LOGINAdriana didn't refuse. She slid straight into the back seat and snatched her phone back from Francesco's hand, teasing lightly, "Your service is pretty thorough. I'll look for you again next time I need it."Francesco's face darkened further and further. His hands tightened on the steering wheel so hard it looked like he might crush it.Adriana, on the other hand, felt inexplicably pleased.She absentmindedly rested a hand over her lower abdomen, thinking that with how many times it had happened last night, she wondered if she might actually get pregnant.Francesco was handsome, intelligent, and—more importantly—he was the man she liked. He was the perfect candidate to be the child's father.No matter where their relationship went in the future, she found herself strangely looking forward to that possibility.The car remained silent all the way.Francesco said nothing, his face dark and stormy, as if he were the one being wronged.The familiar, cold scent in the car lingered ar
"Adriana, let go."Francesco's voice was hoarse, strained. One hand pressed against the bed as the other tried to pull at the already disheveled bath towel around his waist.Beneath him, one of Adriana's dress straps had slipped down her arm, exposing pale skin.She made no attempt to cover herself. Instead, she hooked an arm around his neck and pulled herself up, meeting his tightly pressed lips in a kiss.In that brief moment of stunned hesitation, she tugged him down with her.As his burning body came crashing down onto hers, she yanked the bath towel from his waist and tossed it aside without a second thought.Her initiative was almost aggressively intense.Francesco's mind went blank for a heartbeat.When he finally reacted, he shoved her away, his voice low and rough."Adriana, you're drunk. I'll take you to Bianca's room."He tried to get up, but she clung to him like a gecko."I'm not drunk. Just a little tipsy."Her hands were anything but obedient, boldly teasing
"The surgery was a success, but the recovery afterward is slow. I've been running back and forth from the lab and taking so many leaves. Sorry for the trouble.""It's my honor that you're even willing to come to the lab. Even if you only show up once or twice a month, that's more than enough."Oliver seemed to think of something and added, "By the way, it's Scarlet's birthday the day after tomorrow. She asked me to invite you to her birthday banquet."Adriana smiled and gently declined. "I'm sorry, I still need to take care of Chris. I probably won't be able to make it. Please help me explain it to your sister."She wasn't close enough to Scarlet to warrant attending her birthday banquet.Moreover, after the last dinner, she felt a strong aversion to the way Scarlet looked at her—measuring, probing, as if she were being evaluated. So she used Chris as a convenient excuse and declined the invitation.Oliver lowered his eyes and smiled softly. "I'll explain it. You don't need to fe
Adriana returned home and opened the refrigerator to get some fruit, only to find it packed full.In addition to vegetables and meat, there were ready-to-eat meals, juice, and milk.She quickly checked the home surveillance footage and discovered that Francesco and Bianca had come by that evening. Everything in the refrigerator had been brought by them.So the person Alex had seen at the hospital… was really Francesco?After a brief hesitation, she made a video call to Bianca.The call had barely connected when Bianca asked excitedly, "Adriana, guess where I am!""Bianca, are you in Heatherton City?" Adriana asked."You got it!" Bianca laughed. "Cesco and I came to see you, but you weren't home."Adriana's fingernails dug into her phone case. Her heartbeat slowed slightly, almost unnaturally so."Is there something going on in Heatherton City?" she asked.Her tone carried a hint of tension and anticipation she herself didn't even notice.Bianca smiled. "Cesco said he's here
Adriana covered her mouth, laughing and crying at the same time.This was wonderful.For once, fate had finally shown her a little mercy.By the time the anesthesia wore off, evening had arrived.Chris still couldn't eat after the surgery, so the nurses had him on intravenous nutrition.Using a warm, damp towel, Adriana carefully wiped his face and hands."Adriana, thank you."A faint smile curved Chris's lips. For the first time in a long while, a trace of vitality returned to his pale face.Afraid that the pain from his incision might be unbearable, Adriana said softly, "How about I read to you?"Chris nodded and closed his eyes.Adriana opened the book to where she had left off and began reading aloud. Her voice was clear and steady. Every word was calm, deliberate, and reassuring.She focused on the text before her.Meanwhile, Chris quietly watched her.She was so absorbed in reading that she never noticed his gaze. Nor did she realize that someone else had appeared ou
Adriana always found a way to pull herself out of negativity.One of her methods was simple: fill her life to the brim until she was too busy to dwell on painful thoughts.Early the next morning, she arrived at Nash Hospital.Today was the day of Chris's heart transplant surgery.Adriana didn't ask about any of the medical details. She simply stayed by his side, quietly waiting with him.Since Chris had already made his choice, all she needed to do was accompany him."Chris, I'll be waiting for you outside."Instead, Chris was the one worrying about her."The surgery will probably take a long time. If you get tired, go home. I'll have Alex send you a message when it's over."Adriana looked at him."You don't want me to wait for you?"Chris took her hand.This time, Adriana didn't pull away."Adriana, if the surgery fails, don't be too sad. Just think of it as me finally finding relief."Before he could finish, he turned his head away. His eyes reddened instantly, and no m
Francesco rose and sank into the sofa. "Sit."Adriana took the seat across from him. "May I ask what kind of meeting this is?"The clock pointed to eleven. Most of the office staff had already left. She suspected his intentions weren't about the meeting at all, but about cornering her.Francesco'
Adriana relied purely on survival instinct as she made her way down the mountain. Along the way, two more cars passed, neither slowing down.After more than half an hour, a car suddenly came speeding up from below. In the glow of its headlights, she saw who was inside and nearly screamed in relief.
Francesco's hand froze as he raised the wine glass to his lips, long fingers brushing idly along the rim. He extended the glass toward Adriana in a mock salute before tipping it back and draining it in one smooth motion."Today, we truly meet, Mrs. Slater."The words were deliberately emphasized—e
Heidi hadn't just made soup—she'd also made some chicken tacos for Adriana.Chris, at some point, had taken a seat across from Adriana. He poured some red sauce in a little saucer for her."Edward suddenly had a sharp stomachache, so I rushed him to the hospital."Adriana nodded. "It wasn't serio







