eva, don''t me me; I just want to take care of you myself."


    At noon, Krister came to see Michael Cooper, saying there was an urgent matter.


    Michael Cooper had already made up his mind, so his mood was still rather good.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "Mr. Cooper, David wants to see you."


    On hearing David''s name, Michael Cooper remembered bringing Eva over this time. His lips twitched slightly, but before he could speak, Krister continued, "He''s here, waiting outside." Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper''s facial expression suddenly turned cold, "Who told him what happened?"


    Seeing his change in demeanor, Krister subconsciously took a small step back, then exined, "Not quite sure about that, but he..."


    "Never mind, let him wait outside."


    After Krister left, Michael Cooper turned his head to nce at Eva, who was still in aatose state, and quietly watched her for a moment before getting up to leave. Meanwhile, David was waiting outside the door. Seeing Michael Cooper emerge, he approached.


    "Mr. Cooper."


    "Michael Cooper looked at him with extremely cold eyes,pletelycking the kind of warmth he had previously shown when looking at his subordinates."


    This predicament was of his own making, so David felt neither aggrieved nor wronged.


    His attitude towards Michael Cooper was the same as before.


    "Mr. Cooper, the task you gave me has beenpleted, now, should you fulfill your promise?"


    As David spoke, Michael Cooper threw a set of keys to him.


    David reacted swiftly, reaching out to catch them.


    After getting the keys, the anxiety that had been hanging over him finally settled.


    But he did not thank Michael Cooper; instead, he prepared to leave as soon as he got the keys.


    Before leaving, something urred to David and he stopped and turned back to ask Michael Cooper, "I heard Ms. Hansen was injured, how is she doing now?" However, Michael Cooper did not seem inclined to answer his question.


    "That''s none of your concern."


    Hearing this, David paused before speaking, ''You''re right, it''s not my concern. But since you''re keeping her close, you''d better take good care of her.

 Chapter 458 I am Your Fiancé

    Michael Cooper chuckled coldly, "Are you preaching to me?" "Just a suggestion."


    "David..." Michael Cooper narrowed his eyes, giving him a cold once-over, his voice was low,ced with indifference,pletely different from his previous gentle and refined demeanor, "Have you be addicted to ying the good guy, actually thinking you are one?"


    David retorted, "Whether I am a good person or not is unclear, but Mr. Cooper, keeping someone by your side against their will is hardly honorable." "You speak so nobly; didn''t you still bring Eva to my side for the sake of your own parents?"


    That statement left David speechless.


    After a moment, all David could say was, "Yes, I''m not self-righteous, but Mr. Cooper, you''re much more despicable than I am."


    With that, David turned and left.


    Michael Cooper stood there, watching him leave, his eyes gradually turning cold as he thought of something.


    Krister stood by his side and, seeing this, remembered something and asked, "Mr. Cooper, now that Ms. Hansen has arrived, what about that person..."


    Knowing whom he was referring to, but not in the mood to think about it at this time, Michael Cooper gave him a warning nce before heading into the hospital room. Adrian ckwood.


    Michael Cooper did indeed still have this big trouble by his side; he had nned to take action once Eva came to him.


    But he had prepared for everything except for Eva''s amnesia.


    If she forgot everything, including Adrian ckwood, should he then halt his n?


    Michael Cooper sat down on the edge of Eva''s bed, his gaze sweeping over her face.


    "If you wake up and are willing to obediently listen to me and stay by my side, then I might consider... sparing him."


    Unfortunately, at this time, Eva couldn''t hear anything he was saying.


    It wasn''t until the afternoon that Eva slowly regained consciousness.


    She had memories of what happened after waking up, so when she saw the familiar scene in front of her, she wasn''t surprised; she just felt some pain at the back of her neck. "Awake?"


    A gentle voice sounded to her left, and upon hearing it, Eva looked in its direction.


    "It''s you..."


    Although she didn''t have memories of him, he had been by her side all this time, so Eva now remembered him in a different way.


    At that, Michael Cooper bent down to gently help her sit up, "What''s wrong? Do you feel ufortable?"


    For some reason, when he touched her, Eva''s body instinctively resisted.


    But because she truly had no strength, she couldn''t resist and let him help her up.


    Afterward, she saw him ce a pillow behind her so that she could sit morefortably.


    Once she was settled, Eva finally said, "My neck seems to hurt a bit."


    Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper''s hands paused momentarily before he touched his own neck, guilt evident in his voice, "Do you remember what happened before you passed out?" Eva was taken aback for a moment. "What happened?"


    Seeing her bewildered face, Michael Cooper quickly said, "You suddenly fainted, and I brought you here."


    "Oh."


    Eva simply responded and then lowered her eyelids.


    Watching her demeanor and reaction, Michael Cooper was genuinely worried she might continue to dwell on things and end up not remembering again, so he promptly spoke up to interrupt her thoughts. "Besides the difort in your neck, is there anywhere else that feels ufortable?"


    At his words, Eva seriously considered how she felt and then shook her head. "No."


    At this, the gesture of Michael Cooper touching his nose became even guiltier.


    In the critical moment earlier, he had only been focused on preventing her from thinking about those matters and hadn''t considered the possible consequences of his actions. Now, hearing herin of neck pain, Michael Cooper did feel quite sorry for her.


    "How about I massage it for you?"


    As he spoke, he was already leaning over towards her, his hand nearly reaching her neck.


    Last time, Eva was helped up by him, so she didn''t have the strength to resist, but this time she was sitting up and had the strength to do so.


    Thus, when his hand reached towards her, she instinctively dodged to the side and avoided Michael Cooper''s touch.


    Michael Cooper paused upon being avoided and then looked at her.


    For some reason, being stared at so directly by him made Eva instinctively avoid his gaze as well, and she awkwardly exined, "No, there''s no need to massage it, I can do it myself."


    After saying that, she stretched out her hand to gently rub the painful area herself.


    Michael Cooper watched her for a moment and didn''t say anything more. After sitting back down, there was a silence between them for a while before he finally asked, "Are you hungry? Is there anything you''d like to eat?" Logically speaking, since she hadn''t eaten anything from the ne ride until now, she should be very hungry.


    Considering it was her head that was injured, not elsewhere, she should be able to eat anything.


    However, Eva just shook her head.


    "Thank you for your concern, but I''m not hungry."


    "Not hungry?"


    Michael Cooper narrowed his eyes, "Do you realize how long it''s been since you''ve eaten anything?"


    "Really?" Faced with his question, Eva felt somewhat bewildered and ced her hand on her stomach: "But I really don''t feel hungry at all."


    For some reason, Eva had no desire to eat whatsoever.


    Michael Cooper could tell that she truly had no appetite and realized that asking her if she wanted to eat was pointless.


    He didn''t say anything further but simply picked up his phone and made a call to have a meal delivered.


    After making the call, Michael Cooper put away his phone and looked at Eva saying, "Some things, if you can''t remember them, it''s best not to think about. I will take good care of you in the future." Eva, however, furrowed her brows slightly: "But..."


    "But what?"


    "But I don''t even know who I am."


    "What does that matter? Anything you don''t know, I can tell you."


    Then, Michael Cooper proceeded to tell Eva her name, age, and other details about herself.


    After listening, Eva didn''t feel much different, but she couldn''t help asking: "What is my rtionship to you? And where is my family? Why hasn''t anyonee to see me?"


    She had woken up twice now; normally, by this time, one would expect family to have visited, right? And this man in front of her, their rtionship must be significant, but his reactions to her didn''t seem familial. It was strange.


    "Your family is not around here, and before your amnesia, I didn''t expect that you would lose your memory. I was afraid they''d worry, so I didn''t notify them."


    Afraid the family would worry?


    Eva nodded; she could understand that point.


    "As for who I am," he continued, "I will now formally answer you."


    Hearing this, Eva raised her head to look at him.


    "I''m your fianc��."

 Chapter 459 Nausea

    Michael Cooper, without any sign of distress, earnestly spoke these words as he looked at Eva before him. "Fianc��?"


    Could he really be her fianc��? She had thought of him as a good friend, but it never crossed her mind that they could have such an intimate rtionship. Why did it feel so strange?


    Eva lowered her gaze and pursed her red lips in thought. If he really was her fianc��, why would she feel averse to his touch?


    It didn''t seem to make much sense.


    "You don''t believe me?"


    Hearing this, Eva lifted her head to meet Michael Cooper''s eyes, yet she didn''t express whether she believed him or not.


    "Eva, before you lost your memory, we had a fight and got upset with each other. You refused to talk to me; surely you''re not still angry with me now that you''ve lost your memory?" Eva: "We had a fight?"


    So, the physical resistance she felt was because they had a quarrel?


    "Stop being difficult now. You need to rest and recover from your illness. Let me take care of you afterward, okay?"


    For some reason, Eva felt that something was off.


    She squinted her eyes, suspiciously scrutinizing him: "Are you really my fianc��?"


    After speaking, she stared at Michael Cooper''s face, wanting to gauge his reaction, but unfortunately, Michael Cooper''s expression appeared normal, not as if he were lying. "You don''t want to acknowledge your own fianc�� just because of one fight?"


    Eva didn''t speak, appearing to be pondering deeply.


    She remained silent, and Michael Cooper simply waited quietly.


    After a while, Eva finally shook her head and said, "No, that''s wrong. You are not my fianc��."


    This statement shocked Michael Cooper. She was supposed to have lost her memory; how could she know he was not her fianc��?


    As he hesitated about how to question her further, he heard Eva say to him quite seriously, "You are simply not my type."


    Such a light statement, spoken casually from her lips, pierced deeply into Michael Cooper''s heart.


    Even without her memories, she evidently knew exactly what to say to hurt him.


    And now, what she said was even more heartbreaking.


    Because she remembered no one, there were no filters towards him it was purely a matter of preference.


    After listening to her words, Michael Cooper fell silent for a long time before responding with, "Not all fianc��es are engaged because of affection." "What?"


    Eva hadn''t heard him clearly because his voice was soft.


    "Nothing," Michael Cooper tugged at his lips slightly, "I mean, you''re still the same as before."


    "The same as before? How was I before?"


    "When we first met, you didn''t like me. It took a lot of effort on my part to pursue you and win you over."


    Because he followed up on his previous statement, this made Eva feel somewhat confused. Could he really be her fianc��?


    "Eva, you can''t just forget me because you''ve lost your memory, even deny my identity. We haven''t broken up; it''s not fair to me."


    Eva frowned in thought-assuming what he said was true, it did seem quite unfair to him.


    "Mm."


    She uttered nomittally, and Michael Cooper leaned toward her, "Don''t be like this towards me, Eva."


    Eva slightly furrowed her brows, "I..."


    Although she realized that it might indeed be unfair to Michael Cooper, it seemed she just couldn''t let him get close to her.


    So when Michael Cooper moved closer, Eva instinctively dodged to the side.


    Michael Cooper stopped his movement as he nearly reached her and then sighed helplessly.


    "Alright, I know you have an aversion to me now that you''ve lost your memory, I can give you time."


    Michael Cooper said softly, "I won''t touch you until you have feelings for me again, but you can''t keep resisting my identity, okay?"


    He seemed to be negotiating with her. Eva did feel a bit resistant; she didn''t really want to agree.


    But she couldn''t remember anything specific, so naturally, she didn''t know why.


    "Let''s eat first when the meales, alright?"


    Feeling that his attitude towards her wasn''t too bad, Eva didn''t resist and nodded her head.


    "Okay."


    Although she didn''t seem very hungry.


    Most importantly, even if she was resistant, she didn''t know where to go at the moment. It would be best if her family members were by her side.


    With this thought in mind, Eva asked, "By the way, where is my phone?"


    Hearing this, "Michael Cooper''s eyes darted, surprised that she was smart enough to ask for her phone at this time.


    "It must have gotten lost when you were brought to the hospital; I couldn''t find it anywhere."


    "Ah?"


    "I was only focused on getting you to the hospital, so I have no idea where your phone is. I can buy you a new er"


    If the phone was lost, it would likely be picked up by someone soon, and there wasn''t much else to do but buy a new one, so Eva could only nod her head. "Can you give me my parents'' contact information then?"


    "Why?" Michael Cooper raised an eyebrow at her, "Do you want to tell your uncle about the ident?"


    "Uncle?"


    "Um, you grew up with your uncle since you were little."


    "And... what about my mother?"


    This question was met with silence from Michael Cooper as he looked down without speaking.


    His silence made Eva fall silent too.


    Then suddenly, she felt a wave of sadness washing over her, and her brows knitted together.


    So, did that mean she no longer had a mother?


    "Eva, your mother..."


    Michael Cooper paused mid-sentence, then continued, "Let''s not talk about the past. In any case, you lived with your father afterward, and now your father has someone else." "What?" Eva was somewhat shocked upon hearing this; could it be her father had found a new partner?


    Afterward, Michael Cooper informed her about the situation with her father, and by the end, Eva hadpletely dismissed the idea of contacting her own father.


    Her father now had someone else by his side and even had children; wouldn''t it be bothersome if she went looking for him?


    Without reason, Eva was overtaken by sadness and didn''t feel like talking anymore.


    Probably a few minutester, the meal delivery person arrived it was Krister, the same one she had seen earlier that day outside her hospital room.


    After he brought in the meal, heid it out on the table. The meal was preparedvishly, with everything one could wish for, and the aroma of the food spread all around.


    Listening to Michael Cooper saying she hasn''t eaten since yesterday; one would think she''d find the smell of the food appealing. But smelling the aroma, she surprisingly felt a bit nauseated

 Chapter 460 Taking You Home for Recovery

    "Eva, time to eat."


    Since she had promised him earlier, Eva got out of bed with his help and came to the table.


    Michael Cooper served her some mashed potatoes and ced them in front of her.


    "Here you go."


    "Thank you."


    Eva took the bowl as Michael Cooper handed her a spoon.


    Looking at the full meal before her, she eventually picked up just a mouthful of


    mashed potato with her spoon and put it into her mouth.


    The mashed potato was tasteless, and she didn''t know if it was just her, but it felt somewhat bitter.


    Meanwhile, Michael Cooper, seeing that she was only eating mashed potatoes and not touching other foods, put some meat into her bowl.


    Eva couldn''t refuse in time.


    "Eat more nutritious food, don''t just have potatoes."


    "Thank you..."


    Eva nodded.


    For some reason, looking at the food he had put into her bowl made her feel nauseous, but she braced herself and started to eat.


    "Ugh..."


    But as soon as the food reached her mouth, Eva involuntarily retched, putting down the bowl and spoon on the table, and then quickly covered her mouth and ran towards the bathroom.


    "Eva!"


    Michael Cooper was startled by her reaction and immediately got up to follow her.


    Eva slumped over the bathroom sink and vomited, but couldn''t throw up


    anything because she hadn''t eaten, and within a few moments, her forehead was covered in cold sweat.


    Shey there miserably, on the verge of throwing up bile, but her stomach was empty, so she just kept dry heaving.


    Michael Cooper watched the scene, feeling an unbearable difort in his heart, wishing he could take all her suffering upon himself.


    But he couldn''t do anything except gently pat Eva''s back. After a long while, Eva finally calmed down, but she waspletely drained of strength and almost slumped to the floor against the wall.


    Quick to react, Michael Cooper scooped her up and carried her out of the bathroom.


    "Are you alright?"


    However, at this moment, Eva was unable to utter even half a word in response


    to his concern.


    She closed her eyes, looking extremely fatigued.


    Not wanting to disturb her further, Michael Cooperid her on the bed and tucked her in.


    "Stinks..."


    Shey in bed and suddenly muttered something faintly.


    "What?" Michael Cooper didn''t catch it clearly and bent closer to hear what she was saying.


    "Stinks."


    Eva repeated.


    This time Michael Cooper heard clearly: "What stinks?"


    Eva pointed towards where the food was set, and only then did Michael Cooper


    realize, and he went over to smell the food that had been in her bowl.


    But the smell was that of normal food, with no foul odor.


    Yet, she had felt it smelled bad, even wanting to vomit...


    With this thought, Michael Cooper furrowed his brows and looked at her,


    wondering if her sense of taste was off.


    "Krister, take all this food away."


    Krister had been outside the door, he had heard themotion inside, but he


    didn''t know what was going on. Now that Michael Cooper called him in to remove the food, he entered quietly and asked softly, "Mr. Cooper, is there something wrong with the food I bought?"


    "It doesn''t agree with her stomach; take it away for now, we''ll talk about itter." "Alright."


    After the food was removed, Michael Cooper also opened the window to air out


    the room. Soon the hospital room''s air was fresh again, and Eva''splexion


    seemed slightly better.


    "Feeling any better?"


    Eva nodded weakly.


    "Was it the smell of that food that made you feel ufortable?" Michael


    Cooper sat on the edge of the bed and asked softly.


    Eva continued to nod: "Yes, the smell made me want to vomit."


    "Shall I have someone bring you something else to eatter?" Eva agreed.


    Michael Cooper quickly went out to give instructions.


    He also shared his concerns with Krister, asking him to check what tests Eva


    might need. After hearing this, Krister also furrowed his brows.


    In the evening, Eva''s appetite was still not great. Although she did not vomit after eating, she didn''t want to eat after just a few bites.


    Michael Cooper couldn''t stand to see her eat so little, so after she put down her bowl, he took the initiative to scoop some oatmeal, cooled it, and brought it to her lips.


    "Eva, sweetheart, can you eat a bit more?"


    Eva frowned and shook her head at the food that was brought to her mouth,


    showing a look of disgust, "I don''t want to eat anymore."


    "You ate too little earlier, you''ll be hungry at night. Just one more bite?"


    Eva closed her eyes, ignoring himpletely.


    "Eva?"


    Eva simply turned away.


    Left with no choice, Michael Cooper continued to coax her, but no matter what he said, Eva refused to eat anything else.


    Finally, Michael Cooper had to put down the bowl and called David to inquire


    about Eva''s food intake over the past couple of days.


    The answer he got was that Eva had barely eaten anything due to anxiety. On the ne, she forced herself to eat a bit, and on the day they left, she had half a ss of beer.


    Hearing that she hadn''t eaten much and had even drunk a small amount of beer made Michael Cooper feel a headacheing on.


    He feared that she might have damaged her stomach by drinking ice-cold beer and now doesn''t feel like eating because of it.


    Perhaps, he thought, he should take her for a check-up for a potential stomach ailment.


    Later, Michael Cooper wanted to ask her if she had any difort in the stomach, but before he could speak, Eva had already fallen asleep leaning against the bed.


    "Michael Cooper asked Krister to have a snack ready for Eva, just in case she got hungryter in the night.


    However, it was all for naught as Eva slept heavily throughout the night without waking up once.


    When she woke up the next day, Michael Cooper brought her half a ss of water to drink, which Eva sipped.


    "Thank you."


    After returning the cup to him, Eva asked, recalling something, "There shouldn''t


    be anything wrong with my body, right? Can I be discharged today?"


    Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper paused,


    "Discharged? Why are you in such a hurry to leave the hospital?"


    "No, I just don''t like staying in hospitals."


    After pondering for a moment, Michael Cooper nodded: "Alright, I will consult with the doctorter to see how your condition is. If he says it''s fine, I will take you home for recovery."


    Home?


    Eva didn''t say anything and waited for him to consult with the doctor. When he returned, he said she could be discharged and then arranged for someone to


    escort her out.


    Michael Cooper took her back to their previous residence.


    The room where Eva had fallen previously had been locked by his orders, and no one was allowed near it. He then arranged Eva''s room on the other side and nned to move there himself.


    All the attendants at home were well managed, and none would speak out of


    turn.


    "After we get back, I''ll have them make something delicious for you. What would you like to eat today?"

 Chapter 461 What to Eat

    "What to eat?"


    Faced with his concern, Eva managed a strained smile and finally said, "I''m okay with anything."


    In fact, she still didn''t feel like eating at all, but she couldn''t pinpoint the reason


    why.


    Did she have... some kind of aversion to food?


    Or was it because she had just lost her memory, which made everything feel unreal to her?


    At the moment, even as Michael Cooper was taking her with him, saying they were going home, she felt an emptiness inside.


    Moreover, she always felt that she was supposed to do something very important, but she couldn''t remember what it was at all.


    What was really going on here?


    However, Eva, now with lost memories, couldn''t make sense of anything. Upon returning to Michael Cooper''s residence, the attendants came out to greet them. They all stood nervously in line, having been individually instructed by the butler. Ms. Hansen had an ident, injured her head, and now her memory was gone. From now on, they were to regard her as Mr. Cooper''s fianc��e, and no one was to let slip or speak carelessly in front of this Ms. Hansen. This was also a roundabout way of telling them that they needed to collectively deceive this amnesiac Ms. Hansen.


    Deception is wrong, but they were just a group of workers hired for money. Who would bother with the rights or wrongs involved? Their employer had spent a lot of money; they only needed to follow the wishes of their employer. However, there were some who had not met Eva before and were curious about what kind of woman she was. How could she not like Mr. Cooper to the extent that he took advantage of her memory loss in such a despicable way to im her identity?


    So, before Eva appeared, everyone was quite curious about her and especially wanted to see what she looked like.


    It wasn''t until a car stopped at the gate that things became clear. The first person to get out was the driver.


    After the driver opened the door, Michael Cooper got out of the car, but he did not step away. Instead, he went around to the other side to open the car door, his hand on the roof, carefully shielding a woman as she stepped out of the car. Everyone followed his movements and finally got a clear look at the woman''s face.


    She was dressed simply, wearing a high-necked beige sweater paired with insted pants, fur-lined boots below, and a light blue down coat on top.


    It was a very ordinary outfit that didn''t reveal anything particrly special at all. And yet, it was her face with well-defined and delicate features. Her lips andplexion were pale due to difort, giving her a sickly cast that contributed to a pitiable kind of beauty.


    The attendants here had actually worked in many grand households and had seen numerous beauties who were incredibly refined. Everything they wore and used also exuded a sense of quality that caught one''s eye immediately it was obvious they came from distinguished families.


    But someone like Eva, whose beauty seemed effortless and who gave off a feeling of spring warmth, was a first for them.


    Everyone had different thoughts, but after a single nce, they all withdrew their gazes, not daring to look any further.


    "Take it slow."


    Michael Cooper returned to his gentle demeanor, assisting Eva as she got out of the car. There were several instances of physical contact between them, during which Eva tried a few times to push him away, but Michael Cooper was strong. Each time she attempted to resist or showed reluctance, he firmly grasped her wrist, preventing any opposition.


    Such dominance made Eva somewhat displeased. She nced up at Michael Cooper, feeling that there was something undeniably strange about the way they interacted.


    Once they had gotten out of the car, she quickly withdrew her hand. Since they had already disembarked, Michael Cooper only gave her a look and didn''t say anything more ore over to support her.


    "Have the attendants take you to your room to rest. I''m going to check if breakfast is ready."


    As soon as Michael Cooper left, Eva felt significantly more at ease. She followed the servant leading her forward.


    After being brought to her room by the servant, who then respectfully said a few words before leaving, Eva was left alone. She looked around the room. The surroundings didn''t feel familiar at all.


    It was as if she was entering this ce for the first time. Although Eva had lost her previous memories, subconsciously she felt that if she had truly lived here before, she should have had some recollection upon entering, even just a faint


    one.


    However, the pain from trying to remember things still instilled fear in Eva, and she dared not dwell on it further. She slipped off her shoes andy down on the bed.


    As soon as shey down, Eva''s eyes shut involuntarily.


    For some reason, she felt very tired and wanted to sleep all the time.


    It must be a consequence of the head injury, Eva thought.


    She slept until Michael Cooper came looking for her.


    When Michael Cooper pushed open the door, she was still asleep and did not


    react to the sound of the door moving.


    "Eva."


    Michael Cooper had to nudge her several times before she slowly came to. Upon waking, she looked at him with a faint gaze.


    "What is it?"


    "It''s time to eat, remember? The cook at home has prepared something delicious for you."


    Reminded by him, Eva recalled and nodded.


    "Yes, I need to eat."


    She nodded, tried to get up, but nearly copsed from weakness.


    Michael Cooper''s expression changed, and he reached out just in time to steady her.


    "Are you alright?"


    Eva felt a wave of darkness before her eyes. She realized something consciously, shook her head lightly, and then said, "It''s nothing, I think I might have hypoglycemia."


    Hypoglycemia?


    Michael Cooper, who was supporting her, momentarily paused in his actions. She hadn''t been eating well these past few days, so if she mentioned hypoglycemia, it seemed quite usible.


    He pursed his lips and then decisively picked her up to carry her downstairs. Many people were already waiting at the dining table downstairs, all looking


    nervous. They perceived Mr. Cooper as cing high importance on this woman;


    what if she proved difficult to get along with?


    Eva was ced by the dining table, where a spread of food wasid out.


    "What do you like?"


    Eva looked around and eventually settled on one particr dish.


    Michael Cooper immediately fetched that dish for her. After Eva received it, she thanked him and took a few bites.


    After a little while, Eva felt less dizzy than before.


    Having eaten half a bowl, Eva once again lost her appetite.


    "Don''t like this anymore? Want to try something else?"


    Eva knew she had eaten too little, and continuing this way wouldn''t be good for


    her health, but after looking around, there still wasn''t anything she fancied. "Thank you, no need."


    She pushed back her chair and went upstairs alone.

 Chapter 462 Contact Information

    As soon as she left, the gentle expression on Michael Cooper''s face


    disappeared, and he looked coldly at the group of servants.


    "Except for the dish that Eva ate, don''t serve any of the others again." The attendants, hearing his voice as cold as ice, nodded in fear without any objections, only responding with a few affirmatives.


    After Michael Cooper also left, they couldn''t help but discuss among themselves. "Is this Ms. Hansen too difficult to serve? We put so much effort into making all these delicious dishes, and she didn''t fancy a single one? Mr. Cooper even said we can''t serve these dishes next time, so what are we supposed to prepare? You know, there were dozens of dishes on the table today; if we take those off the menu, what else is there to cook?"


    "Yeah, why did Mr. Cooper suddenly bring back such a hard-to-please woman?" Thinking about the days ahead, everyone felt the times ahead could be tough. Back in her room, Eva went out to the balcony to sit.


    Her room opened onto the balcony, and with the doors wide open, Eva just sat down there and then looked out at the scenery.


    Even here, her heart was not at peace-she always felt like she had forgotten something very important. Her mind raced, but couldn''t recall anything. Thinking too much made her head hurt.


    Eva simplyid her head down on the table, letting out a breath in frustration. Who could she ask?


    Michael Cooper seemed genuinely kind to her, considerate and attentive, as if he truly were her fianc��.


    But Eva knew too well-no matter how she looked at Michael Cooper, she didn''t feel any stirring of the heart.


    She had even seriously spected whether she would ept the pursuit of a man she did not have feelings for. The answer was no.


    So, she didn''t believe Michael Cooper''s im that they were engaged to be married.


    Not just fianc��s-they probably weren''t even ordinary boyfriend and girlfriend. But now, with her memory lost and unable to recall anything, and with no one around her besides him, she could only stay here temporarily. As for what to doter, she would have to think of something else.


    While pondering, she heard light footstepsing from behind.


    Eva paused, although she heard them, she didn''t get up, pretending not to have noticed.


    After a short while, Michael Cooper came and sat down next to her.


    "Why are you sitting here alone? Still not feeling well?"


    Eva leaned slightly back in her chair and nodded.


    Remembering something, she took the initiative to ask, "By the way, you said


    you''d get me a mobile phone. Did you get it?"


    Michael Cooper nodded, pulled out a phone from his pocket, and handed it to her..


    As Eva reached out to take it, she also heard him say, "You probably won''t be able to get your old phone''s data back, and getting a recement ID will take some time, so for now, I''ve got you a different SIM card."


    Eva thanked him and then asked, "By the way, can you give me my father''s contact information like you mentioned before?"


    Michael Cooper paused for a moment and didn''t answer her immediately. Eva looked at him.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing. If you wish, you can contact him as well."


    Michael Cooper quickly provided the contact details for her father..


    However, hisment made her curious, and she pursed her lips, staring at him strangely.


    "Why would you say that? Did I have an argument with my father?"


    Hearing this, Michael Cooper only slightly smiled and said, "There are never


    serious conflicts among family members."


    Michael Cooper didn''t confirm or deny conflict, speaking very diplomatically, leaving it up to Eva to interpret.


    Sure enough, Eva, having lost all her memories, frowned after hearing his words and did not speak further.


    She saved the number into her new phone and then asked, "Besides my father,


    do we have any mutual friends? Or do I have any close friends?"


    Michael Cooper pursed his lips, his gaze remaining indifferent. "Yes."


    "Who?"


    "She''s not around here, don''t you remember?"


    After asking, Michael Cooper seemed to remember something: "Right, you truly forgot. I momentarily forgot about your amnesia."


    Eva: "..."


    It felt somewhat like dark humor.


    She tugged at the corner of her mouth, pretending to go along with it and put on a smile.


    "So the contact details? Can you give them to me?"


    "Hmm, once we''ve managed to recover the content from your old phone, I''ll give them to you."


    Since he said so, Eva didn''t doubt further and nodded in agreement. "Okay."


    After Michael Cooper left, Eva yed on her phone by herself and looked at the few contacts that were present.


    In addition to the contact information of her father that she had just entered,


    there was only one other contact listed: Michael Cooper.


    She wondered if her bad temper might exin herck of friends.


    But even if her temper was terrible, it wouldn''t make sense for her to not have a single friend.


    Yet in her contact list, there was only Michael Cooper. Even a rtive''s contact information had only been added after she asked for it.


    Everything about this was abnormal.


    Too abnormal. Either there was something wrong with her or something wrong with Michael Cooper.


    With these thoughts, Eva pressed the newly inputted contact number and made the call.


    Regardless of whether the words Michael Cooper said were intentional to deter her from calling, or if she misunderstood his intentions, she felt she must make this call.


    She needed to try and see if he had lied to her.


    The phone rang for a long time without an answer. Just as Eva began to wonder


    if the number he gave her was incorrect, someone finally picked up on the other end.


    "Hello?"


    A middle-aged woman''s voice answered the call, sounding very gentle.


    For some reason, upon hearing this voice, Eva subconsciously thought that this woman was likely her stepmother.


    If that was true, the woman would definitely recognize her.


    But Eva had lost her memory at this moment; she didn''t recognize the woman. So, after a moment''s hesitation, Eva tentatively addressed her as "auntie." The person on the other end paused for a moment and thenughed warmly. "Oh, it''s Eva. Why did you change your phone number? And you''re speaking so formally with me."


    The tone instantly became affectionate, a stark difference from the polite manner initially presented.


    This shift indicated that Eva''s rtionship with her stepmother must be quite good.


    Eva chuckled awkwardly and exined, "I lost my previous phone, so I got a new number."


    "Lost your phone? Oh no, what happened, Eva?"


    Eva wanted to mention her amnesia, but considering that she seemed to get


    along well with her stepmother, would revealing this cause her father undue worry?


    While Eva remained silent, the woman on the other end spoke again, "Did you


    run into some trouble. Remember,e home if there''s anything bothering you.


    Ever since you returned from abroad, you''ve rarely been in touch with us. You should call home if anything arises."

 Chapter 463 Keep an Eye on Her

    The person on the other end had a lot to say, babbling on, and Eva listened carefully to each word, feeling a warmth in her heart.


    It was unexpected that her rtionship with her stepmother would be this good.


    Yet Michael Cooper seemed to imply that she did not get along with her stepmother?


    But there wasn''t any sign of that...


    With this thought, Eva replied with feigned coldness, "My affairs are none of your concern."


    As expected, there was a long pause on the other end after her harsh words before the woman replied awkwardly with augh, "Eva? Are you in a bad mood today? Or did something unpleasant happen at work?" It seems that the supposed poor rtionship was false.


    As she spoke, Eva suddenly noticed someone''s shadow flicker outside. Her expression unchanged, she continued in a cold tone, "Yes, I''m in a bad mood, so let''s not talk today. I''m going to sleep." Without waiting for a response, Eva hung up the phone.


    After ending the call, Eva put away her mobile phone and gazed distantly with a calm expression.


    It seemed that her fianc��''s secrets were deeply hidden.


    However, it probably wasn''t the right time to startle him.


    With that thought, Eva stored her phone and stood up to walk outside.


    Eating so little, she hardly had any strength; as she attempted to walk out, Her faltering steps almost led her to stumble to the ground.


    When she got outside, Krister came to meet her.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you nning to go out?"


    Eva''s gaze fell on him as she sized him up.


    Confronted with Eva''s scrutiny, Krister hesitated for a moment before introducing himself.


    "Ms. Hansen, my name is Krister. Mr. Cooper instructed me to follow and protect you. Wherever you wish to go, I will be there to ensure your safety." "Protect me?" Eva said with puzzlement, "I don''t need protection."


    "Ms. Hansen, given the incident that led to your memory loss, the risk factor of you going out has certainly increased, and I must apany you," he insisted. But Eva pursed her lips in displeasure. She could easily read between the lines.


    On the surface, it appeared as if he was there to protect her, but Eva felt he was there to keep an eye on her.


    Just like earlier, he could have approached her openly, but instead, he lingered outside the door. Everything was unusual.


    She gave him a sidelong nce and said nothing more.


    Krister could feel that she wasn''t particrly fond of him, and after the previous incident, he felt somewhat guilty.


    Eva didn''t care what he thought; she went back into her room to find a coat to put on and then went downstairs.


    Krister followed behind her.


    Along the way, people greeted Eva with respect, addressing her as Ms. Hansen. It seemed that Eva had lived here for quite some time.


    But Eva still noticed something off.


    Their attitudes were respectful, indeed beyond reproach, but their eyes held inquiry and assessment-clear signs of unfamiliarity.


    Bodynguage and words can deceive, but the look in someone''s eyes often tells the truth.


    Their gazes felt too unfamiliar.


    Even so, Eva did not let on that she knew, especially since at this point, with her memory gone, Michael Cooper likely had ns for her. As for what those ns were, she still wasn''t sure. But one thing she could be certain of was that he wouldn''t harm her.


    At that moment, Michael Cooper stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows on the rooftop, watching Eva''s figure moving erratically in the courtyard below, his lips pressed tightly together. Someone spoke from behind him, "Mr. Cooper, the police are looking for us."


    His brow furrowed immediately upon hearing this.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "It seems that before Ms. Hansen arrived, she encountered a college student at the airport and they exchanged a few words. The college student felt something was off with Ms. Hansen, so..." Michael Cooper needed no further exnation.


    "The police also fear it might be a misunderstanding, so they want to see Eva, but given her current state..."


    The man stopped there, and Michael Cooper understood what he meant. With Eva''s amnesia, whatever she might say to the police...


    "But if we don''t let the police see her, I''m afraid that..."


    "Let them."


    "See her?" The man was surprised, evidently not expecting Michael Cooper to agree so readily, and paused momentarily: "But..." "There''s no ''but.'' She came here of her own volition; I didn''t force her."


    After saying this, Michael Cooper even managed a slight smile.


    Krister: "..."


    Internally, he thought: Sure, you didn''t force her physically, but you did use the person she loves as leverage.


    Yet such thoughts were not something he dared to express in front of Michael Cooper, and he quickly set out to follow his orders.


    Eva walked around the garden without noticing anything special and, feeling her energy waning and her eyelids getting heavy, decided to go back inside.


    Back in her room, she found Michael Cooper waiting for her.


    Seeing her enter, Michael Cooper stood up to greet her.


    "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"


    Despite Eva having eaten recently, he was obviously concerned about her health.


    Eva was indeed hungry; every part of her body was signaling that she needed food to recover her strength, but for some reason, she felt too agitated to eat. "Should I have someone bring up some food?"


    After thinking it over, Eva nodded.


    The staff from the kitchen brought a lot of food and Eva chose a bowl of mild and ptable soup.


    While she drank, Michael Cooper watched intently, as if glued to her lips, making Eva extremely ufortable. Instinctively, she set down the bowl.


    "Why are you staring at me?"


    Hearing this, Michael Cooper snapped out of it, his lips curling slightly: "What''s wrong, I can''t watch my own fianc��e?"


    Eva: "..."


    She had almost forgotten that he imed her as his fianc��e.


    "You watching me eat is making it hard for me to eat."


    Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper shifted his gaze away, and then something urred to him, "Do you remember meeting anyone at the airport when you came over with David?" "Huh?"


    This question confused Eva.


    "What do you mean?"


    Michael Cooper briefly exined the situation with the college student, and after listening, Eva got the gist of what he meant.


    "The police want to talk to you because a college student reported you might be abducted," said Michael Cooper with a hint of helplessness in his voice.


    "So, you need to clear things up with the police for me."


    Eva hadn''t expected the police would get involved.


    She paused for a moment, looked at Michael Cooper, and said, "I can rify things for you, but there''s one question you need to answer for me."

 Chapter 464 A Presence in Her Life

    Eva did not hesitate much; after all, the question had to be asked sooner orter.


    "Am I really your fianc��e?" she asked earnestly, looking into his eyes.


    Michael Cooper paused, surprised by the question yet seemingly expecting it. The woman he liked, even with memory loss, was unlikely to be a fool.


    She was already skeptical, and if he were to affirm her suspicion now, not only would she disbelieve him, but she might also develop an aversion towards him. Her amnesia presented him with a new opportunity.


    An opportunity he couldn''t afford to overlook...


    "No," Michael Cooper softly stated, "To say you are my fianc��e...it''s just wishful thinking on my part."


    Just as she thought.


    Eva narrowed her eyes, "Wishful thinking? Does it mean we are not even boyfriend and girlfriend?"


    "We are dating, but you have yet to ept my marriage proposal. Moreover, you''ve been talking about breaking up with me, although I don''t know why."


    As he spoke, Michael Cooper lowered his eyelids, appearing utterly forlorn.


    His behavior was not an act but a sincere reflection of his feelings.


    In his eyes, during the five years, they spent together, he always treated her as his girlfriend.


    So he wasn''t exactly lying.


    After listening to him, Eva didn''t know whether to believe him or not; she just sank into her thoughts.


    After a while, she lifted her head.


    "What do you want me to tell the police?"


    She thought it over and felt that she could help him with this since Michael Cooper had no ill intentions toward her. However, his ulterior motives were strong; he particrly wanted to keep her close. And she felt strangelypelled.


    She came here as if she had something to do.


    Even though she still couldn''t remember what she was supposed to do, something inside her was telling her to stay.


    She couldn''t leave this ce for the time being, so she guessed that she should cooperate with the police.


    "It''s simple. You don''t need to say anything special. Whatever the police ask you, just answer them. When they inquire about our rtionship, you can describe it however you like."


    This response caused Eva to raise an eyebrow, prompting her next question, "Anything goes? What if I say you''re a kidnapper?"


    Hearing this, Michael Cooper paused, surprised but somehow expecting the question


    "If you really put it that way, you''ll truly be making trouble for me."


    He did not react with rage or embarrassment, only offering her a look of helpless resignation.


    Eva seemed to grasp something.


    "Okay, I know what to say. When will the meeting be?"


    As soon as Eva agreed, the meeting was arranged swiftly.


    As a report had been filed with the police, certain procedures had to be followed. After seeing Eva and asking all the necessary questions, which Eva answered based on the information she knew, they were just about to leave when Eva suddenly asked a question.


    "How does the police department usually handle cases of amnesia?"


    The two officers who came to ask questions were originally preparing to pack up and leave, but this unexpected inquiry from Eva made them exchange nces and then sit back down. The expressions on their faces also became instantly grave and serious.


    "Ms. Hansen, what do you mean by that?" one of them asked.


    "Oh, what I meant was, I''ve lost my memory, and I don''t remember anything from before," Eva exined.


    "What about the answers you just gave us?"


    "Well, the answers I just provided are based on what I''vee to know since waking up."


    Hearing this, the two officers looked at each other once more, seeing confusion in each other''s eyes.


    When Eva first came in, she hadn''t said anything out of the ordinary, responding urately to inquiries and exhibiting a cooperative demeanor.


    They had even verified the identities of the two individuals and found nothing suspicious; indeed, they appeared to have been close associates, and there was no cause for suspicion. They had started to think that this was all a misunderstanding.


    But now, Eva was suggesting she had lost her memory.


    If she had lost her memory, then the validity of her previous statements might be in question.


    With both officers still staring, Eva continued, "Actually, you don''t have to worry. He and I are friends, and I haven''t been threatened."


    "But you?"


    "I''m just a little confused about some things. I don''t understand, so could you please help me?"


    At this point, Michael Cooper and several others were waiting outside.


    The wait had been rather long, so one of Michael Cooper''s subordinates couldn''t help but say, "Mr. Cooper, is it okay to leave Ms. Hansen alone with the police?"


    Michael Cooper did not answer; his silence made his subordinate a bit anxious.


    "Mr. Cooper, what if Ms. Hansen-"


    "What are you worried about?" Michael Cooper nced at him calmly, both his tone and demeanor exuding coolposure.


    Subordinate: "..."


    At such a moment, Mr. Cooper could still remain so calm. Could it be that he was overthinking things? After all, Mr. Cooper knew Ms. Hansen inside better than anyone else they should have nothing to worry about. With this thought, he slightly rxed, maybe he was just being overly nervous?


    As he was pondering, the door opened, and the police came out.


    The subordinate stepped forward before Michael Cooper could, "Officers, everything cleared up now, right? I told you that it must have been a misunderstanding by the college girl. Ms. Hansen has been friends with our Mr. Cooper for many years; how could there possibly be any kidnapping?"


    The two officers exchanged nces.


    Although Eva inside had amnesia, she and Michael Cooper were indeed old friends, and moreover, he had saved her and taken her to the best hospital for treatment, provided a VIP hospital room and all-kidnappers don''t treat their captives that well.


    Plus, nothing suspicious had turned up in their investigation. The procedure wasplete, and without anything substantial, they had to let it go.


    They nodded and gave Michael Cooper, who stood not far behind, a nod, "It was a misunderstanding, we''ve sorted it out."


    Hearing this, the subordinate revealed an ted expression.


    "So, it means everything is fine now, right? Just as I said..."


    Listening to him as he began another lengthy discourse, the police officers briefly exined a few points and then quickly left.


    After the police had gone, the subordinate chuckled, "Mr. Cooper, you really do have a knack for predicting oues. Just as expected, Ms. Hansen didn''t say anything."


    Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper merely gave him a cold look and did not respond, then pursed his lips and went inside with a chilly expression.


    Eva, having finished answering questions, was now sitting on the balcony.


    Hearing footsteps, she didn''t turn around.


    Michael Cooper approached her from behind, watching her draped in a shawl, basking in the sunlight, presenting an image of peaceful times, and he pursed his lips tighter. She had amnesia.


    He did not know when she would recover her memory, and whether she would hate him for what he had done once she remembered everything.


    But ever since she had nned to get back together with Adrian ckwood, there were no other paths left for him to take.


    He decided to continue down this path regardless; even if she ended up hating himter, at least he would have a presence in her life.

 Chapter 465 Feelings Cant Be Faked

    Hearing the noise, Eva turned her head and met Michael Cooper''s gaze.


    Seeing Michael Cooper''s gaze fall upon her face, she spoke up, "I''ve told the police everything as you instructed."


    For some reason, the way she said it sounded as though what she told the police was dictated by Michael Cooper. Michael Cooper pursed his lips slightly and murmured his affirmation, "You did well."


    Hearing this, Eva asked, "Is that apliment?"


    "Yes, it is," he responded.


    "Then may I ask for a reward?" Eva inquired further.


    Michael Cooper''s lips tightened as if he were contemting deeply, and after a while, he asked, "What kind of reward do you want?"


    "I want to go out for a walk."


    Before Michael Cooper could agree, Eva added the next part, "Alone."


    He was about to say "okay," but then he thought better of it.


    "It''s not safe for you to go out alone with your memory lost."


    "I have amnesia, not dementia. What''s unsafe about it?"


    "You don''t know the roads."


    "Isn''t there navigation everywhere these days? Can''t I just use GPS?"


    However, Michael Cooper''s answer remained firm, "No."


    Eva furrowed her brows in frustration.


    "Even if you can use navigation, the outside world is still dangerous. You''re not familiar with the area since you''ve lost your memory, and things are chaotic right now"


    "But if you let Krister follow me, how is that any different from surveince?"


    "If you don''t like Krister, I can apany you. Where do you want to go?"


    Would hispany be any different than having Krister follow her?


    Eva didn''t agree; instead, she curled her lips into a sneer, "Michael Cooper, that''s your name, right?


    Before Michael Cooper could answer, Eva continued, "I''m just going out for a walk. What are you afraid of? The way you are so afraid, is it because, in addition to the fianc��e business, everything else you''ve told me is also a lie?" Facing Eva''s question, Michael Cooper remainedposed.


    "No, apart from the fianc��e part, everything else is true. I don''t want you going out alone, and you should know why-because I worry about you. You don''t like Krister, so let me apany you. If you don''t even want to see me, then within this vi, you can pick anyone you like to apany you. In any case, someone must be with you."


    Seeing his adamant attitude, Eva knew that it would be difficult for her to go out alone as she wished.


    But fortunately, her original n was not to go out alone.


    Yet outwardly, she still put on an expression of settling for second best and said, "Alright then, when the timees I will choose someone myself. A girl is okay, right? I don''t want a man following me around; it''s inconvenient." "Okay."


    Michael Cooper agreed quickly.


    Eva tugged at her lips but did not continue the conversation, clearly wanting to put an end to the matter without further discussion.


    Observing her like this, Michael Cooper was quiet for a few seconds before stepping forward, "I know your memory ispletely lost now, and you must feel unfamiliar with me. My selfishness might have caused a rift in your trust. But you have to believe me, words can be faked, but feelings can''t. You can feel it, can''t you?"


    This heartfelt speech made Eva nce sideways at him; she turned her head to look at him once more.


    Indeed, he was right.


    She could indeed feel his abundant emotions towards her, which certainly couldn''t be faked, but she could also sense his strong possessiveness.


    Moreover, he imed they were boyfriend and girlfriend, yet his behavior towards her... did not seem naturally intimate in the way real lovers would be. She even felt resistant to his proximity and touch. "Mhm, I understand," she replied.


    Afterward, Eva chose a girl who appeared to be about her own age and of a simr height.


    Upon learning of this, Krister immediately expressed his concern to Michael Cooper.


    "Mr. Cooper, the girl that Ms. Hansen has chosen is the smallest one in our vi. If she goes out with Ms. Hansen, is that really..."


    However, before he could finish his thought, Michael Cooper gave him a cold nce.


    "I allowed her to choose. What are you questioning?"


    A single look sent a chill down Krister''s spine.


    People outside thought of Michael Cooper as gentle and polite, but those who had seen Michael Cooper''s decisive and ruthless side knew better than to make such na?ve assumptions.


    That woman was probably the only one he had patience for.


    Even though he wanted to persuade further, the cold aura emanating from Michael Cooper stopped him from speaking.


    Immediately after, he heard Michael Cooper''s chilly voice again.


    "Has Penelope admitted it yet?"


    Mentioning Penelope caused a slight change in Krister''s expression. He then shook his head, "No, she doesn''t admit to pushing Ms. Hansen."


    This statement was met with a derisive snort from Michael Cooper, "She doesn''t admit it? So you didn''t see it that day?"


    Krister''s face changed again at these words, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally said, "Mr. Cooper, although Penelope is at fault... don''t you think the current situation is quite favorable? Ms. Hansen has lost her memory, which is more advantageous for Mr. Cooper."


    However, as soon as his words fell, he felt the temperature around them plummet.


    "Her losing her memory is more advantageous for me? And then what? What if instead of amnesia, she had been hurt?"


    God knows how worried he was when he pushed open the door and saw her lying on the floor without making a sound.


    Now it was indeed just amnesia, but what if something else had happened? Would he have had the chance to regret it?


    The thought that he could potentially lose her filled Michael Cooper''s chest with an emotion that made him look back at Krister with eyes cold and ruthless.


    Facing such a gaze, Krister immediately regretted his words, blurting out, "I''m sorry Mr. Cooper, I shouldn''t have spoken out of turn. I understand how to handle this matter now. Rest assured, I will give you a satisfactory answer." After saying this, Krister left quickly.


    Unfortunately, his realization came toote because as soon as he stepped out, several people approached, subdued him by covering his mouth and nose, tied his hands and feet, and a strange fragrance wafted through the air. Krister quickly lost consciousness in that state and was dragged away.


    Shortly after he was taken away, a figure emerged from a corner.


    This person was none other than David, who had previously disappeared from the hospital with some items.


    David watched indifferently as the man named Krister was dragged away, and only after a moment did he step forward.


    "Mr. Cooper."


    Michael Cooper looked at the approaching David. If it hadn''t been for this incident, he really wouldn''t have utilized David''s services again.


    Once a cheater, always a cheater.


    But given the recent events, among these people, only David had risked his life to help her once.


    He was the only one who truly cared about her.


    Therefore, Michael Cooper had no choice but to use David once more.

 Chapter 466 Arent You Going to Stop Now?

    But by using David, Michael Cooper would inevitably have to break a promise he had made to him previously.


    David himself hadn''t expected to be called back into service.


    After hearing about Eva''s situation, he was quite worried, but knowing he was no longer favored by Michael Cooper, his concern was irrelevant as he had no way to intervene at least not immediately. Yet he hadn''t given up; for thest few days, he had been stealthily looking for ways to help.


    Unexpectedly, at this time, Michael Cooper reached out to him again, and moreover, he asked him to stay close to Eva to protect her.


    "She has no memory now. Protecting her while staying by her side, you know what you ought to do, right?"


    David stood expressionless in front of him.


    "Ms. Hansen has lost her memory, aren''t you going to stop now, Mr. Cooper?"


    This sentence made Michael Cooper''s brow twitch fiercely.


    "I called you here to protect her."


    "I can protect her, but I can''t watch her 24 hours a day. Can Mr. Cooper be certain she''ll be safe at other times?"


    "Just do what you''re supposed to."


    "Mr. Cooper, with all due respect, considering how well you''ve treated Ms. Hansen in the past,bined with Ms. Hansen''s temperament and personality, if you stop now, she might reconcile with you once she remembers." Even at this juncture, David still tried his best to persuade Michael Cooper to see reason.


    Unfortunately, Michael Cooper wouldn''t listen to a word, he scoffed coldly, instructed him what needed to be done, and left.


    David stood in ce, watching Michael Cooper''s retreating figure, and sighed deeply.


    So, it''s still no use?


    He could see that Michael Cooper truly cared for Ms. Hansen, fearing even the slightest harm mighte to her. But at the same time, he was doing something irreversible. However, what was most important now was... Ms. Hansen really had amnesia?


    After Eva chose the girl, she had a conversation with her.


    The girl''s name was Jane, several years younger than Eva, and she came to work here because the sry was high, so she took the job.


    Jane smiled shyly while speaking to Eva, her fair cheeks flushed with a touch of pink, making her seem easy to deceive.


    Taking her out meant that Eva might have the opportunity to do something else on her own.


    While calcting her ns in her mind, Eva chatted with Jane in a sporadic manner.


    "Where did you use to live?"


    "Ms. Hansen, my family is in New York. I used to study there as well."


    "Is that so?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva gave a faint smile, "What a coincidence, I''m from New York, too."


    Jane was also surprised.


    "Ms. Hansen used to be in New York? Which part of New York are you from?"


    "I am from New York..."


    Eva intended to answer, but when the name of the ce reached her lips, she couldn''t recall a single word.


    However, she just recalled being from New York without hesitation while speaking earlier.


    It seemed that although her memory was entirely lost, some things were ingrained and would not change-like habits and tastes.


    Seeing her not responding, Jane asked again, "Ms. Hansen, is something wrong?"


    Hearing this, Eva snapped back to reality and shook her head lightly.


    "It''s nothing."


    Seeing Eva''s interest wane, Jane didn''t dare to speak further.


    After all, before being selected, she had always heard from the other servants that Ms. Hansen might be difficult to get along with, and now that there was ady of the house, everyone should be careful. But Jane''s thoughts differed from others. She had been working here for more than just a couple of days, and if anyone was truly intimidating, it was Mr. Cooper.


    And a woman who could make Mr. Cooper humble himself must be extraordinary.


    She guessed right; Eva was kinder than she had imagined. Still, after hearing so much gossip, Jane couldn''t help feeling nervous inside.


    "It''s nothing, I was just thinking about where to go for a walk this afternoon. Are you familiar with the area around here?"


    Jane nodded.


    "I''m familiar. I''ve lived around here for a long time, Ms. Hansen. Whatever you want to see, I''ll apany you."


    "Thank you, we''ll go out in a bit then."


    Jane went to get ready, while Eva didn''t have much to prepare. She picked up her phone and was about to leave when Jane helped her put on a coat, gloves, and even prepared a hat and mask.


    "I checked the weather forecast today. Although it''s sunny, from my experience living here, the snowes suddenly, so if Ms. Hansen is going out, it''s best to be fully equipped to avoid getting cold." Eva sat there, allowing Jane to put on her hat and gloves and finally tie her scarf.


    "Thank you."


    Michael Cooper was also satisfied when he learned of Jane''s behavior since he had instructed beforehand, but he didn''t expect Jane to take such good care of her.


    "If you''re going out, there will be another person following you."


    Eva was ready to leave when Michael Cooper unexpectedly said this, and the light in her eyes dimmed instantly.


    What does he mean by that? Has he decided to go back on his decision at thest minute? Didn''t he already agree to let her go out with just one person? And now there''s an extra person involved? Eva''s face visibly darkened at the news.


    Michael Cooper witnessed the whole change of her expression and could only sigh helplessly.


    "Don''t worry, you should know this person," he reassured her.


    Know this person?


    Eva looked doubtful. She had lost her memory; she didn''t remember anyone, how could there be someone she knew?


    "Come with me and see for yourself."


    As he spoke, Michael Cooper took her hand and led her outside.


    Following him to the door, Eva finally got a clear view of the person standing outside.


    Seeing Eva again, David''s eyes were filled with deep remorse. If it weren''t for him insisting on his own way, she wouldn''t have been brought back to Michael Cooper''s side and subjected to all this trouble. Thus, when Eva''s gaze met his, David quickly averted his eyes.


    The moment she saw him, Eva paused.


    Seeing David gave her a strange feeling, even though she seemingly did not recognize the man before her.


    But... if she were to let him stay by her side, strangely, she felt no repulsion?


    Moreover, Eva could sense that, despite her memory loss, her aversion to Michael Cooper was actually deeper than to this man.


    If that was the case, then perhaps there would be no problem with this man apanying her?


    After seeing David, Eva found her feelings of repulsion less intense.


    Especially after seeing the guilt in his eyes as he looked at her.


    With such a look, if he followed her, maybe she could get some information out of him.

 Chapter 467 Some Important Memories

    Seeing that Eva did not resist upon seeing David, Michael Cooper finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he felt a bit sour inside, he hadn''t expected her to still have a subconscious recollection of David despite her memory loss. "How about letting him apany you as well?" he suggested.


    Eva pursed her lips, came back to her senses, and gave David, who stood before her, a scrutinizing yet discreet look. "Will he be following me the whole time? Won''t he interfere with my shopping?" she inquired.


    "No, he will follow from a distance; your primarypany will still be the attendant with you," Michael assured her.


    With that, Eva agreed.


    After everyone was ready, they took their belongings and left the house. With Jane taking care of her and David following along, Michael Cooper felt somewhat relieved. " Don''t be out toote; make sure youe back early," he cautioned Eva, who simply nodded lightly to show she understood.


    Once in the car, Eva nced at Jane, then David, and finally the driver. She sighed inwardly in resignation. She had originally wanted to go out alone, but now, including herself, four people were involved in this outing. She sighed, feeling rather helpless


    Jane took her to a nearby shopping mall that had everything one might need. As they entered, Jane said, "Ms. Hansen, before we left, Mr. Cooper gave me a card and instructed that Ms. Hansen should buy whatever she wants. Just see if there is anything you like."


    Eva hadn''t nned on buying anything; she wasn''t in the mood, but since Jane mentioned it, she responded ordingly. "Okay."


    Fortunately, the driver only had the responsibility of driving; he didn''t apany them into the supermarket. Jane was the only one by Eva''s side, while David followed at a considerable distance.


    They had only been browsing for a short while when Eva said to Jane, "I''m hungry and I don''t really feel like walking anymore."


    Upon hearing this, Jane suggested, "Then how about we go up to the third floor, Ms. Hansen? There are some nice restaurants there."


    "Sorry, I probably don''t have the energy to walk there right now." After saying that, Eva sat down on a nearby bench.


    Jane, seeing that Eva refused to move, was unsure of what to do next until Eva suddenly spoke up, "When we came in, I saw someone selling food on the roadside. What was that? It looked quite good. Could you get one for me?" Before leaving, Mr. Cooper had given specific instructions that if Ms. Hansen saw something she wanted to eat on the way, Jane was to buy it immediately and also take note of any food that caught Eva''s attention for longer than a passing nce. They could make it for her back home, considering Ms. Hansen seemed to be in a state of disinterest in food, and it was definitely important to remember anything she showed an inclination to eat.


    "Okay." So when Eva expressed her interest in eating something from the roadside, Jane agreed immediately but then looked at Eva worriedly. "But Ms. Hansen, you here alone..."


    "I am not alone." Eva lifted her chin towards David, who was not far away. "Isn''t he here? So, don''t worry about me."


    That''s right, David was still here, so Jane didn''t need to worry about Ms. Hansen''s safety. She nodded and quickly went to buy the food for Eva.


    As soon as Jane left, David, who had previously been keeping his distance, approached her. "Ms. Hansen, do you have something to say to me?" he inquired.


    Eva was momentarily silent, not expecting his alertness. Then she asked directly, "You know me and know who I am, right?"


    David seemed taken aback by her question and hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes."


    "I''ve lost my memory. Michael Cooper says I''m his fianc��e. Is that true?" she asked.


    Upon hearing this, David''s brow furrowed, probably because he hadn''t expected Michael Cooper to say such a thing. But considering Eva had lost her memory and he wanted to keep her by his side, perhaps it made sense to use such an exnation.


    Yet...


    David raised his eyes to look at Eva but didn''t respond.


    "Judging by your expression, it''s not the case?" she deduced.


    David remained quiet, but his eyes seemingly confirmed Eva''s guess.


    At this point, Eva could roughly determine something: David might not be on her side, but he definitely wasn''t on Michael Cooper''s side either. Otherwise, he could have easily affirmed the fianc��e story when she asked about it-after all, she had lost her memory.


    With this thought in mind, Eva asked further, "Why were you looking at me with guilt earlier? What have you done that you owe me an apology for?"


    Hearing this, David lifted his head again, looking at her with the same prating gaze, seeming on the verge of speaking.


    "If you have something to say, you''d better speak quickly; Jane will be back soon," Eva prompted, urging him in a roundabout way.


    Indeed, after she said this, David seemed to realize this was a rare opportunity. He lowered his head, seriously organizing his thoughts, and then addressed Eva, " Don''t you remember anything at all, Ms. Hansen??"


    Eva paused, not immediately answering his question, but counter-asked, "Should I remember something?"


    "Have you forgotten everything? Isn''t there something important that you still remember?" he probed further.


    His words prompted Eva to contemte subconsciously.


    Something important?


    It seemed like all her memories had vanished.


    If there was something crucial that she didn''t want to forget, there might indeed be one thing.


    Only, she herself did not know what that was.


    Perhaps, the man before her would know.


    With that thought, Eva immediately responded, "I''ve indeed forgotten everything, but my subconscious tells me there''s still something very important that I haven''t done."


    She paused slightly as she spoke, and sure enough, she saw a look of surprise sh across David''s face. So she asked, "You know what it is, don''t you?"


    After this question, David''s conflicted expression and pained eyes showed his indecision.


    Compared to his turmoil, Eva simply observed him with a calm gaze, quietly awaiting his response.


    He was, after all, someone Michael Cooper had sent, and if he had something to tell her, it likely required some mental preparation.


    Time seemed to stretch, and just when Eva felt Jane was about to return, David finally nodded. "Yes."


    Eva''s heart tightened with the fall of that single word.


    Uncontrobly, her heart began to race. Suppressing the impulse to stand up, she tried to keep her voice steady as she asked, "What is it?"

 Chapter 468 What does Ms. Hansen intend to do?

    Jane took quite an effort to get the food that Eva wanted to eat. When she returned, a joyous smile graced her face as if she had secured some incredible trophy.


    "Ms. Hansen, have you been waiting long? You wouldn''t believe it, but there was such a line at that stall outside. You have a good eye; this looks like it should be pretty tasty," Jane said, offering the food to Eva with a flourish. Unfortunately, Eva wasn''t paying any attention to her.


    Her eyes were downcast, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.


    Jane found this odd and called out to her a few more times.


    It was only upon hearing the sound that Eva seemed to snap back to reality.


    When she regained her senses she saw Jane standing before her holding out the food


    "Ms. Hansen, I''ve brought back what you asked for."


    Eva smelled the aroma of the food. She hadn''t had much of an appetite to begin with, and asking Jane to buy the food was just a way to send her away.


    And after hearing David''s words, her mind was flooded with thoughts.


    But seeing Jane looking at her with hopeful eyes, Eva reluctantly epted the food.


    "Thank you."


    The food from the roadside stall was wrapped in a paper bag. She unwrapped it and took a light bite.


    "Ms. Hansen, how does it taste?"


    Eva was still preupied with other matters, so she didn''t really register the taste. When Jane asked, she simply nodded.


    "It''s good."


    Relieved that Eva approved of the taste, Jane felt her efforts weren''t wasted.


    Even so, Eva only took two bites before stopping.


    Jane hesitated, "Ms. Hansen, aren''t you eating anymore?"


    But Eva did not answer her question, as if she had sunk back into her thoughts.


    After the conversation with David, Eva understood the general situation. Once David mentioned that person''s name, she finally sorted out her thoughts. She had always felt there was something unfinished, but she didn''t know what it was. After hearing from David, she realized what she needed to do.


    Michael Cooper hadn''t told her about this matter, so through David''s words, Eva gained some additional information. It became clear that Michael Cooper wanted her to stay by his side, and indeed, she hade willingly to be near him to save Adrian ckwood. She was meant to rescue Adrian ckwood.


    Having grasped the crux of the matter, Eva knew what she had to do next, but this task was something David revealed to her. So when she was feeling conflicted, David told her, "Ms. Hansen, do whatever you want to do without considering me."


    His words implied that there is no need for her to worry about the consequences his revtion might have on him. After all, she had lost all her memories, forgotten everything, and now that he had followed her today, if she returned knowing this piece of information, it was obvious that she would realize it came from him.


    He saw her hesitation and pre-emptively informed her. So because of his sacrifice, Eva hesitated even more. He must have taken a risk to help her, and if she acted without considering his safety...


    "Don''t worry, even if I decide to do it, I''ll make sure to n carefully," Eva assured him.


    Hearing this, David looked somewhat puzzled. "What does Ms. Hansen intend to do?"


    Eva stayed outside for just a short while before returning. She had only eaten a few bites of the food Jane bought before wanting to discard it, but Jane thought it was too wasteful and finished it herself. Seeing Jane eat her leftovers, Eva''s cheeks warmed slightly with embarrassment.


    However, Jane stillforted her, "It''s all right, Ms. Hansen. You don''t have to feel embarrassed. I feel like you''re like a sister to me, so I wouldn''t mind at all."


    "If you don''t mind, then it''s fine," Eva replied, finding the girl''s disposition and character quite refreshing.


    David remained in the car, listening to the conversation between Jane and Eva, his gaze fixed on the back of Eva''s head. His mind was consumed by the question Eva had asked him before Jane got back.


    "I just want to ask you one thing is it true that I came here voluntarily?"


    At the time she asked this question, David thought she might have been testing him, unsure if she could trust him, so he answered truthfully based on the facts. He even thought afterward that if she didn''t believe him, there was nothing he could do about it.


    But as they got into the car, it dawned on him that her question wasn''t out of distrust, but rather because she did trust him enough to ask. Moreover, what was most crucial was that his answer mattered greatly, as it would determine what she would do next.


    And with that...


    David continued to stare nkly at the back of Eva''s head, his expression and eyes bing more serious.


    If her question was rted to what he thought it might be, then he probably knew what she intended to do next.


    He should advise her, but when the words reached his lips, David found himself unable to utter a single one.


    What could he possibly advise? His own situation was precarious.


    It wasn''t until they were almost back at the vi and everyone had gotten out of the car that David couldn''t help but offer a cautionary reminder: "Ms. Hansen, I shouldn''t really say this, but please be careful with any decisions you make." Hearing this, Eva paused mid-motion, quickly grasping the meaning behind his words.


    She nced at David and saw an even deeper sense of guilt in his eyes.


    Eva pursed her lips, realizing he likely knew what she was nning to do.


    However, her decision wasn''t something easily swayed, so after holding his gaze for a moment, she looked away.


    Once inside the house, Eva immediately asked Jane, "You''ve been here for some time; where is Michael Cooper usually around this hour?"


    Jane thought for a moment, then began, "Mr. Cooper actually rarely stayed here before, and only recently started to..."


    She stopped abruptly as her expression changed, realizing she had misspoken and quickly corrected herself: "Anyway, Mr. Cooper is probably not at home at this time."


    Having already gleaned the general nature of her rtionship with Michael Cooper from David, Eva didn''t pursue Jane''s slip-up. Instead, she said, "I''m going to take a nap. Let him know toe find me when he gets back." With that, Eva left for upstairs.


    Jane stood still until the butler approached to inquire, prompting her to ry the recent events.


    The butler made a prompt decision to call Michael Cooper.


    Upon learning she was looking for him, Michael dropped everything he was doing and hurried home.


    "She''s looking for me? Where is she now?"


    Jane hadn''t expected Michael Cooper to return so quickly and was momentarily taken aback.


    "Yes, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen went upstairs to bed and asked you to see her when you return."

 Chapter 469 Eva, You Really Do Know Me Well

    Hearing that she was asleep, Michael Cooper didn''t feel the urge to rush anymore.


    He was initially concerned when the butler called, perhaps the aftermath of her recent injury, which cast a shadow over him, making him especially anxious about Eva''s well-being. Once the call was made, he dropped everything to rush back.


    Learning she was just sleeping, he exhaled in relief.


    Standing there, he turned to Jane, "Didn''t she go out for a stroll? Howe she''s back so soon?"


    "Yes," Jane nodded. "But she felt tired just as we entered the supermarket. Ms. Hansen only bought some food instead of shopping, and then we returned."


    Michael Cooper''s attention peaked when Jane mentioned that Eva had taken the initiative to buy food, "What did she buy?"


    After Jane listed off the items and added, "But Ms. Hansen hardly ate any of it, she didn''t seem very interested."


    "It''s okay, just keep that in mind forter."


    Eva was still willing to nibble on some food. Definitely worth taking note of.


    "Sure, Mr. Cooper."


    Jane noticed he remained standing in ce and couldn''t help but ask, "So, Mr. Cooper, when will you be visiting Ms. Hansen?" "No rush."


    Michael Cooper''s expression was cid, his gaze warm and gentle. "Isn''t she sleeping? We''ll talk after she wakes up. Would you please let the kitchen know to keep food ready at all times?" Jane agreed and headed off towards the kitchen. She couldn''t stop thinking on her way; Mr. Cooper truly cared for Ms. Hansen.


    And Ms. Hansen had turned out to be easier to get on well with than expected. If things between themsted, her work environment would definitely be more rxed. Yet, she faintly sensed that Ms. Hansen might not be fond of Mr. Cooper.


    But then, considering the kindness Mr. Cooper had shown by bringing her into his home, and his open disy of affection, it would be hard for any woman to not be charmed. With this thought, Jane felt reassured and pushed the matter out of her mind.


    Eva, after returning to her room, didn''t actually fall asleep. Instead, shey in bed, thinking about what she would say to Michael Cooper when he came.


    Before long, noise from outside caught her attention. Since she wasn''t asleep, she even heard the sound of the doorknob turning.


    Surprised by the noise, Eva sat up immediately.


    Therefore, when Michael Cooper walked in, the first thing he saw was her sitting on the bed''s edge, eyes wide open, looking straight at him.


    He had expected to find her asleep, to sneak a quick peek and leave. But there she was, awake.


    "Didn''t sleep?" he asked right away.


    Instead of answering his question, Eva got straight to the point: "I have something to discuss with you."


    That statement made Michael Cooper''s eyes flicker with a hint of anticipation, as if he already guessed what wasing. He approached her.


    As Eva was about to step out of bed, he grabbed a sweater from the rack and draped it over her.


    "It''s chilly, remember to bundle up when you get out of bed, don''t catch a cold."


    The heating in the room made it quite warm, but Michael thought the clothing she wore was too light.


    "What did you want to discuss? Sit down."


    Eva sat on the edge of her bed and Michael Cooper, not bothering to find a chair, simply knelt down in front of her.


    "What is it you want to talk to me about?"


    Eva pursed her lips, watching him kneel down: "Take a seat?"


    Michael Cooper waved his hand dismissively. "It''s fine, leave it at that."


    Eva knew there was no shifting his resolve, and without further persuasion, she cut straight to the chase with the question she had meticulously crafted in her mind.


    "The person I intended to save before I lost my memory-who was it?"


    Michael had anticipated she might broach the subject, but her straightforwardness caught him off guard. Still, it was very much in line with her character: direct, even in the way she had earnestly rejected him in the past. A wry smile flickered across Michael''s lips. "Did David tell you?"


    Eva returned his gaze with a serene steadiness. "Aren''t you the one giving him opportunities?"


    She knew that Michael felt some guilt and had allowed David to stay close by as a chance to redeem himself.


    After her words, Michael watched her in silence, a slow smile creeping across his face. "Even with your memory gone, you always seem to read my mind. Eva, you really do know me well."


    Eva remained silent. She thought to herself, ''It''s pretty obvious to anyone, Michael. Your transparency doesn''t exactly require deep understanding.''


    She didn''t want to dwell on this trivial matter; her focus was on resolving the purpose of her visit.


    "So, can I see him now?"


    Her determination wasn''t swayed by his attempts to change the subject. She was intent on addressing the issue at hand.


    A flicker of displeasure crossed the depths of Michael''s dark eyes, surprised by her persistent concern even after losing her memory. "Eva, you can''t see him."


    At his words, Eva''s brows knit together in confusion. "Why not? If you were against it, why bother having David tell me in the first ce?" Michael remained silent, holding her gaze.


    After a moment, Eva, resolved to cut to the chase, pressed him. "Just tell me, what do you want me to do?"


    "You can''t see him, but you can make me give him treatment and help him leave. There''s just one condition," Michael said, pausing briefly. "I suppose you know what that condition is." Eva didn''t respond, pursing up her lips in thought.


    "Have you made up your mind?" Michael fixed his eyes on her. "I''ll let him go, but in return, you will stay with me."


    He knew she had likelye with her decision made, but he wanted to hear it from her to hear her say she would stay by his side.


    But Eva, as if she heard his innermost desires, gave him no such satisfaction. Instead, she replied coolly, "If that''s my only option to achieve my goal, then so be it. What I think doesn''t really matter, does it?"


    Michael Cooper held his silence, a faint trace of disappointment cresting his features. He watched her for a prolonged moment, before a small smile yed at the corners of his mouth, "You might have a point." "I want to see him," Eva stated.


    As a matter of fact, she and David also discussed something else because David was surprised to learn that despite her amnesia, she still remembered having something very important unfinished. In the midst of their conversation, he made a suggestion.


    "Ms. Hansen, you still remember this matter, perhaps... You could try to meet Mr. ckwood in person. It might help you regain your memories."


    So, she kept David''s words in mind and thought they made sense.


    Memory should be something that can be stimted. Perhaps seeing someone who is important to her might trigger her lost memories?


    This feeling of not knowing anything, being unable to control anything, and having to rely on others to tell her everything was simply too dreadful.

 Chapter 470 A Single Meeting

    Eva believed that Michael Cooper would agree to let her see Adrian just once.


    But on second thought, she paused-Michael Cooper might not consent.


    If she and David could think of it, Michael Cooper must have considered it too. Yet, she was willing to take the gamble. After all, whether her memory was intact or not, she hade of her own volition. Her past memories might be gone, but her instinctive reactions and clear understanding of her own character convinced her that her decisions were always well-considered.


    "Eva, as I''ve said, a meeting is out of the question."


    Michael Cooper''s smile was gentle as his eyes met hers with warmth, "Beyond that, I''m open to anything else you might need."


    At his words, a frown creased Eva''s brow unconsciously.


    "Aren''t you making this difficult for me? This is my only request."


    To which Michael Cooper challenged, "Are you sure?"


    Eva froze.


    "After the meeting, won''t you want to cure his wounds? Or help him return to where he belongs?"


    As he spoke, Michael''s hand rested on her wrist, initially light, but soon his grip intensified.


    "If I could only agree to one condition, which would it be?"


    She stared at him, lost for words.


    "Will it be the meeting, or sending him back to where hees from for treatment?"


    After a long pause, Eva asked, ''Was this in our original deal?"


    "It wasn''t," Michael Cooper admitted openly.


    "This is not something we need to schedule it''s a choice I''m offering you right now."


    Eva gave him a long, silent look before pulling her wrist free from his grasp.


    Then, she turned her back on him.


    Her attitude made Michael Cooper pause for a moment before he added, "Do you need some time to think it over? That''s alright. We''re not running out of time, and I''m not in any rush. Just let me know once you''ve made up your mind." Eva remained silent.


    Yes, he wasn''t in a hurry, but the person lying in the hospital bed certainly was.


    Thinking about the person who might have gone untreated during the days she couldn''t remember made her restless. They had already lost several days, and if she dyed her decision any longer, she feared the worst...


    "I''ll leave you to get some rest. I''lle back to check on youter," he said, and got ready to leave.


    Eva watched his retreating figure and, just as he was about to step out the door, she stopped him. "Wait."


    "Fine, I can''t see him, but at least let me check on his condition," Eva bit her lip. "How else will I know if he''s really safe? How can I trust you''re not deceiving me?"


    Michael Cooper turned from the doorway to look back at her.


    "Don''t you trust David? Once you''ve agreed to stay, I''ll assign him to you to handle your affairs exclusively. Whatever task you set for him, like visiting the person you''re concerned about, he''ll carry out and report back to you." At his words, Eva finally understood.


    She and David had thought of the same thing as Michael Cooper: he wouldn''t let her regain her memory directly, let alone meet that person.


    The feeling of being controlled and threatened was truly infuriating.


    Feeling like a knot of frustration was lodged in her chest, Eva realized she had no other choice.


    With reluctance, she agreed.


    "Fine."


    Upon hearing her assent, Michael gripped the doorknob tighter, turning around in disbelief.


    "You''re agreeing?"


    Eva''s smile was mocking


    "Do I have any other option?"


    But it seemed Michael Cooper couldn''t see the sarcasm in her eyes. All he knew was that she had agreed to stay, and without her past memories, he had a greater chance this time.


    He smiled genuinely, "I will ask someone to bring you some food. Are you hungry?"


    "I''m not interested in eating; send David to me."


    With those final words, Eva turned away from Michael Cooper, clearly done with the conversation.


    Even from a distance, Michael could sense her extreme annoyance.


    His mood had shifted to one of pleasure, and in this state, even if Eva crossed the line with him-be it hitting or scolding-he''d take it with open arms. With that thought, a smirk crept across Michael Cooper''s lips.


    "Alright, I''ll send for him toe see you."


    The door closed and the room fell silent once more.


    The memory of Michael''s cheerful tone upon leaving weighed heavily on Eva. It was as if something was lodged in her chest-she felt stifled.


    She couldn''t eveny eyes on the man, and Michael wouldn''t allow her to see how he was faring. She had no choice but to ask David for help.


    She felt he was trustworthy. Once he arrived, she needed to inquire if there was any way for her to see that person.


    David arrived promptly, likely because Michael was so pleased with her decision to stay that he hadn''t been gone long before a knock sounded on Eva''s door. "Ms. Hansen."


    David''s voice floated through from the other side of the door.


    Eva rose swiftly to wee him in.


    Once he stepped inside, she quickly filled him in on the recent events.


    "I see," David said, his face reflecting a touch of gravity. "If we can think of it, Mr. Cooper certainly has as well."


    "Right," Eva nodded. "Is there any way I could see him?"


    David pressed his lips together, pondering.


    A way?


    He didn''t even know Adrian ckwood''s whereabouts after Michael had taken him-it was hard enough trying to locate him, let alone arrange for Eva to meet him. Noticing the troubled look on David''s face, Eva sighed inwardly.


    "If it''s too difficult, don''t worry about it. Just go check on him for me, assure his safety."


    "Did Mr. Cooper agree?" David inquired.


    "Yeah, we''ve already settled on an agreement," she confirmed.


    An agreement?


    A frown creased David''s brow. "Ms. Hansen, you didn''t agree to Mr. Cooper''s terms, did you?"


    At his inquiry, Eva tugged at her lips.


    Seeing her reaction, David hesitated, struggling to find words. "Ms. Hansen..."


    "There''s no other way that I can think of right now. Adrian''s safetyes first. When can you go check on him? The sooner, the better, of course."


    Hearing her pressing need, David assured her, "If that''s what you need, Ms. Hansen, I''ll go right away."


    Before he left, Eva reminded him, ''Michael doesn''t want me to see Adrian or even know his condition. He''ll probably keep a close eye on you as well. I had hoped to at least sneak a peek at a photo of him." Maybe she''d remember something after seeing a photo?


    Hearing Eva''s words, David''s lips moved slightly before he replied, "Ms. Hansen, don''t worry. I know what you''re thinking, and I''ll do my best to help." "Thank you."


    "By the way, Ms. Hansen, did Mr. Cooper give you a cell phone?"


    "Yes, what about it?"


    David paused to think, then suggested, "Maybe you could try searching for Mr. ckwood''s name on your phone."

 Chapter 471 Hesitation to Act

    Search up Adrian''s name?


    After David left, Eva immediately pulled out her phone and opened her web browser, puzzled by David''s suggestion. Was this Adrian really that famous?


    While wondering, she typed his name into the search bar.


    Just as David said, typing the name was indeed helpful; there was information about Adrian ckwood, even a profile.


    However, Eva scrolled and scrolled, but no photo appeared.


    She thought to herself that this man''s privacy was incredibly well-guarded. With such detailed profiles avable, his status must be significant, yet not a single photo was to be found. After another fruitless search, just as she was about to give up, Eva stumbled upon a photo that could possibly be Adrian ckwood. She clicked on it eagerly.


    The photo was crowded and the subject was far away, but she could make out a tall, poised man at the center of attention.


    The camera was distant, yet Eva could still discern his handsome features and the smooth contour of his profile.


    Staring at the face in the photo, Eva lost herself in thought.


    It felt so familiar...


    But the photo was too distant, and the man was wearing sunsses. She could feel the familiarity, yet it failed to jog her memory.


    Now, just as before, staring at the photo brought back nothing.


    Unsatisfied with giving up so easily, Eva saved the photo and exited to continue her search.


    Her target might have kept a tight seal on his privacy, but even the most careful individuals can''t always avoid the asional candid shot.


    As she was about to stop earlier, this photo had popped up. Maybe with a bit more persistence, she could find something clearer, something closer.


    However, before she could resume her search, footsteps approached from outside her door.


    The steady pace of the footsteps caught Eva''s attention for a split second before she quickly exited the page, slipped the phone under her pillow, andid back down, pulling the covers up. Shortly after she settled in, the bedroom door swung open.


    The aroma of food wafted into the room.


    Eva, lying with her back to the door, scrunched her brows ever so slightly as she caught the scent.


    "Eva, asleep?"


    Michael Cooper''s footsteps stopped beside her bed, and he struck up a conversation: "How about grabbing a bite before you sleep?"


    At his words, Eva purposely closed her eyes, feigning sleep to ignore him.


    The next moment, however, Michael was right in front of her with a te in hand, calling out to her again, "Eva?"


    Eva remained silent, determined not to engage with him.


    Her eyes stayed shut, her body motionless.


    "Are you pretending to sleep?"


    Michael, relentless as if he had no intention of backing down, pressed on, his breath growing closer to her.


    Feeling his breath on her face, Eva couldn''t keep up the act. Scooting backward, she dodged his advance, eyes flinging open. Sure enough, Michael had been leaning in close, and as she scooted away, a slight distance finally emerged between them. Eva''s heart skipped a beat. Had she not moved when she did, what had he been nning to do?


    She reminded herself, never to pretend to sleep before him again and to start locking her room.


    Annoyed, Eva said sharply, "I''m trying to sleep. What do you want?"


    "Eat something first, hm?"


    Eva nced at the food in his hands and declined, "I''m not hungry."


    "But I heard from the attendant you barely ate today. Are you neglecting your health?"


    Containing her irritation, she insisted, "I''m really not hungry. I just want to sleep now, can you please leave?"


    "Eva..." Michael''s voice held a note of helplessness as he uttered her name, "It''s not good to skip meals."


    "I''ll eat when I feel like it, you don''t need to worry about that," she retorted stubbornly.


    Michael gazed at her quietly, apparently reluctant to leave.


    Eva couldn''t care less, turning her back to him and pulling the covers over herself as she demanded, "Please leave and close the door behind you. And stop barging in."


    While this was his domain, her unyielding stance made it seem as if he was the intruder on her territory.


    Despite being disregarded so tantly, anger didn''t suit him; considering she''d be around for the future, he dismissed further thoughts.


    After a lingering silence, Michael finally obliged and left.


    Eva waited until all was quiet, then swiftly got up, tiptoed to the door, and turned the lock.


    Only when she heard the sound of the lock clicking did Eva exhale in relief.


    This should deter any easy entrances from now on, right?


    Michael Cooper held the keys to the mansion, potentially even to her room. If he was determined to enter, he held the means. Nheless, setting the lock on her door was her own statement of boundaries. David had been gone for nearly three hours before he returned. His first order of business was to seek out Eva.


    "How is it?" Eva asked anxiously as soon as she saw him.


    David had rehearsed his response. "Ms. Hansen, there''s no immediate threat to his life," he said, facing her.


    Though Mr. ckwood''s condition seemed dire, with Cooper''s men in charge, the situation was under control -- at least to ensure it wasn''t life-threatening.


    Eva wasn''t sure if she was overly sensitive, or if there was something in David''s message that caused her rm.


    "No immediate threat?" She couldn''t help but press, "Is his condition that critical?"


    David pressed his lips together and let out a resigned sigh.


    "It doesn''t look good, but Mr. Cooper won''t let anything happen to him."


    After all, he mused, if anything serious happened, Ms. Hansen wouldn''t stay, would she?


    Her response was a clenched jaw.


    "Not letting anything happen to him and letting him be safe and sound are two different things."


    David silently agreed.


    Indeed, preventing disaster didn''t necessarily mean keeping Mr. ckwood unscathed. An individual could be kept alive on the brink of death just as well as in full health.


    It all depended on how Michael Cooper''s subordinates chose to handle the matter.


    "If Ms. Hansen is worried, then we should expedite the process to get Mr. Cooper to bring him back," David suggested.


    "What about his own people?" she inquired.


    "What?" David took a moment to understand that she was referring to Adrian ckwood''s associates.


    He shook his head.


    "We haven''t received anymunication on this end. I suspect they wouldn''t dare make a move right now."


    Eva bit her lip and looked down at her pale hands.


    "I understand."


    David wanted to offer somefort, but realized his advice was futile at such a juncture. All his words retreated unspoken.

 Chapter 472 Still Believe in Forever?

    Eva had her dinner downstairs, with only Michael Cooper joining her at the dining table.


    The others were all standing by on the side. Eva didn''t like being watched by so many people while eating, so she said to Michael Cooper, "Can you have them leave us alone? Not stare over here?" Michael Cooper paused for a moment, then he instructed the attendants to leave.


    Once the hall was left with just the two of them, Eva felt the air be somewhat morefortable.


    She stirred the food in her bowl with a spoon, looking up at Michael Cooper.


    "Have something you want to say to me?"


    "Yes.


    Eva nodded, and since he had brought it up, she went straight to the point: "David has already told me about Adrian ckwood''s situation."


    Michael Cooper didn''t speak, only quietly watching her, waiting for what she was going to say next.


    "I hope you can promise me one thing."


    "Tell me."


    "Let him get out of here unharmed."


    At that, Michael Cooper''s eyes seemed to flutter, and after a moment the corners of his lips curled, "Unharmed? I''m afraid not."


    "What do you mean?" Hearing his words, Eva almost jumped up, "Why not? Don''t you want to keep your promise?"


    Seeing her in such a hurry, Michael Cooper''s eyes darkened slightly, his thin lips pursed tightly.


    Even after losing her memory, is she still so anxious for him?


    "Do you like him that much?"


    "Does it have anything to do with liking? It was you who promised me......


    "When did I promise you to leave him unharmed?"


    The conversation made Eva look at him incredulously.


    "So what if you don''t want to keep your promise now? If you don''t want to keep your promise, then is it okay for me to?"


    Before she could finish, Eva''s wrist was held by Michael Cooper.


    "Eva, it''s not that I don''t want to keep my promise. I simply can''t ensure he won''t be harmed, especially since he''s already injured." Eva paused.


    "I can only promise you that I will do my best to heal him."


    With a sigh of resignation, Michael Cooper said, "So what were you thinking just now? Do you see me as someone who doesn''t keep his promises? Even with memory loss, am I really so contemptible in your eyes?" He looked wounded, his gaze painfully resting on Eva.


    Confronted by such a look, Eva felt an inexplicable guilt, as if she hadmitted some unforgivable sin.


    She turned her head away, biting her lower lip gently.


    "I didn''t mean that; I misunderstood what you said earlier."


    After saying this, she asked, "So what you''re implying is that you''ll arrange the best possible treatment for him right away and ensure his safe departure, right?" Detecting her intentions, the corners of Michael Cooper''s mouth curved up slightly.


    "Yes, I can do that. I will arrange the best doctor for him and have someone personally ensure his safe return to his country, but I have one condition."


    At his words, Eva furrowed her brows.


    "What''s the condition?"


    "Marry me."


    The air seemed to freeze as Eva did not answer his question, and her gaze towards him gradually became icy cold.


    "Unwilling?" he queried.


    "What do you think?" she retorted.


    "What are we to do then? I will only agree to your request if you agree to mine."


    Michael Cooper gently grasped her wrist. "This is an additional condition. Think about it seriously; I''m not in a hurry."


    There it was again.


    He imed he wasn''t in a hurry.


    He knew full well that Adrian ckwood was injured, yet he said he wasn''t in a rush.


    Who was left to feel urgency? That burden seemed to fall solely on her.


    Eva bit her lower lip and asked, "What if I don''t agree? Will you still send him away?"


    "Of course, I will. That''s what I promised you before. As long as you stay here, I''ll ensure he''s safely escorted out... However, I won''t be responsible for the medical equipment and resources he''ll need during his departure." Eva looked at him.


    It took a while before she spoke again: "I heard that you two were friends once."


    Thement caught Michael Cooper a little off guard, probably not expecting her toe out of nowhere.


    "Are you always so ruthless towards your friends?"


    The faint smile on Michael Cooper''s lips vanished as he fixed his gaze on her.


    "You can ignore how severely your friend is hurt, even joke about his life. Could theree a day when my life bes another one of your jokes?"


    This statement caused Michael Cooper''s brows to furrow deeply, and he immediately denied it.


    "That''s impossible, Eva. You hold a different ce in my heart than others; you are the most special one."


    "Is that so?" Eva let out a coldugh. "You like me now, so you say I''m the most special one. But what aboutter? If you stop liking me, will you treat me just like you treat others?"


    The more Michael Cooper listened, the more rmed he became.


    "Eva, what are you talking about? It''s impossible for me to ever treat you that way. In my eyes, you will always be the most special person."


    "There''s no such thing as forever."


    Eva interrupted him with some impatience, "How old are you to still believe in such fairy tales of forever? Or how old do you think I am? Do you think I would believe it?" Michael Cooper pursed his lips.


    "You''re young now, so you can recklessly say I''m special and even talk about forever, since there''s no loss for you. But whether or not you can live up to those words in the future, who can see that?" Michael Cooper looked at her steadily: "If you don''t believe it, then stay by my side and find out."


    "I don''t even like you. Why would I stay with you to confirm something so illusory?"


    Her blunt deration of disinterest pierced sharply into Michael Cooper''s heart.


    "Now you treat your friend this way, and in the future, you''ll treat me the same, yet you expect me to get engaged to you."


    Her words threw Michael Cooper into a bit of a panic.


    His intention was to get her to agree to an engagement, to achieve his goal, but unexpectedly, it made her see him as dreadful, even filling her gaze with fear.


    For a moment, Michael Cooper didn''t know whether she was being sincere or acting.


    As clever as she was, it wasn''t beyond possibility that she was putting on an act to deceive him.


    But Michael Cooper knew, whether her emotions were genuine or an act, the look she gave him at that moment truly made him feel anxious.


    With this thought, he could only try topose himself and steady her.


    "Don''t rush into anything. Let''s finish our dinner first, and after that, we can discuss this matter properly."


    Yet Eva just stared nkly at the food in front of her, and after a moment, she let out a bitterugh.


    "Today we have a feastid out. Maybe tomorrow I might be the one injured, lying somewhere waiting for someone to rescue me?" Michael Cooper: "..."


    "There''s no need to eat anymore."


    Eva put down her spoon with a deste smile.


    "After all, it seems like a miserable end is inevitable, sooner orter."


    Having said that, Eva stood up, ready to leave.


    Michael Cooper was infuriated by her remarks, but he still called out to her as she was about to depart.


    "Wait."


    Eva turned back, giving him an icy stare.


    "I''ll arrange for the best doctor to treat him right now. Is that okay? Are you satisfied with that?"

 Chapter 473 Yet to Wake

    Eva, however, met his words with skepticism. "Empty promises. How do I know whether what you''re saying is true?" Before her eyes, Michael took out his phone and made a call. "Get the best medical team for Adrian ckwood immediately." As he made the call, Eva watched with a detached coolness. After he hung up, he looked at her, searching for a sign of trust. "So? Do you believe me now?"


    Eva hadn''t anticipated that her suspicions would lead to such swift action. Initially constrained by his controlling demeanor, she never expected that her doubts about whether he would treat her like he did Adrian ckwood would send him into an anxious frenzy to prove himself.


    She was pleasantly surprised to discover this effective strategy.


    Eva then said, "Don''t all your people obey you? Perhaps you are just putting on an act in front of me. Anyone can do that."


    After saying this, Eva stood up and left without giving him another chance to prove himself.


    Anyway, the one who should be anxious now was probably him.


    Although she didn''t understand why her skepticism had made him so eager to prove himself so frequently, she still didn''t believe him. So, if he ultimately wanted her to believe, he should present the results right in front of her. That would be the best proof.


    When Eva returned to her room, she saw Jane waiting for her at the door.


    Because she disliked having a bunch of attendants standing around while she ate, everyone had gone off to attend to their own tasks.


    Ever since Jane had been chosen by Eva that day, Michael Cooper had directly assigned her to follow Eva. Thus, when Eva went downstairs, Jane could only wait outside for her return. Seeing here back, Jane quickly approached her.


    "Ms. Hansen, have you had your meal?"


    Noticing the enthusiastic Jane, Eva felt somewhat better. She lifted the corner of her lips and nodded.


    "Yes, I have."


    "How much did you eat? Did you have enough?" Jane asked, while observing her, "Ms. Hansen, you really are too thin; you need to eat more."


    Lost in thought, Eva didn''t hear Jane until she called her name a second time. She finally snapped back to reality.


    "What is it?"


    "Nothing much, I just noticed Ms. Hansen seemed lost in her thoughts. I called you several times, but you didn''t hear me," Jane said.


    After hearing Jane''s words, Eva slipped back into her own musings.


    Witnessing this, Jane couldn''t help but sigh softly to herself. The weight on Ms. Hansen''s mind seemed too heavy.


    This time, Jane chose not to call her again and instead waited for Eva toe back around on her own.


    Eventually, Eva did refocus, but her first question was to ask, "Where''s David? Where is he now?"


    "I''m not quite sure where David is at the moment," Jane replied, "but if Ms. Hansen wishes to find him, I can go look for him on your behalf?" "Yes, please do that. When you find him, tell him I need to see him."


    "Alright, Ms. Hansen. I''ll go right now."


    David arrived quickly as usual, and as soon as Eva saw him, she recounted everything that had transpired downstairs.


    "So, Ms. Hansen, you would like me to verify if the information is urate?" David quickly grasped what she was hinting at.


    Eva nodded and said, "You''re the only person here I can trust, so when the timees, help me investigate to see if he really did call for the best medical team to treat him." David pursed his lips and nodded in agreement, "Alright, I understand."


    He had only been to Adrian ckwood''s current location once, with Michael Cooper''s permission, to confirm there was no immediate threat to his life.


    That ce...


    David''s eyes narrowed slightly; getting back in would likely be challenging unless Mr. Cooper permitted it.


    It seemed he needed toe up with a n.


    As David walked away deep in thought, his phone received a summons the next second. He looked at the message-it was from Michael Cooper, consisting of just two words: "Come here." Since he had been assigned to Eva''s side, Michael Cooper rarely called for him anymore because his task was to ensure Eva''s safety, which generally meant there was no need for further summons. If he was being summoned now, it surely had to do with something rted to Eva.


    Could it be rted to what Ms. Hansen had just mentioned?


    David made his way over promptly.


    Indeed, as he had anticipated, Michael Cooper got straight to the point upon seeing him, instructing him to follow up on the progress and confirm the matter that Eva had discussed with him.


    Upon learning that a medical team had indeed been called to treat Adrian ckwood, David pursed his lips and, unable to contain himself, asked, "Mr. Cooper, did you do this because you''re worried Ms. Hansen might misunderstand you or because he was once your friend and you can''t bring yourself to be harsh with him?"


    Hearing this, Michael Cooper''s actions paused, and then he turned his head to look at David, his gaze turning frosty and ominous.


    "Your task is to report the results of the situation to her, not to question my decisions here."


    "I just want to know, Mr. Cooper, have you at any point regretted your decision?" David continued.


    Michael Cooper looked at him coldly.


    Now, he hadpletely lost his former gentle demeanor.


    "Get out."


    David gave him a silent look and added onest remark: "It''s not toote to turn back now."


    After saying that, David turned and walked away.


    Michael Cooper remained alone in ce, his gaze darkly fixed on a particr spot, his lips tightly pressed together, deep in thought.


    A long whileter, he finally rose from the darkness and slowly made his exit.


    The following day, David came back to see Eva.


    "I checkedst night, and Mr. Cooper indeed brought in a top-tier medical team to treat Mr. ckwood. Mr. ckwood''s condition is currently very stable."


    Even though Eva didn''t remember Adrian ckwood now, hearing the news of his safety still brought her immense relief and joy.


    "Really?"


    So he hadn''t lied to her?


    David nodded: "Yes, if he remains stable for a few more days, he should be able to leave."


    Something crossed Eva''s mind, and she asked, "Is he willing to leave?"


    David paused, then said, "Mr. ckwood has been unconscious the whole time up to now; he hasn''t woken up yet."


    Hearing this, Eva finally understood that the person for whom she hade rushing to provide aid was not solely on the receiving end of her efforts. If he was conscious, surely there would have been other actions taken on his part. So it turned out that he had been unconscious all this time.


    Unconscious for so long...


    Eva looked up at David: "Didn''t you ask the doctors about his current condition? Being unconscious for such a long time, could it mean his brain has suffered some damage?"


    Upon Eva''s inquiry, it was evident that David hadn''t asked, so he could only reply, "If I can go there again tomorrow, I''ll ask the doctors on behalf of Ms. Hansen."

 Chapter 474 Anorexia Nervosa

    Michael Cooper kept his word, and David was able to visit Adrian ckwood again the next day. He brought the update that Adrian was doing well, which allowed Eva to breathe a sigh of relief. Next, she needed to ask Michael Cooper when Adrian would be sent back.


    David, however, seemed hesitant as she started downstairs.


    "Ms. Hansen?"


    Eva stopped and turned to look at him.


    "Do you have something to say?"


    After a moment''s silence, with David''s lips moving but no wordsing out, Eva urged, "David, you''re the only person I trust here. If you don''t tell me, then I''m truly fighting alone." After hearing her say this, David finally spoke, "I just wanted to ask, what do you n to do next?"


    What to do next?


    That question caught Eva off guard.


    She pondered, "After Mr. ckwood safely leaves, do you really n to stay by Mr. Cooper''s side?"


    Eva pursed her lips. Michael Cooper was not her cup of tea, so, of course, she wouldn''t stay by his side.


    Eva had not yete up with a good n and, for the time being, her priority was to ensure that Adrian ckwood could leave this ce safely.


    As for herself...


    It might be easier to act when she was alone.


    Seeing that she didn''t respond, David continued, "Although I''m not entirely clear about what you''ll do afterward, I hope Ms. Hansen can agree to a request of mine."


    "Go ahead," she said.


    "Even though Mr. Cooper has made many mistakes, I hope that in the end... Although we don''t know what will happenter, if there truly is a contingency, Ms. Hansen, I hope you can give him a chance to make amends." Hearing this, Eva couldn''t possibly misunderstand his implication.


    He probably worried that once Adrian ckwood left, she might call the police, right? He was hoping that she could go easy on Michael Cooper when the time came.


    Eva pressed her lips together and did not continue the conversation.


    Perhaps wanting Eva to be more sympathetic towards Michael Cooper, David recounted the events from Cooper''s childhood, including his mother''s suicide, to Eva once more.


    "If possible, Ms. Hansen, maybe you could pay attention to Mr. Cooper''s psychological issues. You were friends before, and his actions towards you have been driven by unrequited feelings, but he has never hurt you, and I can guarantee that." David spoke with such genuine emotion that Eva was moved.


    She sighed softly, "I''m aware of what you''ve told me, rest assured, I will consider it."


    Seeing that she had finally agreed, David left with peace of mind.


    Truth be told, she didn''t need David''s reminder to know that Michael cared for her. Ever since she''d regained consciousness, he''d hung on her every word, paying careful attention to her dietary needs. His concern was undeniable. Yet his ruthlessness toward Adrian was just as real.


    They had been friends before, and if he could treat a friend with such harshness, who''s to say it wouldn''t be her turn next?


    Descending the stairs, Eva spotted Michael Cooper from afar, seated at the dining table waiting for her. A gentle smile graced his lips, and the overhead light softened his gaze, illuminating his eyes with warmth.


    If it weren''t for her body''s adverse reaction to him, she sometimes really felt like the two of them could be a couple.


    Unfortunately...


    "Eva, here are some of your favorite dishes for dinner. Want to try?"


    As soon as she approached, Michael Cooper considerately moved forward to pull out a chair for her, served her food and soup-essentially attending to her every need meticulously.


    Eva watched him busily catering to her until he finally sat down. Then she picked up her spoon and took a few bites.


    Michael Cooper was in no rush to eat his own food; he calmly watched her dine, gently asking, "Did David tell you everything? Can you now finally believe that I wouldn''t treat you that way?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva didn''t respond to his question but continued to eat with aposed expression.


    Seeing that she wasn''t answering, Michael Cooper carefully probed further, "Or did David not tell you?"


    Eva then looked at him.


    "He did tell me. So what? Adrian is still under your control, and of course, you can do whatever you want with him, who knows?"


    "You still don''t trust me?"


    A hurt expression shed across Michael Cooper''s face, "Even after I''ve done this, you''re still unwilling to trust me?"


    "Oh, can you arrange for Adrian to be sent away safely?"


    "Of course, that''s the promise I made to you."


    "Then wait until you''ve safely sent him away beforeing to tell me that you''ve fulfilled it."


    Michael Cooper did not say anything more about her request. However, he frowned when he saw Eva had only taken a few bites before putting down her spoon again.


    "Eva, eat a little more."


    "I can''t eat anymore."


    After saying that, she put down her spoon and stood up to leave.


    Watching her retreating figure, Michael Cooper finally realized a very serious issue.


    During the days Eva had been here, she consistently ate very little each day.


    At first, he thought it might be due to physical difort or ack of appetite, which led him to ask the attendants to prepare various delicacies for her, even making dishes based on her past preferences. However, despite the food being among her favorites, it seemed as though she didn''t enjoy them at all, and they failed to stimte her appetite.


    So now, Michael Cooper began to wonder whether her eating so little was a form of silent protest against him or because she genuinely had no appetite.


    If it were the former, it would be better; if it was just out of spite, he could find ways to soothe her and encourage her to eat more.


    But what if it was thetter?


    What could be the reason for herck of appetite? Could it be that she still hadn''t recovered from her hospital stay?


    Considering this possibility, Michael Cooper immediately made a phone call to arrange for a visit: "Have the doctore over tonight."


    It was time to check on her health condition properly to avoid dying any necessary treatment.


    Afterward, Michael Cooper called Jane over.


    "Is her diet these past few days still exactly the same as before?"


    Jane thought for a moment and nodded.


    "Ms. Hansen seems to be eating very little, unusually so, and I''ve noticed she''s lost quite a bit of weight thesest few days. She looks rather worn out." Hearing this, Michael Cooper''s brows furrowed.


    "Mr. Cooper, I had a ssmate back in my hometown who seemed to be in a simr state. When she went to see a doctor, the doctor said that she..." "What did he say?"


    "He said that it could be anorexia nervosa."


    Anorexia nervosa?


    This term made Michael Cooper''s narrow eyes slightly squint.


    How could she suddenly develop anorexia nervosa when everything seemed fine?

 Chapter 475 Whats Wrong With Me?

    The doctor arrived promptly, just as Eva was getting ready to rest for the night.


    When she was told that the doctor wasing to see her, she was bewildered, and her delicate brows knitted together in confusion. "Why?" She asked.


    Jane shook her head, "I''m not entirely sure, it seems to be just a check-up."


    Eva felt perfectly fine, yet here they were, insisting on a health check-up?


    She couldn''t make sense of it and refused toply.


    After Jane conveyed her reluctance, Michael Cooper personally came into the room to talk to her.


    "Eva, it''s just a routine check-up and a brief consultation. Can you spare a little time for it?" he said gently.


    Eva faced him with a look that was anything but friendly. "What are you really trying to do here?"


    "Nothing insidious. I''m just concerned about you. You were recently hospitalized, and this is merely a follow-up."


    The mention of her recent hospital discharge quieted her.


    If it was just a follow-up after being discharged, then it seemed there was nothing to worry about. But shouldn''t the follow-up be done at the hospital instead of calling the doctor to the house?


    Seeing that she was still hesitant, Michael Cooper added, "The weather is very cold, and it wasn''t easy for him toe all this wayte at night. Moreover, he has already been waiting outside for a long time. It''s just a routine health checkup and interview, why not let him in?"


    Thatst sentence was somewhat more effective.


    After a moment of silence, Eva finally nodded. "Alright."


    The doctor came in, and Michael Cooper stood by quietly as consultations were taking ce.


    After a while, the doctor casually asked her, "How has your sleep beentely?"


    Eva thought for a moment and nodded, "Not too bad."


    "What do you mean by ''not too bad''? Are you sleeping a lot, a little, or having trouble sleeping?"


    "I manage to sleep, and quite a bit at that."


    Apart from when she was deep in thought, she felt constantly drowsy throughout the day.


    Even without doing much physical activity, she''d lie down feeling exhausted, yearning for a good night''s rest. Yet, she never seemed to achieve it. She didn''t dream much either, just felt continuously lethargic, as if her sleep was excessively long. Hearing this, the doctor looked at her intently and then requested, "Can I see your tongue?"


    Caught off guard for a moment, Eva then opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue.


    Her lips were a healthy pink, and her tongue was clean and pink, free of any heavy coating and framed by her pearly white teeth. Michael, who had been standing calmly, didn''t expect this moment. His gaze shifted ufortably before he looked away.


    But he couldn''t help but look back at her again after a short while, his eyes filled with deep affection as he watched her silently.


    His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, grappling with an urge he couldn''t quite hold back, his desire for her growing inside him.


    The seemingly nonsensical examination baffled Eva, but the doctor''s gentle demeanor and good attitude prompted her full cooperation.


    Throughout, the doctor asked a barrage of tedious questions. By the end, Eva almost doubted whether he was there to check on her health or just to chat.


    Impulsively, she turned to look at Michael, thinking he would surely find such a doctor intolerable.


    Yet, to her gaze, Michael only offered a tender smile, never once questioning the doctor''s methods of examination from start to finish.


    It was nearly half an hourter when the consultation was finally over.


    Everyone had left the room, leaving Eva alone inside.


    Stepping outside, Michael Cooper immediately inquired, "How is she?"


    After a moment''s quiet reflection, the doctor probed, "What''s troubling the patient? What are her internal conflicts?"


    The use of the word "patient" caught Michael off guard.


    "Internal conflicts?"


    "Physically, she seems to be okay. The real issues are with her lifestyle. The most obvious problems are her sleep and nutritional habits."


    Michael Cooper wasn''t sure about Eva''s sleep, but nutrition was something he had noticed himself.


    "I didn''t have a deep conversation with Ms. Hansen today. I was worried she might be resistant."


    The doctor left soon after giving Michael Cooper some instructions and had prescribed some medicine to stimte appetite and aid sleep.


    Michael ensured the doctor was escorted out, then stood there, holding the medication, pondering. Internal conflicts?


    She had lost her memory already; why would she have internal conflicts?


    What was the root of it? Was it the missing memories or the man lying motionless in the hospital bed?


    The thought of that man who had been unconscious until now and still hadn''t awoken caused a few shades of darkness to gather in the depths of Michael Cooper''s eyes. If it weren''t for Eva, perhaps the two of them could have been close friends.


    But iming him as a close friend meant forfeiting Eva. To have Eva, they were destined to be adversaries.


    Not long after the doctor left, Michael personally delivered the medicine and poured a ss of warm water, gesturing for her to drink.


    Eva looked at the white pills in his palm and frowned.


    "What''s wrong with me?"


    A faint smile yed on Michael''s lips.


    "It''s not a sickness, just some medicine to help you sleep."


    Hearing they were sleeping aids, Eva''s resistance grew, her brow furrowed in refusal.


    "I don''t need this; I sleep just fine."


    She thought she actually slept too much as it was, and now they wanted her to take sleeping medicine? Wouldn''t that make her sleep incessantly?


    "No, it''s not like that," Michael tried to exin. "The doctor prescribed these because your sleep is restless. They should help improve the quality of your rest."


    Improve sleep quality?


    Eva nced at the pills in his hand and questioned, "And the other one? Are both for sleep?"


    "This is for your digestive health," Michael assured her truthfully, anticipating her resistance and exining right away, "You''ve been eating very littletely, haven''t you noticed? Might be a stomach upset, the doctor also prescribed you some medication." Eva had indeed failed to notice this, as her attention had scarcely been on what she ate. Whether she was sleeping, pondering over her memories, or contemting the issues concerning Adrian ckwood.

 Chapter 476 Im So Worried About Her

    So, when Michael pointed it out, Eva reflected seriously and realized that she indeed hadn''t been eating much. The medicine he encouraged her to take was justified.


    Yet, when Eva looked at the pills in the palm of his hand, she ultimately shook her head.


    "I don''t want to take them."


    "Eva, can you please just listen?" Michael''s voice carried a touch of helplessness, and he let out a gentle sigh.


    "If you''re worried about the taste, should I bring some sugar?"


    "It''s not necessary," Eva replied with a frown.


    She wasn''t adverse to the bitterness, it was just a few pills that she could easily swallow in one gulp. She simply didn''t feel unwell, so why the insistence on medication?


    "Are the pills too big? Should I break them in half for you?"


    Eva didn''t respond.


    Seeing his concerned face filled with suggestions only for her, Eva realized that if she didn''t take these two pills, he''d probably keep on about it until she did just to put his mind at ease. "Alright, I''ll take them."


    Eva picked up the pills from his hand and swallowed them down with some warm water.


    "Are you satisfied now? Can I go rest?"


    As Michael watched her, he couldn''t help but gently tousle her hair and whispered, "Goodnight, Eva."


    The next day


    At breakfast, Eva asked Michael, "When do you n to let him go?"


    "Soon," Michael replied. "In a day or two."


    Eva nodded without further conversation, quietly continuing to eat.


    Michael watched her carefully and saw her appetite didn''t improve; in fact, it decreased. She put her spoon down early.


    He pursed his lips, suppressing the unease rising in his chest, and called her back to the table before taking out the prepared pills. "Today''s dosage."


    Eva noticed that there were fewer pills than yesterday, the nighttime aid for sleeping was missing since it was now daytime. Michael watched her in silence.


    The medication from yesterday showed no effect; was it ineffective, or was it not addressing the right issue?


    What was the crux of her trouble?


    Michael Cooper pressed his lips together, a thin line of contemtion.


    He should have known. After all, the thing she''d been obsessed withtely was ensuring that certain someone''s safe departure.


    Would her anxieties unravel at the news of his safe exit?


    It seemed the only course of action was to give it a shot.


    So, Michael Cooper had no choice but to instruct his men to expedite Adrian''s departure.


    When Eva heard the news, she was genuinely taken aback. She had assumed there would be further dys, torturing herself over what to say to hasten the process. But as it turned out, he sped things up before she even had a chance to speak.


    "Why he suddenly decided to move faster?" Eva couldn''t figure it out, so she turned to David with her question.


    David shook his head.


    "Mr. Cooper''s thoughts are beyond my guessing," he admitted.


    He could perhaps guess a bit; ever since Michael Cooper had hime over to deliver this message to Eva, he had some suspicions.


    But what he guessed might not necessarily be correct.


    Furthermore, in case he spoke up and Eva used it as leverage, threatening to harm herself to get at Michael Cooper, it wouldn''t benefit Ms. Hansen in any way.


    After much thought, David could only im ignorance.


    "Weird." Eva could only prop her chin in her hands, voicing her confusion: "Could it be that he''s suddenly had a change his mind? If I go now and ask him to let me leave with him, would he agree?" David remained silent.


    "Never mind, it''s never that simple. He wouldn''t agree; it''s clear he has his reasons for rushing Adrian ckwood''s departure," she concluded.


    Subconsciously, Eva felt that''s just the kind of man Michael Cooper was.


    David listened to her mutterings withoutment.


    Two dayster, David delivered the news to Eva that Adrian ckwood had safely left.


    Her response was an authentic, joyful smile.


    "He''s finally gone, then? Did his people take over?"


    David nodded. "Yes, they''ve taken over, and he''s left safely."


    "Has he not woken up yet?"


    "No, he''s still unconscious. It''ll take time for him toe around."


    Eva bit her lower lip, "It''s been so long already and he''s still out of it. Are you sure he''s okay?"


    "Don''t worry, Ms. Hansen. There shouldn''t be any problems. And if there are any, his people will take care of them once they have him."


    Indeed, Adrian''s been taken back by his own people; there is no doubt that they will provide Adrian with the best of everything.


    "Will we be able to get any updates on him?" she asked.


    Having parted ways, she wasn''t sure whether she would still be able to find out about him.


    To her question, David did not respond. After all, they would be far apart from then on, and with the rtionship between Adrian ckwood and Michael Cooper being far from cordial, it was unlikely that either side would continue to seek out information about the other.


    Besides, even if he managed to dig up some information, Michael Cooper wouldn''t let his whereabouts slip back into Eva''s life again.


    In the future, he feared that Eva would have to erase Adrian from her life, along with those two children...


    Just the thought made David''s heart ache for Eva.


    After Michael Cooper asked David to share the news with Eva and heard that she beamed with joy, he felt bittersweet. But knowing that it might help her to ovee her emotional barriers, he found some sce. Immediately, he had the kitchen prepare some delicious food to be sent to Eva''s room.


    Her medication continued as well, and though it hadn''t taken effect over the past few days, her appetite should gradually improve once her emotional distress eased.


    Michael Cooper looked forward to the days when she would get better.


    Even though she still did not like him now, with time spent by his side, she would grow ustomed to his presence.


    As for her memory, it would be fine if she forgot everything for life. And if she remembered, that would not matter either. When the time came, even with her memories intact, there would be no turning back for her. In his contemtion, the attendants returned.


    "Mr. Cooper."


    Seeing their troubled faces, Michael Cooper''s expression grew stern.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen has refused everything you instructed us to make for her."


    "Refused?"


    His face darkened incrementally, "Did she eat anything at all?"


    "Nothing, sir."


    "I''ll go check on her."


    Michael Cooper stood up and headed straight for Eva''s room.


    At that moment, Jane was anxiously waiting outside the door. "Mr. Cooper."


    "Why don''t you go in and stay with her?"


    Jane looked like she was crying, "Ms. Hanson is sleeping."


    Michael Cooper narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her, "She''s sleeping, why the tears?"


    "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen hasn''t been eating properly for the past few days. She''s been sleeping and I..... I''m really worried about her."

 Chapter 477 Lingering Troubles

    Michael Cooper''s brow furrowed upon hearing that Eva hadn''t been eating welltely.


    "Didn''t David stop by?" he inquired.


    Jane nodded, "He did."


    After her response, a puzzled look crossed her face as she lifted her gaze to Michael Cooper. "But Mr. Cooper, what does that have to do with Ms. Hansen''s issue?" She found Mr. Cooper''s behavior quite odd.


    Didn''t he care a lot about Ms. Hansen? Shouldn''t the most crucial matter at hand be herck of appetite these days? Why bring up David?


    Since David visited, she should have been reassured by the news of his safe departure, so why...


    Michael Cooper pressed his lips together thinly, saying, "I''ll go check on her."


    "Alright."


    Jane opened the door for him, allowing him to enter.


    The Room


    The curtains on the balcony were fully drawn, shrouding the room in dimness with just slivers of light sneaking through the gaps.


    Using this faint light, Michael Cooper saw the room''s interior.


    All was calm and quiet, and Evay curled up in bed, with only the back of her dark-haired head peeking out from the covers.


    Approaching, Michael initially intended to switch on themp but hesitated, not wanting to startle her, and ultimately decided against it, simply standing there watching her in silence.


    She seemed to be in a deep sleep, yet her breathing was erratic, a sign of unrestful slumber as the doctor had mentioned. It appeared she was troubled by dreams, asionally flinching as her eyelids andshes trembled. Even her body shivered at intervals.


    Michael, having stood there for just a quarter of an hour, saw her forehead dampened with cold sweat.


    Michael''s hands, hanging by his sides, involuntarily clenched into fists.


    Why was this happening?


    Surely, she knew he had left, didn''t she?


    Could it be that her heart was burdened with more than just this one matter?


    After struggling internally, Michael decided not to wake her and turned to leave instead.


    Jane waited a considerable time outside until Michael Cooper finally emerged, and she promptly asked, "Mr. Cooper, how is Ms. Hansen? Is she willing to eat anything now?" Michael pursed his lips, and his expression registered a touch of displeasure.


    "She hasn''t woken up yet. Keep a close eye on her and let me know the minute she does," he instructed, his tone carrying the weight of urgency.


    Jane could only nod in response.


    "Will do, Mr. Cooper."


    As Michael Cooper left, his gaze inadvertently met David''s from across the room. Catching his eye, Cooper gestured for him toe over. "Mr. Cooper."


    "Come with me."


    David cast a concerned nce back at Eva''s room before hurrying to keep pace with Cooper.


    In the study, the air was heavy with unspoken tension.


    "Did you make sure the news of his safe departure reached her? And she believed it?"


    David nodded. "Yes, I told Ms. Hansen right away. She didn''t seem to doubt me; she believed it."


    After saying that, David realized something, "What, Mr. Cooper doesn''t believe me? Then are you going to tell her the news in person?"


    Cooper fixed David with a steely nce. "The doctor mentioned she might have some internal conflicts and unresolved issues, which is why she''s refusing to eat." Understanding the implication, David nodded.


    "So what you''re suggesting is, letting Mr. ckwood go might resolve Ms. Hansen''s issues. By telling her, we could break through, and she might start eating again."


    Cooper didn''t say a word, but his silence was confirmation enough.


    "So, by that logic, Ms. Hansen should be on the mend now," David mused.


    Cooper looked at him sharply.


    "Is that so?" Michael Cooper''s voice was cold and detached. "If her issue is resolved, why does she still refuse to eat?"


    David knew about the morning efforts; Cooper had prepared a variety of food, but Eva had shown no appetite. At first, he thought she was just not a big eater, attributing her slim figure to small portions. But over the past few days, he realized it wasn''t just that. It wasn''t that her appetite was small; she barely had one. If he had noticed this, of course Cooper would have too. But it wasn''t David''s ce to worry about these things.


    Yet now, it seemed Cooper was at an impasse.


    David, trying to offer a suggestion, tentatively spoke, "If Ms. Hansen is still reluctant to eat, could it be there''s another issue we haven''t addressed?"


    "And what would that be?" Cooper''s eyes narrowed, a clear challenge in his gaze.


    Michael Cooper''s question rendered David utterly speechless, and a tense silence fell over both men.


    It took a while before David mustered the courage to speak up. "Honestly, no one knows Ms. Hansen''s turmoil better than you, Mr. Cooper. You''ve known her since she was young, and nobody here is more aware of her true desires and aversions than you."


    "David, are you schooling me?" Michael Cooper''s voice carried a hint of reprimand.


    David hung his head. "No, sir."


    "Then go back and keep watch over her," Michael said dismissively, clearly not wanting to hear another word from him.


    But David hesitated, rooted to the spot.


    "Ms. Hansen''s current state is still okay, Mr. Cooper it''s not toote for you to call things quits now."


    Meeting Michael''s gaze squarely, David pressed on: "Considering how Ms. Hansen is faring now, I just don''t want you to end up with regrets."


    "What did you say?" Michael Cooper''s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    "I''m not cursing her or joking. How long do you think she can survive, with her health, if she keeps starving herself like this?"


    Thatst remark struck a nerve. Michael was stunned into silence, taking a long time to respond.


    "That''s all I''m going to say. The rest is up to you, Mr. Cooper." With that, David didn''t wait for Michael to dismiss him again. He had said his piece and turned to leave.


    After David''s departure, Michael''s gaze dropped, and he seemed lost in thought. Sometimeter, something crossed his mind, igniting his fury, and he swept everything off the table in a fit of rage.


    A loud tter broke the silence of the study.


    A passing attendant, thinking something dire had happened, rushed in, asking, "Mr. Cooper, what happened? Are you alright?"


    "Get out!"


    The attendant, startled by Michael''s demeanor, scampered out as if fleeing a ghost.


    Themotion wasn''t small; the word "get out" reverberated through the halls, signaling to the staff that Michael Cooper was in a thunderous mood. Everyone began treading on eggshells, wary of bing the next target of his ire. Just when everyone thought Michael Cooper''s rage would persist, the oblivious Jane scurried over, knocking on the door under the rmed gazes around. "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen is awake," she announced.


    There was a brief silence inside, then Michael Cooper emerged, his face no longer twisted with anger, his voice considerably softer.


    "She''s awake? I''ll go check."

 Chapter 478 You Really Hate Me That Much?

    After Michael Cooper followed Jane out, the crowd exchanged perplexed looks.


    "What set Mr. Cooper off like that all of a sudden?"


    "It''s unclear, but right after David came out from the study, one of the staff overheard a loud noise. At first, everyone thought something had just fallen over, but when they went in, they heard Mr. Cooper yelling at someone to get out. That''s when we realized he lost his temper."


    "I''ve always seen Mr. Cooper as such a calm man. Who knew he could be so frightening when he''s angry?"


    "Well, you can''t judge a book by its cover."


    "As soon as he heard something about Ms. Hansen, didn''t he immediately go back to his usual self?"


    Eva woke up drenched in a cold sweat.


    However, she couldn''t remember what she had dreamed about.


    Sitting up in bed with her head in a fog, the thought of him leaving safely brought a slight smile to her lips.


    The human body is strange; although her mind had forgotten past events, certain subconscious feelings and sensations seemed to be etched into her very bones.


    Knowing he was in danger made her anxious and worried.


    Learning of his safe departure, she felt a wave of relief wash over her, happy for him and feeling as if half her mission was aplished.


    But it seemed she was still engulfed by other emotions that she couldn''t shake off.


    For instance, although he had left in safety, she was trapped here.


    She had thought about calling the police.


    But then... she also thought of Michael Cooper''s concern for her, and her subconscious told her she didn''t want to hurt him.


    So there Eva was, caught between a rock and a hard ce regarding her body and mind.


    As she was pondering, there were sounds from outside.


    Michael Cooper strode in quickly. Seeing that she was awake, he sat down on the edge of the bed directly.


    "Eva, you''re awake?"


    Seeing him, Eva nodded.


    "Yes."


    "Do you need me? Is there something you want to talk about?"


    Since Adrian ckwood had safely left, even though Eva was staying here on her own volition, she didn''t want to talk to Michael Cooper more than necessary, or even see him again. After this, she probably wouldn''t even go downstairs or eat with him anymore.


    Michael Cooper detected her reluctance in her tone, and his heart, which had been worried about her all day long, sank instantly.


    He looked at her with a bitter expression in his eyes.


    "What''s the matter? You chose to stay by my side on your own. Can''t Ie to check on you if there''s nothing wrong?"


    His words brought a flicker of confusion to Eva''s eyes, and her somewhat pale face moved as if she wanted to say something.


    But in the end, she said nothing, just diverted her gaze, looking too drained to even offer an exnation.


    The emotions that had been building up over the past several days erupted at that moment.


    Michael Cooper felt an intense surge of emotion that he couldn''t control. After seeing her turn her head away from him, he reached out abruptly and grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. He had never been so rough before, so when he gripped her chin, Eva was taken aback.


    "You..."


    "If you have something to say to me, why won''t you speak? Is it that you can''t stand to look at my face, or do you disdain speaking to me?"


    Eva: "..."


    Under the pressure of his hand, Eva''s chin began to ache, and her delicate eyebrows knitted together slightly.


    "Let go of me."


    "Answer my question, Eva!" Michael Cooper''s eyes were as deep as the ocean, his body pressing closer, "Do you really hate me that much? Hate me so much that you don''t even want to speak one more word with me?" As he spoke, he leaned in closer and closer, his hot breath almost upon her, just inches away from a kiss.


    Eva''s heart pounded like a drum. As his lips neared, she mustered all her strength to push him away.


    Caught off bnce on the edge of the bed, Michael hadn''t anticipated her push and tumbled to the floor beneath.


    The sound wasn''t loud, but it still startled Eva. She wanted to check on him, but thinking back to his crazed behavior just before, she was too terrified to approach.


    She initially intended to shrink into a corner.


    But considering that he might get up and go mad again, Eva decided to jump out of bed, barefoot, and run towards the door.


    However, she didn''t expect Michael Cooper to be faster than her; as she passed by, he reached out and grasped her wrist, pulling her back.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Let me go!"


    Eva tried to push him away in panic, but he gripped her shoulder firmly.


    Just when she thought he would go mad again, she heard him say earnestly, "Eva, I''m sorry!"


    She froze, surprised, and looked at him.


    Pain filled Michael Cooper''s eyes. "Sorry, I lost control of my emotions just now. Did I scare you?"


    He reached out to touch her face, but Eva dodged away.


    A look of annoyance appeared in Michael Cooper''s eyes, and under her struggling, he slowly withdrew his hand.


    "Forgive me, can you forgive me?"


    Eva eyed him warily, noticing that his emotions seemed to have stabilized and he probably wouldn''t do anything to her again.


    While she breathed a sigh of relief, she still moved to the other side of the bed to keep her distance from him.


    "What did youe to find me for? If there''s nothing else, then please leave. I want to go back to sleep."


    Hearing this, Michael Cooper looked somewhat helpless, "Eva, you''ve just woken up, and you want to sleep again?"


    "I didn''t sleep well; can''t I continue sleeping?"


    Eva thought he was looking for an excuse to stay, so she could only insist stubbornly.


    "You can, but do you remember how long it''s been since youst ate? Aren''t you hungry? Have something to eat before you sleep." "I''m not hungry, I don''t want to eat."


    She rejected his suggestion outright without even thinking about it.


    Michael pursed his lips, looking at her with resignation. "Eva, we need sustenance to live, and thates from eating."


    "You''ve hardly eatentely. Where do you think your nutrients wille from?"


    "That''s none of your concern."


    His words struck a chord.


    Michael responded, "It''s my ce you''re staying in, and you agreed to stay by my side. If I don''t look after you, who will?"


    "I don''t need your care."


    "Eva, I have to ensure your safety."


    As he attempted to approach her, Eva, still shaken from earlier, instinctively moved away.


    "Don''te any closer!"


    Michael halted in his tracks as Eva said "You can just stand there. Whatever you need to say, say it from that distance. Don''t get too close."


    Michael lowered his gaze to his toes for a long moment before looking up again, his eyes carrying a different emotion. "Do you really dislike me that much? How will you stay by my side in the future?" Calmly turning her head away, Eva remarked, "Unless I''m mistaken, after losing my memory, I only agreed to stay. I never promised to like you, did I?"

 Chapter 479 Losing to Her

    She was undeniably correct.


    And how could Michael even dare to hope she''d harbor any affection for him, especially after all that had happened before her memory loss? Having done what he had, how could he still hope for her affection? He dared not speak it out loud but simply wished for her to stay by his side, to grow used to him-that would be enough.


    Noticing his silence, Eva realized that she had struck a nerve. With a cool tone, she said, "Look, I''m staying. I haven''t broken my promise. But I should still be free to do as I please, shouldn''t I?"


    All Michael Cooper could do was nod in agreement.


    "Yes."


    "So can you leave now?"


    Hearing this, Michael Cooper fell silent, his gaze lingering on her for a long moment.


    Confronted by her resolve, he finally conceded, "Alright, I''ll leave. But you can''t skip your meals. If you don''t want toe downstairs, I''ll have them bring the food up to you."


    Worried she might object, he left the room immediately after speaking.


    Once he was gone, the room fell silent. Eva waited until she heard the sound of the door closing.


    He''s gone.


    She let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed.


    The recent confrontation had left her breaking out in a cold sweat, afraid of what Michael Cooper might suddenly do to her.


    Before, Eva was oblivious to this side of him, maintaining an indifferent attitude, but now that Eva knew about this facet of Michael Cooper, she felt she could no longer afford to take him lightly. What if one day Michael Cooper lost his sanity?


    With these thoughts, Eva closed her eyes.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, there came a knock at the door-it was the voice of Jane.


    "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper has had the kitchen staff send over some food for you."


    Hearing this, Eva reopened her eyes.


    "Come in."


    Jane pushed the door open and walked in with a te.


    The te wasden with several kinds of food, wafting a delicious aroma into the air. Eva smelled the scent but slightly furrowed her brows in response.


    "Ms. Hansen, the kitchen prepared quite a variety today. Please take a look and see what you''d like to eat."


    The food was beautifully prepared, and it was clear that whoever made it had put a lot of effort into pleasing the eater. Visually, it was very appealing, and logically, Eva should have liked it. Her subconscious told her that these were foods she used to enjoy.


    But now...


    "Ms. Hansen, why don''t you start with some soup?"


    Jane picked up a bowl of chicken soup that the kitchen had specially prepared, which included many ingredients to enhance the vor and remove any strong taste. It smelled very appetizing.


    She also considerately scooped up a spoonful to Eva''s lips, hoping she would at least take a sip.


    For her current state, even one sip was a gain..


    But just as she brought the spoon to Eva''s mouth,


    Eva, who had only been slightly frowning, suddenly felt her stomach churn tumultuously upon smelling the aroma, forcing her to lose control for a moment and retch audibly.


    Jane waspletely taken aback until she heard the sounds of retching from the bathroom, prompting her to rush towards it.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you alright?"


    At this moment, Jane''s face could be said to be even paler than Eva''s.


    Because it seemed she had caused a mishap; Eva was already having difficulty eating, and yet she had insistently brought the chicken soup to her, resulting in her retching like this. Could she possibly eat anything after this?


    It was a disaster.


    Jane began to worry about what woulde next.


    Eva leaned over the sink, heaving for quite some time. Despite the turmoil in her stomach, she hadn''t eaten much recently, and today she had barely even drunk water, so there was nothing in her stomach to bring up. Finally, devoid of strength, Eva was helped out of the bathroom by Jane and nearly copsed onto the sofa.


    Jane looked at her, noticing how pale herplexion was, the dark strands of hair on her forehead even sticking to her skin due to sweat. She looked so frail and helpless leaning there, looking vulnerable. Why was this happening?


    Jane gazed at her with immense heartache, biting her lower lip, her eyes reddening: "Ms. Hansen..."


    It took Eva a long while to recover slightly.


    As she was just beginning to recover, Eva heard Jane''s sobs and looked up to see her tearfully gazing at her.


    "What''s wrong?"


    She didn''t expect Jane to be crying.


    Nor had Jane expected herself to break into tears. While wiping them away, she apologized: "No, I was just a little scared. Ms. Hansen, are you okay?"


    "Did I scare you? I''m sorry."


    "Ms. Hansen, you don''t need to apologize, it''s my fault."


    Jane said this as she took a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from Eva''s forehead and suggested, "What should we do now? Ms. Hansen, you need to eat something. If you don''t like what''s at home, maybe I could take you out to eat?" Eva managed a weak smile as she leaned back.


    "It''s alright, no need to go out. I think I just have a poor appetite; it shoulde back in a few days."


    Just a poor appetite?


    That''s what Jane initially thought too-Ms. Hansen has lost her appetite, so it would return after a while. But several days had passed, and instead of improving, her appetite seemed to have gotten worse. And considering that she was still taking medication on top of everything, how could this situation be considered fine?


    "Or, maybe Ms. Hansen should see another doctor? Or go to the hospital for a check-up, maybe something is wrong with your stomach?"


    "I really am fine. If you''re worried, then please bring me some snacks."


    Hearing her ask for food proactively, Jane immediately dried her tears and stood up to choose a bowl of soup to bring to Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, would you like to have this bowl of soup?"


    "Yes, thank you."

 Chapter 480 Emotional Support

    Scared by Eva''s condition, Jane wasted no time fetching Michael Cooper. On hearing the news, Michael dropped everything and hurried to Eva''s side.


    Jane followed behind, speaking as she walked: "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen''s appetite was already poor, and she was eating very little, but this morning, she vomited everything she had eaten."


    She paused for a moment before adding, "Ms. Hansen''s condition doesn''t seem good. Mr. Cooper, should we call for a doctor again? Or perhaps, take Ms. Hansen to the hospital? She hasn''t been eating well for several days now." Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper''s steps halted, then he came to a stop and signaled to a nearby attendant.


    The attendant immediately approached.


    "Call the doctor over."


    Hearing Michael Cooper instruct someone to fetch the doctor, Jane finally breathed a sigh of relief. She''d wanted to make a suggestion a couple of days ago but feared that Mr. Cooper would not be pleased.


    But seeing Eva''s condition today, she couldn''t hold back any longer.


    Jane stole a nce at Michael Cooper, wondering to herself does Mr. Cooper really care about Ms. Hansen?


    She pondered whether this might be the right time to make another suggestion and if Mr. Cooper would be receptive.


    Maybe it was worth a try?


    After all, Ms. Hansen had been so kind to her, she didn''t want anything bad to happen to her.


    After some thought, Jane tentatively spoke up, "Mr. Cooper, I have a suggestion that might not be fully formed yet. Do you want to hear it?"


    Michael Cooper, distracted by his concern for Eva, furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing Jane''s words. He wasn''t inclined to listen but considering that Jane had been taking care of Eva recently-and Eva seemed quite fond of her-he mustered a bit of patience. Despite moving quickly, he gestured with a twist of his brow, "What suggestion?"


    "Well, it''s just a personal thought, but it seems like Ms. Hansen''s mental state... isn''t too good. Of course, Mr. Cooper, I mean absolutely no curse against Ms. Hansen. What I''m suggesting is... in addition to finding a doctor for Ms. Hansen''s physical health, maybe you should consider finding a psychologist or psychiatrist for her mental well-being?"


    Michael Cooper did not respond.


    Jane, unable to discern his thoughts, could only say, "I just made the suggestion because Ms. Hansen seemed off. If Mr. Cooper disagrees, then never mind." During their conversation, they had arrived at the destination.


    Before entering the room, Michael Cooper turned back and nced at Jane.


    "Alright, I''ll keep it in mind. Let the doctor have a physical check-up first."


    With that, he went straight into the room.


    Before entering, he hesitated for a moment, recalling how she might disapprove of his presence, but considering her likely suffering, he briskly stepped inside. However, when they approached the sofa, they discovered that Eva had fainted at some point.


    "Ms. Hansen!" Jane was startled and quickly walked over to gently push her.


    Unfortunately, Eva had already passed out and couldn''t hear her voice.


    "Don''t move her."


    Michael Cooper''s voice came from behind.


    Jane heard the sound and quickly moved aside, not daring to touch Eva again.


    Michael Cooper then came over, picked up Eva from the sofa, and carefully ced her on the bed.


    This was the first time she had fainted since her arrival, now lying unconscious on the bed, herplexion pale and her breath weak.


    "Go to see if the doctor has arrived; if not, call and tush them. "


    Jane, shocked by the urgency in hismand, didn''t dare dy and immediately ran outside.


    "OK, I''ll check right away."


    Now alone in the room with Eva, Michael Cooper looked at her forehead soaked in cold sweat and took out a handkerchief from his pocket to gently wipe it for her.


    As he wiped, Michael Cooper''s expression was as dark as night. After finishing, he looked at the unconscious Eva, her face pale and her lips almost colorless. Seeing her like this triggered a thought in him for the first time.


    By forcibly keeping her by his side-had he really made a mistake?


    After all, she clearly did not like him. They could have been friends, but now...


    What exactly had happened between them?


    Why had things turned out this way?


    He was just someone who liked her, that''s all.


    From a young age, Michael Cooper had never truly liked anyone. Due to his family history, he didn''t trust anyone.


    It was her arrival that gave him hope, yet she wouldn''t be with him.


    If that was the case, he truly wished she had never helped him; then he wouldn''t have fostered those unwarranted expectations.


    With this in mind, Michael Cooper gently brushed the strands of hair from her forehead and tucked them behind her ear, then carefully covered her with the nket. "Just wait a bit; the doctor will be here soon."


    As he spoke, there was a noise at the door, and it opened to reveal Jane leading the doctor in.


    "Mr. Cooper, the doctor is here."


    It was the same doctor as before, his expression devoid of surprise, as if he had anticipated this day mighte.


    "What seems to be the issue this time?"


    Only upon approaching did the doctor notice that Eva had fainted this was much more serious than he had expected.


    He had felt during hisst visit that this young woman would likely need his services again, but he had not anticipated the situation to escte so severely.


    Furrowing his brow, he stepped closer and immediately asked, "What happened? How did she faint?"


    Michael Cooper looked at him with an indifferent gaze and did not respond.


    Sensing his cold mood, the doctor turned to Jane instead.


    After hearing the ount from Jane, the doctor''s frown deepened.


    "I didn''t expect her psychological burden to be so heavy."


    Hisment caught Michael Cooper''s attention, prompting him to look over.


    "Her condition has deteriorated too rapidly, to the point where she can''t eat anymore. In my opinion, there''s no need for me to see her now. She should either be taken to a hospital for a full examination or consult with a psychologist for counseling."


    Hearing the doctor''s advice, Michael Cooper kept his lips tightly pressed together without responding.


    Jane asked softly, "Doctor, is there no way you could prescribe some medication for Ms. Hansen in the meantime?"


    The doctor replied, "I can''t. It seems to me she has psychological issues, and taking more medicine may not help. After all, overusing medicine may lead to more health problems."


    "Then... what should we do?" Jane asked.


    "As I just said, you should seek psychological counseling."


    "Prescribe medication. "Suddenly, Michael Cooper, who had been silent up until now, spoke up.

 Chapter 481 Administering an IV

    Both of them looked over at him.


    They saw Michael Cooper looking at him with a calm gaze.


    "Prescribe the medications."


    Having served as his family doctor for many years, the doctor wasn''t overly intimate with Michael Cooper but certainly knew him well.


    Hearing Michael Cooper''s words, the doctor paused before speaking, "Mr. Cooper, I don''t mean to overstep, but you heard what I said just now, right? She isn''t physically ill; what kind of medication do you expect me to prescribe? Taking unnecessary medication can cause problems."


    Michael Cooper looked at him coldly.


    "Didn''t you say she has psychosomatic disorders? Then prescribe medication for that."


    "This... psychosomatic disorders aren''t typically treated with medication, but with therapy."


    Jane, standing by and watching the scene unfold, was also bewildered. She had thought Mr. Cooper cared greatly for Ms. Hansen, but despite the doctor saying her issue was psychological and could not be treated with medication, he insisted on a prescription. What did this mean?


    "Mr. Cooper, the doctor already said that Ms. Hansen she..."


    "Do you have a say in this?"


    However, her words were cut off halfway through.


    Michael Cooper''s gaze was icy as he looked at her.


    "You are no longer needed here, get out."


    Jane, concerned about Eva, hadn''t expected that speaking out would result in being sent away by Michael Cooper.


    She pursed her lips, feeling somewhat unwilling to leave.


    The doctor had clearly exined Ms. Hansen''s condition, yet Mr. Cooper was acting this way. Did he intend to harm Ms. Hansen?


    During this time, Ms. Hansen had been quite kind to Jane, and Jane subconsciously wanted to stand up for Eva, yet unexpectedly, the doctor chose this moment to say, "Fine, I''ll prescribe the medication." "Doctor!" Jane eximed, her eyes widening in shock, "Didn''t you just say...?"


    "Didn''t you hear what Mr. Cooper said? Prescribe it."


    Jane: "..."


    Previously, she had only suspected Mr. Cooper of madness, but now she doubted the sanity of the doctor as well. Mr. Cooper might not understand, but as a doctor, shouldn''t he know better?


    But she had no real say here, and could only watch helplessly as he wrote the prescription and then turned to tell her.


    "Let her take a good rest, I''ll exin to you outside how to administer this medication."


    Jane was indignant inside, and even though the doctor called her, she didn''t want to leave. Eventually, he had to pull her by the sleeve to take her out of the room.


    Once outside, Jane shook off his hand.


    "Doctor, I never expected you to be this kind of person!"


    At her words, the doctor gave her a sidelong nce.


    "What kind of person am I? You think you know me just like that?"


    During their talk, the doctor handed her a bottle of medicine.


    "Take this, give her one pill a day."


    Jane stepped back.


    "I don''t want it! Doctor, that''s too much. Didn''t you say Ms. Hansen has a psychological issue? She isn''t physically ill, she can''t just take any medication. After what you said earlier, I thought you were kind-hearted and truly upheld medical ethics, but now I see you''re not like what I imagined at all. You''ve disappointed me greatly."


    Just after she finished speaking, Jane felt a heavy knock on her forehead.


    Instinctively, she covered her forehead with her hand.


    "Doctor!"


    "Don''t you even ask what kind of medication I''m giving you before using me ofcking medical ethics? Isn''t that a bit irrational?"


    The initially agitated Jane realized something when she heard this, "What medication?"


    "Vitamins," the doctor said, shaking the bottle of pills in his hand at her. "Do you want them?"


    Hearing that he had prescribed vitamins for Eva, Jane suddenly realized her misunderstanding and felt somewhat embarrassed, especially since she had just used him ofcking medical ethics, which was certainly a grave insult to any doctor. "Doctor, I didn''t... I didn''t mean to."


    "It''s fine, I know you meant well; it''s just that your anxiety got the better of you. Be more astute next time."


    "But doctor, what should we do about Ms. Hansen?" She looked at the bottle of vitamins she received from the doctor with a troubled expression. "Hansen seems to have a psychological illness, so these vitamins won''t really help, will they?" "That''s correct." The doctor''s expression became serious: "So this medication can only serve as a temporary measure, then you need to find a way to convince Michael Cooper to get her a psychologist, to address her underlying issues. However, my guess is that if the current situation isn''t resolved, even a psychologist might not be able to help much. Her condition is more serious than I thought."


    "Alright, I understand, doctor. I''ll do my best."


    The doctor patted her on the shoulder: "We need to go back in and give her an IV; she''s very weak right now."


    "Doctor, let me help you."


    After that, the two went back in to administer the IV to Eva.


    While searching for a vein, the doctor noticed that she had lost even more weight since theirst encounter.


    He frowned as he set up the IV for her.


    After being busy for a while, the doctor said to Michael Cooper: "Let her rest. She''ll wake upter, and there should be no serious problem."


    Michael Cooper looked at him emotionlessly and said, "Thank you."


    Seeing his expression, the doctor opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately he swallowed his words and said nothing. Eva woke up in the afternoon.


    Perhaps it was the recuperation, or maybe it was the effects of the IV, but herplexion looked much better.


    Upon awakening, Eva saw Michael Cooper sitting by the bed.


    As soon as she opened her eyes, they met Michael Cooper''s gaze.


    After only a brief eye contact with him, Eva closed her eyes again.


    Delighted that she had awakened and just about to greet her, Michael Cooper was left speechless: "..."


    Her apparent aversion caused a lump in Michael Cooper''s throat, as if something was stuck there. More agonizing than this was the sensation in his chest, as if he were being slowly tormented with a small knife. Unable to get a quick resolution, he felt like he was enduring slow torture.


    Michael Cooper''s throat bobbed as he finally spoke with a bitter tone, "You''re awake? Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?"


    The person with closed eyes did not move, as if the momentary opening of her eyes had been his illusion.


    After his earlier uncontrolled behavior, Eva now really didn''t want to deal with him at all.


    Aside from bitterness, Michael Cooper felt helpless and could only sit beside her and wait.


    Eva thought that by ignoring him, he might leave, but to her surprise, even though she kept her eyes closed and stayed still, he remained by her side, not moving.


    Because of the IV, Eva now needed to address some physiological needs.


    When she first awoke, she felt the need to go to the bathroom. After holding it for a while, she could no longer bear it and reopened her eyes, asking directly, "Where''s Jane?"


    Seeing that she was finally willing to speak to him, Michael Cooper''s heart eased, and he immediately said, "She had to step out for a bit. Are you thirsty? Shall I get you some water?" "No, thanks."


    "Then what do you want to do? Just tell me, I..."


    "Could you please leave?"


    Eva turned her head away, noticing his pained look.


    She could only say expressionlessly, "Please leave, I need to use the bathroom."

 Chapter 482 Let Her Die by Your Side

    After she uttered these words, Michael Cooper was clearly taken aback.


    A few secondster, he recovered, and his lips slightly curled up.


    "So you want to go to the bathroom. You probably don''t have the strength right now? Should I carry you?"


    Eva: "...Do you think I would want you to carry me?"


    At this, Michael Cooper''s gaze darkened once more.


    "Right, you wouldn''t agree. I''ll call someone else to help you."


    Having said that, Michael Cooper quickly left, likely because he didn''t want Eva to feel ufortable from holding it in for too long.


    Once he had gone, Eva struggled to get out of bed. As she got up, pain shot through her hand, and only then did she notice the needle mark on her wrist when she looked down. Eva frowned delicately.


    Before, all she had felt was difort, unaware of what had happened, and then she lost consciousness.


    She guessed that she must have fainted, and afterward Jane must have found her, called Michael Cooper and the doctor, and they gave her an IV.


    Eva didn''t dwell on it any further, but getting up was still somewhat difficult. The pain in her hand wasn''t an issue; what bothered her more was the weakness in her body, theck of strength. So, it took some effort for Eva to rise.


    The sound of hurried footsteps approached.


    An attendant quickly ran to Eva''s side, "Ms. Hansen, let me help you with your shoes."


    After saying this, the attendant knelt down to put shoes on Eva, and then helped her up from the bed.


    "Let''s go, Ms. Hansen. I''ll take you to the bathroom."


    Eva truly had no strength, and with the assistance of another woman, naturally, she did not refuse.


    "Thank you."


    After using the bathroom, Eva felt much morefortable. When shey back down on the bed, Jane had also returned.


    Jane was delighted to find Eva awake.


    "Ms. Hansen, you finally woke up."


    Seeing Jane gave Eva a sense of security atst.


    "You''re back."


    Noticing that Eva''s attention glued to Jane as soon as she returned, the attendant realized her help was no longer needed there, said a word to Eva, and then left. Jane, seeing that no one was around, immediately moved closer to chat with Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, how do you feel? Are you a bit morefortable?"


    Compared to before, Eva indeed felt much better at this moment.


    She nodded.


    Seeing her nod, Jane breathed a sigh of relief.


    "That''s good. I was really worried the doctor''s medication wouldn''t work."


    Medication?


    Eva lowered her gaze thoughtfully to the back of her hand, where a needle mark remained, which was the source of her recent pain. "What''s wrong with my body?"


    "What else could it be, Ms. Hansen? It''s because you haven''t been eating properly recently, which led to your body not being able to handle it."


    Hearing this, Eva lowered her eyelids and said somewhat helplessly, "Sorry, I want to eat properly, but... I seem to be unable to control myself."


    She couldn''t quite understand what was wrong. Although her memory was hazy and she couldn''t recall any reason to be upset, that also meant shecked the emotional burden of past troubles. How could Jane not understand?


    After all, before Eva fainted, Jane had seen her forcing herself to have half a bowl of soup just so as not to worry her.


    For a moment, Jane didn''t know what to say.


    After all, mentioning in front of Eva that she needed to see a psychologist seemed not okay, didn''t it?


    Ms. Hansen already had psychological issues, and what if she resisted the idea of seeing a psychologist upon hearing Jane mention it? It could make things worse.


    Therefore, in the end, Jane simply advised her to take a good rest and not to think too much about other things.


    Once she was sure Eva hadin down to rest again, Jane walked out.


    Outside the room


    Michael Cooper had not left; knowing that Eva did not want to see him, he waited outside.


    Hearing the movement, he looked towards Jane.


    His ck eyes were cold and emotionless, no longer exhibiting the warmth of past days. His change both surprised and frightened Jane, but she braced herself and said, "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen woke up, but she has gone back to sleep." "Michael Cooper nodded in response and then asked in a calm voice, "How is her condition?"


    Jane replied," Ms. Hansen''s current state seems okay, but that''s probably because of the IV the doctor gave her. The doctor said that the IV can temporarily treat her body, but long-term, Ms. Hansen must resume a normal lifestyle, otherwise..." She didn''t continue her sentence, assuming Mr. Cooper, being an intelligent man, would understand.


    Unfortunately, it seemed he understood but did not take it to heart.


    Because Jane heard Michael Cooper ask her in a cold voice.


    "Are you teaching me how to handle things?"


    Jane''splexion changed slightly.


    "Mr. Cooper, you''re my employer, how could I dare to teach you anything? I am simply conveying the doctor''s words to you."


    "Oh, did he teach you to say that?"


    "No, the doctor just..."


    "Do you think, like the doctor, that she has a psychological disease?"


    Upon hearing this, Jane subconsciously responded.


    "Doesn''t she?"


    Her instinctive reply, so matter-of-factly, caused Michael Cooper to pause.


    Seeing him stop and considering the conversation hade to this point, Jane grew bolder and directly said, "Mr. Cooper, if you really care about Ms. Hansen, now is the time to find her a psychologist, isn''t it? Otherwise, if something happens to Ms. Hansenter on, it will be toote for regrets and make-up attempts. You might not like what I''m saying, but it is the truth."


    After speaking, Jane did not wait to see Michael Cooper''s expression and turned to leave.


    After she left, Michael Cooper stood in ce with a frigid expression.


    Michael Cooper remained outside Eva''s room for a long time, neither entering nor leaving, just standing there silently without speaking. David, who was watching nearby, observed him in silence.


    He knew what had transpired during the whole process.


    He watched Michael Cooper-his tall figure standing in front of the room, bing increasingly solitary as his shadow stretched under the light.


    Michael Cooper was known for his gentle demeanor, but in reality, he had a formidable temper and was ruthless in private. Useless people didn''t remain around him.


    Thus, David was one of the longest-serving individuals by his side and knew his temperament well.


    David had witnessed changes in Michael Cooper when he was with Eva. Michael seemed to soften, not as intimidating as before.


    He thought that if the two could be together, maybe the shadows of Mr. Cooper''s younger years could be gradually healed and fade.


    But unexpectedly...


    After a while, David finally approached.


    "Mr. Cooper."


    Hearing the voice, Michael Cooper looked up, his gaze indifferent.


    "What is it? Are you also here to persuade me?"


    David looked towards the room and shook his head.


    "I''ve said everything that needed to be said; it''s up to Mr. Cooper to think things through now. Ms. Hansen... or you think letting her die by your side is better than letting her go back to that man, right?"

 Chapter 483 How Long Can One Survive Without Food and Drink

    This was the first time in many years, since Michael Cooper''s mother''s death, that David had mentioned the word "death" in front of him, and it was regarding Eva. These are the two most important women in his life.


    And his mother was already dead.


    If something happened to Eva...


    In an instant, Michael Cooper''s eyes underwent a tremendous change, his gaze piercing as he looked at David.


    "What did you say?"


    Facing his intimidating gaze, David remained calm.


    "Mr. Cooper, without eating, surviving on IV fluids, how long do you think Ms. Hansen canst?"


    Michael Cooper: "..."


    "A month? I wonder if there''s any research on that."


    As he spoke, David even took out his phone in front of Michael Cooper, intending to look it up.


    "Enough!"


    Michael Cooper, finally unable to tolerate any more, stopped him and walked away angrily.


    David remained in ce, looking indifferently at Michael Cooper storming off before slowly putting away his phone.


    Clearly, advising was useless for Michael Cooper now.


    What he could do was to amplify the potential consequences of future events to Michael Cooper, even though it might have been a jolt to use the death of Michael''s mother as a trigger.


    But he truly had no other option now; this was far better than regretting if something indeed happened to Ms. Hansenter on.


    Once a person dies, there is no bringing them back to life.


    Michael Cooper spent nearly eight hours alone in his study, and there was no response when he was called for a meal.


    Concerned, the attendants specifically came to ask David about it.


    David said, "When Mr. Cooper is in a bad mood, he likes to be alone. Don''t disturb him."


    Hearing this, the attendants naturally stopped worrying about why Michael Cooper was still in his study; after all, missing one meal wouldn''t kill anyone.


    Their real concern was another person.


    That person wasn''t just refusing to eat, but seemed to vomit whenever she tried. Although this was Ms. Hansen''s own issue, their employer would not see it that way. He would think that they were failing in their tasks, unable to make food that Eva liked to eat.


    So, they were extremely troubled.


    Unfortunately, their struggle was futile. No matter how hard they tried to make delicious food, she still couldn''t eat it.


    Thus, many attendants knew it wasn''t Eva''s fault, but they still med her.


    Who else could they me when she was seen as the source of the problem?


    Jane was nearly furious when she found out, and couldn''t resist venting to David upon her return. As Janeined, David didn''t react much, just listening quietly. When Jane realized she had said too much and that David wasn''t paying attention, she couldn''t help but ask, "David, have you heard what I''ve been saying?" David seemed lost in thought and didn''t respond.


    "David, David!"


    Jane called his name several times before he finally snapped back to reality.


    "Sorry, I was a bit distracted just now. Did you need something?"


    Jane: "..."


    She was speechless, truly.


    Thinking about how her whole rant had just been a pointless performance, she had no energy left to repeat herself.


    So, Jane could only shake her head.


    "Forget it, it''s nothing. What''s wrong with you? What are you thinking about?"


    What was he thinking about? The question made David lightly tug at the corner of his mouth, "Perhaps I was thinking about when Ms. Hansen might leave." "Ms. Hansen leave?"


    Before David mentioned it, Jane had never considered this possibility. Before she came to take care of Eva, she didn''t know the whole story, so she always assumed that Eva and Michael Cooper were at least affectionate towards each other for her to stay here.


    However, upon closer observation, she realized things might not be as they seemed on the surface. It appeared Ms. Hansen stayed out of necessity rather than choice.


    And she didn''t love Michael Cooper.


    Even though Eva stayed, her mental state became problematic. But despite this, Jane had never thought about her leaving, probably subconsciously feeling that Michael Cooper wouldn''t let her go.


    Now that David brought it up, Jane started to realize that maybe Ms. Hansen could leave. Maybe if she left, her diseases could be treated?


    Thinking this, Jane felt she had added another task to her list.


    Originally, her task was simply to persuade Michael Cooper to find Eva a psychologist, but now she had another: to convince Michael Cooper to let Eva leave.


    As she thought this, David, as if seeing into her inner thoughts, suddenly said, "Don''t assume you can persuade Mr. Cooper by yourself; it might backfire." Startled by his words, Jane hadn''t expected him to discern what she was thinking.


    But David was right. She was just an attendant, after all. It was better to stick to her own duties to avoid any counterproductive oues that could harm Eva. Hmm, what she should do was to console Eva more.


    If Michael Cooper wouldn''t get Eva a psychologist, then she could seek online consultation for Ms. Hansen.


    "I understand, David. I''ll go then."


    "Go ahead."


    When Jane returned to the room, she found Eva was still asleep. As she made sure the nket was properly covering her, she took out her phone to seek online consultation.


    Mental health issues among young people weremon nowadays. Not long after graduating, Jane heard that a ssmate, overwhelmed by stress, had developed depression and even considered suicide. The news had unsettled everyone in their social circle.


    Worried about her own mental health, Jane proactively obtained contact information for a psychologist just in case it would be needed someday. She had been managing her mood quite well on her own and hadn''t felt the need to greet the psychologist until today, when the situation with Eva arose.


    After greeting the psychologist and exining Eva''s current condition, the prompt reply suggested that Jane bring Eva for an in-person consultation.


    Jane immediately felt awkward; the psychologist she had contacted was based in her home country, while they were currently abroad. An in-person visit was out of the question.


    She quickly exined their location to the psychologist. Understanding the predicament, the psychologist agreed that they shouldmunicate online for now and, if necessary, arrange an in-person consultation or find another local psychologistter.


    Jane began detailing Eva''s symptoms to the psychologist when she heard footsteps outside. Startled, she quickly hid her phone, not wanting to be discovered.


    Michael Cooper, who had spent a long time alone in his study, walked in expressionless.


    Upon seeing Jane standing guard, he asked, "How is she?"


    Jane hesitated before responding, "Ms. Hansen has been sleeping."


    Michael Cooper''s gaze fell upon Eva''s fair face, and finally, he said, "Go and get a psychologist."

 Chapter 484 Alone

    At first, Jane thought she was hearing things.


    Mr. Cooper actually agreed to hire a psychologist for Ms. Hansen?


    She was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Cooper, what did you just say?"


    She couldn''t quite believe it and wanted to confirm it once more.


    Upon hearing her, Michael Cooper''s stern gaze swept over to her, startling Jane, who quickly said, "I''ll go and arrange it right away." After that, she ran out of the room and bumped into David, who was lurking in the corner, and promptly informed him of the situation. "David, Mr. Cooper finally agreed to get a psychologist for Ms. Hansen."


    It was undoubtedly good news for Jane, but after she spoke, no hint of joy appeared on David''s face.


    His expression seemed to tell her that this was not good news at all.


    Thus, the smile slowly faded from Jane''s face.


    "David? Isn''t this a good thing? Why do you seem so unhappy?"


    She didn''t do something wrong, did she? Although it seemed like she hadn''t had the chance to do anything yet.


    David nced at her with a subdued look in his eyes.


    "My mood has always been like this. Aren''t you supposed to get the psychologist? Go ahead."


    David quickly ended the conversation with Jane.


    When the psychologist arrived, Eva was still asleep, so Michael Cooper didn''t have anyone wake her up but instead told the psychologist to wait.


    The psychologist found house calls troublesome enough already, and now they had to wait for the patient; he felt a bit displeased, but immediately, the butler beside him said, "Sorry for the inconvenience, we will triple the consultation fee for your time."


    Hearing this, the psychologist lost every trace of difort. Triple the house call fee would keep himfortable even if he had to wait a few more hours.


    After about an hour, when Eva woke up, they called the psychologist in.


    The psychologist, named Fennis, began to survey the room as soon as he entered.


    Although it was daylight, the curtains were drawn, and the light inside relied solely onmps, casting a dim yellow glow. His patient sat on the sofa, looking extremely frail, with a delicate face and sharp chin due to thinness.


    She was dressed very lightly, appearing fragile and weak as she sat there, her eyelids lowered, her demeanor listless.


    A young woman, dressed as a maid, stood beside her.


    There was also a man in a suit, his expression indifferent, exuding an air of authority.


    Just one nce was enough for Fennis to know that he was the master of the house, so he greeted him.


    "Hello."


    Michael Cooper shook his hand in return.


    "Hello."


    It was clear the man was not in high spirits, but it seemed normal. He appeared to be the significant other of the woman, and anyone''s mood would hardly be bright if their partner needed to see a psychologist. So, without saying much else, Fennis went straight to the point, "I''m sorry, could I have some time alone with Ms Hansen?"


    At these words, Michael Cooper''s gaze suddenly turned sharp.


    "Alone?"


    Fennis gave a slight smile, "Yes, it helps patients open up to me."


    Many patients with psychological issues are most guarded around the people closest to them.


    And often, the problems originate from those close to them, which is why it''s best tomunicate one-on-one. "How long?"


    "It''s uncertain. It depends on whether she''s willing tomunicate and the severity of the patient''s condition." Allowing Eva to be alone with a stranger, and not knowing the duration, how could he be at ease with that? Moreover, Eva''s body was still so weak, what if she fainted again, and they outside did not know about it?


    Fennis noticed the wariness in the other''s eyes, a kind of vignce towards men. He understood, having encountered many such rtives and friends before; but this was his job.


    Seeing that the other party was still very concerned, Fennis could only offer reassurance: "Sir, please rest assured, I have over a decade of medical experience, and I am very professional. I will do nothing beyond my work, you can absolutely trust me on that."


    Michael Cooper pursed his lips, despite the assurance, it was clear he was still not entirely at ease.


    The best he could do was look at the psychologist and say, "Can I speak with you alone for a moment?"


    Fennis paused for a second, then nodded.


    "Of course."


    So, Fennis followed Michael Cooper out of the room.


    Jane watched anxiously from the side, her gaze turning towards Eva, who had been sitting up but seemed unresponsive since then.


    She wondered whether the consultation with the psychologist would go smoothly?


    After waiting around two minutes, the psychologist finally came back inside.


    Upon entering, he nced at Jane.


    After making eye contact with him, Jane left the room - after all, if Mr. Cooper couldn''t stay, neither should she.


    As she walked away, Jane wondered what Mr. Cooper might have said to him when he took him aside.


    He had seemed so worried before about Ms. Hansen being alone with a strange man.


    Well, it wasn''t for her to worry about.


    At this time, both Michael Cooper and David were also standing guard outside. When Jane came out and greeted Michael Cooper, he didn''t respond due to his preupation.


    Just a psychological consultation, yet the expressions of the three people standing outside seemed even graver than those waiting outside an operating room.


    Time seemed to pass extraordinarily slowly.


    Michael Cooper stood silently in ce, while Jane''s hands were twisted together, biting her lower lip, her expression tense.


    In contrast, David appeared the mostposed.


    It seemed he was prepared for any oue.


    During the long wait, it appeared that sounds came from inside the room; their brows moved, but before they could react, the door opened in front of them. David instinctively lifted his hand and nced at his wristwatch.


    Ten minutes.


    From the time he went in until now, it had been just about ten minutes.


    David was instantly puzzled. Was the consultation that quick?


    He pursed his lips and stepped forward.


    "How did it go?"


    Fennis looked at the three of them, sighed with utter helplessness, and shook his head.


    His expression and gesture instantly made Michael Cooper furrow his brows.


    "What do you mean?"


    Jane also asked, "Yes, Mr. Fennis, how is Ms. Hansen exactly?"


    Fennis let out a long sigh.


    "The patient refused tomunicate with me."


    They thought he would say Eva''s condition was severe, but they didn''t expect this oue.


    Fennis looked very helpless, "I spent ten minutes, and she kept refusing tomunicate with me. If a patient refuses tomunicate, gives up hope then..." Before he could finish, Michael Cooper''s brows tightened fiercely.


    "Only ten minutes and you''re giving up? What do you think we''re paying you all that consultation fee for?"

 Chapter 485 The Real Answer

    When the topic of the consultation fee came up, Fennis did feel somewhat embarrassed. After all, even the consultation fee was paid double.


    Faced with Michael Cooper''s cold look, Fennis could only say, "I''ll try again."


    Before going back into the room, Fennis thought of something and asked, "However, to help her open up a bit, perhaps you could tell me what she''s interested in?"


    "Interested in?" Jane looked puzzled, as if talking to herself, "I''ve been with Ms. Hansen for so long, but I''ve never noticed her taking an interest in anything. Mr. Cooper, do you know?" She turned to Michael Cooper without any guard up and asked softly.


    However, what responded to her was Michael Cooper''s silence.


    David nced at Michael Cooper, his lips faintly curling with a hint of mockery.


    What could Ms. Hansen possibly be interested in now? Nothing more than leaving this ce or that person.


    Unfortunately, neither of these things would Michael Cooper willingly mention.


    As expected, after a long silence, Michael Cooper said to Fennis, "Not sure."


    Jane, still looking clueless, asked in surprise, "Eh? Mr. Cooper, you don''t know what Ms. Hansen is interested in either? Does Ms. Hansen not have any interests?"


    Not knowing if he was tired of her talking too much, but after Jane finished speaking, Michael Cooper nced at her with a cool look.


    Jane: "..."


    Feeling an inexplicable chill, she shut her mouth, not daring to speak further.


    Fennis, although unaware of what was going on with these people, could obviously feel that something was off with the atmosphere among them.


    It was one thing for others not to know the patient''s interests.


    But this man also didn''t know?


    Fennis pursed his lips and pondered seriously, wondering if this could be the reason for Eva''s condition.


    But...


    Everything felt very wrong, strange.


    Thinking this, Fennis asked, "Mr. Cooper, there is one question, I want to know the real answer."


    Despite feeling the tension, Fennis pressed on for the sake of the patient.


    "What is your rtionship with the woman inside?"


    "Does that have anything to do with your diagnosis?"


    Fennis nodded: "It might not usually, but... given her current mood, which you have seen."


    Michael Cooper pursed his lips, clearly not wanting to answer the question.


    This time, Fennis noticed something different. He had previously assumed they were a handsome couple living together, not looking like siblings, guessing they might be an awkward pair of lovers. But now he wasn''t answering; so they weren''t a couple?


    If they weren''t a couple, yet she stayed here all the time, could her condition be rted to this situation?


    With this in mind, Fennis decided to use this issue as a breakthrough point and ask about it.


    "I''ll go in and try," he said.


    Without waiting for Michael Cooper''s response, Fennis quickly re-entered the house.


    Watching this unfold, Michael Cooper''s expression darkened. He didn''t wait for his response before entering again, did he? Did this man guess that he and Eva were not a couple at all? Fennis re-entered the room to find Eva still maintaining her original posture, unchanged.


    Considering the hints he had picked up outside, he walked over and sat down in the chair in front of her, then silently observed her.


    After about three minutes, Fennis couldn''t help but ask, "Ms. Hansen, aren''t you tired sitting like that?"


    Her posture was odd, although she was leaning on the sofa, maintaining such a position for an extended period should be extremely ufortable.


    As expected, his question did not spark her interest; Eva merely nced at him faintly without speaking.


    "I have a topic you might be interested in; do you want to hear it?"


    However, this statement did not catch her attention either, so Fennis directly asked, "Do you want to leave here?"


    He asked this question with serious observation, not wanting to miss any expression on her face.


    Indeed, after he brought up this question, a slight ripple appeared on Eva''s face, and then she looked at him seriously. This expression made Fennis feel that he had finally guessed correctly.


    This was probably the crux of her illness.


    Fennis pushed up his sses, finally feeling more at ease.


    "Ms. Hansen, if you want to leave here, maybe I can help you."


    Finally, Eva seriously looked towards him.


    "Help me? How can you help me?" she said. These were her first words since he had entered the room.


    Her voice was soft and gentle, as if speaking left her breathless, a sign that her condition was affecting her physical health.


    Each time Fennis saw a patient like this, he always felt pained and helpless, "How would you like me to help you?"


    He should build trust with his patient quickly.


    Eva quietly looked at him, how could he help her?


    She showed a look of confusion in her eyes, "I don''t know."


    "Don''t know?" Fennis seemed to have found another breakthrough, "Why is that? Don''t you have any thoughts?"


    "I do," Eva nodded emphatically.


    "And what are those thoughts?"


    When asked this, Eva, who had been willing to speak a few words, fell silent again.


    Fennis did not urge her, waiting patiently.


    After a long time seeing that she wouldn''t speak, he added, "Maybe you can try telling me, and if it''s not feasible, we can think of other methods?"


    Eva shook her head.


    "No need, you can''t help me. Please go."


    When it came to her innermost thoughts, Eva began resistingmunication again. Previously she had just sat unmoving, but now she even refused to interact and directly got up andy down on the bed. Seeing her like this, Fennis could only step out.


    The three people outside were still standing guard,ing up to him as before when they saw him exit.


    "How is it?"


    Fennis shook his head.


    "She has a heavy mental burden and doesn''t wish to disclose it."


    Saying this, Fennis looked at Michael Cooper.


    "However, there''s something I want to say. Mr. Cooper, I see that although Ms. Hansen refuses tomunicate with me, her thoughts weren''t disordered during our interaction. Perhaps, you need to have a good talk with each other." Having said that, Fennis took out his business card and handed it to Jane.


    "Ms. Hansen probably won''t want to see me again today. If you still wish to have mee over, I can return tomorrow at this time. However, every patient''s situation is unique, and I can only try my best, but I can''t guarantee results." While saying these words, Fennis kept his gaze fixed on Michael Cooper.

 Chapter 486 Other Plans in Mind

    Fennis''s gaze made Michael Cooper ufortable, as if implying Eva had confided in Fennis. "Why do you keep looking at me?"


    Fennis hadn''t expected him to ask directly. He didn''t intend to speak up, but since he asked, Fennis didn''t want to miss the opportunity and spoke straightforwardly, "Mr. Cooper, would you like to have a psychological consultation like Ms. Hansen?"


    From his years of experience, although Ms. Hansen had psychological issues, it seemed now that Michael Cooper''s problem might be even greater.


    David: "......"


    "1


    Jane: ""


    Neither of them had expected Fennis would suddenly make such a suggestion.


    Both looked at Michael Cooper, curious about his reaction. As expected, Michael Cooper''s face darkened.


    Fennis, apparently uninterested in how his words affected Cooper, continued naturally, "My advice is sincere, Mr. Cooper, and you should seriously consider it. If needed, just call me directly; today''s consultation ends here, I''ll be leaving." "Mr. Fennis, let me see you out."


    David stepped forward to escort Fennis away, while Michael Cooper, probably still angry or perhaps considering whether he should share some information with the psychologist, stood by.


    After Fennis left, Jane stood there staring at Michael Cooper for a good while before timidly asking, "Mr. Cooper, shall I go in then?"


    She was referring to Eva''s room.


    Michael Cooper nced at her but did not respond. Instead, he walked past her into the room, and Jane hurriedly followed.


    Seeing Eva back in bed, eyes shut and curled up listlessly, Michael Cooper felt both anger and distress.


    Angry that she behaved like this by his side and distressed that she was neglecting her health by not eating or drinking.


    But many signs showed that it wasn''t intentional-her body was rejecting food, and she vomited after eating. She was so weak.


    Michael Cooper watched her quietly for some time before leaving.


    Upon exiting, he encountered David returning from seeing off Fennis.


    "David."


    Michael Cooper said with an icy stare: " Find out where Ruby and Dn are."


    Hearing the names Ruby and Dn, David''s expression changed slightly.


    "What is this about, Mr. Cooper?"


    "She''s lost the will to live since losing her memory. Her subconscious created psychological issues leading to anorexia. In that case, I could only help her to reignite her will to live."


    The only ones that could reignite her will to live, other than Adrian ckwood, were those two children.


    David: "......"


    He thought this situation might help Michael Cooper think clearly, allowing Eva to leave and achieve a great realization-that forcing things doesn''t bring happiness and certain things must be let go and moved on from. But he had not anticipated that Michael Cooper would get even more deeply involved, now even contemting involving the two children.


    David stood still without moving.


    "Mr. Cooper, Ruby and Dn are young and can''t handle shocks. Besides, they don''t understand anything."


    David paused for a moment before continuing, "Mr. Cooper, although they aren''t your children, you have watched them grow up. Can you really...?"


    Michael Cooper cut him off.


    "I just want her to live."


    Everything else could be sacrificed.


    David''s brows finally furrowed deeply.


    "But if something happens to the children, it would make Ms. Hansen suffer more than death!"


    "Why would anything happen?" Michael Cooper''s eyes narrowed. "Now that Eva is by my side, I want their mother and children to reunite. Is there a problem?" "If Mr. Cooper really wants them to reunite, then he should let Ms. Hansen leave."


    Hearing this, Michael Cooper chuckled lightly.


    From hisughter, David sensed an unsettling emotion. Fearing the consequences that may follow, he hurriedly said, "I will take care of this."


    Seeing him agree, Michael Cooper couldn''t be bothered to waste more words.


    "Make it quick. In three days at thetest, I want the children to be with her. If anything happens to her, you needn''t bothering back."


    The hands at David''s sides clenched into fists, his heart filled with bitterness.


    Before, he had thought that Mr. Cooper might feelpassion for Ms. Hansen''s health ande to realize that letting her go was the right thing to do.


    But now, it seemed he had underestimated the extent of his obsession.


    Back in the country.


    It was nighttime, and the ckwood family home was brightly lit.


    Margaret had just coaxed Ruby and Dn to sleep, and as soon as she left the children''s room, her expression turned into one of worry. This was the first time in her many years married to Kim ckwood that she was troubled by something. She usually had little to worry about. To maintain her appearance and youthful state, Margaret did not rely on medical beauty treatments but rather on getting early sleep, maintaining a calm mindset, and avoiding unnecessary stress, which kept her emotions very stable.


    But this time, things were different...


    Walking downstairs, Margaret immediately saw Kim ckwood sitting in the living room smoking. Hearing her footsteps, Kim ckwood looked up, hurriedly put out his cigarette in the ashtray, and stood up to open the window for venttion.


    His actions made Margaret pause momentarily, and her previously unsettled heart felt somewhat calmer.


    Kim ckwood had been a heavy smoker in his youth but quit because Margaret disliked the smell of smoke. Since then, for decades, he never smoked in front of her.


    However, recent events had troubled him so much that he couldn''t help but start smoking again.


    Of course, he still dared not smoke in front of Margaret. He thought she would be putting the grandchildren to bed, so he took the opportunity to have a quick smoke downstairs. He didn''t expect her toe down at this time. This worried Kim ckwood greatly; he feared her disapproval.


    So, before Margaret could approach, Kim ckwood started exining in a flustered manner.


    Kim ckwood had been a heavy smoker in his youth but quit because Margaret disliked the smell of smoke. Since then, for decades, he never smoked in front of her.


    However, recent events had troubled him so much that he couldn''t help but start smoking again.


    Of course, he still dared not smoke in front of Margaret. He thought she would be putting the grandchildren to bed, so he took the opportunity to have a quick smoke downstairs. He didn''t expect her toe down at this time. This worried Kim ckwood greatly; he feared her disapproval.


    So, before Margaret could approach, Kim ckwood started exining in a flustered manner.


    "I thought you''d gone to sleep with Ruby and Dn, so I just..." The middle-aged man, who had weathered countless storms in the business world,plete with open conflicts and underhanded tactics, found himself feeling as helpless as a child when facing a mistake made in front of his wife.


    After he spoke, Kim ckwood even felt like his exnation sounded like an excuse.


    He had promised his wife he wouldn''t smoke anymore, yet now it seemed he was admitting that he hadn''t actually quit; instead, he was just sneaking cigarettes while she slept.


    As he opened his mouth to offer another exnation, Margaret simply said, "It''s okay. With what''s happened, I''m also feeling restless."


    After speaking, Margaret even reached out her hand towards him.


    "Give me one cigarette too."


    Kim ckwood: "......"


    "Forget it."


    Before he could refuse, Margaret seemed to think better of it and added, "I shouldn''t smoke. I''ll have to go check on Ruby and Dnter."

 Chapter 487 Something Feels Off

    Seeing that she had stopped asking him for cigarettes and no longer made a fuss about his smoking, Kim ckwood heaved a sigh of relief, but then his brows furrowed once again.


    "Why aren''t you asleep at this hour?"


    Usually, she would go to bed right after putting the kids to sleep, but that evening she had uncharacteristicallye downstairs.


    And just by chance, she caught the only time he was smoking.


    Instead of answering him, Margaret asked, "Why aren''t you sleeping? Why are you here smoking?"


    After her question, there was a moment of silence between them.


    After a while, Kim ckwood finally said, "I feel like something''s not quite right."


    Hearing this, Margaret involuntarily nced at him, "Are we thinking about the same thing?"


    After saying this, they looked at each other and probably understood what the other was thinking.


    With the situation as it was, how could they not sense that something was off?


    "Even though Jacob has said that they are fine and told us not to worry, but..."


    Margaret paused slightly before continuing, "I always felt that his attitude and tone were strange when he told us."


    Kim ckwood shared her thoughts and nodded in agreement.


    "Right, and how long have Adrian and Eva not seen their children now? Most importantly, we can''t get in touch with either of them."


    Children might contact their parents less as they grow older, but would they really not answer calls when leaving?


    "Eva''s phone has been turned off the entire time, and for our son, Jacob is always the one answering. It hasn''t changed."


    It wouldn''t matter if nothing changed, but Jacob emphatically assured her that Adrian and Eva were fine, telling her not to worry, and that they temporarily couldn''t take care of the children and needed their help. Taking care of the children wasn''t the issue, but what kind of parents would not worry about their child?


    Even if they were truly busy and couldn''t return, making a call or having a video chat should still be possible, shouldn''t it?


    When she was younger, if she ever had to go abroad for something, she would make video calls to see her darling son whenever she got the chance.


    After a long silence, Kim ckwood mmed down his hand, "Perhaps we should just call the police."


    Hearing this, Margaret furrowed her brows.


    "The situation isn''t clear, what if we identally harm our son and Eva by calling the police rashly?"


    Kim ckwood pursed his lips, feeling that Margaret had a point.


    "Then let''s make a call and bring that Jacob over for questioning; I bet he won''t dare to lie."


    Margaret couldn''t help but nce at him.


    Her husband, although usually quite good to her, was essentially a sessful businessman who could be very assertive and cunning in certain aspects. In some ways, he was probably gentle only with his own family.


    Thinking this, she blinked her eyes and couldn''t help but urge, "Asking questions is fine, but don''t scare him."


    Kim ckwood nodded.


    "Don''t worry, he works under our son; how could he be so faint-hearted?"


    "Even so, don''t frighten him too much; after all, we still need him to get information."


    Seeing that Margaret pleaded for Jacob several times, the indulgent Kim ckwood could only agree.


    "I understand, don''t worry."


    After speaking, Kim ckwood stood up.


    "You''re going now?" Margaret was surprised. "It''s sote, why not rest first? We can talk about it tomorrow."


    Kim ckwood replied, "Theter, the better, to catch him off guard."


    "Alright then,e back early after you''re done."


    "Honey, go upstairs and rest; don''t wait for me."


    After giving Margaret a few instructions, Kim ckwood quickly left with his people. She watched his retreating figure and sighed softly in her heart. She hoped that Adrian and Eva would be safe and wouldn''t cause her any more worry.


    Margaret then went back upstairs, intending to rest, but she found herself not the least bit sleepy.


    After thinking it over, she turned into the room where her two grandsons were sleeping, nning to stay by their side until Kim ckwood returned.


    Although Kim ckwood told her not to wait, she knew very well that she wanted to hear news about her son and Eva as soon as possible, naturally making sleep impossible.


    So there Margaret sat, clutching a heart full of tension as she waited.


    Jacob had just settled everything when they received Adrian ckwood, who was still unconscious. He had been inquiring about Eva''s whereabouts, and his men immediately advised him, "Michael Cooper is fond of Ms. Hansen, so she should be safe with him. Right now, Mr. ckwood is unconscious, Jacob, we should head back sooner to avoid any mishap."


    "What nonsense," Jacob retorted, "Ms. Hansen went there to save Mr. ckwood. Leaving now after just getting him would be ungrateful."


    "Jacob, you can''t say that," his man argued. "Michael Cooper likes Ms. Hansen, making him and Mr. ckwood rivals in love. Ms. Hansen knew this, which is probably why she agreed toe, right? Look, he showed no mercy to Mr. Cooper- Mr. ckwood is still unconscious. Who knows how long he''s been like this under Michael Cooper''s watch? If we don''t hurry back, and something happens to Mr. ckwood, wouldn''t Ms. Hansen''s efforts be in vain?" Jacob was eventually persuaded but felt conflicted.


    The thought of leaving without Eva filled him with guilt. Plus, it was odd that she had cut off contact since boarding the ne; there hadn''t been a single message. Later, he even heard news that she was at a hospital. Jacob had intended to find an opportunity to meet with Eva at the hospital, but Michael Cooper''s men were watching too closely, preventing any chance for him to do so. He felt extremely passive in the situation. "Jacob, among us, only you can make the decision. Please think quickly and decide; we can''t dy any longer."


    After some thought, Jacob internally apologized to Eva and resolutely took Adrian ckwood back to their country.


    He had barely settled down before receiving a call from the ckwoods. He lied, iming everything was fine with both of them, then hurriedly hung up, worried he might slip up if he said too much.


    After hanging up, he had no time to be unsettled, as he needed to take care of Adrian ckwood. He busied himself until he finally had a moment to rx.


    But once he did rx, Jacob truly began to feel restless.


    He couldn''t shake the feeling that his attempt to appease Mr. ckwood''s parents with half-truths was far too transparent; they weren''t naive people who could be easily misled.


    With these thoughts troubling him, Jacob sat up, considering whether to make another call to exin further when the doorbell suddenly rang.

 Chapter 488 Eva Nowhere to be Seen

    The doorbell rang, and Jacob instinctively stood up and walked towards the front door.


    Halfway there, it suddenly urred to him that it was way past mid-night and he usually lived alone who woulde to his house at this hour? Realizing this, Jacob''s hair stood on end in an instant.


    He didn''t continue towards the door but instead detoured to the study to check the surveince monitor.


    Initially tense, Jacob choked up upon seeing who appeared on the monitor-it was none other than Adrian ckwood''s father standing at his doorstep. But this was even more frightening.


    What could Kim ckwood possibly want bying to his house in the middle of the night?


    And whye in person without calling first?


    Moreover, Kim brought two men with him who didn''t look easily fooled.


    Sure enough, he then felt that he hadn''t been in the right frame of mind when he answered that phone call, and that he had been seen to be too perfunctory. Now, they hade knocking on his door.


    Apparently growing impatient, Kim ckwood pressed the doorbell several times in quick session, as if he would keep ringing unless the door was opened. It was alreadyte into the night, and the continuous ringing of the doorbell was not ideal.


    Jacob sat in ce, hesitating for a while. After crafting a reason in his mind that seemed perfect, he stood up and walked toward the door.


    Upon opening the door, he pretended not to have seen Kim ckwood from the study and feigned surprise at the sight of him.


    "Uncle Kim, what brings you here sote at night?" Despite saying this, Jacob yawned, acting as if he had just woken up.


    Unexpectedly, Kim ckwood looked at him sternly, giving Jacob no chance to react before directly demanding, "Bring out the person."


    At hismand, the two stout men behind him immediately stepped forward, each grabbing one of Jacob''s arms and forcefully lifting him off his feet. Jacob, who had intended to pretend to be sleepy, was startled into full alertness and quickly said, "Uncle Kim, what''s happening? Is there a problem?" "Don''t y dumb. Tell me, what exactly is going on?"


    "It''s not like that, Uncle Kim. You can''t just ask me out of the blue; how am I supposed to know what you''re referring to?"


    Unfortunately, Kim ckwood hade to find out the full story and didn''t wish to waste time sparring words with Jacob.


    Seeing that Jacob still appeared unwilling to speak, he waved his hand and ordered, "You won''t talk? Fine, take him away. He''ll exin everything once we get back."


    The two strong men only obeyed Kim ckwood''s orders. With hismand given, they immediately began to haul Jacob away, prepared to leave.


    As Jacob watched himself getting closer to the elevator and realized that Kim ckwood was seriously intent on his purpose, he quickly blurted out, "I''ll talk, Uncle Kim-I''ll tell everything!"


    Hearing this, Kim ckwood paused in his steps and narrowed his eyes at him.


    "Ready to talk now? You''re not trying to trick me, are you?"


    "No, no, Uncle Kim, I swear I''m not trying to deceive you. But can you have them let go of me first?"


    Kim ckwood nced at their surroundings, realizing that even if they released Jacob, he wouldn''t be able to get far. He gestured broadly, "Let him go."


    The two strong men did asmanded and released Jacob..


    Jacob quickly rubbed his sore arms; the grip from the two men had been firm and unforgiving. He couldn''t afford to be taken away. Having only three hours to rest upon returning, he was due to visit Adrian ckwood soon. Although someone was watching over Adrian, he didn''t dare to take it lightly and hade back only to take a shower and rest for a couple of hours.


    But what would happen to Adrian ckwood if he were taken away by Kim ckwood?


    With no alternative, Jacob decided to disclose everything.


    Mr. ckwood, it''s not that I don''t want to keep your parents from worrying; it''s just that they are too astute to fool.


    After mentally voicing this, Jacob promptly began recounting all the recent events to Kim ckwood.


    At the end of the story, Kim ckwood''s face was extremely grim, dark as the bottom of a pot, and he pointed at Jacob in anger, "Such a serious incident has urred, and you still thought to conceal it?" Jacob could only offer an apologetic smile.


    "Well, I didn''t want to worry you and Aunt Margaret. Besides, I had nned to wait until Mr. ckwood woke up to let him manage the situation. Mr. ckwood certainly wouldn''t want you to worry, so that''s why I..." "Where is he now?"


    "Uncle Kim, I''ll take you there. Please don''t be angry anymore; it''s bad for your health."


    However sincere his acknowledgement of error, at this moment, Adrian ckwood was too upset to want to speak with him. He simply couldn''tprehend how such a significant matter could be kept from him-what strange logic was this? Was he supposed to wait until a real disaster struck before being informed?


    And then, with everything set in stone, he wouldn''t have to worry or be troubled?


    The more he thought about it, the angrier Kim ckwood became, and he couldn''t help but scold Jacob again.


    Jacob was mortified, knowing he deserved the reproach yet feeling the urge to retort.


    "Then, Uncle Kim, I truly didn''t mean to hide it from you. Let me give you an example if you knew about this, would you tell Aunt Margaret?"


    Predictably, this question left Kim ckwood speechless.


    Seeing him not answer, Jacob wore a look that said he had anticipated this response. "See? Uncle Kim, even you wouldn''t want to tell Aunt Margaret. And why is that? Because you care about her, you''re worried about making her anxious, so you dare not tell her. It''s the same reason I didn''t tell you and Aunt Margaret. Mr. ckwood cares about you. If I had spoken up, he would surely me me when he woke up."


    Kim ckwood scoffed.


    "So, all this talking is it to convince me not to me you?"


    "You''re saying all this to convince me not to me you, right?"


    "No, no, I wouldn''t dare think that way. I just wanted to rify things."


    "Cut the talk and tell the driver to speed up."


    "Oh, okay."


    Jacob immediately instructed the driver to increase speed.


    About twenty minutester, the car stopped at the entrance of the hospital.


    Upon reaching the hospital, Kim ckwood''s expression immediately turned somber again. Turning his head, he asked, "Is there someone watching over him at the hospital?"


    Jacob hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    "Of course, there is someone with him. And don''t worry, Uncle Kim, I wasn''t nning on going home to rest for the night. I was just going back to take a shower and nned to return here in two or three hours." Hearing this, Kim ckwood felt somewhat reassured.


    On the way to the ward, he asked a few more questions about Adrian ckwood''s safety and was relieved to hear that Adrian was currently unconscious but not in life-threatening danger.


    Upon reaching the ward, what he saw was Adrian ckwood lying on the hospital bed, looking much thinner than before, lying there silently.


    The sight almost brought tears to the father''s eyes.


    However, because there were many people around, Kim ckwood managed to restrain himself. He then checked the surroundings and noticed that only Adrian ckwood was there; Eva was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 489 What on Earth was Going on?

    "Where is Eva?" Kim ckwood asked cautiously.


    At the mention of Eva, a guilty expression came over Jacob''s face, "Ms. Hansen, she... hasn''te back."


    Kim ckwood: "?"


    He fixed his gaze on Jacob: "What do you mean she hasn''te back?"


    Kim ckwood''s gaze was piercing and oppressive; when he stared at him, Jacob felt as if he were being targeted by thunder.


    "It means... Ms. Hansen is still abroad."


    With things having reached this point, Jacob had no choice but to exin everything. Kim ckwood was already feeling like he was about to have a heart attack after hearing about Adrian ckwood''s situation, and now he found out Eva was also deeply involved.


    He had thought that although there was an incident, as long as Adrian and Eva were together, whatever injuries they had could be treated in the hospital, and they would recover eventually.


    But now, only Adrian ckwood had returned, and Eva hadn''t?


    What on earth was going on?


    Kim ckwood pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a throbbing pain.


    "Uncle Kim, please don''t get angry again. After all, what has happened has happened, and being angry is of no use. Let''s think of a solution," Jacob said.


    At that, Kim ckwood red at him.


    "Do you have a solution?"


    Jacob paused for a second before shaking his head.


    "I''m still thinking."


    Kim ckwood immediately sneered.


    "So you haven''t thought of anything and yet dared to keep it hidden until now."


    Jacob: "..."


    Better just take the scolding and not argue back.


    "I''m sorry. I''m wrong. So what shall we do now, Uncle Kim?"


    Kim ckwood looked at theatose Adrian ckwood and pursed his lips discontentedly, "How did he get such serious injuries? Logically speaking, if both sides had brought people, he shouldn''t be hurt like this." Jacob shook his head, "I''m not too clear about that either. I wasn''t at the scene at the time, but I guess Mr. ckwood being injured like this probably means he was ambushed." On hearing this, Kim ckwood fell silent.


    He knew his son''s character very well; although Adrian was remarkable,pared to himself as the father, his son was still too straightforward.


    And this time, Adrian''s opponent was once his friend; it wasn''t impossible to be set up, otherwise, he wouldn''t have been injured so badly.


    Michael Cooper...


    Kim ckwood, had met Michael Cooper before when Kim was a teenager and hade over with Eva.


    Back then, that boy grew up quickly, just like his son, tall and straight like a bamboo. When he bowed his head to talk to the young girl, there was a different emotion in his eyes.


    Kim ckwood, having been a youngster himself, understood that look all too well. He was secretly rmed, never expecting such intense emotions from a youth.


    At that time, he also liked the young girl Eva very much. She and his own son Adrian ckwood were childhood sweethearts, so Kim ckwood always felt that as long as Adrian didn''t make any mistakes, Eva was sure to be his daughter-in-w.


    But after seeing the young Michael Cooper, he felt it wasn''t so certain. Most girls can hardly withstand passionate, crazy pursuits, and his son, with a moreposed personality, would probably lose to others in wooing a girl.


    It wasn''t untilter that he heard about the troubles in Michael Cooper''s family, even felt sympathy for the boy for a while, andter heard he stayed abroad, thinking with such family turmoil, he probably couldn''t focus on other matters. Years passed by, and Michael never appeared again around Eva and Adrian, so Kim ckwood almost forgot about this person.


    Although they yed well together in their youth, as people grow up, they go their separate ways and have their own affairs to attend to, naturally not as carefree as in their youth.


    He thought some things would fade away with age, but unexpectedly... now such an incident had urred.


    Thinking about this, Kim ckwood let out a long sigh.


    He really didn''t expect this matter to have such a serious follow-up.


    Reflecting on this, he pursed his lips and asked, "Where was thest ce you saw Eva?"


    Jacob recounted the day''s events of going to the airport and staking out, and after confirming the approximate location, Kim ckwood made up his mind.


    Seeing his expression, Jacob couldn''t help but say, "Right, Uncle Kim, there''s something I need to tell you. When we were making the deal with him, Ms. Hansen had said not to call the police."


    Kim ckwood: "..."


    "So Mr. ckwood didn''t report to the police because of that, hoping to resolve it privately. Just never expected..."


    "Foolish," Kim ckwood gritted his teeth.


    "I can understand, though. That Michael Cooper might not be good for Mr. ckwood, but he has been very good to Ms. Hansen, having provided a lot of help in the past. So, Ms. Hansen inevitably harbors somepassion towards him." Unfortunately, Kim ckwood didn''t see it that way. Being a businessman, apart from focusing on interests, what mattered to him were his family members.


    Now someone had harmed his family, and that was something he could not tolerate.


    So when Jacob spoke, he did not respond.


    Jacob obviously felt the tension and carefully nced at him, softly asking, "Uncle Kim, maybe we still shouldn''t call the police?"


    Kim ckwood looked at him disapprovingly. "If you''re always so hesitant, how can you get anything done?"


    Jacob found himself at a loss for words, unable to offer even the slightest rebuttal. He wanted to say something, but considering Eva''s safety, he ultimately couldn''t utter a single word.


    Indeed, just as Uncle Kim had said, their constant hesitation and looking back had led to Ms. Hansen still not being rescued. If they had been ruthless from the start, perhaps they wouldn''t be facing this predicament now. "But Uncle Kim, what if Mr. ckwood wakes up and..." Jacob tried to protest.


    "Do you want to save her, or do you want to stand here tangled in indecision?" Uncle Kim interrupted.


    Jacob was rendered speechless once more, nodding hurriedly in agreement.


    "Save her!" he dered after closing his eyes and steeling his heart. "Then shall we leave this matter in Uncle Kim''s hands?"


    Mr. ckwood, I know you didn''t want to call the police for Ms. Hansen''s sake, but she hasn''t returned, and you''re injured like this. Even if there were past favors, an injury that nearly took your life should settle that debt, right? Before leaving, Kim ckwood couldn''t help but take one more look at his son lying unconscious. He then said to Jacob, "I''m leaving now; stay here and watch over him, take care of him." Jacob nodded.


    "Don''t worry, Uncle Kim. I will definitely take good care of Mr. ckwood."

 Chapter 490 Picking Up the Child

    On his way home, Kim ckwood received a call from Margaret.


    "How''s it going? You''ve been out for quite some time now; did you find Jacob? Did you find out anything?" Upon hearing this, Kim ckwood fell silent.


    Suddenly, he remembered the conversation he had with Jacob in the car, when Jacob asked him if he would tell Margaret after learning about the situation. At that moment, he felt it was a difficult choice to make.


    Now, when faced with the reality of making that choice, Kim ckwood realized he truly didn''t want to inform Margaret. The issue was so serious that he could imagine her worrying look as soon as he told her. Just the thought made him feel heartache.


    He guessed that Adrian ckwood and Jacob didn''t want to tell him for probably the same reason.


    Sighing deeply in his mind, Kim ckwood decided to empathize and resolved to tell Margaret about the incident but didn''t disclose everything. He simply said, "There has been a bit of an ident, and I need to handle it. Over the next few days... make sure to rest well."


    However, Margaret''s vignce was extremely high.


    "What kind of minor ident requires your personal attention for several days? What happened?" Her tone became anxious towards the end of her questions.


    "Listen, honey, don''t panic. The situation is indeed a bitplicated, but I can handle it. Once it''s sorted, I''ll tell you, alright?"


    Margaret responded with suspicion, "What exactly is the matter, and why are you unwilling to tell me now? Is it very serious?"


    "It''s because I need to go and deal with it now, and I don''t have the time to exin everything to you."


    Margaret was somewhat reassured by this.


    If the matter was really urgent and he needed to deal with it without having the time to exin the details to her, she could understand that.


    "Alright then, you go and take care of it, but you have to promise me that once you have the time, you will tell me exactly what''s going on, so I can see if there''s any way I can help."


    "Of course, dear, thank you for being so understanding."


    After hanging up the phone, Kim ckwood let out a long sigh of relief, feeling he had managed to get through the most difficult part. He wondered if Jacob had felt the same when he hung up the call.


    Although the night was deep, given the ckwood family''s connections, finding a few people to help was easy. Sitting in his car, Kim ckwood made several calls one after another.


    After hanging up the phone, Margaret couldn''t help but let out a long sigh thinking about what Kim ckwood had said on the call.


    She knew her husband well; there were only two reasons he wouldn''t tell her everything: either it was as he said, and the exnation was too lengthy for him to go into detail at that moment, or the situation was so serious that he feared it would worry her or scare her, so he chose to stay silent.


    Margaret felt that this time, it might be both reasons.


    Another reason she didn''t push for more answers was probably because she had their two grandchildren with her. Currently, the children''s parents were not around, and Kim ckwood was busy dealing with their issues, meaning that she was the sole caregiver for her grandchildren.


    She couldn''t just leave her grandchildren, and with them in tow, she wouldn''t really be able to help. So, after hearing what Kim ckwood had said over the phone, Margaret quickly came to terms with it herself.


    Since she couldn''t be of any help, it was better not to know for the time being. Knowing would only make her worry needlessly; it was better to focus on taking good care of her two little grandchildren until they returned. With this thought, Margaret got up and walked toward the children''s room.


    Seeing the two little ones hugging their nkets and deeply asleep, even having swapped ces, made Margaret''s troubled day feel much warmer.


    So adorable, these two little ones.


    How could Eva have such remarkable children? To give birth to twins who both turned out so well, and she raised them alone for five years. Despite the hardship, she managed to bring up the children so well. Margaret nced at them again, and when she saw Dn''s brows and eyes, it was as if she was seeing a young Adrian ckwood all over again.


    She remembered how her mother loved holding little Adrian ckwood, always saying how cute he was. She wondered whether her mother, seeing Dn, who looked so much like Adrian, would also adore him. At that moment, Margaret realized it had been a long time since she''d seen her own mother.


    Her parents did not live with them nor even in the same city. After retiring, theyined about the city pollution and bought a single-story house with a garden and yard in the countryside to enjoy their retirement. They filled their garden with various nts and cornered off a section for some vegetables and fruits. They lived a simple, peaceful life, getting up at sunrise and going to bed at sunset.


    Margaret had once visited her parents and seeing them happy and content, decided not to disturb them further, especially after they inquired about Adrian ckwood''s marital status and sighed heavily upon learning of his divorce. Since then, Margaret seldom visited.


    Now, suddenly, she wanted to take the two little ones and visit them in the countryside. After all, their parents wouldn''t be back for a while.


    As for the two little ones, she nned to ask their school for a week''s leave.


    Having made up her mind, Margaret got up with determination to start packing clothes.


    The next day, as the two little ones had just woken up and were still sitting dazedly on their beds, Margaret approached to dress them. While buttoning their clothes, she spoke, "Ruby, Dn, grandma got you some time off school; we''re going to go on a trip."


    Ruby Hansen, having just woken up with bleary eyes, instantly perked up upon hearing they were going to y.


    "Grandma, does that mean we don''t have to go to school today?"


    Every child dislikes school to some extent, and Ruby was no exception. However, being well-behaved by nature, and with Eva''s guidance, she usually didn''t show it. But now, hearing from her grandmother that they didn''t have to attend school and could go out to y instead, she was overjoyed and reached for Dn''s hand.


    "Dn, we don''t have to go to school today."


    Dn remainedposed, showing neither excitement nor displeasure, but simply nodded at Ruby before turning to Margaret.


    "Grandma, why are we skipping school? Where are we going?"


    What he really wanted to ask was why mommy had note back for so long, and where had she gone?


    But before leaving, mommy had instructed them to be good, to listen to grandma, and for him to take care of himself and his sister.


    "Yes, grandma is going to take you to a special ce; do you want to go?"


    Ruby didn''t even know what ce it was but immediately nodded enthusiastically, "Yes!"

 Chapter 491 Going to the Countryside

    "If you want to go, then get up quickly, brush your teeth, and after breakfast, we''ll set off together," Margaret instructed.


    Ruby, who had beencking energy just a moment ago, suddenly found herself invigorated. She hopped out of bed and scurried to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Seeing Ruby''s enthusiasm, Dn followed suit.


    In the bathroom, Margaret had already prepared toothbrushes and cups for them, with toothpaste even pre-applied on the brushes.


    Upon seeing this, Ruby exchanged a nce with Dn. When Margaret came in, they looked up at her and said, "Grandma, mommy says we should do things on our own. From now on, you don''t need to help us prepare toothpaste anymore." Hearing this, Margaret paused as she looked at the tender cheeks of the two children. She had wanted to pamper her grandchildren a bit, which is why she prepared the toothpaste for them. After all, it was not easy having these two little ones to dote on after so many years.


    But then...


    "You''re right, I was wrong. Grandma thought I was making it more convenient for you by doing that. But your mommy is correct; you should do your own things," Margaret conceded.


    "However, since grandma has helped us today, we still need to thank grandma," Dn added.


    Immediately, Ruby chimed in, "Thank you, grandma!"


    Margaret felt absolutely melted by these two adorable little creatures!


    After washing up and having breakfast with the two, Margaret called upon the house staff to inquire about preparations. Once she confirmed that the car was ready and all necessary items were loaded, she led the two grandkids out the door. She left swiftly, and once they had gone, the remaining house staff looked after the departing vehicle.


    "With the bosses away, can we take it easy this week?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense. The wages our employers pay us are generous. We get paid to get the job done; if you worked anywhere else, even doing several times more work, you wouldn''t make half this sry."


    The house staff, who had initially thought they could loaf around with the masters away, experienced a sudden realization upon hearing this remark, snapping back to their senses and no longer entertaining thoughts ofziness.


    The car merged onto the highway,pletely unaware that as they departed, a dark-colored van was approaching from the opposite direction. They passed by each other in an instant, missing one another.


    At this moment, Margaret sat in the car, opening a bag of candy she had brought especially for the trip.


    "Today, we''re heading to the countryside, and it might be a long journey. Have some candy first."


    Each of the little ones took a piece, and then Margaret tucked the bag away.


    "Grandma, why are we going to the countryside? " Ruby blinked her eyes curiously and asked, "Is mommy there?"


    Mentioning their mother, Margaret didn''t dare say too much, merely exining quickly, "No, dear, grandma wants to take you to meet two people."


    She didn''t keep them guessing and continued, "They are grandma''s father and mother-you''ve seen their picture in the room before."


    Hearing this, Ruby blinked and asked, "Is it the family photo with grandma, daddy, and mommy?"


    "Yes, that''s the one."


    "I understand, they''re my great-grandmother and great-grandfather!"


    Margaret''s lips curved into a smile as she nodded.


    "That''s right."


    "Grandma, do great-grandmother and great-grandfather live in the countryside? Why do they live there?"


    Ruby had many questions, one after another, endlessly curious. Margaret patiently answered each one, even thinking to herself that with suchpany, the journey would surely not be lonely or boring. After about two hours of driving, they finally arrived in the countryside.


    Upon arrival, the two children were energetic andfortable despite the journey. Conversely, it was Margaret who had worried about the kids getting car sick, but as it turned out, she was the one feeling unwell.


    Stepping out of the car, her legs were still shaky. The little ones tried to support her, but due to their height, they couldn''t help much. They quickly pressed against her leg, saying, "Grandma, if you''re not feeling well, just stay in the car and rest a while; we can go downter."


    Seeing her own condition, Margaret agreed and sat in the car to rest. She sipped on the drink Dn handed her a sweet and tangy beverage that helped dispel her nauseousness. "Grandma, do you feel a bit better now?"


    Coming back to her senses, Margaret replied, "Yes, much better now. Let''s go. We can''t drive any further; the road ahead isn''t suitable for cars. Grandma will walk with you the rest of the way."


    They had brought only the driver with them to avoid drawing too much attention. After parking the car, the driver single-handedly carried tworge bags of luggage and followed behind.


    The vige roads were narrow and winding, unfit for cars to navigate through easily. If they encountered a vehicleing in the opposite direction and another was behind them, it could easily lead to a traffic jam.


    For the two youngsters, this was their first visit to such a ce, and their innate curiosity had them looking all around as they walked.


    Along the way, they encountered many local children ying by the roadside. The presence of strangers piqued the locals'' curiosity, prompting looks in their direction.


    There was a stark contrast between the two groups.


    Ruby nced at the other children''s dresses, then down at her own little dress, before looking up at Margaret and asking, "Grandma, I''ve never worn the kind of skirt they have. Can I buy one like that too?"


    Hearing this, Margaret looked over at the local children. She saw one girl about Ruby Hansen''s age wearing a blue floral dress that was clean and neat. Paired with the girl''s cuteness, the dress looked especially nice on her.


    Several other children stood by her side, probably ymates. Margaret stopped to give them some candy before addressing Ruby Hansen, "Of course, you can, Ruby. If you like that dress, once we settle in, tomorrow we can have your great- grandmother take us to the flea market to buy one."


    Ruby had always gone to supermarkets and malls. Hearing the phrase " flea market" for the first time made her even more curious.


    "Okay, then brother wille along too."


    "That sounds good."


    After about ten more minutes of walking, they finally arrived in front of a yard.


    Compared to two years ago, a few more flower beds had been added near the entrance of the small courtyard. However, as it was still cold, the flowers had withered away.


    The courtyard gate was custom-made and very sturdy, secured with arge lock.


    When the gate was first constructed, Margaret suggested installing abination lock, which would be convenient foring and going, and it could even use fingerprints if the code was forgotten. But the elderly couple disagreed, saying that abination lock didn''t fit the rural, pastoral vibe of living in the countryside.

 Chapter 492 Great-grandmother

    Margaret couldn''t resist her mother''s persistence and ended up buying them an extrarge lock that most people couldn''t open.


    Now, the door was unlocked, indicating that everyone must be at home. Margaret found the doorbell and pressed it, waiting at the door with her two grandchildren. After a short while, light footsteps were heard from inside, followed by an elderly voice asking, "Who is it?"


    The two little ones got excited upon hearing the old woman''s voice and looked up to ask her, "Grandma, is that our great-grandmother''s voice?"


    Margaret smiled and nodded at the two youngsters while responding, "Mom, it''s me."


    Hearing the familiar voice, the footsteps inside paused briefly before resuming with much more urgency.


    Margaret heard this and still smiling, said, "Mom, take it easy, be careful."


    When the courtyard door opened, they were greeted by an elderly woman with graying hair, who despite her age, dressed in a casual European-style house dress, exuding an air of exceptional elegance.


    Ruby and Dn had been taught good manners since they were young, and Eva had instructed them to greet people properly, so without any prompt from Margaret, as soon as the door opened, they both called out in unison, "Great- grandmother!"


    Lynn hadn''t seen her daughter for a long time and had recently been missing her children, but she didn''t want to bother and thus refrained from calling. To her surprise, her daughter hade to visit her.


    She was delighted, yet just as she recognized her daughter''s face upon opening the door, she heard two childlike voices calling out for their great-grandmother.


    Great-grandmother?


    Who were they calling? Or was she experiencing auditory hallucinations due to her old age?


    She looked down following the voices and saw two adorable little tykes standing there, looking up at her in unison.


    To her shock, these two little ones bore a striking resemnce to her well-behaved grandson Adrian ckwood.


    Lynn gazed at the faces of the two youngsters in amazement, then lifted her eyes to look at her daughter, Margaret, or simply Margaret.


    Margaret was smiling at her, lightly lifting her eyebrows as if to say, "Look, I''ve brought your little great-grandchildren to see you."


    "These are..."


    It took Lynn quite a moment to process what was happening. She was about to reach out and touch the cheeks of the two little ones to see if they were real when two small hands caught hold of her fingers-one on each side. The warm, soft sensation instantly transmitted through her fingertips, the tangible feeling shaking Lynn for a moment before she regained herposure.


    "These are Adrian''s..."


    Margaret nodded.


    "Yes, twins, both the same age."


    "Great-grandmother, my name is Ruby Hansen."


    "My name is Dn Hansen."


    They were Adrian ckwood''s children, yet they bore the surname Hansen. The little ones introduced themselves without any indication to correct it.


    Margaret felt a bit awkward, though she didn''t mind the children''s surnames. After all, it was the ckwood family that owed Eva five years, and she herself had raised them for so many years. Now, she was happy enough that they were willing to call them grandma and grandpa.


    As for the surname issue, neither she nor her husband minded too much.


    What surname they had did not change the fact that they were the children of Adrian ckwood and Eva.


    However, while she might not care, she wondered about the opinion of the elderly, who, due to their age, tended to be more conventional.


    Just as she thought about changing the subject, Lynn smiled and nodded in understanding.


    "The names are nice, did your mommy give them to you?"


    The two little ones nodded.


    Margaret pursed her lips with some unease.


    The next second, she saw her mother Lynn''s face light up with a smile: "Come in, great-grandma has prepared some delicious food for you."


    She stepped aside to make room, motioning everyone to enter. After the driver brought in their luggage and left, he said to Margaret, "Madam, I''ll head back now and will return to pick you up when it''s time." Margaret nodded.


    After watching the driver leave and the big gate of the yard was closed and relocked, only then did the two youngsters really take in the scenery inside the courtyard.


    There was a veryrge tree nted in the yard, which had lost all its leaves this season and looked quite bare.


    The two ran over curiously to inspect it.


    Watching the two little ones run off, Lynn took the opportunity to start a conversation with her daughter Margaret, keeping a distance from them.


    "Is it just the three of you who came?"


    Margaret nodded.


    "Yes."


    "What about the children''s father and mother? Why didn''t theye along?"


    "They... they have matters to attend to and couldn''te for the time being." Margaret dared not tell her elderly mother about their troubles, fearing that such news might be too shocking due to her age.


    "Young people always busy themselves without care for their health. When you go back, you should remind them not to work too hard. Otherwise, they might develop chronic issues. "


    "Alright, I''ll tell them when I get back, and we''ll bring the kids to visit you another time."


    "But..." Lynn paused thoughtfully, "Didn''t the two of them divorce years ago? Howe they have such grown children? Could it be...?"


    Lynn had a suspicion forming in her mind.


    Faced with her guess, Margaret nodded.


    Even though Lynn already guessed, having it confirmed brought different emotions. She hadn''t expected Eva to give birth to two children alone after the divorce. Now Lynn could probably surmise why both kids carried the surname Hansen. "Mom, what I mean is, since Eva raised the two children on her own, I don''t want to say too much about their surnames..."


    Before she could finish speaking, Lynn interrupted her: "Why are you telling me all this? Do you really think your mother can''t distinguish right from wrong? Eva has had a tough time raising two children by herself, and now she is willing to bring them back. We owe her, and a surname isn''t significant it doesn''t represent anything."


    Margaret, who had originally anticipated conventional views from Lynn due to her age, was relieved to hear that Lynn didn''t mind and even lectured her about principles. Margaret''s voice softened, almost cooing, "Oh mom, I wasn''t suggesting you can''t tell right from wrong. I just wanted to exin to you, don''t be mad at me."


    Having not heard her daughter speak affectionately for a long time, Lynn wasn''t angry anymore and went ahead to greet the two children.


    "Come on, there''s nothing more to see here. Follow great-grandma inside, I''ve made something tasty for you. Do Ruby and Dn have any dietary restrictions?"


    Though it was their first meeting, the two little ones were already veryfortable with her and went into the house together.


    Margaret stood still, taking out her phone to check for any new messages.


    It had been one night, and Kim ckwood had not called her. She was unsure how things were being handled on his end or how much longer it would take. She hoped everything would go smoothly without anyplications.

 Chapter 493 Let Her Go

    Study Room


    When the news that the two children were missing from the ckwood family reached Michael Cooper''s ears, his brow immediately furrowed.


    "They''re gone? She wouldn''t hand the kids over to someone else, would she? Have you checked properly?" he asked. David nodded.


    "The people we sent out have reported back. The kids aren''t there, and their exact whereabouts are currently unknown, so..." David hesitated before continuing, "It''ll take some time to locate their next destination." "How long?"


    "That... I''m not sure. They drove for half an hour before entering a stretch with no surveince cameras. After that, our people lost track of them."


    Understanding the implication, Michael Cooper didn''t need any further exnation. Had their people arrived toote? Otherwise, how could the other party have left at just the right time?


    As a thought struck him, Michael Cooper fixed a stern gaze on David.


    "How would they know?"


    David didn''t catch on at first: "What?"


    "Did you leak the information?" He stared at David like he was looking at an ant, "Do you want her to die?"


    David was puzzled. "?"


    He thought he had misunderstood, but after a moment, it dawned on him what Michael Cooper meant.


    "Do you think I leaked the news, Mr. Cooper?"


    "Didn''t you? How else could they leave early? They even conveniently took a route without surveince? Or are you saying you didn''t y some part in this?"


    At that, David pressed his lips together and fell silent.


    After a long pause, he finally spoke up, "If you mistrust me this much, Mr. Cooper, maybe you should find someone else to do the job."


    "You know why I''ve kept you around."


    "Yes, Mr. Cooper, you asked me to ensure Ms. Hansen''s safety, and I''m worried about Ms. Hansen too. With her current situation, how could I possibly leak any information?" Michael Cooper scrutinized him, noting that his tone was normal, and remembering that if David hadn''t cared about Eva, he wouldn''t have dared help her escape initially. Now that Eva''s life was in danger, it was unlikely he would betray her.


    But... it was not beyond reason that he might be doing this deliberately, using Eva''s life to force Michael to let her go, to give up on her.


    With that thought, Michael Cooper chuckled coldly, "How many years have you been with me?"


    David remained silent.


    "You know my temperament and character," Michael Cooper''s fingertips lightly tapped the desk, revealing his impatience. "If I can bring her back to my side a second time, there will be a third time and a fourth time. So, you better not get any wrong ideas. And this time, I don''t intend to let her go."


    A slight smile crossed Michael Cooper''s lips as he spoke.


    This was the first time he had smiled since Eva''s incident.


    But the smile that spread across his lips was very unsettling, not just in timing but also in the curvature of the grin-it appeared quite sinister.


    David had an extremely ominous premonition.


    Sure enough, the next second he heard Michael Cooper say, "Even if she dies, she can only stay by my side."


    Previously, he had used her life to provoke Michael Cooper into letting her go. At that time, Michael Cooper seemed quite terrified, probably because he had clearly experienced what it felt like to lose someone dear to him, which was why he had locked himself away in the study for a long time.


    But David hadn''t expected him to change so quickly...


    "Surprised? This is a decision I''ve just made. Now that you know, go take care of it."


    After leaving Michael Cooper''s study, David felt his steps be airy as he walked.


    How did things get this far?


    Why... did it turn out this way?


    Ms. Hansen, how could she leave this ce? Could it be... she really had to die here before Michael Cooper would be content?


    David couldn''t believe that Michael Cooper could be so cruel. Perhaps, he was only saying those words to spur him on and make him find the two children faster.


    With this thought, David suddenly came to his senses.


    That''s right, Michael Cooper must still be worried about something happening to Ms. Hansen. If he wasn''t concerned, why would he be so anxious about not being able to find the two children? But there had been no leak of information; inexplicably, someone had suddenly taken the children on a trip, and when they left, they didn''t even inform anyone at the vi where they were going. What should he do if he didn''t find the two children? Without finding them, Eva certainly had little hope of surviving, but if he found the two children, there might be no turning back for her in the future. He needed to make a decision quickly. After much thought, David made a decision in his heart.


    After David left, Michael Cooper remained alone in the study.


    His expression was sullen, his aura ice-cold, giving off an exceedingly misanthropic vibe.


    His cellphone rang, and Michael Cooper nced at the caller ID. His gaze flickered slightly before he answered the call a momentter.


    "Grandfather?"


    His tone wasn''t particrly good but it wasn''t bad either-just a normal way of speaking.


    However, the words he heard from the other end of the call caused his expression to turn ice-cold.


    "What do you mean?"


    Mr. Cooper Sr.''s cold snort echoed loudly from the other end of the phone. "What do I mean? You know exactly what I am talking about. Is that Hansen girl with you or not? What exactly are you nning to do with her, you scoundrel?" Michael Cooper''s lips thinned, and he fell silent.


    "Send the girl back home immediately! Stop giving me headaches!"


    "Have you spoken to the ckwood family?"


    "Whoever I''ve spoken with doesn''t matter. If I say do it, you do it."


    Mr. Cooper Sr.''s words carried authority and domineeringmand-not as if he wanted to discuss matters but rather as if he were ordering him, instructing him.


    Seeing that Michael Cooper didn''t respond, Mr. Cooper Sr. questioned further, "I''m talking to you. Do you hear me?"


    But Michael Cooper simply started tough softly.


    Theughter was deep, yet to the person on the other end of the phone, it seemed extremely eerie.


    "You little rascal, what are youughing at?"


    Michael Cooperughed for a full minute while the old man on the other end nearly burst with anger before he finally stopped.


    "Grandfather, if you don''t mind me asking, did you use the same tone when you forced my mother to marry that thing?"


    The description of ''that thing'' caught Mr. Cooper Sr. off guard, and it took him a while to realize whom he was referring to. He immediately became furious, "You brat, what kind of nonsense are you talking about? That is your father!" "Oh, is that so? As my father, what has he done? What responsibilities has he fulfilled?" Michael Cooper scoffed coldly, "He''s nothing but a murderer who killed my mother!"


    "No matter how unworthy he may be, he is still your father!"


    "I have no father."


    Mr. Cooper Sr. was livid but after thinking of the disgraceful acts his own son hadmitted, he decide he didn''t want to argue for the sake of such a useless man this with his grandson. He was actually quite satisfied with the way his grandson wielded power as the head of the family.


    "Forget it. Whether you acknowledge it or not doesn''t matter, just let the Hansen girl go."

 Chapter 494 The Dignity of the Cooper Family

    Mr. Cooper Sr. did not believe that his grandson would disobey him. After all, the vast family business would be his in the future, and if he wanted to inherit it smoothly from Mr. Cooper Sr., he had to listen to his elder. And how did Mr. Cooper Sr. see things? It was normal for a man to be involved with a few women, as long as it wasn''t too scandalous.


    Initially, he thought the Hansen girl wasn''t bad, but after her family went bankrupt, Mr. Cooper Sr. lost interest in her, not to mention that sheter divorced Adrian ckwood and became a twice-married woman with two children. Mr. Cooper Sr. always looked down on this girl from the bottom of his heart.


    Unfortunately, his grandson was quite sentimental and got entangled with her. Mr. Cooper Sr. tried to intervene several times, but his grandson wouldn''t listen.


    During that time, Mr. Cooper Sr. could say that he was infuriated by his grandson''s defiance until his secretary consoled him by saying, "Why should you be angry, sir? After all, they''ve been tangled up for so many years without ending up together. It''s clear that Mr. Cooper is just ying around. She''s nothing but a worthless twice-married woman with two kids. Once he gets bored, it will naturally end. Why keep intervening? Besides, people are rebellious. The more you try to separate them, the more he''ll value that woman. Don''t let ite to a point where they haven''t split up, but you have a rift with Mr. Cooper, affecting your rtionship."


    After being advised by his secretary, Mr. Cooper Sr. realized that indeed they were not together, and he came to believe that perhaps his grandson was just fooling around and would not seriously choose that woman.


    Soter on, he stopped interfering and even began to treat Eva nicely.


    When Mr. Cooper Sr. heard that Eva had returned to the country, he thought that she would definitely break things off with his grandson, so he had been feeling quite pleased recently.


    In fact, Mr. Cooper Sr. even considered finding various distinguisheddies for his grandson, but then people from the ckwood family came knocking at his door asking for her.


    Only after some inquiries did he learn that Michael Cooper had kept Eva at his ce.


    Mr. Cooper Sr. was extremely displeased when the ckwoods approached him.


    In his view, as an adult, if Eva wanted to leave, who could force her to stay? And now they had the audacity toe asking him for her?


    But since they were the ckwood family, Mr. Cooper Sr. couldn''t speak too harshly. Besides, Eva was only a twice-married woman after all-it was only the ckwoods who treated her like a treasure. So, Mr. Cooper Sr. made this phone call. Thinking of this, Mr. Cooper Sr. even began to belittle Eva in front of Michael Cooper.


    "I know you''re quite fond of that girl from the Hansen family, and to be honest, she indeed is quite attractive, but you have to understand that she''s been married before. Sure, she''s divorced now, but if you really like her, then keep her as a mistress on the side. Think about it carefully-she''s not only been divorced but also has two children. Are those children yours?"


    "I don''t care."


    Mr. Cooper Sr. was trying to speak earnestly, hoping his grandson would take in at least some of what he said, but halfway through his speech, his grandson suddenly stated he didn''t care, igniting Mr. Cooper Sr.''s temper instantly.


    "You don''t care? What makes you think you can afford not to care? You are the heir to the entire Cooper family! You represent the face of the Cooper family! Do you think you''re just any individual? Behind you stands the whole Cooper family!" "Oh," Michael Cooper scoffed with disdain. "Why weren''t such stern lessons applied to that murderer back then? When he tarnished the face of the Cooper family, did he ever think about the family''s dignity?"


    At this point, Michael Cooper even paused, then quickly added, "Or should I say, does your Cooper family have any dignity left?"


    Mr. Cooper Sr. was stopped in his tracks. "You little rascal, what do you mean ''your Cooper family''? Aren''t you part of the Cooper family?" He scolded.


    Michael Cooper didn''t respond.


    "Let her go!" Mr. Cooper Sr. threatened.


    Michael Cooper retorted, "You have no right to give me orders."


    "You''re my grandson; how do I not have the right tomand you?"


    Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper let out a coldugh.


    "If you want me to release her, dream on."


    After saying that, he directly hung up the phone.


    Mr. Cooper Sr. opened his mouth to scold him again but heard the busy tone from the phone instead. Michael had already hung up.


    This infuriated Mr. Cooper Sr., and his secretary quickly stepped forward to soothe him by rubbing his chest.


    "Sir, please don''t get angry."


    "This darn kid is really trying to kill me. How dare he hang up on me!"


    "He''s just young and hotheaded. Don''t take it personally; it''s not worth getting upset over."


    With the constion from his secretary, Mr. Cooper Sr.''s anger subsided somewhat. "If this brat doesn''t let her go, how am I supposed to exin this to the ckwood family?"


    At this point, a look of distress appeared on Mr. Cooper Sr.''s face.


    After hanging up the phone, Michael Cooper switched off his mobile, refusing any iing calls.


    He sat there with a gloomy expression; his mind clouded by the words Mr. Cooper Sr. had just said.


    Why?


    All he wanted was her, so why was everyone against him? It seemed like everyone wanted to take her away from him.


    Eva...


    Michael Cooper''s eyes darkened, and after a moment, he got up and walked towards Eva''s room.


    The psychologist also came today. The idea, ording to Fennis, was for him to talk to her every day and build up their trust so that maybe one day she would be willing to open up to him. That was the n he was working on for now.


    However, it didn''t seem to be of any use. On the first day, Eva had given him a nce, but by the second, she wouldn''t even look at him. When he spoke to her, Eva simply closed her eyes, refusing to listen. When he came out, Fennis could only shake his head helplessly at the others.


    "She still refuses tomunicate. We can only try again tomorrow or the day after."


    After saying this, Fennis paused and looked at Michael Cooper as if he had more to say but hesitated.


    Michael Cooper had already noticed his expression and pursed his lips as he uttered coldly, "Speak your mind."


    Fennis nodded, "I wanted to mention that Ms. Hansen''s condition seems worse today than yesterday. Is she still not eating at all?"


    Michael Cooper looked at Jane, who immediately responded, "Ms. Hansen had a bit of sweet soup today, but she''s still eating very little."


    Ever since she lost her memory and left the hospital, her diet had been extremely simple. Thankfully, she was still willing to eat sweet foods, which helped maintain some nutritional intake; otherwise, none of them could bear to think of the consequences.


    "If she''s willing to eat, she can maintain the daily nutritional needs of her body. At least for now, she doesn''t seem to have any suicidal tendencies, so keeping her stable is easy. But if she''s unwilling to eat, it''s akin to a slow form of suicide." "What can we do?" Jane sounded almost tearful, "Is Ms. Hansen going to die?"

 Chapter 495 Lighting the Will to Live

    "Don''t talk nonsense!" Michael Cooper said sharply.


    Jane was startled by his scolding and instantly fell silent, not daring to speak further.


    Her eyes reddened as they filled with tears that looked as if they might fall at any moment, making her appear especially pitiful. Fennis nced at her and sighed inwardly.


    "For now, she won''t be in immediate danger. Anyway, you should consult other doctors to see how her nutrition can be supplemented without eating. If she''s unwilling to eat, then we need to find alternative ways; there''s always a solution. But


    people need to eat normally. The method I''m talking about can only sustain her temporarily. Not eating for an extended period is not viable; even if there are other ways to prevent death, the body will deteriorate, and in the end..." Though he didn''t finish his sentence, everyone present understood what he meant.


    The conversation ceased, and Fennis left shortly after.


    Michael Cooper''s gaze turned icy as he stared at the firmly shut door of the room, as if a small knife were slowly piercing his heart.


    Jane broke the silence, "Mr. Cooper... then I''ll go in first."


    Michael Cooper stopped her, "Youe with me."


    Jane replied with a puzzled, "Ah?"


    Although unsure of what he needed from her, since he was her employer, Jane followed him.


    Before leaving, Michael Cooper gave David a look. "Take good care of her. Call me if anything happens."


    David nodded expressionlessly.


    After they had gone, David stood still for a moment, then raised his head to look at the door to the room, recalling the decision he had made.


    He wondered whether it was an opportunity that Michael Cooper had deliberately left for him; otherwise, why would he call Jane away at this juncture? Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, David pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    The curtains in the room were drawn, dimming the light, and the window was cracked open just a sliver for venttion due to Eva''s frail condition. The whole room felt stifling, almost suffocating upon entry.


    David even wondered if staying in such an environment would exacerbate her illness.


    Eva was reclining on the sofa with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. David watched her in silence for a while before finally speaking up, "Ms. Hansen." As he expected, Evapletely ignored him.


    At first, she would somewhat respond when he spoke to her, but now...


    It seemed that the doctor was spot on, her condition was worsening rapidly.


    Thinking that Michael Cooper might return soon, David decided against any niceties and simply stated, "Ms. Hansen, other than Mr. ckwood, is there no one else you can''t let go of?"


    After saying this, regardless of Eva''s reaction, he continued, "Even though your memory is only temporarily lost, it may note back, but there are some feelings that stick in your mind. Isn''t there anything else you are holding onto, Ms. Hansen?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva slowly opened her eyes and looked at him with a calm gaze.


    "What ''holding onto''?"


    She felt like she had forgotten something, but since she couldn''t remember anything, she naturally attributed this feeling to aftereffects of her amnesia.


    David looked steadily at her, "For instance, children."


    At the mention of children, something struck Eva''s chest hard, followed by her heart pounding like a drum. "Children..."


    Eva repeated the word as she felt images sh crazily through her mind.


    "Yes, children."


    A hint of life finally returned to Eva''s ashen face; it was as though a switch had been flipped within her.


    Children-did she already have children?


    No wonder she always felt she had forgotten something crucial.


    Upon seeing the spark of life back in her eyes, David nced towards the door, then quickly added, "Ms. Hansen, don''t reveal this matter to anyone. If possible, perhaps you could try tomunicate with Mr. Cooper. He... maybe you can persuade him."


    If there was anyone left who could persuade him, it would likely be only Eva.


    "Persuade him?" Eva''s spirit was no longer as listless as before; she seemed to have found a pir of strength and even forced herself to sit upright, "To persuade him to let me go? But I''m like this now, if he''s unwilling, would he agree just because I asked him to?"


    "No matter what, it''s worth trying. It''s certainly better than risking your own health."


    If this conversation had taken ce earlier, Eva might not have cared much about her body, but after learning about her children from David, she now felt like she couldn''t afford to gamble with her health.


    "Okay, I''ll try. But since I don''t remember anything about Michael Cooper, could you tell me some things about the past? It might help me."


    "Of course."


    David nodded, then added, "However, Mr. Cooper and Jane may return soon, so it''s probably not convenient to talk now. If you are willing, I''lle to see you tonight, Ms. Hansen." "That''s fine."


    "Then... will you eatter?"


    Eva paused for a second before showing a rare smile.


    "For my children, I must eat."


    After seeing the smile that had long-absent smile from her face, David was momentarily taken aback, then he nodded.


    "I''ll go out first then. Mr. Cooper should be back soon. He''s probably figuring out how to get food for you. You could try to eat a bit today and try not to resist the psychologist too much tomorrow-pretend to ept the treatment." "I understand."


    Eva hesitated as if she wanted to say more, then spoke as he was about to leave, "Wait, may I ask you a question?"


    David, who had been about to leave, stopped in his tracks, "Ms. Hansen, please ask."


    "My children... what do they look like? Do you have a photo you can show me?"


    David paused for a moment, then shook his head.


    "I don''t have any stored on my phone, but I''ll find a way to get photos. If I do, I''ll show them to you immediately."


    "Okay, thank you..."


    "You''re wee, Ms. Hansen. I should go now."


    Without lingering further, David quickly left.


    Eva sat on the sofa, feeling previously as if she was suffocating, like life had be an utterly lifeless march through despair, devoid of any vitality. Living seemed pointless.


    But now, her emotions werepletely different, her chest filled with indescribable feelings-tender yet powerful that not only ignited her will to live but also made her feel braver.


    She didn''t think David was deceiving her because from the moment he mentioned she had children; Eva felt an inexplicable connection with her offspring.


    She was sure she had children.


    So, when Jane came back, she immediately sensed the change in Eva''s demeanor.


    Although Eva was still leaning on the sofa, the feeling she gave off was entirely different.

 Chapter 496 Give up Anything

    Jane didn''t know if she was seeing things. She walked up with the food and carefully called out, "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper asked the kitchen staff to get you a little bit of food, I heard that it''s made by the new chef, do you want to try it?" After saying that, as if Jane was worried that Eva wasn''t interested, she added, "I heard that this new chef is awesome, he has made food for many anorexic patients before, and he also has very peculiarbinations. Would you like to have some, Ms. Hansen?"


    Why would Eva care if the new chef was awesome or not?


    After talking to David, she wanted to eat, not because of an appetite, but because she felt that in order to live, in order to get out of here one day and see her two children, she had to eat, more or less, and she had to keep herself sustained. Jane had only said few words, but Eva was already reaching out towards her.


    Previously, Eva basically wouldn''t eat, Jane was worried before she came that Eva wouldn''t be willing to eat, but she didn''t expect Eva to actually be willing. She held the tray and came forward with surprise written all over her face. "Ms. Hansen, look, this soup is made so beautifully. I just snuck a sniff, it smells so good."


    Jane didn''t mention that the food these days was making her mouth water. The people over in the kitchen could be said to have gone to great lengths to get Eva to eat.


    Every time she went to the kitchen, she could hear her stomach rumble and feel her mouth begin to moisten, but once she thought of Ms. Hansen not being able to eat, she lost her appetite and began feeling bad for Eva. Eva didn''t even bother to look at how well the food was prepared as she picked it up and took a spoonful.


    Jane watched her expectantly from the sidelines.


    Upon seeing little expressions on Eva''s face as she ate, Jane knew that Eva didn''t have much of an appetite, and she sighed inwardly, knowing that Eva was probably going to have to stop after just a few bites again. So, Jane waited around, waiting for her to put it away after a few bites.


    Unexpectedly, Eva didn''t stop. Jane was a bit confused.


    But she was actually happy that Ms. Hansen was willing to eat, so she didn''t make a sound.


    Until ......


    Eva suddenly vomited, after which she put down her bowl and ran towards the restroom.


    "Ms. Hansen!"


    Jane was shocked, She followed Eva then realized that Eva had vomited out all that she had just eaten in.


    "Ms. Hansen, are you alright?"


    She helped Eva to the couch and sat down again. Eva looked at the remaining half bowl of soup and pursed her lips.


    What was going on?


    It was clear that she had the desire to eat in her heart, but her stomach actually rejected the food.


    Was she eating too fast? Or did she eat too much?


    Forget it, she''d better take her time; after all, she hadn''t been able to eat much before, and now that she steeply wanted to eat more, she guessed that her stomach wasn''t used to it.


    And most importantly, she had to regte her mood.


    Thinking of this, Eva took a deep breath to calm herself down and said to Jane, "I''m fine, bring the stuff over, I''ll eat some more."


    Hearing this, Jane was shocked.


    "Ms. Hansen, you want to eat some more?"


    Previously, in a simr situation, she didn''t have the mood or strength to eat again at all. Before, she did nothing but lean over with a look of disgust on her face.


    Jane, happy for her and worried at the same time, said, "Then this time eat slower, so your stomach can take it."


    "Okay."


    After that, Eva took some small sips of soup and finally stopped throwing up. Jane almost cried tears of joy.


    Having expended a lot of energy, Eva felt tired and soon fell back to sleep.


    When David received the call from Mr. Cooper Sr., the old man on the other end was in a state of tremulous anger, angrily questioning him as to why Michael Cooper''s cell phone was off and telling him to turn it back on and answer it. Hearing this, David nced at the corridor in front of him.


    Michael Cooper hadn''t been back since he left.


    Was there something going on when Mr. Cooper Sr. was suddenly calling for him so angrily?


    Thinking about this, David gently replied, " Mr. Cooper Sr., Mr. Cooper is not here right now, if there is anything you need, I can ry it on your behalf."


    "Don''t pretend like you don''t know anything. You are his assistant. How could you not know what happened? Quickly send the Hansen girl away."


    David was shocked upon hearing this.


    David had assumed that Mr. Cooper Sr. had something else in mind for Michael Cooper. He hadn''t expected that it was about Ms. Hansen.


    So, it seemed that Mr. Cooper Sr. knew about Ms. Hansen being here at Mr. Cooper''s so he wanted Michael Cooper to let her go? The two of them had already spoken on the phone and Michael Cooper refused toply. In addition, he also hung up on Mr. Cooper Sr. and turned off his phone.


    So, Mr. Cooper Sr., as ast resort, called him and asked him to tell Michael Cooper to release Eva.


    While he was thinking, Mr. Cooper Sr. had a new idea.


    "Forget it, don''t tell him any of this. Just go, take that Hansen girl, and send her back home."


    David got the hint that what Mr. Cooper Sr. meant was that he wanted him to do this behind Michael Cooper''s back.


    He pursed his lips and said, "Mr. Cooper Sr., I''m afraid I can''t do this."


    After hearing this, Mr. Cooper Sr. was annoyed to no end, "What did you say? What do you mean by iming that you can''t? You also want to disobey me along with that brat? Don''t forget that I am his grandfather, and right now, the Cooper family is notpletely in his hands. If I give the word, your job is gone."


    Probably already anticipating that he would be threatened, David was quite calm in the face of these threats at this moment.


    "Mr. Cooper Sr., it''s not that I''m disobeying you, but Mr. Cooper has already stripped me of any power."


    "What did you say? That brat actually.... just for a woman?"


    David listened quietly, suddenly realizing that he could use Mr. Cooper Sr. to suppress Michael Cooper. If he could pull this off, Ms. Hansen''s chances of sessfully leaving would be a little higher.


    But...... he still felt a little hesitant.


    Mr. Cooper Sr. thought that Michael Cooper cared about bing the head of the family and thought that he could use it to threaten him.


    However, after following him for so many years, David knew that Michael Cooper didn''t care about these things at all; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been thinking about Eva for so many years. He didn''t even mind that she was divorced from another man and had two children.


    In David''s view, he realized that as long as Eva was by Michael Cooper''s side, Micheal would be willing to face any challenge. Even if he wanted the Cooper family''s power, he only wanted to use it to protect Eva, so that she and her children could live a happy life and not be bullied.


    But without her, he''d probably want nothing more than to destroy everything.

 Chapter 497 Turning Back Still Holds a Chance

    As the thought crossed his mind, David was startled by his own realization-he hadn''t expected to understand him so well.


    Indeed, he was the kind of person who would do such a thing.


    "Then who currently has the authority to handle this matter?" Mr. Cooper Sr. asked after calming down.


    "I''m not sure about that."


    Michael Cooper still had many tasks at hand, but they were limited in scope. Once something went beyond that range, others wouldn''t listen to him. "You''re not sure? You''ve been by his side for so long; how can you possibly be clueless? Do you think that just because I''m old, I''d be easily fooled?" However, no matter how irate Mr. Cooper Sr. became, David maintained his calm demeanor.


    "Mr. Cooper Sr., you once controlled the Cooper Group yourself; how could I even think of deceiving you? If you do not believe me, you are wee to investigate." David''s response made Mr. Cooper Sr. exchange a skeptical look with his secretary.


    His secretary shook his head slightly at Mr. Cooper Sr., who then pursed his lips and let the matter go.


    "Fine, since you say you don''t have power anymore, I''ll look into it myself. But you better hope I don''t find out you''ve lied to me, or else..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, but the unspoken threat was as clear as day.


    David did not respond to the veiled threat.


    But before hanging up the phone, he couldn''t help but add, "Mr. Cooper Sr., if you truly want to save Ms. Hansen, you must act swiftly."


    Upon hearing these words, Mr. Cooper Sr. paused, "What do you mean by that?"


    "That''s all I can say," David replied.


    After finishing his statement, David promptly ended the call.


    Mr. Cooper Sr.''s brows furrowed deeply as the busy tone from the phone echoed in his ear once again.


    "Are they all growing bold now? It''s one thing for my own grandson to hang up on me, but what gives David, who is merely an assistant, the right to hang up on me?!"


    The secretary beside Mr. Cooper Sr. could only offer an awkward exnation," Mr. Cooper Sr., please don''t be angry. I guess he probably doesn''t know much either, so he didn''t have much to say."


    This suggestion seemed to pique Mr. Cooper Sr.''s curiosity.


    "What did he mean by saying if I want to save the Hansen girl I must act quickly? Could it be that he fears my grandson could harm the Hansen girl?"


    "It''s unlikely he''d harm her, given that Mr. Cooper''s affection for Ms. Hansen is well-known. It''s just that..."


    "Just what? If you have a thought, speak up. Don''t hem and haw."


    The secretary hesitated a moment before speaking cautiously, "Since Mr. Cooper refuses to release her, it''s clear Ms. Hansen isn''t there voluntarily. What I mean is, there might be some friction between them right now, which could result in Ms. Hansen getting hurt, or perhaps Mr. Cooper bing enraged. Of course, these are just my personal spections and shouldn''t be taken as fact."


    Everyone knew how much Mr. Cooper Sr. adored his grandson.


    His son had been a disappointment, bringing an immense shame that made it almost impossible for him to hold his head high. Afterward, he ced all his hopes on his grandson, Michael Cooper, especially since he was getting on in years and didn''t know how much longer he would live.


    So, even if the secretary wanted to speak ill of Michael Cooper, he had to do so carefully.


    To his surprise, Mr. Cooper Sr. replied, "Your spection might not be wrong."


    The secretary was somewhat astonished.


    "I can''t let this brat continue like this. Book me a flight immediately; I need to go there myself."


    "Book it now?"


    "Yes, book the next avable flight. I must go find him myself."


    His son had already failed him; he couldn''t stand idly by and watch his grandson go down the same path.


    After hanging up the phone, David nced at Eva''s door. He had said his piece, but whether it would make a difference remained to be seen.


    While lost in thought, he noticed someone approaching from the front.


    Seeing that it was Michael Cooper, David nodded at him, "Mr. Cooper."


    Michael Cooper stopped in front of the door, and his gaze fixed on the entrance as if he could see through it. His lips were pressed tightly together, and he said nothing as though he was deep in contemtion. With Michael Cooper silent, David patiently waited by his side.


    After a while, Michael Cooper asked, "How is she?"


    Feeling puzzled, David hesitated for a moment. Hadn''t he just seen her? Why was he asking again?


    "She should be the same as before," David replied.


    "Is that so?"


    Michael Cooper''s voice was low, and it was unclear whether he was questioning David or himself. "David."


    He suddenly called out, making David look up, "Mr. Cooper?"


    It was as if Michael Cooper''s gaze could pierce through the door and see Eva inside, "Tell me, if she hadn''t lost her memory, do you think she would hate me now?"


    David pursed his lips.


    After some thought, he said, "Over the past five years, you have treated Ms. Hansen very well and taken good care of her. I believe that whether she remembers or not, she wouldn''t hate you." "Wouldn''t... hate me?"


    Michael Cooper let out a bitterugh, "Why do I feel like she hates me so much right now that she''s refusing food as a way to torment me?"


    David looked at him for a long time before saying, "Isn''t Ms. Hansen tormenting herself?"


    Michael Cooper''s gaze shifted to him.


    "What did you say?"


    "Ms. Hansen has lost her memory; she doesn''t remember the good you''ve done for her these past five years. So, why does she still choose to stay here aside from fulfilling her promise? And there''s another thing-haven''t you ever doubted..." "What?"


    "Why, since the incident with the female college student that Ms. Hansen identally encountered at the airport, which brought two police officers into the investigation, has there been no police involvement until now?" David paused, hinting deliberately, "Have you never wondered why, Mr. Cooper?"


    Michael Cooper''s face darkened. He clearly grasped the implication, but he remained silent while staring intently at David.


    "This means that even though you have changed from before, she still cherishes your past kindness towards her. That''s why she''s never considered reporting anything to the police, including... Mr. ckwood."


    Why would peoplee looking for her, yet the police remain unaware?


    Because, once upon a time, they were friends who sat togetherughing and talking. Everyone wanted to give him a chance to make things right.


    Even though he had indeed made a mistake this time, everyone hoped he would turn back, so they kept giving him chances.


    "Just like with Ms. Hansen now. She''s lost her memory, but why hasn''t she chosen to call the police? Because subconsciously, she still wants to give you a chance to make things right."


    As David spoke, he kept his gaze firmly on Michael Cooper''s eyes and expressions, trying to capture the emotions he was hoping to see.


    He then noticed a flicker in Michael Cooper''s eyes. Micheal Cooper was seemingly moved by what he had said, so David took the opportunity to press on, "That''s why I keep telling you, Mr. Cooper, as long as you are willing to turn back and make things right, there will always be a chance."

 Chapter 498 Distorted Mindset

    "Mr. Cooper, while Ms. Hansen''s health is still manageable, why not let her go? Consider it fulfilling her wishes as well as your own..."


    "Afterward, when Ms. Hansen regains her memory, she will still remember the kindness you showed her, and you won''t be enemies. Most importantly, haven''t you always wished for Ms. Hansen''s well-being?" Even though David had said his piece, he continued to press the issue, "Don''t wait until something truly happens to Ms. Hansen, by then even if you want to make amends, it would be toote."


    "Enough!"


    Michael Cooper, who had seemed somewhat moved before, suddenly erupted, cutting him off with a look of icy hostility.


    "Who asked you to say these things? Do you think you can persuade me? David, the person you follow is me, not Adrian ckwood!"


    David noticed that Michael Cooper seemed to be losing control of his emotions.


    Ever since....the frequency of his emotional outbursts had been increasing.


    Perhaps it was remembering the incidents that had urred around him that caused David not to feel angry at this moment, but rather to respond calmly, "Indeed, I don''t follow Mr. ckwood, but Mr. ckwood has also shown you mercy, hasn''t he?"


    "Don''t you remember how severely he was injured back then, and why you''re standing here now? I think you know quite well, Mr. Cooper. Both Mr. ckwood and Ms. Hansen have always treated you as a friend."


    "Friend?" Michael Cooper chewed on the word as a cold grin spread across his face, "Someone whopetes with me for a woman? What kind of friend is that?"


    "Competing for a woman?" David unapologetically dismantled his narrative, "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen was with Mr. ckwood first."


    "So what? When he told that young girl in front of her face that the ce by his side could only be reserved for Vivian Morrison, did he think about how she felt?" David fell silent.


    It took a while before he spoke again.


    "I don''t know the specifics of your past, but it''s clear that they both have hope that you will choose to turn back and make things right. And I know many things cannot be forced; coercion only leads to pain for everyone involved." Michael Cooper walked away once more.


    David stood alone, silently sighing deeply after some time.


    This night was one of the better nights of sleep Eva had gotten since losing her memory.


    She even dreamed a lovely dream, featuring her two adorable and precocious children, clinging to each arm and calling her ''mommy''. Eva was overjoyed in the dream; she hugged and kissed the children on both sides while pinching their cheeks. She spent the entire night enveloped in the joy of embracing her little ones.


    Upon waking and realizing it was only a dream, Eva felt an emptiness inside. Yet that void was filled with a strange satisfaction. She knew once she left this ce, she would see her children.


    But in her dream, there were two kids-a boy and a girl. David had told her she had a child but had not mentioned how many. Had she actually dreamt of two children, or was it just her own imagination?


    She made a mental note to ask David at the first opportunity.


    Eva turned over and closed her eyes again, savoring the memory of holding the children in her dream as she felt a warmth well up inside her.


    A smile slowly spread across her lips; she relished this sensation.


    There was noise outside it was Jane bringing breakfast for her. Realizing that it was time to eat, Eva didn''t wait for Jane to call and got out of bed to get ready.


    Compared to yesterday, Eva''s condition seemed to be improving a great deal. Learning from experience, she ate slowly, only stopping once she felt close to full.


    Jane watched her actions with quiet satisfaction, yet she dared not divulge too many details when Mr. Cooper asked her about Eva''s condition.


    It had been difficult enough to request a psychologist; what if Mr. Cooper decided Eva no longer needed one upon learning she was willing to eat something and then dismissed the psychologist altogether? The more Jane thought about it, the more convinced she became that she shouldn''t tell Mr. Cooper.


    Although Mr. Cooper was her employer, she believed that keeping this from him was for Eva''s benefit. Right now, Mr. Cooper seemed to be in a weird state; if Eva was doing well, it was ultimately for Mr. Cooper''s own good. After reassuring herself, Jane cleared away the dishes and left.


    As she passed by the study, Michael Cooper stopped her, just as he had done before.


    "How is she today?"


    Jane had intended to move quickly, hoping to avoid Michael Cooper if possible. It took some courage to lie to one''s employer after all.


    Unexpectedly, Michael Cooper was waiting right there, making it impossible for her to escape.


    She hesitated momentarily, looking at Michael Cooper with words on the tip of her tongue.


    Before she could speak, however, Michael Cooper proactively asked, "Is it the same as before?"


    Jane had just been contemting how to answer without giving herself away, but now she saw there was no need for her to say anything-Michael Cooper had already assumed control of the narrative. Could it be that she wouldn''t have to say anything at all?


    That would be ideal; she really found it difficult to lie, and if Mr. Cooper could always preempt the conversation like this, then she wouldn''t have to do anything.


    Indeed, seeing her hesitation and silence, Michael Cooper, thinking Eva was still the same as before, waved his hand for her to leave without saying anything else.


    Afterward, Jane truly breathed a sigh of relief.


    She hoped she could keep bluffing like this until Eva''s condition improved.


    Michael Cooper stood deathly still as his face clouded over with darkness.


    Eva showed no signs of a will to live, and there was still no news about the two children. David seemed to imply that he hadn''t leaked any information, so who had let the secret slip?


    If, by some chance... he couldn''t find the children and something truly happened to Eva.


    At this thought, Michael Cooper''s hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists involuntarily. He bit down on his lower lip fiercely, and the image from the day his mothermitted suicide filled his mind.


    So much blood... Shey there silently in a pool of it, unresponsive to the calls and cries around her.


    In the end, she could only beid in the cold coffin, incapable of smiling or showing any anger-devoid of all expressions, just lying there motionless.


    When she began to unravel mentally due to his father''s actions and vented to him, Michael Cooper started to hate his father. He despised him for not being responsible and for entering into marriage when he couldn''t stay faithful. Why get married, have children, and start a family if you couldn''tmit? Wouldn''t everyone be spared pain if he simply stayed away?


    He also harbored resentment towards his mother for losing herself over a man and for being so hard-hearted towards her own child. Either decide to leave him or don''t interfere at all.


    Under the influence of such events, Michael Cooper''s mindset grew increasingly strange and twisted over the years.

 Chapter 499 Has Ms. Hansen Regained Her Memory?

    Yet, nobody noticed.


    Because he always endured everything in silence.


    The greater the issue, the more silent he became. So silent that eventually he became gentle and learned to smile at everyone. As if all the sadness and pain had nothing to do with him.


    He resented his father''s irresponsibility and also despised his mother''sck of confidence.


    In his primal thoughts, he resisted everything but was gradually eroded and assimted, until he became this uncontroble figure.


    He had thought about letting her go, but then he would think about how she was the only person he truly cared for in the world. If he let her go, what would he have left? What else would remain for him? Shortly after breakfast, Fennis came over again.


    As usual, he went to the bedroom to chat with Eva. Dealing with a patient who refused tomunicate was challenging for him, but he was patient and intended to conquer this step by step. It had only been a few days, but he felt hopeful about curing her illness.


    Unexpectedly, after he had been talking to himself for a while, Eva, who had been unresponsive, actually lifted her head to look at him.


    "Dr. Fennis."


    Fennis paused, probably not expecting her to address him, and with some surprise said, "Ms. Hansen, you''re finally willing to talk to me?" "Do you think starting with Michael Cooper might be better than starting with me?"


    "What?" This sentence left Fennis somewhat confused.


    "I''m not sick," she dered.


    Fennis smiled slightly, softly saying, "Ms. Hansen, I didn''t say you were sick; don''t be nervous."


    He slowed down his tone, "We''re just having a rxing chat. You shouldn''t feel as though there''s a problem."


    "What I mean is, I''m not sick, neither physically nor psychologically. I''mpletely normal."


    Afraid that he wouldn''t understand her point, Eva emphasized it once more.


    Fennis stopped talking and quietly observed her, seemingly waiting for her to continue.


    "It will be a better use of your time working with Michael Cooper than with me."


    Fennis looked at her with interest.


    "Why do you think I should be working with him instead of you?"


    Eva suddenly found herself at a loss for words. How could a normal person be so obsessive?


    How could a normal person force someone who didn''t love them to stay by their side, especially when she was already like this from not eating, and he still wouldn''t let go? Rather than saying she had psychological issues, it seemed his own problems were bigger.


    With this thought, Eva remembered something and looked up to ask him, "Did you ask me before if I wanted to go outside?"


    Fennis nodded.


    "That''s right."


    "Why did you ask me that question?"


    "Ms. Hansen, you said you''re not sick, so why not tell me why I asked you that question?" Fennis said with a smile.


    Eva looked at him steadily.


    Outside


    Jane nced at the time and then couldn''t help but say, "Dr. Fennis seems to have been inside for quite a while today."


    Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper''s thoughts stirred slightly. "Is that so? How long has he been in there?"


    Jane replied, "Twenty minutes now, Ms. Hansen... She should be fine, right?"


    Michael Cooper narrowed his eyes. On other days, he would stay for about ten minutes, but to those waiting outside, ten minutes and twenty minutes didn''t feel much different. Both seemed like a long time, especially for Michael Cooper who always existed in a detached and silent state.


    When Jane mentioned it had been over twenty minutes, his brow furrowed, and just as he was about to kick the door down, the door opened, and Fennis walked out. Michael Cooper, who had just lifted his foot, slowly retracted it and looked Fennis with eyes that seemed to imbue a chill.


    "Why did it take so long today?"


    If there was no progress, could his twenty minutes inside imply an ulterior motive?


    "Mr. Cooper, you don''t seem too happy? Shouldn''t you be pleased if there''s been progress with Ms. Hansen?" Michael Cooper continued to regard him with coldness.


    "What progress? Speak."


    "It''s not particrly significant progress, but she was willing to talk to me, so I chatted with her a bit more." Upon hearing this, Michael Cooper''s brows knitted together.


    "Mr. Cooper, I would like to offer you some psychological therapy as well."


    "What do you mean?"


    "You are currently the closest person to Ms. Hansen, right? I''d like tomunicate with the people close to her, what do you think?"


    Initially, Michael Cooper didn''t want to agree, but hearing him ask whether he was the closest person to Ms. Hansen made the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue vanish. "That''s fine. Should all of us do it?"


    Fennis nced at them and then said, "It will probably just be you and her."


    He pointed to Michael Cooper and Jane.


    The two followed Fennis and left together.


    David stayed behind to watch over things, and once they had gone, he knocked on the door.


    "Ms. Hansen."


    There was no response from inside, and David spoke again, "May Ie in?"


    "Come in."


    David pushed open the door and walked in.


    Eva originally wanted to respond when she heard him calling her name, but fearing that Michael Cooper might still be outside, she remained silent until he asked the subsequent question. Only then was she sure that Michael Cooper was not outside.


    As soon as David entered the room, Eva was visibly delighted. "David, have they left?"


    David could visibly sense her happiness and nodded, "Yes, they all went with Dr. Fennis. What did you talk to him about? It seemed like a long conversation today."


    "Mm, we talked about some things."


    Eva got up and approached him, "David, I want to ask you something."


    "What is it, Ms. Hansen?"


    "You told me yesterday that I have children. Is that true?"


    David nodded.


    "Of course. If it wasn''t true, why would I bring it up?"


    "Then..." Eva smiled. "How many children do I have?"


    David didn''t expect her to ask this question, but he still answered directly after a brief pause, "You have two children, Ms. Hansen"


    Eva hadn''t expected the answer to align with her thoughts - indeed two children.


    "Really? A boy and a girl?"


    At her words, David was somewhat astonished. "Ms. Hansen, how did you know?"


    "Is it really true?"


    "Have you regained your memory?" David remembered he had only mentioned that she had children, without specifying that she had two or their genders, yet she had proactively asked. Could it be that talking about her past could stimte the recovery of her memory?


    "No, not yet."


    Eva waved her hand, "I just suddenly dreamt about itst night, and when I woke up, I couldn''t help wanting to ask you, but I never got the chance. I didn''t expect it to be exactly like in my dream." "You dreamt it?"


    "Yes."


    David fell silent for a moment and then said, "It seems that speaking to you about the past may indeed help with regaining your memory."


    "What other interesting things happened in the past? Can you tell me? Maybe about my two children."

 Chapter 500 Let Him Worry about You a Little Longer

    David nced outside, feeling somewhat hesitant.


    "It''s alright, just say it. If theye back, I will naturally know how to handle it."


    After the conversation with David yesterday, Eva had made up her mind. If she really wanted to convince Michael Cooper to let her leave this ce, she had to take the initiative rather than being too passive. Otherwise, she might never be able to leave, and Michael Cooper''s psychological issues would never improve.


    Seeing her clear eyes and resolute thoughts, David surmised that she probably had figured out a way to deal with the situation. Her willingness to take charge was more helpful than anything else. For David, as long as one was alive, there was hope for everything.


    David continued talking about the children with Eva until Michael Cooper and Jane returned. Although David was not entirely sure about what happened between Eva and Adrian ckwood, he often witnessed Eva''s interactions with the two children over the past five years, so he had plenty of topics to discuss regarding the kids.


    Eva was particrly interested in the topic of her children. Even though David was not the best at expressing himself, Eva listened intently to every word he said. She could even infer her children''s personalities and imagine their expressions and appearances from his descriptions.


    The more she thought about it, the gentler the expression became in Eva''s eyes.


    David talked for quite a long time. He then noticed that it was gettingte and Michael Cooper still hadn''t returned, so he said to Eva, "Ms. Hansen, let''s stop here for today. I shouldn''t stay too long."


    Stop now? Eva felt a bit disappointed, as she thought she could listen to more stories. Although reluctantly, considering that David had already spent quite a while with her, Eva didn''t press further.


    After David left, Eva sat on the sofa, reminiscing about the information about the two children David mentioned. The more she thought about it, the happier she felt.


    After some time, Jane came back.


    Eva, lost in her thoughts, didn''t notice Jane''s arrival, inadvertently allowing Jane to witness a faint smile adorning Eva''s lips.


    Jane thought she was mistaken and rubbed her eyes, only to realize she had not been mistaken at all. She blinked several times, struggling to process what she saw. Could it be that the psychologist''s sessions were working this quickly? Just the other day Eva wouldn''t speak, and today she was willing to talk, and now she was smiling?


    Somehow, Jane felt that it couldn''t be that simple and that it was unrted to the psychologist named Fennis.


    Approaching Eva, she asked, "Ms. Hansen, you smiled?"


    Caught in her musings and unaware someone hade in, Eva was brought back to reality by Jane''s voice, and the smile on her lips receded.


    In an instant, Jane could no longer see the smile on her face, which disappeared so quickly she almost doubted her own eyes. "You''re back," Eva said.


    Jane nodded.


    "Mr. Cooper and Dr. Fennis are still talking, I don''t know what about. If I could eavesdrop, then I woulde back and tell you, Ms. Hansen."


    Eva quietly watched Jane, who had taken good care of her during this time. Initially, Eva had chosen her because she looked frail. If Eva decided to run or make any oppositional movements, Jane would be unable to stop her. However, unexpectedly, Jane had been extremely kind to her. Despite being paid by Michael Cooper, Jane seemed to side more with Eva.


    "By the way, Ms. Hansen, I haven''t told Mr. Cooper that you have been eating well these past few days. Let him worry about you a little longer," Jane added, as if she knew what Eva was thinking.


    Eva curved her lips into a smile, thanking her.


    This time, Jane was certain she hadn''t been mistaken; Ms. Hansen was indeed smiling. Jane also smiled, thinking that Ms. Hansen must be doing better now.


    "Ms. Hansen, from now on, I will take good care of you every single day."


    Every single day?


    Eva cast her eyes down, remaining silent. If possible, she wanted to leave this ce as soon as possible.


    Once she left, she would not see any of these people again.


    Thus, Eva did not respond to her, but Jane started chattering away regardless.


    "Ms. Hansen, you really scared me when you wouldn''t eat anything the other day."


    Eva found herself at a loss for words at the mention of thest few days. If David hadn''t told her about her children, she feared she might have continued to neglect herself until something serious happened. What would be of her two kids then? Just the thought made her shudder.


    The horror of having no will to live was too real.


    With a thought in mind, Eva pursed her lips and softly asked, "How long are they going to talk? Please tell Michael Cooper that I want to see him."


    Jane seemed surprised to hear this. "Ms. Hansen, you''re finally willing to see Mr. Cooper? Every time he''se before, you haven''t wanted to interact with him."


    Indeed, some things must fall apart to make way for new beginnings. She wanted to leave this ce; she couldn''t keep avoiding him forever.


    Afterward, Jane left, nning to fetch Michael Cooper after his conversation with Fennis ended, so she waited near the door.


    But after waiting a long time without Michael Cooper emerging, curiosity got the better of her. What could they possibly be discussing for so long?


    Nearly an hour passed, and Jane could no longer contain her impatience. She approached and knocked on the study door. Knock-knock-


    There was no response to her first knock, prompting Jane to knock again.


    "Who is it?"


    After a while, a cold voice came from inside.


    Jane was startled by the icy tone but still gathered her courage. "Mr. Cooper, it''s me."


    There was silence inside for a moment, and then the door opened.


    Seeing Michael Cooper, Jane was about to tell him that Ms. Hansen wanted to see him, but before she could speak, he said, "It''s you. How is she doing?" Interrupted, Jane had to answer his question first.


    "Ms. Hansen doesn''t seem to be doing very well. She just threw up again."


    Fearing that Michael Cooper might send the psychologist away, Jane feltpelled to lie on Eva''s behalf.


    As expected, as soon as she finished speaking, she saw Michael Cooper''s brow furrow.


    Jane observed him, trying to get closer to hear what he was saying when she suddenly heard Michael Cooper say, "Go clean her up, and tell her I want to see her." Jane paused. What kind of day was this?


    Ms. Hansen had just mentioned wanting to see Mr. Cooper, and now Mr. Cooper also expressed the desire to see her. Jane nodded, "I''ll go back and tell Ms. Hansen." Since Michael Cooper wanted to see Eva anyway, Jane didn''t bother to ry that Eva wanted to see him as well.

 Chapter 501 Someone Following Her

    "He wants to see me?" Eva questioned when Jane returned with the message.


    "Yes, but Ms. Hansen," Jane cautioned, "Mr. Cooper doesn''t seem quite right to me."


    Eva had been in deep thought, but at Jane''s words, she looked up in interest. "Not quite right?" Jane nodded affirmatively. "His demeanor and expression seemed off, not like how he usually is." Hearing this, Eva pursed her lips contemtively.


    It wasn''t unreasonable for Jane to say so. After all, Eva had avoided seeing Michael Cooper for several days, ignoring himpletely. She spent most of her time sleeping, while Michael Cooper hade to look for her on multiple asions, only to be met with her disregard. He could only stand silently by her bedside.


    Sometimes he would stand there for half an hour, sometimes an hour, and sometimes even an entire morning.


    Eva was oblivious to these visits; it was Jane who told her about them after she woke up.


    Now, suddenly, he was requesting to see her.


    Could it be that he too had had enough of this? Was he ready to have a showdown with her?


    Jane helped Eva change into a set of casual clothes. She was dressedfortably in a white turtleneck sweater paired with fleece-lined trousers, topped with a gray overcoat. Her long hair was tied up, making her look much more spirited. Although Eva had been eating these past few days, her body was still weak, and the cold weather did nothing to restore color to her pale face and lips. Clearly, she hadn''t fully recovered yet.


    Eva initially wanted to walk.


    However, Michael Cooper had somehow procured a wheelchair and insisted that she sit in it and be pushed along.


    Eva was initially reluctant. There was no reason for her to use a wheelchair when she was perfectly capable of walking.


    But Jane exined, "Ms. Hansen, Mr. Cooper is probably worried about you not eating well these past few days and being weak as a result. Walking might be strenuous, so sitting in the wheelchair and letting me push you will be easier and help conserve your strength."


    Eva then understood his intentions and nodded. "Alright, I understand."


    Afterward, Eva settled into the wheelchair, and soon enough, she realized how helpful it actually was. Standing up for too long made her feel dizzy-the aftereffects were still present, and the wheelchair indeed made things much more convenient.


    Since their meeting was scheduled for the evening, there was plenty of time to prepare. When Jane pushed her out the door, it was already dusk outside.


    Upon exiting, Eva was puzzled, "He wants to see me? Why arrange a meeting outside?"


    Jane shook her head when confronted with her question, indicating she wasn''t sure either.


    "When he mentioned it during the day, I thought it would be at home. It wasn''t until just now when we left that I found out we were going out. And, um, looking at this address, it seems to be on the rooftop?" Hearing this, Eva felt her heartbeat skip a beat.


    The rooftop?


    What would Michael Cooper want by arranging a meeting with her on the rooftop?


    The knowledge of this meeting ce sent Eva''s heart racing uncontrobly. She bit her lip, and her hands tightened on the sides of the wheelchair.


    "Ms. Hansen, the stars are beautiful tonight. Look," Jane remarked.


    Eva lifted her gaze and indeed saw the night sky sparkling with stars. It was breathtakingly beautiful.


    It had been such a long time since shest looked up at the night sky. The sudden view rendered her speechless with its beauty.


    Despite the stunning sight, a sense of unease lingered in her heart.


    Jane seemedpletely oblivious to any tension; she was fascinated by the stars and gazed at them continuously. Upon getting into the car, she leaned against the window sill to watch while excitedly chatting with Eva-who offered a smile and the asional nod in response.


    As Eva''s gaze unintentionally swept across the rearview mirror several times, her brow furrowed slightly.


    A ck car appeared to have followed them through several intersections.


    With the heavy traffic andplex road conditions, especially at night, most people wouldn''t notice this.


    But Eva, more observant than most, checked several times and confirmed that the same vehicle was persistently behind them.


    Not tailgating closely but deliberately following.


    She nced at the other people in the car. Jane was still absorbed in stargazing, David sat with his arms crossed and eyes slightly closed as if he were resting, and the driver was focused on driving.


    No one else in the car seemed aware of the situation.


    Ordinarily, it would make sense for the driver and Jane to be unaware, but why didn''t David notice?


    Eva pursed her lips, debating whether to alert David when the car took another turn.


    Unable to resist, she nced toward the rearview mirror only to find that the trailing car had not followed.


    A flicker of confusion passed through Eva''s eyes. Had it stopped following them? Or had she been overthinking it?


    "And at this time," Jane suddenly announced, "Ms. Hansen, we''ve arrived."


    Arrived?


    Eva turned her head and saw the car had stopped in front of a high-end hotel.


    David also opened his eyes.


    The car door opened, and the driver didn''t apany them inside. Instead, he intended to drive to the underground parking lot to wait for them.


    Eva, supported by Jane''s hand, got out of the car. She looked at the wheelchair with slightly furrowed brows, feeling that she didn''t really need it.


    She pursed her lips and said, "This wheelchair..."


    "Ms. Hansen, don''t worry. Once we reach the rooftop, there will be chairs there, and the wheelchair will be folded up. It''s just to push you up without exhausting your strength," Jane reassured her.


    After further persuasion from Jane and David, Eva once again seated herself in the wheelchair so they could push her inside.


    Their procession attracted the curious gazes of many onlookers, which Eva pretended not to notice.


    David and Jane positioned themselves around Eva as they waited for the elevator.


    Eva nced around as she bit her pale lips, finding the situation strange. When they entered, there were many other people around, but as they waited for the elevator, it was just the three of them-no one else in sight. As she pondered this, she noticed a tall man, who was carrying aptop bag,ing toward them from around a corner. He then stopped in front of the elevator doors after reaching them.


    Eva pressed her lips together, rubbing her temples with her fingers.


    Was she feeling uneasy because she hadn''t been out for so long?


    Soon, the elevator arrived, and they all entered together.


    Once inside, Jane immediately pressed the button for the top floor, while the man who followed them hit the button for the eighteenth floor.


    As the elevator ascended, Eva felt a chill and instinctively drew her coat closer around her. What exactly did Michael Cooper want to talk to her about tonight?


    Just as she was contemting this, the elevator abruptly halted.


    Everyone inside was startled and involuntarily looked up at the elevator buttons-it had only gone up two floors.


    "What''s going on?"


    Jane voiced her confusion while stepping forward to press the open-door button. But the elevator, as if broken, did not respond. "David, it looks like the elevator is broken?"

 Chapter 502 Leading You Away from Here

    Upon hearing Eva''s concern, David came over to try several times, but the elevator didn''t budge. Since she was sitting lower and blocked from view, Eva couldn''t see their attempts, but after waiting for a while with no movement from the elevator, she had a good guess of what was happening, "Is the elevator broken? How about taking the stairs? Or, are there other elevators nearby?"


    The hotel seemed upscale and should have several elevators.


    Jane instinctively replied, "We can''t, Ms. Hansen. We can''t open this elevator door right now; we are temporarily stuck."


    After saying this, Jane realized that her words might frighten Eva, so she quickly turned around to reassure her, "But don''t worry, Ms. Hansen, we''ve only gone up two floors, and modern elevators have anti-fall controls. Nothing will happen." Eva could tell that Jane was trying not to scare her, but she wasn''t worried. Living in a big city with high-rise buildings everywhere meant that using elevators was part of daily life, and encountering malfunctions wasmon. She was well aware that elevator safety measures had greatly improved and felt confident about her safety.


    "I''m fine, don''t worry," she reassured Jane.


    "There is an emergency button here that connects us to hotel maintenance," the man who had entered the elevatorst then spoke up, pressing the button to make the call to maintenance.


    David watched him make the call, reporting the elevator malfunction, and pursed his lips while ncing at the man a few more times than necessary.


    "The staff said they''ll be here soon to fix it and told us to stay calm."


    About two minutester, they heard the maintenance crew working on the elevator.


    "The elevator is temporarily stuck. Once we get the doors open, you folks shoulde out first," someone from the outsidemunicated.


    Once the repair crew had opened a gap wide enough for one person to pass through, they spoke again, "Okay, now you cane out."


    David looked at the man who had made the call. Hearing that they could exit, the man instinctively started moving forward but after a couple of steps, as if remembering something, he turned to look toward Eva. "Thisdy''s mobility seems to be hindered." He observed. "Let''s let her go first."


    Despite his seemingly non-suspicious behavior, David still didn''t feelfortable letting Eva go first, yet he couldn''t leave before her either. He instructed Jane, "You go out first and then wait for Ms. Hansen outside." Jane initially wanted to let Eva go ahead but agreed with David''s n upon hearing his instructions and nodded.


    Thus, under the arrangement of the two men and the people above, Jane exited first.


    Once outside and ensuring there were no dangers, Jane called down, "David, you can bring Ms. Hansen up now." "Alright."


    David helped Eva stand, "Ms. Hansen, I''ll support you in a moment. Just step on my shoulders; don''t worry." "Thank you."


    Now trulycking strength, Eva had to rely on others for assistance.


    With the help of David and the other man, she was lifted toward the gap. As she neared the top, a pair of hands reached down for her a pair of distinct-jointed, slender-fingered hands adorned with a silver ring. Odd, she wondered if hotel staff had always been so aesthetically pleasing.


    Though her memory was hazy, she didn''t recall ever seeing such attractive hands during previous elevator malfunctions.


    Feeling that something was amiss and that she shouldn''t be reaching out, her hand, as if bewitched, found itself in the grasp of the stranger''s.


    And the second her skin touched those hands, they tightened around her, sending a jolt of warmth unexpectedly surging into Eva''s heart. Without any time to think of anything else, the person''s strong grip pulled her up.


    As Eva allowed this force to guide her up, she also felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.


    After being pulled up, her instinct was to look at that person, but her slender waist was fully grasped, and then she was carried off at the hip.


    Because that person moved somewhat quickly, Eva instinctively reached up to cling on. It wasn''t until she was set down firmly that she realized her hand was actually hanging around the other person''s neck, with her face pressed into their chest.


    An unfamiliar yet strangely familiar scent invaded Eva''s nostrils.


    She subconsciously wanted to look up, but the person simply swept her into their arms.


    "Let''s go!"


    The cold and merciless tone entered Eva''s ears, still carrying that sense of familiarity.


    Before Eva could react, she was carried off and whisked away by the stranger, with her hand still hanging on their neck, not yet taken down.


    The familiar yet strange sensation that urred more than once led Eva to guess something, and she slowly lifted her head.


    The first thing that caught her eye was a determined chin with stubble that looked hastily shaved, followed by a straight nose, cold and sharp brows and eyes, and neatly cut short hair.


    When Eva finally saw the face of the other person, her heart began to pound wildly.


    She had previously searched for photos on her phone and only found one from a distance, which wasn''t even confirmed to be him, but at that time, she had a premonition that this person must have a profound connection with her. Although the photo was so distant that the facial features were unclear, the moment she saw this person''s face clearly, she immediately confirmed it was the same person.


    It was also... the very person she was looking for.


    Adrian ckwood...


    After realizing who the person before her was, Eva''s breaths became erratic.


    Why was he here? Wasn''t he unconscious? Had he woken up?


    And how could he appear here so coincidentally? Could it be that the car that had been following her all night was his?


    Eva''s mind was on the brink of chaos. As the person carried her away with long strides, she couldn''t help but blurt out, "Wait, wait a minute."


    Hearing her voice, Adrian ckwood finally looked down.


    The instant their eyes met; Eva felt an indescribable feeling well up in her heart. Although the face before her remained handsome, it looked worn and haggard. "Don''t talk just yet, I''m going to get you out of here first."

 Chapter 503 Did He Mistreat You?

    Not only was Adrian ckwood there, but there was also a group of people following behind him. One of them was Jacob, who had an anxious expression on his face and looked at Eva to ask, "Ms. Hansen, is your leg injured?" Upon hearing this, Adrian ckwood''s gaze swept over her leg briefly before he lifted his head to look ahead again.


    As he was carrying her, he had to watch the path, fearing that he might identally drop her.


    "Let''s not talk about this now; after we leave here, I will take you to see a doctor," he said.


    With those words, he hugged her slender waist even tighter, and with such force that it seemed as if he wanted to press her into his embrace.


    Eva told him several times to wait, but he seemed not to hear, continuing to stride forward while holding her.


    It was as though he knew in advance that she would be here. The other road at the hotel was already set up, and no one attempted to stop them along the way. She was swiftly put into a car and, indeed, it was the ck car that had been following them earlier.


    However, when they came to this intersection, that car had turned to another corner. When did ite back around? How could it be so fast?


    Once in the car, Adrian ckwood coldly said, "Drive."


    The car roared away, followed by a line of vehicles.


    Eva, sitting in the seat, suddenly remembered that Jane and David were still back there and subconsciously turned her head to look behind.


    Her shoulder tightened, and his icy breath rushed over her-Adrian ckwood held her entirely in his arms.


    "I''m d you''re alright."


    Eva felt her chin resting on his shoulder and heard his voice, almost a whisper, resonating in her ear.


    And his hands, like vines, were locked firmly around her.


    It seemed as if he never intended to let go in this lifetime.


    Eva inexplicably felt an indescribable feeling well up in her heart again.


    Although she no longer retained any memories of him, the sensations of her body didn''t lie.


    Eva did not find his touch repulsive.


    Unlike with Michael Cooper, even if he told her while she lost her memory that he was her fianc��, she would subconsciously resist his closeness and touch. But not with the man before her.


    His breath, his embrace, and the warmth of his body all seemed to be something she yearned for.


    A few secondster, Eva slowly stretched out her hand to hug him back.


    After embracing for who knows how long, Eva suddenly smelled a hint of blood. She wrinkled her nose, thinking she had smelled it wrong.


    But the scent seemed to grow stronger and stronger; Eva realized something and had to push Adrian ckwood away a bit.


    At first, when she moved, the person in front of her held her tightly, but soon he seemed to realize something and abruptly let her go, then looked at her intently. "What''s wrong? Did you hurt yourself somewhere?"


    Finally, he let her go.


    Eva shook her head. She was about to ask, but then she suddenly saw blood stains on his clothes and immediately reached out to check.


    "Are you injured?"


    However, before her hand could touch the wound on his front, Adrian ckwood caught her wrist.


    "It''s nothing."


    He curved the corners of his lips, which looked extremely alluring.


    "It''s an old injury, not a big deal."


    Hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but frown.


    "An old injury? But it''s bleeding."


    Adrian ckwood looked startled for a moment, instinctively raising his other hand towards his wound only to stop short before touching it, as if realizing something. Jacob, who was behind them, seemed to understand the situation and quickly handed Adrian ckwood a folded handkerchief.


    "Mr. ckwood."


    After epting it, Adrian pressed the handkerchief against his wound.


    Once he had applied pressure, Adrian then addressed Eva, "It''s alright. I probably just tore it open by ident."


    "Really?" Eva eyed him skeptically, "Are you sure you''re okay?"


    "I''m fine."


    He said so, yet he still didn''t let go of her wrist, as if afraid she woulde closer to see for herself.


    Eva tried to pull away with some displeasure, but he held fast to her hand.


    Her eyebrows knitted together as she said, "Let go of me first."


    "No."


    Adrian ckwood shook his head gently, his eyes softening under the blend of neon lights from outside the window and the moonlight.


    "I''ve missed you, just hold on for a while longer."


    Eva fell silent.


    Upon hearing this, Jacob couldn''t help but feel awkward and quietly turned his head away. He never expected Mr. ckwood to act in such a way; not daring to let Ms. Hansen see his injury was one thing, but using such an excuse... However, Eva wasn''t easily fooled. Although her heart did flutter when she heard him say he missed her, she was more concerned about his injury at the moment.


    With this in mind, Eva struggled again, "Even if you miss me, you need to let me see your wound, or have it treated."


    Whether it was because his wound was too deep or for some other reason, Adrian ckwood wouldn''t let go of her hand and didn''t let her see the wound, instead, his gaze dropped.


    "Do you have any injuries? Where does it hurt? And your leg..."


    Earlier, when she got out of the car, she was in a wheelchair.


    Eva paused, remembering her use of the wheelchair, thinking that he must have misunderstood something about her legs, and promptly exined, "My legs are fine; I''ve been using a wheelchair because I''ve been weak recently." "Weak?"


    Hearing this description, Adrian ckwood''s eyes suddenly narrowed, "Did he mistreat you?"


    Almost at the same instant he asked the question, his aura became fierce and dangerous.


    Eva sensed it and felt somewhat helpless.


    "He didn''t mistreat me; it''s my own issue."


    "What happened?" He was still very tense.


    Eva didn''t answer but just looked at him quietly for a long time before saying, "I''m fine."


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood''s brows furrowed.


    Eva: "Didn''t you also say you''re fine? Since you won''t let me see, then I won''t tell you what''s wrong with me."


    Adrian ckwood then realized that she was still upset about him not letting her see his wound. He pursed his lips, and, eventually, could only say, "After we get back, I''ll have a doctor give you a thorough check-up." Eva was speechless.


    It seemed that he truly wasn''t going to let her see his wound. He had one hand holding onto her wrist, and the other was pressing on his injury.


    Eva noticed that during their conversation, the handkerchief he had used was beginning to soak through with blood.


    Such arge amount of blood yet he insisted he was fine?


    Eva pursed her lips, slightly displeased, "Even if you don''t want me to see your wound, shouldn''t you at least have someone take care of it given how much it''s bleeding?"


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood looked taken aback and hesitation shed across his face.


    "Or what? Do you n on losing so much blood that you pass out? To make me feel guilty?"


    Now that things hade to this point, Jacob quickly interjected, "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen is right. Even if you''re afraid of worrying her, she already knows that you''re hurt. Why not get the wound treated? We have a medical kit in the car." Adrian ckwood was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 504 You Wont Be Taken Away from Me Again

    Adrian ckwood had intended for Jacob to tend to his wounds, but as soon as he brought over the medical kit, Eva took it from him.


    Jacob nced at Eva, then at Adrian ckwood, and upon seeing Adrian nod, he obediently took his seat in thest row.


    "Aren''t you going to let me go?" Eva asked, looking at the hand Adrian ckwood had sped around her wrist.


    Adrian ckwood looked at the wrist in his grasp. It was so delicate it seemed like it might break with a single twist. His brow furrowed with concern; in such a short time, she had be so thin!


    Adrian ckwood felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and regret as he looked at Eva before him.


    If he had known it woulde to this, he should never have been so soft-hearted... he should not have...


    Biting down on his back teeth, Adrian ckwood slowly released his grip on her wrist.


    After being released, Eva didn''t say much. She withdrew her hand, opened the medical kit, and began searching for the supplies needed to treat Adrian''s wounds. While she was busy with this, Adrian watched her silently, his eyes trailing over her.


    In his urgency before, he hadn''t noticed, but now he saw that her face had thinned, her cheekbones were more pronounced, and her face and lips were pale.


    The more he looked, the tighter Adrian ckwood''s heart clenched, and the deeper his regret became.


    Eva quickly found the necessary supplies. The medical kit didn''t contain much, so she could only provide simple treatment.


    She moved closer to him, and when she tried to remove the cloth from Adrian''s hand, he subconsciously blocked her. Eva looked up at him.


    He sighed, "Maybe it''s better to let him do it."


    He was referring to Jacob.


    "Am I not good enough?" Eva challenged.


    "I''m afraid I''ll scare you."


    Eva replied, "If you keep dying, you might faint, and I will still be the one to treat you."


    After a moment of silence, Adrian ckwood moved his hand away and began undoing the buttons on his shirt.


    This wound was a fresh one, in a different ce from the previous injuries, and it had nearly cost him his life...


    When he woke up, it was because of this wound that the doctors wouldn''t allow him to leave, but there was no stopping him.


    As expected, aftering out, he couldn''t control the bleeding from the wound and had to stop the bleeding all the way.


    Now, Adrian ckwood''s lips were also turning a concerning shade.


    Eva quietly and silently treated his wound, and it was only after some time that she finally looked up.


    "It''s done, but it''s just a simple treatment, and I''m not a professional. Where are we heading next? When will we arrive? Have a doctor treat you then."


    "We''re going to the airport now," Adrian ckwood replied.


    After hearing this, Eva looked up in surprise.


    "The airport?"


    "Yes, I''m taking you back to our country."


    After rescuing herst time, they had been dyed abroad, which led to some subsequent events. This time he nned to take her back to their home country directly. As for Michael Cooper...


    Since he had disregarded all past affections, the wound Adrian carried would be considered repayment; from now on, there would be no more good will between them.


    As for his fate... Adrian ckwood''s eyes deepened as he pulled Eva closer.


    "This time, he won''t be able to take you away from me again."


    Going to the airport?


    Eva wasn''t too keen on the idea, considering the severity of his injury. Would there be someone to treat his wounds if they flew? And it would take a long time to fly back to their country, wouldn''t it? What if his wound worsened during that time?


    Eva''s brows were tightly furrowed.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to get your wound taken care of before we leave?"


    "I''m sure."


    "But..."


    "Don''t worry, I will handle it."


    How could he possibly let anything happen to his own body? Although he wanted to save her, he had to ensure his own safety first; otherwise, who would protect her?


    Eva didn''t know at first how he would handle it, but after arriving at the airport, she found out that he had called a doctor to wait at the airport in advance. As soon as they arrived, the doctor began treating his wound. Seeing this, Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    At the same time, having been tense all night, this relief brought on aplete loss of strength throughout her body.


    So, after seeing Adrian ckwood receiving treatment, her vision darkened, and she copsed to the side.


    After that, she knew nothing about what happened next.


    "How is she? When will she wake up?"


    "Malnutrition? Exhaustion?"


    Beep, beep, beep-


    Various sounds reached her ears, and then Eva felt a pain on her hand.


    "There are no other major issues and no external injuries on her body. She just needs to rest well after she wakes up."


    After that, Eva heard many voices, sometimes clear, sometimes distant, until eventually, she couldn''t hear anything at all.


    For a long time, she fell into a prolonged darkness.


    When she regained consciousness, she had no idea how much time had passed. It was daytime when she awoke, and after sleeping for an unknown period, she only felt that her head and body were heavy. By her bedside, someone was lying down.


    It was Adrian ckwood, asleep at the side of her bed.


    She moved slightly, which woke him up.


    Adrian ckwood saw that she was awake and immediately stood up.


    "Do you feel ufortable anywhere?"


    Looking at him as he approached, Eva blinked gently and shook her head.


    "I''m okay, no difort."


    Close by, Eva could see the red blood vessels in his eyes, indicating extreme fatigue, and she could faintly sense his breath as he drew near.


    "Really? No difort?" He seemed not quite convinced and didn''t move away. He stayed so close that his nose was almost touching hers.


    Eva felt nervous, and her face heated up. She moved instinctively, but the person in front of her moved as well, and his lips pressed against hers. Eva''s breathing stiffened instantly.


    Adrian ckwood just stayed there, without any further movement as his eyes filled with deep affection.


    After a while, Eva couldn''t bear the atmosphere and turned her face away.


    Adrian ckwood paused, pressed his lips together, and moved back a bit.


    "Are you thirsty? Would you like some water?" His voice sounded a bit hoarse.


    Eva seriously considered and felt a bit thirsty, so she nodded.


    "Okay."


    He then got up to pour water for her. Eva felt like she could breathe more easily since his presence was no longer enveloping her.


    After a while, Adrian ckwood came back with a half ss of water.


    He helped her sit up and carefully ced a pillow behind her. Eva wanted to drink by herself, but he insisted on helping her.


    With no other choice, Eva sipped the water from the ss in his hand.


    While she drank, Adrian ckwood watched her, causing her face to grow warm. To ease the embarrassment, Eva looked for a topic of conversation. "Was the elevator malfunction your doing?"


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood''s gaze softened a bit.


    "How did you know?"

 Chapter 505 You Carried Me

    How did she know?


    Perhaps it was because she had noticed a car following them while they were on the road, even though the car eventually drove off.


    Butter, when they were leaving the hotel, they got into the exact car she saw, and piecing together what happened before and after, she probably figured out that it was their doing. "That man on the phone in the elevator, was he also one of your people?"


    Adrian ckwood saw that she stopped drinking and reached out to wipe the water from the corner of her mouth, nodding while he did so, "Yes, he''s one of ours."


    No wonder, Eva felt it was odd when there were so few people waiting for the elevator. There was no way the elevator of such a huge hotel could be so deserted. And just when she felt puzzled, a man arrived.


    It was too coincidental that the elevator malfunctioned after climbing just two floors, and then, coincidentally, he made a call, and Adrian ckwood arrived.


    All of this could only mean that it was a setup by their people.


    The fact that she stopped drinking and could still talk clearly about the situation at the time, pleased Adrian ckwood a great deal.


    When she was unconscious, the doctor indicated that she had no visible wounds. As for other issues, they would have to wait until she woke up.


    For example, they could only find out if her brain was injured, after she woke up and they talked to her. If her thought process was logical, it would mean there were no issues. Fortunately, the Eva he found, aside from being malnourished, had no other problems.


    However, Adrian ckwood''s smile did notst long before he saw Eva look up and around, then ask, "Where is this?"


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood paused and looked up at her.


    "What?"


    His tone changed, and Eva furrowed her brows lightly. Was there something wrong with what she said?


    Thinking this, Eva looked around again and asked softly, "I mean, where is this ce?"


    Initially, Adrian ckwood''s smile only faded a bit because of her question, but now, after seeing her looking around again and asking the same question, his smile disappearedpletely. This ce was where they lived. After he woke up, he heard that Eva had been living here with the children, so he brought her back, hoping she could also see the children.


    But his father told him that his mother had taken the two children to the countryside to see their grandmother, so Adrian ckwood ced her here first, to wait until she woke up.


    Now she was awake, but she seemed not to recognize the ce?


    Thinking of this, Adrian ckwood''s breathing became a bit rapid, but he didn''t show it and instead looked at her tentatively, "Have you forgotten your own home?" Upon hearing this, Eva''s face remained expressionless, and she just gave him a nod of understanding.


    "I see."


    After that, as if she remembered something, she asked urgently, "Right, the girl and the man who came out with me after you rescued me, where are they?"


    Jane waspletely unaware of their situation; she was just an ordinary working girl, and as for David, he had been helping her in secret.


    If he hadn''t told her that she had two children, giving her the will to live, she probably wouldn''t have gone out today.


    And if she hadn''t gone out, Adrian ckwood might not have had the chance to rescue her, right?


    Seeing her anxious look, as if she was very concerned about the two people, he exined, "Our people were only responsible for rescuing you. They wouldn''t trouble those two. As for their current situation and whereabouts, we''re not sure." Eva breathed a sigh of relief.


    As long as they weren''t in any trouble, it was fine. Once they left, Jane, who was outside the elevator, could help David, who was inside, so the two should be alright. She just didn''t know if Michael Cooper would me them. "Don''t worry, David saved you before. I''m not that ungrateful."


    Hearing this, Eva felt somewhat moved, "So, he had saved me before?"


    No wonder she felt different when she saw David the first time.


    Indeed, even without memories, the body''s reactions were without lies.


    Her statement made Adrian ckwood''s brow furrow slightly, and he narrowed his eyes to size her up. "You don''t remember this?" He asked.


    It was only when he asked that Eva realized something.


    Adrian ckwood probably didn''t know about her amnesia since she had recognized him when she saw him.


    As she pondered whether to tell Adrian ckwood about her memory loss, she heard him ask, "Your memory... what happened to it? Did you hurt yourself somewhere?"


    Eva nodded without hiding anything.


    "Yes."


    Even though he had suspected it, hearing her admit it still felt like a stab to Adrian ckwood''s heart.


    "What happened? Did you lose all your memories?"


    Adrian ckwood''s expression turned grim, "No, that can''t be right. If you lost all your memories, then how did you recognize me?"


    "I searched for your photo on my phone," said Eva. "And David told me about you."


    To Adrian ckwood, this sounded almost like a joke.


    "What?"


    He looked at Eva, almost in disbelief. The Eva who hade back with him had forgotten him? And she only recognized him because David had told her about him, and she had seen his photo?


    "It wasn''t easy to find your picture; you seem to do a good job keeping a low profile. I only found a distant one. I couldn''t even make out your features clearly."


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood felt even more suffocated.


    So, she had lost her memory a while ago, and when he went to rescue her, she didn''t remember him. She just followed him because of a picture?


    With this thought, Adrian ckwood clenched his jaw tight, "You couldn''t even see my features clearly, and you just went with me? Weren''t you afraid of encountering someone with bad intentions?" Eva was taken aback by his quasi-usatory tone and then said, "I didn''t go with you, you carried me."


    Adrian ckwood was at a loss for words.


    His response caught in his throat, and after a moment he managed to say, "So if anyone tried to carry you off, you would just let them?"


    "Of course not," Eva denied immediately without even thinking.


    Hearing her denial, Adrian ckwood finally felt a bit more at ease.


    "That photo, although I couldn''t see your features clearly, the moment you appeared, I just felt..."


    She paused here, seemingly searching for the right adjective.


    Adrian ckwood grew impatient, "Felt what?"


    "Um... anyway, when you appeared, I just knew it was you. You felt different from everyone else."


    Her earnest feedback created a throbbing pain in Adrian ckwood''s chest, and he pulled her into his loving embrace.


    "Next time, besides me, even if you have a feeling, you can''t just trust anyone."


    Once in his embrace, Eva smelled a fresh, cold scent mixed with the faint smell of medicine.


    Thinking of something, she furrowed her brows and said, "Right, weren''t you seriously injured and unconscious? Howe you just suddenly appeared out of nowhere?"

 Chapter 506 Have I Let You Down?

    At that time, because he was so seriously injured, she was worried that Michael Cooper wouldn''t treat him and that without timely treatment, he might never wake up or could suffer some serious aftereffects. That was why she had an


    argument with Michael Cooper, and only after that did, she finally persuade Michael Cooper to release him.


    While thinking of this, Eva also remembered the agreement she had with Michael Cooper. It was because she had volunteered to stay that Michael Cooper agreed to let Adrian ckwood go. Now... she hadn''t yet rified things with Michael Cooper, and just...


    Considering that Michael Cooper might have been waiting on the top floor for nothing, and not knowing what exactly he wanted to say to her, she had a sneaking suspicion that he might have wanted to say goodbye, but that was just her intuition...


    With this in mind, Eva asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"


    "Why do you ask?"


    "I want to know how long I''ve been gone."


    "Just a day."


    Eva pursed her lips. A day''s time? Who knew what might have changed there?


    Seeing her deep in thought, Adrian ckwood, although not entirely clear on what she was pondering, could see that her mood was not great. "What''s wrong?"


    Eva shook her head.


    "Nothing."


    She said it was nothing, but she was still lost in her own thoughts.


    After seeing her like this, Adrian ckwood took the initiative to ask, "Why did you lose your memory? Do you remember?"


    This question made Eva somewhat bewildered, and she suddenly realized that she had never asked herself how she lost her memory.


    "I... I''m not sure, but when I woke up, it seemed like I had a head injury."


    Adrian ckwood''s gaze immediately went to her forehead. He meticulously checked for wounds and then checked the back of her head too. "Is it injured at the back?"


    "It seems so."


    After Adrian ckwood checked for a while, he fell silent for a moment.


    "Let''s do aprehensive check-upter. I won''t be at ease until I''m sure you''re okay."


    Upon hearing him suggest a check-up, Eva remembered something, "You''re only concerned about my check-up, but what about you?"


    "What?"


    "If I remember correctly, I went there originally to make a trade with him, to stay in exchange for your departure."


    Adrian ckwood furrowed his brows, once again ming his own soft-heartedness. If he hadn''t been soft-hearted at the beginning, he wouldn''t have been injured or fallen unconscious.


    If he hadn''t fallen unconscious, she wouldn''t have needed to exchange herself for his departure.


    As a man, he hadn''t protected his woman well and had even put her in danger. The me was all on him.


    "I heard from David that you were very badly injured when you left and that you were unconscious?"


    This was the main point Eva wanted to address, "When did you wake up? Are there injuries on your body besides that one?"


    Adrian ckwood pursed his thin lips, not responding.


    "Adrian?"


    Only then did he look at her.


    "Not long ago."


    "Did youe to find me as soon as you woke up?"


    Although he didn''t want to tell her, it was obviously something he couldn''t hide, so he had to admit it.


    "Yes."


    When he finally came to and learned that he was back in his home country, the first thing he did was tell Jacob to arrange a flight abroad, and with his father''s help, he easily found Eva and took her away.


    Her delicate brows furrowed upon his admission, Eva knew David wouldn''t lie to her. Moreover, if he had only regained consciousness after returning to their home country, logically speaking, it meant his injuries were severe. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have remained unconscious for so long...


    But as soon as he woke up, he did all this to get her back... No wonder the wound tore so badly when he carried her.


    "Are you okay?" Eva stared at him, "Did the doctor approve you doing something so dangerous as soon as you woke up?"


    Her concern naturally put Adrian ckwood in a good mood, and his lips curved into a slight smile.


    "Of course, I consulted with the doctor before leaving, and they agreed."


    Eva paused, her expression somewhat speechless.


    "Do you think I have amnesia or dementia?"


    Adrian ckwood was once again at a loss for words.


    "You try to fool me with that kind of talk? Do you find that amusing?"


    His expression suddenly became a little tense, "Are you angry?" Eva turned her head away.


    "I''m sorry, I just didn''t want to worry you. Did what I said upset you?"


    After noticing his voice tense up, Eva felt a bit reluctant to be harsh.


    Although he had run out without considering his health, he had done it to save her, so it wasn''t her ce to be angry with him.


    With this in mind, Eva slowly turned her head back.


    "Actually, you should also know that even if I''m angry with you, I have a reason."


    "I know."


    A loving warmth appeared in Adrian ckwood''s eyes, and he moved closer to her, reaching out to embrace her, his movements affectionate and natural.


    Eva saw this, and although her heart skipped a beat, she didn''t resist and leaned into his embrace as if boneless.


    "I know everything, even if you''re angry with me, it''s because you''re worried about me."


    As she drew close, his scent dominantly enveloped her, a feeling that reassured her, and she unconsciously reached up to cling to his shoulders, her hands weakly hanging around his neck.


    This gesture touched Adrian ckwood, and he lowered his gaze, leaning in to cover her.


    Just at that moment, footsteps came from the doorway, and Eva''s body stiffened, instinctively letting go and pushing Adrian ckwood away, then lying back under the covers.


    Adrian ckwood was abruptly halted mid-motion.


    When Jacob entered, he was somewhat confused, "Mr. ckwood, what are you doing sitting like that? Has Ms. Hansen woken up?"


    Tucking herself into the covers, Eva felt a bit embarrassed when her name was called, and slowly raised her hand from under the covers, "Are you looking for me?"


    "Ms. Hansen, you''re awake?"


    Jacob was overjoyed to see her awake, "That''s great! I was wondering when you would wake up, Ms. Hansen. Are you feeling alright? The doctor said that if you felt ufortable after waking up, you should tell us and we would do a thorough check-up."


    "No, I''m quite well."


    Adrian ckwood, who had remained in his original position, chose this moment to look at Jacob and say, "Her memory seems to be a bit off. Please inform the doctor, and then ask what specific examinations and treatments are needed." Jacob, who had been happy, was suddenly taken aback when he heard Adrian ckwood''s words, and he froze on the spot.


    "Memory problems? What... what do you mean?"


    Jacob looked at Adrian ckwood in shock, noticing his pursed lips and unhappy expression, and guessed what might be happening. He reluctantly turned to Eva.


    "Ms. Hansen, do you remember who I am?"


    As expected, under his shocked gaze, Eva shook her head.


    Jacob was speechless.


    He finally couldn''t help but curse Michael Cooper in his heart. What on earth was going on? How could Ms. Hansen have amnesia in just a few days?

 Chapter 507 Still Cant Bear to See Him Get into Trouble

    After cursing Michael Cooper in his mind, Jacob quickly said, "I''m going to find the doctor," and then he turned and left the room.


    Eva thought he had left for good, but in less than a minute, Jacob came back. This time, however, he didn''t enter the room but stood at the door and called out to Adrian ckwood. Adrian ckwood turned around, saw the hesitation on Jacob''s face, and said to Eva, "I''ll be right back," before stepping out of the room.


    Eva nodded from within the covers.


    Once Adrian ckwood was out, Jacob signaled for him to talk a bit further away from the room.


    This action made Adrian ckwood frown.


    "What''s the matter? Why do we need to talk so far away?"


    Hearing this, Jacob nced behind Adrian ckwood and then whispered, "Mr. ckwood, perhaps we should talk further away? If we speak here, Ms. Hansen might overhear us." Adrian ckwood grew impatient.


    He had finally brought her back, and now he was being asked to keep his distance. What if something happened in the meantime? Who wouldpensate him for that?


    With this thought, his expression turned colder. "If you don''t want her to hear, then lower your voice. If that doesn''t work, then just text me."


    Jacob had wanted to persuade him further, but after noticing Adrian ckwood''s darkening expression, he didn''t dare say more and instead whispered, "Mr. ckwood, you''ve been with Ms. Hansen for quite some time. When Ms. Hansen was unconscious, it was fine, but now that she''s awake, shouldn''t you have your wounds treated again? The doctor has been waiting. He''s concerned that your injuries might get infected and cause other issues."


    Adrian ckwood hadpletely forgotten about his own injuries, so he was taken aback when Jacob mentioned them. After a moment, he said gravely, "I know. I''ll goter."


    Jacob didn''t believe him.


    "Mr. ckwood, you''ve said that several times and have still never gone. Your doctor said if you don''t find an opportunity to go, he wille here himself." Adrian ckwood fell silent.


    "So, let Ms. Hansen watch you get treated, or go find the doctor yourself. Please choose one, Mr. ckwood."


    After a moment, Adrian ckwood said, "Call her doctor over first."


    Understanding his intention, Jacob nodded and went to fetch the doctor.


    After he left, Adrian ckwood returned to Eva''s bedside and found her still hiding under the covers, with only her head showing, which he found somewhat amusing. He helped her sit up, and Eva asked, "What were you whispering about just now? Is there something I don''t know?"


    "It''s nothing, not a big deal. Just lie down and rest."


    But Eva didn''t give up and looked at him with furrowed brows, "Is there a problem with your injury?"


    Adrian ckwood paused when he heard this. He was surprised by her sensitivity.


    Indeed, his Eva was always smart. She could guess some things without him having to say anything.


    "What are you thinking?"


    Adrian ckwood tapped her nose, "If there was really something wrong with me, could I still sit here talking to you? Could I have brought you back from abroad?"


    Eva shook her head, "It''s not the same. Because you are injured, even if you were fine before, you might be pushing yourself to the limit now. I remember before I fainted, didn''t the doctor treat you once?" "Yes, the doctor treated me then; otherwise, how could I be sitting here, fine as a fiddle? So don''t worry, I need to protect you, so how could I dare to let anything happen to me?" With that said, Eva no longer doubted him.


    However, she was still a bit worried about the situation with Michael Cooper and couldn''t help but ask, "That... after I left, what happened with Michael Cooper and his side of things?" Adrian ckwood''s face lost some of its joy after hearing her bring up Micheal Cooper.


    "Why are you asking about him? Are you worried about him?"


    The sourness in his tone was clear to Eva, and she felt a bit helpless. She no longer remembered the past, but she could still sense that Adrian ckwood had a very possessive personality. Her bringing up Michael Cooper probably did make him unhappy, but there was no helping it. There were some things that hadn''t been resolved, and she couldn''t just not mention them. "It''s not that I''m worried, I just want to know how you n to resolve the subsequent matters?"


    "It seems that even if you have lost your memory, you still can''t bear to see him get into trouble."


    Adrian ckwood now spoke with a venomous sting in his tone.


    Eva didn''t know how to respond.


    "Eva, I can forget about my injuries, but I cannot ignore the injuries and the pain you have suffered."


    In front of Eva, Adrian ckwood''s words were rtively gentle, but Eva still heard a hint of ruthlessness in his tone.


    Her lips moved. She wanted to say something, but then footsteps were heard from outside, and Jacob came in with the doctor.


    "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen, the doctor is here."


    In an instant, Adrian ckwood returned to his usual demeanor, gently stroking the back of Eva''s head, "Be good, you just focus on your check-up, I''ll step out for a bit ande back after you''re done." Eva guessed what he was going to do and nodded her head.


    "Okay."


    Before Adrian ckwood left, he instructed Jacob to stay there, to which Jacob responded, "Don''t worry, I would give my life before letting anything happen to Ms. Hansen."


    He sounded quite convincing, and Adrian ckwood didn''t doubt him, especially since Jacob had contributed the most effort and had been running around relentlessly during this chaotic time. Adrian ckwood nodded, "I''ll give you a bonuster."


    "Thank you, Mr. ckwood."


    After Adrian ckwood left, Jacob personally went in to keep watch.


    During the examination, the doctor asked Eva various questions. She answered everything he asked with great cooperation.


    So, by theter stages, the doctor didn''t have any more questions to ask. Eva, looking at Jacob standing by the side, seemed to ask casually, "You..."


    She hesitated, but Jacob immediately understood what she was getting at and quickly replied, "Ms. Hansen, you can just call me Jacob." "Jacob..."


    She nodded and then asked, "Is Adrian seriously injured?"


    "Uh..."


    Eva''s sudden question caught Jacob off guard, and before he could think of how to respond, Eva added, "Did he go to treat his wounds?"


    Jacob finally regained hisposure.


    "Yes, Mr. ckwood has been with you since you lost consciousness, never leaving your side. His doctor called for him several times, but he insisted on staying with you." As expected.


    A touch of distress shed through Eva''s eyes.


    "Did hee to save me while also forcing himself to bear with his injuries?"


    Although Jacob did not want to worry Eva, he could not bear the thought of Adrian ckwood''s sacrifices going unnoticed, so he nodded emphatically. "Yes!"

 Chapter 508 Is It That Hard to Answer?

    "Mr. ckwood was severely injured when he was brought back. Apart from the external injuries he suffered, the doctors spent a long time trying to save him and deal with his internal injuries. Originally, after he woke up, he was supposed to


    be under observation for another forty-eight hours."


    Jacob said this as his eyes helplessly dropped.


    "But none of us could stop him."


    He didn''t dare mention how Adrian ckwood''s eyes were bloodshot at the time, looking as if he would fight anyone who tried to stop him, giving the impression that he would rather die than not go to save her.


    Compared to the two oues, they could only choose the one that seemed to have hope.


    In the end, they had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.


    Hearing this, what else was there for Eva not to understand? His ims of being okay were false; it was just that no one could stop him.


    No wonder he had such a strong smell of blood on him at the time.


    Thinking of something else, Eva quickly asked, "You just mentioned internal injuries? What internal injuries does he have? Are there anysting effects?"


    This had been her concern all along.


    Jacob could only say, "Ms. Hansen, please rest assured. Your amnesia is much more serious than Mr. ckwood''s condition. Although Mr. ckwood took a risk to save you, he has now gone to see the doctor for a diagnosis, and I believe he will definitely be alright."


    However, Eva did not seem to be entirely reassured.


    Seeing this, Jacob had no choice but to say, "Ms. Hansen, if you are worried..."


    He intended to say, if you''re worried, why not wait for Mr. ckwood toe back? When you finally see with your own eyes that he''s fine, wouldn''t that put your mind at ease?


    But Eva misunderstood his intention and, without waiting for him to finish, directly said, "Then, may I go and see him?"


    Jacob was taken aback, "Ah, this..."


    Eva looked at the doctor, "Doctor, is my examination done?"


    The doctor, who quite liked this cooperative and soft-spoken girl, smiled and said, "Just another fifteen minutes or so. If Mr. ckwood hasn''t returned by then, Ms. Hansen, you can go and look for him." "Thank you."


    So Eva obediently went through the rest of the examination.


    It was only fifteen minutes more, and Adrian ckwood had been with her for so long. He probably wouldn''t be back for a while, right?


    Jacob didn''t expect such a development either, but on second thought, maybe it would be good for Ms. Hansen to go. Seeing firsthand how Mr. ckwood was seriously injured but still risked his life to save her might even improve their rtionship.


    With this thought, he felt relieved.


    About fifteen minutester, Eva''s examination waspleted.


    "Not bad, you were very cooperative."


    Since he was the ckwood family''s private doctor, he thought it best topliment Eva at the end of the examination.


    Some results were known on the spot, while others would take a little longer. Eva was not in a hurry. After tidying herself up, she was ready to go find Adrian ckwood.


    But her ns were thwarted. She had just gotten up and had barely reached the door when Adrian ckwood returned.


    Adrian ckwood''s brows immediately furrowed when he saw her foot touch the floor.


    "Why are you out of bed? Is the examination done?"


    As he spoke, he walked over to her and slid his hand under her arm. Before Eva could react to what he was doing, she was lifted into his arms.


    She let out a surprised cry, and instinctively wrapped her hands around his neck, as he carried her back to the bed.


    The doctor and Jacob had already tactfully exited the room.


    With only the two of them left in the room, Eva couldn''t help but say, "Don''t just pick me up all the time."


    "Why?"


    Having not seen her for so long, he didn''t realize how much he missed her, and given the circumstances, Adrian ckwood wished he could hold her and have her in his arms all the time. It seemed that only by doing so could he make up for the sense of loss, guilt, anxiety, and unease in his heart.


    "You''re injured, aren''t you? Your wounds might open up again if you hold me like that."


    "They won''t. How much do you think you weigh?"


    "Are you sure?" Eva recalled briefly, "Then howe when you were abroad a few days ago, your wound bled so much? Wasn''t it because it opened up while you were holding me?" "That was different; the wound had already opened up on its own."


    Adrian ckwood denied it without hesitation, not wanting Eva to feel that holding her was what aggravated his injury.


    Eva looked at him intently, "So what you mean is, when your wound opened up, you didn''t treat it right away."


    Adrian ckwood was taken aback, feeling as though he had fallen right into her trap.


    He could only feign ignorance, "What?"


    But Eva seemed to skip over this topic with her next question.


    "Were you in that ck car that was following us?"


    It was a simple question, but at that moment, Adrian ckwood couldn''t help but want to stop and think carefully about whether he should answer.


    "What''s wrong?" Upon seeing him deep in thought, Eva leaned in closer, "Is it that hard to answer whether you were in the car or not?"


    Even when his wound was so painful that he felt dizzy, Adrian ckwood didn''t feel as troubled as he did now. He found it hard to speak while facing Eva''s questioning gaze. "Adrian?"


    She leaned in close, causing her scent to envelop him, and while looking at Eva, Adrian ckwood unexpectedly found himself entertaining some inappropriate thoughts. He had felt this way before, but it had been interrupted by Jacob''s sudden appearance.


    Although he was somewhat resentful towards Jacob, Adrian ckwood was also grateful for his arrival, considering that Eva must still be feeling unwell, while he was preupied with these thoughts. With this in mind, Adrian ckwood suppressed the emotions churning inside him and turned his head away.


    "Nothing, I''m just wondering how you have so much energy. Was there nothing wrong with your check-up?" "Don''t change the subject. Were you in that car or not?"


    It seemed he couldn''t avoid the topic.


    "I was."


    "You were in the car with us for such a long time, and even though you had the chance, you didn''t treat your wound?"


    Indeed, she hade to confront him.


    Adrian ckwood''s lips curved into a slight smile, "Starting to worry about me again? It''s all in the past, and no matter what, I''m fine now. I''m sitting right in front of you, isn''t that good enough?" "So you think just because you got lucky this time, you might be fine the next time too, huh?"


    The smile on Adrian ckwood''s lips stiffened slightly.


    "Of course, that''s not what I mean."


    "You don''t seem to have any remorse; otherwise, you wouldn''t have waited until I woke up to treat your wound. What good is it to keep vigil over me with those injuries?"


    Eva could feel the reproach in her words as she spoke, and she guessed that Adrian ckwood might feel saddened and disappointed because of what she said.


    After all, he had gone to great lengths to save her, even nearly losing his life, and yet she was still criticizing him?

 Chapter 509 Why Is She in Such a State?

    Eva didn''t know what her personality was like before her amnesia or how she would have dealt with such a situation, but she knew that right now, she couldn''t help but want to speak out against him. Now, it seemed like there was no problem, and everyone was smiling and happy.


    But what if?


    What if the unthinkable happened?


    Adrian ckwood also realized the seriousness of the issue. Knowing that she had just woken up and that her emotions might be heightened, he decided not to argue any further and quickly apologized to her. "It''s my fault, I repent, and promise there won''t be a next time. Please don''t be mad at me, okay?"


    Eva had thought he would continue to argue, but she didn''t expect him to apologize so quickly.


    So, she looked at him somewhat suspiciously, "You apologized a bit too quickly. Are you sincere, or are you just saying this to avoid making me angry? Will there be another time when you will do the same thing?" "I promise, there won''t be a next time."


    He guaranteed that he wouldn''t let her be taken away by someone else again, which naturally meant there wouldn''t be a next time. This way, he wasn''t deceiving her.


    He had admitted his fault and apologized, and he had given her his assurance. If Eva were to pursue the matter further at this point, it would seem like she was being unreasonable.


    Eva decided it didn''t feel right to say anything more.


    "Have you been feeling ufortable anywhere since you woke up?" Seeing that she seemed to have calmed down, Adrian ckwood took the initiative to ask.


    Eva shook her head, "No."


    She had wanted to ask about Michael Cooper, but remembering how Adrian ckwood''s expression turned ugly when she casually mentioned it before, she suppressed the thought and brought up another matter. "By the way, there''s something I want to ask you."


    Indeed, her opening remark caused the pleasure in Adrian ckwood''s brow to fade a bit, and his tone became a bit more subdued.


    "What do you want to ask?"


    Seeing his reaction, Eva knew he was thinking about that matter again and felt somewhat helpless. "What are you thinking about? David mentioned earlier that I have two children. I was wondering where they are now?" Adrian ckwood had not expected her to bring this up. He thought she wouldn''t remember and was truly taken aback.


    He paused for a moment, and the harshness that had appeared in his expression disappearedpletely and was reced by a tender softness.


    "Don''t worry, our father has already called and asked; they''ve gone to the countryside with our mother."


    Eva had no recollection of what the countryside meant, but hearing that they were with their grandmother meant she didn''t need to worry.


    "So, does that mean I can''t see them now?"


    She was actually quite curious about these two little kids. Eva felt like losing her memory at this time was not an unfortunate event but rather a kind of blessing.


    Because it made her full of curiosity about her own children. What will their faces, noses, and mouths look like? When they speak, will their expressions and tones be the same as the ones she dreamed of in her dreams? The more she thought about it, the more Eva yearned to see them.


    At that moment, Adrian ckwood asked, "Do you want to see them?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva lifted her gaze towards him. Before she could speak, he continued, "Once the medical reportes out and if there''s nothing wrong, I''ll take you there."


    A look of joy quickly appeared on Eva''s face.


    "Really? Then I can see them?"


    "Yes, but we need to make sure the medical report is clear. If there''s an issue, you''ll need to stay for treatment."


    Eva naturally agreed without hesitation.


    "Of course, that''s fine. But what about your injuries? Maybe we should wait until you''re healed."


    "My injuries are not serious. Regr dressing changes and rest will suffice. It won''t affect traveling. Besides, I won''t have to carry you this time."


    Hisst remark was clearly in jest, prompting Eva to re at him, "You still have the nerve to say that?"


    "Alright, do you feel any difort? Shall we eat something first and look at the reportster?"


    "Okay."


    Eva also felt a bit hungry by then.


    Soon, Adrian ckwood had food prepared for her. He didn''t know about Eva''s recent loss of appetite, but since she had just woken up, he made sure the food was soft and easy to digest.


    Eva didn''t want him to notice, as her will to live and desire to eat had returned. She just needed some days to recover, and telling him would only cause him unnecessary worry.


    So, Eva ate very carefully, afraid that eating too much might upset her stomach.


    When she felt slightly full, Eva restrained herself and put down her spoon.


    Adrian ckwood immediately reached out to take the bowl.


    "Have you had enough?"


    Eva nodded.


    "Yes, maybe because I just woke up, I don''t have much of an appetite. I''ll eat more next time."


    Adrian didn''t find anything amiss and nodded. He then asked the attendants to clean up the dishes.


    After Eva''s medical results came out, the doctor told Adrian ckwood that she was fine, and there was no treatment for her memory loss; they could only wait for her to recover on her own. The doctor also informed Adrian ckwood that Eva was a bit malnourished.


    After hearing this, Adrian ckwood''s grip on the report tightened. He remembered Eva''s wrists, which were already delicate, had be even thinner since her return.


    Malnourished?


    How long had it been? Adrian ckwood could hardly imagine what she had suffered during this time, with both memory loss and malnutrition.


    Adrian ckwood couldn''t help but clench his fists and grit his teeth.


    Michael Cooper, that bastard, didn''t he im to like her?


    Why would he let her reach such a state?


    If he had arrived anyter, would something terrible have happened to his Eva?


    When Adrian ckwood returned to Eva, his frustrations had vanished and were reced by a gentle demeanor as he helped her into her coat. "The car is ready downstairs," he said to her. "Do you have anything else to pack?" "Um, I don''t think I have anything to pack."


    It was unclear whether she didn''t have anything she needed, or if her memory issues prevented her from knowing what to bring. It was only the attendants that had helped pack some daily necessities for her.


    After seeing her somewhat bewildered look, Adrian ckwood simply said, "No worries, the countryside has developed quite nicely anyway. We can buy whatever you need when we get there." Eva nodded in agreement.


    "Alright."


    Afterward, Adrian ckwood took her by her slender wrist, and as it rested in his palm, it reminded him once again of her malnourishment, stoking a burning rage within him. Michael Cooper...


    "By the way, I know you might get angry, but I still want to ask if you don''t need to handle the matter with Michael Cooper personally when you apany me to the countryside?"


    The question came just as his anger was ring, but Adrian ckwood managed a soft smile and said gently, "Don''t worry, I''ve delegated the matter to someone else. He will handle it ''appropriately''." Eva was taken aback.


    She couldn''t tell if it was her imagination, but when she heard the word "appropriately," it seemed as though Adrian ckwood had clenched his teeth.

 Chapter 510 Do You Want to Regain Your Memory?

    Considering his own experiences and what had happened to him, it was normal for him to be angry.


    "You should stop concerning yourself with this matter. You''ve lost your memory now, so just focus on healing," he said.


    "But..." Eva hesitated.


    "Do you not trust me to handle it?"


    "That''s not it..." Eva looked at Adrian ckwood''s handsome face. She had more to say, but the look in Adrian ckwood''s eyes made her swallow her words.


    Never mind, she thought. Although she had lost her memory, he was the person she had chosen. She would let him deal with it.


    What Michael Cooper did was wrong, and if it was wrong, it needed to be corrected.


    She said nothing more and leaned back, intending to rest against the seat. But upon seeing her lean back, Adrian ckwood extended his hand and drew her into his embrace. Thus, Eva ended up resting against his chest involuntarily.


    "Rest for a while," he said.


    The scent of him was reassuring, and Eva felt at ease. She didn''t resist and even wrapped her arms around his lean waist, leaning fully into his embrace.


    Adrian ckwood paused, unconsciously tightening his hold on her as if to make the feeling of regaining what he had lost seem more real.


    At first, the road was smooth, but as they went deeper into the countryside, it became rugged and bumpy. The road was next to a mountain, without any cameras, and there was even the danger of falling rocks. The driver, an experienced one, quickly moved past this section.


    After they had gone some distance, Eva frowned, "That part of the road looked a bit scary."


    Adrian ckwood, holding the person in his arms, didn''t speak. He was busy calming his breath.


    During the bumps, she had been jostling in his arms. At first, it was fine, he was busy protecting her and had no time to think of anything else.


    Butter, as the jostling became more frequent, Adrian ckwood''s breathing became disordered.


    After calming himself for a while, he said in a hoarse voice, "I''ll have someonee to fix the road tomorrow."


    Fixing the road was a big expense, Eva thought.


    But listening to his tone, which spoke of vast wealth, she guessed he wasn''t short on money.


    That being said, was the father of her two little kids very wealthy?


    Eva felt very satisfied with that.


    Thinking this, Eva held Adrian ckwood''s waist even tighter.


    Adrian ckwood tensed up.


    The emotions he had just calmed red up again.


    He could only let his hand glide over Eva''s back as his long fingers entwined a few strands of her hair.


    Eventually, Eva fell asleep in his arms. When he realized it, the hand that had been wrapped around his waist had loosened. Adrian ckwood caught her hand and ced it inside his coat, warming it with one hand while holding her with the other.


    The temperature in the car was high. The atmosphere was warm andfortable, and the two seemed to return to the sweetest time in their rtionship.


    Originally, Adrian ckwood had been very concerned about her memory loss.


    But now, after tasting this sweetness, he felt that memory loss might be a good thing for Eva.


    If it had been before... she might not have been so intimate with him.


    Even if they had reconciled, some barriers were difficult to break down, and it would certainly take a long time for him to mend their rtionship.


    But not like now, where she approached and touched him based solely on her instincts.


    After some time, the car finally stopped. The driver in front didn''t dare to look back and instead sat respectfully, saying, "Mr. ckwood, we''ve arrived."


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood looked outside, then at Eva in his arms, and said in a low voice, "Let her sleep a little longer. Park the car on the side of the road." The driver nodded, "Yes, sir."


    The car came to a stop at a secluded spot, and passersby frequently gave it curious nces, asionally pausing to take a closer look, wondering to themselves. "People in our vige have been seeing a lot of luxury carstely, haven''t they?"


    "I heard they all belong to the Lynn family. The one that came a few days ago was Lynn''s daughter; she brought her son to visit the elderly. Those two kids, oh, they look so lovely and fair, and their cheeks looked so tender." "Yeah, I saw them too when I passed by their house the other day. I heard that to make the children happy, they even set up a swing under the big tree."


    A group of people walked and discussed among themselves.


    One moment they praised Lynn for her good fortune and having such an impressive daughter, the next they talked about how amazing her grandson was, a well-known figure in the city.


    Then, someone mentioned that Lynn herself was remarkable, having stepped back due to her age, choosing their scenic and blessed vige to retire.


    While speaking of the natural beauty of their own vige, the locals couldn''t help but feel immense pride and began to boast about their vige.


    The car window was slightly down, and Adrian ckwood quietly listened to these conversations. When he heard about the swing that his maternal grandfather made for the kids, the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but lift slightly. It seemed that the children were deeply loved by their great grandparents.


    Indeed, they were both smart and well-behaved; not just their own family, but even strangers would find them endearing.


    After all, be it humans or things, beauty was irresistible to everyone.


    As he was pondering, he felt movement in his arms. Adrian ckwood looked down to see Eva slowly waking up.


    She opened her eyes in his embrace, and after a few seconds, looked up at him.


    "Did I fall asleep?"


    "Yes," Adrian ckwood nodded as he gently touched her cheek with his fingers and straightened the messy hair by her face.


    Only then did Eva realize the car had stopped and looked outside, her eyes lighting up at the sight.


    "Have we arrived?"


    Her expression made Adrian ckwood''s lips curve into a smile, and he nodded warmly.


    "Yes, we''re here."


    "Why didn''t you wake me up?"


    Eva''s tone carried an unintentional hint ofint as she quickly climbed out of his embrace, even pushing Adrian ckwood aside when there was someone else. Adrian ckwood felt helpless.


    After pushing him away, Eva got out of the car.


    Left with no choice, Adrian ckwood followed suit.


    "Take it slow, don''t fall down just after waking up."


    Once out of the car, Adrian ckwood apanied Eva on foot inside, leaving the luggage for the people following them to bring in.


    As Eva walked along the path, her gaze constantly swept around, and she asked, "Have we been here before?"


    Adrian ckwood shook his head.


    "No."


    "No wonder I don''t feel any sense of familiarity."


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood couldn''t help but look at her.


    "If it were a ce you''ve been before, would you feel a sense of familiarity?"


    "Maybe, like with people I''ve met before, I can feel a difference inside, so I think it would be the same with ces."


    "After we''re done with this busy period, I''ll take you to ces you''ve been before; it might help with your memory recovery."


    Saying this, Adrian ckwood paused for a moment before asking, "Do you want to regain your memory?"

 Chapter 511 Mommy, Hug, Give Me A Hug

    Regaining her memories?


    This sudden question caught Eva off guard, and she was momentarily at a loss for words. She plunged herself into deep thought.


    She seemed to want her memories back; after all, it was something she had lost, and who wouldn''t want to retrieve something they''d lost?


    But after everything that had happened, she felt that whether or not she regained her memories wasn''t all that important because even if she didn''t remember, those who cared about her still did. Just like Adrian ckwood, who had rushed to save her the moment he woke up, despite his own severe injuries.


    To her, memories were important, but at the same time, they weren''t.


    With this in mind, Eva said, "Whether I regain them or not, let''s just leave it to fate. If I try too hard, it might just backfire, right?"


    Adrian ckwood was slightly taken aback when he heard this. He was probably not expecting such a response from her. He had thought she would either express a strong desire to remember or a clear preference to forget.


    After a long moment of contemtion, Adrian ckwood''s lips curled into a smile. "My Eve is just my Eve, and that''s a good way to think about it. You won''t wear yourself out."


    His words made Evaugh.


    "Why would I wear myself out? It''s exhausting."


    She had been rescued, had people who cared about her by her side, and was about to meet her two adorable children. What was there to stress over?


    Besides, it wasn''t as if she could regain her memories just by wishing it. Worrying wouldn''t help.


    With that in mind, she might as well be content with the present. The memories woulde back on their own one day, wouldn''t they?


    Adrian ckwood gently touched the back of her head, a smile lingering on his lips.


    "That''s a great attitude to have."


    Soon, they arrived at the front gate.


    The gate was closed, and Adrian ckwood moved to press the doorbell from memory, but his hand was unexpectedly caught by the person beside him. "Wait... wait a moment."


    Adrian ckwood turned to look at Eva.


    "What''s wrong?"


    As he spoke, he suddenly realized that Eva''s hand was trembling as she held his. Adrian ckwood paused, "Are you scared?"


    Eva fell silent.


    She pursed her lips, then said softly, "It''s not that I''m scared, I''m just a bit nervous."


    "Nervous?"


    Adrian ckwood lowered his gaze to see her gripping his hand tightly as if she weren''t there to meet her own daughter and son, but an enemy instead. However, he understood her feelings.


    When he first learned that the two children were his, and he wanted to interact with them, he was much more nervous than she was.


    "Don''t be nervous, they''re your children. What''s there to be nervous about?" Adrian ckwood couldn''t help but tease her while taking the opportunity to grasp her wrist tightly.


    Eva was still very nervous, "Yeah, what am I nervous about? They are my children, what do I have to be nervous about?"


    She deliberately repeated these words several times, as if trying to brainwash herself. However, it was useless; she was still nervous.


    Adrian ckwood then suggested, "How about I give you a little more time to calm down? I won''t ring the doorbell just yet."


    Hearing that she could have more time, Eva immediately nodded.


    "Good... good idea."


    For some reason, seeing her so nervous brought a particr joy to Adrian ckwood''s heart. He thought back to how he, himself, had been awkward in front of their children, and it felt all too familiar. Eva took several deep breaths, and finally, she felt a bit more rxed. Once she was mentally prepared, she stepped behind Adrian ckwood. "I''m ready. You can ring the doorbell."


    Continuing to be nervous was not going to help; it would only make her more anxious.


    "Really? Shall I ring it now?" Adrian asked.


    "Yes, go ahead... please do," she said, her voice trailing off as she shrank back behind him, almostpletely hiding herself.


    This action deepened the smile in Adrian ckwood''s eyes.


    "All set mentally, yet still hiding behind me?" He teased.


    Hearing the jest in his voice, Eva felt a bit annoyed with him.


    "Are you deliberatelyughing at me right now, of all times?" She asked.


    The smile in Adrian''s eyes grew wider, but he denied it with his words, "No, I''m not."


    "I heard it," she insisted.


    "What did you hear?"


    "I heard you making fun of me."


    "Did I? Did Iugh just now?"


    "Youughed inside."


    "You can hear meughing inside?"


    "Adrian!"


    "Yes, mydy? What can I do for you?" He responded, feigning ignorance.


    Unable to help herself, Eva pinched his waist, intending to chastise him, but the moment she did, Adrian''s entire body stiffened.


    Eva didn''t realize the effect of her action and quickly withdrew her hand.


    Only Adrian remained, his eyes slightly darkened, standing there feeling the aftermath. He pursed his thin lips, realizing for the first time that he had metaphorically shot himself in the foot. And perhaps because they had been apart for so long, he found himself so moved and affected by even a small gesture from her.


    Fortunately, it was winter, and he was wearing thick clothes.


    Adrian cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment and was about to speak when they heard two excited shouts from behind them! "Mommy!!"


    "Mommy!"


    The voices were beaming with excitement and were unmistakably those of children. Adrian immediately recognized them as Ruby and Dn''s voices.


    But he quickly turned to see Eva''s reaction.


    As expected, upon hearing those two calls of ''mommy,'' Eva froze in ce, unable to move.


    Adrian looked up and saw the two children racing toward Eva like rockets. They didn''t seem to be moving that fast, but they swiftly reached Eva''s feet, each hugging one of her legs. "Mommy!"


    The two of them chirped like songbirds, incessantly calling out ''mommy'' around her.


    Adrian noticed that Eva had be even more rigid than before.


    It took her a moment to regain herposure, then she lowered her gaze to the two little ones at her feet.


    The good-looking brows and eyes of the two children slowly came into view, and Eva stood there, staring at them in a daze.


    They were... exactly like the ones she had dreamed of.


    Could her dreams really be so prophetic? Or perhaps, these were memories that existed in her mind, but she just couldn''t recall them, which was why she dreamed of these two little faces. "Mommy, you''re finally back, I missed you so much!"


    The little girl tugged at the hem of her dress, constantly reaching up to be held, while the boy next to her was much more reserved, looking at her with joy but without tugging at her clothes. Seeing that she hadn''t squatted down to hold her, Ruby became anxious, not just reaching out her hands but directly asking, "Mommy, hug, give me a hug!"


    Under her urging, Eva slowly squatted down and opened her arms.


    No sooner had she opened her arms than the two little ones plunged into her embrace, almost knocking Eva backward, but fortunately, Adrian ckwood had anticipated this and had already squatted down to support her.

 Chapter 512 The More You Know, The More You Worry

    babies, their mommy was still the most important.


    The two little kids hadn''t seen Eva for a long time. Although they had thepany of their grandmother and great-grandparents in the countryside, and there was plenty of delicious food and even likable ymates nearby, to the two little They missed Eva so much that now, seeing her, they snuggled in her arms and tenderly rubbed against her, not wanting to part like conjoined twins.


    Margaret and Lynn, who followed behind, also did not expect Eva and Adrian ckwood to suddenly appear here. Both of them had looks of surprise and delight on their faces.


    "Eva, Adrian? Howe you''vee all of a sudden? Why didn''t you inform us beforehand?"


    Eva looked up and saw the two standing in front of her. One of them had hair that was turning white but was well-maintained and spry and was dressed in a dress and draped in a white shawl.


    The person beside her was much younger, a middle-aged individual, dressed quite fashionably. The two hadpletely different auras, though their faces bore some resemnce. Adrian ckwood had briefed her about the rtionships beforehand due to her amnesia, so now, seeing them with the children, she could guess their identities. "Mom, Grandma."


    Although her body was still stiff, Eva greeted them properly.


    The one called grandmother, Lynn, hurried over to help her up.


    "My girl, it''s been so many years since west met. I didn''t expect to see you as a mommy now, and you''ve had two absolutely adorable little babies. Come on, get up, don''t squat there."


    Lynn helped her up, and Eva, being weak, staggered a bit. Adrian ckwood, quick and observant, supported her waist to prevent her from falling.


    Margaret, observing this scene, immediately narrowed her eyes.


    "What''s the matter? Why have you lost so much weight?" Lynn grasped her wrist and then realized there was hardly any flesh on it.


    Feeling the old woman''s kindness and concern, Eva felt a warmth in her heart.


    "Grandma, it''s because I''ve been dieting recently, that''s why I''ve lost so much weight."


    "Dieting?" Lynn sighed softly, "You''re already so thin, why are you still dieting? Now that you''re here, stop the diet. I''ll make you some chicken soupter. Girls should be a bit plumper; it keeps them from getting sick easily." No matter what she said, Eva just smiled and nodded.


    "Okay."


    "Let''s go inside."


    Lynn went to open the door and then led Eva inside.


    As Eva left, the two little kids followed her every step, clutching at the hem of her clothes.


    They went ahead, but Margaret stood still. When she saw Adrian ckwood about to follow inside, she called out to him.


    "Adrian, wait a moment."


    Adrian ckwood, his mind on Eva, was taken aback by his mother''s call and had to stop in his tracks. "What is it?"


    Margaret didn''t speak. She just watched them walk away and then pulled Adrian ckwood to her side.


    "What''s going on?" She looked at her son''s slightly pale face. Although he tried to appear normal, both of theirplexions looked as though they had been hurt. They weren''t deathly pale but still looked sickly. And Eva, she seemed even thinner when she stood up just now.


    Margaret had guessed that the situation might be serious, which was why she thought to bring the children to the countryside for a respite, to spare herself from worrying alone.


    But now, seeing the two of them, she realized that things might be much more serious than she had imagined.


    Faced with her question, Adrian ckwood was silent for a moment before finally saying in a deep voice, "Mom, this matter has been resolved. It''s better if you just forget about it." Margaret somewhat disagreed with this.


    "What do you mean I should just forget about it? Since it''s all resolved and there''s no need to worry, then what''s the problem with telling me?"


    "The more you know, the more you''ll worry," said Adrian ckwood.


    "It''s all settled now, isn''t it?" Margaret asked.


    However, Adrian just pursed his lips and did not respond.


    Margaret thought of something and frowned, "What about your father?"


    "He''s still dealing with some matters and hasn''te back yet."


    Because his father had been in contact with the elder of the Cooper family, the matter had escted.


    Hearing this, Margaret''s expression changed slightly, "Is your father alright?"


    "You''ve been with him for so many years, don''t you know what kind of person he is?"


    "That''s true. Then let him continue dealing with it. But why do you look so unwell? Are you hurt?"


    Adrian ckwood didn''t respond, which was a silent confirmation.


    "And Eva? What happened to her? Why has she be so thin?"


    It hadn''t been that long since they had gone out, and she had lost so much weight. It was truly distressing, Margaret thought to herself. Adrian ckwood remained silent, he recalled how she seemed to eat with small, slow bites in the morning, and not even much at that.


    Suddenly, Adrian ckwood thought of something and said to Margaret, "Grandmother mentioned she''s going to make chicken soup for herter. If you could intervene, ask Grandmother not to make it yet." "Wh..."


    Curiosity swelled in Margaret''s heart; she was dying to ask why, but upon seeing her son''s profile, she swallowed her words back down.


    Let it be, she thought. After all, whatever had happened must be in the past, and her husband would handle the rest. If the young people didn''t want to talk, it meant they didn''t want to worry an old woman like her. With that in mind, why keep pressing and risk spoiling their kind intentions?


    After a moment of reflection, Margaret came to terms with the situation.


    "Alright, I''ll go in and talk to your grandmother in a bit. I''ll tell her to prepare something lighter for lunch."


    "Thank you, Mother."


    "There, no need to thank me. Go on now, your heart seems to have already gone with her."


    He had been left behind, and his eyes remained steadfastly fixed on her until Eva''s figure had disappeared from his sight. Even after she was gone, he kept staring at the spot where she vanished, his heart clearly elsewhere. Practically affirming his mother''s statement, Adrian ckwood promptly stepped away.


    Margaret stood there speechless for a while.


    After letting out a short sigh, she no longer felt it was right to ponder further and stepped inside.


    Once Eva entered the room, Lynn went to find some food toy out before her. While sitting on the couch, the two little kids snuggled up beside her.


    From being somewhat stiff and nervous at first, she had gradually be morefortable.


    The little kids were soft and sweet-smelling, and in good spirits; it was evident that they had been well cared for during her absence.

 Chapter 513 It Indeed Does Taste Quite Good

    While Lynn was off scavenging for items, Ruby Hansen asked in a soft voice, "Mommy, what did you go to do this time? Why did it take you so long toe back? Ruby and my brother you so much." Eva reached out to rub the back of her little darling''s head and then asked quietly, "Ruby?"


    Ruby Hansen immediately nodded.


    Afterward, Eva looked towards the boy beside Ruby.


    Dn Hansen met her gaze and blinked gently, and perhaps due to the mother-son connection, he said, "Mommy, Dn missed you too."


    Eva had been pondering how she woulde to know the name of the other child, now that she knew Ruby''s name. How would she find out what the other child was usually called?


    It was definitely not good to ask directly.


    Although the children were young and didn''t understand many things, they were also very sensitive. They didn''t know that she had amnesia. If she, as their mother, asked directly, it would surely make the children feel upset. The children might not think about amnesia, but rather might feel that their mommy didn''t love them anymore; otherwise, why couldn''t she remember her darling''s name?


    She hadn''t expected him to be so understanding and to say it just in line with her wishes.


    Eva couldn''t help but lower her head and nt a kiss on Dn.


    "Dn, you''re such a good boy."


    After seeing Eva kiss her brother and only receiving a hug herself, Ruby suddenly felt dissatisfied and lunged forward.


    "Mommy kissed brother, so Ruby wants a kiss too, Mommy."


    Eva then smiled and pulled Ruby Hansen into her embrace as well, kissing her smooth forehead.


    Dn could clearly sense that there was a slight change in his mommy, but even if he was smart, he was still a child. Even if his mommy was hiding something, he had no way of finding out the specifics of the change. The only thing he could see was that Mommy had lost a lot of weight.


    Dn felt an ache in his heart and took the initiative to hold her wrist, whispering, "Mommy, you have to eat well from now on."


    Hearing this, Eva paused for a moment, then nodded.


    "Of course, Mommy definitely has to take care of her health, so she can look after her two treasures as they grow up."


    As she spoke, Eva''s eyes started to well up with warmth.


    Indeed, being with her children was the best. Her drifting heart could finally settle down.


    With this thought, Eva pulled them both into her embrace, burying her face between their shoulders on either side as she closed her eyes in peace.


    When Adrian ckwood entered, he saw this heartwarming scene.


    His steps halted as well, and he stood there silently watching.


    Click-


    The sound of a camera shutter came from behind.


    Adrian ckwood turned around and saw Margaret smiling as she put away her phone.


    "Oh, this photo turned out really well."


    Since she was taking the photo in their direction, Adrian ckwood thought Margaret was photographing Eva and the children, and he approached out of curiosity. "What does it look like?"


    When Adrian ckwood saw the photo, he was stunned.


    He had thought that Margaret captured the scene he had just witnessed, the serene and beautiful moment where Eva and the two children were embracing each other. He had wanted to capture that moment himself but was momentarily spellbound.


    Unexpectedly, his mother had taken the photo, and in her picture, Adrian ckwood was also inadvertently included. The photo featured Adrian ckwood''s tall figure prominently, with his gaze and profile visible as he intently looked towards the spot where the three were huddled together.


    "How about that? Didn''t your mom capture a very atmospheric shot of your family of four?"


    Adrian ckwood didn''t answer her question but silently looked at the photo for a long time before saying, "Send me the picture."


    After receiving the photo, Adrian ckwood immediately set it as his phone''s wallpaper and then looked at it dozens of times over.


    Margaret watched this scene, shaking her head helplessly in her mind. The greatest trait among the ckwood men was their strong romantic nature; from past generations to the present, every man was a true romantic, not only treating their wives wonderfully but also being utterly faithful. Once they fell in love, it was for a lifetime.


    Lynn''s voice echoed from the room as she emerged from the kitchen carrying a bunch of items. Seeing this, Adrian ckwood quickly strode over to help.


    Eva was about to stand up and offer her assistance too, but when she saw Adrian ckwood heading over, she decided to stay put.


    Soon, the table wasden with a variety of foods, including fresh fruits that had just been bought from the market, probably picked that very day, along with some pastries and fruit cakes that Lynn had made during her free time. "Here, have some more, you''re too thin," Lynn urged Eva to eat, as she held out the treats.


    Eva took them with a smile, secretly relieved that they weren''t meat or anything with a strong smell, which might have made her feel sick on the spot.


    She bit into a sweet pastry and when she looked up, she saw Lynn looking at her expectantly.


    "How is it? Tastes good, right?"


    Eva asked, "Wow, did you make this yourself, Grandma."


    After hearing Evapliment the taste, Lynn immediately beamed with joy.


    "Yes, I like to tinker with these when I have nothing else to do. I made a little extra these past few days since the kids wereing over. If you like it, I''ll make a fresh batch for you to take home." "Thank you, Grandma, that would be great."


    Eva nibbled a few more bites of the pastry, but when she couldn''t eat anymore, Adrian ckwood suddenly came over and sat down beside her.


    "I''d like to try it as well."


    His voice was deep and resonated right by Eva''s ear. Before she could react, Adrian ckwood caught her delicate wrist and brought the pastry from her hand to his mouth, taking a bite. Eva was speechless.


    She felt his tongue and warm lips brush against her fingers as he bit into the pastry, causing her face to instantly flush, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.


    But instead of letting go, Adrian ckwood enclosed her hand within his own and held it.


    Eva was in shock,


    What was he doing? And right in front of their grandmother and mother.


    At this moment, Ruby eximed, "Mommy, your face turned red!"


    Hearing this, Adrian ckwood''s gaze leisurely turned towards her as the corners of his lips curved into a pleasing arc, "It indeed does taste quite good."

 Chapter 514 Arent You Enjoying It?

    Adrian, performing such an act in front of everyone and following it with that remark, managed to make not just Eva but also Lynn and Margaret blush with difort. None of them had expected Adrian to be so unabashedly cheesy, especially in front of his own mother and grandmother.


    However, it didn''t take long for Margaret to realize something.


    Adrian had done this as a pretext to eat the pastry, and she had noticed that Eva was eating it in tiny bites, probably because she was already full.


    So, Adrian had deliberately put on this little show.


    With this in mind, Margaret cleared her throat and said to Lynn, "Mom, let the young ones have their little moment. We shouldn''t disturb them. Let''s go sit outside." Lynn, oblivious to the subtext, took it as a sign of the couple''s strong affection for each other and agreed. As they left, they took Ruby and Dn with them. Initially, Ruby didn''t want to go, but Lynn picked her up. Not wanting to burden her grandmother, Ruby agreed to leave with her.


    Once they had all left, only two people remained in the room, sitting close together on the sofa, with a table full of fruits and pastries in front of them.


    As the atmosphere quieted down, Eva finally felt the heat on her face begin to subside.


    She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to withdraw her hand from Adrian''s grasp.


    But Adrian held on tightly.


    Eva couldn''t help but nce at him, noticing that he had no intention of letting go. After seeing her look his way, Adrian raised an eyebrow: "Feeling shy?"


    The warmth that had just faded from Eva''s face returned with more intensity.


    "Did you always do this... in front of the elders before?" She asked.


    Having lost her memory, she did not know what their usual interactions were like.


    But clearly, the behavior Adrian had just exhibited was beyond her understanding.


    She was aware that a couple in love would engage in intimate gestures, like the near kiss they had shared in their room, which she did not resist and even enjoyed.


    But... the scene that had just unfolded had happened in front of two elders and two children.


    And Adrian looked as natural as could be, as if such things had happened countless times before.


    So, Eva wondered, did they always act like this in front of elders? Why did she find it so embarrassing? Was she really such a person?


    Adrian had initially just intended to help her with the pastry, but she hadn''t realized it and thought this was their usual behavior, which was why he had suddenly leaned in so close. With that thought, he suddenly felt a yful urge.


    "What do you mean by ''like this''?" He asked.


    As he spoke, he brought her hand to his lips and gently touched it.


    "Like this?"


    "Or..."


    He drew out his words, then suddenly opened his mouth and lightly bit her fingertip.


    The moist sensation from her fingertip jolted Eva, making her want to pull her hand back, but he held on tightly. He looked up at her, his enchanting gaze sending shockwaves through her very being. He chuckled softly: "So, like this? Not used to it?"


    Sensing she wanted to continue withdrawing her hand, Adrian gripped it even tighter. Despite his injury, he was still much stronger than Eva.


    He brought her hand to his thin lips, softly brushing against her soft skin. His warm breath enveloped Eva''s hand as he spoke, and he watched as Eva''s face grew redder and redder, finding it very amusing. "Don''t be shy, we''ve done much more than this before."


    Eva was as red as a tomato.


    She couldn''t help but look at Adrian with some doubt, "Really?"


    "But I feel like I shouldn''t be that kind of person."


    As she spoke, she was suddenly pulled onto Adrian''sp. She then felt him pinch her chin with his long and slender fingers as his hot breath enveloped her, then, without warning, hended a soft kiss on Eva''s red, luscious lips. It was as if something exploded in her mind, and Eva subconsciously tightened her grip on the hem of his shirt.


    As he kissed her, Adrian finally felt the emotions he had been restraining all this way being released.


    No, it wasn''t just the emotions of this journey, but also those of this period, these years...


    With this thought, Adrian hugged the soft woman in his arms even tighter.


    Originally, he just wanted to tease her a bit, but when he truly touched her, it was as if he waspletely drawn to her, unwilling to let go, unwilling to pull back.


    Eva hadn''t expected him to do this, and as his kiss deepened, her emotions became increasingly tense. At first, she was just clutching Adrian''s hem, but eventually, she couldn''t help but reach out to push him away.


    It took a lot of effort to push him back, and then she gasped, "You... don''t do this, we could be seen."


    After all, this wasn''t their home, nor were they in a room.


    After being pushed away, Adrian just kept staring at her, a deep desire evident in his eyes.


    He was breathing just as unsteadily as she was, even more heavily in fact, "No one wille in. They took the kids out to give us a little alone time."


    Hearing this exnation, even Eva''s ears and neck turned red.


    "That''s even worse."


    Even though Lynn and Margaret had taken the kids away, if they stayed here too long, everyone would know what they were doing.


    "What''s ''even worse''?" Adrian''s now husky voice echoed in her ear as he leaned in close to her, "Didn''t you enjoy it when I kissed you just now? You even responded to me, didn''t you?"


    Eva: "That... that was because you forced me."


    "Oh? I can control your body?"


    As he spoke, Adrian''s hand caressed her soft, slim waist, then gently pinched it.


    Eva couldn''t help but let out a muffled moan.


    "Adrian!"


    "Can I really control you?" Adrian chuckled softly again, "Then shouldn''t I take control one more time?"


    Eva''s face turned beet red as she scolded him, "Adrian, don''t go too far!"


    "Are you angry?"


    Eva puffed up in anger. She remained silent because she didn''t have enough strength to push him away, and she was also afraid that pushing too hard might exacerbate his wound. Because she didn''t dare to exert any force on him, she had no way to deal with Adrian and could only turn her head away and ignore him.


    When she turned her head, Adrian saw her thin, soft earlobe that was so red it was nearly bleeding. Knowing that teasing her further might really anger her, he could only say in a low voice, "What if I just kiss your earlobe and then we stop?" What?


    Eva hadn''t even processed what he said when she felt a warm, soft sensation on her earlobe. Her face turned crimson, and just as she was about to struggle, Adrian had already pulled away, simultaneously releasing the grip on her waist.

 Chapter 515 Just Teasing You

    When he released his grip, Eva was momentarily stunned, taking a while to process what had happened.


    Did he really do as he said? Was it over just like that?


    The lingering warmth of his touch on her earlobe made it itch, and there was a simr itch in her heart, prompting an almost reflexive desire to touch her ear. Halfway through the motion, she restrained herself and pulled her hand back. No, she couldn''t touch it.


    If she did, Adrian would surely tease her again, that rascal.


    So, Eva had to suppress the urge to touch her earlobe and just sat there, trying to calm herself.


    "Why do you look so disappointed?" Adrian unexpectedly leaned in closer, whispering near her ear, "Is it because I didn''t continue? Are you disappointed?" Eva: "No!"


    After denying it, Eva stood up, clenching her teeth.


    "You can sit here by yourself."


    With that, she attempted to leave.


    But Adrian grabbed her wrist, "Come on, don''t be angry, I was just ying with you."


    "Let go." Eva tried to pull her hand back.


    Adrian, seemingly helpless, said, "Alright, I came over because you weren''t eating your pastry."


    Hearing this, Eva, who had been trying to break free from Adrian''s grip, paused and turned to look at him.


    "What did you say?"


    "You weren''t eating it, right? So, I ate it for you."


    Once she heard this, Eva became a bit flustered. Did Adrian notice something? She instinctively retorted, "Who said I couldn''t eat it?"


    Adrian raised an eyebrow, "You can eat it, huh? By taking such small bites and eating so slowly?"


    "I like to chew slowly, is that a problem?" Eva countered.


    "Fine, let''s just say I didn''t want to eat it and just wanted the piece you were holding, is that okay?"


    Adrian didn''t argue with her. If there were things she wanted to hide and did not wish to disclose, he saw no need to press her for answers. Sure enough, after his acknowledgment, Eva fell silent, perhaps preupied with other thoughts, and she did not speak for a long time.


    It was unclear how much time had passed before she finally looked up at Adrian.


    "I just haven''t had much of an appetitetely; I''ve been adjusting for some time now."


    Adrian was somewhat surprised that she chose to share this with him, "Hmm, I know."


    He could tell she was trying to adjust, and since the check-up results didn''t show any major issues, he didn''t inquire further about it.


    Reflecting on this, Adrian''s hand couldn''t help but stroke the back of her head, "It''s not a big deal, just take good care of yourself. You don''t have to avoid me with your issues. If you tell me, I can help you anytime, right?" "You didn''t want to tell me when you were injured, did you? So, you should understand how I feel."


    "So, I''ll tell you everything from now on, and you''ll tell me everything you encounter. Deal?"


    Eva thought for a moment and agreed to his proposition.


    "Deal."


    "Then, it''s settled."


    "By the way, was it really that obvious when I was eating earlier? Wouldn''t Grandmother think I didn''t like her pastries?"


    "Don''t worry, Grandmother will just think you''re trying to diet again. She won''t think anything else of it, especially since I ended up eating the leftovers, right?"


    After hearing him say that, Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Adrian''s lips curled into a smile. "Next time you don''t want to eat something, just stuff it into my mouth, okay?"


    "Okay... I got it."


    Eva wasn''t sure if it was her imagination, but even though Adrian was helping her, she always felt like there was a flirtatious undertone in his voice.


    She took her time inside the house to let the awkward feeling fade before she got up to look for someone.


    After stepping out of the main hall, she found herself in arge courtyard.


    The courtyard was home torge trees, a fruit orchard, and a vegetable garden. The kitchen was built next to the orchard. The two elderly people living there enjoyed their retirement, sometimes not wanting to go out in bad weather and instead picking fresh vegetables from the garden to cook with-green and eco-friendly.


    When Eva went out, she happened toe across Lynn, who was squatting in the vegetable garden with her two little ones, harvesting vegetables.


    Ruby was bending over, her little bottom in the air, working on a nt, while Dn squatted beside her helping out. The two little ones were busy bustling around.


    Watching this scene, Eva felt as if she were walking on clouds, an almost surreal feeling began to wash over her.


    "Mommy!"


    The two little ones saw her and called her over. Eva walked over and squatted down.


    "How do you do this? Let me help."


    Lynn nced at her and then said with a smile, "No need. Just rest inside and have a little snack. Me and Margaret will handle this. When your grandfatheres back, he''ll cook, and we can just wait to eat."


    After speaking, Lynn didn''t wait for Eva''s reaction and pushed her out of the vegetable garden. Eva came out just in time to run into Margaret who was approaching.


    She said with a smile, "You go inside and rest. We''ve got this covered."


    Eva felt a bit awkward and was about to say something when she heard Margaret add, "Actually, your grandmother just wants more time alone with the children. She''s very fond of these two little ones. She knows they won''t be staying here long term, so she wants to make the most of this time with them."


    Eva finally understood.


    She thought for a moment and then smiled, "How about letting Ruby and Dne and stay here for a while during their summer and winter holidays?"


    Margaret was just making conversation and didn''t expect Eva toe up with this suggestion.


    "I did mention this to her before, but your grandmother thought that since the children are yours, you might not want to part with them, and it wouldn''t be right for us to ask directly. Now that you''ve brought it up, if you''re willing, that would be wonderful."


    "Of course."


    The local customs here were simple and pure; it would be nice for the two kids toe and stay here during their winter and summer vacations. Plus, the air quality was good. "Alright, as long as you agree, I''ll talk to your grandmother about it in a moment."


    After Margaret left, Eva stood still.


    Of course, she felt a bit reluctant to let go, as they were her children, after all. But her children couldn''t always stay by her side; they needed to experience different things.


    "If you can''t bear it, you don''t have to agree. I can be the bad guy," Adrian''s voice unexpectedly sounded from behind her.


    Eva was momentarily startled, then realized he must have overheard her conversation with her mother. She shook her head.


    "It''s fine. It''s just for the winter and summer vacations, and it''s not like they won''te back."


    "You coulde along when the timees."


    "I have apany to run."

 Chapter 516 Surely I Can Provide for You

    After saying this, both of them were momentarily stunned.


    Adrian''s gaze shifted towards her unconsciously.


    And Eva was also frozen in ce, it took her a while to process.


    "Apany? Do I actually own apany?"


    When Adrian heard this, he initially thought she had regained her memory, but it turned out to be something she said subconsciously.


    He thought about herpany, the one that had been full of twists and turns when they first reunited, and shuddered.


    Oh Lord, if she had to regain her memory, let her remember something else first, not these things.


    Otherwise, if she only remembered this and forgot everything else, she might develop a bad impression of him.


    With this thought, Adrian immediately said, "I''ll handle thepany matters for you. You juste and have fun without any burden on your mind."


    "You''ll help me?" Eva blinked, "But, shouldn''t you have your own business to take care of?"


    "Mm, I can manage both. What''s the problem with taking care of my wife?" As he spoke, Adrian wrapped his arm around her waist and led her in a different direction, fearing that she would recall some of the difficult memories she had with him and none of the good ones, which might affect their rtionship.


    Sure enough, Eva''s thoughts were quickly swayed by his change of topic, and she didn''t bring up thepany again. Instead, she started asking about things she was unclear about.


    Like, when did they get married? And when did they meet?


    Adrian was very willing to tell her about those things that were favorable to him. After listening to him, Eva understood.


    "So, we''re actually childhood sweethearts?"


    "Yes," Adrian rubbed the back of her head, "You used to always follow me around when we were kids."


    Eva: "?"


    She couldn''t help but frown in confusion, "How is that possible?"


    "Tsk, now that you lost your memory, you''re going to start denying it? If I ask you now if you like me, are you also going to say you don''t?"


    Eva: "What kind of question is that? Are you trying to change the subject?"


    "If it''s a change, it''s a change. If it works, it''s good, so do you acknowledge it or not?"


    "I don''t."


    Eva countered him, "Even if I''ve lost my memory, I know I''m not that kind of person."


    She knew that Adrian liked to tease her about her amnesia, so Eva felt that she wouldn''t do such a thing.


    But she didn''t know that what Adrian was saying was actually true.


    Initially, she often went to the ckwood family''s house, not because of him at the beginning, but because she particrly liked his grandmother. However, as she visited more often, she naturally met Adrian more frequently. Eventually, the two naturally started ying together, and after that, she stuck to him like glue, constantly going to the ckwood family''s house, constantly going to his side.


    This bond and her nature to stick close to himsted from childhood to adulthood.


    Growing up together, Adrian often protected her, and for a long time, he always thought he was raising her like a sister.


    Later, some things urred... and he realized his feelings for her were far from ordinary.


    When he thought about the incident with Vivian Morrison, Adrian''s eyes darkened slightly.


    If it weren''t for Vivian falsely iming a life-saving debt, would he have failed to notice his feelings during his youth, and would their rtionship have been less tumultuous?


    If it hadn''t been so rocky at the beginning, maybe all these things wouldn''t have happenedter on.


    Unfortunately, as people often say, ''what''s done is done.'' There was no use thinking about it now. Adrian pulled his thoughts back and tapped Eva''s forehead.


    "If you don''t acknowledge it, then don''t. When you regain your memory someday, you won''t be able to deny it even if you want to."


    As lunchtime approached, Lynn''s husband Warren, who was also Adrian''s maternal grandfather and the children''s great-grandfather, came back. He returned with two fish in hand, dering that he was going to show off his cooking skills for the kids at noon.


    After hearing from Lynn that Eva and Adrian had also arrived, he quickly made his way into the house to meet with them. Warren was a particrly gentle-natured person, and after chatting with them for a while, he announced that he needed to start cooking, otherwise the mealtime would pass.


    He then went to light the stove. Eva stood by the door, watching him head to the kitchen, followed by Lynn who helped out by his side. It was evident that this was just part of their regr daily life.


    "Like it?" Adrian''s voice suddenly rang in her ear.


    Before Eva could react, Adrian added, "If you like it, when we get old, we can live like this too."


    Eva hadn''t expected him to bring up the idea of them being old, so she imagined it for a moment before asking, "Like them?"


    "Like them, or however you want," he replied.


    "But can you even cook?"


    That question caught Adrian off guard. Seeing his silence, Eva looked up at him, "No answer? So, you can''t cook?"


    After a moment of silence, Adrian finally said, "I can''t now, but that doesn''t mean I won''t be able to in the future. When we get old and it''s time to retire, I''ll learn to cook. I can certainly learn some basic dishes to keep you fed." Eva instinctively frowned at this. "I never said you definitely had to cook."


    "Then will you cook?" Adrian casually pictured the scene and then frowned, "No, that won''t do. I can''t let you do it. I''ll do it."


    The thought of her petite figure bustling in the kitchen, her fair and delicate hands washing dishes and chopping vegetables, was something he found uneptable. He didn''t know about other men, but he couldn''t bear the thought of Eva doing those tasks.


    Eva was unaware of his thoughts; she felt like this kind of life was not bad. She didn''t mind cooking since if they were together, one of them would have to do it, and the other would certainly have to wash the dishes. In any case, they would share the tasks when the time came.


    The midday meal was served on arge table set up outdoors in the courtyard, a setting Eva had never experienced before. She had dined in open-air high-end restaurants and had pics on the beach under the blue sky, but she had never eaten in a small, self-built courtyard in the countryside. The asional barking of dogs and theughter of children passing by filled the air with a rural ambiance. Despite the noise, she felt a surprising sense of peace.


    For Eva, this was a magical experience. Adrian took good care of her, taking away anything she didn''t like.


    After a few times, Lynn became a little unhappy. "Adrian, if you want to eat something, just take it yourself. Why do you keep taking from Eva''s te?"


    Hearing this, Adrian smiled and said, "Grandmother, I think the food on her te looks more delicious."


    With that, he rendered Lynn speechless, and Warren, sitting beside him,ughed, " Let the young people do as they please."

 Chapter 517 Do You Think Im Pleading for Him?

    As they were talking, Adrian''s phone rang at an inopportune moment.


    Upon hearing his phone ring, Margaretmented, "Why bring the phone to the table? Can''t you at least put it on silent?"


    However, since his phone was already ringing, Adrian had no choice but to take it out and nce at it.


    The smile on Adrian''s lips faded slightly when he saw the caller ID, "I need to take this call."


    With that, he got up and stepped outside.


    "Come on, he''s taking a call. Let''s eat; don''t mind him," Margaret urged everyone.


    Eva sat still, her heart following Adrian as he left. She had noticed a slight darkening of his expression when he saw who was calling, presumably not good news. She felt a bit worried and lost her appetite, so she put down the spoon.


    "Take your time eating, I''m going to check on him."


    Everyone paused for a moment, then could only smile and say, "Alright, go ahead."


    Eva smiled back at them and then stood up to go after him.


    The people left at the table watched this scene and couldn''t help butugh, "Young people these days really can''t bear to be apart."


    "Yes, but that''s a sign of a good rtionship, it means they willst a long time."


    "That''s true."


    And so, they allughed together.


    Eva stepped lightly outside, thinking Adrian would be just outside on the phone, but when she stepped out, she found he had walked quite a distance away. From this far distance, Eva could only see his back and couldn''t hear what he was saying.


    With this in mind, Eva trod softly and slowly made her way closer.


    As she got closer, she heard Adrian''s cold voice.


    "What should be done? Didn''t I already tell you before? Do you need me to repeat it?"


    "But Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen said before..."


    "You know that was before." Adrian''s voice almost soundedpletely devoid of warmth, "Last time, I didn''t call the police, so his debt was settled."


    At this point, Adrian let out a coldugh, "He didn''t want the chance I gave him, and he hurt Eva; there''s nothing left to discuss."


    He absolutely would not allow anyone to take Eva away from him again or hurt her.


    The thought of him arriving anyter when she was already in such a state broke his heart...


    The consequences... Adrian could hardly bear to think about what he would be able to endure.


    He thought back to how good Eva''s appetite used to be, which only made him angrier. Now, she could only eat little by little, and some food even made her nauseous, not to mention, he had no idea when she would recover or regain her memory...


    Just thinking about these things made Adrian ckwood feel like he was suffocating; he couldn''t let the person who hurt her get off scot-free.


    "This matter is settled, don''t ask me how to handle it anymore."


    With that, Adrian didn''t give the person on the other end any chance to respond and cut the call.


    Eva stood behind him, and even from a small distance, she could feel the fluctuations in Adrian''s mood and the aura of hostility emanating from him. She watched this scene and sighed helplessly in her heart.


    But unexpectedly, Adrian turned around the next second, and when his dark eyes met hers, there was still a trace of cold indifference that hadn''t faded. Probably not expecting her to be there, Adrian paused for a moment before his other emotions cleared, and he approached with aplex look in his eyes.


    "I just stepped out to take a call, why did youe out too?"


    Eva didn''t answer his question, instead asking, "Is this about Michael?"


    Adrian still felt displeased whenever he heard Michael''s name from her lips, and he frowned slightly.


    Seeing he didn''t answer, Eva had to ask, "Can''t you tell me?"


    She pursed her lips and stepped forward, "I just want to know how you''re going to handle it, can''t you tell me that?" After a prolonged silence.


    "So, what now?" Adrian stood still, his dark eyes unwavering as they fixed on her. "Are you trying to stop me?"


    Although he asked a question, he didn''t wait for her to answer. Adrian continued, "Eva, it''s no use trying to stop me, I..."


    He paused mid-sentence, intending to say that stopping him would be futile, that he would never let Michael off the hook. But as the words reached his lips, he felt they were too forceful, likely to upset her and possibly drive a wedge between them.


    With that thought, Adrian fell silent.


    They faced each other in silence, Adrian quietly watching her, and Eva quietly watching him. She seemingly didn''t have the intention to speak, yet she did not leave either.


    After a long standoff, it was Adrian who couldn''t bear the silence any longer. He stepped forward, "Let''s not talk about this matter anymore. Didn''t we agree earlier? Leave it to me, I''ll handle it. You just need to rest easy." Having said that, Adrian put his arm around her shoulders, "Come on, let''s go back."


    It was then that Eva finally spoke up.


    "Is it because of my amnesia?"


    Adrian''s steps faltered, "What?"


    "Are you angry because he caused my amnesia?"


    Adrian lowered his gaze, noticing her scrutinizing him with a tentative look, which made him smirk coldly, "He did this to my wife, should I be happy?"


    Seeing that he seemed to be struggling to control his emotions, Eva also pursed her lips.


    "That''s not what I meant."


    "I know that''s not what you meant, but Eva, I don''t like hearing you mention him, and I like even less the idea of you pleading for him."


    Adrian felt he had been patient enough. If he weren''t afraid of frightening her, he would have shown his displeasure the moment she brought up Michael.


    "Do you think I''m pleading for him?" Eva countered, "I want to know why you''re angry."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian reflected for a moment and realized that it was indeed as she had said. His heart rxed slightly, but he remained displeased by her mentioning Michael.


    Eva sighed, "The amnesia, it should have nothing to do with him. Although I''m not very clear about it, ever since I woke up, it''s been him taking care of me."


    At this, Adrian''s brows furrowed.


    "What did you say?"


    "I mean, the amnesia should be an ident."


    Although she didn''t like Michael, she could feel that he bore her no ill will. She knew Adrian hated Michael, which was a normal emotion.


    But she wasn''t Adrian; she couldn''t put herself in his shoes.


    Just as Adrian couldn''t put himself in hers.


    "The amnesia is an ident, but what about your appetite? The doctor told me you''re malnourished."


    Eva was at a loss.


    She pursed her lips, "If I say it, you might think I''m making excuses for him."


    That statement alone gave Adrian a good guess as to what she would say next.


    He didn''t respond and just looked at her with heavy eyes.

 Chapter 518 I Would Sincerely Thank Him

    "If you don''t want to hear it, then let''s go inside," Eva said, having been under his gaze for a long time. She eventually turned around, preparing to leave. However, at that moment, Adrian took her hand.


    "Forget it, just say what you want to say," he finally conceded to her, deciding to listen.


    Although he really didn''t want to hear it, he realized that if she hadn''t wanted to say it, she wouldn''t have followed him out while he was on the phone. Eva''s brows furrowed slightly.


    "If you don''t like it, I don''t have to say it," she said.


    No sooner had she finished speaking than Adrian squeezed her hand, "Okay, just say it. I''ll try not to get angry, alright?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva blinked gently but did not respond.


    Seeing her silently looking at him, Adrian could only lift his hand to pinch her face.


    "Alright, go on and speak. I''m curious to know what you''re about to say that would make me think you''re making excuses for him."


    His gestures and words softened Eva''s heart considerably. He clearly didn''t want to listen and was clearly angry, but because she wanted to say it, he had to patiently listen, even pleading with her to speak.


    Thinking about how he was considering her feelings, Eva couldn''t help but reach out to sneak her hand around his waist.


    Adrian was startled, not understanding what she intended to do when she suddenly crashed into him, burying her head in his chest.


    His beloved woman suddenly throwing herself into his arms made Adrian''s stern heart soften instantly, and he stood frozen in ce.


    Eva nestled in his embrace.


    "The things I''m about to say aren''t excuses for his behavior. I just want to tell you the truth, and after you know it, it''s up to you to decide what to do. I won''t interfere."


    "I have amnesia, and he has been taking care of me. Of course, I know you would say that if it weren''t for him threatening me to go there in the first ce, I wouldn''t have amnesia. So, he should take care of me because it''s a consequence of his actions."


    "Let''s just me the amnesia on him, but my malnutrition is actually my own fault."


    Eva hadn''t intended to say this, but after she woke up, she thought about it seriously. Adrian could see right through her when she was eating, so there was no point in hiding it. "After his people sent you away, I lost the will to live."


    Adrian''s heart, which had softened because she had thrown herself into his arms, cooled instantly upon hearing that she had lost her will to live. His narrow eyes narrowed dangerously.


    "What did you say??" He asked, instinctively tightening his grip on her arm. "Lost the will to live? What does that mean? Why? What exactly did he do to you?"


    Eva was startled by his explosive reaction, as if he had seen a natural enemy, and his fur bristled.


    "Please don''t get agitated. Just listen to me slowly exin."


    Perhaps it was because he thought of something else, or perhaps because her voice carried a soothing power, but soon, Adrian calmed down significantly.


    "I lost my will to live not because of how he treated me, but because I felt you had already left, and thus my mission waspleted. But staying by his side didn''t make me happy, and subconsciously, I didn''t want to hurt him, which troubled my emotions to the point of self-harm. I didn''t want to be like that; it was an unconscious emotional response. Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    Adrian clenched his mrs tightly, understanding all too well. How could he not understand?


    That was to say, had he woken up a bitter or gone to find herter, she might have met with some mishap.


    Adrian literally broke out in a cold sweat on his back at the thought of this possibility.


    Seeing his face turn pale, Eva could probably guess what he was thinking, so she exined further, "I know what you''re thinking, but don''t me yourself. Even if you had arrivedter, nothing would have happened to me." He didn''t speak, clearly not believing her words.


    "It''s true, David helped me." Mentioning this, Eva couldn''t help but smile softly, "At that time, I felt that nothing mattered, and my body automatically resisted eating. It was David who found me and told me about the two children." Hearing this, Adrian paused.


    He had not expected to hear the name David from Eva again. Last time, it was David who helped her escape, and now David had helped her again.


    No wonder she asked about those two people when she came back, and even with amnesia, she searched for his name and photos and knew about the children.


    Adrian asked, "So, he told you about me as well?"


    "Yes, and about your injuries, and that you were safe. He confirmed everything and then told me."


    It seemed that this David was truly a great benefactor to him and Eva.


    Without him, perhaps...


    "Alright, I understand. After this matter is resolved, I will thank him properly."


    Thank him?


    Eva felt that David didn''t seem like the type to seek thanks, but since he had helped her so much, it was indeed appropriate to thank him sincerelyter. "The reason I wanted to tell you this is to make it clear that he didn''t hurt me."


    "Yes, he didn''t hurt you directly," Adrian''s eyes were still heavy, "but the harm you suffered was indirectly caused by him."


    At this point, Adrian thought of something, "Of course, I am also to me."


    He med himself for being too soft-hearted in the past, for being indecisive and for trying to repay the favor Michael did for her. Who knew that...


    Now, let''s consider the favor repaid.


    Eva had nothing more to say.


    "Anyway, I''ve told you the truth. From now on, you can handle it however you want."


    Eva, who had narrowly escaped death, now saw many things in a different light. She had done what she could; as for what happens next, she had no control over it. She had almost lost her life and nearly missed seeing her two precious children.


    Adrian looked at her and said nothing more.


    The two of them fell silent for a while, then heard Margaret''s voice calling them from inside.


    "Adrian, does it really take that long to answer a phone call? If you don''te back soon, everyone will have finished eating."


    This was a nudge to hurry up.


    Adrian tightened Eva''s cor and adjusted her hair.


    "Alright, let''s go in."


    Eva looked up at him, said nothing, and just nodded.


    As they approached the door, two little ones pounced on them.


    "Daddy, Mommy, you''ve been out for so long."


    Eva reached out to ruffle their hair, "But we''re back now, aren''t we?"


    "If you don''te back soon, Ruby and Dn will eat everything up."


    Lynn also waved at them.


    "It''s going to get cold soon."


    After the two sat down, Lynn couldn''t help but reprimand Adrian, "Next time you get a call, just go by yourself, don''t have Eva along with you. She doesn''t eat much as it is, and if the food gets cold and unappetizing, Eva will eat even less.

 Chapter 519 A Loss Greater Than the Gain

    Eva really didn''t have much of an appetite, but it wasn''t because the food had gone cold; she simply hadn''t been very hungry to begin with.


    Moreover, earlier Lynn had added quite a bit to her te, although about eighty percent of that ended up being eaten by Adrian.


    But the quantity was simply too much, so even if Eva had only eaten twenty percent of it, she was now quite full.


    She hesitated, wondering whether to make an excuse to leave early, fearing she might feel unwell and vomit in front of everyer. Wouldn''t it be better to leave for the sake of dieting than for any other reason? At that moment, as if Adrian had read her mind, he suddenly took her hand.


    "Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, on our way here, Eva and I thought we saw a decent restaurant nearby. So, we agreed not to eat too much dinner; we''re nning to try it outter."


    Eva was startled, not expecting him toe up with this idea.


    "The restaurant you''re talking about? Is it the one run by Henry? His ce does have good food; no wonder you were attracted."


    "Really?" Adrian''s lips curved into a smile, "Since Grandpa has praised it, we''ll definitely have to give it a try."


    Lynn, however, was somewhat unhappy, "Why bother eating out when we can eat at home? What''s the point of going outside?"


    Lynn mainly felt that, no matter how tasty the restaurant outside might be, where could it be as clean as home? Regardless if it was a restaurant, they were still strangers. You wouldn''t know if they touched the ingredients with unwashed hands. The ingredients they used for all their dishes could even be spoiled!


    It might be delicious when served, but if you couldn''t see the process, how could you eat with peace of mind?


    When Lynn was young, even when dating, she was reluctant to eat out. For a time, Warren was particrly worried. Other couples would go out for dates, walks, and food to bond, but Lynn wanted none of it. At first, he even thought she didn''t like him, which was why she behaved that way.


    It wasn''t untilter that he realized Lynn didn''t dislike him at all; she was just a germaphobe who couldn''t stand the thought of eating outside.


    After learning this, Warren made a special effort to learn how to cook, asionally bringing his own homemade desserts and drinks for their dates.


    Or he would invite her to his home to taste the meals he cooked himself.


    So, when Lynn voiced her concerns, Warren naturally knew what she was thinking. She was simply worried about the cleanliness of the restaurant, fearing her grandchildren and granddaughter-inw might get an upset stomach. As her husband, Warren could only whisper in persuasion, "Alright, not everyone is as germophobic as you. If the young people want to go out and have fun, let them. After all, they haven''t experienced it before." Lynn disagreed.


    "How could they have not experienced it before? Aren''t there more restaurants in the big city?"


    Eva knew Adrian was trying to solve the problem for her, so she went along with it, but she didn''t expect Lynn to have such a strong opinion about them going out to eat. She felt a bit awkward and didn''t want the atmosphere to turn unpleasant, so she took the initiative to say, "Grandma is right; the food outside isn''t clean, so let''s not go then."


    Having said that, Eva tugged on Adrian''s sleeve under the table, signaling him to agree.


    Adrian sat there, his lips pursed, not moving, as if considering what to do next.


    The atmosphere seemed to stiffen a bit, starting with Lynn''s opposition to them going out.


    Lynn sensed something, perhaps her grandson didn''t really want to take her out to eat, but just wanted to spend time alone with her.


    And she might have identally disrupted their ns, so all she could do was awkwardly make up for her previous attitude.


    "Actually, I don''t want you to go for a reason. I happened to pass by that ce before and saw the cooking process. The cook did not pay attention to food hygiene. It''s not that Grandma doesn''t want you to go, but... why don''t you go for a walk instead? If you want to eat, let Grandpa cook for you, so you''ll have something to eat when youe back from your walk."


    Anyone could tell that Lynn was trying to make amends for her earlier attitude. Eva yed along graciously, stepping down the path Lynn had provided.


    "That''s great, then we owe it to Grandma for telling us. Otherwise, if we got an upset stomachter, it wouldn''t have been worth it."


    After saying this, she shook Adrian''s sleeve under the table again.


    Only then did Adrian leisurely lift his gaze and nod.


    "Yes, Eva is right, thank you, Grandma."


    "Then we''ll go out for a walk first; the air in the fields should be quite nice in the evening."


    After they stood up, Ruby also wanted to follow them, but Lynn, who was beside her, held her back, "Why don''t you two help your great grandma with some chorester?"


    The two little ones blinked and reluctantly agreed.


    It took a while for Eva and Adrian toe out of the yard, and just in that short time, it had grown dark outside. Walking along the road, they could see the lights on in the houses. Eva felt a bit awkward as she said to Adrian, "Why were you acting like that just now?"


    "How was I acting?" Adrian asked calmly in return, seemingly unaware of any issue with his demeanor.


    "You were rude. After all, Grandma is an elder; you shouldn''t have remained silent."


    Hearing this, Adrian chuckled lightly.


    "Is remaining silent considered rude? Didn''t you speak up for me?"


    "What I said represents my own views, but you should also make your stance clear."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian stopped walking and looked down at her seriously.


    Eva became somewhat nervous under his gaze.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Howe I''ve noticed that since your memory loss, you seem to have be quite fond of lecturing people?"


    Eva couldn''t help but blink at this.


    "Me... fond of lecturing?"


    She didn''t feel that what she had just said was lecturing.


    "When did I lecture you?" Eva frowned slightly, "I just felt that the way you handled the situation earlier wasn''t good, so I gave you some advice. Why are you... reacting like this? Why are you saying that I''m lecturing you?" Seeing that she was getting angry, Adrian quickly caught her delicate wrist.


    "What are you angry about?"


    "Where am I angry?"


    "Alright, whether it''s advice or a lecture, I''m happy to receive it." Adrian interrupted her before she could continue and gently kissed her hand, bringing it to his lips.


    Eva was about to get angry, but his kiss made her anger vanish in an instant.


    "Alright, even if my attitude was bad, it was to keep you from staying there any longer. Are you sure you can still eat?"


    Eva shook her head.


    "See? My bad attitude is nothingpared to you feeling unwellter, right?"

 Chapter 520 Offering Something Else

    "Am Iing across as ungrateful?" "Not at all."


    A determined voice quickly countered, "I''m looking out for you, and you''re concerned about me. We''re both mindful of each other''s feelings; how can that be ungrateful? Do you think I''m ungrateful?" Eva shook her head.


    "How could I think that? It''s just that I''m worried you might leave a poor impression on your grandparents or inadvertently hurt their feelings. They are getting on in years, you know." "True, you''ve got a point. I''ll remember to be more considerate from now on."


    He acknowledged his oversight with appropriate timing. He seemed to have a knack for reassuring her, which made Eva''s fleeting concern evaporate.


    "Just so you''re aware."


    Adrian offered a soft chuckle and walked on beside her.


    "Have we ever just walked together like this before?"


    This question sent Adrian into a reflective silence so prolonged that Eva turned to nce at him.


    "Is it possible that after all this time together, we''ve never really just gone for a walk?"


    She mused that for any couple, taking walks should be one of the simplest shared pleasures.


    "We have," Adrian suddenly interjected.


    "But that was ages ago, back when we were just kids."


    In those days, she was his constant shadow.


    "Back when we were kids?" Eva didn''t usually cling to the past, but nostalgia piqued her interest whenever he mentioned their shared history. "That''s right."


    "Can you share more about what we did as kids? I''d love to hear."


    Adrian nced at her with a smile, "Sure, why not."


    And so they continued their stroll down the tranquil countryne, with Adrian recounting tales from their childhood as Eva listened intently, chiming in now and then with ament or question.


    Time seemed to drift by unnoticed until Adrian''s stride came to an abrupt halt. Eva, catching the change, inquired, "Something wrong?"


    After a brief pause, he replied, "It''s nothing."


    Eva detected a hint of suppression in his voice, as if he were keeping something from her. At first, she found it strange and guessed in her mind, but soon she remembered something she had pushed to the back of her mind since she arrived here.


    The fact that Adrian was still injured!


    So Eva abruptly stopped and felt a bit annoyed with herself. How could she have forgotten such an important thing?


    He had been attentive to her, even noticing when her appetite wasn''t good, which showed how attentive he was to her, whereas she... had even forgotten that he was hurt. "Wait."


    Eva called out to him, "Let''s go back."


    "What''s wrong?"


    Adrian nced sideways at her and said, "We''ve only juste out; if we go back now, Grandma might want to feed you again soon. It might be better to wait untilter in the night and return when they are surely asleep." The elderly couple usually went to bed very early, typically asleep by nine o''clock.


    So, if they walked until after nine, they naturally wouldn''t have to meet them.


    Unexpectedly, Eva was unwilling.


    "No, let''s go back now. We''re not far from home anyway."


    Adrian frowned slightly, "Aren''t you worried about yourself?"


    Hearing this, Eva didn''t think much and directly said, "I''m more worried about you."


    Adrian paused, "What did you say?"


    "I''m sorry." Eva looked at him with an apologetic face, "Aftering here, I forgot about your injury."


    She had only been thinking about the children and hadpletely neglected him.


    If she were in his shoes, she would surely feel terrible.


    Realizing that she was apologizing for this reason, Adrian sighed with extreme resignation.


    "Is that all? I thought it was something serious."


    Eva''s elegant brows knitted at this response.


    "You''re seriously hurt, isn''t that a big deal? Let''s not walk anymore; let''s go back. You should have your wound redressed."


    At this point, Eva remembered something else and asked, "By the way, did you bring the medicine with you?"


    Seeing the worry almost spilling out of her eyes, Adrian didn''t have the heart to let her continue to worry for him and simply answered, "I did bring it; it''s all in my suitcase. I''ll change itter when we go back."


    "Can you manage it on your own?" Eva wasn''t ready to let it go, "Let''s go back now, and I''ll help you change it."


    Adrian pursed his lips and fell silent.


    Seeing him silent, Eva lifted her head to look at him. She saw a helpless look in his eyes and had no choice but to say, "Anyway, with you around, if I encounter something I don''t like to eat, I''ll just stuff it into your mouth, okay?" He still didn''t speak.


    Eva had to soften her voice, "Come on, I actually want to eat something too. After all, I''m so thin, I need to eat more, right? But don''t worry, I''ll control the portions myself. If I can''t eat anymore, I definitely won''t force myself." She knew Adrian didn''t want to go back early because he was worried that she would force herself to eat in front of the elders.


    Sure enough, after she spoke softly for a while, she finally managed to persuade Adrian a little.


    But he still stood there, seemingly a bit reluctant.


    "What''s the matter? I''ve already said this, isn''t it enough?"


    Adrian suddenly let out a lightugh, "It''s not that it''s not enough; it''s just that besides saying these things, can you give a little more of something else?" Eva looked puzzled, "Something else?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, she was embraced by the person in front of her. Adrian''s grip tightened, and she uncontrobly fell forward into his arms.


    His overpowering masculine presence enveloped her strongly.


    "If you want to persuade me to do something next time, it''s better to do it with actions, hmm?"


    He had already leaned down; his forehead was against hers, and their breaths were mingling together.


    The ambiguous atmosphere made Eva so nervous that even her eyshes trembled lightly.


    Although she didn''t resist Adrian''s closeness, this was the second time they had been intimate today, and it was too much for her to ept.


    "I..."


    She instinctively stretched out her hand to push Adrian''s chest. When her hand touched him, she was afraid of hurting his wound, so she quietly moved it to another spot. Noticing her subtle movement, Adrian fell silent.


    After seeing that she was still attentive to his injury at this time, Adrian knew that she was truly worried about him.


    With this thought, Adrian no longer had the heart to tease her, and, restraining himself, he gently kissed her smooth forehead, "Let''s go back."

 Chapter 521 Tomorrow Will Be Better

    On the way back, Adrian held Eva''s hand the entire time.


    Her steps were still a bit unsteady.


    She had clearly felt an amorous atmosphere between them before, and he had said some strange things to her.


    So, Eva really thought that something might happen between them, but unexpectedly, he just kissed her forehead and then took her hand and walked away.


    This waspletely different from what Eva had anticipated.


    Although she hadn''t thought about anything happening with him, there was still a sense of emptiness in her heart now.


    Eva reached out and covered her chest, feeling a bit strange about herself.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Adrian''s voice suddenly came from beside her, "Is your chest ufortable?"


    Hearing this, Eva came back to her senses and avoided Adrian''s concerned gaze with a guilty conscience, whispering, "No."


    Her eyes were obviously evasive, but since she didn''t want to talk, and Adrian didn''t know why, he didn''t say anything more seeing that she seemed fine and her spirit was normal. When they got back, it was just around eight o''clock.


    Warren came forward when he saw them returning.


    "Back from your walk? How was it? How do you feel about the countryside on your first visit? Are you not used to it?"


    "No, the air in the countryside is very nice, and I''m not ufortable."


    Warren was cheerful.


    "That''s good. At night, when you sleep, don''t open the screens in your room easily, as they can let mosquitoes in." "Okay, got it."


    "Oh, and your grandma said that it''s toote today, so she''ll leave the cooking for tomorrow, otherwise eating too much at night might affect your digestion and sleep." For Eva, this was a pleasant surprise.


    "It''s gettingte; you both should tidy up and then go to bed early. Tomorrow, we can go to the flea market; I''ll take you both to have a look."


    Eva and Adrian nodded.


    Once Eva and Adrian were in their room, Eva couldn''t help but say, "It seems that I made the right decision toe back early."


    "Yeah," Adrian replied, seeing her happiness and unable to resist, he reached out and pinched her cheek. The feeling in his hand made his heart ache a little; he had pinched her cheeks before, but back then they were felt soft and plump, unlike now where there was barely any flesh to pinch.


    He thought to himself that he definitely needed to slowly nurse her back to health.


    Eva, oblivious to his thinking, only knew that he had pinched her face, and she pushed his hand away while asking, "What about Ruby and Dn? Aren''t they sleeping with us tonight?"


    She was asking because she hadn''t seen the two children when they came back and didn''t know where they had run off to.


    "Hmm, I asked earlier, they should be sleeping with our mom tonight."


    Sleeping with their mom?


    Seeing her with a thoughtful look and downcast eyes, Adrian knew what she was thinking without having to ask, and said, "What''s wrong? Do you want to sleep with them? Why don''t you go?"


    At that, Eva immediately looked up.


    "Can I really go?"


    "No. It''s just a joke."


    Eva was a bit speechless.


    "Adrian, are you teasing me on purpose?"


    Adrianughed and said, "No, it''s just that I checked earlier, and their bed can only fit three people. If you go, there won''t be any ce for you to sleep."


    Hearing this, Eva nced over at therge bed behind him.


    She realized that the bed wasn''t very big either; it could only fit her and Adrian. She herself was fine; she could sleep with the two children.


    But with Adrian added, a tall man with long legs, he would almost take up the entire bed once hey down. Where would there be extra space for two more children?


    So, her wish to have the two childrene over to sleep was dashed.


    "Never mind; let''s not think about this anymore." Eva shook her head and then said to Adrian, "I should take a look at your wound first. Where did you put your medicine?" After saying that, Eva started to rummage through his suitcase.


    "I''ll do it."


    Adrian put down the suitcase and took out his medicine and bandages.


    Seeing this, Eva directly took them from him and then walked to the side of the bed, "Should we change it here?"


    Adrian nced at the sofa next to him, said nothing, and sat down by the bed.


    He had already taken off his overcoat, wearing only a light gray sweater over a white shirt.


    "Do you want to take off the sweater? Is it convenient?"


    "Yes."


    Adrian casually removed his sweater with such ease that he seemed like a normal person unaffected by injury. However, Eva noticed the red stain of blood on the white shirt once the gray sweater was removed, and she realized that Adrian had been enduring pain all along.


    Upon seeing the blood on the white shirt, Eva became aware that Adrian had been acting as usual during their journey, but in fact, he had been toughing it out. Perhaps it was the sight of blood that made Adrian''splexion seem paler to Eva now.


    She was too careless; she thought she should have let him rest earlier.


    With the thought of having him rest and heal, Eva''s movements became somewhat hurried as she bent down to start unbuttoning Adrian''s shirt.


    She was focused on unbuttoning, not sparing any thoughts for anything else, nor did she pay attention to Adrian''s expression while she was unbuttoning his shirt.


    In no time, she had his shirt unbuttoned, proceeding to help him take it off.


    After removing his jacket, Eva''s elegant brows involuntarily furrowed at the sight of the bandages wrapped around him.


    The allure caused by her soft hands while she had been unbuttoning his shirt had vanished when Adrian saw the concern in her furrowed brows.


    "Hey, what''s with the frown? Even if the wound is still bleeding a bit, it''s much better than yesterday. It will be even better after tonight," he reassured her.


    Eva nced up at him silently and moved forward to start unwrapping his bandages.


    Seeing her silence, Adrian caught her delicate wrist.


    "What I said is true, I''m not lying to you. The medicine the doctor prescribed is very effective. Haven''t you noticed that I''m in much better shape than yesterday?" "Mhm," Eva nodded.


    "So, don''t worry, okay? I''m fine."


    Eva pulled her hand back and continued to unwrap his bandages.


    Yesterday, someone had helped him, but today, the two of them were staying together, and he could not avoid her aid.


    So now, Eva truly saw the injuries on his body, and there were not just one but two.


    From the wounds, it was evident that one was new and the other was old.


    The new injury looked more frightening than the old one.


    Eva only nced at it and felt as if her throat had seized; she was struggling to breathe. "These wounds..."


    "Don''t look too closely. After applying the medicine, it will heal in a couple of days." Adrian was stillforting her.

 Chapter 522 Seeking Solitude

    Eva suddenly felt a wave of sadness wash over her.


    "Can you please stop talking?" She asked, her voice choked with emotion.


    Adrian froze upon hearing her voice, and when he looked up, he noticed the redness around her eyes.


    He couldn''t help but stand up abruptly.


    "What''s wrong? Did I say something out of line?"


    "Eva? Don''t be upset. If I said something wrong, I apologize, okay?"


    But his words seemed to have the opposite effect. Eva''s tears, which had been brimming in her eyes, began to fall.


    Adrian was flustered by her tears, and he could do nothing but stand helplessly in ce.


    "Eva..."


    In the end, all Adrian could think to do was to try to take her into his arms.


    However, Eva stepped back two paces, her tearful eyes gazing at him.


    "You have two wounds, an old one and a new one. The new one is so severe, yet you haven''t uttered a singleint about the pain, and now you''re..."


    She trailed off, realizing that he wasforting her as if she was the one who was hurt, not himself.


    Hearing this, Adrian finally understood why she had suddenly burst into tears. He thought he might have said something to hurt her, but now it seemed she was crying out of concern for him. Feeling suddenly melodramatic, Eva questioned why she was crying when she wasn''t the one who was hurt.


    Her crying only made Adrian anxious, and then he would try to console her, causing time to slip away while his wounds remained unattended.


    With this realization, Eva''s mindset shifted. She quickly wiped away her tears, pushed Adrian down onto the bed, and fetched the medical supplies needed to treat his wounds.


    Adrian was still contemting how tofort her. In one moment, she was crying, and in the next, she was pressing down on his shoulder, pushing him onto the bed and turning to grab the medicine. Eva, with her back to him, wiped away her tears quickly and efficiently. Soon, she returned with the necessary items.


    When Adrian saw her again, her face was clean, and she appeared calm, showing no sign of the uncontrolled, vulnerable crying from before.


    She was soposed that if it weren''t for the redness at the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose, he would have doubted he had seen her cry at all.


    Adrian collected himself after seeing her calm demeanor. He parted his lips, about to say something when Eva interrupted him, "Lift your arm here."


    His left wound extended under his arm, and his hand would cover it if let down, so Eva needed him to lift his arm for her to clean the wound.


    Adrian, slightly dazed, obediently lifted his arm as she had asked.


    Eva leaned over with a poker face to tend to his wounds, her unique fragrance wafting from her as she drew near.


    In close proximity, Adrian watched her serene face with aplex expression.


    He had been worried that Eva would be frightened by the sight of his wounds.


    Yet, to his surprise, she was now calmly treating them.


    Adrian''s gaze was intense as he watched her.


    What was going on? Just a second ago she was in tears; why did she suddenly changepletely in the next? Could it be that she had regained her memory?


    No, it couldn''t have happened so quickly. There was nothing that could have triggered such a recovery just now. Moreover, even if she had truly regained her memory; she shouldn''t be in this state.


    With this thought, Adrian couldn''t help but ask, "What''s wrong with you?"


    Eva seemed to have no interest in engaging with him. She simply shook her head and continued to tend to his wounds.


    She worked quickly, and, in no time, had applied medication to both of his wounds, then took some gauze to wrap them up.


    Throughout the process, Adrian wanted to speak to her but could not find the opportunity, only able toply with her instructions to lift his arm or hold the other end of the gauze. The man who usuallymanded the business world now sat there with his noble head bowed as his eyes tenderly followed Eva''s every move.


    It wasn''t until Eva finished bandaging and said it was done, then turned to tidy up, that Adrian watched her bending over to clean up, his lips involuntarily pressing into a thin line as he slowly walked over to her. "Leave that, you should go take a shower."


    Eva ignored him.


    Adrian could only squat down and grasp her delicate wrist.


    "Eva!"


    His tone was heavier, and there was force in his hand. Eva couldn''t break free and had to take a deep breath.


    "Fine, let me go, I''ll go shower now."


    "What happened? You were so concerned about me while bandaging me, and now you don''t want to bother with me."


    "Nothing," Eva shook her head softly and said, "You should sleep; I''m going to take a shower."


    After speaking, Eva got up to gather her clothes and then entered the bathroom.


    When she tried to close the door, she didn''t expect Adrian to follow her in.


    Eva paused, subconsciously trying to close the door and keep Adrian out, but with a lift of his hand, he propped the bathroom door open.


    This action made Eva unconsciously frown, "I''m going to take a shower, do you need something?"


    "Are you upset? Can we talk about it?"


    "No," Eva denied instinctively, "You''re overthinking."


    "One second you were crying, the next you were bandaging my wounds like nothing happened. Where did all those emotions go?"


    If she didn''t talk about it, she would only keep it bottled up inside.


    Adrian didn''t know what would happen if she kept it all bottled up; he just knew he couldn''t let her keep doing that.


    But Eva didn''t want to answer his question, simply saying, "I want to shower first."


    With that, she tried once again to close the door.


    Adrian braced himself and furrowed his brows, saying, "If you don''t make things clear, I won''t leave. You don''t want me to go in, that''s fine, but remember you''re the one who bandaged my wounds." Hearing hisst words, Eva finally realized something.


    She lifted her gaze and noticed Adrian''s hand pressed against the door panel, connected to his wound. If he exerted force...


    Thinking back to when she was treating his wound, remembering the depth of it....


    Eva''s eyes narrowed slightly, and she finally spoke, "It''s not that I don''t want to rify things with you, I just need some time alone to calm down."


    Her unusually calm exnation to herself took Adrian by surprise.


    "It''s not just that I me you for not telling me you were feeling unwell, I also me myself. Always making a fuss about this with you is unnecessary and just a waste of time. It would have been better to have treated your wound earlier so you could rest sooner."


    After hearing this, Adrian could no longer misunderstand her intentions.

 Chapter 523 To See If You Truly Dont Need Me

    He had considered many possibilities, like her being angry because he hadn''t told her something, or perhaps he had said something wrong to upset her. But he never thought that she would be ming herself.


    After watching the redness swell at the corners of her eyes as she forcibly swallowed back her tears, Adrian felt an unbearable ache in his heart. Without another thought, he quickly pulled her into his embrace, "Fool, why are you ming yourself?"


    Eva leaned into his chest, blinking gently.


    "I''ve told you everything, can I be alone now?"


    Adrian paused.


    He truly didn''t want to let her go, but she seemed desperate to be alone, and if he stayed, it would probably make her ufortable.


    Letting her take a shower and calm down before they talked again was the best option.


    After realizing this, Adrian loosened his hold on her.


    "Alright, go take your shower, and I''ll wait for you in bed."


    Even in such a serious moment, with her mood still somewhat heavy, his suddenment, "I''ll wait for you in bed," somehow lightened her heart.


    She knew he didn''t mean anything by it, that it was just an unconscious utterance, but Eva couldn''t help but think mischievously.


    She pushed Adrian, signaling him to hurry out.


    Adrian, unaware of her misinterpretation and not realizing there was anything amiss with hisment, obediently turned and left.


    Once he was gone, Eva finally closed the bathroom door, leaning against it as she slowly closed her eyes.


    Atst, she could be alone.


    Since losing her memory and being saved by Adrian, everything was unfamiliar, yet she felt like she could ept it. She liked being by his side, but clearly, their interactions required some finesse. Or perhaps not, maybe it was just the recent events that had thrown her heart into disarray.


    By the time Eva had finished her shower, nearly half an hour had passed.


    During that half-hour, Adrian was just leaning against the bed, waiting.


    At first, he could sit quietly, but after ten minutes, he couldn''t resist checking the time on his phone.


    "Girls usually take longer to shower," thought Adrian.


    So, he put down his phone and didn''t rush her.


    Twenty minutester, with no sounding from the bathroom, Adrian pursed his thin lips, barely being able to restrain himself from getting up to knock on the door.


    It wasn''t impatience; he was worried she might faint from weakness if she stayed in too long.


    But considering that he might disturb her, Adrian held back and instead looked up how long girls typically take to shower on his phone. The myriad of answers made his head spin.


    In the end, he gathered that it was normal for girls to take a longer shower. Not wanting to pry further, he confirmed that twenty minutes wasn''t considered long and continued waiting outside. After thirty minutes had passed with no sign of Eva, Adrian finally got up from the bed, ready to check on her.


    Just as he got off the bed, he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.


    Eva stepped out, dressed only in a thin nightgown as steam emanated from the bathroom.


    Seeing her dressed so lightly, Adrian immediately took one of his long coats and draped it over her.


    "You shouldn''t wear so little, even just after a shower."


    Eva was enveloped by his long coat, instantly shielding her from the cold air outside. Her eyes shone brightly, and her fair cheeks were flushed, making her look exceptionally tempting. "I seem to have only found this in the closet; I thought it would be morefortable to sleep in."


    Adrian pulled her, now in his coat, to the bed, saying, "If we''re going to apany Grandma to the flea market tomorrow, we can buy some necessities then."


    Buy necessities?


    They hadn''t brought much luggage with them, partly because it was heavy, and Adrian''s idea was that whatever theycked, they could buy here.


    But now that he mentioned it, Eva couldn''t help but ask, "Are we going to stay here for a long time?"


    Hearing this, Adrian fell silent for a moment, then said, "It depends on you. Do you like it here? If not, we can go back."


    Eva thought about it and felt that she didn''t dislike the ce, but after seriously considering it, she realized she didn''t have a particr ce she wanted to go to either. She simply wanted to be by her children''s side.


    Even this visit here, she hade only because her children were here; she just wanted to see and be with them.


    Thinking this, Eva said, "It''s not a matter of liking or not liking, it mainly depends on the two children."


    After hearing this, Adrian seemed to realize something.


    Indeed, she hade here upon hearing that her children were here. If it weren''t for the children being here, she probably wouldn''t have wanted toe at all, right? There really wasn''t much to think about, but for some reason, Adrian found himself inexplicably thinking on another level.


    It seemed like she only cared about the children.


    As long as the children were by her side, it seemed like she really didn''t care about anything else, including himself.


    Adrian knew he shouldn''t think this way, yet he couldn''t help but subconsciously drift towards that thought.


    "However, I see that Grandma seems to like them a lot. I was even telling Mom that during the summer and winter holidays, we could let the children stay here. It''s not like we can stay as long as they do." While Adrian was feeling disheartened, hearing her say this reignited his hope.


    Still, he said, "It''s up to you. If you want to stay with them here, then stay. Your happiness is what matters."


    "And what about you?"


    Eva looked up at him.


    "Me?" Adrian ''s thin lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. "I''m responsible for making money and providing for the family. If you need me, I''ll be here. If not... I''ll be in the city making money, how''s that?" He portrayed himself as someone who would listen to Eva''s wishes. Eva looked steadily into his eyes, then nodded.


    "Okay, then you should go back tomorrow."


    The smile on Adrian''s lips stiffened for a moment.


    "I''m going to the flea market in the morning, maybe you shouldn''te?"


    Realizing at this point that she was teasing him, Adrian narrowed his eyes and tightened his hold on her slender waist, pulling her close to him.


    "Are you teasing me?"


    The sudden closeness made Eva''s heart skip a beat, "No, wasn''t it you who said you''re responsible for making money?"


    "I was testing to see if you really don''t need me."

 Chapter 524 Sharing the Same Pillow

    Noticing her silence, Adrian asked, "It seems that someone really doesn''t need me that much, huh? Then how about I pack up now and go back tomorrow?" As he spoke, Eva pursed her red lips and did not move.


    Adrian, noticing her not speaking, loosened the hand that was wrapped around her waist, as if he were about to turn around and pack his things.


    In fact, Eva knew that he was just teasing her, and even his turning around was a deliberate act for her to see.


    The reason he was putting on this act was simply to get her to...


    She was well aware of this and thought that it wouldn''t be bad to just quietly watch his performance.


    However, she couldn''t control herself and subconsciously reached out to tug at the hem of his clothes when he turned around.


    Her movement was very light, and for Adrian, it should have been a resistance so small it was almost negligible.


    If Adrian had wanted to leave, he could havepletely ignored this almost nonexistent resistance.


    But having felt this slight resistance, his steps halted abruptly, and he stood still.


    Eva looked at him and spoke with some difficulty, "Even if you have to pack up, this isn''t the right time, right?"


    Hearing this, Adrian turned his gaze to look at her.


    "Then can you give me a time and a firm answer?"


    Faced with his direct and sharp gaze, Eva said, "Let''s not talk about that for now. You''re still injured; don''t push yourself. Even if you have to leave, you should wait until your wounds have healed." Upon hearing this, Adrian couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    "So, you''re saying, as long as my injury doesn''t heal, I can stay here to recover?"


    Eva subconsciously nodded her head.


    After nodding, she suddenly realized there was something amiss with Adrian''s words and looked at him.


    "What do you mean by that? You''re not nning to deliberately..."


    Adrian''s lips curved into a smile.


    "Do you really see me as that kind of person?"


    Eva fell silent.


    He didn''t admit it, but he didn''t deny it either. He just asked her if that''s the kind of person she thought he was. Maybe, he really would...


    The possibility made Eva''s elegant brows unconsciously furrow.


    "If you dare do that, I will never speak to you again."


    After saying that, Eva turned her back on him, walked over to the bed, and sat down.


    Adrian had originally intended to tease her, wanting to see her caring about him to bnce the jealousy in his heart, but he ended up annoying her again and had to follow her to apologize. "I was wrong; I promise I won''t hurt myself. Don''t be mad at me, okay?"


    Eva pursed her lips, continuing to ignore him.


    "Eva?"


    After Adrian called her name several times, Eva finally turned her head around.


    "Don''t joke about your own wounds."


    This time, Adrian sincerely admitted his mistake and nodded.


    "Alright, I promise you; I will never joke about my wounds again."


    Adrian took her wrist, looking earnestly into her eyes, "So, when my wounds are healed, will youe with me?"


    The heat from his palm warmed her wrist.


    Eva still couldn''t help but ask, "What about Ruby and Dn? Will theye back with us too?"


    Hearing this, Adrian took a deep breath, reminding himself internally that those two kids were also his treasures.


    They were the fruit of the love between him and Eva; he shouldn''t be jealous of his own children.


    After mentally preparing himself, Adrian then said, "Of course, when we leave, they''lle back with us too. It''s not the holiday season yet, Mom only asked for a little over a week''s leave for them." Adrian was mainly concerned about leaving the two children with two elderly people.


    The issue of safety was also a concern, as his grandparents were advanced in age. There was a fear that if Michael had any dirty tricks up his sleeve, something bad might happen if Michael and his men found the two children here. It could scare the elderly couple, which would be unfortunate.


    These were all considerations Adrian had taken into ount.


    He also wouldn''t stay here for too long; just for about two or three days, and then he would have to go back.


    Eva nodded, also realizing that this time was indeed not during the school holidays.


    "Okay, then we''ll go back together when the timees."


    With that, there seemed to be nothing more to say between the two of them.


    Eva looked quite tired as well. She began leaning against the bed with drooping eyelids.


    Upon seeing her like this, Adrian made a suggestion, "It''s gettingte; shall we rest?"


    After speaking, he lifted the covers for Eva to lie down and then tucked her in.


    The bed was very cold at this time of year.


    When going to bed, Eva took off the coat that Adrian had draped over her, so when shey down, she couldn''t help but shiver and said instinctively, "It''s so cold." Seeing this, Adrian alsoy down.


    "I''m warm; shall I hold you while we sleep?"


    As he spoke, he was about to turn and embrace her, but Eva, who had been lying still, quickly said, "Don''t move."


    Adrian stoppedpletely.


    "What''s wrong?"


    He didn''t dare to move and could only ask Eva why he had to stay so stiff.


    "You''re injured; you should only lie on your back." Eva looked at his face as hey t, and said seriously, "If you turn over, it will press on your wounds."


    Adrian realized she was right.


    "Alright, I understand."


    He nodded, didn''t move any further, and instead reached out his hand, "Thene over to me."


    "Why should Ie over?"


    "Aren''t you cold?" Adrian chuckled softly, "I''m warm."


    Eva didn''t want to move closer at first, but after hearing him say he was warm; she thought about it and slowly snuggled up to his side, turning to wrap her arm around him. Indeed, as he said, Adrian''s body was very warm. He was almost like a furnace.


    As soon as Eva touched him, she could feel the heat flowing continuously from his body, a sensation that seemed familiar to her. She seemed to have done something simr before. A few not-so-clear images shed into Eva''s mind.


    They were images of the two of them lying in bed together, embracing, but there were several images, with different clothes and poses.


    Some were of her holding his waist, others were of her curled up asleep and being held by Adrian from behind, and there were even some where they were both undressed...


    These images were filled with intimacy, causing Eva''s face to flush with warmth.


    She shyly lowered her gaze and leaned her face against his arm.


    Adrian raised his hand and pressed a switch nearby.


    The bright room instantly darkened.


    Strangely, once the room turned dark and nothing could be seen, their sense of hearing seemed to be heightened.


    After turning off the lights, Eva noticed the difference between the countryside and the city.


    If you turned off the lights in the city at this time, you would still hear various sounds, but in the countryside, after turning off the lights, you could only hear the calls of some small animals outside.

 Chapter 525 A Sense of Security

    The room was very quiet, so quiet that the only sounds to be heard were their breathing and heartbeats.


    Eva was lying in a position slightly lower than Adrian ''s chest, close enough to clearly hear the steady beat of his heart against her arm. It thumped rhythmically, as if it were pulsing against her own chest. After a while of sensing his heartbeat, Eva''s eyes could no longer resist the fatigue and slowly closed. Soon, she fell asleep against Adrian.


    Adrian listened as her breathing gradually became even and smooth, and he knew she had fallen asleep. He sighed softly and wrapped hisrge hand around her, pulling her as close to him as possible, so close there was no space left between them. Only then did the unease and emptiness in his heart begin to feel filled.


    In these past few days, even though he had sessfully rescued her and brought her to his side, he always felt a lingering sense of unease. Even his sleep was troubled. When she wasn''t awake, he would spend the time restlessly, almost sleeplessly watching over her.


    He feared that if he opened his eyes, he might find that rescuing her had been nothing but a dream, and everything he cherished would vanish into thin air.


    Thus, Adrian had hardly slept well during this time.


    Even now, with the soft warmth of her in his arms, feeling her breath and hearing her heartbeat, and even the warm breath she exhaled against his chest-all of it felt incredibly real. Yet, he still feared that it might not be.


    If it was real, then why had everything gone so smoothly for him?


    And if it wasn''t real..., should he continue to immerse himself in this beautiful dream, or should he wake up quickly?


    For a moment, Adrian didn''t know what choice to make.


    Hey there quietly holding her, not knowing how much time had passed when suddenly, Eva murmured a few sounds in her sleep and shifted slightly in his arms.


    The ever-vignt Adrian immediately lowered his head to check on her, thinking something might have happened. But it turned out that Eva had just wriggled a bit in his arms, then hugged him even tighter and burrowed into his embrace before falling back to sleep.


    It was then that Adrian realized she had been talking in her sleep and hadn''t actually woken up.


    However...


    The fact that she had instinctively held him tighter even in her unconscious state brought a bright smile to Adrian''s lips.


    Although he had been jealous of the children during the day, feeling that they weighed more in her heart than he did, at this moment, he felt an exceptional satisfaction.


    No matter what, in his heart, she and the children always carried the most weight.


    Perhaps it was this pleasant mood that led Adrian to subconsciously close his eyes.


    Afterward, with such feelings, Adrian finally had his first good sleep in days.


    He didn''t know how long he had slept for, but when Adrian realized that he had dozed off and suddenly woke up, there was already light inside the room.


    He turned his head towards the window and discovered that it was already daytime.


    Eva...


    As the thought shed through his mind, Adrian lowered his gaze to the person in his arms. Seeing Eva still deep in slumber against him, Adrian''s heart, which had been suspended in a sudden void, rxed and settled back into ce. She was still there, right by his side. She wasn''t not gone.


    As he watched her peaceful sleeping face, Adrian''s hollow heart was gradually filled again. He contently wrapped his arms around her, leaning in to gently press a kiss on her smooth forehead.


    In her sleep, Eva felt as if someone had lightly kissed her forehead.


    For some reason, even though she was still very sleepy, the sensation on her forehead prompted her to unconsciously open her eyes.


    As she did, she caught sight of Adrian''s firm jaw and thin lips.


    He had just pulled back a little, and when their eyes met, Eva realized that Adrian had been kissing her forehead.


    "Awake?" Adrian''s voice was hoarse, his throat moving as he swallowed, "Did I wake you? Sorry, I couldn''t control myself just now. If you''re still sleepy, go back to sleep for a while."


    Eva blinked gently, not really feeling disturbed.


    She shook her head.


    "I''m not sleepy anymore; I went to bed earlyst night."


    Last night, she and Adrian fell asleep before ten o''clock. Judging by the brightness of the sky, it was probably close to six in the morning now; they must have slept for about eight hours.


    They were supposed to go to the flea market with their grandma and otherster. Eva had never been to one and was quite curious about it.


    Thinking this, Eva threw off the covers and got out of bed, with Adrian following suit. After seeing her quickly dress up and then head into the bathroom, Adrian realized how genuinely interested in the outing she was.


    Adrian, with a touch of helplessness in his heart, also got dressed and followed her into the bathroom.


    By the time he entered, Eva had already brushed her teeth and was washing her face. Seeing hime in, she instinctively moved aside at the sink to make space for Adrian.


    After Adrian stood beside her, Eva remembered something and turned to him, "You''re injured; you can''te with us to the flea marketter."


    Adrian''s actions paused, "Why not? I was fine when I went out with you yesterday, wasn''t I?"


    "Fine on the surface, right?" Having spent an intimate night together, Eva was more natural in his presence, her words less cautious, "Who do you think was treating your woundst night? Do you think I didn''t see the blood on the bandage? It''s only because it''s winter that it''s not visible. If it were summer, the blood would be seeping through right away."


    The more she spoke, the more Eva felt it was not okay.


    "Although I''ve never been to a flea market, I know that it won''t becking in people. What if you get bumped and someone hits your wound?"


    Realizing she was seemingly determined to prevent him from going, Adrian promptly corrected her assumption.


    "If I get bumped, I get bumped. It''s precisely because it will be crowded that I can''t let you go alone."


    "I''m not going alone; I''m going with Grandma and the others."

 Chapter 526 Its For Your Own Good

    "That''s not eptable either," Adrian''s gaze was heavy as he looked at her, "Grandma is getting old, and with your frail health, if you were to faint, they wouldn''t be able to take care of you." Eva: "..."


    "My body is indeed weak, but I wouldn''t faint just from going to a flea market, would I?"


    Moreover, she felt that she was in a better state today than yesterday.


    Eva believed that it would be fine for her to go out, but no matter what, Adrian disagreed with her going alone.


    The starting point for both not wanting to go out was their concern for each other.


    For instance, Eva was worried about Adrian''s wounds, feeling that he needed to rest for them to heal quickly. Otherwise, if the wounds tore open every day, how could he recover?


    On the other hand, Adrian thought she was malnourished and ate too little. With so many people at the market, if she were to faint, their grandparents would surely be flustered. Most importantly, he was afraid something might happen to her. In any case, both were reaching a peak in their consideration for each other, neither willing to give in, yet both had their own health concerns.


    After a while, they were still at an impasse.


    Until Margaret came knocking on the door again.


    "Eva, Adrian, are you two ready yet?"


    Hearing Margaret''s voice, Eva instinctively said, "Mom, I''m ready; Adrian is not going."


    "Ah?" When Margaret heard that Adrian was not going, she was taken aback. Before she could react and ask what was going on, the door in front of her was pulled open, and then her son''s cold face appeared in front of her.


    Adrian''s voice was icy, his hand still propped against the door as if blocking something.


    "Mom, Eva isn''t going either."


    Margaret: "??"


    What was going on with these two? Why was each saying the other wasn''t going?


    "Mom, I want to go."


    Eva''s voice came from behind Adrian, and Margaret watched her try to squeeze past Adrian to talk to her, but Adrian''s hand was always blocking her. If she moved left, his hand went left; if she moved right, he also moved right. "Adrian, move aside and let me out."


    Adrian, with an expressionless face, said: "If you don''t let me go, then no one goes."


    "I''m not letting you go for your own good."


    "Yeah, I''m doing it for your own good too."


    "Why are you so ungrateful?" Eva was clearly angry.


    Adrian pursed his thin lips, "Well, consider me ungrateful then."


    In the past, if Eva got angry, Adrian would apologize and thenpromise.


    But this time, he was determined to be stubborn to the end,pletely disagreeing with her going out.


    "Adrian, move aside now; your grandparents will get impatient."


    "If they get impatient, let them go first."


    "Adrian!"


    Margaret watched the scene unfold before her with a headache and squinted eyes.


    "What is going on with you two? Why won''t you let each other go out?"


    Upon her asking this question, the two of them once again tacitly shut their mouths and said nothing.


    Margaret sensed something and her aura intensified. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the two of them, "What exactly is going on? Are you hiding something from me?"


    Eva blinked her eyes but did not respond. Margaret turned to her son, "You tell me."


    Adrian pursed his thin lips and said calmly, "She just came back from abroad and is weak. I don''t want her to go to crowded ces."


    That was the truth.


    Margaret listened and couldn''t find fault with that. Eva did look frail and pale, so it made sense for him to not want her to go out.


    But there was another point...


    "What about you?" Margaret stared at her son with a more piercing gaze, "Why does Eva not agree to let you go out?"


    Adrian pursed his lips, remaining silent.


    "Speak up," Margaret''s volume rose a notch, even scrutinizing her own son up and down, fearing he might have been injured and was afraid to let his mother know.


    The mere thought of this possibility left Margaret speechless.


    However, under Margaret''s gaze, Adrian still withstood the pressure and remained silent. In the end, Margaret could only turn to Eva with a gentle smile.


    "Eva, if he won''t speak, will you?"


    She spoke so softly, gently trying to coax her to speak.


    Faced with Margaret''s demeanor, Eva felt somewhat helpless, "Alright then."


    Hearing Eva''s concession, Adrian''s brows immediately furrowed. If she were to exin everything in front of Margaret...


    As he hesitated, he heard Eva say, "Mom, the truth is that he doesn''t agree with me going, so I also don''t want him to go."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian was somewhat taken aback, but his furrowed brows also rxed, and he affectionately nced down at her, astonished by how quick-witted she was. Her answer was seamless.


    Indeed, Margaret was stunned by Eva''s response, probably because she had not expected this answer at all.


    Before Eva''s response, Margaret was thinking that perhaps her son had suffered a serious injury; otherwise, why would they be so concerned about each other?


    To think it was actually like this...


    The act wasplete.


    At this point, Eva said with annoyance, "Mom, if I can''t go, then he can''t go either."


    Adrian spoke up directly, "I will stay at home to take care of her and the children."


    Margaret thought it over. Initially, she had nned to take the children out with the whole family, but considering Eva''s condition, she realized it was indeed not suitable for her to go out.


    If anything were to happen, she couldn''t bear the responsibility.


    If Eva didn''t go, leaving her alone at home was out of the question; Adrian had to stay to take care of her. With Adrian staying, taking the two children out when there were many people around was also not ideal, in case they couldn''t keep an eye on them...


    With this in mind, Margaret said, "Alright, then you two stay at home and wait for us to return. I will go with the others, and if you want to buy anything, I''ll buy it for you."


    Adrian immediately mentioned the issue with her thin pajamas from the previous night, and Margaret agreed to buy Eva two thicker sets of pajamas.


    After that, there didn''t seem to be anything else they wanted.


    Margaret thought for a moment, "Are you sure there''s nothing else you need?"


    Adrian nodded.


    "Alright then, I''ll just make sure to stock up on things you might need."


    But Adrian shook his head, "No need, we''re leaving in a few days."


    Upon hearing this, Margaret was taken aback but then understood.


    "That''s true, you''re not staying here long, so there''s really no need to buy too much. I''ll just get the two sets of pajamas then."


    "Thank you, Mom."


    Once Margaret left, Eva immediately red at Adrian.


    Because he had seeded in keeping her from going out, Adrian was in a rather good mood and, even after seeing her re at him, he didn''t get angry. Instead, he curved his lips into a smile, preempting her outburst by saying, "I''ll go bring the two kids over."

 Chapter 527 Heartache

    Eva was about to scold him, but when he voluntarily offered to bring the two kids over, her anger dissipated in an instant.


    After Adrian left, she went back to her room to tidy up her dress.


    About fifteen minutester, Adrian returned with the two little ones.


    As soon as they saw Eva, they pounced on her, showering her with kisses, hugs, and cuddles.


    "Mommy."


    They clung to Eva as if they hadn''t seen her in a long time, which was frighteningly affectionate.


    Eva had missed them since yesterday and had been longing for them all night. Now that she was holding them, she felt immensely satisfied.


    After closely embracing Ruby and Dn for some time, she remembered something and looked up at Adrian to ask, "Where are our grandparents?" Adrian squatted down in front of her and reached out to stroke the children''s heads.


    "They''ve already gone out."


    Eva nodded in understanding.


    After a moment of silence, Adrian suddenly said, "The little ones wanted to follow them to the flea market; they were curious."


    Eva paused and looked towards Ruby and Dn when she heard this.


    "Do you really want to go?"


    Upon hearing this, Ruby and Dn nodded together, but then shook their heads and wrapped their arms around her, saying, "If Mommy isn''t going, we won''t go either." "Yes, we want to stay with Mommy."


    These warm words once again filled Eva''s ears, and she curled her lips into a beautiful smile, contented with the children''s firm choice to stay with her.


    "That''s a promise, then. You''ll stay with Mommy."


    Since they had nothing to do at home, Adrian suggested going out for a walk.


    Eva was initially inclined to agree, but then she remembered that Adrian''s injuries still required rest. She didn''t know what the future held, but at least for the next few days, it was crucial for him to either lie in bed or sit and recuperate. Those were critical days before, but at that time, he didn''t care about himself. Now that she was awake and knew about it, she couldn''t let him continue to be reckless.


    So, she quickly refused Adrian''s suggestion.


    "Let''s not go out; you need to rest."


    Hearing this, Adrian raised an eyebrow.


    "I rested quite wellst night, after all, it was you who bandaged me, and I''m healing quickly."


    When he said this, he deliberately avoided certain words that the children might not understand.


    Eva pursed her lips, "Even so, you still need to rest."


    "Going out for a walk won''t hurt."


    "That''s not okay either."


    The two little ones listened to their parents'' almost divine dialogue in confusion. Ruby looked up and said, "Mommy, Daddy, what are you talking about?"


    Eva immediately lowered her head with a smile and then said, "Adult matters; it''s best for children not to interfere."


    Meanwhile, Adrian, hearing the little ones call Eva "mommy" and himself "daddy," felt his heart thump violently twice.


    Because Eva had not agreed to let the two kids change how they addressed him, Adrian could be said to be on a ''trial period.''


    Unexpectedly, due to her amnesia, their rtionship had taken a significant step forward.


    Adrian pursed his lips, suddenly wondering if she would regret the events of this period once her memory returned.


    Would she still allow the kids to call him as they do now?


    Of course, these were thoughts Adrian only went through in his mind and did not voice out loud.


    Ruby pouted dissatisfiedly upon hearing Eva''s words.


    On the other hand, Dn, by her side, didn''t show much of a reaction. When Eva exchanged nces with him, she noticed that this little guy''s eyes were so much like Adrian''s, and his emotions were very restrained. Just like now, with Ruby asking earnestly, he was calmly looking back at her.


    The feeling she got... How should she put it?


    It was as if he understood the conversation between her and Adrian.


    And she actually felt that even if her son really thought that way, it wouldn''t be absurd. Her children were all very smart; it was just that Ruby didn''t focus her thoughts on this aspect.


    Eva disagreed with going out, and after thinking it over, Adrian didn''t say anything more. After all, he had disagreed with her going to the flea market in the morning, and she had eventually agreed. So, they would stay at home and heal.


    They had a TV at home and some toys that the elders had bought for the kids in the past few days. Eva didn''t want them to watch TV, so in the end, she could only join them in ying with Legos. Adrian was ordered to sit on the sofa and rest.


    Sitting there, he watched the three figures in front of him, his smile lingering on his lips as a gentle warmth filled his eyes.


    His phone vibrated. Adrian took it out and nced at it, and subconsciously looked towards Eva.


    He had just intended to nce at her, but at that moment, Eva also suddenly looked up at him.


    Their gazes met in mid-air.


    Clearly, in the quiet living room, she had also heard the vibration of his phone.


    After about two or three rings, Adrian stood up.


    "I''m going to take a call," he said.


    Eva nodded.


    She had no reason to let him take the call here, especially since Ruby and Dn were still around.


    Thinking of this, Eva lowered her gaze.


    After returning to her country, she lost contact with the other side. She didn''t know how Michael was doing now, or David, or Jane...


    Although Michael had done something wrong, she seemed... to not want anything bad to happen to him.


    With that thought, Eva sighed helplessly.


    "Mommy, don''t be sad," Ruby suddenly hugged Eva.


    Eva paused,ing back to her senses.


    "What''s wrong, Ruby?"


    Ruby reached out to wipe the sparkling tear from the corner of her eye.


    Eva, realizing her own tears only when she saw the glistening on her daughter''s fingertips, was stunned for a moment, taking a while toe back to herself. "Mommy?"


    Once the children sensed her mood, they stopped assembling the Lego and looked at her.


    Eva was stunned for a good while before she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, took a deep breath, and then said, "It''s okay; Mommy just thought of something sad. Go on and y, and don''t tell Daddy about what just happened, okay?"


    If they did tell him, he would probably get jealous again.


    Some things were just hard to manage perfectly.


    Ruby and Dn could only nod and agree to their mother''s request. When they continued ying with their Legos, their mood was no longer as uplifted as before, clearly affected by Eva''s tears.


    None of the three of them noticed that Adrian, who was about to go out to take the call, thought of something and turned back, inadvertently witnessing this scene.


    Adrian had already silenced his phone, and the vibration had stopped.


    Adrian stood there for a while, watching Eva intently until the call notification popped up on the screen again, and then he turned and left to take the call.

 Chapter 528 The Difficulty of Having It All

    By the time Adrian came back from taking the call, about five minutes had passed. Eva sat there nonchntly, not bothering to ask him about it.


    When Adrian sat down on the sofa, he noticed that she wasn''t looking at him, so he remained silent and just sat quietly.


    The atmosphere in the room became oddly tense because of this.


    After what seemed like a long time, Ruby, exhausted from ying with her Legos,y down and soon fell asleep in Eva''s arms.


    The temperature outside was a bit low, and though there was a carpet on the ground, it was still easy to catch a cold.


    Just as Eva was about to pick her up, a tall figure walked over and scooped up the child before she could.


    "Let me," he said.


    Eva was about to insist, reminding him that he was injured and she should do it herself, but Adrian had already effortlessly picked up Ruby, his ease and demeanor making it look as if he had just picked up a small item. Although it wasn''t quite right to describe their own daughter that way.


    But the impression that Adrian''s action gave Eva was exactly that: it was so effortless, and he was injured at that. What if he hadn''t been injured? Would it have been even easier?


    Eva couldn''t help but inwardly marvel at his strength.


    She then stood up as well and said to Dn, "Mommy is going to help Ruby with her nket. You keep ying by yourself, Dn. I''lle over after I''m done."


    Dn nodded obediently and quietly.


    Eva followed Adrian into the room and saw him carefully ce Ruby on the bed and tuck her in.


    Seeing this, Eva couldn''t help but approach and whisper, "You need to take off her coat; otherwise, she won''t sleepfortably."


    Adrian, who had never taken care of children before, became somewhat flustered after hearing her suggestion.


    "Coat?" "Yes."


    As Eva nodded, she lifted Ruby out of the covers. The child was such a heavy sleeper that no matter how much Eva moved her, Ruby only murmured in her sleep and quickly drifted off again.


    Eva removed Ruby''s coat and covered her with the nket once more. The little one was clearly morefortable, even stretching luxuriously in front of them.


    After tucking her in properly, Eva casually asked, "Have you never taken care of children before?"


    Adrian''s fingers twitched at his sides, and he pressed out one word from his thin lips, "No."


    This answer made Eva lift her head in surprise.


    How could that be?


    After all, both children were quite grown. It would be normal if he hadn''t taken care of them for a short period, but for both to be this age and for him to have never done so? Was that... reasonable? Seeing Eva''s gaze fixed on him, Adrian knew he had revealed something and sighed inwardly.


    "Something happened in the past. Once you regain your memory, you''ll understand," he said.


    Eva was feeling a bit bewildered.


    Eva didn''t find his response too strange. After all, if there hadn''t been problems between them, she probably wouldn''t have ended up with Michael, nor would she have a subconscious desire not to hurt Michael. It seemed she had forgotten too many things.


    Adrian''s ck eyes calmly looked at her, as if he had something to say but hesitated.


    After a while, Adrian took the initiative to speak, "I have something to tell you."


    Eva sensed it too and wasn''t surprised. She nodded.


    "Let''s talk outside, so we don''t wake Ruby."


    "Alright."


    The two left the room together. Dn was in the living room, and since the doors and windows were closed, there was no need to worry about anything.


    Once they were outside, they stood in the corridor.


    It was quiet in the corridor. Eva waited for a while, and seeing that Adrian didn''t speak, she had to look up.


    "What is it you want to tell me?"


    As she looked up, she saw Adrian''s eyes intensely fixed on her, motionless and unfathomably deep in their darkness.


    His gaze made Eva''s breath catch; she was almost too intimidated to meet his eyes, so she averted her gaze and said softly, "We''ve been out here for a while and you haven''t said anything. If you''re not ready to talk, then I''ll go back to Dn, and you can take some more time to prepare yoursel��"


    "Do you want to see him?"


    He suddenly interrupted her.


    Eva paused, almost unable to believe what she had heard.


    Adrian was asking her if she wanted to see him?


    She was silent for a long time before asking somberly, "The ''him'' you''re talking about..."


    "Yes."


    Adrian nodded. He didn''t say a name but confirmed it directly.


    By now, Eva understood who he was referring to. Her heart raced, not expecting Adrian to say this.


    She had some other guesses in her mind but didn''t voice them, feeling that Adrian would rify things soon.


    "If you want to see him, we can go back tonight. I''ll make the arrangements," Adrian said without warmth.


    Eva pursed her lips and lowered her gaze.


    "I''m not going to see him."


    This answer surprised Adrian. The light that had sunk in his eyes reignited, "What did you say?"


    He seemed unable to believe what he had heard. He watched her mope around these past few days, looking all concerned about his phone calls and seemingly worrying about the safety of Michael.


    Now, she was actually saying no?


    In Adrian''s expectation, Eva''s first reaction upon hearing this question should have been to agree and then ask him when they could meet.


    He had even prepared himself mentally, telling himself that even if she agreed, it didn''t mean anything.


    She didn''t want to hurt Michael because he had been kind to her once and had given her his heart.


    Anyone wouldn''t really want to hurt someone who had sincerely cared for them.


    So, he could understand and had nothing to be jealous about.


    But while talking to her, his mood was uncontrobly deste and sullen; he was just waiting for her to agree.


    He never expected that her answer would be to not see him.


    This response was unexpected for Adrian but also pleasing. He knew his own heart wasn''t entirely noble, but his possessiveness over Eva was indeed such, and there was no shame in admitting it. At the thought, Adrian forcibly suppressed his heart''s leap of joy and asked, "Why not?"


    "I''ve thought a lot these past few days, and some things can''t be perfect."


    Seeing Michael would settle her own heart, but for Adrian, it could be a hurdle too difficult to ovee.


    Since she had already nned to spend her life with him, she didn''t bother hurting those close to her for the thoughts of an outsider.

 Chapter 529 Yikes, Were Going Back?

    Perhaps she was being cruel to Michael but with things turning out this way, she felt helpless and thought that maybe she was just a selfish person. She didn''t have the capacity to please many people; her heart was too small, too limited, and she only had the strength to do what she could handle. She felt so exhaustedtely. There were moments she even considered disappearing from this world altogether, to avoid the pain of loss.


    But now, she hade to a realization. She wanted to live, to hold on to the beauty she desired in her life. Everything else... well, it had its own destiny, which was beyond her control.


    "Don''t worry," she said, "now that I''ve decided to be with you, I won''t see him anymore."


    Eva stepped forward and gently took Adrian''s hand.


    "But it''s normal for me to feel a bit down. I might be like this for a short while, but it will pass. Don''t mind it, just give me some time."


    Adrian looked down at the delicate hands holding his, feeling an intense softness in his heart. He pressed his lips together as if struggling to restrain something, but ultimately, he couldn''t control himself and pulled her into his embrace. "I don''t mind. How could I mind?"


    The fact that she had returned to him was enough reason to thank God for his mercy.


    And now that she was willing to open up to him honestly, Adrian''s heart was alsopletely open. Even if she were to go see Michael again at this moment, he wouldn''t mind.


    With this thought, Adrian leaned on her shoulder and closed his eyes contentedly.


    "It doesn''t matter, go see him."


    Eva, still in his arms, was taken aback.


    "What did you say?"


    "I said go. Do what you want to do. I won''t be upset, after all, I was the one who arranged your meeting."


    Eva blinked, her eyshes trembling lightly.


    "If you don''t speak, can I take it as your consent?"


    Eva shifted slightly then gently broke free from his embrace and looked up at him, "If I see him, you really won''t be unhappy? What if, when Ie back, you..."


    "There are no ''what ifs.'' Even if there were, once you stand in front of me, how could I stay angry?"


    Eva fell silent.


    Why did she feel that something was off? Could it be that Adrian was trying to test her?


    "Let''s pack up after Ruby wakes up from her nap, and I''ll let our grandparents know when theye back," he suggested.


    Eva replied, "Are we really going? But we asked Mom to buy pajamas this morning."


    "Hmm, that''s an issue. I''ll give Mom a call in a bit. If she hasn''t bought them yet, she doesn''t need to. If she has, it''s not a problem. You''lle back here to stay in the future anyway, so you can just wear them next time." Thinking it over, Eva felt that there didn''t seem to be a problem and finally nodded in agreement.


    Even if Adrian was testing her, she had already refused once.


    "Let''s go. You head back to the living room and keep Dnpany," he said.


    Eva nodded.


    "Okay."


    When Eva returned to the living room, a considerable amount of time had passed. She had been talking with Adrian, and time had slipped away without her noticing.


    By the time she got back, Dn had already finished building the Lego set by himself. She was somewhat surprised.


    "Dn, you''re so good with the Legos," she eximed.


    "You''re so smart," she praised him earnestly as she sat down and gently stroked his head.


    Flushed with the praise, Dn''s cheeks turned a shade of pink.


    "Thank you, Mommy," he said.


    Eva continued to stroke his head, and after thinking about her earlier conversation with Adrian, she told Dn about their ns to leave that evening.


    "Yikes, we''re going back? Aren''t we staying here?" Dn asked.


    "Mhm, we''lle back next time. Do you and Ruby like it here?" Eva inquired.


    "I like it," Dn nodded. "Great-grandma and Great-grandpa are very nice to Ruby and me."


    Eva couldn''t help but smile when she heard this.


    "Then, we''lle back next time."


    "Okay." Something urred to Dn, and he asked, "Next time wee, will you be with us too, Mommy?"


    "Of course, I will definitely be with you guys next time. But if you and Ruby want to stay for a long time during the summer or winter holidays, Mommy might not be able to stay with you the entire time," she exined. After saying this, Eva took out her phone to take a picture of the Lego set Dn hadpleted. She wanted to post it on her Facebook but realized she didn''t have an ount.


    After she was rescued, Adrian gave her a cell phone. It had a new ount, meaning her old phone and ount were probably still with Michael.


    So, she gave up on posting to Facebook and just saved the picture, then put away her phone, nning to ask Adrian to retrieve her old pher.


    At that moment, Adrian came over, "The pajamas have been bought, and they will be brought over soon. They are on their way back now."


    Eva nodded, "Then we can use them next time wee."


    Upon hearing the news that they would be returning home that evening, Lynn hurried back and the first thing she did was to confirm whether it was true. Once confirmed, she expressed her sentiment with a touch of sadness, "Why are you leaving so soon? I thought you could stay at least four or five more days."


    Eva, unable to do anything about the situation, acknowledged that ns could never keep up with changes.


    Although Lynn felt a tinge of regret, she didn''t dwell on words of reluctance. Instead, she simply suggested that theye over again in the future or that she would visit them in the city to see the two children when she had the time. Eva agreed to all of these suggestions without hesitation.


    Lynn, without saying much more, had her husband help pack up a lot of the food she made herself to take with them.


    Eva thanked them and then said, "After we return, Ruby and Dn will probably have to go to school, but I''ll bring them to visit you when we have the chance."


    "Alright, that sounds good," Lynn responded.


    After some more pleasantries, Adrian called someone to help with the luggage and prepared to leave.


    Margaret had wanted to stay with her parents for a while longer but was worried that no one would look after Ruby and Dn.


    After many years, she had finally been blessed with two grandchildren and was truly reluctant to part with them. In the end, she decided to return with them too. However, due to limited space in the vehicle, Margaret didn''t travel with them but took a separate car.


    At first, Eva felt bad and wanted to ask Adrian or the children to apany Margaret, but Margaret said directly, "I''m not a child anymore. What''s the big deal about sitting alone? Besides, your family of four should be together. I''d feel terrible for separating you guys."

 Chapter 530 Are You in a Hurry?

    "Mom, nobody would be separated because we''re all family," Eva reassured her. Margaret embraced her.


    "You''re right, we are all family. Since we are a family, there''s no need to fuss over each other like strangers. I''ll just take a car by myself. It''s only a few hours'' drive. How about, aspensation, I get to have the two little ones sleep with me tonight when we get back?"


    With Margaret putting it this way, Eva seemed to have no reason to refuse. In the end, Margaret got into a car by herself. There weren''t many people in her car, so some items had to be ced in her vehicle.


    On the way back, Eva thought about the uing meeting Adrian had arranged for her with Michael. There were many questions she wanted to ask him.


    However, when she was about to speak, she saw the two children in the car and realized some questions were not suitable to ask in their presence. She had to swallow back her words.


    It wasn''t dark yet on their way back. When passing the rough road they had usedst time, Eva noticed some workers who seemed to be preparing something.


    After taking a closer look, Eva was certain that these people were there to fix the road.


    This reminded her of her previous conversation with Adrian when he mentioned that this road needed repairing. She was quite surprised by how quickly he operated.


    She thought he was just making conversation, and even if he was serious, it would take time to prepare. Yet, he had already sent people to work on it.


    "By the next time wee here, this road should be much smoother," Adrian suddenly said.


    How long did it take to fix a road?


    Eva didn''t know, but she was sure that with enough workers and money, the process could be very fast.


    It wasn''t until nightfall that everyone arrived home.


    As Eva got out of the car, she looked at the familiar building in front of her, not expecting to return just two days after leaving.


    Margaret, having sat in the car for the entire journey, immediately headed straight for the two children upon disembarking.


    "Alright, the kids will sleep with me tonight; it''s gettingte, so I''ll take them upstairs to get ready for bed," she said.


    But Adrian called out to her, "Mom."


    Margaret stopped in her tracks, feeling a bit anxious.


    "What''s the matter? You''re not disagreeing, are you? I just arranged it with Eva, you know? Ruby and Dn also want to stay with their grandma, right?" Ruby and Dn both nodded obediently.


    "You see, they agree too."


    "It''s not about that," said Adrian.


    Adrian walked up slowly, nced at the two children, and then said, "It''s not just for tonight. I''m afraid that for the next few days, the children will need to be under your care."


    Margaret was somewhat surprised to hear this. Although she guessed that there must be some urgent matter for them to return so suddenly, she didn''t expect that they would be unable to take care of the children upon their return. "Where are you going?" She asked.


    Adrian replied calmly, "We have some things to take care of, and we''re not sure when we will return."


    At this point, Margaret realized that she should not ask any further and nodded her head.


    "Okay then, you go ahead with your tasks. Don''t worry about the two kids; they''ll be fine here."


    After saying this, Margaret was about to lead the two upstairs when, at that moment, Ruby suddenly let go of Margaret''s hand, ran toward Eva, and threw herself at her, hugging her legs.


    "Mummy, how long will you be gone this time?" Ruby asked with reluctance written all over her face.


    After all, thest time Eva said she would be away for just a few days, Ruby and her brother ended up not seeing their mother for a long time.


    When they finally saw her again, Eva looked so much thinner. Ruby, though usually carefree and lively, did notck her own thoughts.


    So, upon hearing that Eva was leaving again, she became a bit panicked, afraid that it would be a long time before she saw her mom again.


    Eva, being Ruby''s mother, even if she had lost her memory, her subconscious and physical reactions were still there. After seeing her daughter clinging to her so anxiously, she could guess what she was worried about. Eva''s heart instantly softened, and she half-knelt down to gently ce her hand on Ruby''s little head.


    "Mommy will only be gone for a few days, and I''ll be back after that," she reassured.


    But clearly, this time Ruby did not easily believe it.


    "Last time, Grandmother also said that Mommy would only be gone for a few days, but Mommy was gone for a very long time. How many days are you really going to be gone this time? Is it one day, or two days?" It seemed that the little one felt like she had been deceivedst time, so this time she did not trust the same story and needed to know the exact number of days to be at ease.


    But Eva, herself, couldn''t give a specific date, as it was Adrian who had arranged this mission.


    So, Eva could only look towards Adrian for help. Adrian, who had been listening to their conversation all along, saw Eva looking at him and walked over, also crouching down beside her. His hand too rested on Ruby''s head.


    "The soonest we can be back is in three days, and thetest is five days, okay?" He said.


    Ruby looked up with pure eyes and asked, "Does that mean Mommy will be back in no more than five days?" "That''s right."


    But Ruby didn''t just let it go at that she continued to press. "Is it true? You won''t lie to me, will you?"


    At that moment, Adrian chuckled softly and couldn''t resist tapping the little girl''s nose. "We won''t lie to you."


    "Okay! Then it''s settled, Ruby will wait at home for you guys toe back," she asserted.


    Adrian ruffled her hair, "It''s agreed then. It''s gettingte; hurry up and go rest with Grandma."


    With Adrian''s assurance, Ruby felt much more at ease and obediently followed Margaret.


    Once they had left, Eva asked, "We''re not staying here tonight?"


    Adrian nodded, "Yes, we need to go to the neighboring city."


    Surprised, Eva responded, "We don''t have to go abroad?"


    She thought that his arranging a meeting meant they were going overseas.


    Adrian looked at her and shook his head.


    "No, there''s no need. He has already returned to the country."


    Hearing this, Eva roughly understood, "So, are we leaving now?"


    Adrian gave her a deep look.


    "Are you in a hurry?"


    Eva was puzzled, "I just asked about our departure time, why does that mean I''m in a hurry?"


    Adrian smiled faintly, "Even if you are in a hurry, it''s okay."


    After all, they had opened up to each other, and he knew her heart was with him.

 Chapter 531 Once I’m All Better Then It’s Okay?

    There was a hint of amusement in his voice, and even though Eva knew he was teasing her, she couldn''t help but want to defend herself. "I''m not in a hurry."


    Adrian continued tough, "I know, you''re not in a hurry."


    Eva: "..."


    In a retaliatory move, Eva pinched him hard around his waist, careful, of course, to avoid Adrian''s wound.


    "Oooh..."


    Though the pinch didn''t actually hurt Adrian, it still elicited a muffled grunt from him.


    Adrian''s face changed suddenly as he swiftly reached out to grasp her wrist, his voice bing deep and hoarse, "Stop it."


    Eva noticed something off about him. At first, she thought she had pinched him too hard, but then she realized that wasn''t the case. His expression and movements didn''t look like those of someone who was in pain, but rather...


    Pleasure?


    Eva was dumbfounded.


    It was just a pinch to his waist; was it really necessary for him to react like that?


    As she was pondering this, she heard Adrian say, "If you keep pinching me, I can''t guarantee that I''ll be a gentleman in the carter."


    Eva froze for a few seconds, pulled away from his grip, and then muttered under her breath, "Pervert."


    The pink flush on her ears made Adrian''s lips curl up slightly.


    "We are husband and wife. Even if I wanted to do more perverted things to you, I could."


    Eva was speechless. "..."


    "It''s just that your body is too weak right now. I''ll wait until you''ve recovered a bit more." As he said this, Adrian pulled her into his embrace and whispered ambiguously in her ear.


    Eva felt her ears getting even hotter but, after exerting some force, she found she couldn''t escape from his embrace and push him away; she could only grit her teeth and whisper quietly, "You should focus on healing your own wounds before thinking about other things."


    Hearing this, Adrian feigned sudden realization.


    "Oh, I have injuries, so you mean to say, once I''m all better then, it''s okay?"


    Eva was at a loss for words, "When did I ever say that?"


    "Hmm? Isn''t that what you just meant?"


    "I meant that you should heal your injuries before considering anything else, not..."


    The more Eva tried to rify, the more perplexed she became, ultimately opting to stop and turn away, "I''m not going with you."


    Seeing her reaction, Adrian swiftly brought her back.


    "Come on, has all this teasing has made you shy?"


    He chuckled softly and ced a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Alright, let''s get in the car."


    Eva nced at him and, seeing that he wasn''t teasing her anymore, finally asked, "Are we leaving now?"


    It was already quitete, and she had thought he would rest for the night first.


    "What else?" He queried.


    "Your injury requires rest, doesn''t it?"


    "Mhm. After driving for two hours, we''ll find a hotel to stay at."


    At that point, Eva got the gist of what he meant. He just wanted to hit the road early; two hours of driving could cover a considerable distance.


    It wasn''t toote nor too early. After another two hours and freshening up, it would be about time to rest.


    "Okay."


    Once they were on their way, Eva asked, "Did you remember to bring your medicine? We''ll need to change your dressing when we get to the hotel."


    No sooner had she finished her question than she felt her nose yfully pinched.


    "Don''t worry, I have it with me," he assured her, letting Eva breathe a sigh of relief.


    True to Adrian''s words, after two hours of driving through the dusky shades of the evening, they pulled into a hotel to rest.


    Eva still took on the responsibility of changing Adrian''s dressings. After a long day of travel, she was really tired. After changing his dressings, Adrian stepped out to talk about some matters for about ten minutes or so. When he returned, he saw her asleep at the bedside.


    The soft lighting in the hotel room illuminated Eva''s fair cheeks, casting her current expression in an extremely gentle light.


    Upon seeing this scene, Adrian instinctively wanted to go forward and lift her into the bed. However, as his hands reached under her arms, he hesitated, thinking of the effort she put into bandaging his wounds, and how she was always scared and worried about his injuries. He decided that he should heal well and not cause her any more worry.


    With this in mind, Adrian did not carry her horizontally to the bed. Instead, he took off her shoes, then half-supported her to the bed, and arranged the pillow and nket for her. "Goodnight, Eve."


    With Eva''s meticulous bandaging and earnest instructions, Adrian''s recovery had been progressing rapidly recently.


    He used to wake up feeling pain in his wound, but today, when he woke up, he distinctly felt that the pain was much less than before.


    He lifted his cor to look at his wound and the corners of his lips unconsciously curled up. No wonder she insisted on him having a period of convalescence; his wound had really improved.


    As he pondered, the person beside him turned over and was now facing him. When Adrian looked over, Eva was slowly opening her eyes.


    When their gazes met, a groggy Eva instinctively asked, "How is your wound? Is it getting better?"


    Seeing her concern for his injury the moment she woke up warmed Adrian''s heart.


    "Yes, it''s much better, thanks to you."


    Eva didn''t believe him when he said that it was much better, thinking he was just cating her. She proceeded to get up and started to check by pulling open Adrian''s clothes. Adrian''s hand movements paused as she leaned in, and after a moment he pursed his lips and said helplessly, "It''s bandaged; you can''t see."


    Knowing that she couldn''t really see, Eva still fiddled with his clothes to look inside, then looked up at him and asked, "How can you say it''s much better if you didn''t see it?" Adrian''s lips curved into a smile, "By feeling."


    "Feeling?"


    "Yes, before, I would wake up feeling pain. Today, I woke up and didn''t feel a thing."


    "I see."


    Eva pondered for a moment and then asked, "Did the doctor say how often you can change the dressing? Is it too infrequent to apply the medication only once a day? Do we need to apply the medicine again? Would that make it heal faster?" Since they had been changing the dressing at night before bed, Eva wondered if increasing the frequency would benefit his wound. After all, a whole night had passed, and the medication should have been mostly absorbed by now, right? Even if it hadn''t beenpletely absorbed, she thought it surely wouldn''t be enough for the whole day. Why hadn''t she realized this before?


    With this in mind, Eva urged, "Call your doctor now and ask. If it''s okay, we can apply more medicine before we set off."


    Her urgency and concern made Adrian feel a bit helpless, but he ultimately made the call in front of her.


    "The reason we didn''t increase the medication at the beginning was to avoid disturbing the wound when changing the bandages. Since you''re feeling much better now, you can apply the medicine more frequently, but you still need to be careful when removing the bandages," the doctor advised.

 Chapter 532 Afraid to Hear the Answer?

    Learning that an additional application of medicine was allowed, Eva administered another dose to Adrian''s wound before they set off.


    As she unwrapped the bandage, she carefully examined Adrian''s wound and found that he indeed hadn''t lied; his wound had significantly improvedpared to the first time she saw it. She was very satisfied with this oue. Eva didn''t notice that Adrian was observing her expressions and movements closely. Noticing that she seemed content, Adrian raised an eyebrow.


    "See, I wasn''t lying, right?" He said.


    Eva shot him a nce and nodded in acknowledgment.


    "However, you can''t getcent, and you mustn''t be careless. The medicine still needs to be applied properly, and the wound must heal. What will we do if it leads toplicationster on?"


    Eva finished wrapping his bandage, "There, done."


    "Alright, I promise you, I''ll take good care of it," Adrian responded.


    After tending to the wound again, they continued on their journey.


    It was still early, and the road was shrouded in a light fog. After getting into the car, Adrian draped a small nket over Eva, "We have a few hours of driving ahead. You didn''t get enough sleepst night, did you? Sleep a bit more, and I''ll wake you up when we arrive."


    Eva initially wanted to refuse, but she did wake up early and felt a bit tired now. She nodded off quickly and fell asleep again.


    When she woke up, the car had already stopped.


    Eva looked at the scenery outside the window and then at Adrian, meeting his gaze.


    "Are we here?" She asked.


    "Yes," He replied in his deep voice, then asked, "Did you get enough sleep? Do you want to sleep some more?"


    Eva realized that the driver wasn''t in the car and it seemed they had arrived a while ago.


    "Have we been here long? Why didn''t you wake me up?"


    As she spoke, Eva casually checked her phone and was surprised to find that it was already noon. ording to the time they had set off, she must have slept for an additional hour in the car after it had stopped. "You slept so soundly; I didn''t have the heart to wake you," Adrian said.


    Eva couldn''t reallyin about that, so she just asked, "So you''ve been with me in the car the whole time?"


    "Where else could I go?" Adrian gestured to his injured area. "Besides, I''m supposed to be resting, aren''t I? You want me to recover."


    That was true; he was injured and needed to rest.


    With that said, Eva didn''t have much else to say. Instead, she rubbed her eyes and patted her cheeks, feeling more refreshed. "Alright, shall we go out now?"


    "Yeah, let''s go eat first."


    "Eat?" Eva was surprised. "Where are we?"


    Eva nced around and noticed a sign indicating that there was a restaurant upstairs.


    Looking at the time, it was indeed time to have a meal, so they decided to eat first.


    Eva and Adrian went from the parking lot to the elevator and entered the restaurant.


    During the meal, someone apanying them came over and whispered something in Adrian''s ear.


    Adrian paused.


    Noticing his reaction, Eva, sensitively aware that something was up, asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s nothing; keep eating."


    "I''m done."


    Adrian seemed surprised. "You''re done?"


    Eva nodded. "Yes, I can''t eat anymore."


    Adrian looked at the food on the table. Although she had eaten little, it was clear that her condition had improved from before, and her sleep had been good. Since her return to the country, her pale face had regained some color. "Alright, if you can''t eat anymore, we can have moreter in the evening."


    After instructing the apanying person to pay the bill, Adrian led her out of the restaurant. "We''re going now, but..."


    He paused, lifting his eyes to look at her, "He might not be very keen to see you."


    Eva stopped in her tracks.


    "Not want to see me?"


    Hadn''t he always wanted to keep her confined before? Why didn''t he want to see her now?


    Eva didn''t know what his current state was. Was he free or was he locked up?


    If he was locked up, then could it be...


    As various spections crossed Eva''s mind, Adrian suddenly took hold of her wrist. "Alright, stop overthinking. Even if he doesn''t want to see you, you can still go and see him. We''ll find out whether he wants to see you when we get there." Upon arrival at the destination, Eva realized it was a very secluded spot. She was surprised that such a ce could still be found in a bustling city. Although the environment was serene, she wondered who would go to such lengths to build a house near the foot of the mountains.


    There wasn''t a neighbor in sight, which made her question if it wouldn''t feel odd to live there.


    Adrian, who was by her side, seemed to read her thoughts through her expressions and eyes. As she pondered, he took the initiative to exin, "This is one of the Coopers'' properties."


    "The Coopers''?" Eva asked.


    Adrian nodded.


    Although the setting was a bit strange, Eva felt a sense of relief. She had initially thought... given the severity of Adrian''s phone callst time, she feared that her next encounter with Michael might be at a detention center or... "What''s wrong?"


    Her thoughts seemed to be transparent to Adrian once again, "Surprised to see him here?"


    "I actually thought..."


    Eva hesitated for a moment and did not continue, fearing that her offhand remarks might hurt Adrian.


    "Thought I''d call the police?"


    Eva pursed her lips tightly.


    "If I really had called the police, and he wasn''t here, would you hate me?"


    After asking, Adrian seemed afraid to hear her answer, so much so that he didn''t wait for her to respond and quickly continued, "It''s mainly because his grandfather intervened. He personally took charge of his discipline. He will be kept here for a considerable time, though it''s unclear for how long."


    "His grandfather?"


    "Yes, Mr. Cooper Sr."


    Eva hadn''t expected this twist, but she still had some doubts. If Mr. Cooper Sr. could really control Michael, why hadn''t he done so before? Why was he suddenly able to do so now? "Let''s go."


    Adrian took hold of her wrist and led her forward. As they got closer to the gate, Eva pulled on Adrian''s hand.


    Adrian stopped in his tracks: "What is it?"


    "The question you just asked me, why are you afraid to hear the answer?"


    The grip on her hand tightened a bit.


    Eva looked down for a moment, then back at him, "I''ve already expressed my true feelings to you before, so why do you still seem to distrust me?"

 Chapter 533 Tormented by Uncertainty

    "No," Adrian denied, "I do trust you."


    Eva retorted, "You''re lying. If you really trusted me, why would you rush to speak right after, clearly not wanting to hear my answer?"


    Her wordsid bare Adrian''s inner turmoil, clear and sharp, with nothing hidden.


    Adrian pursed his thin lips, seemingly without any excuse left to defend himself.


    Seeing him like this, Eva simply said, "Alright then, it seems you don''t really want to know the answer. Let''s just go inside."


    With that, Eva released his hand and walked ahead on her own.


    However, after just a couple of steps, Adrian pulled her back.


    "Weren''t you going to tell me the answer? Why are you rushing now?"


    Eva, though pulled back, didn''t look at him. "Didn''t you say you didn''t want to know?"


    "Who said I didn''t want to know?" Adrian''s grip on her hand tightened slightly, not painful but firmly felt.


    "Tell me now, or I won''t let you go inside."


    "You..." Eva bit her lower lip, "I''ve already born my heart to you; shouldn''t you already know the answer?"


    "Really?" Adrian''s expression was indifferent, with a faint smile lingering at the corner of his eyes. "It seems I know, but then again, not clearly enough. Maybe I''m just insecure and need to confirm it with you again." Insecure?


    Eva''s eyes widened in surprise, as if she couldn''t believe what she had heard.


    "You''re insecure?"


    "Yes."


    "Isn''t it usually girls who feel insecure? How can a man like you feel insecure?"


    "Even men can have moments of vulnerability, especially since Michael kept you close for so long, and it took me this long to see you. Isn''t it normal to feel insecure?"


    That made sense to Eva.


    "Okay, okay, let''s say you''re insecure. Then I''ll tell you seriously once more. Before losing my memory, I don''t know if I would have hated you, but I can say for sure that I don''t now."


    Eva then took hold of his hand.


    "So, you don''t need to be constantly tormented by uncertainty."


    Tormented by uncertainty?


    This description caused Adrian to smile wistfully.


    Love begets worry.


    He had heard before that some people be tormented by uncertainty in love, and at the time, he had scoffed at such emotions, believing himself to be someone who had full control over his feelings.


    But when he found himself truly falling for someone, he realized he, too, could be tormented by uncertainty.


    He wanted to keep her close, yet feared she would feel trapped. If he let go even a little, he worried about her safety.


    With this in mind, Adrian asked, "What about you?"


    Eva didn''t understand him at first. "What?"


    "Do you feel tormented by uncertainty about me?"


    His sudden question stunned Eva, and for a moment, she didn''t know how to respond.


    In truth, she didn''t feel tormented by uncertainty about Adrian-after all, he had shown how much he cared for her. Wouldn''t it seem neurotic to still be uncertain now?


    But if she said no, would it hurt his feelings?


    After some thought, Eva decided to be honest.


    "I don''t feel tormented by uncertainty about you, but that''s because I trust you. Of course, I know your uncertainty is because you care about me. And isn''t the situation different now? I know you feel uncertain because Michael is around and if there was another woman between us, maybe I would be the one feeling uncertain, right?"


    Eva''s casual remark made Adrian''s expression change subtly, reminding him of how Vivian had oncee between them, even taking credit for saving him, causing...


    Of course, he also med himself for not distinguishing the truth in time.


    Regretting the past was pointless, so Adrian didn''t dwell on it. Instead, he held her hand tightly, "No matter what, I won''t let anyone elsee between us again, be it man or woman."


    "Let''s go, I''ll take you inside."


    This vi, built on the mountainside, should have looked a bit cold, secluded, and eerie, but because Michael was under Mr. Cooper Sr.''s watch, the area around the vi was swarming with people. Almost every ce was guarded, so instead of looking frightening, it actually seemed very lively.


    As Adrian approached, a leading figure came over to him.


    "Mr. ckwood."


    Adrian nodded at him.


    "What brings you here?"


    As he spoke, the leader caught sight of Eva by Adrian''s side. Upon seeing her, he quickly understood something and said, "Mr. ckwood, Ms. Hansen, please wait a moment."


    He then turned and hurried inside.


    Soon, a familiar figure appeared in Eva''s line of sight. Eva had been standing calmly, but upon seeing this person, she experienced a huge surge of emotion. "David!"


    She hadn''t expected to encounter him so soon; she thought it would be a long time before they met again.


    David, upon seeing Eva, also showed a hint of surprise and quickly walked over.


    "Ms. Hansen." A smile appeared on his lips as he greeted Eva first, and then he turned to Adrian. "Mr. ckwood." "Hello."


    Adrian was very polite to the man who had helped his wife, even going so far as to extend his hand in greeting.


    David was taken aback, probably not expecting Adrian to make such a gesture, and after a brief pause, he shook his hand.


    "Thank you for helping my wife when she was abroad."


    David looked on with a warm smile, ncing at Eva with fervor, probably understanding why the notoriously cold Adrian was suddenly shaking his hand. "I see."


    "No need to thank me, I just didn''t want Mr. Cooper to make another mistake."


    Although David was very kind to Eva, his attitude towards Adrian was much more neutral.


    After all, during those five years, David had apanied Eva on countless trips and had been involved in many aspects of her life; they had practically seen each other every day.


    And people do have feelings; even ordinary friends can be good friends in five years, especially since Eva had a very good nature; she never put on any airs and took genuine care of him as her assistant. So, David was willing to help her.


    But Adrian...


    In David''s eyes, if this man had not appeared by Ms. Hansen''s side, then over time, Michael naturally would have had his chance.

 Chapter 534 I Might Not Be in This World Anymore

    Indeed, Michael was at fault.


    No, he was terribly at fault, but since David had previously benefited from his favor, he would only think of helping him to reform and would not side with outsiders to confront him. Adrian could clearly sense David''s resistant attitude toward him, and after retracting his hand, he chose not to say anything further.


    Eva also noticed the change in the atmosphere between the two men and felt somewhat embarrassed.


    However, David didn''t let the silencest too long. After about ten seconds, he took the initiative to ask, "Ms. Hansen, are you here to see Mr. Cooper?" Eva nodded.


    A look of helplessness appeared in David''s eyes.


    "If you are here to inquire about Mr. Cooper''s situation, I might be able to tell you a thing or two, but as for meeting him, I''m afraid that''s not possible."


    This was the same answer she had received beforeing; he did not want to see her.


    Although she had anticipated this, being rejected upon arrival still left Eva feeling disappointed.


    David felt a bit of pity upon seeing the look of disappointment on her pale face.


    "Ms. Hansen... why don''t you wait a little longer; I''ll go in and ask again."


    "Can you?"


    "Mm, I can try. I''ll go back in and persuade him a bit more. You go and sit in the next room, and I''lle over after I''ve asked."


    David went inside, and the man who had led them earlier came out again, guiding the two to an adjacent room where snacks and coffee were promptly served on the table.


    Eva had just eaten beforeing; she didn''t have a big appetite to begin with, and she already felt full at the moment. How could she eat anything?


    But to keep up appearances, she still picked up the coffee, preparing to take a few sips.


    Before the cup could reach her lips, Adrian''s hand grasped hers.


    Eva froze and looked at him.


    She saw Adrian''s gaze fixed on her cup, his lips pressed tightly together, and Eva instantly understood his concern.


    Because of past experiences, he didn''t want her to drink anything here.


    But...


    Eva raised her head, meeting the eyes of the man who had led them.


    Their gazes met, creating an awkward atmosphere.


    After a moment, the Coopers'' servant asked, "Do these things not suit your taste?"


    "I..."


    "Her stomach has always been sensitive; she needs to eat at fixed times and in fixed amounts. Also, she can''t drink coffee for the time being."


    Before Eva could speak, Adrian gave an exnation on her behalf.


    The words were already out, and Eva understood his concerns. If their roles were reversed, she might have been just as sensitive, and although it was hurtful, everything involved choices and sacrifices. Eva put down the cup and smiled gently at the man.


    "I''m sorry."


    The Coopers'' servant touched his head but didn''t say much.


    He had heard about the incident involving Mr. Cooper, and although there was nothing wrong with the food, it was normal for them to be cautious.


    Eva and Adrian had been waiting for a while before David finally arrived.


    Upon seeing David, Eva promptly stood up, "David."


    David could naturally sense her earnest trust, and so he was very kind to Eva, speaking in a gentle voice, "Ms. Hansen."


    "How did it go?"


    Faced with Eva''s expectant gaze and considering the oue, David felt somewhat reluctant to deliver the news, but dying would not change the result. Hence, he could only sadly shake his head within Eva''s view. His demeanor made it abundantly clear, and there was no need to ask to know what the answer was.


    Eva pursed her lips.


    Seeing her like this, David let out a sigh.


    "Ms. Hansen, perhaps Mr. Cooper has not yet made up his mind, which is why he is reluctant to meet you for now. Maybe next time... I believe that one day, Mr. Cooper will surely have things figured out." "I..."


    At that moment, Adrian, who had been sitting still, suddenly stood up. He walked over to Eva and put his arm around her shoulders.


    "Since he hasn''t made up his mind yet, let''s go back."


    After being embraced by the shoulder, Eva swallowed the words that had reached her lips and nodded.


    David looked at the pair of hands on Eva''s shoulders and couldn''t help but sigh inwardly, stepping aside to let them out.


    "Let''s go. There will be other opportunities."


    "Wait."


    Eva took a few steps, then suddenly remembered something and called out to Adrian. She then turned around and walked back to David. "David."


    "Ms. Hansen?"


    David thought she hadn''t given up hope, but instead, she was staring at him, "Thank you."


    These words made David pause for a moment, thinking she was thanking him for inquiring on her behalf. However, Eva continued, "Back when we were abroad, if it hadn''t been for your help, I might not be in this world anymore." Although several days had passed, the mention of those events still made David feel concerned and frightened for Eva at that time.


    If he had not thought of the children in time and reminded Eva, then she...


    "Ms. Hansen, no thanks are necessary. I helped you also because of Mr. Cooper. It''s already good enough that you don''t me me."


    Eva shook her head.


    "How could I possibly me you?"


    In Eva''s eyes, if it weren''t for David, how could she possibly have reignited her will to live and then been able to see her two lovely children?


    Therefore, Eva felt endless gratitude towards David.


    However, she could see that David seemed not to want to acknowledge his help, probably because he didn''t want her to feel too much psychological pressure.


    Eva didn''t want to continue discussing the matter, so she could only say, "Anyway, if you ever need my help in the future, just ask me. As long as it''s something I can do, I will definitely not refuse."


    David looked at her for a long while and finally nodded.


    "Okay."

 Chapter 535 Unwilling to Face

    Afterward, Eva left with Adrian. Once she was gone, David stood still as the man who had served them coffee and treats approached him and recounted the events that had transpired inside. David listened quietly; his face expressionless even after the ount was finished.


    Seeing no reaction from David, the man asked, "David, do you think we should..."


    "What should we do?"


    David cut him off sharply before he could finish his sentence, startling the man with his sudden intensity, who fell silent and stood still.


    "From now on, be careful with your words. With so many people under yourmand, don''t you know what should and shouldn''t be said?"


    The man, having been reprimanded, felt some dissatisfaction but didn''t dare to respond, instead choosing to hold back his resentment.


    Once David was sure everything was in order, he rose and went upstairs.


    He went straight to the room where Michael was being confined. As he approached the door, he saw Michael standing by the window, which was carefully covered by curtains.


    At that moment, the curtains were parted slightly; Michael was peering through the small gap, observing the outside.


    He didn''t want to see her when she came, yet when she left, he couldn''t help but stealthily and distantly steal a nce at her.


    Seeing this, David''s emotions becameplex.


    "If you really wanted to see her, Mr. Cooper, why did you refuse just now?"


    David''s voice suddenly filled the room, startling Michael, who was lost in his own world. Michael narrowed his eyes and turned to look at David with a sharp gaze. "Who let you in?"


    Faced with Michael''s questioning, David could only exin, "Mr. Cooper Sr. instructed me to be by your side twenty-four hours a day. They''ve left, so naturally, I came here." This statement elicited a cold sneer from Michael.


    "You shall attend to me personally for twenty-four-hours a day? When did I ever notice such loyalty from you, David?"


    David pursed his lips before saying, "I''ve been with you for so many years. As long as you don''t do anything illegal, my loyalty will remain unchanged."


    He paused, then added, "Of course, if you do break thew, I will also find a way to right your wrong."


    Unfortunately, no matter how David expressed his loyalty, Michael''s lips remained curled with an indifferent smile, not taking his words to heart. Michael pulled the curtains shut again, plunging the room into darkness.


    David watched his actions and sighed inwardly, then asked, "Why do you not want to see Ms. Hansen?"


    Michael scoffed disdainfully.


    "What do you mean ''not want''? If she wants to go back to that man, why should I see her?"


    He spoke as if he didn''t care at all.


    David was silent for a moment, then said, "Is it actually because you can''t bear to say ''sorry'' to her, face-to-face?" Michael fell silent.


    He suddenly turned his head, ring at David fiercely.


    "Because you did something you now regret; you can''t face her anymore. It''s because you''re not ready to say sorry."


    Seeing him about to deny it, David interjected, "I''ve been with you for so long that I understand what''s in your heart, so denial is useless." Michael fell silent again.


    He stared at David with cold eyes for a long while, then his lips coldly spat out a few words, "Get out."


    David, however, sat down on the sofa inside with an expressionless face.


    "You seem to have forgotten, I just said that Mr. Cooper Sr. instructed me to apany you around the clock."


    Michael gave him a cold nce and then turned to enter another room.


    After he left, David lowered his gaze.


    After leaving, Eva got into the car and immediately looked out of the window. Adrian could only see her profile and had no idea what she was thinking.


    The car was very quiet, asionally interrupted by the sound of other vehicles speeding by, but the quietness quickly returned.


    Looking at Eva like this, Adrian said, "We cane back again tomorrow."


    Hearing this, Eva, who had been staring out the window, paused and then realized what he meant.


    "Tomorrow?"


    She looked at Adrian, "Will wee back?"


    Adrian nodded.


    "He has no reason not to want to see you. The only reason he might not want to is that he''s afraid to face you." Eva was at a loss.


    "So, he probably needs some more time. If not today, then tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then..."


    Suddenly, Eva took Adrian''s hand.


    "Let''s not."


    Eva''s voice was soft and gentle, and so was the grip of her hand. Adrian followed her hand slowly with his eyes.


    "If he doesn''t want to see me for now, then let''s not go."


    "Are you content on going on without clearing things up with him?"


    Eva smiled.


    "What is there for me to be content or discontent about? I''m not trying to be with him. I''m happy for him now that I know that he''s safe and just being secluded by his grandfather,."


    At least now he didn''t have to face legal issues or detention. They chose to settle things privately, which wouldn''t affect his future.


    When she came to see him before, she thought she was going to some ce worrying. Now, this oue was the best for her.


    He hadn''t been ruined; perhaps after some time, he could return to his own path normally.


    Not wanting to see, not wishing to see that should actually be the right decision.


    Thinking this, Eva said with certainty, "Let''s do that, then. Shall we head back today, or stay here another night? After all, you promised Ruby three to five days."


    Her words made Adrian feel very conflicted.


    It seemed like he was the one who actually wanted them to meet.


    He watched her silently for a moment before saying, "It''s too rushed to go back now. Let''s stay another day. If you don''t want to go anywhere when you wake up tomorrow, we''ll head back."


    Eva pursed her lips and said nothing more.


    Naturally, she could tell what Adrian meant.


    He was still worried that the decision she made today wasn''t rational enough, so he wanted her to stay another night here and make a decision after waking up tomorrow.


    Faced with Adrian''s concern, Eva could only sigh inwardly. She hadn''t anticipated his sense of security being so fragile. What had she possibly done in the past? She sensed it wasn''t solely because Michael had taken her away.

 Chapter 536 She Might not Remember You Right Now

    Could it be that something had happened between them in the past?


    Of course, Eva didn''t ask this directly because she felt that even if she did, Adrian probably wouldn''t tell her.


    Better to wait and talk about itter.


    They found a hotel nearby that wasn''t too far away and settled in. Adrian, fearing Eva might be bored, initially wanted to take her to a nearby mall for a stroll.


    However, Eva didn''t agree and outright refused him on the spot.


    "Your injury has just started to heal, and you''re already being reckless? Why can''t you ever learn?" Eva''s tone was slightly sharp. "I''ve told you that you need to rest. You do know what rest means, right?"


    Seeing her puff up with indignation as she spoke, her cheeks slightly bulging, Adrian had intended to listen seriously, but finding her appearance cute, his yful side took over, and he couldn''t resist reaching out to pinch her puffed cheeks.


    ""


    Eva''s speech halted midway as her cheeks were suddenly pinched, and she blinked in confusion.


    What did he mean by this?


    "What are you doing?"


    Instinctively, she ced her hands on Adrian''s arm, pushing while speaking, "Let go quickly. Don''t y too much, I''m trying to talk to you seriously."


    Adrian pinched her cheeks a couple of times, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I''m listening very seriously to you."


    Eva was at a loss.


    Was this how someone seriously listened to others?


    Did anyone seriously listen while pinching another''s cheeks?


    "It''s just that you looked too serious, so I thought I''d help you rx a bit."


    With that, Adrian pinched her cheeks again before finally letting go.


    "Alright, since you want me to rest, we won''t go out after this. We''ll stay in the hotel to rest and recuperate."


    Finding it boring to stay in the hotel room, Eva went to the balcony to enjoy the view.


    The hotel balcony where they stayed wasrge and had an outdoor swimming pool below. The pool was extensive, and the water shimmered in the sunlight. Since it was winter, no one was swimming, so the vast pool became a ce to enjoy the view.


    Eva leaned against the railing, quietly watching the pool water below, feeling her heart gradually calm down.


    A phone was ringing behind her, and the sound was close.


    Eva then realized that Adrian hade out from inside at some point, and he was now leaning against the balcony door, watching her.


    His phone in his pocket was ringing, and he reached down to take it out.


    When he saw the caller ID, Adrian paused for a moment, then without saying anything, and without moving away, he answered the call in front of Eva. "Hello."


    His voice was indifferent and subdued, betraying no emotion.


    Eva nced only once before turning her gaze back to the pool water below.


    Adrian watched her, listening to the woman''s questioning voiceing from the phone.


    "Adrian? Are you with Eva? Why can''t I get through to her cell phone number? Aren''t you supposed to be protecting her? I''m telling you, Adrian, if anything happens to her again, I''ll..." Before Emily could finish her sentence, Adrian interjected, "She''s right beside me. Do you want to talk to her?"


    The voice on the other end paused abruptly, seemingly caught off guard by his response.


    "She''s with you? Then give her the phone right away."


    "I will, but first I need to tell you something."


    "What is it?" Emily asked, clearly confused.


    Adrian nced at Eva and said solemnly, "She might not remember you right now."


    Emily went mute with shock.


    There was a dead silence on the phone for a moment before Emily explosively asked, "What do you mean? What do you mean she doesn''t remember me? Don''t tell me she has amnesia?" "Yes."


    Since Emily had returned home, she had not been in contact with Eva and was unaware of Eva''s situation, assuming she was safe. Moreover, with her own work keeping her so busy, she had been dizzy with activity. Only recently, when she had some downtime, did she try to call Eva.


    But she didn''t expect to find Eva''s phone unreachable.


    Emily had Adrian''s contact information from her time abroad. Despite her fear of him, the strength of friendship gave her the courage to make the call.


    And now, to her shock, she learned that Eva had lost her memory.


    What on earth had happened during the time she was busy?


    Why had things suddenlye to this?


    Emily wanted to question him, but then she thought better of it and said, "Never mind, just give her the phone. I want to talk to her."


    Because he wasn''t far away, Eva could hear his voice. At first, she thought it was a call rted to his work and didn''t listen carefully. Butter, she caught snippets about herself.


    After Adrian handed the phone to her, saying, "Your friend," he paused, then added, "You might remember something when you talk to her. Why not try?"


    Eva didn''t say a word and just took the phone.


    "Hello?"


    "Eva!!"


    Emily was thrilled to hear Eva''s voice. "Finally, I hear your voice. How are you? Are you okay?"


    Although Eva didn''t remember the people and events from before, Emily''s voice triggered a strange sense of familiarity and warmth.


    "I..."


    Eva''s voice began to choke up.


    Emily was instantly filled with heartache.


    "Do you not remember who I am? But you feel a sense of familiarity with me, right?"


    Eva subconsciously nodded, then realizing that Emily couldn''t see her, she had to verbalize her response.


    "Yes."


    "Okay, so you really don''t remember me. Well, I''ll tell you now, my name is Emily, and I''m your best friend..."


    Emily began to exin at length, starting with introducing herself, then recounting how the two of them met and became best friends, and how Eva had helped her in the past. Emily talked a lot, speaking nonstop on the phone. Eva did not have a chance to interject, only listening to her go on.


    Finally, after a long exnation, Emily asked, "Do you have any recollection now?"

 Chapter 537 No Regrets

    Despite what she had been told, Eva found herself without any recollection of the events Emily spoke of, but Emily''s tone sounded so hopeful. Eva felt a bit embarrassed and at a loss for words on how to respond to her.


    Sensing her silence, Emily seemed to understand and her voice carried a hint of disappointment, "Ah, never mind. If you can''t remember, don''t force it. Anyway, I''m about to resign from my job. Once I''m back, I''ll spend more time with you and tell you all about our past. Maybe then you''ll remember."


    From this, Eva picked up on something else. "Resign?"


    "Yeah, the work at my currentpany is just too exhausting, so I''ve submitted my resignation. Once it''s approved, I''ll be back. Then we can go shopping, watch movies, oh, and I haven''t seen Ruby and Dn in such a long time. How are they doing?"


    Mentioning Ruby and Dn brought a fond look to Eva''s eyes.


    "They''re with their grandma now; they''re doing well."


    "With their grandma?"


    Emily almost instinctively wanted to ask if the grandma in question was Adrian''s mother. Was Eva reallyfortable leaving Ruby and Dn in the ckwood family''s care, especially when she had previously been so protective of her children? But as the words reached her lips, Emily remembered Eva''s amnesia and stopped herself. It seemed better not to bring up certain topics. Without her memories, discussing these things with Eva would onlyplicate matters further. Even if she told Eva everything about the past, it wouldn''t necessarily help Eva make the right decisions. After all, it was Eva who had lived through those events, and while Emily knew the whole process as Eva''s best friend, she could never fully understand Eva''s most private thoughts.


    So, at this point, any careless talk would only add to Eva''s confusion.


    With that in mind, Emily had no choice but to change the subject. "Alright, I understand. I''ll get in touch once I''m back."


    "Okay." Eva smiled softly; her voice gentle. "When will you be back?"


    "I''m not sure, but it should be soon if he agrees. Though, I''ll still need to hand over my work."


    "Handing over work might take a while."


    "I''ll try to make it as quick as possible; I won''t keep you waiting too long."


    The two then chatted idly about other things. Emily asked several questions about Eva''s current rtionship with Adrian, always cautiously adding, "You''re sure you haven''t put me on speaker, right? He must not hear what I''m saying." Eva hadn''t put the phone on speaker, but the room was very quiet and Adrian was close by. He was still leaning against the balcony door. Emily''s voice was clear, and Eva wasn''t sure if he could hear.


    All she knew was that Adrian''s brows were slightly furrowed and his gaze was fixed on her.


    "I''m sure, don''t worry."


    Emily breathed a sigh of relief. "That''s good."


    Emily wanted to continue talking to Eva, but another call came through on her phone. After seeing the caller ID, her expression changed slightly and she said to Eva, "I have to deal with something else now; I''ll call you another day when I''m free." "Okay, go ahead."


    After hanging up the phone, Emily looked at the name on her phone screen: Mr. Powell.


    Since thest time he had stepped in to help her and Eva, Emily had changed her attitude towards him quite a bit, and after returning, she had even changed his contact name in her phone to Mr. Powell, as a sign of respect. She waited for a moment before answering the call with a smile, "Mr. Powell?"


    Her cheerful tone caused the person on the other end of the line to fall silent for a bit before he asked, "You seem happy?"


    This question caught Emily off guard, and she instinctively responded, "Ah?"


    "Is it because you are resigning? Is that why you''re so happy?"


    Emily didn''t know how to respond.


    Normally, she would have retorted with something like, "Of course, I''m happy to be resigning."


    But... he had helped herst time.


    With that thought, Emily just couldn''t muster up the defiance. After all, he had helped her, hadn''t he? If she kept snapping at him, wouldn''t that be inappropriate on her part?


    So, she found herself changing what she really wanted to say.


    "No, no, I''m happy because I just had a call with my best friend."


    Nathan: "Was it Eva?"


    "Yes, exactly." Emily nodded.


    After this exchange, there seemed to be a silence between them. After a while, Emily asked quietly, "Mr. Powell, did you need something from me?"


    "I saw your resignation letter."


    "Oh, yes, I want to resign. Ourpany requires us to submit a notice in advance, right? But Mr. Powell, I only submitted my resignation a few hours ago, how did you know about it already?"


    This question made Nathan pause for a moment before he replied, "The HR department told me."


    What he didn''t say was that her resignation letter had been immediately forwarded to him as soon as it was submitted.


    "Oh, well, since you''ve seen it, Mr. Powell, could you go ahead and approve it for me, so I don''t have to wait a few more days?"


    Originally, when submitting her resignation, Emily thought she would have to wait several days for approval. To her surprise, Nathan called her just a few hourster, so she naturally wanted to take this opportunity to have Nathan approve it. Nathan fell silent.


    Getting no response, Emily instinctively called out, "Mr. Powell?"


    Still no response. Emily pulled the phone away from her ear to see that the call was still in progress, which made her even more puzzled. Why was there no sound when the call was clearly still connected?


    Could there be a problem with her phone?


    Just as Emily was feeling strange and was about to hang up to try calling again, Nathan''s voice finally came through.


    "Are you sure about resigning? Have you thought it through?"


    His voice was very cold and t, without any emotional fluctuation.


    Emily didn''t notice anything unusual and nodded.


    "Of course, I''ve thought it through, otherwise I wouldn''t have submitted the resignation letter, Mr. Powell. If you''re not busy right now, why not sign it for me now? Once I get the approval, I can start preparing for the handover." Her tone was light, showing no regret about leaving thepany.


    Nathan was silent for a moment before asking, "Is it a sry issue?"


    Emily was taken aback for a moment.


    "What?"


    "If you think the sry is too low, I can double it."


    Emily was speechless.


    Emily was stunned; perhaps because she had not anticipated that he would suddenly offer to double her sry. It took her a while to find her voice again. "Mr. Powell, it''s not about the sry..."

 Chapter 538 Its My Own Issue

    "What is the reason then? Is it because other conditions are not good? If a raise doesn''t work, how about a promotion?"


    Emily truly didn''t understand what was going on.


    "Do you have any other requests? Just say them."


    Emily pursed her lips, unsure if it was her own misconception, but even though Nathan''s tone sounded very calm and normal, she could feel his urgency from his increasingly numerous questions. Urgency?


    Because she was resigning?


    The thought just flickered through Emily''s mind and was quickly dismissed by herself.


    Impossible, the corporation was notcking in talent.


    They could easily find someone to rece her and take her position.


    Aside from being hardworking and willing, she seemed to have no other advantages. The talent market was full of people; as soon as she left, someone else would immediately fill her position.


    This thought circled in her mind, and Emily quickly came to her senses. She had really been overthinking-how could Mr. Powell possibly be reluctant to let her go?


    Even if he were reluctant, it would probably be because he would miss having someone to exploit, right?


    With this thought, Emily came back to reality and said softly, "Mr. Powell, that''s not it."


    There was a pause on the other end, followed by silence.


    "The treatment I''ve received from thepany has been very good, the best I''ve had in my years of working."


    Although work was sometimes really busy, with him asionally asking her to go on business trips and to work overtime, when it came to sry, he had never shortchanged her. Also, expenses incurred due to work were reimbursed upon his direct signature, and the quarterly and annual bonuses were very generous. The benefits during regr work hours were not bad either, including the afternoon tea which was nevercking.


    In short, aside from vacations, she was treated better there than at any otherpany she had worked for.


    But...


    "If this is the best treatment you''ve ever received, why resign?"


    There was a question Nathan didn''t voice out loud. He wanted to ask if she was leaving because she had found a ce where she would be treated even better?


    If that was the case, of course, he could offer her a raise.


    Emily hadn''t expected her resignation to lead to these questions; she supposed it could be taken as a sign of his concern for her.


    "Mr. Powell, it has nothing to do with the way I was treated at thepany, it''s my own issue."


    After she said this, Nathan asked subconsciously, "What issue?"


    Then, he seemed to realize that this question was a bit intrusive, as it involved her personal privacy.


    And asking like this gave off the impression that he was trying to prying into her private life.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to pry into your private affairs, but if your personal issue is something thepany can help with, maybe..."


    Emily knew what he meant, and she still replied softly, "I know, Mr. Powell, you are not someone who would pry into others'' lives, but my personal reason is not something thepany can help with." At this point, if Nathan continued to ask, it would seem impolite.


    The cool and upright man sat in his office, holding the phone in one hand, while in front of himy a resignation report, applicant: Emily Jones.


    Attached to the report was a photo, Emily''s ID photo.


    The girl in the ID photo had a clean face, a sweet smile, and bright eyes. The photo seemed to be taken many years ago, as the girl in it still had a sense of innocence.


    He looked at the photo of the girl in front of him, then thought back to the years she had spent running around for thepany; his thin lips tightened slightly, and he asked once more.


    "Are you sure you want to resign?"


    "Yes."


    The girl''s voice came through from the other side of the phone, firm in tone.


    It seemed that she had truly made up her mind to leave thepany.


    "Okay, I understand. I will process the resignation report as soon as possible." "Thank you, Mr. Powell."


    Nathan didn''t hang up the phone; it seemed the girl was waiting for him to hang up first. After a while, realizing he hadn''t taken the initiative to end the call, she asked with a hint of surprise, "Mr. Powell? Should I hang up now?" Her voice was tentative, and Nathan pursed his lips, seemingly on the verge of saying something. But when the words reached his lips, he found he couldn''t speak a single one, only managing to utter a "Hmm" from his throat. The relief in her voice was palpable once she heard this, "Goodbye, Mr. Powell. Remember to approve my resignation."


    She thanked him and then hung up the phone.


    After listening to the busy toneing from his phone, Nathan set it down and picked up the fountain pen that was resting on his desk.


    When he had received this pen, there was a distant look in Nathan''s eyes.


    Just then, there was a knock at the office door.


    "Come in."


    His assistant entered, catching a glimpse of the resignation letter on Nathan''s desk, showing a slight surprise.


    "Mr. Powell, I see you''ve received the resignation letter."


    The assistant had just been out on an errand and on his return, passed by the HR department and had overheard discussions about Emily''s resignation. His face changed instantly, and he hurried upstairs to inform Mr. Powell, only to find that the resignation letter had already been delivered to him.


    And there was Mr. Powell, fountain pen in hand, ready to sign.


    The assistant only took one look before saying, "I''ll go find her."


    "No need," Nathan stopped him with a cold voice.


    His tone made the assistant halt in his tracks, turning around to see Nathan signing his name on the approval section of the resignation letter.


    The assistant was dumbfounded.


    "Mr. Powell, you''re approving it just like that? Aren''t you going to... inquire about the situation?"


    What on earth had happened in the few hours he''d been gone? How had things escted to this point so suddenly?


    Unfortunately, Nathan did not answer his question, instead handing over the signed resignation letter.


    "Take it to the HR department."


    Though the assistant was inwardly frustrated, he quickly took the resignation letter and then his gaze fell on the fountain pen in Nathan''s hand.


    The pen was pure ck, its edges worn to a silvery white, clearly showing signs of discoloration and wear. It was quite old and battered.


    This fountain pen was incongruous with Nathan''s stature; it was mismatched.


    After all, whichpany''s CEO would use a pen that looked so worn?


    But Nathan continued to use it, and the reason... probably only the assistant knew.


    The pen was a gift from Emily.


    During a project, Emily had worked tirelessly alongside Nathan and his assistant. When the project seeded, she was awarded a substantial bonus.


    Emily was delighted and used the bonus to buy gifts for him and Nathan.


    However, after the purchase, she realized that Mr. Powell already had custom-made pens, and the one she bought was from a lesser-known brand. She was so embarrassed that she wanted to take the gift back, but Mr. Powell epted it without hesitation.


    "Thanks for the gift; I appreciate the thought."

 Chapter 539 Handover

    Actually, there was nothing particrly special about this pen.


    When Emily bought the gifts, she didn''t y favorites; the two pens she gave were of equal value, just different in style.


    The assistant''s pen, which he had received earlier, was already worn out from use.


    Since he had no special feelings for Emily Jones, the pen she gave him was just an ordinary object to him.


    And when ordinary objects break or be ufortable to use, it was natural to discard them.


    So, the assistant quickly switched to a new pen, but one day he suddenly realized that Mr. Powell was still using the pen Emily gifted him.


    At that moment, he casually remarked, "Mr. Powell, you''re still using this pen? Mine broke, and I just threw it away. Emily really should have bought something better, especially after securing such arge bonus. Look at the edges of your pen; they''re nearly worn out. Maybe it''s time to buy a new one?"


    When he said that, he didn''t think much of it, so he wasn''t particrly respectful.


    But after he finished speaking, he sensed a chill in the air.


    Looking up, he saw Nathan staring at him coldly.


    "Have you finished your work, or do you still have time to discuss others here?" Nathan asked.


    The assistant was speechless.


    At that time, he thought Nathan was annoyed because he had spoken too much, so afterward, he didn''t dare to speak out of turn again.


    As time went on, he noticed that Nathan continued to use that pen, taking it everywhere, even once asking the assistant, "The pen seems to be broken; find someone reliable to fix it."


    After taking the worn pen, the assistant didn''t dare to speak. During the process of getting it repaired, he seemed to realize something.


    He suddenly understood why Nathan had looked at him with such a cold gaze when he had undervalued Emily''s gift.


    It wasn''t because he was being talkative, but because...


    The assistant couldn''t understand why though. So many beautiful women and even celebrities visited thepany often, all of them were rich socialites. He often thought Nathan was lucky; he had good character and good looks and, as a self-made man, Nathan had endless charm.


    The assistant had assumed that Nathan''s future partner would definitely be someone outstanding, certainly not someone like Emily...


    It wasn''t that Emily was bad, it was just that she was quite different from a female celebrity. After all, celebrities were meant to appear in front of the camera, so they naturally have high standards for themselves.


    Emily, on the other hand, sometimes came to the office without makeup, just wearing ck sses, and when busy with projects, she could even skip washing her hair, arguing that she didn''t have time to sleep, let alone wash her hair.


    He could never have imagined that Nathan would develop such feelings for Emily. After all, could someone who had seen so many beautiful women really fall for such an ordinary girl? Could it be just a fling?


    At first, he thought so, butter he realized that Nathan didn''t show any signs of such intentions; he continued to interact with her as a boss and nothing more, often taking her on business trips. On the surface, there seemed to be no issues between them.


    Except for that pen.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Nathan was still using that pen after so many years, the assistant would truly have been unable to detect his subtle emotions.


    He just didn''t understand why Nathan wouldn''t speak up.


    With his status, pursuing Emily should have been easy, right?


    Ah, the thoughts of the wealthy were truly iprehensible.


    After receiving approval for her resignation report, Emily was ted, feeling as if the heavy burden that had weighed on her for years was finally lifted.


    She usually had no mood for makeup when going to work, but today, feeling cheerful, she took the time to apply light makeup and even washed her hair before heading out.


    The person newly recruited for her position was not up to the task, so once she left, a capable person from below would be promoted to take over and work with her during the transition.


    Sure enough, when Emily arrived at the office, she saw someone already waiting at her workstation.


    The person showed a look of surprise upon seeing Emily.


    "Emily, you''re wearing makeup?" She eximed.


    Emily was taken aback, slightly embarrassed that her face was the first thing noticed. She didn''t respond to thement but instead asked, "Are you here for the handover?"


    "Yes," the girl named Yvette replied, nodding vigorously after hearing Emily''s question. "HR asked me toe over for you to train me."


    "It''s no trouble, we''re all colleagues," Emily said with a smile and then sat down as Yvette immediately came over with a cup of coffee.


    "Emily, I brought you this coffee," Yvette said.


    Emily was surprised that someone had brought her coffee and, seeing the eager smile on Yvette''s face, she understood. Yvette probably hoped that Emily would pass on everything necessary before leaving, to avoid mistakes in her future work.


    "Thank you," Emily said, taking a sip.


    Yvette breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Emily drink the coffee she brought, worrying whether Emily, about to resign, might treat her poorly or give her a hard time.


    It seemed, however, that Emily was not difficult to get along with.


    "This manual is something I put together," Emily said, handing Yvette a folder from the drawer. "It''s the experience I''ve umted over the years. Take a look when you have time; it will definitely help with the transition."


    "Thank you, Emily," Yvette said, shifting her legs and asking softly while looking at Emily''s profile, "Um... Emily, do you usually have to bring coffee to Mr. Powell or anything like that?"


    Emily shook her head, "No, that''s not within our job scope."


    Nathan had his own assistant, and he had very high standards for what he consumed. How could the coffee made by an ordinary person like her possibly suit his taste? Yvette was disappointed to hear this.


    So, she wouldn''t need to bring coffee to Mr. Powell?


    Didn''t that mean she''d miss out on chances to interact with Mr. Powell?


    "What about Mr. Powell''s schedule? Do you need to apany Mr. Powell to dinners or anything like that?" She inquired further.


    Emily found her questions odd, "None of the tasks you mentioned are part of this job. What did you do before? Didn''t HR tell you what this job entails?"


    Emily was puzzled. What exactly had HRmunicated, and how could Yvette think that her job involved bringing coffee to Mr. Powell or apanying him to dinners?

 Chapter 540 Eager to Return Home

    Her words made Yvette feel somewhat embarrassed.


    "No, not at all, I was just curious about what you usually do, so I asked..." Yvette poked her own index finger, "Emily, you''re not angry, are you?"


    Emily clearly hadn''t taken offense and shook her head.


    "Why would I be angry? Take a look at these; you handle this document."


    Since the job handover was to be done, it was only natural to let her get her hands dirty. The quicker she learned, the better, as Emily could leave thepany sooner.


    Once she left thepany, she would immediately buy a ticket to return to her country.


    It had been so long since she had held Ruby and Dn. She wondered if the two little ones would have be less affectionate towards her after not seeing her for such a long time. Emily''s thoughts were almost flying out to outer space.


    Because Emily still had to apany Yvette, when it was time to report for work, she directly took Yvette to Nathan''s office.


    Yvette followed behind Emily, nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.


    "It''s okay, aside from his cold expression and foul temper, Mr. Powell is actually quite easy to get along with."


    Emily turned back and reassured her with a smile.


    Little did she know that the very next second after she finished her sentence, the door to the office swung open, and a cool voice followed.


    "Who has a cold expression and a foul temper?"


    The indifferent yet familiar voice made Yvette''s face change color.


    Emily was taken aback.


    She was somewhat speechless. How could such a coincidence befall her? She had only made a smallint, and he had heard it?


    Well, it didn''t matter. She hadined about him more than once, and he had even heard her before...


    But although he had looked annoyed at the time, he hadn''t done anything to her.


    So, in Emily''s eyes, Nathan was a good person.


    "What are you doing here?" Nathan''s gaze swept over the person behind her and then fell back on her face.


    Emily responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Reporting for work, oh right."


    Emily pulled the person behind her forward, "This is Yvette; she is taking over my duties."


    After suddenly being pulled in front of Nathan for an introduction, Yvette faced the tall and handsome man from such a close distance for the first time. Her fair cheeks instantly turned suspiciously red as she lowered her head and greeted him softly.


    "Mr... Mr. Powell."


    Nathan nced at her and nodded.


    Then his gaze shifted back to the unconcerned Emily, and his tone became much colder.


    "Come in."


    Emily pulled Yvette and followed Nathan into the office.


    Once inside the office, Nathan sat at his desk, lifted his eyes, and his gaze still rested on Emily''s face.


    From the moment they first met, Nathan had noticed that she was wearing makeup today. Although it was subtle, it was still different from usual, and she had even applied lip gloss, making her lips look pink and tender... "Mr. Powell, Mr. Powell?"


    Emily called out to him twice, making Nathan suddenly snap back to reality, only to find both of them looking at him with puzzled expressions.


    It was then that he realized he had been distracted.


    In the office, Nathan hardly ever lost focus, but today...


    Nathan pursed his lips, steadied his mind, and coldly asked, "What is it?"


    "Did you hear what I just said?"


    Nathan didn''t know what to say.


    Not a single word had sunk in.


    But he couldn''t admit to being distracted in front of her, especially not with someone else in the office.


    So, Nathan turned to Yvette beside her and asked, "What''s your name?"


    Yvette quickly replied, "I''m Yvette."


    "I didn''t rest wellst night; I''m a bit tired now. Could you make me a cup of coffee please?"


    He gave the instruction with a calm and detached air.


    Emily, who had just assured Yvette that there was no need to make coffee for Nathan, heard this and was taken aback.


    Yvette was also taken aback for a moment; she exchanged a nce with Emily and, after receiving a nod, hurried out to make the coffee.


    After Yvette left, the office quieted down. Emily looked at Nathan with a bit of speechlessness, wanting toin but holding back, only asking, "Mr. Powell, did you not sleep wellst night?" But Nathan didn''t answer her question. Instead, he asked, "You''re wearing makeup?" Huh?


    She thought she had heard wrong; otherwise, why would Nathan ask the same question as Yvette?


    She only had light makeup on; why were these people so concerned about her makeup? Could it be that she was too sloppy usually, so once she put on makeup, everyone noticed?


    Initially, Emily felt like the makeup had put her in a great mood, but now it was bing somewhat awkward. In front of Nathan, she could only force a smile and say, "So what if I''m wearing makeup?"


    Detecting the dissatisfaction in her tone, as if she were ming him for asking such a question, Nathan pursed his lips slightly and asked, "You''re in a good mood because you''re resigning?" After all, she rarely wore makeup to work before.


    Emily didn''t expect him to ask such a question; it sounded like he was still concerned about her resignation.


    But he had already signed and approved it.


    However, as an employee, Emily certainly knew she couldn''t admit to her boss that she was happy about resigning, so she changed her response, "No, I just thought that since I''m leaving, I should definitely leave a good impression and jazz up my appearance a bit, Mr. Powell, don''t you think? And besides, leaving thepany is something I''m actually quite sad about, not happy."


    Anyway, she was leaving, so she might as well do it gracefully.


    So, Emily said a lot of good things about thepany.


    To Emily''s surprise, he said, "If you''re reluctant to leave, why not stay? We can discuss your difficulties and see how we can solve them."


    "Ah?" Emily had only such things for the sake of appearances, believing that Nathan, a fellow professional, would understand they were just pleasantries.


    Unexpectedly, he didn''t y by the usual rules and offered to solve her problems...


    Seeing her silence, Nathan''s tone became more serious.


    "Is it a very difficult issue?"


    After thinking it over, Emily finally nodded.


    "Yes, I think it''s quite difficult to solve. It''s something that requires me to leave thepany to handle."


    She was simply tired of working and wanted to take a vacation and travel, to allow herself some freedom and rxation. If she continued to stay with thepany, such days would nevere to an end.


    Moreover, the most important reason was that her parents were getting older, and she wanted to spend more time with them.


    Later on, she nned to find a peaceful job near her home, one that wasn''t so demanding. She aspired for a job without the need to travel all over the world for business trips, without the constant concern for work. She just wanted a simple life apanying her aging parents.

 Chapter 541 We Cant Go Back Today

    Perhaps in the eyes of many, she might seem tock ambition.


    She used to think the same way, always feeling that one needed to step out of theirfort zone to stand out. Otherwise, how could one ever rise above the rest? But in recent years, she truly felt exhausted.


    Maybe it was because she had gone too far and be too weary, that she now wanted to stop and rest.


    And most importantly, over these years, she had worked hard. Following Nathan, she hadpleted many projects and earned quite a few bonuses. Coupled with her high sry, she had saved a good amount of money. Once she returned, if she couldn''t find a job to her liking, she could just open a small store near her parents'' house.


    She thought that life seemed pretty good.


    Emily didn''t share her personal matters, and Nathan didn''t ask further; instead, he changed the subject.


    "nning to go back to your hometown?"


    "Yep, going home first."


    Nathan''s lips moved as if he wanted to say something more, but at that moment, Yvette came in with coffee.


    "Mr. Powell, your coffee is ready."


    So, the words he had at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.


    The coffee was ced aside; Nathan didn''t even touch it until their meeting was over.


    After the report, when Emily was leaving the office with Yvette, Yvette couldn''t help but ask Emily.


    "Emily, is the coffee I made not to Mr. Powell''s taste? I noticed he didn''t touch it at all."


    It was indeed a bit awkward. Emily hadn''t expected that Nathan, who had personally asked someone to brew him coffee, would end up not drinking it at all. She wondered what he was really thinking. However, Emily stillforted her. "Maybe it''s because the coffee was just brewed, and he was afraid it was too hot. He''ll drink it once it''s cooled down."


    Yvette: "Oh, I see. I thought I didn''t make it well."


    "If you hadn''t made it well, he would have to taste it to know if it was right or not. How could he know you didn''t make it well without even taking a sip?" "That''s true; you''re right," Yvette said with a warm smile towards her.


    Emily sighed inwardly when she saw her like this.


    Yvette seemed very naive and sensitive. If she faced exploitationter on, would she be able to endure it?


    With this thought, Emily said, "Don''t do anything else today. Finish reading the book of umted experience I gave you. It lists what you can and cannot do. Take a look at it." "Okay."


    Perhaps, after she finished reading about those harsh conditions, she wouldn''t want to stay in this position anymore.


    If she didn''t want to stay, then it was better to rece her sooner rather than wasting too much time in between.


    Emily was now eager to return home.


    The Next Day


    Eva woke up very early.


    It was still dark outside, without a hint of light.


    When Eva drew back the curtains, she realized that it was raining in the city.


    "It''s pouring. Looks like we can''t go back for now."


    At that moment, the sky wasden with dark clouds, almost enveloping the city, foreshadowing a torrential downpour. The somber skies seemed to unsettle the pedestrians below. Eva watched for a while, then closed the curtains and turned around to meet Adrian''s gaze.


    She didn''t bring up anything else but said, "Your wound needs to be redressed."


    "Okay."


    While applying the new dressing, Eva noticed that his wound looked slightly better than it had the day before. It seemed the rest he had gotten over the past couple of days was beneficial.


    "In a couple of days, you shouldn''t need to change the dressing twice a day anymore. We can reduce it to just once."


    "Thanks to you, my wound is healing fast."


    Eva put the remaining items back into the medicine box.


    "It''s the medicine that''s effective."


    "The medicine is good, and so are your skills."


    Eva pursed her lips, "I wonder how long this rain willst."


    Hearing this, Adrian looked out the window.


    "Not sure, but it seems like it''s going tost a long time."


    He hadn''t heard her answer for the day when he woke up in the morning. She had said they would leave today, but when they got up, they were greeted by the rain, which had them stuck in their hotel room.


    There was a silent understanding between them for a while, as if both knew what the other was thinking, yet neither spoke it aloud.


    After a moment, Eva took the initiative, "Shall we go downstairs for breakfast?"


    "Sure."


    The two of them silently went down to have breakfast together.


    After breakfast, the rain still hadn''t stopped.


    The storm seemed to be unleashing something, pouring down relentlessly regardless of anyone''s plight.


    Since they were staying in a hotel, they didn''t have to worry too much. They just couldn''t go out for the time being. After breakfast, they returned to their room. Eva nestled onto the room''s sofa and started fiddling with her phone. That morning, Adrian''s staff had delivered her old phone.


    When Eva got it back, a familiar feeling washed over her, and without asking, she charged it and entered the password from muscle memory.


    Adrian watched her actions silently. His lips pursed when he saw her unlock the phone.


    It seemed she still had muscle memory for many things.


    After getting into her phone, Eva clicked around a few spots, finally feeling the sense of having regained something lost, and a smile unconsciously yed on her lips.


    "How did you find this phone?"


    "David."


    Adrian said, "He had it sent over this morning. He probably just remembered."


    "In the morning?" Eva was surprised. "But the rain was so heavy..."


    "Yes, it was delivered in the rain; that person hasn''t even left yet."


    Thinking of someone braving the rain to deliver her phone made Eva feel a bit guilty, as traveling in such weather was far from safe.


    Her expression made it clear she was worried about the person.


    "Don''t overthink it. If you''re concerned about his safety, we can have him go backter. Right now, there''s too much water outside, and many roads are flooded. Even if he wanted to leave, he would probably have to wait until the rain stops." Hearing this, Eva finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Okay."


    However, the rain hadn''t stopped by noon. The drains began to overflow, and the water on the streets was almost at knee height. The TV stations issued various warnings while broadcasting news about the heavy rain.


    Both of their phones were flooded with news alerts aboutndslides due to the excessive rain. It seemed that many cars were submerged in water, so the news was urging citizens to reduce travel and to be careful if they had to go out. Adrian looked at these warnings and then back at the continuing rain outside.


    "It looks like we can''t go back today."


    Eva fell silent.


    It was hard to define what she was feeling. She had intended to leave first thing in the morning to put an end to the ongoing issues.


    But as it turned out... mother nature had her own ns.

 Chapter 542 Dont Be Foolish Again

    With this thought, Eva couldn''t help but want to re at Adrian.


    "It''s all your fault."


    "Hmm?" Adrian replied.


    "I suggested we go back yesterday. If we had left then, we wouldn''t be stuck here today."


    Adrian silently looked at her for a long while.


    "Maybe it''s fate?"


    "What?"


    "To let you two meet again."


    This statement sessfully silenced Eva again.


    After a long silence, she asked, "Why are you so insistent on me seeing him?"


    Wasn''t he supposed to be jealous?


    Why would he keep suggesting that they meet? Eva didn''t quite understand what he was thinking.


    "Seeing him will bring closure."


    That was Adrian''s answer to her question.


    Upon hearing this, Eva finally understood his intention.


    He was concerned that if they didn''t meet, she might continue to dwell on this matter after returning home. Rather than letting her keep him in her thoughts, thereby deepening her impression of him, it was better to let her meet him once more, to ensure he was alright and then she could move on with her life.


    That was naturally Adrian''s n, but Michael, that man, clearly had another idea.


    He didn''t want to meet her, simply because he hoped she would keep thinking about him.


    Although Adrian still didn''t know what Michael''s ultimate purpose forpromising was, he had indeedpromised and wouldn''t harm Eva anymore, but he still had other motives.


    If he couldn''t keep her by his side, he wanted her to remember him forever.


    The thought of his woman forever remembering another man was simply intolerable for Adrian.


    After understanding Adrian''s point, Eva no longer resisted and just said, "But he doesn''t want to see me."


    "Let''s try again. If he really doesn''t want to, we''ll find another opportunity in the future."


    Eva could only nod in agreement; that was all they could do for now.


    "By the way, make a call to check if it''s raining at Mom''s ce?" Eva suddenly remembered something and quickly voiced her concern.


    "Okay." Adrian could tell she was worried about the heavy rain affecting Margaret and the kids, so he immediately made a call and put it on speaker.


    After learning that it was sunny there and there was no rain, Eva breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thankfully, if it had been raining there too, the weather would have made her even more anxious.


    Once she confirmed her family''s safety, Eva had nothing to do. The rain outside had lessened, turning from a downpour to a drizzle.


    Eva initially wanted to rest on the couch, but she was afraid she might fall asleep by ident, and Adrian would definitely carry her to bed if he found her sleeping.


    His wound had just healed; it couldn''t split open again.


    So, after some deliberation, Eva got up and went to the bedroom to rest, while instructing Adrian not to wander around and to continue resting.


    Adrian rubbed the back of her head.


    "Alright, stop worrying about me. If you tell me to rest, I''ll rest, and I won''t do anything else."


    After she closed her eyes, Adrian first made sure she was asleep, then had his people bring hisptop to him and went to the study to deal with work.


    Recently, he had fallen behind on manypany matters, and as for the losses...


    He couldn''t be bothered to calcte how much he had lost. Now that she was by his side, she and the children had be his greatest wealth.


    However, to ensure a good life for them in the future, he naturally couldn''t neglect thepany''s affairs. Now that his injury was somewhat healed and Eva was asleep, Adrian naturally took this opportunity to catch up on work. The study was quiet, with only the sound of theptop running.


    When Eva woke up, the rain had stopped, and the traffic on the roads had somewhat returned to order, with many people out maintaining the peace, although some areas still had standing water.


    However, after talking with Adrian, Eva was no longer in a hurry to return.


    After all, she had promised Ruby to return within five days at thetest, and today was only the second day. If Adrian was worried that she wouldn''t feel at ease without seeing Michael, then she would try and see him again before they left. She leaned on the bed and scrolled through her phone.


    There were many chat records on her phone, the most frequent one being with her close friend Emily.


    Eva also logged into her Facebook to look at the photos she had posted in the past.


    After seeing the photos of Ruby, Dn, and herself, Eva''s eyes warmed with affection.


    She was thankful that she was still alive; otherwise, how would she have known that she had given birth to such adorable children?


    Having had a near-death experience, Eva felt an intensified attachment to her children, scrolling through one post after another. It appeared she rarely posted on Facebook, typically only sharing photos when the kids were out ying. When she scrolled to a private post, Eva paused and then clicked into it.


    After clicking, she realized that this post was set to be visible to her alone.


    The content read: Don''t be foolish and don''t repeat the same mistakes.


    Something stirred inside Eva when she saw this, as if some emotion was being roused.


    She stared at the content as the warmth in her eyes gradually faded, her mind filling with confusion.


    What did it mean by not being foolish and not repeating the same mistakes?


    What was the meaning behind this Facebook post?


    Eva nced at the date and realized that the post was from this year, just a few months ago.


    Seeing this close timeline, Eva suddenly had an ominous premonition.


    She continued to scroll down, and the more she looked, the more rmed she became.


    Because in all the posts she had shared, there was not a single one rted to Adrian.


    He had never appeared in any of them, which Eva found very strange.


    It was normal for there to be no posts about Michael since she didn''t have a normal rtionship with him, and given her personality, she certainly wouldn''t post his photos.


    But what about Adrian?


    He was clearly Ruby and Dn''s father, so why hadn''t she posted even a single thing about him? And then there was that private post visible only to herself, which clearly served as a warning to her. But what was she warning herself against?


    She couldn''t remember at all now, which meant something must have happened.


    Yet, this private post still weighed heavily on Eva''s mind.


    After putting away her phone, Eva''s expression was no longer as rxed as when she had just woken up.


    Although she had forgotten many things, she trusted her emotions, and since she was willing to go and make a deal with Michael for Adrian''s sake, it meant that Adrian was indeed significant to her. But...

 Chapter 543 What Should She Do?

    Lost in thought, the doorknob turned gently, and the next second, Adrian opened the door and walked in. When their eyes met, Adrian was taken aback, probably not expecting her to be awake so early. Moreover, she hadn''t gone out, and


    was simply sitting on the bed looking at her phone.


    After closing the door behind him, Adrian walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.


    "Why didn''t you call me when you woke up?"


    Noticing the phone in her hand and her seemingly unwellplexion, Adrian''s expression changed slightly.


    "What are you looking at?"


    "Nothing."


    Eva replied subconsciously, then put the phone next to the pillow, seizing the moment to inquire, "I seem to have slept for a long time. You didn''t wander off during this time, did you?" "Do you really think of me as a child?" Adrian sarcastically shot back.


    He couldn''t help but reach out and pinch her nose. "Besides, you are here. Where could I possibly go?"


    The warm touch on her nose made Eva flustered. She looked at Adrian''s handsome features and almost blurted out asking what had happened between them in the past.


    But when the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back down.


    Things seemed to beplicated enough already, and she did not have all her memories at the moment. Even if she asked, it would be a one-sided affair for her.


    How could she make a decision suitable for herself based on such one-sided information?


    Forget it, better not to ask. She would try to regain her memoriester.


    With this thought, Eva made up her mind to seek help from her best friend after sorting things out here.


    Noticing her hesitate and then fall silent, Adrian wanted to ask but then decided not to. If she wanted to talk, she would ask when the time was right.


    "Are you hungry? Shall we have the hotel bring up some food?"


    It was only when he mentioned it that Eva realized she was indeed hungry and wanted to eat.


    She nodded. "Okay."


    Lately, her appetite had improved, and her food intake had gradually increased.


    "Let''s go."


    As she propped herself up to get out of bed, Adrian intended to take her phone for her, but before his hand could touch it, Eva snatched the phone back like she had just been electrocuted. Her action was swift as if she feared something might happen.


    After this, both of them instinctively froze.


    "Sorry, I just..." Eva was at a loss for words.


    She thought Adrian would mind, but he was silent for a while and then said, "Keep the phone with you. Don''t worry, your phone has been returned to you, and it won''t be taken away by anyone else." Eva was speechless.


    She looked at Adrian with some confusion.


    Did he really not understand, or was he pretending to be dumb?


    "Let''s go; let''s eat first."


    Adrian could sense her unease, but he didn''t know what had caused it. Now that it was mealtime and she was hungry, he didn''t want to stop and discuss these matters, preferring to have her eat quickly. Eva, of course, did not know his thoughts. If she had anything to say, it would have to wait until after her meal.


    After putting on slippers and a coat, Eva followed Adrian to the restaurant downstairs. As they passed the study, she noticed the light was on and stopped in surprise. "Did you use the study?"


    Since they were staying in a high-end presidential suite, their hotel room came withplete facilities, including a study.


    She remembered the light in the study was off before she entered her room, but now it was on.


    This could only mean that Adrian had used the study.


    Sure enough, after she asked, the person walking ahead paused slightly before saying, "Yeah, I used it for a little while."


    Since it was discovered, denying it would only make her more suspicious.


    "A little while?" This description made Eva narrow her eyes warily. "You don''t mean from the time I went to sleep until I woke up, do you?"


    Adrian didn''t know how to respond.


    She had hit the nail on the head.


    "Adrian, did you work?"


    With no choice, Adrian could only sigh inwardly and then say, "I did work, but it was also quite rxing. I just used theptop and sat on the chair." He paused, then added as if remembering something, "I didn''t move around."


    Eva didn''t speak; she just pursed her lips and suddenly stepped forward to lift his shirt.


    "Let me see your wound."


    "Eva."


    Adrian clearly did not expect her sudden movement. He stood frozen for a moment, and before he could react, Eva had already lifted his shirt. Realizing what she intended to do, Adrian decided not to stop her. He just stood there and let her check.


    As expected, after lifting his shirt, Eva carefully examined his wound, making sure that the bandage was still pristine white and not stained with blood. Luckily, everything was okay, and she sighed in relief. Seeing her like this, Adrian couldn''t help but let out a low chuckle and tease her, "Are you that worried about me?"


    However, Eva was not in the mood to joke with him; instead, she looked up at him with displeasure.


    "How can you even say that? You''re injured, and if you took the time to properly rest, you wouldn''t even be away from work for a long time. Can''t you endure it for just that short period?"


    Faced with her questioning, Adrian could only respond helplessly, "I was just dealing with a bit of work, and I didn''t move around, did I?"


    "Resting and working are not the same thing. Otherwise, why do you think patients are advised to rest? If you work, can that be called resting?" "Alright, alright."


    Adrian realized he couldn''t win the argument with her, and mainly, he was afraid of her getting angry, so after a few words, he started to concede. "I was wrong, and I promise there won''t be a next time."


    Given his sincerely apologetic attitude, Eva felt awkward about being angry and could only tease him in return.


    "You''re always like this; you''re quick to apologize, but then you repeat the same mistake."


    Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist with augh, "I promise I won''t do it again."


    "I don''t believe you."


    She realized she had already understood his pattern. The next time she caught him, he would start apologizing and pleading again.


    "Well, let''s skip this topic. Are you hungry, baby? Shall we go eat? Room service is probably about to arrive."


    During the meal, Adrian took good care of her, serving only her favorite foods.


    "It''s just the two of us. Eat until you don''t feel like eating anymore."


    As she gazed at the considerate man in front of her, Eva thought again about the Facebook post she had made. Could it be rted to him? If it was rted, then what should she do?

 Chapter 544 To Meet or Not to Meet?

    Clearly, their rtionship now was not as simple as just them being together or apart. There were children involved, and their parents were concerned for them as well.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Adrian''s voice brought her back to reality.


    Eva came to her senses and saw Adrian looking at her with concern, "Are you full?"


    In truth, she hadn''t eaten much, but it seemed her appetite wasn''t great today, so after eating a little, she felt like she couldn''t eat anymore, so Eva simply nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I''m full."


    Adrian saw that she hadn''t eaten much and was still a bit worried.


    "Eat a little more?"


    Eva didn''t feel nauseous, so she leaned in and took a few more bites.


    "Okay."


    After finishing those bites, Eva put down her utensils, no longer willing to continue, and Adrian, seeing that she had lost her appetite, also put down his utensils.


    "What''s wrong today? Are you in a bad mood? Or is there something that''s making you unhappy?"


    Eva shook her head.


    "It''s not that I''m in a bad mood, I just..."


    She looked at the person in front of her, hesitating whether to voice her thoughts. But when the words reached her lips, she couldn''t speak them out loud. After all, it was just a Facebook post.


    She had lost her memory, and what she was seeing now was just the tip of the iceberg. If she were to bring it up, Adrian might exin it, but she still wouldn''t know how to handle it.


    Maybe it was better to act as if it never happened and try to regain her memory first.


    "Just what?"


    Adrian, not waiting for her answer, clearly felt a bit uneasy and took the initiative to ask.


    Eva was taken aback. Adrian had clearly sensed her mood. If she denied it now, it might just lead to him overthinking, so she simply said, "Sorry, I don''t want to talk about these things right now." This was an unexpected answer.


    Adrian had thought that even if she didn''t want to talk, she would say she was fine. He didn''t expect her to directly tell him that she didn''t want to talk.


    With the conversation having reached this point, he felt like if he pressed further, it would only pressure her.


    Thinking this, Adrian could only purse his lips and say softly, "Okay, if you don''t want to talk about it now, then we won''t. But if you really can''t figure it out, you must tell me. If it''s something bad, don''t keep it to yourself. Telling me is definitely better than brooding over it alone."


    His respect and understanding made Eva feel at ease, and she was no longer tense. Eva agreed.


    "Okay."


    The Next Day


    The puddles from yesterday''s rain had receded, and the sun peeked out from the clouds, warming the world as if the torrential downpour had never happened.


    Traffic on the roads was flowing smoothly again.


    Around ten o''clock, Eva and Adrian were ready to leave. The luggage was packed in the trunk. Eva had made it clear to Adrian the night before that today would be thest attempt.


    If Michael still didn''t want to meet her, then she would have to go back.


    This was a decision Eva had made herself; Adrian didn''t interfere. He simply agreed after listening to her.


    David wasn''t surprised that Eva didn''te during yesterday''s heavy rain. After all, he would have been worried if she had.


    Besides his concern, someone else seemed to be even more worried. Since waking up to the heavy rain, which showed no sign of stopping, he had been visibly restless in the house. Eventually, David suggested, "Ms. Hansen''s phone is still here. Why don''t I have someone send it over?"


    To his surprise, Michael scoffed at the suggestion.


    "Send it over? How do you know she''s still around? If you really wanted to return the phone to her, why didn''t you do it yesterday?"


    David ignored thetter half of his remark and simply said, "She settled into a nearby hotel. We''ll know if she''s there when we send it."


    After that, Michael didn''t say anything more.


    Later, the person who went to send the phone had been gone for a long time, and just when Michael thought the phone couldn''t be delivered, David received a message. "The phone was delivered, but the rain is too heavy. I''m taking a break there for now."


    Michael pursed his lips and didn''t respond.


    "The rain is too heavy; Ms. Hansen can''t leave yet."


    Hearing this, Michael''s lips curled into a mocking smile, "What does that have to do with me? Why do you have to tell me these trivial matters?"


    After speaking, he went straight into his room.


    David stood there, clearly sensing that Michael''s mood had improved slightly.


    He sighed, feeling increasingly sad inside.


    Just like today, there was no rain. If they had wanted toe over, they should have been here much earlier, but by ten o''clock, there was still no sign of them. David could sense his restlessness.


    However, Michael was patient. Even though he was anxious, he didn''t say a word.


    The phone had already been sent out, and David had nothing else to deliver today, so he could only wait with him.


    After a while, Michael stood up, preparing to return to his room when he heard David address him, "Mr. Cooper." Hearing this, Michael paused in his steps and turned around with displeasure in his gaze.


    The look in his eyes was cold and filled with resentment.


    "What is it?"


    "Are you waiting for Ms. Hansen?"


    "No." Michael coldly replied.


    "Who told you I was waiting for her?"


    David did not argue but simply continued to ask, "If Ms. Hansen arrivester, will you see her or not?"


    Michael frowned.


    "Why do you ask?"


    "It will determine whether I should bring her in to see youter."


    After a pause, Michael finally said, "She won''te."


    "But what if she does?"


    Michael only responded with silence.


    "Will you see her, Mr. Cooper?"


    Silence yet again.


    At this moment, the sound of a car horn came from outside the window.


    Michael''s expression changed slightly after hearing it. His lips were pressed into a straight line.


    David''s gaze was fixed on his face, not missing any subtle expression.


    A momentter, he curved his lips into a smile.


    "It seems Ms. Hansen has arrived, Mr. Cooper. Will you see her or not? I need a definitive answer."


    Only a day had passed, but Eva''s reappearance here felt like a long time had gone by.


    The Coopers'' servant saw her and went upstairs to find David, familiar with the routine. They were supposed to wait next door, but today Eva politely declined and expressed that she would wait outside for his response. When David came down, he saw Eva standing not far from the front door.


    Seeing her expression and eyes, David anticipated something and sighed inwardly as he approached.


    "Ms. Hansen."


    "David."


    Eva gave him a slight smile. "We meet again. You should know why I''m here."


    David nodded.


    "Yes, but I''m sorry, Ms. Hansen. Mr. Cooper still does not wish to see you."


    It was an expected answer, and Eva was not surprised or disappointed. Facing David''s gaze, she simply nodded quietly. "Alright, I understand."

 Chapter 545 Never to Remember Him Again

    David took a careful look at her and found that she appeared very calm. She didn''t seem surprised by the oue, as if she had anticipated this result all along. David suddenly had an ominous premonition.


    As expected, the thought had barely formed in his mind when it quickly came to fruition.


    "Since he still refuses to see me, I won''t insist," she said.


    At that point, Eva gave him a slight smile and added, "Please tell him to take good care of himself."


    David was taken aback.


    "Oh, and David, I remember the favor you did for me. If you ever need my help in the future, don''t be afraid to ask."


    David had thought she would continue to talk about Michael, but her conversation swiftly turned to focus on him instead.


    "Ms. Hansen, the help I provided you... you don''t need to keep it at heart; I had my own reasons."


    If Michael were to fall from power, where would he find such a patron in the future?


    Only if Michael remained unchallenged would he be able to continue working under him, right?


    Seeing him deflect the credit, Eva simply smiled slightly and said no more. She knew he was trying not to put too much pressure on her; after all, the selfish reasons he mentioned were trivialpared to her safety and security. He had risked offending Michael twice, with consequences yet unknown.


    What he did meant a lot to Eva.


    "Anyway, if you need help with anything, make sure to reach out to me. My offer will always stand."


    Reluctantly, David could only nod.


    "Alright, I understand, Ms. Hansen. Thank you."


    "Then I''ll be going now."


    David hesitated as he looked into her eyes, "Ms. Hansen, you mean?"


    "Yes, I''m preparing to go back. I didn''t n to be here for long; my children are waiting for me."


    "They''re waiting for us."


    An annoyed voice spoke up at her side, and a hand reached out to pull her into an embrace.


    He had apanied her all this way, and Eva didn''t expect him to be jealous at this moment, nor to hold her so possessively.


    Surprised, yet unable to stop a slight curve at the corner of her lips, she responded softly.


    "Of course."


    David clearly hadn''t expected to witness such a scene. As he felt a sense of foreboding, a loud crash came from upstairs. Indeed.


    The crash drew many people''s attention, their gazes unconsciously moving towards the source of the noise. Unfortunately, separated by corridors and walls, they couldn''t see clearly what had happened. Their responsibilities kept them rooted to the spot, unable to leave their post.


    Eva, startled by the noise, felt the person beside her tighten his hold as if fearing some mishap.


    After the noise had stopped, it seemed like nothing had happened.


    Eva, still unsettled, looked at David and inquired, "David? What just happened?"


    Compared to Eva''s panic, David appeared much calmer. He didn''t move an inch, nor did he frown.


    He simply stood there, calmly saying, "It''s nothing; a worker probably messed up and broke something. Someone will take care of it."


    Without his exnation, Eva wouldn''t have known what happened, but seeing David''s calm demeanor, as if such incidents were not unusual, reassured her.


    After the initial shock, Eva gradually regained herposure.


    She pursed her lips and tentatively spoke, "That''s good then."


    A moment of silence followed.


    Eva nced at Adrian. He stood by her side, and when she looked at him, he raised an eyebrow but didn''t speak.


    Seeing his reaction, he was clearly following her lead.


    Eva and he exchanged looks for a few seconds, then she whispered, "Shall we prepare to go back now?"


    Adrian curled his lip slightly, giving a gentle squeeze at her waist.


    "As you wish."


    "Okay," Eva nodded and then, without further hesitation, turned to David and spoke decisively, "David, since he doesn''t want to see me, let''s get going."


    With that, Eva''s gaze briefly swept upwards toward a micro-camera hidden in the corner-an object she didn''t notice.


    Behind the camera, Michael found his breath hitch. For a split second, it was as if her eyes, through the camera, collided directly with his.


    Michael''s lips suddenly tightened, and the hand that hung by his side clenched into a fist.


    There were many moments when he almost couldn''t control his desire to see her, but...


    The thought that after seeing him, her worries would be gone, and she would probably live her life well and forget him, made Michael think that maintaining the status quo was better. Let her be unable to let go of him, to always remember him.


    With that thought, his tightened fist slowly rxed.


    When Eva looked in his direction, her expression and eyes conveyed a sense of calm. After a fleeting gaze, she redirected her attention to the man by her side and softly said, "Let''s go." "Alright," Adrian replied while nodding. Together they departed, their exit clean and decisive, without any signs of lingering or second-guessing. In no time at all, they vanished from sight.


    David stood there for a moment, waiting for any indication of activity behind him. Hearing none, he advanced on his own. As he passed the staircase, his eyes unintentionally flicked toward the hidden camera. When he pushed the door open, he found Michael had already returned to his room.


    The loud noise from before had already made it clear to David that Michael had heard everything that had just happened downstairs, including their conversation.


    David lingered on the spot for a moment before entering the room, where he found Michael sitting on the couch, exuding an aura of deep despondency.


    "Mr. Cooper, Ms. Hansen has left," David announced, but his words hung in the air and were met with nothing but silence.


    When no reaction came, David spoke again after a while, "Mr. Cooper, it seems Ms. Hansen intends not toe back. Today was probably thest time." Perhaps because David had repeated the obvious, the atmosphere around Michael grew even more somber.


    "Just get out," Michael said, his voice ice-cold.


    "Mr. Cooper..."


    "Are you deaf? Get out!"


    David stood there, gazing at him for a long time.


    "Mr. Cooper, are you sure you don''t want to see her? There''s still a chance right now."


    After a long pause, Michael let out a snideugh.


    "Leave and don''t make me say it a third time."


    The hope in David''s eyes faded.


    Nothing could change the situation now.

 Chapter 546 Didnt You Know to Sit down and Wait for Me?

    Once David had left, a deep silence settled in.


    Everyone was gone, including her. And it was likely she wouldn''t return.


    The world seemed eerily quiet around Michael, as if no other sounds would ever reach his world again.


    All that remained was the sound of his own heartbeat.


    The ride back was smooth; they had timed their departure to avoid peak traffic hours in the city, and the car effortlessly entered the highway for the return journey. The sound of the wind grew louder as they hit the highway.


    Sitting in her seat, Eva listened to the rush of the wind outside, her mind reying the words Adrian had said to her just before they had entered the highway. "Are you sure about this? Once we''re on the highway, turning back won''t be so easy if you regret your decision."


    Eva''s lips tightened, and she didn''t respond to him.


    A heavy silence fell between them, and without any further instructions, the driver continued onto the highway as nned.


    Realizing Adrian seemed to be preupied with the issue still, Eva finally understood the possible reason Michael was unwilling to see her.


    "You know, even if I didn''t get to see him, you don''t have to dwell on it," she suddenly broke the silence.


    Hearing her voice, Adrian, who had been quiet all along, looked at her.


    Eva, who had been gazing out the window, turned to face him at this moment. "If you show that you care a lot, then you''re letting him seed in what he wants to do." Adrian was taken aback.


    This statement made Adrian finallye to a sudden realization.


    So that was it...


    He stared nkly at Eva for a moment, then said, "Indeed."


    If he always cared about this matter, wouldn''t that mean Michael had achieved his goal?


    With his newfound understanding, a smile curled up on his lips.


    "You are right, I was worrying over nothing before."


    With that, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace.


    "Alright, then let''s not talk about this anymore, and go back to living a good life."


    Eva nestled into his embrace, blinking gently after hearing his words.


    In fact, she was still preupied with the matter she had been thinking about.


    For the past few days, Emily had been mentoring Yvette.


    Yvette seemed very eager to stay in her position, showing great enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to work hard. Although the tasks Emily assigned her weren''t done perfectly, Yvettepleted each one with serious dedication. For instance, she actually took the time to memorize the documents Emily asked her to learn, even if it resulted in very noticeable dark circles under her eyes.


    Emily was somewhat worried about her, and she couldn''t help but express her concern.


    "I''m d you take your work seriously, but your health is more important. You must rest properly. Only with good rest can you work better."


    Faced with her concern, Yvette smiled shyly.


    "It''s okay, I know. I''m used to staying upte; I can handle it."


    "What if one day you can''t handle it? If I''m not here, you''ll be the only one in this position."


    Emily tried to persuade her several times, but seeing that Yvette didn''t seem to be taking her advice, she worried that continuing might make her seem annoying. She decided not to say more, simply instructing Yvette to take better care of herself and then not pressing the matter further.


    In fact, the quicker Yvette learnt, the better it was for Emily. Thepany had set aside a month for the handover because of the workload and the learning curve involved.


    However, if the person taking over was familiar with the work and could bepetent quickly, then this transition period could be shortened.


    Like Yvette, with her relentless pace of learning, Emily estimated that it might only take about half a month toplete the handover of all the work, allowing her to leave early.


    But Emily didn''t want this. She hoped Yvette would take over the job in a healthy state, to avoid getting sick or being unable to copeter on when Emily was no longer there to help. Moreover, the most important thing was her health. Over the years, Emily hadn''t just grown older; she had also matured in her thinking.


    The older she got, the more she realized that good health was paramount, and everything else was secondary.


    This resignation was partly because of her health; she felt she could no longer work as hard as she used to.


    After finishing a report, Emily intended to have Yvette deliver it to Nathan''s office. But when she looked up, Yvette was nowhere to be seen.


    "Where did she go? Yvette?"


    She called out twice but got no response.


    With no other option, Emily stood up, preparing to deliver the report to the office herself.


    When she knocked on the office door, a brisk "Come in" was heard from inside, and Emily pushed the door open and entered.


    Upon her entry, Nathan was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on a phone call. He nced over at her briefly as she came in and then continued speaking into his phone. Seeing this, Emily went straight to the desk to leave the report.


    Since there was no need for a presentation, she nned to leave as soon as she had ced the report down.


    However, just as she reached the door, she heard a voice from behind her. "Wait."


    Nathan''s voice stopped Emily in her tracks, and she turned around in confusion.


    Nathan gestured towards his location, signaling her toe over.


    As he was still on the phone, Emily couldn''t speak and simply followed the direction he was pointing.


    She assumed Nathan had something he wanted her to handle, so she stood beside his office chair, waiting for him to finish his call.


    After another two minutes of conversation, Nathan turned his head to find the youngdy standing awkwardly beside his chair.


    He was silent for a moment, then stepped forward and silently pointed to his seat.


    Emily looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    Nathan was at a loss for words.


    He sighed silently to himself and then said, "Sit down. Wait here for me."


    After he spoke, Nathan went back to his call, leaving Emily standing there, bewildered.


    What had she just heard?


    Mr. Powell was asking her to sit in his chair?


    Emily''s gaze drifted down to the office chair, which had only ever been upied by him...


    And this position...


    She subconsciously shook her head.


    She dared not sit.


    Emily pursed her lips, not only refraining from sitting but also stepping a few paces to the side to keep a bit more distance.


    Since she had to wait there, with nothing else to do, Emily picked up the report she had just delivered and continued to read it. After what felt like an eternity, Nathan finally returned.


    "Didn''t I tell you to sit down and wait for me?"

 Chapter 547 Endurance

    As she spoke, Nathan had already made his way in front of her.


    The sudden closeness of his masculine presence took Emily aback, and a strange sensation rose within her, prompting her to instinctively take a couple of steps back to maintain some distance. Her movement caused Nathan to slightly purse his lips.


    "What is it that you wanted to see me about?" He asked.


    Emily replied, "Yvette isn''t here, so I came to deliver a report."


    Upon hearing this, Nathan noticed for the first time that she was still holding the report and reached out to take it from her.


    Seeing him take the report and start to review it, Emily thought her presence was no longer needed, "Then, Mr. Powell, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be going."


    After speaking, she intended to leave.


    "Is there something frightening in my office?" Nathan unexpectedly asked.


    This question left Emily with a puzzled expression.


    "Mr. Powell, what do you mean?"


    "Don''t understand?" Nathan raised an eyebrow. "You seem in a hurry to leave, as if there''s something in here that''s scared you."


    Emily was a bit taken aback.


    So that was what he meant.


    "It seems like ever since I approved your resignation, you''ve been avoiding me. What, did I mistreat you before?"


    The word ''mistreat''ing from Nathan''s mouth felt extremely severe to Emily.


    Her expression changed slightly, and she instinctively exined, "How could that be? Mr. Powell, you''ve been... quite good to me."


    Although she had previouslyined internally about the overtime, she truly held grievances against him at that time.


    He was a workaholic, not to mention he always asked his subordinates to work overtime with her, making it seem as if the work was all her own.


    "Is that so?" Nathan''s eyes narrowed slightly as he silently appraised her. "Then why did you say in private that I was exploiting you?" Emily fell silent.


    She was taken aback for a moment, her smile strained.


    "Mr. Powell, how do you still remember that... I misspoke in a moment of haste, it wasn''t intentional."


    "And..."


    Emily continued earnestly, despite feeling uneasy. "To be honest, I''ve learned a lot over the years working with you, Mr. Powell."


    It was tough, but her progress was remarkably fast. Nathan''s demands on her were extremely strict, which naturally led to her rapid development.


    Now, even if she resigned, wherever she went, she felt capable of holding her own.


    "Is that so?" Nathan sat down in his chair, but his gaze remained on her.


    Emily wasn''t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that ever since she decided to resign, Nathan''s looks towards her had been getting increasingly strange. She bit her lip, nodding unsteadily. "Yes."


    The atmosphere seemed to suddenly cool down, and not knowing what else to say, Emily was eager to leave. However, seeing that Nathan seemed to have something more to say, she reluctantly stood her ground and waited. After a while, when Nathan didn''t speak, Emily didn''t want to talk anymore and thought about just leaving. Just as she was about to do so, Nathan spoke again, "How is the colleague, who''s taking over for you, doing?" Upon hearing this, Emily had to pause, "She''s doing quite well. She learns quickly, is very hardworking, and can endure hardship. With her helping you, there definitely won''t be any problems."


    Nathan nodded.


    "I think at this rate, I canplete the handover of all the work to her in less than a month."


    At this statement, Nathan paused, and after a moment, his gaze drifted leisurely to her face. "Less than a month?"


    "Yes, I think half a month will be enough."


    "So, you''re saying that after half a month, you''ll be able to leave?"


    Upon mentioning this matter, Emily was quite delighted, "I feel that if she can stick with it, then I should be able to leave in half a month."


    As she spoke, joy and excitement were unmistakable on her face, her eyebrows lifted in a way that clearly showed she was in a good mood.


    Moreover, during this period, she seemed to be wearing makeup every day. Not only that, but her attire was no longer the usual two sets of work clothes she used to wear. She began to wear different outfits and even adorned her wrist with some bracelets.


    These changes prompted Nathan to reflect.


    Had he been too harsh on her at work before, causing her not to have time to change into new clothes, not to have time for makeup, and not to have the inclination to think about essorizing?


    With this thought, Nathan pursed his lips.


    "Mr. Powell?" Emily waved her hand in front of Nathan''s face. "If you don''t have anything else, may I leave? I still have some work to take care of."


    Nathan sighed with relief in his heart.


    "Go ahead."


    After she left, Nathan made a call to his assistant toe over.


    When the assistant arrived, Nathan went straight to the point. "Have you taken your annual leave this year?"


    Upon hearing this, his assistant shook his head.


    "No, Mr. Powell, I''m too busy to take my annual leave."


    His assistant''s response confused Nathan.


    As if unable to believe it, Nathan nced at the time on hisputer and realized that the New Year was approaching, and they had not yet taken their annual leave...


    "What about Emily? Has she taken her annual leave?"


    As soon as he asked this question, his assistant looked at him with a somewhat strange expression.


    "Mr. Powell, did you forget because you were too busy? When we wanted to take our annual leave earlier, we ran into a big project, and you told us not to take annual leave this year, and instead, you would give us a bonus at the end of the year..."


    At this point, the assistant''s expression changed slightly. "Or did you forget about the bonus too?"


    Nathan fell silent.


    This conversation reminded Nathan that such a thing had happened in the first ce. He truly had been too busy.


    "Mr. Powell, don''t you think you should also take a break?"


    Nathan thought of something and asked, "Did you take your annual leavest year?"


    "No." His assistant answered.


    Just as he expected.


    "What about Emily?"


    The assistant looked desperate. "Her? Don''t even mention it, Emily has never taken an annual leave since she started at ourpany."


    Suddenly, Nathan felt like he understood why Emily wanted to resign and why she was so happy to know she could leave thepany early.


    She hadn''t taken any annual leave in all the years she had been at thepany?


    "When ites to this, I think Emily is really tolerant. Although she usually looks like an adorable and soft girl, I didn''t expect her to be capable of handling serious matters. She''s diligent with projects, and it really is a bit hard to let her go." After speaking, the assistant scratched his head.


    "But everyone has their own aspirations, and there''s nothing that can be done if she doesn''t want to do it anymore. We can only wish her all the best for the future."


    However, after saying so much, when he looked up at Nathan, he did not get a response but rather saw Nathan sitting there thoughtfully.

 Chapter 548 A boyfriend

    What was going on?


    The assistant, observing Nathan in such a state, subconsciously wondered if Mr. Powell might be reflecting on himself upon hearing that none of them had taken their annual leave. After a while, Nathan snapped back to reality and hesitantly asked, "Do you think her resignation could be rted to not taking annual leave?"


    Upon hearing this, the assistant was taken aback and took a while to respond.


    "I don''t think it would be rted to that," he said, scratching his head. "If it was because of annual leave that she wanted to resign, she probably wouldn''t have waited until now." Nathan didn''t say anything.


    Although his assistant didn''t think it was rted, Nathan inexplicably felt it might be. After all, not having taken annual leave for so many years, it seemed quite normal for her to be disappointed with thepany''s policies and regtions and to want to resign.


    He would have to ask her about it when he had the chance.


    "Mr. Powell, if you didn''t want her to resign, then why did you sign off on it?"


    Nathan replied, "What was I supposed to do? Keep her imprisoned at thepany?"


    The assistant scratched his head.


    "That''s true."


    After his assistant left, Nathan took out his phone and opened Emily''s WhatsApp.


    Their chat box was updated daily, but it always started with work and ended with work.


    Nathan, uncharacteristically distracted, scrolled up through their chat history for a while and finally understood why Emily felt like he was a workaholic and that he was exploiting her.


    Nathan was someone who worked incessantly, demanding not only of others but even stricter with himself.


    When he worked, he was relentless. He''d stay up day and night, withplete disregard for his own well-being. As such, he often failed to notice the feelings of those around him. Now, in the quiet, he saw why she said he exploited her.


    Because from every aspect, except for the sry, what he had done was indeed excessive.


    With this thought, Nathan pursed his lips in displeasure.


    Emily was unaware of Nathan''s thoughts as she returned to her desk to finish the remaining tasks when her phone suddenly rang. Despite feeling slightly tired, her spirits lifted immediately upon seeing the caller ID, and she answered the phone with a smile.


    "Hello, Mom."


    Typically, Emily wouldn''t call her parents during work hours because she was too busy and didn''t want to worry them. If Emily received a call from her parents while at work, she would keep the conversation short.


    But this time was different. Recently, Yvette had taken over many of her duties during the handover process, and Emily finally had some time.


    Mrs. Jones, hearing her daughter''s clear and cheerful greeting, seemed to sense her mood through her voice.


    "Emily? What''s up? Is there some good news?"


    Emily had not yet shared the news of her resignation with her family. She had been worried that Nathan might disagree or that the approval process would be slow, and she didn''t want to cause her parents any unnecessary concern. But now, she felt like keeping it a secret a little longer, thinking it would be better to surprise her parents when she returned home.


    With that in mind, Emily suppressed what she wanted to say and responded, "Nothing."


    "Nothing? But why do I hear happiness in your voice?" Her mother asked.


    "Oh, Mom, I''m always this optimistic and happy. You should know that; you''ve been calling me for years."


    Her mother thought about it and realized that it was true; Emily had always been optimistic and cheerful during their calls over the years, never showing any sign of distress.


    But as her mother, Mrs. Jones knew her daughter well. Emily had always been exceptionally considerate, perhaps because of her father''s difficulties, always speaking and acting gently. Even when Emily was in a bad mood, she would force a smile and be energetic around her mother, just to avoid worrying her.


    Considering her daughter''s feelings, Mrs. Jones didn''t want to press her further.


    "But Emily, don''t forget to take care of yourself. It''s been a while since you''ve been home. Don''t just focus on making money."


    Hearing this, Emily knew what her mother was going to say next and quickly replied, "I know, Mom. Rest assured; I''m not just focused on making money. I will definitely take good care of myself."


    After listening to her long response, Mrs. Jones felt somewhat helpless.


    "Emily, that''s not what I''m talking about."


    Confused, Emily asked, "Huh? Then what are you talking about, Mom?"


    "Eva''s kids are already so big, yet you don''t even have a boyfriend. Emily, what''s really going on?"


    Emily was speechless. This topic made her resent Nathan all over again.


    She had forgotten to me him recently because he had helped her and Eva. But the main reason she med him, besides the fact that he was a workaholic and demanding of his subordinates, was that she was too busy with work to have time for a boyfriend.


    Indeed, her job had allowed her to meet many eligible men.


    But... they couldn''t get Emily to go out with them. Why not? Was it because she looked down on them and didn''t want to go out? No, it was because she simply had no time. Remembering this made Emily feel sad, and she hastily said, "Oh, Mom, you know how busy I am with work. Besides, finding someone can''t be rushed. It also depends on fate."


    "Fate? How will fate find you if you''re not proactive? How long have you been saying that? Has your fate arrived yet?"


    Emily fell silent.


    "Speechless, are you? You need to be proactive to have a story."


    "Alright, Mom, I got it. I''ll pay attention to it. I promise I''ll bring someone you''ll really like hometer. Now, Mom, I have other things to take care of. I have to hang up now, I''ll call you when I''m free." With that, Emily hung up the phone in a flurry.


    She let out a long sigh of relief. There was no helping it; she could talk about anything else, but when it came to the topic of finding a partner, Emily felt like she just couldn''t go on.


    After all, it wasn''t that she didn''t want to find someone; she too yearned for a sweet romance.

 Chapter 549 Going to School

    Emily turned around to the sound behind her, realizing that Yvette had returned.


    Just as Emily was about to greet her, Yvette''s voice preempted her thoughts. "Emily, were you just talking to your mom on the phone?" She inquired with a hint of curiosity. Emily, caught slightly off guard by the question, simply nodded her head in confirmation.


    Yvette''s eyes seemed to twinkle with shared understanding as she said, "I couldn''t help but overhear a bit. Is your mom also on your case about you finding a partner?"


    Emily felt a blush creep up her cheeks. She had not expected Yvette to have caught that part of her private conversation. With an awkward smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, she replied, "Yeah, it seems like it''s a universal thing for families to nudge you about these matters, right? Many of us go through that."


    Findingmon ground, Yvette nodded sagely. "Indeed, my family has been nudging me as well," she shared, her shoulders lifting in a helpless shrug before her expression turned contemtive. But Emily, you''ve been a cornerstone at thepany for quite some time. With your departure on the horizon, do you n to return to theforts of home?"


    Emily saw no need to hide her ns and told Yvette directly.


    "Yes, home seems like the next logical step for me. I''ll start there and then see where life takes me."


    "Ah, if you go home, maybe your mom will introduce you to some guys."


    Emily imagined that scenario and nodded in agreement.


    "You''re probably right; I guess that might happen."


    Yvette shared her own experiences, "I''ve met a few people through my family''s introductions, but s, none were the right fit."


    "Still, I hope you find the right person soon."


    "Thank you, and the same to you." Emily responded.


    "Speaking of timing, with the New Year just around the corner, are you thinking of heading back early? Once we wrap up the handover, it''ll be time for celebrations."


    Emily checked the time and it did seem to be the case.


    ncing at her watch, Emily realized that Yvette was right. The holidays were fast approaching. A sense of anticipation filled her at the thought of being home for the festivities.


    "It looks like I''ll be able to enjoy a truly joyous New Year this time," she mused aloud.


    As their chat continued, a surprising revtion came to light - both Emily and Yvette hailed from the same hometown. Yvette, thrilled by this coincidence, eagerly proposed that they journey back together to celebrate the New Year. Emily, delighted by the prospect of a travelpanion and a friend to wee the new beginnings with, readily epted.


    Later, Emily sent a message to Eva, telling her that she woulde to see her right after getting off the ne.


    Eva didn''t reply immediately, but Emily wasn''t in a rush. They were in different time zones, and Eva would reply when she had time.


    Eva and Adrian''s homeward journey was a smooth sail into the quiet of the night. Despite the brief duration of their trip, Eva felt the ache of missing her children, Ruby and Dn, deep in her bones. She longed to envelop them in her arms the moment they pulled into the driveway. Yet, fate had other ns. The children were already nestled in their beds, dreaming away. Her disappointment was palpable, but Eva knew better than to disturb their peaceful slumber.


    Margaret, ever the voice of reason, consoled her, "Had you arrived just half an hour earlier, you would have caught them awake."


    Eva''s response was tinged with resignation, "We hurried back as fast as we could."


    "You both must be tired from a day of travel. Go freshen up and rest. The kids will be thrilled to see you tomorrow."


    "Alright."


    As Eva ascended the stairs to freshen up, Adrian made to follow but was promptly intercepted by his mother''s inquisitive gaze. "What were you two up to this time?" She inquired.


    Adrian gave his mother a look, "Curious?"


    Margaret nodded, "Why else would I ask?"


    "Why don''t you ask Eva directly?"


    "What kind of question is that? You''re my son; it''s more convenient to ask you. Besides, Eva needs her rest after a day of travel." "Oh, so she needs rest, and I don''t?"


    "What does a strong man like you need so much rest for?"


    Adrian was left speechless by his mother''s partiality but didn''t say anything. He was actually quite happy inside, knowing his family liked Eva. "Alright, your son needs rest too. I''m going upstairs."


    Without waiting for any other reaction from Margaret, Adrian went upstairs.


    Margaret was left speechless by his hasty departure. However, thinking of Ruby and Dn, she felt relieved. She adored the two children.


    The more she thought about them, the happier Margaret became, and she went upstairs to see her grandchildren.


    As the new day dawned, the children resumed their educational journey. Their absence had been keenly felt at the school, and their return, especially under the personal escort of Adrian and Eva, was a poignant moment for the principal. Having Adrian''s children at the school was a great honor for them, as the ckwood family was no ordinary family. The principal had even boasted to his friends that Mr. ckwood''s children attended his school.


    When the children suddenly took a leave of absence, everyone spected whether they would return, considering they could choose better schools.


    Just when the principal thought his boasting might have gone too far, Adrian brought his children back personally.


    The principal was overjoyed and greeted them himself.

 Chapter 550 She Felt He Was Taking Advantage of Her

    Having previously studied here, Eva, despite her lost memories, found the ce somewhat familiar. As she dropped off the two children, she stood at the doorway as fleeting images shed through her mind. The images came and went too quickly for Eva to capture, and soon they were gone.


    She paused in her steps, and the person beside her stopped as well.


    "What''s wrong?" Adrian reached out to support her waist, his attention almost entirely on her.


    Eva shook her head. "It''s nothing."


    Though she said that, Adrian still looked at her worriedly.


    "Let''s go, I''ll go in and have a look too."


    The next second, Eva pushed his hand away and walked inside.


    Her memories seemed to be triggered by certain ces, and while her current life was quite happy and made the recovery of her memories seem unimportant, after seeing that Facebook post, she felt that there were things she needed to know the truth about.


    Even if it might make her unhappy, it was better than being in the dark.


    Adrian followed her, his gaze thoughtful as he watched her back.


    Once inside, Eva''s eyes were fixed on the children, and as they moved, some familiar yet strange scenes began to emerge before her.


    But, once again, they were fleeting. She couldn''t grasp much and ended up with nothing.


    Eva could only sigh in resignation, deciding to take it slow.


    It was only the first day, and she had already managed to catch glimpses of her past, which was quite impressive. She woulde every day, and perhaps with a little more time, her memories would fully return.


    On the way back, Eva told Adrian that she wanted to pick up the children from school every day.


    Adrian didn''t react much, only saying lightly, "You''re taking over mom''s job."


    Eva was startled to hear this.


    "But doesn''t Mom have other things to do?"


    Adrian''s lips curled up, "Since we got married, she may not have said it, but her daily wish is to take care of the children."


    Eva fell silent.


    It was clear that Margaret loved Ruby and Dn very much.


    Not only was her mother but also her great-grandmother was extremely fond of the children, showing reluctance in their eyes whenever Eva and Adrian took the children away.


    Eva hadn''t felt much in the morning, but now that Adrian brought it up, she finally understood.


    "Besides, aren''t you giving up yourpany?"


    This sudden statement from Adrian shocked Eva.


    She looked at Adrian in surprise. "Company?"


    "Yes." Adrian''s lips curled into a smile. "It was apany you worked hard to start."


    Eva hadn''t expected that she owned apany.


    She pursed her lips and asked subconsciously, "Where is it?"


    "Want to go take a look?" Adrian asked.


    "What do you think?"


    After all, it was herpany, how could she not want to see it?


    "Let''s go take a look then."


    The next second, Adrian instructed the driver to change destinations, and they quickly turned around. Eva grew curious.


    "You said I have my ownpany, so who has been managing it while I''ve been busy with my own things?"


    Who''d been managing it?


    It was thanks to the capable manager she had hired, who, after she was indisposed, managed to keep thepany afloat with his management skills.


    Later, Jacob found someone to help, and with Tim''s sry increased, one could say that his direct supervisor was now Adrian. The pay came from Adrian, but the work was for Eva.


    Adrian had reviewed his resume and found it impressive; the man could have had a good career elsewhere but chose to manage a smallerpany.


    Before giving him his position, Adrian had a candid conversation about work with Tim.


    "My wife, my children, and my parents are all in this city. I could work at argerpany, but they''re not suitable for me. I believe that the weight of things in everyone''s life is different. Some may think a career is more important, but for me, family is the most important."


    "So, I just want to find the best job in the right ce, nothing more."


    Thus, Adrian offered him the best position possible here, a win-win situation for Tim.


    With the investment from the ckwood family, Tim was very optimistic about thepany, and even with Eva often absent, he never thought of leaving.


    Especially after Adrian gave him a raise.


    The sry Adrian offered was more than what he would have earned at argerpany, so now Tim treated Eva''spany as if it were his own.


    He had everything he wanted, plus a high sry, so what was there to be dissatisfied about?


    When Eva found out that a manager she had hired was managing thepany, she was quite shocked.


    "It''s been quite a while since I''ve even stepped foot in thepany, and he''s still managing it for me? Doesn''t he think thepany might not make it?" Adrian smiled meaningfully. "He probably sees you as a promising stock to invest in."


    "Me?"


    "Yes. He came from a senior management position at argepany and has his own unique vision."


    Eva was taken aback.


    She felt like Adrian was praising her too highly; she turned her face away in embarrassment, not continuing the conversation. After the car arrived at thepany, Eva followed Adrian into the elevator.


    All the way, Adrian was leading her. When they got into the crowded elevator, Eva instinctively hid in his embrace.


    Adrian, seeing this, also took the opportunity to wrap her in his arms, using his tall figure to shield her from other people''s touch.


    Eva leaned against Adrian''s chest, inhaling his distinct masculine scent as her hand subconsciously clutched the hem of his clothes.


    When she looked up, she found herself caught in his dark, deep eyes.


    "Are you okay?" He asked.


    Eva shook her head, "I''m fine."


    Adrian''s lips curled into a satisfied smile at her dependence on him. With one hand against the elevator wall, he reached out with the other to grasp Eva''s wrist, guiding her hand inside his coat to rest on his lean waist as he whispered in her ear, "Hold on to me to avoid getting unsteady if it gets too crowded."


    Eva felt a wash of embarrassment flood her face.


    She felt like he was taking advantage of her.

 Chapter 551 Blank Memories

    Before she could fully form the thought, the elevator stopped at a different floor, and someone else got on.


    With a new person entering, those inside naturally squeezed into the corners. Adrian was jostled forward a couple of steps, and Eva''s stride faltered slightly as well.


    The next second, she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Adrian''s waist, their bodies pressing closely together.


    A chuckle came from above her head.


    "Why didn''t you just hug me sooner?" He teased.


    After hearing this, Eva couldn''t help but pinch his waist in a feigned annoyance.


    "Ouch."


    Adrian inhaled sharply from the pinch and caught her mischievous hand, lowering his voice, "Stop it."


    The elevator was packed with people, and they were almost at herpany''s floor. Adrian was concerned that if she continued to pinch him, it wouldn''t look good when they stepped out.


    Because their bodies were pressed together so tightly, Eva had felt something at the pinch. Her eyes shifted slightly as she internallyined, but she didn''t continue. Instead, she just held him gently. As the elevator ascended, Adrian felt the crush of bodies from behind and sighed softly.


    "Should we find a new location for thepany?"


    Her rented space was shared with otherpanies, and there was only one elevator for the whole building. It was inconvenient for everyone during rush hours.


    Eva blinked, "Not necessary. If it were possible to change, I would have done it a long time ago; there''s no need to do it now."


    Though she had no memory, it was obvious that her choosing this location was due to budget constraints. Otherwise, who wouldn''t want theirpany in a spacious and nice environment with a private elevator? Hearing her say this, Adrian instinctively offered, "Now you have me. I can help you change it."


    It should have been a particrly heartwarming statement.


    But to Eva, it sounded strange.


    She looked at Adrian''s handsome face, blinked lightly, and then whispered, "What do you mean, ''now you have me''?"


    Adrian''s eyes shifted and the smile on his lips faded a bit.


    He pursed his lips, realizing he had misspoken, but luckily he was quick to respond. After just a few seconds, he had an answer.


    "What I mean is, if you act a little spoiled with me, I''ll help you change thepany''s address right now."


    "You wish." Eva nonchntly answered.


    Ding-


    Right at that moment, the elevator doors opened, and a bunch of people got out, leaving the space half empty.


    But Adrian still kept his hand on her side without letting go, never averting his intense gaze.


    "Why is it wishful thinking? It''s just acting spoiled with your husband. Do you find that difficult?"


    As he spoke, Adrian''s fingertips even twined with Eva''s hair, "What''s there to be shy about acting spoiled with your own husband?"


    His voice was low but audible, and since there was no one else speaking in the elevator at the moment, his words carried clearly throughout the space, drawing the attention of the remaining people. They now noticed there was a handsome man and a beautiful woman in the corner, both dressed in a way that suggested wealth.


    People always pay extra attention to attractive things, and Adrian''s voice made them look over.


    Even some girls began to whisper among themselves.


    "Wow, they''re actually a couple; finally a sighting of a handsome man and beautiful woman together."


    "Right, it''s really pleasing to the eye when true beauties and hunks pair up. Usually, you see beautiful women with less attractive men, which is quite an eyesore."


    The elevator buzzed with theirments.


    Eva, a bit embarrassed by everyone''s whispers, pursed her lips and tried to withdraw her hand with a small movement.


    Unfortunately, Adrian held on tightly, so she couldn''t pull away.


    It wasn''t until they reached their floor that Adrian led her out of the elevator.


    As they passed by the group of whispering girls, the girls smiled at her amiably.


    "We wish you evesting happiness."


    Eva managed only to smile back and say thanks before the elevator doors closed.


    Her heart felt warm, and she was left with one thought: Girls were so gentle.


    Walking on, she soon entered the territory of herpany.


    Why did Eva know this was herpany? Because a strong sense of familiarity had already surfaced as she approached.


    She nced at the setup in front of her and the signboard, feeling that it was indeed a style she would like.


    Was this... thepany she had built by herself?


    Eva''s hand subconsciously reached for a small que hanging by the door, her fingertips lingering over it slowly.


    Seeing her action, Adrian stopped and stood behind her.


    "Do you have some recollection of this ce?" He asked.


    At his words, a scene shed before Eva''s eyes where she was personally hanging up the small que with Tim by her side.


    He apuded her supportively, "Ms. Hansen, you''ve done a really good job. When you have time, could you make one for me to hang at my office door?" Pleased that her work was affirmed, Eva happily agreed.


    "Sure, no problem."


    With her memories returning, Eva nodded.


    "It seems I have a slight impression."


    Hearing this, Adrian grew curious.


    "Did you remember something? Is it helpful for your memory?"


    Eva shook her head. "It doesn''t seem to be of much help, but... it''s only the first day. If Ie to thepany every day, I should be able to remember more." "Right," Adrian nodded in agreement. "Since you have to work every day, juste here every day."


    He had initially thought about changing her environment, but now he put that thought aside.


    Not only because familiar surroundings might help her recover her memory, but also because he had almost let something slip in the elevator.


    So, for the time being, he decided not to bring up the subject.


    Although he liked Eva as she was now, without her memory, she was sufficiently reliant on him, which, of course, felt great to Adrian.


    But... in some ways, he hoped more that she would find herself.


    She probably felt the same; otherwise, she wouldn''t have stood here for such a long time.


    "So, if I have toe to work every day, what about the children?"


    "Don''t worry, Dad will be back in a few days, and he''ll take care of Ruby and Dn." Adrian''s father...


    After losing her memory, Eva had not yet met him and didn''t know what kind of person he was. Something else also urred to her; she only knew Adrian''s parents, but what about her own?


    In her vague impressions, it seemed she only remembered her father, but as for her mother... Her memory was nk.


    She didn''t know if it was because of the memory loss that it had be nk, or if it was always that way.

 Chapter 552 The Presidents Wife

    "What''s wrong?"


    Seeing her seemingly lost in thought, Adrian asked again.


    Eva then voiced the thoughts that were on her mind.


    After listening, Adrian fell silent for a long while. One of the things he had been really worried about since she lost her memory was this very issue. If she didn''t remember, then once she started asking about her parents, the pain and insecurity she had suffered before would have to be endured all over again.


    Was it because he mentioned his father?


    "Why aren''t you speaking?" Seeing him silent, Eva grew curious. "Is it difficult to talk about?"


    Adrian came back to his senses once he heard this. He reached out and gently rubbed the back of her head, softly saying, "No, I was just thinking that maybe we can talk about this after you finish work. We''ve been standing at thepany''s entrance for quite a while now. Don''t you want to go inside and take a look? Perhaps being inside will be more helpful for the recovery of your memory."


    Adrian''s point made a lot of sense, so Eva was easily diverted from her inquiry.


    "Okay, let''s go inside and have a look."


    If she could remember anything on her own, then naturally she wouldn''t need to ask anyone else.


    After saying this, Eva stepped forward and walked inside.


    The receptionist at thepany''s front desk, upon seeing someone enter, instinctively started to greet them but choked on her words when she saw who it was; she was incredulous for a moment before finally reacting. "Ms. Hansen?"


    "Ms. Hansen has finallye back," the receptionist eximed excitedly to those inside.


    This caused the employees who were originally working inside toe running out in an instant.


    "Ms. Hansen? Where is Ms. Hansen?"


    "Ms. Hansen is back?"


    "Which one is Ms. Hansen?"


    During Eva''s absence, Tim and the people sent by the ckwood family business had been diligently managing thepany.


    Even without Eva, thepany was running smoothly. However, the new hires knew their boss was Ms. Hansen but had ever seen her. Luckily, Tim never missed a chance to praise her,uding not just her beauty but also herpetence, painting her as an excellent boss.


    So even though they had never met Eva, they had heard nothing but good things about her and were filled with anticipation.


    As soon as the receptionist announced her return, they swarmed out like bees from a hive.


    Eva stood there, bewildered by the crowd.


    All eyes were on her, filled with recognition, inquiry, curiosity, and a variety of other expressions.


    Many were shocked by Eva''s beauty, as they had only half-believed Tim when he said their boss was both smart and beautiful.


    In their minds, there were no ugly women in the world, onlyzy ones. Any woman could look good with the right effort and money.


    But upon seeing Eva in person, they realized Tim wasn''t just praising her; he was stating facts.


    Her elegance and beauty weren''t something that could be bought with money.


    No wonder Tim couldn''t stop talking about her; with such looks, she could hold her own in the entertainment industry, rivaling every female celebrity. And then there was the man beside her, tall and handsome.


    Together, they looked like a match made in heaven.


    Some recognized Adrian and whispered his identity.


    The crowd was abuzz.


    "Adrian ckwood? You don''t mean the Adrian ckwood of the ckwood family business, do you?"


    "Although it feels surreal, that is the Adrian ckwood of the ckwood family business."


    "Why would Adrian ckwood of the ckwood family business be here?"


    "Are you dumb? Ourpany has secured an investment from the ckwood family business."


    "But even if we did secure the investment, Mr. ckwood himself shouldn''t be appearing here, right? Is that reasonable?"


    The crowd fell silent...


    It seemed truly unreasonable. After all, to the ckwood family business, theirpany was too small to notice, so the reason for this man''s presence here... Their gaze inevitably fell back on Eva.


    It wasn''t their fault for thinking this way; after all, she was beautiful, and Adrian was a man.


    In most people''s eyes, men were attracted to beautiful women, especially those with power and status.


    Adrian, whether to y along with their thoughts or to announce their marital status, embraced the person beside him in the midst of the gossiping crowd.


    "It seems everyone is curious about what rtionship I have with her."


    Before Eva could even react, her waist was tightly encircled by Adrian''s arm, and her head was resting against his chest.


    Then she felt the vibration from Adrian''s chest as he spoke.


    "We are married."


    The crowd erupted at his deration.


    Everyone was still specting, but unexpectedly, Adrian quickly acknowledged their rtionship, and what was more shocking... they were actually husband and wife.


    And Adrian? After dropping this bombshell, he wrapped his arm around Eva and vanished from the spot, leaving everyone else abuzz with variousments.


    "Ourpany''s boss and Mr. ckwood are actually husband and wife. Does that mean our boss is the wife of the ckwood family business'' president??"


    "Oh my, to put it a step further, does that mean we''re essentially working at a subsidiary of the ckwood family business?"


    Previously, because of the investment from the ckwood family business, everyone was willing to work at thispany. Apany that the ckwood family business was optimistic about and willing to invest in surely had great development prospects, so everyone came here for an interview.


    Their friends who knew they wereing here for a legitimatepany interview were somewhat sarcastically teasing them.


    "It''s just a smallpany favored by the ckwood family business, and you guys are scrambling over it. One would think it''s a subsidiary of the ckwood family business without knowing any better."


    "Going to this kind of small workshoppany is just as good as finding any random one abroad."


    "Exactly."


    When they first heard these sour words, everyone felt ufortable, but now they felt extremely vindicated.


    It could be described as a feeling of exhrating triumph.


    What could they say when they next met their friends?


    "Hey, didn''t you say this was just a small workshoppany? But the boss is the wife of the president of the ckwood family business; that''s even more impressive than being a subsidiary."

 Chapter 553 Maybe You Kept a Man Stashed in the Office?

    Adrian led Eva to a secluded spot before stopping.


    Eva was puzzled.


    "Why did you tell them about our rtionship?"


    Hearing her question, Adrian''s arm, which was around her waist, momentarily tensed, and after turning to see her bewildered expression, he couldn''t help but retort, "Why shouldn''t I tell them?" He leaned in a little closer; his voiceced with a hint of danger.


    "What''s the matter, Eva? You don''t want others to know about us? Is there something about me you don''t want people to see?"


    Eva was speechless.


    "Or is it that... you''ve got something going on at the office? Maybe you kept a man stashed in the office?"


    Originally, it was just curiosity that led her to wonder why he''d announced their rtionship to the world, but it quickly became clear he had a talent for filling in the nks with his imagination. Could guys really spin such a web of thoughts from just one sentence?


    Eva blinked softly as she gazed at Adrian standing before her.


    "I don''t have my past memories, so even if I really did have a man stashed in the office, I wouldn''t remember, right?" Her tone was yful, teasing herself as much as him.


    But Adrian couldn''t help but feel a twinge of jealousy in his heart. He pursed his thin lips and said deliberately, "It doesn''t matter if you don''t remember. If you did keep a man, they would fall into the trap willingly." Eva raised an eyebrow, "If that''s the case, shall we look forward to it?"


    Thinking of something, Eva added, "You''re only talking about me, but what about yourpany? After all, yourpany is definitely bigger than mine. It would be much easier for you to keep a mistress, wouldn''t it?" Adrian fell silent.


    He didn''t expect to be caught off guard by her counterargument.


    Hispany was big?


    Heh, wasn''t this just her way of saying that if he really wanted to keep a mistress, he would have much more opportunity to do so than her?


    The jealousy that had risen in his heart due to her attitude was somewhat alleviated at this moment.


    Adrian could also feel that she cared about him; otherwise, she wouldn''t have thought of hispany in her counterargument.


    With this in mind, he simply said directly, "If you''re so worried, why not bring yourptop and work at mypany?"


    Hearing this, Eva did not refuse but instead asked, "Can I really do that? Going to yourpany won''t affect you?"


    Adrian''s voice was deep, "Affect what?"


    "Affect you keeping a mistress."


    After she said this, Eva felt Adrian''s grip on her waist tighten, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously, "Eva, whether I have a mistress or not, you''ll know if you see for yourself."


    She felt his dangerous aura emanating from him, and his hot breath on her face, as he closed in.


    Eva almost had the illusion that he would kiss her right then and there.


    This was herpany, and if he really couldn''t control himself and kissed her, it would be embarrassing if someone saw them.


    With this thought, Eva could only push him away.


    "Let''s not."


    After speaking, she took a deep breath and lowered her head to straighten out her clothes that had been disheveled.


    "Not going to?"


    These words made Adrian''s brows furrow, and he asked in confusion, "What do you mean by ''let''s not''? You''re not going to mypany?"


    Was she just talking for the sake of it? Did she actually not want to go?


    The possibility made Adrian''s expression turn sour.


    Eva also saw his face suddenly darken and immediately realized what he was thinking, asking helplessly, "Are you angry?" Adrian pursed his lips but still answered, "No."


    "Really?"


    "Hmm."


    She didn''t expect him to be so stubborn, even though he was clearly angry.


    Eva was about to exin herself when hurried footsteps approached, and a tall figure rounded the corner. "Ms. Hansen."


    At first nce, Eva was almost certain that this was the manager that Adrian had mentioned -and it was indeed Tim.


    Having wrapped up his work, Tim was informed by his colleagues that Eva hade to the office, and not just her-Adrian was there, too. On hearing this, Tim rushed over. His excitement upon seeing Eva was palpable. It had been a long time since theirst encounter, and Eva''s sudden absence, akin to a disappearance, had caused him considerable concern.


    Seeing her now, safe and well, was a great relief. After all, Tim couldn''t find such a wonderful job anywhere else. After exchanging greetings with Eva, he turned to Adrian.


    "Mr. ckwood, you''re here too."


    Due to what just happened, Adrian''s expression wasn''t the best, but since Tim was an important figure in Eva''spany, Adrian nodded and grunted in response, despite feeling unhappy inside.


    Tim, sensing something was amiss, didn''t voice his thoughts but instead led Eva to the office with a smile while discussing work matters with her.


    As Eva hadn''t been to thepany in a while, there was quite a bit of work to catch up on. Initially, she was somewhat bewildered, but she soon focused and got down to business.


    Since she was busy with work, there was no ce for Adrian in the office, so he ended up sitting on the couch waiting for her.


    While Tim was briefing Eva, he asionally nced at Adrian sitting on the distant sofa and quietly asked, "Ms. Hansen, why did Mr. ckwoode with you?"


    After asking, Tim seemed to remember something and added, "And Ms. Hansen, why didn''t you tell me before that you two were in that kind of rtionship?"


    Eva paused at the question.


    Thinking of the news Adrian had announced in thepany earlier, she quickly pieced things together and had some guesses. She decided to go along with his line of questioning, "I didn''t tell you before?" "No."


    Since Eva didn''t show it, Tim was unaware of her memory loss. He subconsciously thought she might have intended to tell him but simply forgot.


    "Tsck," Tim said, looking at Adrian''s back. "If you had said earlier that you two were married, I wouldn''t have had to worry about you. But since you''re a couple, why did you have such a fight before? Was it an argument?" Eva''s heart sank after she heard this. A fight?


    Eva pursed her lips and directly asked, "Do you remember the date you joined thepany?"


    Tim didn''t find the question strange, assuming she might not want to answer his and thus was changing the subject.


    He kindly told her when he started.


    After that, he said with a meaningful tone, " Ms. Hansen, even if you don''t want to answer my question, there''s no need to deflect with that kind of topic, right?"


    But Eva was lost in her own thoughts.


    His first day at thepany was very close to the date of the Facebook post she had made.


    And he was unaware of her rtionship with Adrian...

 Chapter 554 How Could I Not Care About You?

    It was clear that somethingplex had happened between them in the past. Something she couldn''t remember at all. Eva bit her lip and flung herself deep in thought. "Ms. Hansen? Ms. Hansen?"


    It wasn''t until Tim called out to her twice and waved his hand in front of her face that Eva snapped out of her daze. "What''s up?"


    Tim looked at her worriedly. He had thought Eva was just dodging his question by asking about his first day. Now, her demeanor suggested it wasn''t that simple. She had seemed genuinely interested in when he started, and something about his answer seemed to have struck a chord with her.


    Anyone who had climbed the ranks to a top management position in a majorpany had to have an exceptional instinct for these things.


    Piecing things together, Tim also sensed something amiss and instinctively nced over at Adrian, who sat with a stony expression.


    Then, considering the papers in his hand and the person who had just increased his pay out of the blue, he blurted out, "Ms. Hansen, you''ve only just returned to thepany. There''s no need to rush into dealing with these matters. I can handle them on my own for now. Why don''t you take the rest of the day off to rest?"


    Eva was taken aback and gave him a puzzled look.


    "You''re telling me to take a rest when I''ve barely just arrived at the office?"


    Tim rubbed the back of his head, catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye that the aura of the heavy-hitter on the couch seemed less icy than before.


    It looked like he was on the right track.


    "Ms. Hansen, I was thinking you should head back and get some rest. You seem to have slimmed down quite a bit since Ist saw you at the office. Have you been feeling under the weathertely?" Tim pressed on with renewed vigor. Eva couldn''t really argue against that; her noticeable weight loss was something she couldn''t deny-even at a nce.


    Upon seeing her purse her lips without responding, Tim continued, "Ms. Hansen, why don''t you go home and rest? If you''re worried about thepany, you coulde by for a bit each day. I''ll keep you informed about anything important, and I''ll handle the rest, okay?"


    With that said, it seemed there was nothing left for Eva to refuse. She thought for a moment and finally nodded. "Alright then."


    Now that his suggestion was epted, Tim''s gaze involuntarily flickered back to the tall and handsome man on the couch.


    As he looked over, he caught the man giving a meaningful look in their direction.


    Tim couldn''t help but scratch his head again; it seemed he had handled the situation quite well.


    "Well, Ms. Hansen, you can stay here a little longer, then head back home. I''ve got other things to take care of," Tim said. "Alright, go on with your work," Eva replied.


    Once Tim left, Adrian, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood up and walked over to Eva.


    "Tired?" He asked; his voice low, and his tone not particrly cheerful. The recent events had soured his mood, but he couldn''t help showing concern for Eva and took the initiative to speak to her.


    Eva had nned to finish her work before going to see him and to soothe the emotions that hadn''t been calmed earlier, but she hadn''t expected him toe over and show concern for her first. With this thought, Eva''s heart softened, and as he approached, she allowed herself to lean into his embrace.


    Adrian was taken aback and instinctively caught her.


    He looked down at Eva as she closed her eyes slightly and rested her cheek against his chest.


    "Maybe it''s just been too long since I''ve worked. I do feel a bit drained."


    Hearing this, Adrian''s brows furrowed with instant concern. "Drained? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"


    Eva couldn''t help butugh at the concern in his voice. "I just said dealing with work is draining; I didn''t say I was feeling unwell. Why are you so worried?" Adrian was at a loss. "Worried? When was I worried?"


    "Weren''t you just worried?"


    "Hmm, I was just asking. Is there a problem?"


    Clearly, he cared, but he didn''t want to admit it. Eva thought for a moment and then moved her hand down to find his other hand, which was motionless at his side.


    She leaned in and took the initiative to intertwine her fingers with his.


    In an instant, Eva felt Adrian''s body jolt.


    She chuckled to herself, and as she looked up, she met Adrian''s gaze as he was looking down.


    Their eyes locked in the air.


    "After we finish up here, shall we go check out yourpany?" Eva suggested, her eyes clear and bright, like a pristine, sunlitke, rippling with reflected office light. Adrian stared for a moment, visibly dazed. "Why?" His voice was raspy, and his grip on her waist was intensifying, while the hand she held remained still, only feeling the warmth of her delicate palm.


    The heat from her touch warmed his heart, yet the sourness remained, considering her previous statement.


    "Didn''t you say we should forget about it?"


    "Yeah," Eva admitted openly, "I did say that."


    At this, Adrian''s eyes darkened. "So, you really don''t care about me."


    Eva struggled to contain herughter. "Where did I show that I don''t care? I care about you so much that I''d rather not go."


    Adrian was puzzled. "What do you mean?"


    "You''re still healing, remember? We''ve been out long enough. We should head back."


    After she finished speaking, Eva noticed his confused look and continued, "What, did you forget about your injury because it started to heal a bit?"


    Eva finally had a chance to gently scold him. Adrian had felt a hint of sourness earlier, thinking she didn''t care about visiting thepany, or she just wasn''t in a rush. But it turned out she was more concerned about his injury than he realized. Now, the sourness in Adrian''s heart dissipated and was reced by the warmth of her concern.


    Overwhelmed with satisfaction, he leaned in, burying his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her being.


    "I didn''t forget," he croaked, "just... I wasn''t thinking about it for a moment. I''m d you remembered for me."


    "If not for you, for whom else?" She yfully challenged.


    "Mhm," he willingly murmured, "Keep remembering for me."


    As they spoke, his previously motionless hand finally tightened around hers.


    Eva felt that too, and with it, anyst wisp of doubt cleared from her heart.


    "So shall we head back now?"


    "Let''s go."


    Although they had agreed, he didn''t move; he was just simply holding her in his arms.


    Eva waited for a moment, puzzled by hisck of action. Just as she was about to lift her head to ask, her chin was gently grasped.

 Chapter 555 It Wont Stop Me from Kissing You

    His breath was hot and close. Before she could react, her lips were enveloped in a kiss.


    "Umm."


    This unexpected kiss stunned Eva, who hadn''t anticipated an ambush in the office.


    His touch on her lips was gentle and warm, saturated with Adrian''s unique scent, which seemed to effortlessly invade her every breath.


    Eva''s initial confusion turned into resistance as her hands pushed against his chest, trying to fend him off.


    "Umm, no... this is an office..."


    If someone walked in and saw them, the embarrassment would have her wishing she could disappear into the ground.


    So, while protesting, she tilted her head back, attempting to dodge his advances.


    After evading him a couple of times, the man in front of her stopped with dissatisfaction, then gripped the nape of her neck. His deep, husky voice carried a heavy note of frustration. "Why are you refusing me?"


    Eva gave him a nce and was intimidated by his prating dark gaze.


    Ever since she had regained her memory, she hadn''t seen such an intense look in Adrian''s eyes-dark as if they were a vortex and dangerously maic, as if she might get sucked in at any moment. Remembering their previous close encounter, and now facing those piercing dark eyes, Eva''s pale cheeks couldn''t help but flush a deep crimson.


    She even instinctively turned her face away, unable to meet his gaze, and stuttered, "But... what if someone walks in..."


    His voice was raspy, "No one will."


    Eva remained silent.


    "How do you know no one wille?"


    "Who else besides Tim would enter your office without permission? And even if it were Tim, he''d knock first, right?" "Is that so?" Eva didn''t remember, so she wasn''t sure.


    "Yes."


    Adrian, however, responded with certainty, as if he were the true owner of the office, not just a visitor.


    After replying, the hand on the nape of Eva''s neck applied a slight pressure as he leaned in for another kiss.


    As he drew closer, Eva instinctively dodged to the side again.


    Her evasion meant that he missed his target.


    The fact that hended the first kiss surprised him, mostly because she hadn''t reacted in time. He finally tasted the sweetness he had longed for-perhaps even sweeter than he had imagined. Initially, intending only a brief taste, he found the vor too delightful to let go.


    But before he could indulge in another kiss, she ducked away.


    After exining himself and attempting another kiss with no sess, Adrian was left intensely desiring more; his gaze was now locked on her. His hand, resting at the nape of her neck, tightened unconsciously-assertive, yes, but not to the point of causing her pain.


    "What are you dodging now?"


    Eva''s ears flushed red, a testament to the huskiness now evident in Adrian''s voice.


    "I just..."


    Noticing the almost blood-like redness at the tips of her ears, Adrian''s irritation seemed to dissolve a bit. A teasing smile yed upon his lips as he pinched her ear gently.


    "Shy, are you? Too embarrassed, or afraid we might be interrupted?"


    Indeed, Eva felt embarrassed, but her greater concern was the possibility of an unwee guest. If they were caught, what would that do to her authority as the boss of thepany? After a long pause, Eva said, "Maybe... we shouldn''t kiss here; let''s wait until..."


    "No."


    Before she could finish her thought, thinking they could resume back at home, Adrian cut her off.


    "I don''t want to wait."


    As he spoke, Eva felt his grip on her neck release, and then she watched as he turned to walk towards the exit.


    For a moment, Eva thought Adrian was angry with her refusal. Her skin still tingled from where he had touched her. It felt empty now...


    Where was he going?


    Lost in her thoughts, she didn''t realize Adrian had moved to lock the office door until he was done.


    Eva, who had first thought he was leaving out of anger, stood there speechless as she watched him lock the door and then turn back towards her with an intense, almost ferocious gaze. No, it was more than ferocity; it was a deep intensity that felt predatory.


    Eva felt like prey under the watchful eye of a wolf��a fierce, bold wolf.


    Remembering how she had thwarted his advances because of his past injuries, a sudden wave of urgency flooded over her.


    It seemed inevitable; she wasn''t going to escape today. So, as he approached, Eva instinctively circled to the other side of her desk.


    Her movement made Adrian pause, and then he stood still, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face as he watched her.


    "Eva, what''s with the hide-and-seek? If you were worried about someone barging in, that''s not an issue anymore - the door''s locked."


    It was no joke for her, the fact that he had locked the door made things even scarier.


    With the door unlocked, there had been the chance of someone walking in, a possibility that might have kept his actions in check.


    But with the door locked? Eva was genuinely worried that if she conceded to his desires, he might devour her whole with the ravenous intensity he had just disyed.


    Her heart wasn''t against it, but she just couldn''t bring herself to ept the situation here.


    What if she were to make some indescribable noises that passersby might hear?


    All sorts of scenarios had shed through her mind, leading her to conclude this was something she just couldn''t ept.


    Seeing her rooted to the spot, Adrian grew visibly impatient - or perhaps more urately, his desires were unfulfilled. He braced his hands on the counter, his gaze locked deep into hers.


    "Eva,e here."


    Eva hesitated for only a moment before tly refusing, "No."


    She knew all too well what would happen if she approached.


    Adrian couldn''t help but find her reaction amusing.


    "How long do you think you can resist ?" He quipped, as he leisurely closed the distance between them.


    With each step he took, Eva countered, trying to reason with him, "Can''t you control yourself? Your injuries..."


    Before she could finish, he interjected, "The wounds have healed."


    "It''s only been a few days. How could you possibly be fully healed?"


    "Even if my wounds haven''t fully healed, that wouldn''t stop me from kissing you, right?"


    With each mention of ''kiss'' and every swift step, Eva was caught off guard, and soon, she was swiftly ensnared into his embrace. "Eva..."


    Adrian''s breath was hot as he pulled her close, urgently seeking out her soft lips with his own.


    His movements were fervent, as if he had been parched for a long time.

 Chapter 556 Didnt Look That Closely

    After Tim left the office, he felt a sense of hidden aplishment because he had done something that greatly pleased Mr. ckwood. On his way back, he kept thinking about the events that had just unfolded in the office.


    For some reason, he couldn''t shake off the feeling that the questions his boss had asked him in the office were a bit odd.


    Initially, he thought that Eva was trying to divert the conversation, but after leaving the office, something didn''t feel quite right.


    Even if she intended to distract him, there should have been many other topics to choose from, so why ask that particr question?


    The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed to Tim, and he started to feel uneasy. After pondering for a moment, he went back to his office to grab a document that needed signing and headed back, intending to probe for more information.


    Worried, Tim walked unusually fast, and in no time, he found himself back at the office door, where he knocked.


    However, there was no response from inside the office.


    Tim wasn''t in a hurry; he stood there quietly and waited for a while.


    After about thirty seconds, seeing that there was still no movement inside, he knocked on the door again and called out, "Ms. Hansen."


    A short momentter, there was the sound of a chair falling over from inside.


    Just by listening from outside, themotion seemed significant, and Tim began to worry that there might have been a conflict, especially considering how odd the situation had been just before.


    With this in mind, Tim became more anxious. He began knocking on the door forcefully and asked in a worried tone, "Ms. Hansen, are you alright? Ms. Hansen, what happened?"


    However, all was quiet inside, with no response.


    "Ms. Hansen?"


    Tim was too concerned, and after a moment of hesitation, he reached out and tried the doorknob.


    Click-


    The knob turned slightly but then wouldn''t budge.


    He stood there, stunned, staring at the doorknob in front of him.


    Was the door... locked from the inside??


    Just then, a hoarse bass voice came from inside, "What''s the matter?"


    Tim quickly recognized it as Mr. ckwood''s voice. He felt like he was onto something, but at that moment, his brain seemed to short-circuit, and he was unable to make any connection. Lucky for him, his mouth was faster than his brain, and after hearing Adrian''s question, he blurted out without thinking, "I have a document here for Ms. Hansen to sign." There was silence again inside.


    "Wait there."


    After dropping that line, the inside fell quiet once more.


    Tim stood at the door, still feeling that something was very strange.


    What on earth was going on?


    Suddenly, in a sh of realization, Tim, who was standing at the door, remembered something and his eyes widened in shock.


    After he had left earlier, the office door had been locked from the inside... Wasn''t the purpose of that to prevent anyone from entering?


    And there had been the sound of a chair falling over, and even Mr. ckwood''s voice sounded hoarse when he spoke.


    Tim finally realized that he had inadvertently interrupted something private.


    It was over for him.


    Where had his sharp wit gone from when he was in upper management?


    Why had his brain suddenly hit a snag?


    At this moment, Tim truly wished he could pry open his skull to see what on earth was going on inside.


    However, things being as they were, he didn''t dare to leave and could only stand there stiff as a board.


    He didn''t know how long he stood there. He was still for so long that Tim felt like he was turning into stone. Suddenly, there were footsteps from inside. Following that, the door was opened from within.


    When the door opened, Tim instinctively shed his trademark smile.


    Unfortunately, it was to no avail. The person opening the door was not Eva, but a very grim-faced Adrian.


    "Where''s the document?"


    Tim noticed his sour expression and the disarray of his cor. Two buttons of his shirt were also undone, and his tie? It was nowhere to be seen. Seeing this, Tim immediately confirmed that he had indeed interrupted something.


    "Here..."


    Tim could only numbly hand over the document he was holding.


    Actually, it wouldn''t have mattered if Eva hadn''t signed this particr document; it was just an excuse he had grabbed from the pile.


    After Adrian took the document, he said "Wait here," and then he promptly shut the office door.


    Click.


    Tim stood outside the door, almost as if he had been brushed off.


    But there was no helping it. As a man, he understood all too well the frustration of being interrupted in the midst of... that sort of activity. If he were the one interrupted, he would probably feel murderous.


    So even if Adrian''s attitude towards him was less than friendly, he could only ruefully touch his nose and wait right there. Inside the office.


    Adrian handed the document Tim had given him to Eva.


    "It needs your signature."


    Eva was hurriedly adjusting her clothes; her face flushed to her neck and ears, almost her entire visible self had turned red.


    She quickly fastened the buttons of her cor, took the document from Adrian''s hand, and picked up a pen.


    "Where do I sign?"


    Seeing her flustered, with her hair in disarray, and remembering how she had suddenly pushed him away when things were getting intimate and how they were interrupted by the knocking at the door, Adrian couldn''t help but feel frustrated. Damn Tim.


    He could havee at any other time, but he had to choose that moment to ruin things.


    These days, because of his injury, Eva had been reluctant to get too close, fearing it might affect his healing.


    So, the opportunity he had finally found, to arouse her to the point where she forgot about his wounds, was ruined by Tim''s untimely intrusion.


    He stood next to Eva, his gaze dropping as she opened the document, eventually settling on the nape of her neck.


    There, a red mark from his kiss stood out against her skin like a vivid little patch on wless porcin.


    After seeing this red mark, Adrian''s irritated expression softened and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his dark eyes.


    It was a mark he had left on her, a proof of their intimacy just moments ago.


    Eva quickly reviewed the document and hastily signed her name before handing it back to Adrian.


    "Done; you can take it out now."


    However, Adrian didn''t rush to take the document. Instead, he held it in his hands and started to read through it seriously.


    Seeing this, Eva couldn''t help but ask, "What are you doing?"


    "Don''t you look at the documents you sign your name to?"


    Adrian''s voice was still a bit hoarse, but he was noticeably calmer than before.


    He stood in front of Eva, brows slightly furrowed as he flipped through the document quickly. Eva watched him do this, quietly defending herself. "I did look at it, just not that closely."

 Chapter 557 Dont Come Together Next Time

    As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Adrian turn a page.


    Eva''s eyes widened. She wanted to say something but the sight of his furrowed brow made her hold back.


    Never mind, even if he read through it quickly, it was still better for both of them to have looked over it instead of just one.


    She didn''t disturb him and just sat on the chair, waiting for him to finish reviewing the document.


    It took Adrian a few minutes to go through the contract and when he saw her neatly signed name at the end, a faint smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.


    After closing the document, he heard Eva grumble, "You finished so quickly; you didn''t look very closely either, and you''re talking about me."


    Hearing this, Adrian nced at her.


    "What''s the content of the third line on the fifth page; do you remember?" He asked.


    "What?" Eva was startled by his sudden question, and she looked at him in astonishment.


    Adrian, however, leisurely recited the content he had just asked about.


    Eva paused, then leaned over next to him and flipped through the document, finding that the third line on the fifth page was indeed as he had said. She nced at Adrian..


    Adrian''s eyes sparkled with amusement, " Did I do well?"


    Eva was speechless.


    Afterward, Adrian ruffled her hair, "I''ll take this to him; wait here for me."


    With that, Adrian took the document out. As he turned around, the smile that had been on his face towards Eva disappeared instantly, and when he opened the door to hand the document to Tim, the temperature around him seemed to drop to the extreme.


    Tim took the document, looking awkward.


    "Stay away," said Adrian coldly.


    He would have been better off not saying anything; that sentence made Tim even more embarrassed, and all he could do was nod.


    "Alright, I don''t have anything else; I won''t disturb you and Ms. Hansen anymore."


    After saying that, Tim left quickly.


    It wasn''t until he turned the corner that Tim stopped and let out a sigh of relief.


    Despite having been used to being in upper management of bigpanies, he had rarely seen someone with as strong a presence as Adrian.


    Clearly, Mr. ckwood had a presence that set him apart from others.


    ...


    After sending off the document, Adrian closed the door to the office. His slender fingers hesitated on the doorknob, contemting whether to lock the office door again.


    After all, there might be another person like Tim in thepany who would knock on the office door, and even try to turn the knob ande in if there was no response. Most importantly, if they were interrupted halfway, Eva would be distracted by the disturbance. And once she started to get distracted, Adrian would find it extremely displeasing.


    What he wanted was herplete immersion, as they united in both body and soul, under his guidance of course. After some thought, Adrian decided this was not a good ce for flirtation, so in the end, he did not lock the door. When he returned, Eva had already tidied up the entire desk. Upon seeing him approach, she stood up nervously.


    "I''ve sorted everything out; shall we go now?"


    Adrian stood still, a smile ying on his lips as he looked at her.


    "Are you in such a hurry to go back?"


    Eva didn''t know how to respond.


    Faced with his wolfish gaze, all Eva wanted to do was instinctively avoid him. "Yeah, there''s nothing left to do here, so might as well go back." Adrian had calmed down by now and wasn''t in the mood to continue, but seeing her avoid him like that, he couldn''t resist teasing her.


    "Are you sure there''s nothing else that needs to be done?"


    Eva said nothing.


    "Come here."


    Eva hesitated and stood in ce. "Maybe we should drop it?"


    "If you don''te here, should Ie to you?"


    Eva wrestled with the idea for two seconds. After thinking of what had just happened, she finally stepped towards him.


    Once she began to obediently walk up to him, Adrian couldn''t help butugh again and reach out to pinch her cheek. "Why so obedient all of a sudden?"


    "Is it useful to be disobedient?"


    Eva hadn''t forgotten what had happened after she was caught by him.


    "Indeed, it''s not."


    Seeing her pouty look, Adrian couldn''t resist pinching her cheek again, "So remember, don''t refuse me again."


    With that, he bent down and kissed her smooth forehead.


    As he leaned in, his warm breath brushed her face, and Eva instinctively closed her eyes, feeling only a soft warmth on her forehead.


    When the soft touch on her forehead left, and Eva thought she was about to face a storm, Adrian suddenly pulled her into his embrace. Eva was startled, and then she opened her eyes.


    When she realized that Adrian was just holding her and wasn''t about to do anything else, she became somewhat puzzled. "You..."


    She didn''t know what to say next. Should she directly ask why he didn''t continue? Wouldn''t that sound like a tacit encouragement?


    "What?" Adrian seemed to understand her thoughts, "Regretting that I didn''t continue kissing you? Don''t want to leave?"


    "No." Eva reflexively retorted, "Let''s go then."


    After speaking, she pushed him away and pulled his arm to leave, fearing that if they stayed any longer, Adrian would lose control again.


    And so, Adrian watched her with an indulgent smile as her delicate hand pulled him out of the office.


    Before leaving, he didn''t forget to close Eva''s office door behind them.


    When they arrived, it was with such fanfare that the wholepany knew about it; the employees were still not over their excitement. So, it was impossible for them to leave quietly. "After this, when Ie to thepany, you shouldn''te with me," Eva couldn''t help but say to Adrian with a hint of disdain as they got into the car.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow.


    "Why?"


    Seeing her silence, Adrian asked again, "Is it because of the people in yourpany? Do you care about what they think so much that you don''t want me to be with you?" "It''s not that. Ie to thepany to work, and you''re not part of it, so what are you doing following me?"


    The two were already seated in the car, and Adrian moved next to her seat, hisrge hand pulling her into his embrace.


    "It''s yourpany, sure, but I''m your husband. What''s wrong with a husband wanting to apany his wife to and from work while he''s recovering from an injury?" The mention of his recuperation made Eva hesitate again.


    If she didn''t allow him toe to thepany with her, what would he do at home by himself?


    Leaving him alone at home to recover... She knew he surely wouldn''t be happy.


    Even if he agreed, he would probably work in secret.


    Just like that day in the hotel when he used the study while she was asleep.

 Chapter 558 Yearning

    After all, he ran his own business and it wasn''t realistic to expect him not to touch aputer or work at all. So, Eva wasn''t opposed to him asionally handling urgent matters online.


    His wounds were healing, but he still needed rest. Yet if she left him alone at home, he was less likely to be the obedient patient that he would be by her side.


    He was, after all, the same man who despite serious injuries, had risked everything to save her. The very thought of how much he''d bled made her shudder, even though she hadn''t been the one hurt. His firm grip on her wrist jolted Eva back to the present.


    Adrian was looking at her intently. "Why so quiet? Do you disagree?"


    Regaining her senses, Eva sighed helplessly as she met his striking gaze up close. "Fine, you cane with me. But let''s get one thing straight - no more office shenanigans."


    "Oh?" Adrian feigned innocence with a glint of mischief. "What ''shenanigans'' are you referring to?"


    Eva was speechless as she red at him.


    "You''re ying dumb," she used.


    His smile deepened, and his voice lowered, "How can I y dumb when you haven''t told me exactly what you''re referring to?"


    Eva marveled at just how shameless Adrian, the CEO of the ckwood family business, could be - especially in front of her. And worst of all, he seemed to enjoy it.


    Eva finally got it; whenever he was around her, Adrian just couldn''t help but tease her relentlessly.


    She decided to y along.


    "So, if you can''t remember what I said, you better think hard about it," she quipped. "When you figure it out, then you can join me at the office."


    Adrian''s smirk didn''t fade.


    "Is that a threat?" He teased.


    "You think that''ll scare me? Or that if I can''t remember, I won''t go to the office with you?"


    As he finished speaking, he pulled her closer, his voice a low murmur.


    "Nice try, but I''m sticking with you wherever you go, whether I can remember or not."


    Over these past five years, especially after the recent events, Adrian would ofteny awake at night, wondering. Had he paid her more attention back then instead of burying himself in work, could he have noticed sooner that something was amiss? Might he have picked up on the subtle clues in the traces of their life together?


    Or perhaps, if he had focused more on her, would he have realized his true feelings earlier and not wasted so many years? Would they not have had so many misunderstandings?


    Now, after all she''d been through, after all the pain she''d endured, he knew it might take a lifetime to make it right.


    But it had happened, and he didn''t want to lose her. Even if making up for it took a lifetime, he wanted to try. He would try his best to give her happiness.


    For Adrian now, Eva and their two little kids were far more important than hispany.


    In simple terms, he could delegate billion-dor projects to others, but his wife and kids needed his personal touch.


    That was Adrian''s raw truth.


    In this life, he couldn''t bear to lose her again.


    Eva could feel his constant presence, his clinginess. It wasn''t just the regr desire to spend time together, but an almost pathological fear of losing her.


    Lately, he seemed to spend every waking hour with her.


    Eva didn''t mind, though. As long as he wasn''t fed up, it was fine by her.


    Once his wounds were healed, she figured he''d get busy and lose that clinginess. That''d give her a moment to herself.


    Yeah, that was what Eva had nned.


    What she didn''t anticipate, however, was that Adrian''s attachment didn''t dwindle with time. Instead, he became even more clingy day by day, like glue that wouldn''te off. Eventually, the people at the office got used to Adrian''s presence and didn''t react with the initial excitement or agitation as before.


    They also saw how Adrian treated Eva, and they felt incredibly fortunate to have joined thepany in its early days.


    As thepany thrived, those who passed up the chance to join earlier would find it a lot harder to get inter on.


    As the year drew to a close, many young people who worked in the city began to take various modes of transport to return home one after another. The bustling city gradually became quieter.


    In Eva''s smallpany, people had left in dribs and drabs, leaving the office empty. Eva had nned to decorate the office for the New Year, but seeing that most people had left, she put that idea to rest.


    Instead, she took some things she was interested in decorating to her home for Adrian to help with. Adrian, who was ustomed to having others do things for him at thepany and never needing to lift a finger, found himself climbing up and downdders under Eva''s direction to help her with the decorations.


    As for his injuries, they had long since healedpletely, and even the doctors praised his recovery during the follow-up visits. Eva was very pleased when she heard this and even boasted to Adrian about it when she returned.


    "I was right to insist on your convalescence, wasn''t I? Otherwise, your injuries wouldn''t have healed so well."


    "Mhm," Adrian replied, hisrge hand squeezing her waist. "Now that I''ve recovered so well, you must be very happy, right?"


    "Yes!" Eva was, of course, happy. He got so severely injured while saving her, so his recovery was a relief to her. That was why she nodded emphatically when Adrian asked her.


    "Since you''re happy... shouldn''t you give me some kind of reward?" Adrian''s hand moved slowly to the nape of her neck, gently pulling her into his embrace. As he inhaled the soft, warm fragrance of her body, his breathing became unconsciously heavier.


    From before until now, every time he wanted to get close, Eva would reject him when it got to a certain point, using his injury as the reason.


    Because he didn''t want her to get upset, Adrian epted her rejections. But as time went by, his own body felt ufortable, and his longing for her grew stronger.


    Like now, just being a little closer made him struggle to control himself.


    Adrian''s gaze grew heavier, and just as he was about to kiss her, Eva''s phone rang in her arms.


    Without much thought, she pushed Adrian away and said, "I need to take this call."

 Chapter 559 Grounded

    After saying this, Eva quickly grabbed her phone and left,pletely ignoring the fact that Adrian, who had been emotionally pushed away without warning, stumbled a few steps and looked slightly disheveled. He stood in ce, steadying himself for a good while before he managed to calm the nearly overwhelming emotions that had surged within him, along with the intense longing that gradually settled down. Afterward, he looked helplessly in the direction Eva had left and let out a long sigh.


    Heartless, not even considering to push him gently.


    Adrian had his grievances, but he couldn''t bring himself to me his woman, so at this moment, he could only redirect his annoyance toward the person who had called her. Who was so insensitive to call her at such a time?


    Eva walked into the bedroom and answered the call from the person Adrian had mentally used of being ''insensitive.''


    With the yearing to an end, she was, nheless, excited to receive this call.


    "Emily."


    Although her memory hadn''t fully returned, she had been chatting on the phone with Emily quite often recently, so their rtionship had returned to its former closeness.


    They had been close friends since their early years, so even a loss of memory couldn''t suppress their subconscious reliance on each other.


    During this time, Eva also learned about another person, Lisa.


    Lisa was also one of her friends, only ording to Emily, Lisa was someone she met abroad, whereas she and Emily had known each other since their school days in their home country. But subconsciously, Eva still relied more on Emily.


    And perhaps out of jealousy, Emily would asionally say to her,


    "I''m the one who''s been by your side the longest; you better not forget me because of someone else."


    Whenever this happened, Eva wouldfort her, "Look, even though I''ve lost my memory, I haven''t forgotten you."


    Emily scoffed, "You clearly forgot about me. If I hadn''t called you, you wouldn''t even remember who I am."


    "Ah, well, it''s no use talking about it now since you don''t have your old memories," Emily would relent.


    The two would pull at each other for a bit before moving on to other topics, not dwelling too much on these matters.


    But recently, Eva really enjoyed talking and sharing the trivialities of daily life with her.


    From majorpany issues to minor details like what she ate today and what she did, they got along very well.


    Today''s call was the happiest Eva had taken in a while, and right after greeting her, she asked, "Emily, it''s the end of the year; are youing back?"


    On the other end of the phone, Emily clicked her tongue, "I wanted to surprise you, but it seems impossible to keep it a secret at the end of the year. Everyone''s asking me the same question, sigh..." Hearing her intive tone, Eva couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Isn''t that normal? After all, everyone goes home for the New Year."


    "Who says? There were times I didn''t go home because I was too busy with work, trying to earn more money..."


    Emily''s voice trailed off, "Never mind, let''s not talk about that."


    Just as Eva was about to say something, she heard what seemed like an airport announcement in the background, and she was a bit surprised.


    "Are you at the airport?"


    "Yeah." Emily nodded as she looked around, her gaze coincidentally meeting Yvette''s.


    Yvette, bumping into her gaze, immediately bared her teeth in a sweet smile.


    Emily also curved her lips slightly, "I''m about to board soon, wait for me toe back, okay?" "Sure."


    Thinking of something, Emily added, "But don''t wait up for me today; I''ll definitely arrive at night."


    Considering the long duration of international flights, Emily didn''t expect to see Eva today; by the time she arrived, it would be the middle of the night. She nned to stay at a hotel near the airport for the night and then meet her, fresh and renewed, along with her family, the next day.


    "At night?"


    After asking for her flight number and checking, Eva suggested, "Then I''ll pick you up tonight."


    "Don''t bother."


    Emily immediately refused, "I''ll be arriving in the middle of the night. You should rest well; we''ll meet tomorrow."


    Reluctantly, Eva pursed her lips and smiled, not insisting further.


    "Alright, I need to get ready to board now; I''ll call you tomorrow."


    "Safe travels."


    After hanging up the phone, Emily had just put away her device when Yvette leaned in close.


    "Emily, was that your friend?"


    After a moment of serious thought, Emily replied, "A very good sister of many years."


    "Someone you met during your student days?"


    "Yeah."


    Yvette showed an envious expression.


    "That''s nice. I barely talk to anyone I knew from my student days anymore."


    Emily chuckled lightly.


    "Isn''t that the case for everyone? Most people lose touch, it''s just this one that''s stayed."


    After entering the workforce, who still remembered their friends from their student days? Especially after getting married, the number of friends around you tended to decrease. Everyone had their own busy lives, and it was considered lucky to remember to send a greeting or a blessing during the holidays.


    After chatting about this and that for a while, they went their separate ways upon boarding.


    Because they didn''t purchase adjacent seats and had different destinations afternding, Emily nned to sleep in a nearby hotel, while Yvette was to be picked up by her family.


    So, Emily decided not to apany Yvette. After getting off the ne, she would head straight to the nearby hotel to shower and rest.


    Emily had an extremely ufortable flight. It was a very long journey with a lengthyyover in between, and to top it off, the airne food was unappetizing. So, by the time she arrived domestically, she didn''t look too well. Yvette specifically waited for her in the corridor when disembarking.


    "Yourplexion doesn''t look good; did you get airsick?"


    Emily waved her off, "No, just tired."


    "Ah," Yvette sighed, "I also feel quite tired. My family''s car is already here. Why don''t you join us, and we''ll drop you off?"


    Emily didn''t like to trouble others unless they were very close.


    She hadn''t known Yvette for long, and it was likely they wouldn''t keep in touch afterwards. It didn''t seem right to trouble her unnecessarily at this point.


    So, she quickly declined.


    "No need. The hotel I booked is close by; it''s just a cab ride away. It would be too much trouble for you guys to drop me off."


    But Yvette was very enthusiastic.


    "Not at all, I''m just worried about you because you look pale; I don''t want anything to happen to you."


    Emily was about to say something else when her phone rang.


    "Sorry, I need to take this call; you go ahead. I''m really fine."


    However, Yvette shook her head and stubbornly stood in ce.


    With no other option, Emily pulled out her phone and was somewhat shocked to see that the caller was Eva. "Hello?"


    "Ms. Jones, I''ve seen that your flight hasnded; I''m waiting for you at the exit."

 Chapter 560 Come to My House

    Emily was rooted to the spot, likely never having anticipated that Eva would call her in the middle of the night, let alone be waiting for her at the airport exit. It took Emily a long while to respond.


    "Why aren''t you sleeping at thiste hour? Didn''t we agree that you''d rest and we''d meet tomorrow?"


    "How could I note to pick up my best friend who''s returning to the country?"


    Eva''s voice on the other end of the phone was cheerful and happy.


    In that moment, Emily was deeply touched, feeling a warm sensation around her eyes.


    "Okay, I''ming now."


    "Waiting for you."


    After hanging up, Yvette immediately asked.


    "Is your friending to pick you up?"


    Emily nodded.


    "Yeah, I explicitly told her not toe, and yet she''s here, not sleeping in the middle of the night."


    Yvette was extremely envious.


    "That''s great. Then you don''t need a ride from us, and I don''t have to worry about you."


    It was clear that Yvette genuinely cared, and Emily was grateful for that, "Thanks for your concern. You should hurry back too, don''t keep your family waiting." "Sure, we''ll get in touchter."


    "Okay."


    After parting ways with Yvette, Emily stood still for a moment to take a deep breath, then went to retrieve her luggage.


    She was returning home after resigning from her job, so she had a lot of baggage to collect.


    Not knowing how long it would take to get her luggage, Emily sent Eva a message to let her know the situation.


    Eva replied considerately, telling her not to worry and that she would wait.


    Emily suddenly thought of something, "Did youe alone?"


    "No."


    Emily breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was the middle of the night, and it was good that she wasn''t alone. Otherwise, considering her best friend''s attractiveness, she was genuinely worried about Eva encountering some bad men at this hour. While waiting for her luggage, Emily received an unexpected text message.


    "Landed?"


    She read it several times, still somewhat in disbelief that the message was from Nathan.


    In disbelief, she exited and re-entered the chat, checking his profile several times.


    After a few checks, she confirmed that the message was indeed from Nathan.


    While she found it strange, she quickly realized something.


    She had been exploited by him for so many years at work, not even taking annual leave, so it was quite normal for him to ask after her with a bit of decorum as she flew back home.


    So, Emily replied with a polite smiley face.


    "Yeah,nded, thank you for your concern, Mr. Powell."


    It was a formal response. After replying, Emily didn''t look at her phone again because her luggage had just arrived.


    After collecting her luggage, Emily hurried towards the exit.


    From a distance, she could see her dear friend standing at the exit, with a tall and handsome figure beside her.


    It was winter, so that figure had his coat open, enveloping Eva in it.


    From afar, they looked like the perfect couple.


    Emily hadn''t expected to see them being affectionate as soon as she saw them, and, as she approached, the first thing she thought to say was, "Look at you two, showing off in front of a single person." In the past, Emily wouldn''t have dared to speak to Adrian like this.


    But since she knew about Eva''s memory loss and previous events, she was no longer as intimidated by Adrian as before.


    Yet Eva justughed, pushed Adrian away, and then turned to hug Emily tightly.


    Emily quickly reciprocated the hug.


    The two had not seen each other for a long time and had so much to say, but for now, they just hugged for a long duration.


    Because these individuals were so strikingly attractive, many people at the airport couldn''t help but turn their gazes towards them as they walked back and forth.


    Adrian, watching the two women embrace, held back hisments at first but eventually couldn''t resist saying, "Have you hugged enough? It''s gettingte." Emily was taken aback.


    She was speechless as she looked at Adrian.


    Though she was at a loss for words, she still let go of Eva. Eva, however, smiled and linked her arm with Emily''s.


    "Don''t mind him; he''s just the jealous type," Eva said.


    "Alright," Emily agreed.


    "Are you hungry? How about we go grab something to eat?" Eva offered.


    "No, no need," Emily instinctively waved her hand dismissively, "It''s sote; how can I make you go out to eat with me? I''m already very happy that you came to pick me up. Just dropping me off at the hotel is fine. I can just buy some instant noodles downstairs after I get there."


    Hearing this, Eva frowned deeply.


    "Instant noodles?"


    Emily nodded, "Yeah."


    "That''s not nutritious. Why would you eat such things?"


    "It''s just this once; what''s the harm?"


    Eva thought about it and realized she was being hypocritical. She wouldn''t mind eating instant noodles herself, but the idea of her best friend eating them made her feel like they were nutritionally inadequate. "No way, get in the car. We''re going to eat something proper."


    Despite Emily''s protests, Eva eventually dragged her into the car, and after some discussion, they decided to go for ate-night snack.


    Eva took special care of Emily at the dinner table because she looked a bit pale.


    Adrian just watched silently from the side. While watching how tender Eva was with Emily, he couldn''t help feeling a bit jealous, even though he knew the two were just friends and that Emily was a woman. Since Emily didn''t want to take up too much of the couple''s timete at night, she suggested going back after eating a bit.


    Unexpectedly, Eva asked where she was staying and proposed that they spend the night together at the hotel.


    Emily fell silent; she didn''t know how to respond.


    She could already sense that if she agreed, Adrian would probably list her as a rival in the future.


    So, she could onlyugh awkwardly and say, "Why? Can''t bear to part with me? Can''t we just meet tomorrow? Do you have to follow me to the hotel? Isn''t your bed at home morefortable than the hotel''s?" It seemed Eva was persuaded away from the idea.


    "That''s true. The hotel beds are indeed not asfortable as the ones at home, and they might not even be as clean," Eva mused.


    "Exactly," Emily agreed.


    But the next second, Eva said, "Then don''t stay at the hotel,e sleep at my ce."


    "Huh?"


    "We have a guest room at home. The maid keeps it very clean; you just need to pull out the nket to sleep."


    Hearing this, Emily didn''t respond but instinctively looked in Adrian''s direction.

 Chapter 561 Wont He Get Angry?

    If Eva wasn''t married, Emily would have immediately agreed to the suggestion of sleeping over. However, now that Eva was married and not living alone, it would be quite impolite for Emily to ept without any reservations. Therefore, the first thing Emily did was instinctively look over at Adrian. Seeing her nce at Adrian, Eva couldn''t help but ask, "Why are you looking at him?"


    After saying that, she also turned to look at Adrian.


    "Don''t you agree?" She asked.


    Adrian, feeling somewhat cornered under her gaze, could only respond with a sense of resignation, "When did I disagree? Let''s go, I''ll have the driver call and inform the housemaid to prepare your room." Emily was surprised that he actually agreed. Eva, on the other hand, was delighted and hugged her.


    "Then I''ll sleep with you tonight."


    Emily could only nod awkwardly. "Okay."


    After getting into the car, Adrian, who had been sitting in the back with Eva, was promptly sent to sit in the front passenger seat because of Emily.


    Adrian sat alone in the front, his expression and eyes darkening. But considering that Eva only had this one close friend, he had to suppress the jealousy in his heart.


    That night, Emily stayed at Eva''s house. The guest room was very clean due to the housemaid''s regr cleaning, and the bedding was all fresh.


    After taking a hot bath to wash away the fatigue and emerging with her skin still pink, Emily saw someone lying on her bed.


    "Eva?"


    "Are you done bathing?" Eva, already changed into her pajamas, was lying on the bed and quickly patted the spot beside her upon seeing Emilye out. Emily was somewhat taken aback.


    She thought Eva''s offer to sleep together was just talk, and even if it wasn''t, she didn''t expect Adrian to actually let here over.


    "What''s wrong?" Eva asked curiously upon seeing her standing there staring.


    "Nothing."


    Having regained herposure, Emily walked over, realizing it had been a long time since she had slept with her best friend.


    Of course, it was nice to be able to sleep together, but she was still a bit worried and asked as she approached the bed, "Won''t Adrian get angry ''cause you''re here with me?" Eva was somewhat perplexed by the question.


    "Why would he get angry?"


    She was apanying her best friend, not another man. If that was something to get angry about, Eva felt she probably wouldn''t indulge him.


    "I''ve taken his wife away from him. If it weren''t for me, he''d be cuddling with his lovely wife right now."


    Eva burst intoughter.


    "Come on, it''s just for one night. If he dares toin, I''ll deal with him!"


    "Really?"


    "Yeah."


    "Do you really have the heart to?"


    "What''s there to have the heart for?"


    Emily thought for a moment, then suddenly jumped into the bed and snuggled up with Eva, and the two of them started giggling together.


    Just like when they first met over a decade ago, they would sleep together, tickle each other, and roll around on the bed inughter like they were still teenage girls.


    When things quieted down, they would chat about all sorts of things and share their troubles until one of them fell asleep.


    But even now, at their age, some habits hadn''t changed.


    As soon as theyy down, the two of them embraced each other, and then Emily couldn''t help but start ranting about all the bizarre things she encountered at work, as well as about Nathan. Eva listened quietly, asionally responding when needed.


    In the midst of their conversation, Emily''s phone began to ring.


    She nced at it and was surprised to see that the caller ID showed it was Nathan.


    Emily was shocked.


    What time was it, and he was calling her? Didn''t he need to sleep?


    No, that was not right.


    It was daytime where he was.


    Emily took a deep breath and said to her friend, "I need to take this call, okay?"


    "Okay."


    "Hello? Mr. Powell?"


    Because she answered so quickly, it seemed to catch Nathan off guard, causing a moment of silence.


    Not hearing a response, Emily pulled the phone away slightly and murmured softly, "Did he dial the wrong number?"


    Just as Nathan was about to speak, he heard another woman''s voice beside her.


    "Who is it?"


    Thanks to his remarkable memory, Nathan immediately recognized the voice.


    It was Eva''s voice, the woman who had apanied her when they had met before.


    It seemed that Emily hadn''t replied to his messages earlier probably because she was meeting with her best friend and had forgotten. Nathan quickly made excuses for her in his mind.


    "Shh."


    Emily put her finger to her lips to signal Eva to be quiet, and Eva covered her mouth. Then Emily spoke again, "Mr. Powell?"


    Nathan finally made a sound of acknowledgment.


    "Was there a bad signal just now? I couldn''t hear anything from your end."


    "Ah, yes, the signal might not be great."


    Nathan''s voice was calm and detached, "Have you reached the hotel?"


    "No, I''m staying at a friend''s house tonight. Mr. Powell, is there a reason you''re calling at this hour? Is there a problem at work?"


    There was a long silence from Nathan''s end, and Emily thought she even heard him sigh before he finally said, "There''s a bit of a hup, but considering the time difference between there and here, let''s forget about it." Emily fell silent.


    Nathan hung up shortly after.


    As the busy tone came through the phone, Emily was still at a loss for words. She tossed her phone aside and began to vent to Eva.


    "I''m telling you, this guy is not only a workaholic himself, but he also exploits his subordinates to the max, right? I''ve already resigned, and he still calls me to handle work? Haha."


    Eva blinked, a bit in the dark due to not remembering any past incidents between the two.


    But from Emily''s description, and the fact that he called in the middle of the night just to talk about work, it did indeed seem like he was a workaholic.


    "Didn''t you hand over your work properly?"


    "How could I not have? It''s all taken care of; Yvette is quite capable."


    "Then even if he wanted to call about work, he should''ve called the person you handed over to. Why call you?"


    "Right, why did he call me? Does he think I''m a beast of burden?"


    The more Emily thought about it, the angrier she got. "Next time he calls me about work, I''ll set things straight with him! I don''t work under him anymore, so I''m not afraid of offending him, hmph."


    Eva then said, "Actually, even if he wanted to ask about work, it probably wouldn''t be at this time. Could it be possible that he was just concerned about whether younded safely?"


    "That''s impossible," Emily shook her head.


    "Why?"


    "He already asked. Right after you called me, I got a message from him while I was getting my luggage. I replied a long time ago. Look, here it is."

 Chapter 562 Playing Along with Mischief

    Emily even opened WhatsApp, intending to show their chat history to her good friend. She never had anything to hide from her. Seeing that she was about to show her, Eva naturally leaned in closer. That was when she let out a "hmm," "You didn''t reply to histest message."


    Emily hadn''t noticed until Eva mentioned it, and then she realized, turning her phone back to herself, that in their chat box, aside from her own message thanking him for his concern, there was more content from Nathan. "Be safe, and let me know once you get to the hotel."


    She hadn''t replied for a long time since then. At that time, she had already picked up her luggage and was in a hurry to find Eva. She then hadte-night snacks with Eva and her husband, bathed, and only now...


    "It seems that asking about work was just an excuse. He mostly just wanted to make sure you''re safe, right?"


    Hearing this, Emily couldn''t help but look up at Eva.


    "But why does he need to make sure I''m safe?" She found it strange.


    "Hmm," Eva thought seriously for a moment. "You''ve been working under him for many years, and you''re always working together. It''s normal for him to express concern when a long-time employee resigns, especiallyte at night. If he didn''t show any concern, it would mean he''s too cold-hearted."


    Emily felt Eva''s exnation made sense, and the nervousness that had risen in her heart dissipated.


    She stretched her hand to rub her face.


    "You''re right. Then he probably won''t bother me anymore."


    They didn''t dwell on the topic for long and soon moved on. Eva talked with her for a long time, and after a while, she couldn''t help but want to ask about what had happened between Adrian and herself.


    But just as she was about to speak, she saw that Emily had sumbed to fatigue and fallen asleep.


    "Emily?"


    Eva called out to her, but the only response she got was the light sound of Emily''s breathing.


    Well, it seemed she really was tired after traveling all day.


    Eva didn''t make any more noise to disturb her; instead, she pulled the nket up a bit higher to prevent her from catching a cold at night.


    Then she turned off the bedsidemp and quickly fell asleep herself.


    That night, everyone went to bedte.


    But Eva''s biological clock still woke her up early.


    When she woke up, Emily was still sleeping next to her and almost fell off the bed.


    Eva''s eyes were sore; she could barely open them. Shey on the bed, struggling for a few seconds before deciding to sleep a little longer. This sleepsted until noon.


    In her sleep, she felt something fluffy rubbing against her face. At first, she didn''t feel much.


    Gradually, she started to feel a bit itchy on her cheeks.


    Eva was sleeping soundly and subconsciously brushed it away.


    "Mommy, time to get up."


    After being waved away by her hand, a soft and cute voice spoke up.


    Upon hearing the voice, Eva thought she had heard wrong.


    "Mommy?"


    "Mommy, time to get up."


    After a while, Eva recognized that it was her daughter''s voice.


    Sure enough, when she opened her eyes, she saw Ruby''s cute little face lying next to her, propped up on her little hands and looking at her with bright, sparkling eyes. Now that Eva was awake, those spirited eyes curved into crescents.


    "Mommy, you''re finally awake."


    "Ruby?"


    She called out and then instinctively pulled Ruby into her arms, her voice stillzy, "How did you get here? What time is it now?"


    After saying that, she yawned.


    "Mommy, it''s already twelve o''clock."


    "Twelve..."


    Eva, who was still feeling sleepy, suddenly opened her eyes wide and then sat up.


    She instinctively looked to the side and found that Emily''s sleeping spot was empty.


    "Emily?"


    "Mommy, are you looking for Aunt Emily?"


    "Yes, do you know where she went?"


    Eva asked as she got out of bed and lifted the covers.


    "Aunt Emily got up early this morning. She went downstairs earlier and seemed to be chatting with Grandma."


    "She got up so early..." Hearing this, Eva''s brows instinctively furrowed.


    She hadn''t even noticed Emily getting up?


    Eva felt displeased with herself and couldn''t help but purse her lips. She got dressed and said, "Then I''ll go downstairs and have a look."


    Seeing her about to leave, Ruby quickly clung to her legs, "Mommy, carry me."


    Eva bent down and picked her up.


    She intended to go straight downstairs to find Emily, but as soon as she stepped out the door, she ran into Adrian.


    Adrian, seeing Ruby hanging on the slender Eva, reached out his hands.


    "Ruby, Daddy will carry you."


    Ruby was initially clinging to Mommy''s embrace, but upon seeing her daddy reaching out to her, she couldn''t bear to refuse and went into his arms. Now that Ruby was being held by Adrian, Eva felt relieved and said to him, "Take care of her for a moment, I''m going to check downstairs."


    She didn''t expect to be caught by his hand as she walked past Adrian, "Looking for your friend?"


    "Yes, Ruby said she got up very early."


    "She''s gone."


    Hearing this, Eva paused, "Gone?"


    Then her eyebrows knitted together.


    "Why did she leave so soon? She didn''t even tell me."


    After seeing her look so aggrieved, Adrian couldn''t help but sigh helplessly.


    "She did want to tell you, but you were sleeping too soundly."


    Adrian''s response left Eva speechless for a moment, and she instinctively argued, "It''s not that I was too sleepy, it''s that you all got up too early." Everyone went to bed sotest night. ording to their biological clocks, they should have only slept for two or three hours.


    She did wake up early, but her body felt very sore, and she couldn''t move. She only wanted to sleep more.


    This waspletely different from before.


    She feltfortable only after getting enough sleep.


    Adrian chuckled softly, "Yes, we got up too early. What about you, the little sleepyhead who got upte?"


    Eva was speechless.


    Before she could retort, Eva heard Ruby in Adrian''s arms chiming in, "Oh yeah, Mommy is a sleepyhead who got upte."


    Initially wanting to scold Adrian, Eva had to swallow her thoughts and could only pinch Ruby''s cheek.


    "You little rascal, your daddy is being naughty, and you''re joining in?"


    Ruby still cooed even after being pinched, "Sleepyhead Mommy!"


    Eva looked at Adrian speechlessly.


    "Don''t say that again. It''s not good for a child to learn such things."


    Adrianughed, "What''s wrong with that? Don''t you think it''s cute to say?"


    "Where''s the cuteness? Let''s see if you find it cute if I call you that?"

 Chapter 563 I Might Not Agree

    Suddenly, a certain little troublemaker, after hearing this, pped their hands in delight.


    "Yay yay, Sleepyhead Mommy and Sleepyhead Daddy."


    Eva was at a loss.


    Adrian didn''t see any issue with the nickname his daughter hade up with; in fact, he seemed to enjoy it. He smiled as he bounced her in his arms.


    "Ruby is so talented,ing up with names at such a young age."


    Eva was truly astonished.


    She wondered if Adrian''s ''dad filter'' was turned up too high. How could he praise such an awful nickname?


    "Daddy likes it?"


    Ruby''s attention was drawn to him, and then she began to imagine all sorts of names for her daddy.


    Listening on the side, Eva remained speechless, but watching how much fun they were having, even as Ruby eventually climbed onto Adrian''s shoulder to y with his hair, made a slight smile form on her lips.


    Ah well, it was just a few ugly nicknames. Compared to moments like these, they seemed to matter very little.


    Eva quickly came to terms with it and stood there for a while before Adrian urged her, "Go downstairs and eat; don''t just stand there."


    "Have you guys eaten already?"


    "Yes."


    "Alright, then I''ll go downstairs."


    Before heading down, Eva didn''t forget to bring her phone with her.


    As soon as she went downstairs, a servant led her to the dining room and served the meal that had been prepared in advance.


    "Thank you."


    After sitting down to eat, Eva took out her phone and saw a message from Emily.


    "Dear, you can really sleep, huh? I didn''t want to overstay my wee since it''s your house and you were still asleep, so I left. Contact me when you wake up, kisses." Imagining the expression Emily must have had while typing those words, Eva couldn''t help but smile.


    "I''m awake now." Eva replied.


    After that, Eva made a call.


    Emily answered quickly.


    "Woke up so soon? I thought you''d sleep until the afternoon."


    "It''s not early anymore; it''s already noon. Why did you leave without waking me?"


    "I felt guilty for disturbing youst night, and you hardly got any rest. I couldn''t bear to wake you up when you were finally resting. Wouldn''t I be asking for a beating?" "We''re best friends; why talk like that?"


    "Silly, because we''re best friends I couldn''t bear to wake you. I wanted you to sleep a bit more. You''ve lost a lot of weight; you need to rest and eat well, you know?" Towards the end, Emily''s tone even took on a bit of sternness and warning.


    It sounded fierce, but Eva couldn''t help but smile, scooping up a spoonful of chicken soup to her mouth.


    "I know. Where are you now?"


    "I''m still in the car, on the way home."


    Emily''s home was in another city, not too far away. With the New Year approaching, she naturally wanted to go back to her ce.


    "How much longer until you arrive?"


    "I''m not sure; I thought it would be a few hours'' drive, but it''s so congested since everyone is on their way home for the New Year holiday," Emily answered, unable to suppress a yawn. Hearing that, Eva told her to rest.


    "Okay, then I''ll sleep a bit more in the car and let you know when I arrive."


    "Alright."


    After hanging up, Eva began to eat her lunch in earnest.


    The end of the year was always especially busy. After lunch, Eva rushed to thepany to finish up some end-of-year work.


    Busy until the evening, she finally managed to wrap up all the loose ends.


    After that, she wouldn''t need toe to the office anymore; she could just take care of things at home.


    Whenever she was busy at herpany, Eva always felt like there weren''t enough hours in the day.


    But once thepany work was finished, and she returned home, she realized that there wasn''t much for her to do at home.


    With Kim and Margaret handling the household affairs, and the rest being taken care of by the servants, there was little for her and Adrian to do.


    Gradually, some servants went home early for the New Year, leaving those whose homes were too far or who had no rtives to spend the New Year with.


    Eva also received a call from her father, asking how she nned to spend the New Year, whether with the ckwood family or going abroad with him.


    Mr. Hansen had been aware of Eva''s amnesia, and upon hearing that she had gotten involved with Adrian after losing her memory, he remained silent for a long time. Adrian had sought a private conversation with him and even secretly met with him abroad without Eva''s knowledge.


    Eventually, Mr. Hansen softened a bit.


    "Since she''s so reliant on you without her memories, I entrust you to take good care of her. But if you make her unhappy again, I will not hand my daughter over to you."


    Mr. Hansen had been distressed for a long time over Eva taking care of the children on her own, and his daughter being bullied.


    For a long time, Mr. Hansen harbored great resentment towards Adrian, his former son-inw.


    But he had been young once and knew that some matters of the heart were beyond the elders'' control. The more he intervened, the more pressured the children might feel, potentially leading to an unpleasant oue. Moreover, he understood his daughter well, so Mr. Hansen eventually decided to let her do as she wished for now.


    Still, Mr. Hansen couldn''t help but feel heartache for her.


    This New Year, besides asking where she would spend it, he also wanted to gauge how well she had been doingtely.


    Caught off guard by her father''s question, Eva hesitated for a moment before saying, "I don''t know..."


    She privately wished to spend it with her family.


    But since she was married to Adrian, he was her family too, and Kim and Margaret had been truly kind to her, treating her like their own daughter.


    So, the question put her in a difficult position for a moment.


    Hearing her indecisive and confused tone, Mr. Hansen sighed softly.


    "Then I won''t make it difficult for you. You celebrate the New Year first, ande visit when you have time after."


    Eva didn''t know how to respond right away, so she simply agreed.


    "Okay, I''ll see how I can arrange it."


    After hanging up, Eva called Adrian over to discuss the matter.


    Adrian listened silently until she finished speaking and then looked up at her with calm eyes.


    "What do you think?"


    Eva''s pink lips parted slightly.


    "If I knew... would I still be asking you?"


    Hearing this, Adrian couldn''t help but chuckle softly.


    "It seems you want me to decide for you?"


    Eva sighed lightly.


    "Even if you give me advice, I might not agree."

 Chapter 564 Shameless Every Day

    Seeing her like this, Adrian became a bit restless and reached out to pull her to sit in front of him.


    "I have an idea now; listen to it and tell me if you''re satisfied. If not, we can think of something else." Eva''s interest was piqued when he mentioned he had an idea.


    "Alright, let''s hear it."


    But Adrian chose that moment to raise an eyebrow.


    "I''ll tell you, but first you have to give me a kiss."


    "Huh?!"


    Eva wondered if she had misheard.


    She looked at Adrian with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.


    "What did you say?"


    Adrian''s deep eyes lingered on her lips, his voice low and husky. "ying dumb?"


    After a brief pause, Eva''s face suddenly flushed red.


    "We''re talking about serious matters; what are you doing?"


    Adrian leaned in closer, making Eva feel his warm breath on her face.


    "This is serious too, very important."


    Before his breath could get any closer, Eva instinctively turned her head to the side.


    Adrian, however, reached out to hold her chin.


    "Just give me a kiss."


    Eva frowned, "I don''t want to."


    Adrian looked at her, puzzled.


    "Why? Do you find me repulsive?"


    The word ''repulsive'' made Eva instinctively retort, "No, why would you think that?"


    She thought about it. It was impossible for her to find him repulsive.


    "Not at all?" Adrian lowered his gaze, appearing deeply hurt.


    "Lately, you''ve been rejecting my advances. Just the other day, you didn''t sleep with me because of your friend, and now you don''t even want to give me a kiss."


    His lips curled into a self-mocking smile.


    "If this isn''t repulsion, what is it?"


    His words made Eva feel like she was the bad guy all this time, and she subconsciously started to defend herself.


    "I haven''t been... The reason I rejected your advances was that we were at thepany, and people might havee in, so I..."


    She paused for a moment before continuing, "You should know that, and about the other night; it wasn''t that I didn''t want to sleep with you, it was because Emily was there, and I went to sleep with her. It was just for one night, and that was it." "And about just now... it''s not that I don''t want to kiss you, it''s just..."


    "If you don''t mind, then what''s the harm in a kiss?"


    This time, Adrian was quick to respond.


    Eva pursed her lips, "We''re discussing serious matters."


    "Then give me a kiss, and we''ll continue the serious discussion."


    Eva felt helpless.


    It seemed that she couldn''t escape the kiss today.


    Feeling a bit speechless and afraid that he really thought she found him repulsive, Eva reluctantly leaned in and pecked his cheek.


    She moved so quickly that Adrian was caught off guard. Before he could even savor it, she had already pulled back.


    "Now do you believe that I don''t find you repulsive?"


    "That was too quick," Adrian said.


    "What?"


    "I mean, it was too quick. I didn''t even feel it."


    "You only said a kiss, not how fast or slow. Anyway, you can''t go back on your word. Tell me your idea now."


    "Hmm."


    Adrian just hummed softly, then began tough quietly.


    "I''m not satisfied yet, let me have another kiss."


    Eva stood up, intending to leave, but her wrist was caught tightly, and she was pulled back before she could react and tumbled into his embrace.


    Then her chin was grasped, and a familiar scent pressed down on her.


    Eva was about to push away, but it was already toote. Her lips were sealed by Adrian''s, his familiar scent and the friction on her lips giving her a veryforting feeling. Within seconds, Eva closed her eyes. Adrian, who had expected her to resist, was somewhat stunned when she reciprocated. Once he realized what was happening, he deepened the kiss.


    ......


    An hourter


    Adrian, with a look of contentment, embraced the woman in his arms, his eyebrows slightly raised in a hidden joy, the usual depth in his eyes reced by another emotion.


    After a sigh from deep within his throat, he held the woman in his arms even tighter.


    Thinking back to what had just happened, Eva''s face flushed red, and she buried her little face in his chest.


    Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and when she moved, she could hear the vibration of Adrian''s lowughter.


    She couldn''t help wanting to look up and ask him what he wasughing at, but remembering what had just happened, she suddenly lost her nerve and could only grit her teeth and punch him lightly.


    The man who was thoroughly satisfied didn''t care about what Eva did at this point, because in this past hour, he had gotten enough to make up for the recent cold treatment and the jealousy in his heart. She punched him a couple of times, still not feeling relieved, and continued punching.


    Around the fifth punch, Adrian finally caught her delicate wrist, and he said with a helpless tone, "Alright, stop hitting me."


    "I can''t even hit you once?"


    "It''s not that. You can hit me if you want, but didn''t you say your hand was sore?" Adrian''s voice tinged with a hint ofughter, "It was so sore earlier; what if it hurts after you''re done hitting me?" Eva was speechless.


    She couldn''t believe he could so brazenly bring up the embarrassing moment from before.


    The mention of what had happened made Eva''s ears turn so red that they looked like they might start bleeding, and she quickly withdrew her captured wrist. "Shameless!" She muttered angrily at him.


    "Mhm, I''m shameless, and I''d be willing to be shameless every day if you treat me like you did just now."


    "I don''t want to talk to you."


    Eva pushed him away, trying to get up and leave.


    "Wait, you don''t want to hear my idea anymore?"


    When he brought up the matter of the New Year''s ns, Eva paused mid-step, but fearing further teasing from Adrian, she stood still.


    "You say it."


    Seeing her genuinely scared by his antics, Adrian didn''t dare do anything more to her. After all, you have to catch a small animal bit by bit. Otherwise, if she ran away scared, it would be difficult to get any more sweetness next time.


    "I''ll talk to Mom and Dad about buying ne ticketster."


    "ne tickets?"


    Eva suddenly turned around.


    "What do you mean? Why are we buying ne tickets?"


    "It''s impossible to take care of both sides, so we might as well go abroad and spend the New Year with them."


    Eva pursed her lips and did not respond.


    To be honest, that was indeed what she had been thinking in her heart.


    But those were Adrian''s parents, and it seemed unfair to them if they had to go abroad with her.


    And if her own parents were to buy tickets toe back, it would be unfair to them as well.


    While she was struggling with these thoughts, Adrian had already made the decision.


    Thinking this, Eva turned to face him and asked softly, "Is that okay? Won''t Mom and Dad... be unhappy?"

 Chapter 565 Such a Polite Girl

    "Why would they be upset?"


    Adrian raised an eyebrow. "They spend every day doting on the twins. They barely have time to think about anything else. Whatever you ask them to do, they''ll do it." Eva bit her lip, the silence between them stretching.


    Though she was hesitant to believe it, the truth was undeniable.


    Kim and Margaret absolutely adored Ruby and Dn, to the point ofplete devotion.


    Their days revolved around the twins, and they''d even taken over Eva''s duties of dropping off and picking up the kids.


    At first, Eva found it hard to let go because she loved her children dearly. But Kim and Margaret were just too free - they had fully handed over thepany reins to Adrian, having been only sporadically involved before. Once they met Ruby and Dn, they stepped back entirely, leaving everything to Adrian and spending their days showcasing their grandkids on social media.


    Seeing her still in contemtion, Adrian chipped in, "For instance, if you decided to take Ruby and Dn abroad for the holidays, they''d probably book tickets right away to join you and not miss a moment with the grandkids." Eva thought it over and conceded that it did sound like something Kim and Margaret would do.


    Finally, she nodded. "Would you talk to them about it?"


    "Who else? You think you could face them?"


    Eva fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. "It''s not... impossible."


    On this topic, Adrian didn''t tease her any further. Instead, he reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "You don''t have to worry about this. I''ll handle it."


    Eva pressed her lips together, atst willing to turn and face him.


    As she did, she met his eyes, now warm and smiling - a striking difference from the brooding aura he used to carry. Presently, Adrian looked like a content wolf who had just enjoyed a hearty meal, with his tail well hidden. "However..."


    His hand slid from the back of her head to caress the nape of her neck as he leaned in to gently kiss her forehead.


    "After everything''s settled, don''t forget to reward me~"


    With that, Adrian left.


    A blushing Eva remained standing there, frozen until it finally registered in her mind, and she rushed to the washroom to wash her hands.


    Sure enough, just as Adrian had mentioned in passing, Kim and Margaret quickly agreed to the proposal without so much as an objection. A terse nod was all it took, and not a single question was asked as to why. After settling the matter, the two immediately went back to doting on their grandchildren.


    Their reasoning was simple, really.


    The entire ckwood family felt they owed Eva a debt. After all, it was Eva who had risked her life to save Adrian by jumping into the river, yet someone else had taken the credit.


    Due to their oversight, they had been thanking the wrong person all along and had even inadvertently nurtured the very threat to their family...


    And then what?


    It was bad enough that the person they had supported wasn''t their true benefactor, but what truly weighed on their conscience was the fact that after her divorce, Eva had to fend for herself with her two children, enduring a time that one could only imagine as incredibly tough.


    Though they made sure Eva was financially stable and that her children were well taken care of, the emotional void of love that was missing for those five years could never be reced by any amount of money.


    Therefore, Kim and Margaret felt an overwhelming sense of guilt towards their daughter-inw.


    They were overjoyed at the mere thought of her willingness to return, not to mention she brought their grandchildren with her.


    Eva was now treated as someone more precious than a daughter by Kim and Margaret, her word wasw.


    When Eva found out how readily they had agreed, she was somewhat embarrassed.


    "Sorry, Mom, the house was all set for the New Year with decorations and supplies, but now I have..."


    Before she could finish, Margaret stepped forward and enveloped her in a warm embrace.


    "My dear child, there''s no need for you to apologize. If anyone should be saying sorry, it''s us," Margaret said softly, her voice kind and gentle. After saying this, she realized that Eva had lost her memory and didn''t remember any of the past events, so she quickly added, "Just let us know whatever you want to do. We''ll support you. Don''t worry about it. In my heart, I already think of you as my own daughter."


    With the n to spend the holiday abroad, the family booked their international flights that same evening.


    With the New Year just days away, they made their preparations and headed to the airport.


    At the airport, Eva called Emily to let her know she couldn''t meet up over the holidays.


    Emily was astounded upon learning that the ckwoods were going abroad for New Year''s. "Your whole family is going?" She asked in shock.


    "Yes."


    "Well, I''ll be. This is a first for me. Adrian''s parents must really think the world of you."


    Emily had a bit of a chip on her shoulder when it came to the ckwoods, but after the recent event, it was hard to hold a grudge.


    "Sure," she replied nonchntly to the idea of traveling abroad for the holidays. "It''s nice to just go wherever feels right, y''know? Just a bummer I just got back and won''t get to see you for New Year''s."


    Sensing the hint of dejection in her voice, Eva could only offer a chuckle. "Didn''t you just quit your job? Once I''m back from the holidays, we''ll catch up."


    "That''s true!" She said, letting out a contentedugh.


    "And don''t forget to bring me a gift from abroad - I want the most expensive one!"


    "You got it; the most expensive gift ever is on its way to you."


    After hanging up, a warm smile lingered on Eva''s lips. Margaret, noticing her demeanor, asked, "Was that Emily; the girl who came over the other day?" With a nod, Eva confirmed, "Yeah, I just spoke with her."


    Margaret proceeded to sing Emily''s praises. "That youngdy is so polite. Though she left early that day - too early. I wished she''d stayed for lunch." In truth, Emily wasn''t a stranger to the ckwoods.


    She had been good friends with Eva since their school days, and back then, Eva often visited the ckwood household, sometimes bringing Emily along. Familiar with the girl who was a close friend of Eva, the ckwoods had grown fond of her, holding her in high regard.


    Yet, perhaps because of her own family reasons, Emily always maintained an air of formality around them; she seemed very cautious about getting too close. "Yeah, Emily has always been on the formal side," Eva agreed.


    "Say, Eva, has Emily ever been married?"


    Remembering how her job had consumed her life to the point of resignation, Eva shook her head.


    "Nope, seems like she hasn''t even had a boyfriend all these years."


    Margaret was taken aback. "She hasn''t dated anyone for all this time?"


    "Yeah, her job kept her pretty tied up."


    "She''s something else..."

 Chapter 566 Feels Like a Matchmaking Fest

    Yeah, Eva too thought that Emily was something else.


    Emily had always been all about her work, diving into it for years without surfacing. In their recent heart-to-heart, she hadn''t kept any secrets from her best friend, Eva, even spilling the details of her savings amassed over the years. Emily was now back with a dream to set up her own boutique shop, a perfect venture for her parents to look after.


    At first, Eva had toyed with the idea of poaching Emily for her ownpany once she returned to the States. Since they were best friends and all, she could offer Emily a top-dor sry.


    But before Eva could even broach the topic, Emily shared her own vision of opening a shop, bringing Eva into the loop for some brainstorming.


    Eva could hear the fierce determination in Emily''s voice to be a small business owner, making her hesitant to pitch the corporate gig.


    If it were a handsome paycheck that Emily was after, she wouldn''t need to return home at all. Her former boss was known for generosity that Eva knew she couldn''t match. Hispany, a testament to self-made sess, was leagues beyond her own fledgling enterprise in stature and maturity.


    In the midst of this, a thought seemed to strike Margaret, who asked, "Is your friend too caught up in work to date, or is she just not interested in romance?"


    Eva chuckled. "She''s simply been too busy."


    Post-memory loss, Eva had been clueless about Emily''s past, least of all her romantic life. Yet, their recent talks had given her snippets to piece together a clearer picture, particrly when Emily expressed envy toward the sweet gestures Adrian made for Eva,ining of being force-fed ''rtionship goals'' and voicing her own cravings for a bit of romance.


    With time, Eva felt she could almost read Emily''s mind.


    "It''s not that she''s against the idea of dating," Eva mused, "actually, I might know someone who could be a good match for her." Surprise flickered across Eva''s face. "Mom, are you really suggesting ying matchmaker for Emily?"


    Margaret''s lips curled into a soft smile. "Yes, I think she''s a girl of good character, and I''ve just recently met a fine young man."


    Eva didn''t immediately agree. Despite not subscribing to rigid ss disparities herself, she knew others might. Margaret''s high society connections weren''t likely to be average Joes. What if Emily''s family background became an issue? Eva couldn''t risk Emily feeling ufortable if things didn''t work out.


    "I''ll ask for her opinion when the timees," Eva said, opting to consider Emily''s feelings first.


    "Alright, we should definitely get her input on this. If she''s willing to talk, then you can pass on the message to me."


    Hanging out at the airport wasn''t a problem, as the family was together. Ruby and Dn were naturally looked after by Kim and Margaret, and with Jacob and Kim''s bodyguard by their side, they were quite the entourage.


    At first, Eva sat stiffly in the chair, but then, finding it too ufortable, she leaned into Adrian''s embrace, half-reclining as she texted Emily.


    She couldn''t bring herself to ry Margaret''s matchmaking idea to Emily directly, so she broached the subject in a roundabout way.


    "During the holidays, does your family ever try to set you up on blind dates?"


    It wasmon for young adults who didn''t have time toe home during the year to meet potential partners during the holidays; their rtives were often keen on arranging such meetings.


    So, Eva started by asking that, to see if Emily would be averse to the idea of being set up.


    Emily replied quickly.


    "Don''t even mention it, I''ve had so many people trying to set me up, I''m surprised they have the energy for it. Do they not find it tiring and troublesome?"


    In her reply, Emily couldn''t help butin, "When I get older, I''m not going to be setting people up like this. The holidays should be about having fun, not matchmaking. Isn''t it just a matchmaking fest?" Herint made Evaugh.


    "Hey, do you think if I had gotten married and had kids earlier like you, I wouldn''t have to be so bothered today?"


    Eva had thought the idea of setting her up was dropped, but Emily brought up the topic of marriage herself.


    So, she carefully asked her, "Since that''s what you think, then why are you bothered? Do you think blind dates aren''t reliable?" "That''s for sure; there aren''t many reliable guys who go on blind dates. I have never met anyone reliable on a blind date."


    "Eva, it''s not that I''m against being set up; it''s just that there are too many weirdos on blind dates." Emily continued.


    As Emily''s best friend, Eva naturally didn''t want her to marry a weirdo and ruin her life, so she said, "Anyway, you haven''t gotten married up to now, so there''s no rush. It''s a lifelong decision, so you should take your time; weirdos are definitely not an option. But there''s something I still want to ask your opinion about."


    Eva then mentioned the idea that Adrian''s mother had brought up to Emily.


    After hearing it, Emily was quite shocked.


    "Mrs. ckwood wants to set me up?"


    Just like Eva had imagined, Emily''s first reaction was to ask, "Would someone Mrs. ckwood introduces be interested in someone from my kind of family?"

 Chapter 567 Heartbroken Concern

    If it were up to Eva, she''d obviously wish for her best friend to marry well and enjoy a blissful and happy marriage.


    Faced with Emily''s questions, all Eva could do was provide an honest opinion.


    "I''m not sure. You''d have to meet and get to know him yourself. But I assume he must be decent, or my mother wouldn''t have brought it up."


    From her interactions over time, Eva had grown confident that Mrs. ckwood was an upstanding and reliable person who wouldn''t even mention something unless it was credible.


    Havingid out her reasoning, Emily seemed to find sense in her words and hesitated before replying, "You might have a point. I''m not very familiar with Mrs. ckwood''s character, but a man who meets her standards must be quite exemry and of good character. I just worry that I might not measure up."


    "Don''t sell yourself short."


    Eva offered these words of affirmation as she typed, bolstering her friend''s confidence.


    "You''re pretty great yourself. And, you know, everyone''s taste is different. How can you know whether you like someone or not without having met them?"


    "True. You''ve got a point. I guess I''ll think about it. I''ve been so frazzledtely that even my head feels too big."


    "Okay, take your time and let me know once you''ve decided. I''ll screen them for you. If they can''t get past me, then they definitely won''t get introduced to you." "Thanks, babe."


    "Don''t mention it~~"


    The two sent each other all sorts of mushy messages on WhatsApp. By the end of the exchange, even Eva couldn''t help but curl her lips into a smile.


    "Seems like you''re having fun. What are you chatting about?"


    A deep voice suddenly came from above.


    Before the words even settled, and before Eva could react, Adrian reached down and snatched her phone.


    "Give it back."


    Eva instinctively tried to retrieve her phone.


    Adrian simply held it out of reach and asked, "What''s the matter? Can''t let me see? Were you chatting with some guy?"


    "No, it was Emily."


    "Then what''s there that I can''t see?"


    Though Adrian said that, he didn''t actually go through the chat history between Eva and Emily. He understood that girls have their secrets and was not about to invade their privacy by reading their messages.


    Still, he didn''t give the phone back to Eva. Instead, he tapped her nose and said, "Chatting has distracted you, so I''ll be keeping your phone for a while."


    Then he pocketed her phone in his coat.


    Eva, fuming, wanted to pinch his waist, but knowing that their elders were nearby, she held back, lowering her voice, "Give it back. We were almost done; I was just about to say goodbye." After hearing her exnation, Adrian reluctantly returned the phone.


    "Say goodbye and then hand it back to me."


    Eva was visibly exasperated.


    Though he returned it, his earlier actions had annoyed Eva, who pouted and muttered under her breath, "Why so bossy? Really..."


    Despite herints, Eva quickly wrapped up her chat with Emily and handed the phone over to Adrian.


    "Here, take it."


    His lips quirked up at the sight of her aggrieved expression.


    "That''s it? I thought you didn''t want to hand it over?"


    "I didn''t want to, but you were going to snatch it anyway, weren''t you?"


    Rather than have him snatch it from her, she might as well just hand over her phone.


    As those words faded, Eva''s nose was gently pinched by Adrian.


    "Are you taking me seriously? I was just messing with you."


    Eva, not in the best of moods, swatted his hand away: "How am I supposed to know if you''re just kidding?"


    In the end, Adrian slipped her phone into his coat pocket and said, "I''ll give it back to you on the ne."


    "Oh."


    Eva couldn''t help but roll her eyes at him slightly, "d to know you n to return it. Here I thought you''d keep it until the world''s end."


    "Hmm? I could, actually. You can''t use it on the ne anyway, so how about I give it back to you after wend?"


    Really?


    Eva was astounded by his shamelessness.


    This man was really...


    Forget it, she didn''t want to stoop to arguing with him.


    Eva closed her eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before boarding. She hadn''t slept well the previous night, and there was still some time left before they had to board. But Adrian took her hand, "Wait a bit before you sleep."


    Opening her eyes, Eva asked, "Why? Is something wrong?"


    Before she knew it, Adrian pulled her from her seat and swept her into his arms without warning.


    Then, hiszy voice floated down from above her, "We''ve got a good while before we have to board. How about I take you to get something?"


    Eva was baffled, "Get what?"


    "You mentioned yesterday while packing that you were running low on lipstick, remember?"


    His reminder jogged her memory about the previous day.


    During packing, she looked through her lipsticks and found that many of them were past their expiration date. Concerned about the risk of lip inmmation from using expired lipsticks, Eva had thrown them all away. Those few unopened ones left were either too bright or too formal.


    They were fine for work since they gave her an extra bit of presence.


    But it didn''t seem right for the festive season at home with family.


    Since Adrian was helping her pack, she didn''t give it much thought at the time and just casuallyined about it, even mentioning she might skip using lipstick for New Year''s.


    Eva hadn''t taken the matter seriously, so when Adrian didn''t respond then, she didn''t think much of it.


    She hadn''t expected him to suddenly suggest a shopping trip at this time. As Eva bit her lips, the memory of her needing lipstick lingered. She thought if there wasn''t time to shop, she would simply check for a chance to pick some up afternding,pletely forgetting that the airport had cosmetic shops too.


    Margaret, overhearing their conversation while Eva was zoning out, promptly said, "Go ahead then, while there''s still time before boarding. Make a dash for anything you need to buy."


    Ruby caught wind of the n and longed to join in.


    "Daddy, Mommy, Ruby wants to go too."


    Unfortunately, before Ruby''s little legs could take a step, she found herself reeled back by Margaret.


    "Little Ruby, don''t run off. They''re going to buy makeup, something you can''t touch just yet, sweetheart."


    Margaret''s actions stemmed from more than just affection for her granddaughter and a desire to keep her close; she also aimed to foster more intimate opportunities for Adrian and Eva.


    A man shopping for lipstick with his wife-what a romantic scene it could be, Margaret mused. He might even offer his opinions, perhaps even share a moment trying on shades together. Margaret, in her younger days, would''ve found these thoughts out of ce, yet here she was, thoroughly engrossed in plotting for the couple''s happiness.

 Chapter 568 Like That Color?

    Sure enough, after hearing what Margaret said, Ruby obediently nodded.


    "Okay then, Ruby won''t go."


    Margaret quickly waved at Adrian and Eva, reassuring them, "Go on now, we''ll take good care of Ruby and Dn. Don''t worry about a thing."


    Once Adrian and Eva had departed, Ruby lifted her little head to gaze at Margaret.


    "Granny, when Ruby grows up, I can use makeup too, right?"


    Margaret tenderly nudged her granddaughter''s nose and spoke in a gentle voice, "Absolutely, my dear. When you''re older, you can dress up any way you like." Encouraged by Margaret''s promise, Ruby''s imagination took flight. "Then, can you buy lots and lots of makeup for me?"


    It was a dream almost every young girl harbored, to one day indulge in a trove of cosmetic treasures.


    "Of course, my darling. Granny will buy you all the makeup you want. Will that make our Ruby happy?"


    Ruby''s kiss was her sweet reply.


    Adrian and Eva were a strikingly attractive couple, and as they walked together, they couldn''t help but draw the eyes of onlookers. Some even went so far as to whip out their phones to capture a photo of the pair. Eva sensed the attention and leaned in to whisper to Adrian, "I think someone''s taking pictures of us."


    Following her gaze, Adrian spotted a girl angling her phone in their direction.


    Busted, the girl sheepishly redirected her phone.


    With just a nce, Adrian dismissed the incident, but when the girl saw theirck of objection, she daringly pointed the lens back at them.


    Once Adrian''s eyes retreated, he checked in with Eva, "Does it bother you?"


    Eva pursed her lips, "Not really; are you okay with it, though?"


    She wasn''t a celebrity or anything, and they were out in public. Being photographed didn''t seem like a big deal to her. But that didn''t necessarily mean Adrian felt the same.


    To her surprise, Adrian cracked a smile and said lightly, "Coincidentally, I''m fine with it, too."


    With that, Eva blinked in eptance. If neither of them minded, then let them snap away.


    She nced back at the photographing bystander, who seemed unexpectedly charged with emotion. Before Eva could make sense of the sudden swing, Adrian bent down and nted a soft peck at the corner of her lips. The tender touch and warm breath momentarily stunned Eva.


    Regaining her senses, she looked up into Adrian''s profound eyes, questioning his actions since he knew they were being stealthily photographed.


    Amused by her gaze, Adrian''s eyes twinkled, "We both don''t mind, so why not share a kiss and let them capture it?"


    Eva was speechless.


    Sure, she didn''t mind being photographed, but that didn''t mean she wasfortable with her kiss being on camera.


    As these thoughts swirled in her head, she instinctively looked over at the girl who had taken their picture.


    But this time, the girl didn''t notice Eva''s gaze. She was too busy squealing with delight with her friend over the kiss they''d just caught on camera; it was as if they''d snagged something spectacr. Watching their excitement, Eva shook her head in resignation.


    Oh well, it seemed harmless enough, and the girls didn''t appear to have any ill intentions. Maybe they were just charmed by how well-matched the couple looked and wanted to capture the moment. Luckily, the kiss from Adrian wasn''t on the lips but rather at the corner of her mouth. If the video went public, it wouldn''t be too much of an embarrassment. Adrian''s action had clearly been intentional; he knew they were being filmed and decided to put on a little show of affection for the camera.


    Upon realizing his intent, Eva said with a hint of exasperation, "What do you think you are, a celebrity trying to win fans with PDA? We''re just regr folks; even if it''s shared, nobody''s going to care." Adrian didn''t seem bothered.


    "It doesn''t matter. If no one watches, then so be it. I''m happy just to entertain myself,�� he replied casually before releasing his hold from around Eva''s waist and walking over to the two girls. "Wait here for me."


    Eva considered following him but stopped when he spoke; instead, she decided waiting there was just fine-she wasn''t interested in any fuss, and quite frankly, she was toozy to move.


    She watched the scenario unfold from where she stood. The girls, initially excited over their phones, changed expressions instantly as Adrian approached, instinctively trying to hide their phones behind them. But within a few seconds, they seemed to rethink their move and handed the phones over to Adrian, looking quite dejected.


    Eva was puzzled. Wasn''t Adrian''s goal to unt their rtionship? Why did he approach these girls? Was he aiming to delete the pictures?


    If that was the case, why didn''t he prevent them from photographing them in the first ce?


    It didn''t make sense to her.


    From a distance, she couldn''t make out their conversation, only observing Adrian talking to the girls as his lips moved in earnest discussion. After he spoke, the girls'' faces morphed from gloominess to brightness; their eyes sparkling with disbelief.


    Then Eva spotted Adrian pulling out his phone, and one of the girls seemed to scan something on it. Eva''s brows furrowed slightly, and her lips pursed involuntarily.


    This was all too familiar to her. It was like those incidents when someone asked for her WhatsApp on the street, one would present a QR code, and the other would scan it. Wasn''t that exactly what Adrian and the girl were doing?


    Just minutes ago, the thrill from Adrian''s actions still tingled in her, but now, standing there, Eva''s mood plummeted; she was growing irritable by the second.


    She''d waited long enough; it was time to stop lingering for Adrian. Determined, she decided to shop for lipstick on her own.


    With that thought, Eva nced around and noticed a cosmetics store right ahead. She made a beeline for it, no longer inclined to wait for Adrian.


    Inside the boutique, the staff was busy attending to customers, leaving Eva to browse at her leisure-which she preferred.


    In today''s vast array of cosmetic creations, lipsticks came in countless shades and hues, each suiting various makeup styles.


    Eva, who''d watched enough beauty vloggers'' tutorials, caught sight of a lipstick and chuckled inwardly, recalling the term ''guy-ma'' color-a delicate, tender pink. Lost in thought while staring at the lipstick, a deep, male voice interrupted her reverie.


    "Like that color?"

 Chapter 569 Why So Adorable?

    Startled by the voice, Eva turned to face Adrian, whose smile reached his twinkling eyes.


    "Weren''t you supposed to wait for me? What brought you here on your own?"


    Her lips parted; she was about to retort, but after recalling his recent interaction with another girl, a wave of difort surged through her. She swallowed her words and walked away from Adrian without acknowledgment. His smile, which had lingered in the anticipation of her liking the lipstick, faltered as she nced at him and turned away; her expression seemingly less than cheerful.


    Adrian paused, pondering her distant demeanor. Had he upset her somehow?


    Shrugging off the thought, he quickly caught up to her.


    "Aren''t you going to consider that lipstick? It''s a pretty color."


    Eva hadn''t anticipated his persistence, let alone him bringing up lipstick again. Her frown deepened the ''guy-ma'' term might not have been just influential vlogger talk. After a moment''s consideration, she stopped and turned to ask him.


    "Do you like it?"


    Adrian didn''t overthink his response. "I like it. Didn''t you say other shades weren''t versatile enough for everyday wear? That one seems about right; it''s close to your natural lip color."


    As he spoke, Adrian''s gaze dropped, taking in her lips with an appraising look.


    Not long ago, Eva had been feeling under the weather, which left her lips pale and colorless, buttely, her mindset had improved. She was eating well, and her health had rebounded, so as a result, her lips had regained their delicate pink hue. They looked soft and jellylike against her fair skin.


    But Eva had no idea what he was thinking about. She was still irked by his earlier actions. So, when he expressed his fondness for the lipstick, she retorted without missing a beat, "You like it? Then buy it for yourself."


    With that, Eva turned on her heel and left him in the dust.


    Adrian might have been slow on the uptake, but after being ignored twice, he finally got the hint.


    He hesitated, then swiftly picked up the lipstick Eva had admired and sprinted after her.


    Catching up using his long strides, he reached out and grasped her slender, pale wrist. "Are you upset?"


    Feeling his grip, Eva''s brows furrowed slightly. "No," she lied and promptly wriggled free from his hold.


    Adrian stared at his empty hand and, after a silent moment, said with a hint of defeat, "That strong of a response, and you im you''re not mad?"


    "Do I?" Eva gave a sardonic smile. "Then tell me, what do I have to be mad about?"


    Her question prompted Adrian to contemte seriously.


    "Because I kissed you earlier?"


    This left Eva speechless.


    The two of them were extremely close; kisses and hugs were routine, and he had done far more outrageous things. How could she possibly be upset over a simple peck? The absurdity of his question rendered Eva speechless, and she lost any desire to respond.


    Adrian could tell she was still fuming and refusing to answer, which left him rather helpless.


    Racking his brains, he could not figure out what had upset her, other than the kiss he had nted in full view of the cameras.


    So, before Eva could walk away again, a persistent Adrian followed her, pestering her with questions. "What''s really bothering you?"


    Without knowing the actual reason for her sudden dissatisfaction, Adrian had to guess from his actions, but when that yielded no answers, he started grasping at straws.


    "Did you not sleep wellst night? Are you feeling unwell because of that?"


    "Did I tire you out by bringing you to pick out lipstick?"


    "Should I just buy every shade here, so you won''t have to choose, and we can go home and rest?"


    "Eva?"


    "Eva ?"


    While browsing lipsticks, Eva found herself apanied by a persistent Adrian, who peppered her with questions until, with a turn of her head, she caught his expression eagerness and concern were etched all over his handsome face. His lips were even slightly parted, his confusion apparent.


    The way he acted... he seemed genuinely worried about upsetting her.


    Had she misunderstood him?


    But...


    With these thoughts, Eva inhaled deeply and faced Adrian. "What were you doing just now?"


    At longst, she was speaking to him. Adrian, who had been feeling the cold shoulder for some time, eagerly leaned in.


    "What was I doing? Didn''t you see? I was talking to those two-"


    Before he could finish, Eva extended her fair palm.


    "Give me your phone."


    Without hesitation, Adrian handed over his phone.


    She noticed it was locked. Without having to ask, Adrian quickly said, "The password is your birthday."


    Her birthday?


    Pondering for a moment, Eva typed a sequence of numbers, and the phone unlocked.


    Seeing her own birthday as his lock screen password softened Eva''s mood, easing her anger.


    She opened WhatsApp, expecting to find unknown contacts but instead found herself as the pinned conversation, with familiar faces below-family and acquaintances.


    His WhatsApp was sparsely popted, with hardly any friends at all.


    Surveying the chat interface revealed nothing, so Eva wrinkled her nose and switched to the contacts screen.


    She had a quick scroll through Adrian''s friend list it was so brief that, with a couple of swipes, she had already reached the end.


    She scrolled up and down but found nothing of interest.


    Adrian had been by her side since she took the phone, watching her every move. Seeing her swipe through, he couldn''t help but ask curiously, "Eve, what are you looking for?" "Your new contacts?"


    Eva replied without overthinking his question.


    Adrian paused for a moment. "New contacts?"


    Sensing the puzzlement in his tone, Eva lifted her gaze to meet his dark eyes, annoyance still prevalent in her voice, "Weren''t you just adding those girls as friends?"


    Adrian seemed lost at first, but her words triggered a realization in his mind.


    ''Yes, that''s it.'' He thought.


    Indeed, she was miffed about the friend request.


    Eva couldn''t help but grind her teeth in frustration.


    "And that friend?" She asked.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow, an amused glint in his eye. "Deleted."


    It seemed he suddenly grasped the cause of her foul mood. He''d been sulking, trying to figure out why she was upset, and now that he had unearthed the reason, a smile crept across his lips, curving higher and higher until he could no longer resist wrapping his arms around Eva''s shoulders, his voice brimming with mirth.


    "Eve, don''t tell me you got upset thinking I added another girl on WhatsApp?"


    Eva fell silent, not knowing how to respond.


    He tenderly pinched her fair cheek, "How can you be so adorable? You should tell me when you''re upset."

 Chapter 570 Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

    Since the misunderstanding hadn''t yet been rified, Eva wasn''t in the mood to tolerate his touch and swiftly brushed his hand aside. "Don''t touch me."


    Adrian, far from retracting his hand, instead leaned closer and ced hisrge hand at the nape of her neck, his voice low as he exined, "Alright, I did add that girl as a friend, but I also deleted her." "Why did you add her and then delete her?"


    "How else could I get the video?"


    "What video?"


    "What do you think?"


    Eva got it then; he was referring to the video that girl had secretly taken of Adrian kissing her. She realized she had jumped to conclusions when she saw them exchange contact information. She had thought... He had just gone after the video.


    Eva felt a sting of guilt as she thought back on how she had coldly turned away from him.


    "What, you thought I was just adding random girls on WhatsApp?" Adrian tapped her nose lightly. "I would risk my life for you; do you really think I''d go through the trouble of adding someone else just toplicate my own life?" These grand derations, of risking life for another, would''ve been dismissed as sweet nothings by Eva in the past, or maybe from anyone else. But after witnessing him fearlessly save her from danger, she knew he wasn''t joking. He meant every word.


    And so, she found herself without a rebuttal, even moved by the memory.


    "Sorry..." she whispered, "I misunderstood you."


    Adrian simply found her jealousy adorable.


    In his eyes, jealousy sprang from care, and her jealousy meant she deeply cared about him. This realization delighted him.


    But Adrian never expected an apology from Eva, so when she suddenly muttered "I''m sorry," he was utterly taken aback.


    "I like it when you get jealous. It means you care about me. What''s there to apologize for?"


    Eva blinked in confusion.


    "I misunderstood you and then I lost my temper. It''s only right to apologize."


    "No need," Adrian cut her off. "With me, you can be who you are. You never have to feel sorry. If anyone should feel sorry, it''s me..."


    He was the one who owed her - a debt he knew he could never repay in this lifetime.


    He actually wished Eva would be more willful, more dramatic, maybe even vent her frustrations on him, doing whatever she pleased, just to give him a reason to make it up to her. Before he could finish his thoughts, Eva piped up with curiosity, "What should you feel sorry for?"


    Adrian snapped back to reality and shook his head.


    "Nothing. So, are you no longer mad at me?"


    Since it was all a big misunderstanding, there was no way Eva could still be angry.


    She fell silent.


    "So, if you''re not mad anymore, then how about the lipstick?" He prodded gently.


    Adrian handed over the lipstick she had eyed when she first saw it.


    Eva was surprised to see that particr color, the "guy-ma" shade. She had barely nced at it and he had already grabbed it for her. "You like this color?" She asked.


    Adrian chuckled softly. "Didn''t I say your natural lip color is a close match? It should be perfect for everyday use."


    "If it''s close, then what''s the point in using it?"


    Caught off guard by her logic, Adrian found himself stammering. "Yeah, if it''s close to your natural lip color, then why use it? Shall I put it back?" "Never mind. Since you''ve picked it out, I might as well choose a few more shades."


    As Eva was selecting colors, she asked softly, "So, after you added that person and they sent you a video, you just deleted them?"


    Adrian nodded with brazen pride.


    "What else? Keep them for chatting? To make you jealous?"


    Eva felt a twinge of guilt recalling her own bout of jealousy.


    "I was mistaken. I''m not angry anymore. Why do you keep bringing it up?"


    "Can''t I mention it? It''s rare to see you get jealous over me. Isn''t it worth a few extra mentions?" He teased.


    Eva could only respond with silence.


    "I mean, isn''t it wrong to just delete someone like that?"


    "Eva, are you acting coy after getting your way?" He teased. "If I hadn''t deleted them, imagine how much angrier you would''ve been while checking my phone."


    After speaking, Adrian didn''t wait for her to ask again and instead patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don''t worry, I told her upfront that I''m married when I added her as a friend. I didn''t want you to get upset, so I only got that video, and then I deleted her."


    She blinked in surprise. "What about the video?"


    "You want to see it?"


    Adrian opened his gallery and showed her the saved video.


    The video was taken from afar, but their expressions were still visible. Through the video, Eva could even catch the adoring way Adrian looked at her.


    Normally, she wouldn''t pick up on such nuances in their everyday conversations. Now, through someone else''s lens, Eva realized how tenderly Adrian actually gazed at her.


    Although Eva wasn''t one to watch soap operas regrly, in this era of shared clips and snippets, she couldn''t help but be reminded of the romantic scenes between leads when she saw that look.


    "By the way, after sending the video, that girl asked me something," Adrian mentioned casually.


    "What was that?"


    "She wanted to know if she could post the video online."


    Eva pursed her lips, "And you agreed?"


    "What do you think? Should I have said yes or no?"


    Eva raised an eyebrow yfully, "Up to you."


    It was just a video of them being affectionate. Deep down, Eva didn''t seem to care whether it got out or not.


    After her remark, she noticed Adrian had gone quiet, which piqued her curiosity. "So, what did you tell her?"


    Adrian gave her a teasing smile. "Looks like someone''s ''whatever'' isn''t so indifferent after all."


    He ruffled her hair gently, saying softly, "When she asked if she could post it, I said yes. We''re not celebrities, after all."


    Eva huffed softly, declining to respond.


    "Made your choice?"


    "Yeah, more or less."


    While she had been talking to him, Eva had been selecting shades and by the time Adrian asked, she had already reached for a few everyday colors. "These will do."


    But unexpectedly, Adrian threw her off with ament, "Aren''t you going to test them out?" She looked at him, with a trace of surprise in her eyes. "You know about testing shades?" "Yeah, I''ve heard a bit about it."


    "There''s no need to test them. They''re all neutral shades; you can''t really go wrong with them."


    Adrian nced over at her upon hearing this, marveling at how her porcin skin could carry any color without fault. In his eyes, she was wless, but perhaps it was just a lover''s adoration coloring his perception.

 Chapter 571 Ill Help You Apply It

    Eva, of course, had no idea what he was thinking. She only chose a few colors that were gentle and suitable for daily use, and when she was ready to check out, she noticed that Adrian had picked out a few more. The colors he chose were more vivid, and naturally, there were many pinks, which were not at all suitable for daily use.


    Eva was taken aback.


    She looked at the scene somewhat speechlessly and couldn''t help but ask, "What are you doing with these?"


    Adrian repliedzily, "Buying them for you."


    Then he took her to pay for them.


    Some girls nearby saw Adrian buying a bunch of lipsticks for Eva, and they couldn''t help but exim with envy.


    While listening to the voices of these girls, the corners of Eva''s lips involuntarily curled up.


    Indeed, girls were the cutest.


    They seem to really enjoy cheering for other people''s love, hoping that everyone could find their own suitable and happy love, Eva thought to herself.


    On the way back, Eva couldn''t help but earnestly say, "Those several pink ones you picked, I don''t think they really suit me."


    "Is that so?" Adrian was puzzled, "Why? Aren''t they close to your lip color?"


    "The first one is close to my lip color, not the ones you picked outter."


    Eva noticed that he had even chosen a shade that hardly looked good on anyone who tried it.


    "I can''t really pull off this color."


    For a moment, the only feeling in Eva''s heart was that the money spent on this lipstick was wasted, aplete squander.


    But Adrian didn''t think so. Looking at the lipstick shimmering under the airport lights, he could already imagine the scene and splendor of this lipstick on Eva''s lips.


    Just the thought of it made him feel moved, his throat unconsciously rolling.


    "It''s okay if you can''t pull it off..."


    Adrian''s voice turned husky as he lifted his eyelids to look at her with deep eyes, like a wolf focusing on its prey. "Just apply it at home for me to see."


    Eva, who had been thinking about the wasted money, suddenly heard Adrian''s hoarse voice, and when she looked up to meet his deep eyes, she also realized what he meant, and her face turned red. "What nonsense are you talking about? I won''t apply it just for you to see. That''s wishful thinking."


    Adrian chuckled lightly.


    "Why not apply it for me? You said you can''t pull it off, right? If you don''t apply it for me, it would be a waste."


    "I still won''t apply it." After saying that, Eva hummed softly.


    But Adrian unreasonably wrapped his arms around her, "But I want to see it. I''ll help you apply it when the timees."


    After saying this, Adrian put the lipstick into his own pocket, smiling indulgently as he gazed at her.


    "Wait for the night of the New Year."


    Eva was speechless.


    For some reason, she knew that Adrian was not thinking anything good, especially since he had chosen such a special day and said he would apply it himself he might even end up ''eating'' it after he applied it on her. The possibility made Eva''s mind conjure up steamy images.


    Thoughts always fly quickly, and soon Eva thought of several sensual scenarios, her fair cheeks blushing a deep crimson.


    Fortunately, Adrian was hugging her and walking forward, so he didn''t notice; otherwise, with his personality, he would definitely tease her.


    After returning, it wasn''t long before they boarded the ne. Eva and Adrian''s seats were together, and the two kids were with Kim and Margaret.


    After getting on the ne, Eva switched her phone to airne mode. Her seat was by the window, and looking out, she could see the vast airport.


    While looking at this scene, Eva''s mind suddenly thought of someone who didn''t want to see her.


    It had been quite some time since she hadst gone to find him. How had he been during this time? Was he still imprisoned?


    After leaving, she had not received any news about him, even David, who had helped her, had not contacted her again. They were both quiet, as if they had evaporated from the world.


    Although they were no longer in contact, Eva still hoped that he was doing well.


    She also hoped that he coulde to terms with things sooner and get on with his life, letting everything get back on track.


    Upon learning that Eva and the ckwood family wereing over for the New Year, Mr. Hansen became very pleased. This indicated that his daughter held a significant status within the ckwood family.


    In fact, he had always trusted the people of the ckwood family; he and Kim ckwood had been good friends for many years.


    He was aware that the ckwood family would not mistreat his daughter, but he had harbored some resentment towards Adrian after learning about the incident from years ago.


    However, now that Eva had lost her memory and was relying on Adrian, Mr. Hansen had no choice but to temporarily hold back.


    Although he was Eva''s father, he did not wish to dictate her life.


    Her life should be determined by her own choices.


    But after knowing the attitude of the man''s family, especially since the whole family wasing here for the New Year, Mr. Hansen felt very reassured.


    So, before their arrival, he instructed the household staff to prepare arge table of dishes to entertain them when they arrived, and Grace was bustling about as well. Eventually, Mr. Hansen couldn''t stand by and watch her tire herself out, so he pulled her aside.


    "You should let them handle it; why are you fussing around? Aren''t you tired?" He said.


    He pulled Grace to sit down on the sofa and even poured her a cup of coffee, "Have some coffee and rest. Let the servants handle the work."


    "I was actually idle and just wanted to do something else."


    "If you''re idle, then take a rest. If you''repeting with them for work, isn''t the money I pay them wasted?"

 Chapter 572 Seems Alright?

    Actually, Grace understood that he didn''t want her to tire herself out too much, but she had gotten used to being busy her whole life. Before being with him, Grace had always been a single mother taking care of her children, and it wasn''t easy for a single parent like her, especially in an ordinary family like hers. It was aplete surprise to her that she had the chance to marry into the Hansen family and be a wealthy wife.


    But even as a wealthy wife, Grace still didn''t have the habit of idling around because she had be ustomed to being busy when she was on her own. Now that other people took care of those things, she felt idle every day, too idle to the point of feeling empty inside.


    So sometimes she would find things to do for herself, but Mr. Hansen didn''t like to see her doing those things like a servant. Thinking about this, Grace could only sigh and say, "I''m just used to it from before."


    Seeing her mention the past, Mr. Hansen sighed as well. "The things you''re talking about happened many years ago. How long have you been here? Can''t you get used to a different kind of life?"


    As she mentioned this, Grace''s expression became somewhat shy. "If I stay idle, I feel like I''m taking advantage of you."


    Upon hearing this, Mr. Hansen was momentarily speechless. "Taking advantage of what? Since we''ve already decided to be together; how could you take advantage of me?"


    "Alright, I understand. I''ll change from now on."


    Although Grace had been living alone with her children, she was an especially optimistic and positive person, and her emotions were stable. She had been with Mr. Hansen for a long time, and the two of them had never had any conflicts. They got along peacefully and happily.


    That was also why Eva epted her so quickly in the beginning.


    "I''ll check the time. Their flight should bending soon. I''ll go to the airport half an hour early to pick them up."


    Mr. Hansen nced at the time and then stood up. "Are youing?"


    Grace wanted to go, but in the end, she shook her head. "No. I''ll wait for you at home."


    She was worried that the staff wouldn''t prepare everything carefully, so she nned to stay at home and oversee things.


    Naturally, Mr. Hansen knew her thoughts and personality. He knew he couldn''t persuade her today, and he had to hurry to the airport to pick up his daughter and inws, so he had to leave first.


    After he left, Grace quickly got up and headed towards the kitchen. She still felt more at ease overseeing things herself.


    After a long flight, Eva was tired when shended, even though she had slept for a long time on the ne. But sleeping sitting up was different from lying down.


    When Eva woke up on the ne, her neck and shoulders were sore. Although Adrian had been acting as her pillow the whole time, she was still tired. When they got off the ne, she kept massaging her shoulders.


    "Does it hurt?" Adrian''s inquiring voice sounded, followed by hisrge hand gently pressing on her shoulders, giving her a light massage.


    His hand was warm, and it feltforting when it covered her shoulders. He was applying just the right amount of pressure, making Eva feelfortable. She unconsciously leaned into his embrace.


    Seeing that she almost leaned her whole body against him, Adrian stood still and let her lean on him. He gently squeezed her shoulders and asked, "Did you sleep ufortably on the ne?" "Mhm." Eva nodded weakly. "Yes, it''s morefortable lying in bed."


    Adrian looked down at her face and noticed that she didn''t look as good as when they first boarded the ne. Her eyes seemed tired and dull.


    After thinking for a moment, Adrian suggested, "If you''re tired; how about I carry you?"


    Eva was taken aback by his suggestion and replied speechlessly, "It''s not necessary. We''re at the airport."


    Wouldn''t it be too attention-grabbing if he carried her?


    "What''s wrong with the airport?" Adrian asked nonchntly. "Can''t I carry you at an airport?"


    "People will see."


    "Let them see."


    After saying that, Adrian was about to lift her up, but Eva quickly stopped him. "No, I can walk by myself. I''m just a little tired, but I can still walk."


    Seeing her blushing face after just a few seconds, Adrian smirked. "Howe I never noticed before that you''re so shy?"


    Eva pursed her lips and didn''t say anything.


    If it was just her and Adrian on this trip, it would be fine if he carried her. It wouldn''t be a big deal if other people saw them. But Kim, Margaret, and the children were with them, and her father was waiting for them outside the airport. As soon as the nended, Eva took her phone out of airne mode and received a call from her father. When she learned that her father''s car was waiting outside, she wasn''t surprised since he had asked for the flight number beforehand. But if she was carried by Adrian and walked out like that...


    No, just the thought of it made Eva feel embarrassed.


    So, she firmly rejected Adrian''s request to carry her. He didn''t want to force her if she didn''t want it, so he went along with her wishes.


    "If you feel embarrassed being carried, how about being piggybacked? That should be okay, right?"


    Hesitating, Eva was still considering when Adrian had already moved to her side and bent down.


    "Come on, my Eva."


    Looking at his broad back, Eva was still a bit conflicted, but Adrian''s hand reached out and pulled her onto his back without warning. "Don''t hesitate,e up."


    Eva ended up on his back, and he held her back with both hands.


    Since Eva had her backpack on her back, she had to carry it herself now, as Adrian no longer had hands free to hold it for her.


    After Adrian walked a short distance with Eva on his back, Kim and Margaret also disembarked from the ne with their two children. When they saw the couple ahead, they couldn''t help but exchange smiles and expressions of joy. Dn was behaving well, standing obediently by Margaret''s side, while Ruby blinked her eyes with envy. Then she looked up and reached out her little hand towards Kim.


    "Daddy carried Mommy, so Grandpa...Ruby wants to be carried too."


    Faced with his granddaughter''s request, Kim couldn''t refuse and quickly agreed. He immediately squatted down in front of his adorable granddaughter. "Come, Grandpa will carry you."


    From the past until now, Kim had never carried anyone on his back, not even his own son, Adrian. But unexpectedly, he was now carrying his little granddaughter. Ruby joyfully climbed onto Kim''s broad back and happily wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "Thank you, Grandpa."


    Margaret watched this heartwarming scene with envy in her heart. Unable to resist, she lowered her head and looked at Dn standing by her feet.

 Chapter 573 A Playful Twist

    Confronted with his grandma''s hopeful gaze, Dn felt somewhat ufortable; he wasn''t used to getting piggyback rides.


    Unlike Ruby, outside of his own mother, he seldom got close to others.


    "Dn?" Margaret called out to him.


    So, in response, Dn quickly said, "Let''s catch up to Mom and the others, Grandma. If we don''t hurry, we''ll fall behind."


    His demeanor wasn''t as approachable as Ruby''s, but now was not the time for hesitation-they needed to keep up with the rest of their family.


    Hearing this, Margaret knew the jig was up; shouldering him wasn''t an option.


    Oh well, holding hands wasn''t so bad.


    Besides, she was wearing a sequined jacket that would probably be ufortable for the little guy to lean against.


    Thus, Margaret, resigned to her fate, took his hand and led him forward.


    Upon seeing that she had dropped the subject of carrying him, little Dn let out a sigh of relief.


    Airport Exit


    Mr. Hansen and two drivers were waiting there. Probably due to the long wait, Mr. Hansen couldn''t help but say, "Why is the ne taking so long tond? My daughter hasn''te out yet?"


    One of the drivers, seeing his anxiety, reassured him, "Sir, don''t worry. It''s almost New Year''s, and she might have a lot of luggage to pick up, which takes some time."


    Upon hearing the driver''s thoughts, Mr. Hansen agreed and calmed down a bit, but he couldn''t resist lighting a cigarette.


    A few minutester, one of the drivers suddenly eximed with joy, "Sir, do you see that? Is that Miss Eva?"


    Upon hearing his daughter''s name, Mr. Hansen quickly looked in the direction the driver pointed, but after searching left and right, he couldn''t spot her familiar figure. "Where? Why can''t I see my daughter?" Mr. Hansen asked.


    "There." The driver pointed in a direction, and Mr. Hansen looked in that direction but still couldn''t see his daughter.


    Just as he was about to ask the driver if he was mistaken, considering his own eyesight and the danger of hiring him as a driver, he caught sight of a familiar figure. When Mr. Hansen saw this person, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    Adrian.


    Soon, Mr. Hansen saw Adrian''s figure carrying a girl.


    And that girl... was it not his daughter Eva whom he had been looking for?


    The driver smiled and said, "Sir, did you see her? Miss Eva is on his back."


    Mr. Hansen suddenly felt speechless.


    He had thought the driver''s eyes were ying tricks on him and that hiring him as a driver was unreliable. But now it seemed that the driver was very reliable, as he easily recognized Eva while Mr. Hansen couldn''t even after looking for a while. Suddenly, Mr. Hansen felt embarrassed.


    But his attention quickly returned to his daughter. Although she was the one being carried, in this situation...


    Why did Eva let someone carry her? Was she feeling unwell?


    Mr. Hansen knew his daughter well. He knew she was a strong-willed person. If she wasn''t feeling unwell, how could she let someone carry her at the airport?


    Realizing that his daughter might be feeling unwell, Mr. Hansen became worried.


    Was Eva okay?


    From a distance, Eva saw the exit and also saw her father standing there with two drivers.


    When their eyes met, the two drivers excitedly waved at them.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Hansen stood there, looking worriedly at her.


    Facing her father''s worried gaze, Eva immediately guessed his thoughts and said to Adrian, "We''re almost there. Please put me down quickly."


    However, Adrian held her tightly and had no intention of letting her down. He responded, "Since we''re almost there, a few more steps won''t make a difference. I''ll carry you to the car." Eva was at a loss.


    "You don''t need to; I see my dad."


    "Correction, our dad."


    Helplessly, Eva pointed at him and said, "Who asked you to carry me? Hurry up and put me down. If we get any closer, my dad will start interrogating me."


    Upon hearing this, Adrian hesitated.


    "But if I put you down now, he''ll think we were just fooling around and won''t keep asking questions."


    Initially, Adrian had wanted to carry her to the car because he was concerned about her getting tired. But when he heard her mentioning another problem, he had to change his mind. "Should I put you down now? Can you walk by yourself?"


    "I could walk by myself from the beginning. It was you who insisted on carrying me..."


    As she spoke, Adrian was rendered speechless.


    "So, carrying you is now my fault?"


    "Yes, it''s your fault."


    Eva pointed at him unashamedly. "Who asked you to carry me? Hurry up and put me down. Get a bit closer, and my dad will start questioning me."


    Seeing the distance closing in, Adrian had no choice but to stop and put her down.


    As soon as her feet touched the ground, Eva immediately moved a little away from Adrian.


    Seeing her like this, Adrian couldn''t help but tease her.


    "No conscience."


    Eva snorted lightly. "If I have no conscience, then so be it."


    She adjusted her bag, tidied her appearance, and then grabbed Adrian''s hand. "Let''s go quickly."


    Mr. Hansen had been worried that his daughter might not be feeling well, which was why he thought she needed to be carried by Adrian. But he didn''t expect her to get down by herself. And she stood quite steadily, although she seemed a bit shy.


    Just at that moment, one of the drivers cheerfully said, "Sir, Mr. Adrian is so good to Miss Eva. He carried her off the ne and didn''t want Miss Eva to walk by herself."


    Mr. Hansen was taken aback.


    Was his perspective different from others?


    Upon seeing his son-inw carrying his daughter, his instinctive reaction was to worry if something had happened to his daughter.


    But others saw it as a man who knew how to take care of his wife.


    Different identities really led to different perspectives. The difference in thoughts was unexpectedly significant.


    Thinking about this, Mr. Hansen couldn''t help but touch his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    So, he had worried too much about his daughter''s well-being. It was just a little yfulness between a couple.


    Mr. Hansen seriously thought about it and realized that it might be the case.


    Well, he wouldn''t ask about this matterter. He would just let it pass. Otherwise, it would be awkward to bring it up.


    Before long, the young couple approached them.


    From a distance, Eva smiled happily at Mr. Hansen.


    "Dad!"


    This was the first time Eva saw him after losing her memory. Although she had seen his photos before, seeing him in person feltpletely different.


    A sense of familiarity welled up from the bottom of her heart, and her eyes became slightly teary as she rushed into her father''s embrace.


    Mr. Hansen also opened his arms and hugged his daughter as tears slowly streamed down his face.


    His poor daughter...


    She was the only daughter he had in his life...

 Chapter 574 Sleeping in the Same Room

    "Eva," Mr. Hansen''s eyes were moist as he softly called his daughter''s nickname.


    Eva could hear the choke in his voice, and she felt as if something was stuck in her throat, making her unable to speak.


    She bit her lower lip, intending to say something, but suddenly her arm tightened. Before she could react, she was pulled out of Mr. Hansen''s embrace. Then, a familiar but somewhat cold aura intruded her breath again.


    Eva paused, raising her head to meet Adrian''s dark eyes.


    He looked at her with affectionate eyes, but his tone was a bit helpless, "You''re all grown up, and yet you''re still clinging to your dad and crying?" After saying this, Adrian gently wiped away the tears from her eyes.


    Eva blinked, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    Seeing this, Mr. Hansen, who felt like he had just had something taken away from his grasp, darkened his old face and hummed heavily in his heart while looking at Adrian''s actions. This brat...


    On the surface, it seemed like he was caring for his Eva, scolding her for being a child who didn''t understand and was still clinging to her father crying.


    But in reality, he just didn''t want Eva to have too much physical contact with him.


    Mr. Hansen hadn''t expected that his son-inw''s jealousy was so intense that he was even jealous of his own father-inw.


    Sure enough, after these thoughts passed through his mind, Mr. Hansen saw Adrian directly pull Eva domineeringly into his arms.


    And his daughter, who seemed to have no awareness at all, snuggled into him after being pulled into his arms.


    Hmph.


    This brat, stealing his daughter from him.


    The two drivers on the side didn''t notice anything and were still cheerfully saying, "Miss Eva, didn''t you say your family wasing together? Where are the others?" Mentioning this, Eva blushed a bit, "We walked ahead, so they''re a bit behind; they should be here soon."


    Sure enough, as her voice fell, Kim and Margaret gradually caught up.


    Because of Kim and Margaret, and the two little ones attracting attention, Mr. Hansen, who initially focused all his attention on his daughter Eva, suddenly had no time to pay attention to her. The elders needed to have their own conversation, and they, of course, had to tease the children. They were too busy.


    Eva and Adrian, who were neither big nor small, were naturally left aside.


    After the greetings were almost done, everyone got in the car.


    Because the elders needed to talk, Kim, Margaret, and Mr. Hansen took one car, and Eva and Adrian took another.


    As for Ruby and Dn, they also ran to another car.


    On the way back, Adrian held Eva''s hand tightly all the way.


    The driver had been driving here for a long time, so the journey was smooth. Avoiding the peak areas, they arrived home in no time.


    The entrance of the Hansen family and the house were decorated with a special New Year atmosphere.


    Even New Year songs were ying in the house.


    Grace had arranged all these decorations, and many of them were done by her personally.


    "Eva, you''re here."


    Eva didn''t have much impression of the person in front of her, but she had seen her photo in advance, so she knew who she was and hugged her. "Aunt, hello."


    Grace knew she had amnesia, so she didn''t recognize her now.


    But upon hearing the familiar address and greeting from her mouth, she felt a little ufortable.


    After all, when she used to call her aunt, her tone was affectionate, and her expression was sweet.


    Grace had only one son. Although her son was also good to her, a mother and son were of different genders, so they didn''t have many things inmon.


    And men''s thoughts were always not as delicate as women''s.


    He could hand over the money he earned to her, and even give her various gifts on holidays, but a son was, after all, a son, he wouldn''t lie beside her and chat with her.


    So, Grace always wanted a daughter.


    But she didn''t n to remarryter, for fear that the new family would affect her son.


    Later, when she was with Mr. Hansen, it was because they both wanted just one child.


    Although she didn''t n to have more children, after seeing Eva, Grace really liked her and wanted to treat her as her own child, but deep down she felt that she was not worthy. After all, she had never taken care of her, so how could she be her mother?


    She would be too shameless.


    So, it was normal for Eva to call her aunt instead of mom.


    "Good." Grace affectionately touched her hand, then looked at Adrian next to her and greeted him with a smile.


    "This is Adrian, right?"


    Adrian politely nodded to her, and like Eva, he also called her aunt.


    Afterwards, everyone sat down and chatted for a while before starting dinner.


    During dinner, the whole family was harmonious and joyful. Eva looked at the warm atmosphere in front of her and felt very content. She thought to herself that it would be wonderful if life could always continue like this.


    Before, she had wanted to retrieve her lost memories, to understand why she had posted that message on Facebook. But at this moment, she felt... there was no need to know anymore. Some things, perhaps, were better off forgotten. She had been given a chance to forget the past, to say goodbye to pain. Why should she continue to seek unhappiness for herself? With this thought, Eva''s mood suddenly brightened. Some things really needed to be let go; otherwise, one would always be stuck in the past, sinking deeper and deeper.


    After dinner, because it was gettingte and they had been on a long flight, they didn''t chat much more. Instead, they were shown to the rooms that had been prepared for them. Mr. Hansen personally led Kim and Margaret, while Eva and Adrian were left to Grace.


    Holding Eva''s hand with a gentle smile, Grace said, "I didn''t specifically prepare a room for you two. I just had the maid clean up your old room. As for Adrian... he''ll be sleeping in the same room with you, right?"


    Even though they were already married, Eva''s cheeks still turned slightly red at Grace''s straightforward mention of sharing a room.


    "Um, yes," she responded.

 Chapter 575 Bathing with You

    Grace noticed her shy demeanor and couldn''t help but tease her, "Why do you still blush so easily?" Eva could onlyugh without saying anything. Unexpectedly, Adrian put his arm around her, "She''s just bashful." Eva yfully pushed him a little.


    Soon, Grace brought them to the room where Eva used to stay in. "Alright, you must be tired after a day''s flight. You should rest early tonight. I won''t disturb you." After saying this, Grace quickly left.


    When Eva turned around, she found Adrian had already opened the door to her room. Since Eva hadn''t been here for many years, the room was simply furnished with hardly any of her own belongings. The vases and ornaments were all added by Grace and Mr. Hansen.


    The wardrobe was filled with her clothes, but they were all new, including the pajamas. However, there weren''t many items. After Eva opened the wardrobe, she asked Adrian to move all those things to one side, and then they took out their usual clothes from their luggage and hung them up.


    "I''ll do it," Adrian offered after she had hung up two pieces of clothing, understanding what she was trying to do.


    "No need," Eva didn''t find hanging clothes tedious, so she declined his offer.


    However, the next second, Adrian took the hanger from her and insisted, "I''ll do it. You go take a shower first."


    Eva paused and looked at the hanger in his hand. "Do you know how to do it?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a light tap on her forehead from Adrian. "How could I not know how to do such a simple thing? Go freshen up. Remember to apply some hot water to your sore shoulder."


    He reminded her of the shoulder pain she had almost forgotten, so she nodded. "Alright then, you tidy up. I''ll go take a shower."


    Eva picked up a set of pajamas and went into the bathroom. Before entering, she took a special look at Adrian to make sure he would seriously finish the task, and then she calmly entered the bathroom.


    Her shoulder pain from sleeping on the ne was greatly relieved under the wash of hot water. After cleaning up, perhaps because the hot water was toofortable, Eva really wanted to take a hot bath.


    She tied a bath towel around herself and then started to fill the bathtub with hot water. Soon, the bathtub was filled. Eva opened the cab, took out a bath bomb, and threw it into the water. The bath bomb quickly dissolved, releasing a faint fragrance she liked, then the water in the tub changed color.


    Eva contentedly untied the bath towel around her body and sat in the water. After being enveloped in warmth, she couldn''t help but let out her first sigh of relief since getting off the ne. "This is sofortable," Eva said.


    But soon, she began to regret not bringing her phone or tablet. Watching a movie while bathing in this cold winter felt like the mostfortable thing.


    Taking a bath required a certain amount of time, and she should get up and bring it in. But Eva was toozy to move.


    Nevermind. She would just soak for a while and then get out.


    So, Eva closed her eyes, maintained this position for only ten seconds, and then couldn''t help but call out Adrian''s name.


    Hearing the noise, Adrian came over. "What''s wrong?" His deep voice echoed outside the bathroom.


    After hearing his voice, Eva felt a little embarrassed, but after remembering that she still had a long time to soak, she had to blush and say, "Can you bring me my tablet?"


    "Tablet?" Standing outside the door, Adrian seemed a bit surprised that she wanted this.


    He had originally thought that she called him because she had forgotten to take some clothing, but he didn''t expect that what she was asking for was a tablet.


    So, Adrian thought he had heard wrong. He paused for a moment, approached, and asked again, "What did you just say you wanted?"


    Originally, Eva felt a bit awkward asking him to bring the tablet, but he asked again.


    Helplessly, she had to pluck up the courage to say, "The tablet; I want to watch a movie."


    Adrian fell silent; he was truly taken aback by her request.


    Eva sensed his momentary silence outside, and after a while, he asked again, "You watch movies while taking a bath?"


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, she could only say, "I''m soaking in the bath; please hurry up and get it for me."


    After she mentioned that she was soaking in the bath, it was quiet outside again.


    The next second, Eva heard the sound of the bathroom door handle turning.


    When she heard this sound, Eva was startled and instinctively shrunk her body into the bathtub, fearing that Adrian would see her.


    Sure enough, after she shrunk into the bathtub, she saw the bathroom door open, and Adrian walked straight in.


    "What are you doing?"


    Although they were intimate usually, Eva was not used to him seeing her like this while she was soaking in the bath.


    After walking in, Adrian indeed saw her lying in the bathtub, but because she was afraid of him, she had shrunk her whole body into the water, leaving only her head above the surface, not even showing her shoulders. The water in the bathtub was filled to create buoyancy, and it took a bit of effort for Eva to maintain this position.


    She held onto the edge of the bathtub, but because her hands were wet, it was particrly strenuous to hold on, and sometimes the water would even cover her cheeks.


    Seeing that she was about to swallow the bathwater, Adrian felt somewhat helpless. He walked over in a few steps, reached out his hand, and without a word, lifted her out of the water. Eva was speechless...


    Because she was in the water, she couldn''t refuse in time, and with his strength, she was abruptly lifted out by Adrian.


    She had shrunk into the water precisely because she didn''t want him to see.


    Now, he had seen everything, and... he had touched her.


    "What are you doing?!" Eva scolded him a bit angrily, then covered her chest with her hands.


    Her reaction made Adrian somewhat helpless.


    "Which part of your body have I not seen or touched?"


    Eva was speechless...


    "And you shrink yourself into the water like this, aren''t you afraid of drinking your own bathwater?"


    Eva was frustrated, "It''s my own bathwater; if I drink it, I drink it. You go out first and get my tablet for me."


    Adrian''s eyes didn''t wander, they justnded on her face, which was slightly pink from the steam, "Why do you need a tablet while taking a bath?"


    "It''s too boring to just soak in the bath. I need it because I''m taking a bath."


    "Boring?"


    This word made Adrian narrow his eyes slightly, "Are you bored?"


    This question made Eva alert all over.


    Why did it feel like his question had some hidden meaning?


    Before she could finish her thoughts, she saw Adrian curve his lips, "Is it because you''re alone? Is that why you''re bored?"


    As he finished speaking, he took off his wet coat in front of Eva, his fingers touching the buttons of his shirt.


    "Then I''ll join you in the bath."

 Chapter 576 I Promise

    Before Eva had a chance to refuse, she saw Adrian quickly unbuttoning his shirt.


    She then realized that Adrian wasn''t joking about joining her in the bath; he was serious.


    She said a bit flustered, "There''s no need; I can soak by myself, just bring me my tablet."


    But Adrian, as if not understanding her, smiled and said, "Aren''t you bored? If I''m with you, you won''t need the tablet." Eva was speechless.


    While she wanted to thank him, she actually wanted the tablet more.


    She didn''t think that Adrian sincerely wanted to take a bath either.


    Thinking of this, Eva blurted out, "Will you actually just soak with me? Or do you have another motive?"


    At this, Adrian''s actions paused slightly. A momentter, his lips curled up, his gaze capturing hers in an instant.


    "Is it that obvious that I have another motive?"


    As he finished speaking, his gaze slowly moved downwards,nding somewhere.


    Eva started sinking into the water again, but before she could, her arm was caught by Adrian.


    "We''re married; what''s the use of hiding?"


    "I don''t want you to see me like this. Let go of me."


    "No."


    Adrian tightened his grip on her arm, "Not unless you agree to let me soak with you."


    Although he seemed to be asking for her opinion, the hand undressing himself didn''t hesitate at all. With one hand still holding her arm, the other had already removed his shirt in a few swift moves. Then he looked at her innocently, "What should I do? I''m already undressed, so if you don''t let me soak, I''ll catch a cold."


    "You!"


    After seeing his bare chest and shameless expression, Eva was rendered speechless. After a long time, she could only choke out, "No, you can''t soak; you haven''t cleaned yourself yet." "Oh." Adrian raised an eyebrow, "So if I clean myself, I can soak with you? Then wait for me for five minutes."


    With that, he let go of her arm.


    Eva was truly at a loss.


    Soon, Adrian stood up and turned on the shower. The sound of water filled the bathroom again.


    Compared to the hiding Eva, Adrian was very open and natural in showing his body.


    His figure was excellent. The clear water slid from his perfect skull to his clear jawline; from his chest to his smooth abdomen, and then further down...


    Eva turned her head away, not daring to look anymore.


    She pursed her pink lips as her heart pounded rapidly.


    She didn''t know if she was so shy because she had lost her memory, or if she had always been this shy. Anyway, Adrian''s straightforward personality really caught her off guard. Just as before, just as now...


    He was too passionate; his feelings for her were like a fire, so intense that she sometimes couldn''t catch them.


    The sound of the water echoed in her ears; each ssh seemed to announce that he would step into this bathtub next.


    With every passing moment that she thought about it, Eva''s ears turned red; she even forgot about the tablet.


    She didn''t know how much time had passed when the sound of water suddenly stopped. The bathroom was suddenly quiet, which made Eva''s heart skip a beat.


    She didn''t dare to look over, fearing that she would see something she shouldn''t.


    So, she could only turn her face to the side and soon felt someone stepping into the water. The not-so-calm hot water in the bathtub rippled as someone entered, as if hitting Eva''s heart. Her breathing became a bit rapid, and then she heard a low voice asking, "Why aren''t you looking at me?"


    Before she could answer, Eva''s arm was pulled, and she was drawn into Adrian''s arms. Her back was now pressed against his warm chest.


    Eva stammered, "You..."


    She was so nervous that she wanted to struggle, but Adrian held her tightly, his arm like a chain around her.


    And her ear was against something warm and wet.


    "Don''t hide." Adrian''s lips were close to her ear, his voice almost a whisper, "I''ll just hold you and soak quietly. But if you keep hiding, I can''t promise what I''ll do."


    Thest sentence seemed like a threat.


    If she didn''t run, he wouldn''t move. But if she did run, whatever happened next wouldn''t be his fault.


    Although she wanted to refute him, considering his character of always doing as he said, she could only lean against him.


    "Then you promise not to do anything."


    "Hmm."


    "I promise."


    His voice was even more hoarse.


    With such a hoarse voice promising her, it didn''t seem very reliable no matter how she heard it.


    So, Eva didn''t trust him. But, to her surprise, Adrian really just held her and soaked in the bath. He didn''t do anything else and didn''t even move his hand, as if he was just simply soaking. Eva went from being tense at first to gradually rxing.


    This was her father''s house. If something really happened between her and Adrian here, wouldn''t it be too awkward? She thought.


    Fortunately, Adrian kept his promise.


    So, in the end, Evapletely rxed and leaned against Adrian, closing her eyes to enjoy thefort of the bath.


    The hot water washed away all the fatigue. Having Adrian as a backrest was much morefortable than the hard surface of the bathtub.


    She secretly smiled, feeling that as long as Adrian wasn''t so passionate and crazy, it was quite easy to get along with him; she felt very rxed.

 Chapter 577 Are You Secretly an Alien?

    "Quickly dry off and get changed into clean pajamas, so you don''t catch a cold," Adrian said as he himself donned a robe. When he finished and saw Eva still standing in the same spot, pouting; he couldn''t help but chuckle. "Why? Upset because I didn''t let you continue soaking?"


    She didn''t answer him and just looked at him with a pitiful expression.


    Seeing her like this, Adrian reached out helplessly and pinched her nose. "Alright, it''s just a bath. What''s the big deal? Can''t you do it again tomorrow?"


    "Is tomorrow the same as today?"


    Actually, she just felt tired today, so a bath wasforting. She might not be in the mood for it tomorrow. Plus, she didn''t have the habit of bathing every day.


    "Staying in too long isn''t good for you."


    Having said that, Adrian didn''t feel like reasoning with her anymore. He simply picked up the reluctant Eva and carried her out of the bathroom.


    He carried her to the wardrobe, put her down, opened the closet, nced at the row of clothes inside, and asked, "Which pajamas do you want to wear tonight?"


    As he asked, he flipped through the clothes, but Eva didn''t respond.


    He turned back to see Eva still looking at him with the same pitiful gaze she had in the bathroom.


    Adrian was at a loss and looked at her helplessly.


    "You''re already out; are you still angry?"


    Eva didn''t say anything.


    Since she remained silent, Adrian figured he probably couldn''t appease her, so he stopped asking. He simply picked a set of pajamas that he thought looked good and handed them to Eva. "Quickly change."


    The robe was wet, and Adrian was worried that she might catch a cold if she stayed in it for too long.


    However, Eva still stood there, seemingly still angry with him.


    "Not changing?"


    Seeing her like this, Adrian raised an eyebrow, "Do you want me to help you change?"


    Eva, who had been standing still, looked at him speechlessly.


    He was so shameless, always using this to threaten her.


    Eva could no longer hold her ground and angrily snatched the pajamas from his hand to change into.


    Now that she was finally willing to change, Adrian also took a set of pajamas and changed into them. After changing, Eva quickly crawled into bed.


    Although she didn''t have her previous memories, she felt veryfortable here, probably because Grace had told her this was her room, which made her feel a sense of belonging.


    She couldn''t help but roll around on the bed, taking up the whole space.


    When she saw Adrianing over, she finally made room for him.


    "Do you like it here?" Adrian didn''t rush to get into bed but stood by it.


    "Mm-hmm." Eva nodded, "It feels like I''ve returned to my own ce."


    This answer made Adrian pause, and after a moment, he couldn''t help but ask, "What about home? Don''t you feel a sense of belonging there?"


    "What?"


    At first, Eva didn''t understand what Adrian meant, but she quickly caught on.


    Eva hurriedly exined, "That''s not what I meant; I also feel a sense of belonging there."


    But Adrian looked as if he''d been hurt, his eyes downcast.


    "You don''t have to lie to me, maybe I just haven''t given you enough security."


    Eva was taken aback.


    How had this suddenly happened?


    The one who was originally lying in bed had to quickly get up and reach out to hold Adrian''s arm. "If you didn''t give me a sense of security, how could I possibly be with you? Even when you first came to rescue me, I didn''t know you at all but still chose to go with you, didn''t I?"


    Hearing this, Adrian slowly lifted his gaze,nding on her arms wrapped around his own.


    "So, to you, I do provide a sense of security?"


    "Of course."


    Eva nodded without hesitation,pletely oblivious to the fleeting smile in Adrian''s eyes.


    "So, after we go back this time, can we live separately from our parents?"


    While saying this, Adrian naturally grasped Eva''s slender arm.


    Hearing this, Eva paused.


    "Live separately?"


    "Yeah, don''t you think it''s inconvenient to live with them?"


    Eva blinked, looking innocently at him. "How is it inconvenient? The house is quite big and there are plenty of rooms. Also, what about Ruby and Dn if we live separately?" Living separately was actually Adrian''s own selfish desire.


    Living with his parents meant there were too many servants around, and only their room was their private space.


    Not to mention, sometimes, in front of their parents and children, it wasn''t even convenient for Adrian to pull her onto hisp for a hug.


    Once or twice, he could bear it.


    But as the number of times increased, Adrian began to feel frustrated. She was his woman, but living with their parents created so many inconveniences.


    Actually, even without this opportunity, Adrian had nned to discuss this with her after the New Year. He didn''t expect that before the New Year had even started, he had already told her his n.


    "I know what I''m about to say might upset you, but our parents really like Dn and Ruby, and they aren''t working much now, so they have time. They can give Dn and Ruby plenty of care." Having said this, how could Eva not understand what he meant?


    The implication was to let Dn and Ruby stay with their grandparents.


    But Eva wasn''t quite willing to let go. She pursed her lips and said somewhat unhappily, "I know you might be thinking for the children, but as their mother, when they''re still young, I don''t want them to leave my side." Moreover, she had lost her previous memories, so if she didn''t spend more time with the children now, what would happen in the future? She didn''t even know whether she would be able to recover her memories in the future.


    If she could, that would be fine, but what if she couldn''t?


    So, she didn''t want to be separated from her children.


    Hearing this, Adrian felt his head throb for a moment. He wanted to create more opportunities for the two of them to be alone, but his parents wanted to be with the children.


    Eva didn''t care about his current thoughts. Seeing that he had stopped talking, she said, "Anyway, let''s not live separately for now. I think it''s quite good to live like this at present; why do we have to separate? And, I don''t think there''s anything inconvenient, is there something inconvenient for you?"


    After saying this, she looked at him with a very puzzled expression.


    "Is it because when your body recovers, you want to go back to manage thepany? Is thepany not here? If so, do you need to go back by yourself first? After all, mypany is here... so..."


    Before she could finish, he abruptly interrupted her, seemingly somewhat exasperated.


    "Eva, are you secretly an alien? Because you''re not getting my human signals here.?" "Huh?"


    She didn''t understand how she could secretly be an alien. Wasn''t her suggestion quite good?

 Chapter 578 I Dont Want to Separate

    Eva expressed her frustration.


    "What''s wrong? Is there something wrong with my suggestion?"


    "What do you think?" Adrian retorted, sounding rather displeased. "How long have we been reunited? How much time have we spent together? I just wanted some private time with you, but you want me to go back alone. You heartless woman."


    After saying that, Adrian still seemed angry. He reached out as if he wanted to knock on her forehead heavily, but when his hand was about to touch her, he stopped. He couldn''t bear to do it. In the end, he could only lightly tap her fair forehead.


    "An alien."


    Eva touched her forehead subconsciously when it was tapped, and said awkwardly, "I... I didn''t know that''s what you meant. You just said it was inconvenient; you didn''t say you wanted to be alone with me."


    Unable to bear knocking her forehead, Adrian finally had to settle for pinching her soft cheek. "Do I really need to say it? Can''t you understand the implication in my words?"


    He didn''t pinch her hard, but Eva felt a bit embarrassed having her cheek pinched like that and pushed his hand away.


    "Next time, just say what you mean. Why all the hints?"


    She thought that would be the end of it, but then Adrian suddenly stared at her intently.


    "Are you sure you want me to be straightforward?"


    This question gave Eva an ominous feeling. Before she could answer, Adrian said, "Then I hope you will move out and live with me." As he said this, Adrian held her hand. "Will youe with me?"


    His tone was very gentle when he said this, and his gaze waspletely focused on her face, so tender that it seemed to overflow. Such a siege almost made Eva unable to resist. It almost made her agree.


    But at thest moment, she remembered the innocent faces of the two children, each hugging her arm and calling her mommy.


    She didn''t know what others would think, but for Eva now, she felt that she couldn''t make a choice between her husband and her children. With this thought, she immediately shook her head.


    "No, I can''t."


    Her refusal didn''t seem to surprise Adrian. He had tried his best, but it seemed he already knew her answer.


    But when he lowered his eyes, there was still a hint of bitterness.


    He could understand Eva''s choice, even without her memories. He knew how much he had hurt her in the past.


    So even if she didn''t remember the past now, her subconsciousness wouldn''t lie.


    In her subconsciousness, the children were much more important than him.


    Although Adrian didn''t want topete with the two children for her affection, he still couldn''t help but feel bitter after knowing the truth.


    Unexpectedly, at this moment, Eva suddenly said, "I don''t want to be separated from you, or any of the children."


    Hearing this, Adrian raised his eyes in surprise.


    He had thought that she could separate from him, but not from the children.


    "You all have the same ce in my heart." Eva looked into his eyes and said seriously, "But you said that Mom and Dad want to see the children. If we move out, I don''t think I can just hand over the children to them. It''s not that I don''t trust them, but the children are mine. I value them very much, and of course, I value you too."


    One sentence after another, like a warm stream, flowed into Adrian''s heart.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Adrian couldn''t help but pull her into his arms.


    "That''s enough."


    Once Eva was pulled into his arms and heard him say ''that''s enough'' in his deep voice, she started to feel a bit frustrated.


    What did he mean?


    What was enough?


    Does he think she talked too much?


    "Your words are enough."


    Soon, what Adrian said next dispelled Eva''s doubts.


    "At least in your heart, me and the children upy the same ce."


    While holding her, Adrian gently kissed her neck.


    "It''ste, let''s go to sleep."


    He let go of her, and they bothy t on the bed.


    Evay on her side, facing him.


    "So, do we not need to move out for now? Should we all live together?"


    Although he had not achieved his goal, there was no other option for now, so Adrian had to leave this idea aside for the future.


    "Yes, let''s all live together for now, but... when the children grow up, can we move out?"


    The children grow up?


    Eva thought about it seriously. The two children were five years old this year, and the New Year wasing soon. How many yearster would they be grown up?


    Eva didn''t want to upset Adrian over something that would happen many yearster, so when he proposed it, she didn''t think much and just agreed. "Okay."


    Adrian''s eyes glowed slightly, "You really agree? You''re not lying to me?"


    "Yes."


    The corner of Adrian''s mouth curled up slightly, "Then you can''t regret itter; I won''t be as easy-going as I am now."


    "I know."


    Adrian suddenly noticed a hint of sleepiness in her voice.


    Sure enough, after he thought about it, Eva closed her eyes uncontrobly; it seemed she was getting sleepy.


    Seeing her drowsy but still wanting to talk to him made Adrian feel a surge of pity. He reached out, touched her cheek, and said softly, "It''ste, go to sleep." "Mmm, okay."


    Eva responded with a nasal voice. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly seemed to remember something and squinted at him, "You should also go to sleep. Don''t stay upte."


    Even though she was sleepy, she still thought of reminding him to sleep. Adrian couldn''t help but lean over and gently kiss her fair forehead.


    "Okay, let''s sleep together."


    "Good night, Eva."


    Adrian didn''t know if she heard his goodnight, but she didn''t respond after he said it, so she must have fallen asleep.


    He sighed in his heart, reached out to pull the nket up to cover her slender shoulders, and then closed his eyes.


    Soon, the two of them fell asleep together.


    The next day


    Eva was still asleep when she heard the noise downstairs. Although it was noisy, she was still very sleepy and wanted to turn over and continue sleeping subconsciously. But she couldn''t move because her waist was being tightly held by someone.


    With this turning and moving, Eva woke up quite a bit.


    She looked down and found that Adrian''s hand was holding her waist like an iron chain. She could say that she was sleeping against Adrian.


    It was fine when she was asleep, but when she woke up and wanted to turn over but couldn''t, she felt that the position she was maintaining was really ufortable.


    So, she only maintained the original position for five seconds and then tried to reach out and remove Adrian''s hand from her waist.


    But she didn''t remove his hand; instead, she woke Adrian up.


    Adrian opened his eyes. They looked as ck as ink and as deep as the sea when he just woke up.


    "Awake?"

 Chapter 579 Find Someone Else

    Adrian''s voice was hoarse, carrying a just-woken up tone when he spoke, making him sound deep and sexy. Eva was inexplicably bewitched by his voice, and it took her a few seconds to nod. Adrian, with half-closed eyes, took out his phone to check the time, put it back, and then pulled Eva into his arms.


    "It''s still early; let''s sleep a bit more."


    Eva wanted to continue sleeping, but she wanted to change her position. This position made her hand numb after lying for a while.


    So, after Adrian hugged her, she couldn''t help but say, "I want to turn over; let go of me."


    Hearing this, Adrian, who had seemingly fallen asleep with his eyes closed, had to open his eyes again and then release the grip on her waist.


    After Eva turned over, he moved closer and held her tight again.


    "Is that better? Sleep now."


    "Mm-hmm."


    After responding, Eva closed her eyes to sleep. She was very sleepy initially, but after all the tossing and turning, she had lost all her sleepiness.


    Eva closed her eyes, but no matter how she tried, she couldn''t fall asleep. She had absolutely no sleepiness left.


    In the end, she could only lie there with her eyes open.


    Lying in bed when you couldn''t sleep always felt especially hard, especially with a pair of hot hands around her waist. Perhaps because she couldn''t sleep, she felt as if Adrian was pressing all his strength into her waist. It was too heavy.


    The more she thought about it, the more ufortable Eva felt, so she quietly reached out, trying to push Adrian''s hand away from her waist.


    Her movement was very gentle, after all, Adrian was sleeping, and she didn''t want to wake him.


    She just wanted to remove his hand, then sneak downstairs to see why it was so noisy.


    She never expected that Adrian''s arm would be so tightly wrapped around her that she couldn''t push it away.


    Eva felt helpless.


    She was a bit speechless but continued to push.


    As a result, not only did she not push his hand away, but she woke Adrian up instead.


    When Eva heard the man holding her from behind breathing heavily and unevenly, she knew she had woken him up.


    "Aren''t you sleepy?" Adrian asked in a hoarse voice.


    Since she had already woken him up, Eva straightforwardly said, "Mmm, I couldn''t sleep after I woke up; it seems very noisy downstairs. I don''t know what''s going on..." Before she could finish her sentence, she was turned around by Adrian to face him.


    Before she could react, Adrian''s kiss descended, giving her no time to respond.


    His breath was very hot, invading every corner of her mouth and taking away all her breath.


    After a soft entanglement of about ten seconds, Eva suddenly realized what had happened.


    When she realized it, she instinctively reached out to forcefully push his chest, even a bit impatiently.


    Her action made Adrian frown slightly, not only did he not let go of her, but he held her even tighter, deepening the kiss.


    At first, Eva resisted, but gradually she lost herself. Her hand resting on his chest gradually softened and fell, and she began to slowly respond.


    After who knew how long, Adrian finally let her go. He was panting heavily, but his body didn''t move away; instead, he leaned against her forehead, gasping for breath. "What were you pushing me for?"


    When he asked this question, there was clear dissatisfaction in Adrian''s dark eyes. He didn''t expect to be pushed away even when he was just kissing her.


    It was just a kiss; he hadn''t done anything else.


    Eva''s face turned red from his kiss, and when he let go, her breath was unsteady. She was trying to calm her breath, but then she saw Adrian looking at her with a grieving face. He looked like a deeply aggrieved man.


    Evaughed at him in her heart, and then said seriously, "Of course I pushed you because we haven''t brushed our teeth yet."


    After saying this, she even muttered quietly.


    "Who keeps kissing without brushing their teeth?"


    Upon hearing her this, Adrian squinted his eyes dangerously, his hand on her waist now exerting more pressure.


    "Who says we didn''t? Haven''t we been doing this for the past few days?"


    Mentioning this made Eva angry.


    "How dare you say that? Who told you to kiss me every morning?"


    "Are you disgusted with me?"


    "Not really..."


    He didn''t have bad breath, and he brushed his teeth before bed, so kissing him after waking up didn''t feel dirty.


    But perhaps it was a psychological obsession. Eva always felt that she couldn''t ovee this hurdle.


    "Anyway, since we''ve brought up this issue today, let me be clear with you, you''re not allowed to kiss me after waking up." As her words fell, Adrian''s brows furrowed deeper.


    "Eve, have you noticed? You''re resisting me a lot now."


    "When have I resisted you?"


    "Really?" Adrian''s voice was low and serious. "Since you''ve returned, we haven''t had sex."


    Eva''s face turned red.


    "Isn''t that because you were injured before?"


    Even though she tried to bring up the injury again and to gloss over the issue, Adrian wasn''t as easy to fool as before.


    "Using the injury to fool me again? How long ago was that? I''ve been healing, just like you told me."


    When he said "healing," Adrian emphasized the word.


    He wanted to see what she would say next.


    But as expected, he underestimated Eva''s ability to retort.


    She innocently said, "How can you consider that healed? How long has it been since you recovered from your injury? Just because the wound isn''t visible and you''re not in pain doesn''t mean you can start making babies, right? Your wound was so big; it takes a long time to heal. The doctor even said you can''t do intense exercises for a few months."


    "Intense exercises?" The phrase made Adrian raise an eyebrow. "I''m not going to exercise. If it doesn''t work, I''ll stay still, and you can do it, right?"


    What? What did he say?


    She stared at Adrian incredulously; she was speechless.


    "No?" Adrian''s lips curled slightly. "We haven''t tried it yet. Do you want to try?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Eva pped his hand hard.


    "You go try it yourself."


    "How can I try it alone?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva casually said, "If you can''t try it alone, then find someone else to try."


    Adrian''s face darkened.


    "What did you say?"


    Eva didn''t notice his darkened face, and continued, "Anyway, if you''re not afraid of getting hurt, I can''t stop you."


    After saying that, she wanted to push Adrian away and get up.


    "Wait."


    Adrian held her waist tightly, his tone serious, "rify what you said. What do you mean find someone else?"


    Only then did Eva notice his grim expression.


    Only then did she realize what she had casually said just now.

 Chapter 580 Arent You Being a Bit Outrageous?

    She told him to find someone else.


    Initially, she didn''t think much of this statement and would have forgotten about itter. However, Adrian seemed particrly bothered by it. His eyebrows furrowed tightly, showing his displeasure. Eva realized her words might have been inappropriate. After all, who told their significant other to find someone else? She quickly tried to rectify her mistake.


    "I didn''t mean it like that..."


    "So, what did you mean? If I find someone else, you wouldn''t care?"


    She always seemed reluctant to be intimate with him. Perhaps it was due to her amnesia, or his recent injuries. But the biggest reason was her resistance, wasn''t it?


    He used to coax and deceive her to get a taste of sweetness. That sweetness was what he had been waiting for. But now, she just told him to find someone else. Could this be her true feelings?


    Adrian knew he shouldn''t be so sensitive. It wasn''t very manly to react this way. But when it came to her, he couldn''t control his anxious heart.


    "Of course not!"


    Seeing his current state, Eva hurriedly reassured him, "I just said it without thinking; I didn''t mean it."


    As she exined, Eva moved closer to him, her sweet scent invading Adrian''s senses. He looked at her, his eyes dark and brooding.


    "Sometimes, careless words reveal the subconscious thoughts of your heart."


    "No, that''s not it!" Eva shook her head forcefully, "Don''t twist my words. I really didn''t mean it!"


    By the end, Eva was getting anxious, "You can question everything else, but not this. I''ve never thought about it. How could I push the man I love into someone else''s arms?"


    Although he was still feeling down, Eva''s firm attitude and her confession made him feel better. His mood brightened considerably, and he couldn''t help but smile.


    "Really?"


    Eva was initially worried about how much she would have to say to appease him. She didn''t expect his mood to improve so quickly. She was a bit speechless but also realized that Adrian was quite easy to please. She discovered that sweet words were his weak spot, especially when those words were about liking and loving him.


    Now that she knew his ''happy switch'', Eva decided to use it whenever he was upset. After all, they were married. It was normal to say nice things to each other.


    With that in mind, Eva continued, "Yes, it''s true. If you even think about finding someone else, I won''t let you off."


    Sure enough, after her fierce deration, Adrian was no longer upset. Instead, his eyes lit up, clearly pleased by her words.


    "Is that so? What will you do if I really find someone else?"


    If he was angry before, this question was definitely yful now.


    Understanding his twisted thought process, Eva knew what he wanted to hear even without thinking.


    "Well, let me think... First of all, I definitely won''t let you go out. I''ll tie you up at home."


    As she said this, Eva nced at Adrian. To her surprise, his eyes narrowed slightly at her words, and his forehead creased. Eva was at a loss.


    Was he excited by this? Did Adrian have such a preference?


    As Eva pondered this possibility, Adrian suddenly asked seriously, "So, when will you tie me up?"


    Huh?


    Eva was utterly speechless.


    Adrian seemed a bit excited as he grabbed her slender wrist, "Shall we try it next time?"


    Seeing his demeanor, Eva couldn''t help but pull her hand back, blushing as she scolded him.


    "Aren''t you being a bit outrageous?"


    "We are husband and wife, where''s the outrageousness? It''s just a bit of fun," he said.


    Eva couldn''t stand him anymore; she couldn''t bring herself to say those sweet nothings anymore, so she just said, "I''m going downstairs to check things out; are you going to continue sleeping?" After all themotion, would Adrian still be in the mood to sleep? He waspletely energized.


    "No, I''ll go downstairs with you."


    The two of them got dressed and went downstairs together.


    When they got downstairs, Eva finally understood why it was so noisy. It turned out that the elders and the kids were ying with sparklers.


    Mr. Hansen owned this entire area, and the houses were far apart, so even ying with sparklers wouldn''t disturb anyone.


    After seeing theme downstairs, Mr. Hansen became even more cheerful.


    "Did we wake you up?"


    Eva didn''t admit it, she just asked, "Why did you all get up so early?"


    "Getting up early allows us to go to bed early. You young people stay up toote. You can''t get up in the morning and can''t sleep at night."


    This familiar parental advice made Eva''s scalp tingle, and she instinctively retorted, "Dad, when have we ever stayed upte? Adrian and I are quite regr in our routines. We don''t usually work overtime at thepany, and we don''t have any other entertainment activities. We go to bed very early, okay?"


    "Yes, indeed." Margaret also spoke up for her, "When she lived with us, Eva went to bed very early and had a very healthy routine."


    Mr. Hansen could naturally tell that Eva had a healthy routely because she looked very good, her skin was so white it was glowing, clearly a person who slept well.


    People who didn''t sleep well and always stayed upte couldn''t achieve this kind ofplexion.


    Because Margaret spoke up for her, Eva felt very proud, "Dad, did you hear that? I don''t stay upte."


    "Good, as long as you don''t stay upte. But don''t be proud, keep it up."


    "I know."


    Adrian couldn''t help but chuckle as he watched her obediently listening to her parents.


    In front of him, her mouth was quite powerful, she would retort whatever she wanted, of course, sometimes she could also make him very happy.


    Before Adrian could think of anything else, Eva had already taken her phone out to take pictures.


    The two kids were very happy after ying with sparklers with the adults. They noticed Evae over to take pictures and happily posed for her.

 Chapter 581 Men in the Blackwood Family Spoil Their Wives

    The breakfast was kept simple. During the meal, Mr. Hansen was initially worried that Kim and Margaret might not be ustomed to such simple food. However, Margaret surprisingly said, "There''s nothing to get used to. We''ve been eating


    quite simply nowadays, unlike before. We pay more attention to our health now."


    In fact, Margaret had always been very disciplined about her diet as she was a woman who loved beauty. She wouldn''t touch anything too sweet or high in calories, and always ate clean, green food. That was why she had been able to maintain her figure and skin so well over the years.


    However, things had changed recently...


    After bringing Ruby and Dn with her, she always gave them too much food due to her deep affection for the kids. She wanted the kids to eat well, grow tall, and be chubby.


    Under Eva''s guidance over the years, Ruby and Dn had always followed the principle of only taking as much as they could eat and not wasting food. Moreover, Eva''s idea had always been to eat less rather than more.


    But the amount of food Margaret served them was too much for the little ones to handle. When they couldn''t eat anymore, Margaret would say to them with a smiling face, "It''s okay, it''s okay, we won''t waste food. Grandma will eat it for you." And so, the previously highly disciplined beauty happily ate what her beloved grandchildren left behind.


    Calcting calories, worrying about excessive sweetness, none of that mattered anymore.


    So, during this period, Margaret had stopped being picky about food. As long as her two grandchildren liked it, it was fine.


    Eva watched her take care of Ruby and Dn, noting that she did it even better than herself. Eva felt that she couldn''t keep an eye on the kids'' actions like Margaret could.


    Given her level of attention to the kids, if she were to take Ruby and Dn to live with her, Margaret wouldn''t say anything ording to her character. But she would definitelye to see the kids, and whether she would stay and not leave during the visit was unknown.


    Judging from her previous and current performance, the probability of her staying was very high.


    So, the idea of moving out should not be considered anymore.


    As for Kim, he was very happy that Margaret was willing to eat. He had always felt that she ate too little to maintain her figure, and he often worried that she was malnourished due to insufficient intake. Fortunately, she had a nutritionist to bnce her diet and regrly supplemented her nutrition in other ways.


    But even so, Kim always felt that what she supplemented was not as healthy and good as what she ate herself.


    So now that she was like this, Kim was happy to put more food in the kids'' bowls. After all, as long as they couldn''t finish it, Margaret would eat it all.


    Ruby looked at the food piled up like a small mountain in front of her and turned to Kim with a pitiful voice, "Grandpa, it''s too much... Ruby can''t eat that much."


    Kim smiled and said, "It''s okay, eat slowly. If you can''t finish it, your grandma will help you eat it."


    After saying that, he even winked at Ruby.


    Ruby looked at him in a somewhat understanding way.


    Dn on the other hand seemed to understand. It had been like this for thest few times. It seemed like Grandpa wanted to feed Grandma more food through them. Adults were really strange. If they want Grandma to eat more, why don''t they just tell Grandma to eat or put it in Grandma''s bowl?


    But even though he found it strange, Dn didn''t directly expose him.


    After all, adults have their own world.


    At this time, Margaret seemed to see through Kim''s trick.


    After Kim finished speaking, Margaret couldn''t help but squint at him. Kim felt embarrassed under her gaze and could only touch his nose and ask softly, "What''s wrong?"


    It was fine if he didn''t ask. Unexpectedly, when he did, Margaret simply said, "Later, you need to handle the food that Ruby and Dn can''t finish."


    Kim was taken aback.


    "Did you hear that?"


    Kim touched his nose and nodded stiffly.


    "Yes."


    Seeing that he agreed, Margaret finally withdrew her gaze satisfactorily.


    Kim, who was nning to eat more, had to slow down after hearing Margaret''s words.


    He had already served himself enough to eat. If he had to eat what Ruby and Dn left behind, it would exceed his usual intake, so he had to eat slower to avoid not being able to eatter.


    Eva and Adrian watched Kim and Margaret''s ''love and kill'' scene from the side.


    Eva, who had seen this scene, leaned closer to Adrian and asked softly, "Has Dad always been like this in front of Mom?"


    Hearing this, Adrian raised an eyebrow, "You mean him being at a disadvantage?"


    "Something like that."


    "All men in my family are like this."


    "Huh?"


    Adrian hooked the corner of his lips, his voice was low but ambiguous, "What I mean is, all men in the ckwood family are like this. They spoil and love their wives. As long as they marry, they listen to their wives." She looked at Adrian in shock and fell silent. She knew he was proud, but she didn''t expect him to be this proud.


    He even managed to brag about himself while talking about Kim and Margaret.


    Perhaps it was her shocked expression that made Adrian find her look adorable, so he couldn''t help but reach out and touch her nose, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I''m wrong?"


    "No." Eva shook her head, withdrawing her gaze, "I just didn''t expect you to be so good at praising yourself."


    Adrian curled his lips, "I''m really good at other stuff too; you''ll find out slowly."


    Sitting in his own ce, Mr. Hansen watched the interaction between his daughter and son-inw, feeling a mix of emotions.


    From what he could see now, his daughter and Adrian got along very well.


    And since she was his daughter, the apple of his eye since she was young, Mr. Hansen understood Eva''s thoughts. This girl had always been different towards Adrian since she was young, only she thought others couldn''t see it. But he hadn''t expected so many things to happenter.


    Life, indeed, wouldn''t always be smooth sailing.


    Thinking of this, Mr. Hansen picked up the milk next to him and took a few gulps. After finishing, he realized it was milk. He was a bit stunned, looking at the milk in his hand and remaining silent for a while before reacting. This was breakfast; it wasn''t evening yet. He had just assumed the cup next to him was filled with wine and drank it without thinking.


    Thinking of this, Mr. Hansen quietly said to Grace next to him, "Prepare a little wine for lunch; I''ll have a few drinks with them."


    Hearing this, Grace subconsciously furrowed her eyebrows and did not agree.


    "Have you forgotten about your stomach difort before? You should drink less of this kind of thing," she warned.

 Chapter 582 Snatch the Children Back

    "I know, I remember what the doctor said, but it''s New Year''s, everyone is happy, so I just want to have a few drinks," Mr. Hansen finished, looking at Kim, "What do you say? Shall we have a couple of drinks at lunch?"


    Kim nodded, "Sure, it''s been a while since I''ve had a drink."


    Just as the words left his mouth, Kim felt a sharp nce from the side, and he awkwardly touched his own nose.


    At the same time, Grace spoke up, "I think it would be better to brew some coffee for lunch. You can substitute coffee for alcohol. It''s not only healthier but also invigorating. How about it?"


    One wife didn''t allow drinking, and the other proposed substituting coffee for alcohol. What else could the two men say?


    In order to maintain family harmony and not affect their rtionships, they could only agree.


    So, when lunchtime came, the two middle-aged men sat there leisurely sipping their coffee.


    The coffee was brewed by Mr. Hansen himself, which made it more engaging.


    At first, Mr. Hansen felt regretful about not having alcohol when he started brewing the coffee. But gradually, as the two of them leisurely sipped their hot coffee and chatted about various topics rted to their children, they began to feel that even without alcohol, it was still very enjoyable.


    Everyone else had gone out, leaving only Kim and Mr. Hansen in the house, apart from the servants. The others had gone to shop at a nearby supermarket.


    Originally, Margaret had intended for the women to go shopping by themselves and not have Adrian join them. But Adrian had asked, "Why can''t I go? Don''t you need someone to help carry the bags?"


    Margaret raised an eyebrow. "Oh, my son who is always so busy, you actually have time to help carry bags?"


    "What are you saying, Mom?" Adrian smiled slightly. "Aren''t I going to help you carry them today?"


    Margaret clicked her tongue, then lowered her voice to speak to Eva, "He''s only this attentive when he sees you. He never goes shopping with me. I used to envy others who had sons to help them carry bags and watch out for them when they shopped. I wanted to take him with me, but he was unwilling."


    Hearing this, Eva blinked gently. "Is that so? If he listens to me, then next time you need someone to help carry bags, just tell me. I''ll have him apany you."


    "No problem, you are indeed on my side." Margaret said, then gave Adrian a smug look.


    Adrian didn''t know what to say.


    After themotion, Margaret realized they had forgotten about Grace during their conversation. Grace wasn''t Eva''s biological mother, but a stepmother who had married into the familyter. She didn''t dislike this woman, in fact, she found her easy to get along with and quite likable.


    Moreover, Margaret was a sensitive and considerate person, so she immediately realized that their previous conversation might have made Grace feel awkward, and quickly shifted her attention to her.


    "Just joking with them." She said to Grace, each of them holding a child, "Let''s move ahead a bit, to give them some space to interact."


    Grace nodded with a smile and walked away with Margaret.


    Eva had been picking items from the shelves. She liked to read the ingredient list and check the production date when she shopped. She usually chose items with clean ingredients and fresh dates. So, she was quite focused, and when she finally looked up after picking several items, she found that only Adrian was left by her side.


    Eva was a bit taken aback. "Where is everyone?"


    Adrian, with his arms crossed over his chest, leaned against a nearby shelf and watched her leisurely. "As you can see, they''ve all left, probably to give us some space, and also probably afraid that you would fight with them for Ruby and Dn."


    She was a bit frustrated. "How could I fight with them? As long as they are there, I can''t touch the children."


    She couldn''t during the day, and she couldn''t at night.


    Perhaps for others, not having to take care of their children was a happy thing. Having children without having to take care of them, and still being as free as before they were born, how nice was that?


    But Eva was different, perhaps because of her amnesia, she really wanted to take care of her children herself. If it weren''t for the subconscious in her head telling her that she couldn''t be a full-time housewife, she''d be doting on the kids every day. But she had to have a career; what would she do if something happened in the future and she had to raise two children on her own?


    It was this thought that always drove her, not allowing her to be a full-time housewife. Otherwise, she might really stop working and take care of the two children full-time.


    "Feeling jealous?" Adrian looked at her amusingly and jokingly said, "Why don''t I go and snatch the two children back for you?"


    Hearing this, Eva red at him. "Really?"


    Adrian seemed to not be lying. "As long as you say it, I''ll do it."


    Eva stared at him suspiciously, always feeling that he was just saying this to tease her. Even if she really asked him to go, he wouldn''t, would he?


    After all, the two children were with Margaret and Grace, not with strangers.


    But since he wanted to pretend, Eva wanted to expose him.


    "Alright, then you go now."


    "Okay."


    Without any hesitation, Adrian walked straight in one direction. Eva stood in ce, quietly watching him walk away.


    She thought he would circle back after a few steps, and then she would see how he exined it to her.


    Who knew that he would disappear withouting back. Eva stood rooted to the spot, blinking and feeling a bit strange.


    He wouldn''t really go and bring the children back, would he?


    Probably... not?


    Thinking this, Eva simply didn''t bother to look anymore, and continued to pick out the things she needed, nning to just wait for Adrian toe back.


    After an unknown amount of time, she heard footsteps. When Eva looked up, she saw a sight that surprised her. Adrian was walking towards her with a child in each arm.


    Both little ones were afraid of falling, so they were desperately clinging to his neck. In reality, Ruby and Dn were both quite big and should have been quite heavy to hold. But Adrian seemed to carry them with ease, as if they had no weight at all.


    Eva was shocked to see hime over with the two children. When she saw Margaret and Grace following behind him with puzzled faces, Eva was left speechless.


    She even forgot to check the ingredient list of the items she was going to buy and just put them directly into the shopping cart.


    What was he doing?


    She thought he was joking.


    Who would have thought that he really would bring Ruby and Dn back from Margaret and Grace?


    What did he say to them when he took the children? That he was going to snatch the children back for her? Or something else? Without waiting for them toe closer, Eva felt like running away. She felt really awkward.


    "I''m back."


    Compared to her internal awkwardness, Adrian walked up to her with an expressionless face and put the two children in the shopping cart.

 Chapter 583 Honor and Disgrace Together

    "Mommy!"


    Upon seeing Eva, Ruby and Dn immediately rushed towards her, vying to hug her.


    Eva, startled and delighted by their enthusiasm, returned their embrace as a smile spread across her glowing face.


    However, she quickly realized something and looked up at Adrian. Taking advantage of the fact that Margaret and Grace were not yet close, she lowered her voice and asked, "You''re joking, right? You really brought the kids over?" Hearing this, Adrian looked at her seriously and said, "Who said I was joking?"


    Eva was dumbfounded.


    Wasn''t this situation actually a joke?


    Who would really take their kids away from their grandparents? It was not like they were snatching children from kidnappers.


    "What? You think I was joking with you?"


    Eva forced a smile, intending to say something else, but seeing that Margaret and Grace had already approached, she swallowed her words and put on a cheerful smile again. After exchanging nces with Eva, both Margaret and Grace had awkward expressions on their faces.


    When they got closer, Margaret reached out and pinched her son''s arm, lowering her voice to question, "What on earth made you suddenly appear and take the two kids away?" This question made Eva less embarrassed.


    It seemed that he just brought the two kids back, but didn''t exin why, which wouldn''t make her situation too awkward.


    But soon, she started to worry again.


    They might havee to ask because he didn''t say anything when he went over and just ran off with the kids.


    But now that there was nowhere to run, he had to answer the question, right?


    If he answered in front of her...


    "Oh, it''s because..."


    Fearing that Adrian would put her in hot water, Eva interrupted, "I suddenly missed the kids, so I asked him to bring them over. It has nothing to do with Adrian, Mom." As soon as she said this, the three of them paused.


    Especially Adrian, he was the first to look at her, and after a moment of surprise, he understood. His lips curled up slightly, and his gaze at her was somewhat helpless. Retreating to advance, she really had her ways.


    Sure enough, after hearing this, Margaret immediately realized something and squinted her eyes to re heavily at Adrian.


    "Can''t you behave? As a man, not only did you suddenly take the kids, but you also let your wife take the me for you?"


    Faced with his mother''s usation, and seeing Eva''s forced smile, Adrian could only respondzily, "I didn''t ask her to speak. She cares about me; what''s wrong with her speaking for me?" "What''s wrong? You tell me what''s wrong? If you''re a man, you should have resolved the matter before your wife speaks!"


    Adrian remained silent, not answering.


    "Did you hear what I said?"


    Only then did Adrian respond reluctantly, "I heard. Ruby and Dn are my children. You guys are always holding them, leaving no time for me as a father to spend with them. I''m not happy." Eva was shocked.


    She didn''t expect him to be so direct, especially with Grace still by their side.


    Thinking of this, Eva awkwardly pulled him over andughed, "He''s joking with you. Aunt, Mom, don''t take it seriously."


    Adrian nced at her and didn''t respond, tacitly epting her words.


    On the other hand, Grace turned to Margaret and suggested with a smile, "Why don''t we let the four of them spend some time alone? We can go upstairs and have a look around? I know a ce with particrly shiny jewelry, and the designs are very unique."


    Although Margaret was reluctant to leave her grandchildren, she took what Adrian said seriously. She had indeed been monopolizing the kids'' time, both day and night.


    She didn''t feel anything before, as she just wanted to take care of the kids.


    But now that it was brought up, Margaret realized that she had indeed taken up too much of their time, preventing the kids from spending time with their parents. If her mother-inw had done the same to her after Adrian was born, she would definitely not have agreed.


    So, putting herself in their shoes, Margaret felt that she had indeed gone too far these past few days.


    As soon as Grace made the suggestion, she immediately agreed.


    "Alright, I haven''t bought jewelry in a while, let''s go take a look."


    Soon, the two of them left together.


    Only four people remained in the aisle. When Eva lowered her head, the two little ones'' gazes were still fixed on her, their small hands tightly gripping her clothes, showing how much they missed her.


    This warmed Eva''s heart considerably.


    It seemed that not only did she miss the children, but they missed her as well.


    She reached out and ced her hands on their heads, gently massaging them.


    It was a rare moment of solitude.


    At this moment, Adrian leaned in and lowered his voice, "How about it? Are you satisfied with this oue now?"


    In front of the two children, Eva didn''t hide anything. After hearing his question, she thought of the awkward scene just now and said, "You should not be so direct when speaking in front of the elders in the future." However, Adrian did not agree with her.


    "If I''m not direct, I''m afraid they won''t understand."


    "How could they not understand if you speak nicely?"


    "It has nothing to do with speaking nicely or not. She is immersed in the joy of taking care of her grandchildren. If you don''t speak directly, she may not hear what you''re saying."


    This left Eva unable to retort.


    He might actually be right.


    Margaret was indeed immersed in the world of her grandchildren, even changing her lifestyle.


    "Moreover, didn''t you adapt quite well on the spot? Anyway, in the end, I was the one who lost face." As he said this, there was a hint of resentment in the corner of Adrian''s eyes, as if ming her for selling him out without a second thought. On this point, Eva did feel a little guilty. She coughed lightly, then reorganized her thoughts and said, "Even though you were the one who lost face in the end, aren''t we together? Doesn''t you losing face also mean that I lost face?" Invisibly, her response pleased Adrian.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow, extended his arm to put it around her shoulder in front of the two children, and pulled her into his arms, "When did you be so aware? You know that we share honor and disgrace together?" Seeing this, smiles also crossed Ruby''s and Dn''s adorable faces.


    When Eva looked up, she saw the teasing smile in his eyes, and after thinking about it, she understood why he was so pleased.


    After figuring it out, Eva felt a bit exasperated.


    Was it just because she mentioned that they both lost face?


    And he was happy just like that?


    He was indeed as easy to understand as always.

 Chapter 584 He Has Nowhere to Sleep

    After about an hour of shopping and purchasing many items, Eva felt tired. Before she could voice her fatigue, Adrian said, "Let''s go rest," and then pushed the shopping cart towards the elevator. There were ces to rest upstairs, and the mall where Margaret and Grace were shopping was also upstairs.


    "I wonder how they''re doing," Eva said as they walked.


    "Mom and Aunt? Don''t worry, they''re probably busy shopping."


    After sending Eva to a restaurant, Adrian went to check out with the shopping cart and arranged for the items to be sent home. On the way back to the restaurant, Adrian received a call from Margaret.


    "You guys go home by yourselvester; we have other ns," said Margaret, her tone full of resentment.


    Adrian was somewhat surprised. "Other ns? What ns?"


    "Yes, we''ve arranged to go get a beauty treatment. We''ll go hometer, you... figure it out."


    After hearing they were going to get a beauty treatment, Adrian simply responded with a "Okay." He was about to hang up when Margaret couldn''t help but add, "You must be quite happy, right?" Adrian, who was about to hang up, asked, "Hmm?"


    "No one ispeting with you for the children now. You can finally have the children all to yourself."


    Adrian felt helpless.


    Since her son remained silent, Margaret continued, "This morning, when you suddenly took Ruby and Dn away, wasn''t that what you were thinking?"


    Hearing this, Adrian sighed helplessly. "Mother, we''ve only been with the children for just an hour. The rest of the time, whether it''s eating or sleeping, they''re with you."


    Margaret couldn''t find words to refute this. Indeed, as Adrian said, the two children had been with her most of the time, and it had only been an hour since Adrian took them away. One hour...


    She couldn''t stand being away from her grandchildren for just one hour. What about Adrian and Eva? Could they stand it?


    Once she put herself in their shoes, Margaret felt as if she had been a viin. "I understand. You guys take care of them. Grace and I are going to get a beauty treatment and will be backter." "Okay."


    This time, Adrian hung up the phone, feeling like a weight was off his shoulders. After hanging up, Margaret sat there nkly.


    Grace, who had been waiting for her to finish her call, walked over and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Margaret looked at the person next to her, thought of her son''s words just now, and unconsciously asked, "Do you think I''ve been monopolizing their children for too long?"


    This question left Grace stunned. She wasn''t Eva''s biological mother, and the two of them hadn''t built a close and strong rtionship yet, so she didn''t dare to treat Eva as her own daughter because she knew she didn''t have that right. Naturally, since she wasn''t close enough to Eva, she didn''t dare to take her children. For the past five years, Eva had always taken care of the two children by herself. When she married into the Hansen family, the children were a bit older, and she didn''t dare to offer to help take care of the children, let alone monopolize them like Margaret.


    She had been envious and liked this kind of rtionship, but she never thought that Margaret would also have troubles.


    "How could you think like that? Ruby and Dn are still very young and need care. You''re not just simply being with them."


    "But... not only do children need their parents''pany, parents also need their children''spany, right?" Margaret sighed helplessly, "If it weren''t for Adrian telling me today, I might never have realized this. I''ve just been keeping them with me because I like them, without considering anything else."


    Mentioning this, Margaret sighed repeatedly, indicating that even if she did love the children; in the future, she should be careful not to keep them by her side all the time.


    Seeing her like this, all Grace could do wasfort her a few times. She couldn''t say much more, after all, Eva wasn''t her biological daughter.


    After about ten minutes of chatting, the two finally left for the beauty salon. During the beauty treatment, the two were in the same room.


    Grace was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She had almost fallen asleep when she heard Margaret sighing again and talking about Ruby and Dn. Sheforted her a few more times, and by the end, Grace suddenly realized that even the closest rtionships could be burdensome.


    It seemed that she should learn a lesson from this. After her own son got married and had children, she shouldn''t be like this. Otherwise, if she worried every day, how could she age gracefully?


    So, just before leaving the beauty salon, Grace said something quite impactful. "You shouldn''t overthink it. Many things need to take their natural course. The more you think, the more you worry, and if you think too much, you''ll age quickly." Margaret didn''t take it seriously at first, but when she heard thest part, her face changed instantly. "Age?"


    "Yes, you''re always overthinking things, which will increase your wrinkles."


    "Right, how could I forget about that? No, no... I can''t think about it anymore."


    That phrase worked well. On the way home, Margaret finally stopped mentioning it. When they got home, she didn''t even suggest taking the children back to her room to rest, but went to bed early for a beauty sleep.


    When Ruby and Dn stayed in the room to sleep with Eva that night, Eva was quite surprised. Since Margaret had gone to the beauty salon during the day and had been away from Ruby and Dn for a long time, she would definitely miss them and want to take the children at night.


    She never guessed she wouldn''t...


    At this moment, Eva had already taken a bath and was lying there. The two little ones were lying on either side of her, holding her arms. Dn was much quieter, while Ruby kept chattering. When Adrian came into the room, he was met with this heartwarming and touching scene.


    He hadn''t had time to enjoy this warm moment when he suddenly realized a serious problem - his bed space had been taken.


    The room was prepared by the Hansen family. The bed was quiterge, enough for Eva and the two children to sleep and rest on a regr basis. It could also amodate two adults.


    For three people, if they were all girls, it would probably be okay with a little squeezing, although it might not be sofortable for sleeping.


    But now with two children, plus Adrian being a man, in terms of space, if the two children and Eva were to sleep together, then Adrian could forget about getting on this bed.


    Well, sitting on the edge of the bed would be fine, but if he wanted to lie down or even sleep here for the night, then there was no way.

 Chapter 585 The Dilemma

    Upon realizing this possibility, the smile on Adrian''s lips clearly began to falter. As a father, and having regained his wife and children, he naturally yearned to sleep in the same bed with them. But if there was no ce for him... Thinking of this, Adrian''s face fell. If this were at his own home, he would definitely have a new bed delivered that night. But a new bed might still have formaldehyde, right?


    Adrian, who had never considered this problem before, started to think about these safety issues after having two children. Even if a new bed were delivered, it couldn''t be used immediately. He needed to order it in advance, and the formaldehyde needed to be removed before it could be used.


    Thinking of this, Adrian made a decision in his heart. After the two little ones fall asleep, he would have to make a call to order a bed from back home.


    The three people lying on the bed had no idea about Adrian''s thoughts. When Eva saw himing over, she told the two children to make some room.


    So, the three of them moved around on the bed, finally making a small space. Adrian nced at the space. It was possible to lie down there, but turning over would be a problem.


    Seeing the space, Eva felt a bit awkward, "The bed seems a bit small, or..."


    She was about to suggest that he sleep next door or on the floor. But before she could finish her sentence, Adrian had already walked over andy down in that space.


    "It''s just right," he said quickly, fearing that Eva would drive him out to sleep somewhere else.


    Eva was taken aback.


    She propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him lying in that small space. He clearly couldn''t move at all there. This was just right?


    Even the usually carefree Ruby noticed the problem, sat up, and pointed at Adrian''s position. "Daddy, that space is too small for you to sleep in."


    Facing the ''caring'' gazes of his wife and children, Adrian forced a smile on his lips. "It''s not small; I think it''s just right."


    "Daddy," Ruby frowned and continued to stare at him, "The space is really too small!"


    Adrian fell silent.


    He pursed his lips, and just as he thought his daughter was going to say that the bed was too small and he should sleep somewhere else, Ruby suddenly moved her bottom back a bit. "Don''t worry, Daddy, Ruby will make room for you."


    Adrian, who had been worried, instantly felt his heart soften. "Ruby..."


    No wonder they said daughters were more considerate. It was really true. When Dn wasn''t paying much attention to him before, Ruby had always been on his side. Now she even gave up her space for him.


    He was touched, but Adrian didn''t move. He just looked at his little girl''s cute face and said softly, "No need, Ruby. Daddy is fine here. If I move in further, there won''t be any space for our Ruby to sleep."


    Ruby blinked her eyes and said innocently, "It won''t be like that, Daddy. At night, Ruby will sleep in Mommy''s arms; there will be space."


    After saying this, Ruby immediately cuddled into Eva''s arms in front of Adrian, as if she were hiding under her wings.


    Seeing this, Adrian suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. What considerate daughter? It all vanished in an instant. He suddenly felt that Ruby was showing off to him.


    Of course, it was the kind of unconscious showing off.


    However, because of this, the position where Ruby originallyy was now vacant. Adrian originally only wanted to lie in his own position, fearing that if he took one of their positions, Eva would ask him to leave. But now it seemed that wouldn''t happen, so it didn''t seem to matter if hey a bit closer to them, right?


    Thinking of this, Adrian moved a bit towards the inside, and as expected, Eva, who was holding Ruby, didn''t say anything. Adrian then moved a few more inches.


    Eva, feeling his post-shower dampness on her, frowned slightly and said, "If you move any closer, it will be too crowded."


    Hearing this, Adrian, who had nned to squeeze in a bit more if Eva didn''t object, instantly stopped moving. He ced his hands t on his chest, trying hard not to squeeze them. His actions and expression were very humble. Sigh.


    "Alright, it''s gettingte; let''s go to sleep."


    When two adults were together, it was okay to stay upte for an hour or two, but it was not the same for children. They must sleep at a fixed time. So tonight, Eva didn''t talk much; she said it was time for the children to sleep, and let Adrian turn off the lights, then she cuddled the two children to sleep.


    Dn was very obedient; hey quietly on the inner side and soon fell asleep. On the other hand, Ruby, at first yed with Eva''s soft hair, then fiddled with the buttons on her pajamas. In short, she was restless and kept talking. "Mommy, this is the first time we''ve ever slept together with Daddy."


    Children always spoke without thinking, and they didn''t know about Eva''s memory loss. The adults didn''t n to tell the children about it, but they didn''t expect Ruby to suddenly say such a thing.


    After hearing this, Adrian, who had just turned off the lights and was preparing to lie down, froze. In the darkness, with the faint moonlighting in from the window, you could see his stiff body, and hear his held breath. Eva watched this scene and sighed softly in her heart.


    In fact, she had guessed from the Facebook post that was only visible to her, that her rtionship with Adrian was not that simple. But she didn''t expect that today it would be pointed out by a child.


    In the darkness, Adrian''s figure was only stiff for a moment, then quicklyy down next to the three of them as if nothing had happened.


    At first, Eva could feel his breathing was not steady, but gradually, his breathing also calmed down.


    The darkness only allowed one to see silhouettes, but not faces, so Eva naturally couldn''t see Adrian''s expression. But even if she couldn''t see it, she could guess that he might not sleep well tonight.


    She wanted to say something, but speaking at this time seemed strange.


    "Mommy?"


    Ruby, who didn''t get a response, called her in a puzzled voice.


    Unfortunately, she didn''t get a response.


    Ruby voiced her confusion, "Mommy, are you asleep?"


    Still no response.


    Adrian, who was listening to all of this, waited a while before he softly said to Ruby, "Ruby, your mommy might be asleep. You should listen to her and go to sleep too."


    Eva, who hadn''t thought of a good answer to Ruby''s question, let out a sigh of relief when she heard Adrian take the initiative to speak. She wasn''t ready to tear open the truth at this time. She still didn''t even know the whole story. His response also gave her a way out.

 Chapter 586 What did he do to you?

    In the end, Eva chose to remain silent, leaving him to coax Ruby to sleep.


    Sure enough, Ruby wasn''t so easily fooled. She even said, "Hmm, Mommy was just talking to me; how did she fall asleep so quickly? Mommy..." Ruby, even tried to touch her face to see if she was really asleep.


    In the darkness, Adrian vaguely saw the little one''s movements. His face changed, and with a swift movement, he scooped Ruby to his side. "Ruby, stop it. If your Mommy is asleep, you''ll wake her up."


    Ruby, now by Adrian''s side, paused at his words, and it took her a moment to understand what he meant.


    "Oh, I can''t wake Mommy. She walked a lot today and must be tired."


    Unlike her and her brother, who were always sitting in the shopping cart.


    "Yes, your mommy has been tired all day. Let her rest well. You have been good all day, so it''s time for you to go to sleep too."


    Since he had brought her over, Adrian didn''t n to let her go back and disturb Eva''s sleep. He directly circled her in his arms, stretching out his arm for her to use as a pillow. "Sleep beside Daddy tonight."


    Ruby had never slept with him before. Upon hearing this, her big eyes blinked twice, then she asked in her baby voice, "Is Daddy''s arm soft?"


    Adrian didn''t know what to say.


    Adrian was slim. There was hardly any meat on his arm, so how could it be soft?


    Ruby using his arm as a pillow was indeed not suitable.


    Thinking of this, Adrian was silent for a moment before saying, "Then... should Daddy get you a pillow?"


    Ruby was clearly not satisfied, "I want to sleep next to Mommy."


    "But your mommy is asleep. You''ll disturb her if you go over there."


    So Ruby was torn between Adrian''s hard arm and waking up her mom. After a while, she obedientlyid on Adrian''s arm, her little face wrinkled as soon as shey down. "Daddy, you should share some of the pillow with Ruby."


    "Okay."


    Adrian shared half of his pillow with her.


    But clearly, an adult''s pillow was not suitable for a child. He got up again to find a clean towel, warmed it by his hand, and gave it to Ruby.


    Ruby, lying on the towel, felt that it wasn''t asfortable as her mommy''s arms, but it was much softer than her daddy''s arm. It felt pretty good.


    Soon, Ruby fell asleep contentedly.


    Kids fall asleep quickly. One second they were talking, the next they were in dreand.


    After hearing her breathing be steady and long, Adrian finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ''She was finally asleep.'' Adrian thought helplessly while tucking her in.


    After doing all this, Adrian seemed to think of something. He looked towards where Eva was sleeping and pursed his lips.


    That night, he was destined to be sleepless.


    In fact, Eva hadn''t fallen asleep. She had just closed her eyes and had heard the conversation between Ruby and Adrian.


    After a long silence in the dark, Eva sighed deeply in her heart.


    Everyone was smart.


    Both sides knew that the other wasn''t asleep. After all, how could anyone suddenly fall asleep in such a short time? And just after Ruby asked such a question. One didn''t answer, and the other didn''t expose it. They were just giving each other a way out.


    The long breathing of the two children came from the side, while the two adults'' minds ran wild.


    Evay down with her mind in a mess, thinking about many things. She didn''t know when she fell asleep. It seemed that she suddenly became tired and cked out. When she woke up the next day, she was the only one left in the bed.


    Shey there nkly for a few seconds before getting up and going downstairs.


    Today was actually the day before New Year''s. Almost everyone in the house was busy. Seeing Eva awake, many people greeted her.


    Eva had practically made a round of the entire house before she finally saw a familiar figure and went up to her.


    "Aunt, where did everyone else go?"


    Seeing Eva, Grace immediately showed a smile.


    "You''re awake, Eva. They all had things to do and went out."


    Everyone had things to do and went out?


    She didn''t expect this. She just slept a little bitter, but when she woke up, she couldn''t see anyone.


    Eva nodded, then turned to leave. As she was about to go, she stopped and asked another question.


    "Aunt, I remember you have a son. Will hee here for the New Year?"


    Mentioning this, Grace''s expression stiffened slightly, and after a moment, she said helplessly, "He won''t being back this year. He said he has ns with a few ssmates to spend New Year''s in Venice. They''re having a st there." Although Eva had no memory, she had learned in a few words that Grace had a son who had just graduated, and he was very young.


    Young people often prefer to spend the holidays with friends rather than family. When they have friends, they like to go out and have fun together. She could understand that.


    So, she quickly nodded, indicating that she understood, and then left.


    Grace stood there, letting out a soft sigh.


    Since she couldn''t find anyone else, Eva felt bored; she had nothing to do at home. She simply returned to her room and nned to sleep a little longer.


    But as shey down, she thought of something and made a video call to Emily.


    Emily answered the call very quickly. She was excited when she received the call and even teased Eva about forgetting her after going abroad. She thought Eva would wait until after the New Year to call her.


    "Of course not. I would definitely call you before the New Year. Even if I didn''t call now, I would definitely call you tonight."


    "So, you''re not saying that since you called me this morning, you won''t call me tonight, are you?"


    "No, I''ll call you tonight too."


    After getting her promise, Emily finally showed a satisfied smile.


    But then, her expression became a bit strange.


    "I have something to tell you."


    "Hmm?"


    "My old boss, the one surnamed Powell..."


    When she said his name, Emily''s ears turned slightly red, and she bit her lower lip without going on.


    Eva stared at her suspiciously, "And then? What did he do to you?"


    "He''s also on vacation for the holidays recently. I originally thought this workaholic would continue to work as he did in previous years, but who knew... he actually took a vacation recently." Hearing this, Eva still didn''t catch anything.


    "Isn''t it normal to take a vacation? Maybe he''s tired this year, or there''s no particrly busy work this year. Why are your ears red?"


    "Ah!"


    As soon as her red ears were mentioned, Emily immediately screamed as if someone had stepped on her tail.


    "Are my ears red? Where are they red? You must have seen it wrong! Definitely wrong!"


    If Eva was only a little suspicious before, she could definitely tell something was off now.

 Chapter 587 Hearts Desire

    "Is there something going on between you two?"


    She asked the key question urately.


    Now, not only were Emily''s ears red, but her cheeks also turned red.


    "Eva!"


    Seeing her annoyed and embarrassed look, Eva felt she had guessed right and said with a smile, "It seems there really is something between you two. So, did hee to your house after taking his holiday this year?" Emily fell silent.


    Eva watched her change in expression and continued, "Not only did hee to your house, but he also brought gifts, right?"


    Emily''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Seeing her like this, Eva decided to make a casual joke, "He didn''t propose to you, did he?"


    Emily''s gaze at her became even stranger.


    Now it was Eva''s turn to be silent.


    The two of them just stared at each other through the phone in silence.


    After a long time, Eva found her voice again.


    "So, my joke... was it true?"


    Emily was utterly dumbfounded.


    She hadn''t even thought about how to bring up this matter to Eva. She had thought about it for a long time but hadn''t told her. She didn''t expect Eva''s joke to coax it out of her. After a long time, she finally admitted dejectedly, "You guessed it all."


    Eva fell silent again.


    She was silent for a long time before she spoke again, "So, what''s the situation now? You and him?"


    "I don''t know." Emily sighed, "My dad really likes him."


    This didn''t surprise Eva. After all, all parents in the world hoped that the person their child found was as excellent as possible. A self-made man like Nathan, who could manage the group as he did now, must have strong methods and temperament.


    However, Eva soon realized that she only mentioned her father in her words, not her mother.


    "What about your mom?"


    "My mom? She doesn''t like him. She was happy when a man came to our house, but when she found out his identity, she became unhappy."


    Emily sighed lightly, "She thinks we are just ordinary people, and it''s a mismatch for us to be with someone like Nathan. It''s not a match in terms of social status, and she thinks we won''t be happy together in the future."


    Many marriages emphasize matching in terms of social status. Although there were those that didn''t match, most of them didn''t end well.


    Of course, even if they do match, there were plenty that didn''t end well as well.


    In short, marriage was not a simple matter, and it was not something that could be made clear with a few words from others.


    After thinking about it, Eva could only ask, "Don''t consider what others think; how you think and feel about him is the most important thing. So, how do you feel about him?"


    Emily obviously didn''t expect her to suddenly bring up this question. She was stunned for a moment and didn''t respond for a while.


    "What''s wrong?" Eva asked.


    Emily shook her head.


    "Nothing." She pursed her lips and said softly, "I don''t have any other thoughts. I''m still not over it."


    Seeing her like this, Eva couldn''t help butugh, "What do you mean?"


    Emily said somewhat excitedly, "I''ve been working for so many years; I''ve always treated him as my boss, and I''ve never had any inappropriate thoughts about him. How could this happen all of a sudden? Why would he do this? When we used to work together, I never felt he treated me any differently. Besides it was still work; he took me on business trips and everything, treating me like a beast of burden."


    Eva didn''t know what to say.


    "What is he up to, proposing to me like this?" Emily got more and more excited as she spoke, beginning to specte wildly, "Eva, do you think it''s because he''s not used to me quitting all of a sudden, and he wants to use marriage to tie me down, to make me work for him for free?"


    Her wild spection left Eva speechless, unable to find words to refute her.


    "Eva, think about it. If I''m his employee, he has to pay me arge sry and bonuses every year, but if I be his wife, I have to work for him for free, and he doesn''t have to pay me that money."


    Eva asked about her sry and bonuses, and after learning that her annual sry and bonuses amounted to millions, she said, "Your sry is indeed impressive to many people, but... I think for a self-made man who owns the entire Powells'' Group, maybe this money is nothing in his eyes?"


    It was a listedpany, so how much profit did it make each year?


    Eva didn''t have the exact numbers, but thinking about it carefully, Emily''s sry must be just a small amount to that man.


    "Yes, he is very rich, but businessmen are most concerned about benefits and don''t do things without returns. Don''t you think that his proposal to me is considering this?"


    Eva was silent for a while before saying, "So, you think he wants to marry you just to save this little bit of money?"


    "Isn''t it? Why else would he want to marry me?"


    "You may not understand, but with his status, he could totally marry a girl of equal social status. If thepanies cooperate, how much benefit do you think that could bring him?" Having worked in apany for many years, how could Emily not understand?


    So, when Eva analyzed it this way, she could immediately calcte that the benefits involved were not something that could be measured by ordinary millions or tens of millions.


    "So, do you still think he wants to marry you to avoid paying your sry?"


    Emily pursed her lips and didn''t speak.


    After a while, she hesitantly said, "If it''s not to avoid paying my sry, what else could it be for?"


    Eva raised an eyebrow, "You''re so smart; do you still need to ask me?"


    Emily''s face turned red.


    "You... you''re teasing me!"


    Evaughed, "How was I teasing you? Isn''t what I said the truth? You''ve told me many times before that there are often female celebrities and various beautiful girls looking for him, but he doesn''t give them the time of day, remember?" When she used to talk about these things, Emily could talk for days on end, after all, it was gossip about her boss'' love life.


    But now that this matter seemed to be rted to her, she was somewhat tongue-tied.


    "Really? I don''t remember."


    "So, it''s not that he didn''t want to give them time, but maybe he already had someone in mind?"


    "What do you mean someone in mind? What are you talking about? Ah!"


    Emily was so startled by thest sentence that her face changed drastically. Before Eva could react, she hung up the phone, threw her phone aside, covered her hot face with her hand, and her breathing became rapid.

 Chapter 588 Blind Date

    Before she called Eva, she waspletely lost in confusion.


    She kept wondering why Nathan would suddenly propose. He must want to exploit her for freebor!


    It must be so; otherwise, why would he propose to her?


    This was too abnormal, after all, they were people from two different worlds.


    So, after she ruled out other possibilities, she felt that Nathan just wanted to use her for free.


    As for the reason Eva hinted at earlier, she would never have thought of it before.


    Nathan liked her? She must be crazy to think that, right?


    The more she thought about it, the more Emily felt goosebumps all over her body. It was impossible. She pulled the nket over her head and decided not to think about it anymore. However, at this moment, there was a knock on her room door.


    "Who is it?"


    Having just finished talking to Eva, Emily was like a startled bird. "It''s me."


    The voice of Emily''s mom came from outside the room.


    Emily finally breathed a sigh of relief, then got up to open the door.


    "Mom, what''s up?"


    Emily''s mom gave her a nce, then walked inside.


    "What are you doing in your room all by yourself?"


    "Nothing really."


    "Really? Why did I seem to hear voices in here just now?"


    Before Emily could guess whether her conversation with Eva had been overheard by her mom, she heard her mom say, "Was it your boss who called you?"


    With this question, Emily breathed a sigh of relief again. It seemed that she hadn''t heard clearly what she had said.


    "No, Mom, where did you get that idea? It was Eva."


    "Eva?" Mentioning Eva, Emily''s mom became pleased, "I haven''t seen that girl in a long time. Is sheing to our house this year?"


    "No, she won''t." Emily shook her head, "She''s abroad now; I don''t know when she''ll be back."


    Hearing this, Emily''s mom sighed.


    "I do miss her. She used toe to our house often. It''s a pity thatter..."


    At this point, Emily''s mom paused, then continued, "Emily, look at Eva. Her family used to be so well-off. They were a perfect match with the ckwood family. But after the Hansen family went bankrupt, she and that boy didn''t end well, let alone you and your boss, the gap is too big."


    From the moment Emily''s mom started talking about Eva''s marriage, Emily knew what her mother was going to say next.


    She pursed her red lips and didn''t make a sound.


    "He''s a good-looking man, one in a million. The genes of the children born to him would be good."


    Emily blushed, "Mom, what are you talking about?"


    "Isn''t it? He''s fundamentally good and being able to make money shows that he''s smart. Such a man is rare."


    Although Emily''s mom was praising him, Emily couldn''t say a word because she knew her mother''s character too well. These praises were just a prelude.


    She didn''t speak anymore, quietly waiting for what was toe.


    Sure enough, after Emily''s mom had almost finishedying the groundwork, she got to the point.


    "But think about it; such a rare and excellent man will surely notck women around him. Naturally, as a mother, I think my daughter Emily is the best girl in the world and is worthy of any excellent man. But an excellent man will surely notck women, and I don''t want to see you spend the rest of your life fighting over a man and forgetting who you are."


    These remarks somehow shattered Emily''s perception of her mother.


    She looked up, somewhat taken aback.


    She had thought she would hear her mother say that because of the disparity in their backgrounds, she wasn''t worthy of Nathan, or that he would eventually tire of her, and what would she do then when no one wanted her? Unexpectedly, it was actually because her mother was afraid that she would be fighting over an excellent man with other women. "Mom..."


    "Emily, although I hope you get married soon; you still have to choose your marriage partner carefully."


    When Emily''s mom said this, she couldn''t help but gently stroke Emily''s head and whispered, "Do you understand?"


    "I understand." Emily nodded, "Don''t worry, Mom. I will definitely not fight over a man; it''s too pointless."


    Hearing this, Emily''s mom finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "That''s good."


    Originally, Emily''s mom was worried that her daughter would be tempted by that man, after all, such an excellent man, as long as he showed a little courtesy to women, most girls would be tempted.


    He was very wealthy, so Emily''s mom was very worried that her daughter would also be bewitched by him.


    After confirming that her daughter had no such intention, Emily''s mom immediately said cheerfully, "Then I''ll arrange for you to meet someone else for a blind date."


    "Blind date?" As soon as she heard about the blind date, Emily''s eyebrows unconsciously furrowed.


    "Why do I have to go on a blind date again?"


    "Silly girl, a blind date is a good way to find someone that matches you, so choose a day. Tomorrow or the day after?"


    "Tomorrow is New Year''s Day; don''t they celebrate?"


    "It will be fine. How about we just let theme tomorrow? Yup, I''ll tell them toe tomorrow; it''s settled."


    With that, Emily''s mom didn''t wait for Emily to agree and left.


    Emily sat motionless, speechless.


    Soon, she thought of Nathan again, then shook her head.


    It was better not to think about it; she and him were impossible anyway. If he came to find her again, she would just tell him clearly.


    Thus, Emily made up her mind.


    Unfortunately, after making up her mind, she suddenly felt somewhat empty.


    ''What''s going on?'' Emily frowned and clutched her chest. ''Could it be that Mr. Powell really did make me develop feelings for him by making me work overtime? Emily, if that''s the case, you''re really cheap, don''t think about it; you have no chance with him!''


    Soon, Emily drove those thoughts out of her mind.


    Because she knew there was no possibility with Nathan, so when he texted her to wish her a happy New Year that night, Emily only replied once and then ignored everything else he said.


    Early the next morning, while Emily was still asleep, she felt her phone vibrating.


    She took a look and found that it was a call from Nathan. Years of work habits made her answer the call subconsciously in her drowsiness.

 Chapter 589 Have You Forgotten that Youve Already Resigned?

    "Hello, Mr. Powell?"


    The familiar tone made Nathan pause.


    "Awake?"


    Emily responded while getting out of bed, just like when she was abroad and received his work calls. She picked up her sses and asked, "Is there a problem at work?"


    After she asked this question, there was an eerie silence on the other end.


    "Mr. Powell?"


    There was a sigh from the other end, followed by a question, "Have you forgotten that you''ve already resigned?"


    Hearing this, Emily paused, and it took a moment for her to react.


    "Ah, right, I''ve already resigned."


    So, this call...


    Realizing that she didn''t have to get up to deal with work, Emily''s energy was instantly reced by fatigue. She was so tired that she didn''t want to think about anything else. She said, "Then I''m going back to sleep; I''m exhausted." With that, she hung up the phone.


    On the other end, Nathan listened to the busy tone from his phone with a nk expression. It took him a while to react.


    He hadn''t yet told her about his n to visit her home today.


    However, he hadn''t expected her to be like this when she wasn''t working; she waspletely different from her obedient self at thepany.


    Nathan''s lips curled into a pleasant curve as he got up to pack his things.


    Not long after Emily hung up the phone andy down, there was a knock on her room door.


    She opened her eyes in confusion, somewhat speechless.


    Why was it so noisy this early in the morning?


    Emily was annoyed to the extreme, but she had no choice but to get up. As she walked, she thought about buying her own small house after the New Year. Wouldn''t it be nice to sleep as long as she wanted? After opening the door, Emily saw her mom''s smiling face, and beside her was Emily''s aunt.


    As soon as Emily''s aunt saw her, she immediately smiled and praised, "Oh, Emily, it''s been so many years; you''ve grown even more beautiful, and even more elegant than before."


    Emily, who was wearing a set of bear pajamas and had just woken up, didn''t know what to say.


    She looked down at her own outfit, then reached up to touch her messy hair, forcing a smile as she said, "Thank you for thepliment, Aunt. It''s been many years; you look even younger than before." She could also engage in awkward small talk.


    Obviously, her awkward chat was very effective; her aunt really believed it, kindly took her hand, and started making small talk.


    Emily was still extremely sleepy, but her aunt was a chatterbox, even leading her downstairs.


    Emily didn''t resist going downstairs and just reached up to tousle her messy hair.


    After all, her aunt''s children and she had grown up together; they had seen each other at their worst, so Emily didn''t bother to dress up and just followed her aunt downstairs.


    However, she didn''t expect to find another unfamiliar man downstairs.


    When she saw the unfamiliar man, Emily''s expression split for a moment, and she turned to look at her aunt.


    Her aunt enthusiastically introduced him.


    "Come, Emily, let me introduce you. This is Jerry, Jerry, this is Emily; get to know each other."


    Emily was shocked.


    At this point, she finally understood. So, her aunt had enthusiastically called her downstairs to set her up on a blind date?


    However...


    Emily forced a smile and asked, "Aunt, why didn''t you tell me there was a stranger here? I could have changed my clothes and put on some makeup?"


    Her aunt still had a beaming smile on her face; she didn''t even lower her voice, and said in front of the man, "It''s okay. If you get married, you can''t wear makeup every day, right? Besides, you look good with or without makeup; you''re very good-looking."


    The man named Jerry''s eyes lit up when he saw Emily, so when her aunt introduced them, he actively approached her.


    "Hello, I''m Jerry."


    Emily didn''t have a good impression of Jerry; she was even a bit disgusted. During their conversation, she found out that Jerry wanted to see her bare and decided to visit her just as she woke up, which made her feel disrespected. Also, Emily could asionally catch a faint whiff of bad breath as he spoke.


    She thought of the man that Eva''s mother-inw wanted to introduce to herst time, thinking that they could get to know each other after the New Year.


    Just as she was pondering, the doorbell rang.


    Emily''s mom stood up. "It might be your sister and the othersing over."


    Hearing this, Emily felt a bit overwhelmed.


    Their local custom was such that a bunch of rtives would be invited over for a blind date. It was supposed to be a simple meet-and-greet to understand the basics about each other, but it was made to seem like they were discussing marriage.


    She felt a little annoyed, thinking she should go upstairs to sleep and not waste her time here.


    Just as she was thinking this, she heard Emily''s mom''s surprised voice from outside.


    "Mr. Powell? You... why are you here?"


    "Aunt, you can just call me Nathan."


    The man''s stern and cold voice came from the doorway, causing Emily, who was preparing to get up and go upstairs to sleep, to freeze on the spot.

 Chapter 590 Want a Taste of It?

    Why was he here?


    Emily, who was originally just impatient, seemed to freeze when she found out that the person outside the door was Nathan.


    She was still wearing her teddy bear pajamas, and she hadn''t washed her face yet. Was her face still shiny with oil?


    Did she have any eye boogers or something?


    Suddenly, Emily reached out to touch the corner of her eyes. Thankfully, everything she could touch was clean.


    But Emily felt she couldn''t stay any longer. She wanted to rush upstairs to wash her face and change her clothes before he coulde in.


    But just as she was about to stand up, Emily''s mom brought the visitor in.


    "Emily, your boss is here."


    "Hello, everyone." The man''s cold voice echoed in the living room.


    Everyone, including Jerry who was there solely for the blind date, focused their gaze on Nathan. They all looked somewhat incredulous.


    He was so handsome, and his powerful aura seemed to halt their breaths; his presence seemed to cast an invisible pressure over the entire living room. Who wouldn''t notice someone like him?


    When she met his gaze, Emily felt extremely awkward and, she began anxiously trying to fix up her hair.


    Why did hee again?


    And he came without any notice?


    Emily pursed her lips helplessly, then sat back down.


    Adding to her anxiety, Nathan happened to take the only remaining seat across from her because it was the only seat left.


    This scenario made Emily wish she could bury her head in her knees.


    If she had known he wasing, she would have changed her clothes and washed her face, so she wouldn''t be like this.


    "Are you Emily''s boss?"


    While Emily was in a state of panic, Jerry, who was sitting next to her, had already started talking to Nathan.


    Emily nced at him in surprise. Was Jerry trying to get close to Nathan?


    As she thought about it, Jerry spoke again, "Hello, my name is Jerry, I work at..."


    He mentioned aplexpany name which Emily didn''t pay attention to and didn''t understand. She only heard Nathan respond with a cold "Hmm". Emily couldn''t help but nce at him, but as she did so, she met his gaze.


    Nathan looked at her, his eyes seemingly inquisitive, as if asking what her rtionship with the man next to her was.


    At this moment, Jerry suddenly spoke again, "Oh, I haven''t exined my rtionship yet. Emily and I are dating..."


    Emily, who had been mostly silent, finally couldn''t stand it when she heard this.


    She looked incredulously at Jerry.


    They had just met today. How were they dating? He made it sound as if they were already together.


    "Dating?" As Nathan uttered this, his gaze fell on Emily''s face like a spotlight.


    Noticing that Emily''s expression and eyes were off, he quickly realized something, "Just met today?"


    Jerry scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.


    "Yeah, we just met today. But I fell in love with Emily at first sight. I think she is a great girl, and she is also very beautiful, so I have decided to date her from now on." Emily was utterly dumbfounded.


    Who gave him the right to make such a unteral decision? He decided she had to date him? What a presumptuous idiot!


    Unfortunately, given the presence of the elders, Emily didn''t erupt.


    If it weren''t for the fact that her elders and a bunch of rtives were around, Emily might have rolled her eyes at this man on the spot and given him a piece of her mind.


    "Decided?" Nathan finally took his gaze off Emily''s face and looked at the man, "Is you dating her a unteral decision?"


    He spoke slowly but it sounded powerful.


    Jerry was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."


    From the corner of her eye, Emily saw her mom''s face turn sour.


    She had thought the man she introduced was reliable, but she didn''t expect him to be such a character.


    How could he make a unteral decision in such a matter?


    The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became odd; Emily''s rtives were also left speechless by this man.


    The youngest male cousin looked at Jerry and said, "Look here, big guy, if you like Emily, then you should pursue her seriously, or at least ask for her opinion. You just met her today, and you''ve already decided that you guys are dating? Did you ask Emily if she likes you or not?"


    Soon, Emily''s other rtives also spoke up, "Isn''t it disrespectful to make such a decision without considering the girl''s feelings? Auntie, where did you find this man? This guy doesn''t seem up to snuff."


    Jerry didn''t expect that his decision would lead to a barrage of criticism. He stood up angrily.


    "Is this how the Jones Family treats their guests?"


    After speaking, Jerry lowered his head to look at Emily.


    "Emily, I only like you because you look good without makeup. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be interested. But aren''t your rtives being a bit too much?"


    Emily was taken aback. What a shameless man!


    "Hey, what do you mean by saying you only like Emily because she looks good without makeup? Who do you think you are? Do you think you''re good enough for Emily?"


    "You''re a bit too much."


    Emily felt a headacheing on as she watched the drama unfolding before her. She looked at Jerry, took a deep breath, and let out all the frustration that had been building up since she was woken up this morning. "Are you done? If you''re done, then get out!"


    Her voice echoed loudly, causing everyone in the living room to change their expressions.


    Jerry was so shocked that he pointed at her and stammered, "Shr... shrew..."


    "Heh." Emily picked up the water cup on the table and aimed it at him, "I can be even more of a shrew; want a taste?"


    The man was so scared that he might get sshed that he ran out of the room while cursing.


    Her aunt watched this scene awkwardly. She never imagined things would turn out this way.


    Wasn''t everything fine just a moment ago?


    How did things change so suddenly?


    "Auntie, is this the sort of man you want Emily to be with? Can you find someone more reliable next time?"


    Emily really didn''t want to stay here any longer, so she turned around and went upstairs.

 Chapter 591 What Makes You Less Suitable?

    She took long strides, and she almost reached her room when her arm was suddenly grabbed.


    "Hold on."


    The stern voice came from behind her. It was Nathan.


    Because he was holding her arm, Emily couldn''t move forward. She had to stop, but she didn''t turn her head.


    "Mr. Powell, if I remember correctly, I''ve already resigned. If you want to rehire me, you should go through the proper channels, note to my house and chase me upstairs. What are you trying to do?" There was silence behind her for a moment, then his deep voice rang out again.


    "You already know what I''m trying to do, don''t you?"


    After saying that, he paused, then added, "Or do you want me to say it again in front of you?"


    His response made Emily realize something. She quickly interrupted him before he could speak. "No need!"


    Her anxious attitude made Nathan frown slightly, and he took a few steps closer.


    "Why are you so resistant?"


    Why was she so resistant?!


    Emily forced a smile, answering helplessly, "Don''t you know why I''m so resistant, Mr. Powell?"


    "I don''t."


    "Because we are from two different worlds."


    "Oh?" This statement made Nathan raise an eyebrow, "Which do you live on?"


    Emily suddenly turned her head to look at him, but realizing she hadn''t washed her face since she woke up, she quickly turned her head back.


    "You know what I mean."


    "What do you mean?" Nathan squinted his eyes, "Since we live on the same, how can wee from two different worlds?"


    "Are you ying dumb or are you really dumb? I don''t believe you don''t understand what I mean. The people you meet in your world, and the people I meet in mine are different; how we view our jobs is different; our entire worldview is different."


    After Emily said all this, Nathan fell silent for a long time.


    She guessed that he must have taken her words to heart, so she didn''t need to say anything else, right?


    Just as she was about to leave, the man behind her suddenly spoke.


    "Why can''t you look at me when you talk?"


    Emily didn''t know what to say...


    Nathan grabbed her shoulder, trying to turn her around to face him.


    Realizing what he was about to do, Emily immediately tensed up and hurriedly covered her face with her hands. "Let go of me."


    Nathan felt puzzled. What was she doing?


    "Why are you covering your face? Even if you want to reject me, you don''t have to avoid seeing my face, do you?"


    Emily didn''t know what to do; she only cared about covering her face, making sure he didn''t see her unwashed appearance, "Who doesn''t want to see your face? I don''t want you to see my face; I haven''t washed my face since I woke up this morning."


    After her words fell, the grip on her shoulder loosened slightly, and after a while, she heard Nathan''s low chuckle.


    "What are you afraid of? I''ve seen you at your worst."


    Huh? What was he talking about?


    "When you used to work overtime and sometimes fell asleep in the office, didn''t you still work when you woke up?" "Are we in the past? I used to see you as my boss, but now..."


    Emily abruptly stopped mid-sentence.


    "What about now?"


    "Now you''re not my boss anymore?"


    Emily, who had been covering her face, suddenly calmed down. She simply put her hand down and looked at him calmly.


    "You''re not my boss anymore."


    Their eyes finally met.


    In Nathan''s eyes, Emily looked exactly the same as she did when she came to work without makeup.


    Indeed, as her blind date said, she looked good even without makeup.


    "I suppose you heard everything I just said. No matter how many times I have to say it, it''s always the same. You should go home."


    "You think I''m not from the same world as you. Then who is from your world? Your blind date?"


    In Emily''s eyes, Nathan had always been a stern and serious boss, always serious and rarely smiling. He always had a solemn expression no matter what he did or said.


    So, she subconsciously thought he was the type to always have the same expression no matter what he did or said.


    But she didn''t expect to hear a hint of sarcasm in his tone today.


    When she looked at him, she even saw a touch of helplessness in his eyes.


    "This blind date wasn''t great, I admit that. But since this one won''t work, I''ll just try again on the next one. I can keep going until I find the right guy."


    Nathan asked, "What''s wrong with me?"


    He pursed his thin lips, looking at her stubbornly, "What makes me less suitable than the ideal husband you envision?"


    "Mr. Powell, I think you misunderstood. I never said you were bad; I just said we''re not from the same world. Look, you''re so rich, and my family is so poor. Even if we don''t eat or drink and save money for a lifetime, the money we save will never be as much as you make with a stroke of your pen on a contract, right?"


    "So?" Nathan looked indifferent, "Does that affect me being with you? What''s the reason? Just because I have more money?"


    For a moment, Emily didn''t know how to answer him.


    "I thought that was a plus," Nathan said again.


    Hearing this, Emily pursed her lips, unable to refute.


    Yes, having money was definitely a plus. But having too much money was not a plus for her; it was pressure, a burden.


    Thinking of this, a self-deprecating smile slowly crossed her lips.


    "Of course it''s a plus, but this advantage is based on both parties. If I were a rich youngdy, and my spending habits were the same as yours, I would definitely not refuse."


    However, Nathan was indeed a self-made man.


    No matter what Emily said, he always had something to refute her point of view.


    "This doesn''t affect me eating at a street stall with you, nor does it affect you having a candlelight dinner with me in a high-end restaurant."


    Emily was left speechless yet again.


    "Forgot? After getting off the nest time, you said you wanted to eat street stall food."


    How could Emily forget?


    On the way to the hotel, she saw a street stall on the side of the road. She wanted the driver to drop her off, send Nathan back first, and then she would go eat street food and return after eating. Unexpectedly, Nathan actually got out of the car with her and sat with her on the roadside in a suit, without any fuss.


    She was shocked for a long time, asking him why he could stay in such an environment.


    But Nathan just shot back with a lukewarm response.


    "Why not? Do you know what environment I experienced before establishing thepany?"


    Even now, Nathan was still telling her the same thing.


    "I was not born rich. I''ve experienced everything you have. I''m older than you, and I''ve experienced even more. So why do youpletely reject me just because I am financially better off now?"

 Chapter 592 Long-planned

    Emily''s verbal skills were not as strong as his; she was caught off guard by his arguments. In the end, she could only awkwardly say, "I just want to live an ordinary life with an ordinary person." "Who says you can''t live an ordinary life with me?" Nathan stared at her, "Being with me, you have more choices. If you want to live an ordinary life, you can. If you''re tired of an ordinary life, you can live avish one. Isn''t experiencing both kinds of life good?"


    Emily finally understood why he had achieved so much even though he came from nothing. This man was too formidable. Not only could he counter her every move, but he also threw out temptations during the process, aiming straight for her heart.


    She bit her lower lip.


    Nathan continued, "Am I wrong? Your life won''t change because I have money or not. It all depends on your choices and ns. How would us being together affect that?"


    Emily was speechless.


    She stood there, watching as Nathan moved closer to her, his masculine pheromones slowly enveloping her.


    "So, are you willing to consider it?"


    As he moved closer, Emily instinctively retreated. The more he advanced, the more she retreated.


    Eventually, her back hit the cold, hard wall. With nowhere else to retreat, Emily stopped.


    She looked at Nathan in front of her, bewildered. She couldn''t understand how Nathan, her former boss, could suddenly be pursuing her.


    Was this really happening?


    Or had she gone crazy after resigning and was hallucinating?


    After thinking it over, Emily could only awkwardly smile at Nathan, "Um... Mr. Powell, are you finding it hard to ept that you''ve lost me as an employee and that''s why you''re doing this? Maybe you should take some time to cool off?" But Nathan looked at her with a piercing gaze.


    "No need."


    "I always know what I''m doing."


    From a young age, Nathan had always been clear about what he wanted. When she was by his side, he was determined to have her and felt he could take his time.


    But he didn''t expect that she would leave one day, which naturally made him anxious.


    "Although this is all a bit rushed, I need you to understand that what I''ve said and my feelings for you are real and genuine."


    Emily stared at him nkly.


    "Then, what is it?"


    Could it be... he really had feelings for her?


    "I''ve wanted you for a long time."


    The man''s deep voice left Emilypletely stunned, looking at him in disbelief.


    A long time?


    It took Emily a long time to find her voice.


    "But... why?"


    "Why what?"


    "Why would you..." Emily bit her lip and shook her head, "I don''t understand; what about me is worth you wanting for a long time?"


    As soon as her words fell, Emily saw the man in front of her chuckle.


    "Emily, how little confidence do you have in yourself? Can''t you see your own worth?"


    "I... I of course know how good I am, but... don''t rich people always marry for alliances? Like the business marriages on TV, where the male and female leads have powerful families supporting them. They join forces to take theirpanies to the next level."


    In fact, having worked in the corporation for so many years, Emily had seen a lot of this.


    Many people were born without control over their lives, and from a young age, they were instilled with a certain mindset. So, they could date and y around with whoever, but they couldn''t fall in love.


    No matter who they liked or what they did, they always had to return to a marriage alliance.


    Even, Emily had seen many married men and women, each ying their own game, away from their spouses.


    There was no affection between these husbands and wives, and they didn''t care about loyalty.


    So, she thought that Nathan would definitely end up in a marriage alliance.


    But given his character of not touching any random woman, he probably wouldn''t cheat. At least he would be loyal to his marriage.


    At the time, she even wondered: if his marriage alliance partner was not loyal, as a man, could he ept it?


    She just never expected him to pursue her.


    "Strong alliances are indeed good for business development," Nathan said indifferently. "But I don''t need it. I built mypany from scratch and don''t need any support. So, I will only marry a woman I love; I don''t need a marriage alliance." Emily, who was originally lost in her thoughts, froze when she heard him say, "I will only marry a woman I love."


    "You... What did you say?"


    Nathan nced at her.


    "Didn''t hear clearly? Shall I repeat it?"


    "No, no need."


    Although she was shocked, Emily felt she didn''t have the courage to hear it again.


    Her cheeks gradually turned pink, and soon, her ears and neck followed.


    Although Nathan was usually a very reserved straight man, he quickly understood why she was blushing.


    "You usually have a lot of confidence, don''t you? It seems you can blush when you hear a confession."


    The unexpected discovery of this side of her surprised Nathan.


    In their days together, she never showed any femininity in front of him, which troubled Nathan for quite some time.


    Although he was a straight man, he knew very well that if a woman had no hint of shyness in front of a man, it meant she had no inappropriate thoughts or feelings for him.


    Or perhaps, she hadn''t realized her feelings yet.


    Thinking of this, Nathan lightly touched her forehead and said softly, "So you''ve realized."


    "What? Who''s blushing? You''re the one blushing; I... I''m going to bed."


    She was woken up early in the morning for a blind date, so she hadn''t had enough sleep. And here she was, standing here talking for so long with dark circles under her eyes. "Okay, go to sleep. Let me know your answer when you wake up."


    "What?"


    "You didn''t object just now; doesn''t that mean you agreed to consider it?"


    "I... I haven''t agreed yet."


    "I know, but you''re going to consider it, right? Go to sleep first; we''ll talk when you wake up."


    His voice returned to its usual stern tone.


    Upon hearing his tone and voice, Emily felt as if she had received a new work order.


    Perhaps it was a habit ingrained in her body over many years that made her subconsciously nod, then turn around and stagger back to her room.


    Before closing the door, she looked at Nathan.


    "Then... you should go back first."


    "Okay."


    After confirming he would leave, Emily closed the door, and the next second, she rushed into the bathroom to carefully check herself in the mirror. After frantically checking for two minutes, Emily finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thank goodness! She had no eye boogers.


    If she found out that she had been talking to Nathan for so long with eye boogers on her face, she would really wish to die on the spot.

 Chapter 593 Misunderstanding Our Relationship

    Emily washed her face before returning to bed.


    Unknown to her, the anger stirred up by that ridiculous blind date had somehow disappeared during her conversation with Nathan.


    This reminded Emily that Nathan was actually a person with exceptionally stable emotions.


    For Emily, it was important for her partner to have stable emotions.


    And having worked with Nathan for so many years, no matter what happened at work, his emotions were always incredibly stable; he never got angry. Sometimes when Emily couldn''t control her own emotions, she was always calmed down by his rxing demeanor.


    Nathan was a problem solver.


    Wouldn''t it be nice to live with such a person?


    And just like he said, she could live an ordinary life if she wanted to, and if she didn''t want to live an ordinary life, she could live a luxurious one.


    The more she thought about it, the more Emily felt it was a good idea.


    However, she rolled over in bed and began to worry again.


    With so many excellent women around a man like Nathan, even if she were with him, he might be snatched away one day...


    The more she thought about it, the more Emily worried, and in the end, she couldn''t sleep.


    She turned over and got out of bed.


    She pushed open the door and went downstairs, her steps a bit hurried, thinking that Nathan should have left by now.


    Who would have guessed that as soon as she got downstairs, she would see that familiar figure being surrounded by her rtives, all chattering and asking him questions.


    Nathan was sitting there with a calm expression, answering their myriad of trivial questions with a smile on his face.


    Such a scene was rare.


    After all, when he was at thepany, Nathan was very sparing with his words when dealing with employees. Even in meetings, he rarely spoke, and when he did, it was about thepany''s lifeline or when a decision had to be made. He never answered so many boring questions from children like now.


    For example:


    "Mr. Powell, is your suit custom-made? I heard that rich people''s suits are designed by designers, is that true?"


    "Mr. Powell, how big is thepany you run? Was Emily your secretary in thepany?"


    In short, all kinds of unimportant questions were thrown out one after another.


    Emily herself would have rolled her eyes at these questions, but Nathan answered them seriously, one by one.


    Emily''s heart was actually a bit moved as she stood by and watched him.


    Although this was clearly a small matter that anyone would do, Nathan was different from everyone else.


    Some things were very precious to specific people, and for Nathan, his time was one of them.


    Could it be that he was really serious about her?


    But what did he like about her?


    Emily was still very doubtful about this. Because of the gap in their wealth and status, Emily had never imagined a future with Nathan.


    She had no inappropriate thoughts about him at all, and she was naturally casual and natural in front of him. Forget makeup, sometimes she didn''t even care about her image. But even so, he still liked her?


    "Emily, you are awake."


    While Emily was lost in thought, one of her cousins called her.


    At that moment, everyone in the living room looked at her, including Nathan.


    Having been discovered, Emily had to walk over, "Where are my mom and aunt?"


    "Your blind date today was so awkward, but we didn''t want to make a scene, so they sent him away."


    Thinking of the man''s defensive look just now, and the way he looked at her, Emily couldn''t help but roll her eyes in her heart.


    With him like that, they still had to send him away?


    But... she seemed to have scolded him in front of Nathan?


    Would he think she was a shrew?


    It was over; Emily thought she was done for.


    She actually started to care about Nathan''s opinion of her.


    She never cared about it before.


    She looked awkwardly at Nathan, who calmly asked, "Didn''t you say you were tired and wanted to sleep a bit more?"


    Emily scratched her head in embarrassment.


    "I did want to sleep, but there was too much going on this morning. I can''t sleep now."


    Moreover, after he had said so much to her, both her mind and heart were in a mess; how could she sleep?


    Nathan curled his lips into a smile, "How about taking a walk nearby?"


    "Huh?" A walk nearby?


    Realizing how he must be feeling while being surrounded by these people asking a bunch of pointless questions, Emily thought he must be asking for her help, so she quickly nodded. "Sure."


    The next second, Nathan stood up, bid farewell to the children, and left with Emily.


    Before Emily left, her cousins kept winking and nudging her.


    "Go for it, Emily."


    "Get the big boss; who needs blind dates?"


    They thought they were speaking softly, but Emily heard them clearly, not to mention Nathan who was standing right next to her.


    Unless he was deaf, how could he not hear?


    Emily pretended to pick up something to throw at them, and they finally left.


    After they left, Emily put down the object and smiled awkwardly at Nathan, "They always like to talk nonsense; you don''t need to take it to heart."


    Unexpectedly, Nathan replied in a light voice, "Is that so? I think they are quite right."


    Emily''s cheeks turned crimson.


    She had had her fill of embarrassment this morning. She was afraid that he would say something else that would make her scalp numb in the next second, so she quickly spoke up before he could continue, "Let''s go. Didn''t you say you wanted to take a walk nearby? Let''s go."


    After saying that, Emily pushed him to go; she couldn''t wait there any longer, her cousins might say something even worse.


    She wasn''t very strong, so she shouldn''t have been able to push him, but Nathan went along with it.


    After getting some distance from home, Emily finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Finally, she could get away from them and not be teased.


    But Emily, who had just rxed, quickly realized another problem. She was not in a big city where no one knew her, but in her hometown where everyone she met was a familiar face.


    Every two steps, she would probably see someone she knew. She could already imagine her face cramping up from smiling, and, even worse, Nathan was with her.


    If they really took a walk; they wouldn''t even need to wait until tomorrow. By the afternoon, it would be rumored that she brought a boyfriend home and was showing off by walking around, and by the evening, it would be rumored that she and her boyfriend were already discussing marriage.


    By tomorrow, people would be saying that she was already married and had brought her husband back.


    Emily knew she would definitely be drowned in rumors, so she stopped walking.


    "Never mind, let''s not go."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "If we go for a walk, people will definitely misunderstand our rtionship."

 Chapter 594 All the Perfection was Simply All in Vain

    "What misunderstanding?" Nathan looked at her intently.


    "The misunderstanding that we are in that kind of rtionship. Have you ever lived in the countryside?"


    What she had wanted to say was that since he hadn''t lived in the countryside, he wouldn''t understand how fierce rumors could be. But the words died on her lips when she remembered that he was a self-made man, who started from scratch with nothing at all.


    So, she changed the question to, "Have you ever lived in the countryside?"


    Indeed, Nathan nodded.


    "Hmm."


    "Then you should know how terrible rumors can be here, right?"


    Since he had experienced life in the countryside, it made things easier to exin.


    "If we go out today, by tomorrow, it might be rumored that we''re already married, which could harm your reputation."


    Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Nathan simply looked at her with an indifferent gaze.


    "If you want, I could marry you right now. Do you think I would see it as damaging my reputation?"


    Emily fell silent.


    His words startled her significantly, and aftering to her senses, a crimson blush quickly spread across her face.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Whether I''m speaking nonsense or not, you''ll find outter," Nathan said casually. "But if you''re worried about the repercussions, then let''s forget the walk and go back."


    "But... if we go back, won''t you be annoyed by my rtives'' constant questions?"


    "It''s fine."


    Thus, the two of them went out for only a short while before returning.


    When they got back, Emily''s rtives immediately asked why they had returned so soon, making Emily feel utterly embarrassed.


    When it was almost noon, Emily''s mom wanted to keep Nathan for lunch. He intended to ept, but a phone call interrupted, and he had to leave beforehand.


    After he left, Emily''s mom called Emily to the kitchen, and they talked while preparing lunch.


    "You haven''t cleared things up with him?"


    After saying this, Emily''s mom felt she was perhaps asking too much, considering she had just talked to her daughter about it the day before. It wasn''t realistic to expect her to clear things up with that man so quickly, so she corrected herself, "If things can''t develop, try to rify things with him as soon as possible, so as not to dy his life and yours."


    Emily kept her head down and didn''t respond.


    "I wanted to rify things with him for you, but I felt like it would hurt his pride, so it''s best if you handle it yourself. Since you''ve made your decision, try to talk to him clearly within the next few days; do you understand?" However, Emily still didn''t respond.


    Emily''s mom found her silence a bit strange and looked up at her.


    "Emily? I''m talking to you; did you hear me?"


    Upon hearing this, Emily finally raised her head, her expression twisted with conflict, "Mom, I..."


    Upon seeing her daughter''s demeanor, Emily''s mom slowly realized something and narrowed her eyes.


    "Did he say something to you this morning when he went upstairs?"


    Emily didn''t want to hide anything from her mother, so she ryed what Nathan had said that morning. After listening, Emily''s mom also fell silent for a while.


    "No wonder you''re shaken; what he said is indeed moving and can easily sway people, but you..."


    As she spoke, Emily''s mom frowned.


    Seeing her frown, Emily quickly responded, "I''ll figure it out myself, don''t worry."


    She lowered her gaze, "I know I''m not worthy of his love, and if I were with him, it probably wouldn''t end well."


    Emily''s mom watched her for a long time and couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Emily, did what I said this morning influence you that much?"


    Emily didn''t respond, effectively affirming it.


    "To be honest, I just wanted you to consider my thoughts on this matter; that''s the direction I think is suitable for you, but it''s not my intention to control your life. Do you understand what I mean?" Emily lifted her head, her eyes portraying her confusion.


    Seeing her daughter like this, Emily''s mom sighed again.


    "What I mean is that I''m only giving you advice, but what you actually want to do is up to you. Your own choice is what matters most. Do you get that?"


    Emily was taken aback and reflexively shot a question back at her, "You mean, even if I want to be with him, it''s okay?"


    Emily''s mom raised an eyebrow.


    "So, our girl has already made up her mind?"


    "No, no..." Emily blushed, arguing for her own selfish thoughts, "After all, you said that, so I just wanted to ask..."


    Seeing her flushed face, Emily''s mom couldn''t help but tease her.


    "Wouldn''t a mother know what her own daughter is thinking? Don''t be shy; if you really like him, then give it a shot."


    Emily was obviously surprised by her mother''s sudden change of stance.


    "Mom, howe you..."


    "Are you wondering why I suddenly changed my mind? No, I had this thought before; marriage is something where what matters most is your own opinion, right? But when I talked to you about it before, you seemed so obedient that I thought you weren''t interested in him at all."


    Emily pursed her lips; she also felt that she wasn''t interested in him.


    After all these years, she hadn''t entertained any inappropriate thoughts about Nathan.


    "But now that I see you are interested, so I''m not going to stop you. My daughter should do whatever she wants to do."


    Emily was quite touched to hear this. She had been pondering how to approach the matter and hadn''t expected her mother to agree so readily.


    "So, I can really try being with him? But... the age gap between us is a bit much..."


    "If you truly like him, then that doesn''t matter. But if something unpredictable happenster on, don''t regret it."


    "I probably won''t."


    She was always someone who lived in the present.


    If she liked someone now, she''d devote herself to the rtionship; if she stopped liking them in the future, they''d part ways. If Nathan were to do something to betray her trust or wanted to break up, she believed she wouldn''t cling to him. "That''s fine then. You should always make your own decisions."


    Emily hadn''t anticipated things going so smoothly. After returning to her room, she called Eva to talk about the recent events.


    Eva, on the other hand, wasn''t surprised at all.


    "What he told you seems correct; being with him would allow you to experience two kinds of life. But Emily, no matter what kind of marriage it is, even the most beautiful and harmonious rtionship can develop cracks if not properly maintained by both people."


    As Eva said this, she thought of her own rtionship with Adrian-a memory that had faded along with others from her past, although it was no longer in her mind.


    However, she knew that there must have been cracks between the two of them before.


    Adrian was now constantly trying to mend these cracks.


    Many people pursued perfection in love and marriage.


    But could such a perfect love or marriage truly exist in this world?


    What many women thought was a perfect rtionship was just their man amodating them and vice versa. Once their partner got tired and didn''t want to persist, all the perfection would simply vanish.

 Chapter 595 Becoming Unlike Herself

    After nearly half an hour of conversation, Emily asked when she would being back as they were about to hang up.


    "I''ll be back in the country in a couple of days."


    Hearing the news of her return, Emily immediately said, "I''lle to pick you up then, along with Ruby and Dn."


    "Okay."


    After hanging up, Emily opened her phone. She had originally nned to buy New Year''s gifts for Dn and Ruby, but she had forgotten to do so when they came back. In addition, they had gone abroad for the New Year, so she hadn''t made up for itter.


    Now that she heard they wereing back and she was going to pick them up, it was a good time to make up for the gifts.


    However, after checking her phone, she found that many stores were not open during the New Year, and deliveries had also stopped.


    She gave up the idea of buying gifts for the two children online, and Emily decided to go into town to buy them.


    She had nned to go into town alone, but then she thought of Nathan.


    Since she had decided to develop a rtionship with him, shouldn''t she integrate into his life in all aspects?


    Asking him to apany her to buy gifts for the children should be a small matter, right?


    If he wasn''t even willing to do this, then there was no need for her to develop a rtionship with him.


    After making up her mind, Emily found a time to call Nathan.


    Receiving a call from her, Nathan was somewhat surprised.


    "You''re calling me?"


    Hearing his deep voice, Emily blushed a little.


    "Can''t..., can''t I?"


    A low chuckle came from the other end.


    "Of course, you can. If you agree to be with me, you can call me every day."


    The way he said that...


    Emily, being quite rebellious, instinctively retorted.


    "So, if I''m not with you, I can''t call you?"


    "If you''re not with me, why would you call me? Aren''t you afraid I''ll misunderstand?"


    Emily pouted, not answering.


    Suddenly, Nathan asked, "Is this your answer?"


    Hearing this, Emily was taken aback, "What?"


    "Calling me."


    After realizing what he meant, Emily quickly denied it.


    "No, I just called you. What does that have to do with my answer?"


    "Okay, then why did you call me?"


    After he said that, Emily, who had originally nned to ask him to go shopping with her, suddenly felt too embarrassed to speak.


    She just called him, and he thought it was her answer. If she actively asked him to apany her to shop, wouldn''t that...


    No, no, even though she had decided to give it a try with him, she couldn''t let him have it too easy, right? Otherwise, it would seem like she was too cheap. After going through the ideapletely in her head, Emily immediately denied, "Nothing, I just dialed the wrong number."


    "Mis-dialed?"


    "Yes, I just dialed the wrong number, sorry for the disturbance."


    After saying that, Emily didn''t care about his reaction and hurriedly hung up.


    After hanging up, she covered her chest and took a deep breath.


    Indeed, it''s better to buy the gifts by herself. If he doesn''te to her, she shouldn''t go to him for now.


    As she was pondering, her phone began to vibrate again.


    Emily nced at the caller ID, and it was actually Nathan calling back.


    Seeing his name, Emily''s heart rate uncontrobly quickened. After some thought, she still answered the call. "What... what is it?"


    Unexpectedly, Nathan suddenly spoke, "Should Ie to pick you up now?"


    Emily: "Why would you pick me up?"


    He chuckled lightly on the other end, "Nothing in particr, just want to see you."


    Emily: "..."


    "Is that okay?"


    "Well... okay then."


    If he''s the oneing to find her, she doesn''t need to refuse, right?


    "Alright, wait for me."


    After hanging up, Emily realized she was still in her casual clothes. She quickly jumped out of bed to change, and then sat in front of the vanity to put on makeup. While applying lipstick, she suddenly realized that she might be too dressed up, so she quickly wiped off the bright lipstick color on her lips and reced it with a daily light rose color. After changing her lipstick, Emily felt that her makeup didn''t look too exaggerated.


    About half an hourter, Nathan arrived.


    Emily thought for a moment, went around to the back seat, and just as she opened the car door, she heard him say, "Do you want to treat me as a driver? Come to the front." Emily was embarrassed by his words and had to go around to the front.


    As soon as she sat down, Nathan leaned over to fasten her seatbelt. His masculine scent instantly surrounded her, and Emily was so nervous she dared not breathe. Nathan calmly fastened her seatbelt for her, and when he looked up, he saw that she was so nervous that her eyes were darting around,pletely avoiding his gaze. "So nervous just from fastening a seatbelt? Are you afraid I''ll do something to you?"


    Hearing him speak, Emily finally reacted and instinctively retorted.


    "No, how could you possibly do anything to me?"


    She chuckled awkwardly as she spoke.


    But because she turned her head, the distance between the two of them was shortened.


    In the narrow space, their breaths almost intertwined, and the atmosphere instantly became more ambiguous.


    "Is that so?" Nathan, who was always upright, replied in a husky voice at this moment, "How are you so sure that I won''t do anything to you?"


    Emily was immediately frozen.


    After a few seconds of eye contact, Emily turned her face away and said awkwardly, "You... you should start driving."


    This reaction elicited a low chuckle from Nathan.


    "Don''t worry, before you agree to be with me, even if I want to, I will respect you."


    With that, Nathan leaned back to drive.


    After the car left the vige, it quickly merged into the traffic.


    During this short journey, Emily was lost in her thoughts because of his words.


    What did he mean by, before she agreed to be with him, even if he wanted to, he would respect her?


    Did he really want to do something to her?


    Thinking back to when he leaned in just now, she could even see the pores on his face when he was close, and his thin lips. His lip color was a light pink, which looked very healthy, and the touch must be very soft. She was so nervous and confused at the time.


    But now she couldn''t help but wonder, if he had really kissed her then, would she have refused?


    It seemed... she wouldn''t?


    Thinking of this possibility, Emily''s heartbeat uncontrobly raced, her face and neck were hot, and she couldn''t help but lower the car window, letting the cold wind outside rush in to dissipate the heat on her body. She was really not pure anymore.


    Ever since he had said those words to her before, her mind had been filled with all sorts of thoughts, and she had be unlike herself.


    The cold wind made Emily shiver a little, but it also sobered her up a lot.


    However, the cold wind didn''tst long, and the car window moved up again.


    She turned her head to look at Nathan, only to see his handsome side profile. He was driving attentively and said softly, "It''s cold outside, opening the window can easily cause a cold."

 Chapter 596 No Relatives

    After he said that, Emily felt too embarrassed to lower the car window again. After all, she wasn''t the only one in the car. "Hot?" he asked.


    "Not really..." Emily tugged at her lips, "I just wanted to open the window for some fresh air."


    Even if she was really hot, she wouldn''t tell him. After all, who would feel hot in this kind of weather? If she said she was hot, wouldn''t it seem like she was admitting something without being asked? Nathan didn''t seem to doubt her, he simply said in a calm voice, "If you feel stuffy, you can take off your coat."


    Hearing this, Emily was taken aback and instinctively retorted.


    "Why would I take off my coat if I feel stuffy? I''m not hot."


    Nathan chuckled softly.


    "I know, but you''ll feel morefortable without the coat."


    ...


    Although he didn''t contradict her verbally, Emily felt that his chuckle was deliberate, as if he knew what she was thinking and was deliberatelyughing at her.


    Arguing with him seemed pointless, because he wouldn''t expose himself, he would just calmly watch her embarrass herself.


    Forget it.


    Just then, Nathan asked, "Where to?"


    Emily had a ce in mind, but she still replied with feigned indifference, "Didn''t youe to find me? How would I know where to go?"


    Nathan tugged at the corner of his lips, "True, should I make the arrangements?"


    "Where to?"


    "The city, shall we?"


    Since she was nning to go to the city anyway, Emily agreed.


    "Okay."


    "Did you let your parents know when you left?"


    "No..." Her parents weren''t home when she left, so she didn''t tell them.


    "Use your phone to let them knowter, so they won''t worry," Nathan advised her.


    "Okay," Emily agreed without any objections, and immediately sent a text to her mother. "I''ve sent it."


    "Okay."


    After putting away her phone, they fell into silence. Emily alternated between looking out the car window and down at her fingers, finally deciding to break the awkward silence. "Where are you staying since you came back?"


    "I''m staying at a hotel for now, it''s more convenient."


    Emily thought about how he had beening to her house almost all the time these past few days, except for the night of the Spring Festival, and couldn''t help but find it strange. So she asked, "Don''t you need to go home to see your rtives? Or are your rtives not here?"


    "I don''t have any rtives."


    His words made Emily pause and turn to look at him.


    No rtives?


    When he said this, his tone was calm, and even when Emily looked at him, his face was expressionless, as if he was talking about something very ordinary.


    Although they had been working together for a long time, and she never saw him return home every year, Emily thought it was because the corporation was too busy and he couldn''t spare the time to go home for the New Year. She didn''t expect that it was because he had no rtives.


    Not even one?


    Emily didn''t dare to ask this question.


    Nathan himself broke the silence, "You don''t know much about my family situation, do you?"


    "Um, I guess not."


    "Well, let me tell you now, I''m the only one in my family, I don''t have any other rtives." Even though she had suspected as much, hearing him confirm it himself left Emily stunned.


    He actually had no rtives left, so he had been alone all these years?


    "No wonder you never go home for the holidays, so that''s why."


    In her shock, Emily found herself feeling a pang of sympathy for him. Without a single rtive in the country, even if he grew up there, how could he feel a sense of belonging?


    With that thought, Emily blurted out, "If you don''t mind, you coulde to my house for the holidays in the future."


    She swore that she only said this out of sympathy, without any other intentions.


    However, to her surprise, Nathan hesitated for a moment, then followed her words, "So, Emily, is this your answer?" Emily paused.


    Seeing her silence, Nathan asked again, "Hmm?"


    Emily initially wanted to deny it, but his previous revtions made her feel so sorry for him that she didn''t deny it, just lowered her head and said, "It''s not exactly an answer, after all, I can''t agree to you that quickly." Hearing this, Nathan chuckled softly.


    "I understand."


    He didn''t say anything else, giving Emily just the right amount of space.


    Emily felt once again that he was indeed a self-made man, his perceptiveness and intelligence were too strong, her thoughts werepletely transparent in front of him.


    So, after they arrived in the city, Emily decided not to pretend anymore, she nned to be brave and straightforward.


    "In a couple of days, Eva and her children areing back to the country, I n to bring them some gifts."


    As expected, Nathan didn''t seem surprised by her words at all, "Where do you n to buy them?"


    After Emily mentioned a ce, he turned the car around.


    Emily was surprised by his familiarity with the area.


    "Howe you seem to know the roads here so well?"


    "I worked here for a few years before, and I''ve been studying the map for the past few days."


    So that''s why, no wonder he didn''t even need to look at the navigation.


    "So, have you always lived alone before?"


    "Um, I started living alone when I was about ten."


    Ten...


    That''s so young. If she had to live alone at ten, she felt her will might bepletely worn away by the hardships of life, let alone building such arge group from scratch.


    As they talked, Emily really marveled at this man''s strong willpower and deeply understood something.


    If she were with him, such a man with a firm will, even if they broke up, he definitely wouldn''t feel heartbroken.


    He was too rational, rational to the point where he wouldn''t feel lost or sad because of anyone''s departure, he would definitely take it lightly.


    She pursed her lips, and for a moment, she didn''t know what to say next.


    He dropped her off at the destination and parked the car in the parking lot. The two of them then walked side by side towards the mall.


    As they walked, Emily noticed that quite a few people were constantly looking at them, due to Nathan''s striking appearance.


    She had be used to such scenes when she had apanied Nathan on business trips in the past.


    But she didn''t know if it was a change in her mindset, she used to feel indifferent when people looked at them because she was his subordinate.


    But now, she was thinking... in the eyes of others, did she not match Nathan at all in appearance? After all, he was so outstanding, and she... No, no, no.


    These thoughts had not yet fully infiltrated her mind when Emily immediately denied them in her heart.


    She really liked herself, she couldn''t deny herself just because she liked an outstanding man, could she?


    Besides, if a person as outstanding as Nathan could like her, it meant that she was also outstanding in some ways.


    Self-reassurance can be a powerful tool. Emily quickly regained her confidence.

 Chapter 597 Choose Your Return Gift

    Emily spent a long time buying gifts for Eva and the others. When she was paying, Nathan wanted to pay for her. Emily refused.


    "No need, after all, it''s my gift to them, I can''t let others pay."


    Nathan thought about it and felt that she was right, so he made another decision.


    "Then I will also give them a gift in my own name."


    Emily: "Why? I have a reason for giving them gifts. What''s your reason, and you''re not even familiar with them..." Nathan looked at her steadily.


    "Well, I have my own reasons too, what''s your rtionship with the children?"


    "Sort... sort of a godmother?"


    As she spoke, Emily blushed, as if she had already guessed what Nathan would say.


    "Well, then I will give them gifts as a future godfather."


    Emily''s face turned even redder.


    "I haven''t agreed to you yet."


    "I know, I''m just taking the initiative."


    Nathan didn''t give her too much time to react, he had already gone to pick out gifts, and Emily had to follow to give her opinion.


    After buying, Nathan paid with his card. After paying, the staff asked him to sign. Without thinking too much, Nathan directly took out a pen from his pocket and signed his name stylishly. Seeing that his pen was a bit old, the staff couldn''t help suggesting, "Sir, your pen seems to have been used for a while. We have just received a batch of new pens, do you need to take a look?" Emily, who was still looking at the gifts, couldn''t help but look at Nathan''s pen.


    With that look, she was stunned on the spot.


    That pen... wasn''t it the one she gave him?


    The reason Emily recognized it all at once was nothing else, because she bought the pen at a discount at the time, and she didn''t have any other thoughts when she bought discounted goods. She couldn''t afford the designs by the master designer, and she thought that expensive goods might not be appreciated by Nathan.


    Since he wouldn''t appreciate it or use it, she might as well buy discounted goods, so she could save money.


    So that pen, Emily always thought he must have thrown it away without even looking at it, but she didn''t expect him to use it until now, and he was still using it even though the pen''s exterior had worn out. For a while, Emily felt her throat blocked and couldn''t speak.


    It''s been many years since she gave this pen.


    If she was still guessing that Nathan came to her house to propose was a bit impulsive and crazy, she doesn''t think so now.


    Because the age of this pen can represent a lot of things.


    He had already been interested in her at that time...


    Noticing her gaze, Nathan, who was originally calm, also realized something, and put the pen away without changing his expression, "No need, I have no ns to change pens for now." Seeing his determined look, the staff didn''t know what else to say.


    Emily bit her lower lip and suggested proactively, "Or let''s change it, the pen is worn out like this, it''s a bit ugly."


    Hearing this, Nathan looked at her.


    "Not ugly, I like it."


    Emily''s face turned a bit redder at his words, "Let''s buy a new one anyway, you keep using it, I''m embarrassed." "Why?"


    "No reason." Emily turned her head away, "I''ll buy you a new one, don''t use this one."


    This time she will pick an expensive one for him, not a discounted one.


    The staff who was a little confused by their conversation finally reacted to why the tall and handsome man in front of her would use a pen that does not match his status.


    She was very smart and immediately smiled and said, "So the pen of the gentleman is a gift from his beloved, no wonder you cherish it so much."


    Her idea was that today these two people bought so many things here, even if they finally didn''t buy a pen, she didn''t mind ttering them a bit, maybe she could even help foster their budding rtionship? Sure enough, Nathan looked at her, and this look was much kinder than before.


    The staff continued to work hard and looked at Emily, "Thisdy is really lucky, it seems that this gentleman really likes you."


    Emily, who was already thin-skinned, was even more embarrassed by her instigation, and said awkwardly, "It''s not what you think."


    She turned to look at Nathan, "Anyway, I''ll buy you a new one, don''t use this one."


    After speaking, Emily looked at the staff, "Where are the pens? Can you take me to see?"


    "Of course."


    The staff immediately nodded in agreement and took her to check.


    She immediately followed, leaving Nathan where he was.


    The staff showed Emily all the new pen models that had just arrived. As Emily was choosing, Nathan also came over.


    "Don''t pick something too fancy," he whispered in her ear. As he spoke, his warm breath tickled her ear canal.


    Emily''s body involuntarily shrank back a bit.


    "Who... who said I was going to pick a good one for you? I just saw that yours was worn out, so I wanted to buy you a new one," she said. Nathan curled his lips.


    "Um, thank you."


    Emily finally chose a pen that looked good and was several times more expensive than the previous one. When she was paying, Nathan didn''t offer to pay. He just quietly watched her pay, then took the pen box from her. "Here, a new one. Don''t use the old one anymore, it doesn''t suit your status."


    She simply couldn''t imagine a man like Nathan signing everywhere with that worn-out pen in various situations.


    It was too contradictory to his elite image. No wonder the staff at the counter suggested he buy a new one.


    Nathan took the pen.


    "Thank you."


    "No, no need to be polite, it''s just a pen after all."


    "As a return gift, I''ll also give you a present."


    Emily quickly waved her hands.


    "No need, I gave you the pen, not to get a return gift."


    "Um, but I want to give one back. Let''s go."


    "Where to?"


    "To pick your return gift."


    In the end, Emily was taken to a jewelry store.


    Nathan picked out a diamond ne for her. When he paid, the many zeros in the price left Emily astounded.


    She finally understood why Nathan said that if she were with him, she could choose the life she wanted at will.


    He really was rich, and so generous to her...


    The price of the gift he gave her was almost catching up to the sry she had earned over the years.


    When Nathan handed her the ne, she refused to ept it.


    "No, I can''t take it..."


    She frowned and refused him.


    "Why?" Nathan''s expression was calm, "This is just a token of my pursuit of you. Even if you don''t agree with me in the future, you don''t need to return it."


    Emily shook her head, "That''s not what I mean. I just think it''s too valuable."


    "Valuable, huh?" Nathan looked at her steadily, "Then you should start getting used to it now. After all, if you really end up with me in the future, gifts like this might be quitemon."

 Chapter 598 How Should I Respond?

    "Because when I see something beautiful, I can''t help but buy it for you."


    In the past, there was no reason, but now that he had confessed his feelings, there was nothing to hide. Naturally, he wanted to give her everything he thought of giving her and to give it to her sincerely.


    Ever since he had made his feelings clear, he had been very straightforward, often catching Emily off guard.


    Just like now, before she could react, he had taken the ne around her back and put it on her.


    As he performed these actions, his hand asionally brushed against the skin of her neck. Every touch felt like an electric shock, making Emily shiver.


    After putting on the ne, Nathan held her shoulders and turned her to face him, "Beautiful."


    "Is... is it?" Emily blushed a little.


    She originally didn''t want to ept it, but now that it was on her neck, should she ept it?


    Even so, she thanked him bashfully, "Thank you."


    "You don''t have to be so polite; after all, it''s a gift."


    "Your gift is really valuable."


    What she gave him and what he gave her were really iparable in price.


    As she thought about the expensive ne adorning her neck, Emily began to regret ever buying him that discounted pen.


    It made her seem so poor...


    "Let''s go."


    After buying the gift, Nathan intended to take her home.


    Perhaps because she was softened by the gift, Emily felt it was a bit sad for him to be alone in the hotel.


    So, when she left, she said to him, "If you feel lonely in the hotel, you cane to our house. My parents would wee you." Nathan stared at her.


    "Okay."


    "Then... I''m leaving..."


    "Mm."


    As Emily turned to leave, a cold voice came from behind her.


    "Emily."


    Hearing this, Emily paused and looked back at him.


    "What''s up?"


    "Can I hug you?"


    This sudden request left Emily stunned. She didn''t expect Nathan to suddenly want to hug her.


    Just a hug, it seemed... okay?


    But why did she feel like things were moving too fast?


    Perhaps she hesitated for too long. By the time she reacted, Nathan had already said, "I was presumptuous. You go home."


    So, before Emily could hesitantly give him an ''okay,'' she had to swallow back the words that had reached her lips. She nodded, picked up the gift, and slowly walked back.


    Nathan stood still, watching her petite figure disappear, before he finally drove away.


    -


    After staying abroad for several days, Eva and the others finally decided to return home.


    As they were leaving, Mr. Hansen looked at his daughter and two great-grandchildren with reluctance. "When will youe to visit next?" He asked.


    Eva raised an eyebrow. "The children will have to go back to school after we return. Even if we want to visit, it''ll probably have to wait until the holidays."


    After hearing this, Mr. Hansen realized that it wouldn''t be easy to see them in the short term unless he flew to their country himself. "Then I''ll visit you in your country when I have time." Upon hearing this, Eva immediately seized the opportunity. "Dad, you must keep your word. If you don''te, I''ll hold you ountable."


    "Alright." Mr. Hansen gently patted his daughter''s head. "Once I finish up some business at thepany, I''lle and stay with you for a while."


    Eva smiled and agreed. Then she turned to Grace. "Aunt, you shoulde too."


    Grace was both surprised and pleased. "Okay, I''ll definitelye."


    "You don''t have much time before boarding. You should go through security check now. The airport isrge, so it''s better to be early."


    "Safe travels." Grace quickly added.


    Eva hugged her father as her eyes welled up with tears. "Dad, you promised toe."


    Mr. Hansen was already feeling reluctant to part, but hearing the sadness in his daughter''s voice made him feel even worse. "Eva, you... I''ll definitelye; why are you crying?" After saying this, Mr. Hansen turned to Adrian. "Quick,fort her."


    Adrian smiled and pulled Eva into his arms, wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. "Alright, don''t cry. If you really miss them, I can bring you here anytime. With how good transportation is nowadays, we can see them whenever we want."


    Eva finally stopped crying and red at Adrian. "I don''t need you to bring me. I cane by myself."


    "Dad, we''re leaving now. You and aunt take care."


    After father and daughter finished speaking, it was the elders'' turn to say goodbye. After a long farewell, they finally parted.


    On the way back, Eva leaned against Adrian. "I''m so tired from all the fun."


    She leaned all her weight against him, and Adrian stood there letting her lean with one hand around her waist. "Take a good rest when we get back."


    "Hmm." Eva hummed softly. "Emily ising to pick us up at the airport."


    Reminded of her best friend, Adrian quirked a lip. "You told her when we''re returning?"


    "Yes, I did. She''s been holding a grudge against me because I didn''t see her during the New Year. If I didn''t tell her when I''d be back, she''d definitely be angry."


    "She''s so clingy." Adrian became a little jealous when he remembered how Eva had run off to sleep with Emily the night she came over. "She''s not going to sleep with you again when she picks us up, is she?"


    Hearing this, Eva looked at him incredulously. "What are you talking about? Even if she really wanted to sleep with me, so what? She''s a girl. You''re not jealous of a girl, are you? You''re too possessive." "I''m not happy." Adrian admitted frankly.


    Seeing his expression, Eva could only mutter a fewints under her breath before saying, "Don''t worry, she probably won''t have the chance to spend all her time on me." "Why?"


    "I think she''s about to start a new rtionship."


    Adrian didn''t care about other people''s love affairs, even if it was his wife''s best friend. So, after Eva said this, he didn''t ask any more questions, but if she wanted to talk about it, he would listen. Sure enough, Eva didn''t care whether he asked or not and simply described Emily''s recent situation. "Her boss is pursuing her, and he even went to her house to propose."


    Adrian recalled and subconsciously said a name, "Nathan?"


    Hearing this, Eva was stunned. "Yes, how did you know?"


    Adrian pursed his thin lips. "I''ve met him before."


    "I see. Since you''ve met him before, do you think he had feelings for Emily before?"


    This question made Adrian somewhat helpless. "Eva, how would I even answer that question?"

 Chapter 599 Watch As Long As You Want

    Eva didn''t think there was anything wrong with her question.


    "What''s so hard to answer?" She asked.


    "Do you think I pay attention to anyone else besides you?"


    Upon hearing this, Eva looked up at him from his embrace, blinking gently.


    "But she''s not just anyone; she''s my best friend. You don''t have to observe too closely, just a little insight would do."


    "So? Do you know something that might indicate that he likes her?"


    Perhaps she was too persistent, so Adrian reluctantly admitted, "Yes."


    "Really?" Eva''s eyes lit up. "So, he really does like Emily?"


    Adrian couldn''t help but pinch her nose, his tone indulgent, "When did you be so gossipy?"


    "Wasn''t I always?"


    "Hmm. So let''s not talk about this, let''s talk about us."


    "No way, I only bring it up once."


    Afraid he would go back on his word, Eva persisted, "Didn''t you just say that you knew something? What is it?"


    Adrian was silent for a moment before he softly said, "Once when you were in danger abroad, Emily wanted toe find you. But her boss was worried about her safety and apanied her." Hearing this, Eva''s eyes widened.


    "He really did that?"


    Eva understood why Adrian would think this showed that Nathan liked Emily. How many bosses would apany an employee across countries out of concern for their safety? This could really prove a lot.


    "Hmm, for someone in his position, time is money. If he didn''t have feelings for her, he wouldn''t do such a boring thing."


    Eva had heard from Emily before but didn''t know anything. She didn''t expect to learn such information from someone else.


    She was a bit surprised, but she was also happy for Emily.


    "That''s great. It seems her boss really cares about her; it''s not just lip service."


    "Hmm, he seems decent, and I''ve worked with him before. He''s a self-made man."


    Eva was very happy that her best friend was marrying a good man, "But I haven''t met him yet. I''ll see him when I go back and vet him for Emily." Adrian, who had been agreeing with her, frowned at this, "Why do you seem so excited?"


    "Why not?"


    Adrian squinted his eyes, the hand on her waist tightening.


    "You''re not allowed to look at that man."


    Huh?


    "If I don''t look at him, how can I vet him for Emily? I definitely need to take a good look, maybe even arrange a meal."


    Before Adrian could refuse, Eva added, "You shoulde too, to help me vet him for Emily."


    Adrian, who originally thought she wanted to go alone, was surprised when she invited him. After a while, he finally agreed, "Fine."


    With him there, she would feel much safer.


    "Alright, it''s settled then. We''ll go together."


    Airport


    The weather was quite cold.


    Emily sat in the warm car, huddled under Nathan''s coat that he had taken off for her.


    Fearful of missing out and considering that Emily''s home was very far from hers, they arrived early.


    When they arrived, there was still over an hour before Eva''s flight wouldnd.


    There were no shops near the airport, and even if there were, they would have been closed at this hour, so the two could only stay in the car.


    At first, Emily felt a bit awkward and said to Nathan, "We might have to wait a long time; why don''t... you go back first?"


    As soon as she said this, Nathan gave her a lukewarm look.


    "Am I supposed to go back and leave you here alone?"


    He then spoke a bit helplessly, "Emily, do you have any awareness that you are being pursued?"


    Emily pursed her lips and did not respond.


    "Shouldn''t you take this time to observe how the other person behaves?"


    "I suppose that''s true... But... having you bring me here in the middle of the night, and then waiting with me seems like a waste of your time." "I don''t think it''s a waste of time."


    With that, Nathan took off his coat and handed it to her.


    Emily held his coat, a little dumbfounded.


    "What... what''s wrong?"


    "Put it on." Nathan said casually, "There''s still over an hour to go; you can sleep in the car."


    "I''m not sleepy..."


    "Then close your eyes and rest."


    He took care of her so attentively.


    Emily subconsciously thought that his upbringing must have shaped his character differently from those who grew up pampered by their parents. However, his way of caring for others was quite assertive.


    Emily didn''t say anything else; she blushed as she slowly draped his coat over herself, then leaned back in her seat to rest her eyes.


    Just as she closed her eyes, Emily thought of something and opened her eyes again, "You gave me your coat but what about you? Aren''t you cold?" "I am in good health." He said lightly.


    "Oh."


    When Emily closed her eyes again, she started to wonder what he meant.


    What was he saying? Did he mean that she was in poor health?


    In her drowsiness, she actually fell asleep.


    When she woke up again, the night was darker, and Emily''s body was still curled up. She felt a bit cold when she woke up, so she instinctively burrowed into Nathan''s coat.


    Luckily, he had given her his coat; otherwise, she might have really felt cold while sleeping.


    But soon, a thought sprang into her mind. She was warm under his coat, so what about him?


    Emily immediately opened her eyes and saw Nathan resting on the steering wheel at a nce.


    His eyes were closed, and his long eyshes cast shadows around his eyes, even while leaning there, he was very restrained, his movements graceful.


    And from this angle, he still looked very handsome.


    Although Emily knew from the first time she met Nathan that he was handsome, she had no feelings when she looked at him before because she thought that no matter how handsome this man was, he could never be hers, so she only needed to asionally appreciate him during work.


    But now it was different...


    This man could possibly be hers in the future.


    As she gazed at him with this thought, her heart fluttered with feeling she had never had before.


    He was even more handsome than she had imagined.


    Emily stared at him without blinking. She couldn''t look away.


    "Do I look good?"


    Suddenly, Nathan opened his dreamy-like eyes and parted his thin lips.


    Caught red-handed, Emily''s face turned red instantly.


    "Yes, you look good."


    "No... I didn''t mean to spy on you; I was just watching you sleep, so..."


    "It''s okay."


    Nathan lifted the corner of his lips, "After all, if you''re willing, I''ll be yours in the future; you can look at me as long as you want."


    His response made Emily''s ears turn so red that they looked like they were almost bleeding.


    It seemed that since he expressed his feelings, he became more and more provocative in his speech.

 Chapter 600 How to Keep Her Warm

    Faced with his straightforward attitude, Emily felt overwhelmed and could only look away, asking, "What time is it now? Are Eva and the others arriving soon?"


    Her attempt to change the subject wasn''t very subtle, but Nathan didn''t press the issue. Instead, he nced at his wristwatch. "Ten more minutes."


    "Ten minutes?" Emily propped up her chin, annoyed. She hadn''t expected to sleep for so long.


    However, since it had already happened, all she could do was take off the coat and return it to Nathan. "Here''s your coat back, thank you..."


    "No need." Nathan''s expression was indifferent. "Keep the coat on."


    "But you''ll be cold when we get out of the car."


    "Didn''t I tell you that I am in good health?"


    "But I am also in good health. Besides, I have my own coat. Wearing yours on top of it looks odd."


    Emily tossed the coat back to him.


    Since it seemed that she really didn''t want his coat and that she was now awake, Nathan took it back and put it on.


    With ten minutes left until the flight arrived plus the time needed for them to disembark and collect their luggage, Nathan and Emily waited in the car for a while longer before getting out. While they were waiting at the exit, Emily was shivering from the cold, causing Nathan to frown.


    "Didn''t you say you were in good health? Why are you shivering?"


    "Who said I was shivering?"


    After she stubbornly retorted and saw Nathan about to take off his coat again, she quickly stopped him.


    "Don''t you dare take it off. If you do, I''ll be angry with you."


    Nathan paused and looked at her. Emily seemed really serious.


    "Don''t take it off!"


    "Aren''t you cold?"


    "Anyway, you''re not allowed to take it off. If you do, I really will be angry."


    Nathan stared at her for a while, then suddenly chuckled. He opened his coat and said, "Fine, I won''t take it off. Why don''t youe in here and hide?" Emily was stunned. She hadn''t expected Nathan to pull such a move.


    "You..."


    He said calmly, "You cane in here and hide, or I can take it off and give it to you. Choose one."


    After pondering for a while, Emily slowly moved her feet. She knew that if she didn''t go over, Nathan would really take off his coat and give it to her.


    It wasn''t that cold in the car, but outside, the wind was strong. If he really gave her his coat, he might end up catching a cold.


    So, she had to choose the other option.


    But she was a bit shy, so she moved slowly. When she was only a few steps away, Nathan suddenly reached out and pulled her over.


    Emily slightly stumbled and fell directly into his arms. She then instinctively grabbed his coat to prevent herself from falling.


    Just this one action made the atmosphere between them instantly be ambiguous. Emily bit her lip, looking up at him nervously. Nathan calmly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "You won''t be cold this way."


    Emily stood by his side with a blushing face, not rejecting him.


    She had to admit that it was a lot warmer to be in his embrace while under his coat.


    Because she was hiding in his coat, Emily was no longer exposed to the cold wind, and his body temperature was high too.


    So, it was not cold at all, but rather warm.


    After standing for a while, Emily whispered, "We should stand separatelyter, otherwise... Eva and the others will see us." "Do you mind if they see us?"


    "Or are you suggesting that I''m not presentable?"


    "No, that''s not it." Emily shook her head.


    "Then what are you worried about?"


    Emily pursed her lips. It seemed like there was nothing to worry about, but she hadn''t officially agreed to be with him yet. If they were seen... Thinking about this, she still shook her head.


    "Let''s forget it. Before we officially get together, we shouldn''t let them see us like this."


    Having said that, Emily tried to move away.


    Unexpectedly, the hand on her waist tightened suddenly, "It''s toote; they''ve already seen us."


    "What?"


    Emily was taken aback, and it took her a while to understand what Nathan meant.


    Then she slowly turned her head, following Nathan''s gaze, and sure enough, she saw Eva not far away with Adrian beside her.


    Naturally, her children and the elders were also close by.


    When Eva saw her, she even waved at her.


    Emily subconsciously bit her lower lip and quickly ran out of Nathan''s embrace.


    "Why didn''t you tell me in advance?"


    "There wasn''t enough time. As soon as I finished speaking to you and looked up, I saw them."


    "You''re lying; did you do it on purpose?"


    Nathan curled his lips, "Although I would have liked to do it on purpose; unfortunately, when I pulled you over earlier, my attention was all on you, so I really didn''t notice theming. But the oue doesn''t make a difference." Emily wanted to say something else to him, but Eva and the others were already within earshot. She had to close her mouth to prevent Nathan from saying something shocking.


    Although she didn''t think Nathan was that kind of person, he had been very straightforward these past few days, which made her a bit worried.


    -


    From a distance, Eva saw her best friend hiding in a man''s coat.


    Initially, she didn''t recognize who it was.


    Because of her memory loss, she didn''t know what Nathan looked like. Her impression of him was limited to Emily''s description.


    In the end, it was Adrian beside her who noticed Nathan and told her.


    Only then did Eva understand why her best friend would be in that man''s coat.


    If she had asked about it a bitter, Emily would probably have jumped out.


    When they were on the phone two days ago, Emily was saying it was impossible for them to be together and acting very reserved. But now, they seemed so close. Eva felt she was in for a good show.


    "Why are you so happy?"


    Adrian saw the corners of her eyes lift and asked.


    "Shouldn''t I be happy for my best friend now that she found a partner?"


    As they got closer, Eva''s gaze couldn''t help butnd on the man''s face and body, but it was just a polite nce. After a few looks, she moved her gaze away.


    She only took a few restrained nces, but she could tell that this man was a catch. She thought her best friend had good taste in men.


    She didn''t expect that, after only a few restrained nces, someone would get jealous, pinch her waist, and whisper, "One look is enough." After saying that, he deliberately pinched her waist lightly again to draw her attention.


    Eva had no choice but to turn her attention back to him.


    "I just took one look."


    "That was more than one look; you looked several times."


    After a moment of speechlessness, she murmured disdainfully, "Childish!"


    "What''s wrong with being childish? Anyway, you''re not allowed to look at anyone else but me."


    "How am I supposed to vet him for Emily?"


    "I''ll vet him for you."

 Chapter 601 Youre Taking Advantage of Me Again

    Eva thought it was a good idea.


    After all, a man would better understand how another man operated and make keener observations than woman since they think alike and can empathize with one another. "Alright, I won''t watch him; you watch him for me. But you have to promise to watch him seriously, not just go through the motions."


    Faced with his beloved woman''s request, Adrian had no way to refuse and could onlyzily agree.


    "Fine."


    He never thought that he would have to pay such close attention to another man in his life, and it was all because of Eva.


    As they approached, Eva and Emily eagerly hugged each other. However, because there were elders present, they quickly separated after the hug.


    Having met before, Emily greeted Kim and Margaret and quickly took out the gifts she had bought for the two kids.


    "Thank you, Aunt Emily."


    Ruby and Dn had a good rtionship with Emily. After all, they had spent so many years together in the past. To them, Emily was the closest person to them apart from their immediate family.


    So, when they received the gifts, they weren''t shy. After saying thank you, they both gave Emily a gentle kiss on the cheek.


    Then Ruby looked up at the man behind Emily with her bright eyes and proactively asked.


    "Aunt Emily, who is this uncle?"


    Emily''s cheeks immediately turned pink once the topic of Nathan came up, "He is... a friend of mine; you can call him Uncle Powell."


    Ruby, not knowing what she was thinking, suddenly asked even though Emily had already exined.


    "Aunt Emily, is this uncle your boyfriend?"


    The term "boyfriend" made Emily''s face change instantly. She was about to deny it when she heard Nathanugh lightly, "Little girl, not yet, but uncle is working on it."


    The elders understood when they heard Nathan''s response.


    Actually, Kim and Margaret also knew Nathan. They were all in the same circle. Even if they hadn''t had the chance to work together, they had met before.


    They had a hunch that something romantic was going on when they saw them appear here together, but they didn''t ask.


    Now after hearing what Nathan said, Margaret understood immediately and smiled, "So that''s how it is. I was thinking about introducing Emily to someone. It seems that''s not necessary for now. It looks like good things areing her way." "Aunt..."


    "Alright, I won''t tease you guys. You young people must have a lot to talk about. We elders will take the kids home first, okay?"


    Emily did have a lot to say to Eva, but considering the time, she could only shake her head.


    "No need, Aunt. We just came to the airport to wee you back. It''s toote now. We can talk about anything else tomorrow."


    Upon hearing this, Margaret directly said, "Then if you don''t mind, why don''t youe back with us?"


    "This..." Emily didn''t mind herself, after all, she had stayed there once before. But this time she wasn''t alone; she had Nathan with her.


    Nathan spoke in a mild tone, "It''s not good to impose uninvited; Emily and I can book a hotel nearby."


    Margaret, however, spoke without reservation, "How can a hotel be asfortable as our home? No matter how clean it is, it''s not as clean and sanitary as our home." Seeing that he was still unmoved, Margaret added, "Or is it that you look down on the ckwoods, Mr. Powell? Are you unwilling to give me this face?"


    Her words were heavy, and it was clear that she wasn''t just being polite with her invitation, she genuinely wanted them to stay at their home.


    How could Nathan refuse any further?


    He nodded politely as he slightly bowed, "Aunt, Uncle, then we''ll trouble you."


    "Not at all, let''s go."


    Nathan and Emily followed them back to their car.


    They drove behind the others, and during the ride, Emily couldn''t help but say to him, "I thought you wouldn''t agree to go."


    Nathan''s lips curled up slightly, "I feel like we''ll have a long-term rtionship in the future, so going there could also facilitate somemunication."


    Emily didn''t catch the underlying meaning of his words and asked subconsciously, "Does yourpany currently have a joint project with the ckwood family?" "Not at the moment."


    "Then how..." Emily suddenly realized something. Her face changed, and she bit her lower lip, "You''re taking advantage of me again."


    Hearing this, Nathan raised an eyebrow.


    "When have I taken advantage of you? And what do you mean by ''again''? I haven''t done anything to you so far."


    "Yes, you haven''t done anything physically, but isn''t taking advantage of me with your words still taking advantage?" "That''s not practical; it doesn''t count."


    "Whatever... how can it not count?" Emily muttered under her breath.


    By this time, Nathan had already changed the subject.


    "They treat you well."


    "Yes, because when I was a child, I often went to their house with Eva, so they all know me."


    Thinking of something, Emily asked, "How did you spend your childhood?"


    After asking the question, Emily secretly nced at Nathan, looking for any change of expression on his face.


    But his emotions were very stable, even when talking about his tragic childhood, there was no significant emotional fluctuation visible anywhere on him. "My childhood? I mostly spent it alone."


    Although he seemed stable, Emily felt that he must be quite resistant to mentioning his tragic past, so naturally, she didn''t ask further and felt that she shouldn''t ask him about his childhood in the future.


    By the time they arrived at the ckwood family''s house, it was alreadyte. The house servants had prepared supper in advance. Probably aware of thete hour, everyone was quiet when they sat together for the meal. Everyone ate very little, seemingly restraining themselves.


    Margaret had the servants prepare two guest rooms for Nathan and Eva, then she went to rest with the two children.


    Since Eva had a lot to talk about with Emily, as soon as she finished her bath, she slipped away.


    By the time Adrian noticed her absence, she was already in Emily''s bed.


    "What''s really going on? Thest time you called me, he had just proposed, right? And you seemed so distrustful of him, and now things have progressed this far?"


    "I don''t really know what to say..." Although Emily still felt shy about this, Eva was her best friend since childhood, so the shyness onlysted a few seconds, and she spilled everything that had happened these days.


    "I''m a bit confused now. I feel like our rtionship is doomed from the beginning, but I really want to give it a try. After all, in my view of choosing a partner, his looks, height, voice, and character are all what I want in a man. He only has one w: he''s too rich."


    "Too rich can also be considered a w?"


    "You don''t understand my feelings, Eva. My family doesn''t have much money. My dad used to have gambling debts, you know. With my family background, I never thought about reaching for someone like him. He''s not just ordinarily rich; he''s filthy rich."

 Chapter 603 Epilogue

    After the New Year, Eva received a call from David. He told her that Michael had finallye to his senses and no longer wished to be trapped in that house. He nned to leave and return to his original home. Upon hearing this news, the breath that had been seemingly stuck in Eva''s chest for weeks finally seemed to flow smoothly again.


    "Really? That''s wonderful news. And you, David, do you need..."


    Eva initially wanted to invite him to work with her, but David declined. He exined that after spending so many years with Michael, he had grown ustomed to being by his side and nned to continue doing so. Everyone has a ce where they feel they belong, so Eva didn''t force him. She just reminded him to seek her help if he ever needed it in the future.


    That night, she received a farewell text message.


    "I once loved someone deeply, but I also caused her a lot of trouble, even turning this love into profound hurt. I''m very sorry for what I did to her, but I still love her to this day. I wish her happiness in the future." "Goodbye."


    The message seemed simple, but it took all of Michael''s strength to type out these words.


    After sending the message, he didn''t even wait for her reply, nor did he dare to look at it. He pulled out his SIM card and threw it into the trash.


    There would be no turning back, no chance for a return.


    She was now with the person she loved and who loved her back. She would be happy in the future.


    -


    Around April Fool''s Day, Emily officially started dating Nathan. At the same time, the fruit shop she invested in officially opened in the neighborhood. Eva even sent a gift on the opening day. "So, you''re not nning to return to hispany?"


    Emily pursed her lips, "Hispany won''t copse without me; why should I go back?"


    "It''s not about going back to hispany. If you open a fruit shop at home, you guys will be in a long-distance rtionship, right?"


    "So, what if it''s long distance? I must open this fruit shop. It just opened and it can''t function without me. If he thinks a long-distance rtionship is hard, then he can give up." However, less than two months after Emily said this, she contradicted herself.


    Her parents worried that a long-distance rtionship would eventually lead to a breakup, so they took on the responsibility of watching over the shop, urging Emily to leave home and find a job. Emily, who had just transitioned from "a beast of burden" to a small business owner and had enjoyed her freedom for only a short while, had to return to her old life.


    She felt frustrated andined to Eva for a long time, saying she would rather not open the fruit shop than go find Nathan, just to make him suffer the pain of longing.


    When she called to vent, it was already evening. Eva was nning tofort her properly when Adrian, who had juste out of the bathroom, pounced on her. "Who are you on the phone with?"


    Eva eximed, "Who else but Emily? Don''t disturb me, I still have things to say to her."


    Adrian, looking like a resentful husband, stared at her intensely.


    "You''re always focused on her. Shouldn''t you spare some attention for me?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense." Eva, afraid he would continue to say inappropriate things that Emily might hear, causing an awkward situationter, quickly pushed him away to grab her phone. After getting her phone, Eva found that the call had been prematurely ended and there was a message from Emily.


    "Sis, you guys carry on; I won''t disturb you thiste at night. We''ll talk about my issues another day."


    As she read this message, Adrian also saw it and finally squinted his eyes in satisfaction.


    "Not bad, she''s quite considerate."


    Eva, annoyed, tossed her phone aside.


    "You''re so annoying; you''re always irrationally jealous."


    "Is it me who''s annoying, or is it you who''s neglecting me?" He grabbed her chin and leaned down to seal her lips, preventing her from saying anything more.


    A few dayster, Emily took off to go abroad. Before she left, she confessed to Eva that she regretted her previous resistance, that she indeed missed her boyfriend, and had decided to join him overseas for work. Eva had anticipated this day woulde, so she was not surprised at all. She wished Emily a safe journey when she left.


    She thought, given Nathan''s pace, she would probably hear good news from Emily soon.


    Sure enough, around Children''s Day, when Eva was busy preparing programs for the two kids, she received news of Nathan''s sessful proposal.


    The couple''s wedding was scheduled for August.


    They got engaged in January, were officially together in April, he proposed in June, and they married in August.


    The speed of their rtionship left Eva astounded.


    However, their rapid progress was entirely due to Nathan''s initiative. He was determined to win Emily over. He was always well-prepared for what needed to be done at each stage, so much so that it was overwhelming. What surprised Eva was that despite Nathan''s aggressive pursuit, the couple had not yet been intimate.


    When Emily mentioned this to Eva, her face turned red.


    "He''s been so restrained, even after I epted his proposal. Do you think he actually doesn''t like me?" Emily asked.


    Eva almostughed at her train of thought.


    "Why would he pursue you this far if he didn''t like you? What would he gain?"


    "That''s true, but why then?"


    "I don''t know. That''s something for you two to figure out. I won''t get involved. If you want to know, you''ll have to find out for yourself."


    Emily blushed and didn''t want to talk about it anymore.


    In August, they held their wedding, and Ruby and Dn were called to be flower children. The wedding was a sensation, many people took pictures and posted them online, and it was a hot topic for a long time. Many people admired their grand and beautiful wedding. Eva was also envious.


    The person next to her tightened his grip on her hand.


    With their fingers interlocked, he spoke as his deep voice echoed in her ears, "Do you like it? Should we have one too?"


    "But we''re already married; shouldn''t we have had a wedding already?"


    "So, what if we have? You don''t remember, do you? I''ll give you a new one; how about that?"


    Eva was somewhat expectant, but she also thought it was absurd.


    Before she could decide, Adrian had made up his mind, "It''s settled then; I''ll have someone start preparing."


    True to his word, Adrian gave her an even grander wedding. Almost all of high society was there on their wedding day. It was so sensational that even journalists and onlookers came to watch.


    Even though their children were grown, Adrian gave her a French kiss in front of everyone at the wedding, causing a round of cheers, screams, and sh photography.


    Eva was embarrassed for a long time afterward; her neck and ears turned a deep shade of red.


    After the wedding, she was so weighed down by her heavy wedding dress and jewelry that she could hardly stand.


    Exhausted, she was carried back to their wedding suite by Adrian.


    He gently removed her jewelry, veil, wedding dress, ne...


    Finally, Eva was bare before him, her skin almost blending with the color of the wedding dress.


    In this moment, he took her hand, lowered his head, and gently kissed her hand.


    "Eva, I love you, forever."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 603 Epilogue

    After the New Year, Eva received a call from David. He told her that Michael had finallye to his senses and no longer wished to be trapped in that house. He nned to leave and return to his original home. Upon hearing this news, the breath that had been seemingly stuck in Eva''s chest for weeks finally seemed to flow smoothly again.


    "Really? That''s wonderful news. And you, David, do you need..."


    Eva initially wanted to invite him to work with her, but David declined. He exined that after spending so many years with Michael, he had grown ustomed to being by his side and nned to continue doing so. Everyone has a ce where they feel they belong, so Eva didn''t force him. She just reminded him to seek her help if he ever needed it in the future.


    That night, she received a farewell text message.


    "I once loved someone deeply, but I also caused her a lot of trouble, even turning this love into profound hurt. I''m very sorry for what I did to her, but I still love her to this day. I wish her happiness in the future." "Goodbye."


    The message seemed simple, but it took all of Michael''s strength to type out these words.


    After sending the message, he didn''t even wait for her reply, nor did he dare to look at it. He pulled out his SIM card and threw it into the trash.


    There would be no turning back, no chance for a return.


    She was now with the person she loved and who loved her back. She would be happy in the future.


    -


    Around April Fool''s Day, Emily officially started dating Nathan. At the same time, the fruit shop she invested in officially opened in the neighborhood. Eva even sent a gift on the opening day. "So, you''re not nning to return to hispany?"


    Emily pursed her lips, "Hispany won''t copse without me; why should I go back?"


    "It''s not about going back to hispany. If you open a fruit shop at home, you guys will be in a long-distance rtionship, right?"


    "So, what if it''s long distance? I must open this fruit shop. It just opened and it can''t function without me. If he thinks a long-distance rtionship is hard, then he can give up." However, less than two months after Emily said this, she contradicted herself.


    Her parents worried that a long-distance rtionship would eventually lead to a breakup, so they took on the responsibility of watching over the shop, urging Emily to leave home and find a job. Emily, who had just transitioned from "a beast of burden" to a small business owner and had enjoyed her freedom for only a short while, had to return to her old life.


    She felt frustrated andined to Eva for a long time, saying she would rather not open the fruit shop than go find Nathan, just to make him suffer the pain of longing.


    When she called to vent, it was already evening. Eva was nning tofort her properly when Adrian, who had juste out of the bathroom, pounced on her. "Who are you on the phone with?"


    Eva eximed, "Who else but Emily? Don''t disturb me, I still have things to say to her."


    Adrian, looking like a resentful husband, stared at her intensely.


    "You''re always focused on her. Shouldn''t you spare some attention for me?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense." Eva, afraid he would continue to say inappropriate things that Emily might hear, causing an awkward situationter, quickly pushed him away to grab her phone. After getting her phone, Eva found that the call had been prematurely ended and there was a message from Emily.


    "Sis, you guys carry on; I won''t disturb you thiste at night. We''ll talk about my issues another day."


    As she read this message, Adrian also saw it and finally squinted his eyes in satisfaction.


    "Not bad, she''s quite considerate."


    Eva, annoyed, tossed her phone aside.


    "You''re so annoying; you''re always irrationally jealous."


    "Is it me who''s annoying, or is it you who''s neglecting me?" He grabbed her chin and leaned down to seal her lips, preventing her from saying anything more.


    A few dayster, Emily took off to go abroad. Before she left, she confessed to Eva that she regretted her previous resistance, that she indeed missed her boyfriend, and had decided to join him overseas for work. Eva had anticipated this day woulde, so she was not surprised at all. She wished Emily a safe journey when she left.


    She thought, given Nathan''s pace, she would probably hear good news from Emily soon.


    Sure enough, around Children''s Day, when Eva was busy preparing programs for the two kids, she received news of Nathan''s sessful proposal.


    The couple''s wedding was scheduled for August.


    They got engaged in January, were officially together in April, he proposed in June, and they married in August.


    The speed of their rtionship left Eva astounded.


    However, their rapid progress was entirely due to Nathan''s initiative. He was determined to win Emily over. He was always well-prepared for what needed to be done at each stage, so much so that it was overwhelming. What surprised Eva was that despite Nathan''s aggressive pursuit, the couple had not yet been intimate.


    When Emily mentioned this to Eva, her face turned red.


    "He''s been so restrained, even after I epted his proposal. Do you think he actually doesn''t like me?" Emily asked.


    Eva almostughed at her train of thought.


    "Why would he pursue you this far if he didn''t like you? What would he gain?"


    "That''s true, but why then?"


    "I don''t know. That''s something for you two to figure out. I won''t get involved. If you want to know, you''ll have to find out for yourself."


    Emily blushed and didn''t want to talk about it anymore.


    In August, they held their wedding, and Ruby and Dn were called to be flower children. The wedding was a sensation, many people took pictures and posted them online, and it was a hot topic for a long time. Many people admired their grand and beautiful wedding. Eva was also envious.


    The person next to her tightened his grip on her hand.


    With their fingers interlocked, he spoke as his deep voice echoed in her ears, "Do you like it? Should we have one too?"


    "But we''re already married; shouldn''t we have had a wedding already?"


    "So, what if we have? You don''t remember, do you? I''ll give you a new one; how about that?"


    Eva was somewhat expectant, but she also thought it was absurd.


    Before she could decide, Adrian had made up his mind, "It''s settled then; I''ll have someone start preparing."


    True to his word, Adrian gave her an even grander wedding. Almost all of high society was there on their wedding day. It was so sensational that even journalists and onlookers came to watch.


    Even though their children were grown, Adrian gave her a French kiss in front of everyone at the wedding, causing a round of cheers, screams, and sh photography.


    Eva was embarrassed for a long time afterward; her neck and ears turned a deep shade of red.


    After the wedding, she was so weighed down by her heavy wedding dress and jewelry that she could hardly stand.


    Exhausted, she was carried back to their wedding suite by Adrian.


    He gently removed her jewelry, veil, wedding dress, ne...


    Finally, Eva was bare before him, her skin almost blending with the color of the wedding dress.


    In this moment, he took her hand, lowered his head, and gently kissed her hand.


    "Eva, I love you, forever."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!