Chapter 5

Stanley hurried back toward Adeline and helped her up.

"I'm sorry, but Wendy is afraid of the dark. I have to find her before it gets dark," he said, his voice anxious.

As soon as he finished speaking, he let go of Adeline and rushed into his car, driving off.

Adeline watched the way he left without any hesitation before slowly sitting down on the steps.

Honestly, even before she flipped the coin, she'd already known which side it would land on. Only a foolish person would repeat something with the futile hope of seeing a different outcome.

But she was an even bigger fool than that. She'd done it knowing full well what the outcome would be.

A burning pain flared at her ankle. The sunlight fell on the wedding gown, making the diamond embellishments sparkle so brightly that it hurt her eyes.

She bit hard on her lip, forcing back the pointless tears that threatened to spill. The only thing she could do now was not let anyone else see how pathetic she was.

After three years together, she couldn't claim to be deeply in love with Stanley, but she certainly felt anticipation for their married life.

But now, all of her hopes and anticipation had been dashed.

The sales assistants came over, with Lisa asking tentatively, "Are you alright, Ms. Wright?"

"I'm fine. You guys can go back to work. Don't worry about me."

Adeline sat there with her knees drawn up. The guilt she'd felt from last night's incident quietly dissolved at this very moment.

Who would've thought that the scales would tip back into place in such an absurd way?

The only shame was that Stanley didn't even notice the obvious marks on her skin.

After exchanging glances, the sales assistants quietly retreated into the boutique. A little while later, someone draped a warm fur cape over Adeline's shoulders.

Inside the Maybach, Stanley was gripping the steering wheel tightly. The image of Adeline's pale face flashed in his mind, and worry flickered in his eyes.

Fortunately, Adeline had always been an independent woman who could take care of herself. That wasn't the same with Wendy. Ever since Patrick died, she'd become extremely fragile and couldn't withstand even the slightest hardship.

Adeline didn't know how long she sat on the steps outside the boutique. Eventually, the sky turned dark, and the neon lights of the city replaced the sun. The city's glittering nightlife rose in full force.

She was just about to stand up when two luxury cars stopped outside the boutique, one after the other. A window came down in the one in front, and Shane stuck his head out.

"Adeline! Are you shopping for wedding gowns?"

Adeline forced a smile and nodded. "You guys came out for some fun?"

"That's right. Wanna come with us, Adeline?"

As soon as Shane said that, a woman's chiding voice came through the window. "The two of them are probably spending quality time together while shopping for her wedding gown! Why are you inviting her to join us?"

Shane smacked himself on the forehead and laughed. "I was so eager for a night out that I forgot about that. Okay then. I won't disturb you and Stanley, Adeline."

The window went up, and Shane's car drove off, but the car behind didn't move.

The rear door opened, and a pair of finely crafted leather shoes stepped onto the ground with a dull thud.

Hearing the sound, Adeline looked up before averting her gaze.

Him again.

Why did he always show up when she was at her most miserable?

It'd happened last night, and it was happening again now.

"Where's Stanley?" Christian asked.

He was wearing a black silk shirt with the top button undone, and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. As he leaned against the car door with one hand in his pocket, his relaxed posture exuded an air of sophistication.

His gaze swept over her fitted wedding gown, her exquisitely dolled-up face, and the faint marks that had yet to fade. Subconsciously, he swallowed hard.

The wedding gown suited Adeline perfectly, making her look sultry yet adorable. The desire that hadn't been fully quenched last night started to burn within him again.

To be more precise, it was the desire that hadn't been fully sated even after four years.

Under his gaze, Adeline straightened her back and said, "He's inside."

For some reason, her pride made her unwilling to admit to Christian that she'd been abandoned yet again.

Christian curled his lips into a smirk and looked at her gown before saying coolly, "The gown doesn't suit you."

After a pause, he added, "You look tacky."

That single comment set a fire to the hurt and indignation Adeline had already been bottling up the entire day. An inexplicable wave of anger washed over her, making her chest tight.

Who was he to say that about her? Who did he think he was?

Yet beneath that anger was something she didn't want to admit—she agreed with him. It wasn't just tacky. It was downright laughable.

"Stanley's still inside waiting for me, so please excuse me."

Adrline's ankle throbbed sharply, but she clenched her teeth and forced herself to stand. Thankfully, the massive width of the hem hid her ankles, concealing her injury.

Christian said nothing. He took out a cigarette and lit it. After taking a deep drag, he stubbed it out and tossed it into the trash. He got back into the car, and the engine of the Cullinan roared as the car merged back into traffic.

It was only after the headlights had disappeared completely that Adeline finally let her shoulders drop, leaning against the glass door.

She had been holding on for so long through sheer willpower. Now that her strength had deflated, the pain rushed back at her all at once.

Nevertheless, after sitting alone for so long, her mood had eased up a little. She'd processed her emotions completely.

"You have a call, Ms. Wright."

Lisa retrieved Adeline's phone from the fitting room, and Adeline took her phone. When she saw Victor's name on the screen, she limped into the VIP lounge and took the call.

"Good evening, Officer Lewis."

"Ms. Wright, are you free to meet up with me right now?"

Victor only ever called her because of work, so she gave him the address for the bridal boutique. Even though these past two days had been a mess, she couldn't let that affect her work.

Since she had some difficulty walking, Lisa asked, "Do you need to get your ankle checked, Ms. Wright? We can take you to the hospital."

"It's fine. I'll leave once I get changed."

Adeline changed back into her clothes and picked out a pair of soft flats from the boutique to wear.

By now, her injured ankle had swelled up pretty badly, the skin bruised purple. It hurt from even the slightest movement.

Approximately 15 minutes later, Victor showed up. Once he saw the way she was limping, he hurried forward to lend her a hand.

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"I fell earlier, and I think my ankle is probably twisted."

"I'll take you to the hospital right away!"

Victor couldn't help but feel a little puzzled to see her alone at a bridal boutique with an injured ankle, but he didn't ask any questions.

"Thank you, Officer Lewis."

Adeline didn't decline his offer. It might just be a twisted ankle, but it could also be a fracture, so she couldn't be too careless about it.

"It's my duty to help the citizens of this city," Victor replied with a solemn expression.

Chuckling, Adeline settled down in the car before asking, "Why did you want to see me, Officer Lewis?"

"There's a case, and we need your social connections and trust from the public to help us with the investigation, Ms. Wright."

Apart from that, after working with her multiple times, Victor also respected her investigative ability.

Adeline readily agreed to it. "Sure. And as always, once the case is settled, I want to be the first to hear the details and get an exclusive interview."

Besides her laudable writing skills, her collaboration with the police force had also greatly contributed to her reputation in the journalism industry.

"This case is complicated, and many powerful factions are involved. It could get dangerous," Victor warned with a serious expression, his fingers running over the steering wheel.

He needed Adeline's help, but he was worried about putting her in harm's way.

"Just tell me what I need to do."

Adeline was pretty calm about it. She believed that reporters and police officers had the same goal in mind. In both fields, they pursued the truth and exposed wrongdoing. Their duty was to protect society and uphold the rights of the citizens.

But those were difficult goals to achieve.

Victor glanced at her through the rearview mirror and finally nodded. "Alright. I'll discuss the details with you tomorrow."

When they were near the hospital, Adeline said, "You can stop here. I'll go in by myself."

Victor remained a little concerned. "Maybe I should accompany you."

"It would affect my ability to help with the investigation if people saw me having too much contact with the police. Don't worry. I can take care of myself," Adeline assured him.

She'd always held to the principle of maintaining her own independence even when she collaborated with someone else.

Knowing what she was like, Victor didn't insist. He stopped the car to let her out.

After bidding him goodbye, Adeline went into the emergency room alone. After examining her injury, the doctor suggested that she spend the night at the hospital for further observation and run more tests tomorrow.

Once she completed the paperwork and payment for her stay at the hospital, she slowly limped her way toward her hospital room. But when she went around the corner, two familiar figures appeared in her view.

Wendy was leaning against Stanley with a sweet smile on her face as she looked up at him. The look in her eyes conveyed how emotionally dependent she was on him.