LOGIN"The outdoor temperature was nearly forty degrees, and she still insisted on dragging Bella out for walks, saying that more movement would increase the chances of having a son."Sunny-Mae grew more and more agitated as she spoke. She plopped down onto a chair and gulped down more than half a glass of water from the table."That's not even the worst of it. The moment Patrick comes home, she stares at him nonstop and won't let him get near Bella. She even says a pregnant woman affects his fortune."Adriana felt her heart ache as she listened. This wasn't a mother-in-law—it was outright abuse."Bella, just stay at my place and rest in peace," she said softly, holding her best friend's hand. Her palm was warm and steady."If you don't want to see Patrick, then don't let him come anymore. Every time he comes, he only upsets you.""I don't want to see him anyway," Bella said through tears. "He insisted on coming today. I thought after so many days apart, he would've changed his attitud
Adriana spent the entire day at the hospital and had dinner with Chris.When she returned home, she found Patrick there.He came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly cut pineapple, the golden pieces neatly arranged, and placed it gently in front of Bella.Adriana smiled and teased, "Patrick, are you here to be a housekeeper in my home?"Bella snorted coldly. "This is just a classic case of sudden kindness—there must be some hidden agenda."Patrick smiled. "I'm here to beg for a favor—let me accompany you to your next prenatal checkup. Please, my lady, give me one chance."Bella turned her face away. "Not a chance!"Seeing that their relationship had eased somewhat, Adriana tactfully excused herself."You two take your time talking. I'll go take a shower first."After she left the living room, Patrick picked up a piece of pineapple and brought it to Bella's lips."Honey, come home with me. If you stay here, you'll just trouble Adriana."Bella took the fork from his
"No 'buts.' I must take control of the Este family and send Bianca to Heatherton City."Francesco reached into his pocket, only to remember the cigarette case had been thrown into the trash by Bianca."Since the hypnosis made me forget my feelings for Adriana, I'll treat this as an opportunity.""Everything will be arranged as you wish, Sir."Mars said no more and went to inform his men to send the psychologist back again.Once the hypnosis was lifted, his boss would inevitably be caught in an impossible dilemma.It was better to act now—clean and decisive.As long as Francesco took control of the Este family and legally adopted Bianca into the Stanley family, he would have no weaknesses left.The Stanley family's agreement to the divorce had been made with exactly that intention.Adriana could, of course, guess that there were things Francesco could not say out loud. But she no longer wanted to keep wronging herself again and again.If he had chosen to lift the hypnosis and
Adriana laughed in anger. Francesco was always so skilled at turning things around on others."Francesco, let me make this very clear to you—you are very likely under a hypnosis spell."She paused awhile, her tone turning serious."If you choose to keep pretending nothing is wrong, then you're choosing to give up everything between us."With that, she hung up the call and threw her phone onto the bed.This time, she would not be flying across the ocean to steal back a marriage.Francesco stood by the terrace railing, the cigarette between his fingers burned down to a short, ashen stub. He lowered his gaze to the phone screen, while Adriana's irritated voice kept echoing in his mind."Why are you smoking again?"Bianca walked out in a nightgown, resting her hands on the railing beside him.Before Adriana left, she had specifically told Bianca to keep an eye on him—make sure he smoked less, ate on time, and slept properly.Francesco crushed out the cigarette. "Weren't you aslee
Bianca kept chattering on and on, praising Sophia from head to toe.It was obvious she genuinely liked that blond, blue-eyed woman. Every word carried unfiltered affection and excitement.But Adriana could no longer hear a single thing.Those praises felt like a bucket of ice water poured straight over her head, seeping into her bones and freezing her entire body stiff.She tried to act indifferent, but something was lodged in her throat, choking off her voice.Francesco could be truly ruthless.Was it really just a hypnosis spell—enough to make him fall for someone else so easily?Or had he, from the very beginning, never truly accepted her past marriage to Chris, only pretending not to care?She reached for the end call button, but her fingers hovered above the screen, trembling slightly.At that moment, Francesco's stern voice came through from the other side."Bianca, it's late. Turn off the video and go to sleep."Bianca quickly leaned toward the camera and lowered her
Adriana didn't know Scarlet's true intention. She assumed it was merely prejudice stirred by her past rumors—nothing more than a dinner arranged to observe her in person, to ensure there were no "unclean" influences around her younger brother, Oliver.When she returned home, she casually mentioned the dinner to Bella.Leaning lazily on the sofa, Bella immediately saw through it as an outsider."She's not just checking your character. She's picking a future wife for Oliver."Adriana hesitated. "Oliver has a strong personality. He doesn't seem like someone who would let his sister control him.""He doesn't," Bella said. "But that doesn't stop his sister from making decisions on her own."A faint discomfort rose in Adriana's chest after a moment of silence.No wonder she had felt so uneasy during that meal. So that was it—she had been sitting there, being silently evaluated like merchandise.Bella added, "Oliver is actually pretty good. If things between you and Francesco really f
Of course it wasn't fine. Even a man who kept a mistress wouldn't bring her to an occasion this respectable.Chris was a well-known figure in their circle, and Joan came from a good family herself. Back then, the prospect of a marriage alliance between the Slater and Hill families had been common k
Francesco's gaze swept briefly over Adriana's face before he turned to chat with Oliver.Two young women standing nearby stared at Francesco without blinking, their voices buzzing with excitement."Oh my god—who is he? He's drop-dead handsome. He looks like a Hollywood star. Is he mixed-race?""H
Francesco let out a bitter, self-mocking smile. For a man like Chris, Adriana had walked away from him without hesitation.In her eyes, he didn't even compare to Chris."Perhaps," Adriana murmured, then released her hand and paused mid-step on the dance floor, offering no explanation. "Anyway, tha
"Oh—Edward, did you just tap the voice recorder?"Joan snatched the phone away, uneasily glancing at Chris."Chris, I'll delete it right now. Edward was fiddling with my phone while he was eating. Who knew it would record Adriana's words?"Chris said nothing. His expression tightened, his eyes li







