Mag-log inOnly after the car entered the underground parking garage of the old shopping mall did the noise around them gradually quiet down.It was a weekday, and with the rain falling outside, the mall was sparsely populated.The three of them entered the Gorlenza restaurant. Adriana seated Bianca on the inside, while she took the seat beside her.Francesco sat across from them and picked up the tablet to order food.Less than ten minutes later, Oliver arrived.Seeing that Francesco and Bianca were there as well, he smiled awkwardly."Sorry I'm late."Adriana smiled. "We just got here too. Oliver, have a seat and order."Standing beside Francesco, Oliver said somewhat awkwardly, "Francesco, could I trouble you to move inward a little?""I prefer sitting on the outside."Francesco stood up and let Oliver take the inner seat.Adriana pressed her lips together in a faint smile. Though Francesco could be infuriating, he truly treated Bianca well. Knowing she wanted to be friends with Oli
"Sure. If you like it, it's yours."The checkers set was a special Tom and Jerry edition—Tom on one side, Jerry on the other. Chris had given it to her when she was eleven or twelve. Because it had been expensive, she could never bear to throw it away and had kept it all these years.Near noon, Francesco finally emerged from his room. His posture was lazy, his expression still heavy with sleep.Out of concern, Adriana asked, "Are you not feeling well?""No." Francesco poured himself a glass of water at the dispenser. "Bianca, I'll take you out for lunch.""Yay!" Bianca cheered. "Go change your clothes."Bianca immediately set down the checkers pieces and happily ran to her room to get changed.Holding his glass of water, Francesco stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Adriana's reflection appeared faintly in the glass as she sat on the sofa putting away the checkers set.Her slender frame was wrapped in a white slip dress, long hair cascading loosely over her should
"If they're garbage, then don't keep them in a drawer. Just throw them away."Adriana's expression remained calm, as though the photos were nothing more than empty packaging boxes. Pretty to look at, but ultimately useless.Francesco clearly hadn't expected that reaction from her. His brows knitted slightly, and his long fingers curled tightly for a moment before every trace of emotion dissolved into a cold laugh.Adriana turned toward Bianca, who was dozing against the sofa, and softened her tone."Bianca, do you want to sleep alone or with me?""With you.""Alright, then we'll sleep in the master bedroom."When Adriana came home earlier, she had only prepared the master bedroom. She told Bianca to shower first, then pulled a set of bedding from the cabinet and stuffed it into Francesco's hands."There are no servants in my home, so I'm afraid you'll have to make your own bed."Francesco accepted the bedding without a word and went to prepare the guest room himself.After sh
Francesco straightened his suit and gave a slight nod with a polite smile toward the others."Francesco, long time no see.""Long time no see."After the greetings were exchanged, Patrick led everyone to the dining room and instructed the maid to serve the dishes.To avoid drawing attention, Adriana sat between Francesco and Bianca."Bianca," she said, "the cook here at Bella's place is excellent. Try this."She placed a few of Bianca's favorite dishes onto her plate, encouraging her to taste them.Bella's gaze landed on Francesco as she teased, "Francesco, how did you manage to make Adriana lose so much weight?"Francesco picked up a dish for Adriana. "Eat more, or I'll end up being held accountable.""Who would dare hold you accountable?" Adriana replied teasingly, eating what he had placed in her bowl.Oliver ate quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words with Adriana.Seeing that Francesco's expression was a little bitter, Patrick deliberately steered the conversation
Adriana answered the call. Francesco's cold voice came through immediately."Where are you?"The question sounded completely unreasonable. She replied, "In Heatherton City.""I don't see you at home."Adriana blurted out, "Are you monitoring me?"The moment she said it, she thought of Chris's past surveillance and felt a chill rise in her chest."What the hell is going on in your head?" the man on the other end snapped. "I'm not your deranged ex-husband. Bianca wanted to come to Heatherton City to visit Grandpa, so I came with her."Bianca glanced at Francesco in confusion.She hadn't been the one insisting on coming. It was Cesco who had suggested bringing her to Heatherton City to visit Scott.Just as she was about to speak, Francesco made a "shh" gesture."I'm at Bella's place," Adriana said into the phone. "I'll go back after dinner. You can arrange your own plans.""Got it."The line went dead after a brief, indifferent reply.Bella immediately asked, "Is something wr
Adriana lay on the bed and reached out to the side, only to find the sheets cold and empty.A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, soaking into the pillow. She fell into a deep sleep amid quiet sobs.It was past ten in the morning when Adriana woke from a nightmare. She ordered takeout and ate it as brunch.Only after finishing did she settle onto the sofa and start a video call with Bella.Bella took one look at the familiar décor behind Adriana and cried out in surprise, "Adriana, baby—you're back in Heatherton City?!""Yes," Adriana replied with a smile. "Came back to see you. Are you home this afternoon?""Why wait for the afternoon? Come now!" Bella leaned closer to the screen. "Where's your husband?""He's in Mitaly on business. I came back alone.""Then just stay at my place," Bella said immediately. "Now that I'm pregnant, I sleep separately from Patrick to avoid any accidents. You can keep me company."Adriana felt her face heat up slightly. Bella really hadn't ch
Shucking the barbecue wasn't hard—making ten plates was nothing.Still, the look on Oliver's face made it seem like she'd suffered some profound humiliation. Adriana pressed her lips together, caught between laughter and frustration.After fixing four or five plates, Francesco simply took the serv
"It's snowing."The sky had been brooding all day, and at last, late into the night, delicate flakes began to drift downward.Adriana let go of Francesco, palms lifted, chasing the falling snow. The flakes were thin and light—melting instantly against her warm hands. She reached, cupped them, then
Adriana tilted her head back and let out a deep breath.Whenever her mother was mentioned, her nose tingled, her eyes pricked with tears. She forced a wry smile, staring straight at Chris, ignoring the redness around her eyes."You almost made me lose my mother's keepsake. It was Neo who got it fo
Adriana strode out of the exhibition hall, inhaling the crisp evening air. Her mind immediately cleared.It was still early, so she decided to head back to the lab. The research on the walking aid she was developing for Chris had hit a bottleneck, and the stack of materials she had prepared was wai







