Chapter 3

Third-person POV

Adrian enjoyed the entire day with his friends. It wasn’t until they arrived at the hotel that they were informed the birthday dinner and the reserved room had been fully canceled.

Everyone was exhausted and hungry, and complaints immediately broke out.

Still, deep down, they all understood. Being ignored so completely on her own birthday, Julia was bound to feel wronged.

Bella’s nose reddened. Tears slowly slid down her face. "I’m sorry. Julia must be angry at me, so she’s throwing a tantrum. It’s all my fault for dragging everyone down. I should just leave."

After saying that, she picked up Tia and walked out of the hotel.

Adrian stood frozen in place, a wave of inexplicable guilt rising in his chest. It wasn’t Bella's fault. It was because he had completely forgotten about picking up Julia.

He hurriedly tried to think of a way to make things right, yet when he saw Bella walking away, his heart softened anyway. He chased after them and pulled them back.

"Bella, this is the only hotel around here. You and Tia should stay here tonight so I can take you back tomorrow."

The front desk looked troubled. With the recent surge of tourists, there were no vacant rooms left.

Adrian thought for a moment, then issued a forceful command. "Julia has kept a presidential suite here year-round. Give me the room key."

The front desk hesitated, then quickly shook their head. "I’m sorry, sir. Without our client’s consent, we can’t hand over the key."

Anger surfaced on Adrian’s face. He pulled up a photo of their marriage certificate from his phone and slammed it onto the counter. "I’m Julia's husband. I have the right to use that room."

The front desk examined the certificate repeatedly, then called Julia.

Naturally, the call went unanswered. The front desk shook their head again.

Adrian immediately raised his voice, "If you refuse, I’ll call your headquarters and file a complaint. All it takes is one word from me, and Julia won’t renew her contract with you next year."

Bella sniffled softly. "Forget it, Adrian. Julia has never liked me. How would she ever let me use her room? I don’t mind, but what about Tia?"

That sentence instantly ignited Adrian’s anger. He sent message after message to Julia.

"Julia, you’ve really gone too far this time!"

"If you’re upset, take it out on me. Why are you dragging Bella into this?"

"I’ll apologize for my mistake. Now, hurry and tell the front desk to open the room for Bella!"

What answered him was a long, suffocating silence. Unease crept into Adrian’s heart. In the past, no matter how angry Julia was, she had never ignored him like this.

Just then, Tia reached out her small hands at the perfect moment. "Uncle Adrian, hug."

Bella looked apologetic. "I’m sorry, Adrian. Tia grew up without a father. It’s her first time traveling far, and she’s scared…"

Adrian’s heart settled. Even if he needed to apologize to Julia, one more night wouldn’t make a difference.

Besides, she was clearly furious right now. If he went to her, it would probably only make things worse. It was better to let Julia cool down properly. Tomorrow, he could bring Bella along and explain everything.

Without Julia’s permission, they had no choice but to leave the hotel.

To make things worse, the car ran out of gas, and the nearest hotel was three kilometers away.

Tia couldn’t walk that far. Naturally, Adrian let her sit on his shoulders.

Bella walked a few steps in her high heels, then twisted her ankle and stumbled. She cried while pounding her leg. "I’m so useless. I always hold everyone back. Adrian, you take Tia and go ahead. Don’t worry about me!"

Seeing her mother hurt, Tia burst into heart-wrenching sobs, her mouth stretched wide as she cried.

Adrian gently comforted the two of them, "Bella, how could I leave you here alone?"

With that, he scooped her up in a princess carry. His friends whistled and teased from the side.

Bella’s face flushed shyly. "Adrian, this isn’t appropriate. I’m afraid Julia will be angry if she finds out."

Adrian smiled. "I’m the one who chose to carry you. If she’s angry, it's me she’ll be angry at."

Evan recorded the scene and sent it to the group chat, and that sentence was delivered, word for word, straight to Julia.

Evan spoke mockingly, "Adrian looks so handsome. As long as he is around, Bella doesn’t have to be afraid of anything!

"Bella is kind. Of course, everyone likes her! Unlike some people who are petty and get angry over everything!"

The group immediately chimed in.

"That’s true. What a warm and romantic scene. Makes people envious!"

"A handsome man and a beautiful woman. Adrian, Bella, and Tia really look like a happy family."

Adrian panicked for a brief moment after hearing those words, but he quickly calmed down. She had been so ruthless, abandoning him and Bella at the hotel. He'd let her suffer a bit inside. Consider it a punishment.

Once everything was explained tomorrow, she would understand him.

So he allowed his friends to joke freely in the group chat, the atmosphere growing wildly heated.

Suddenly, the laughter stopped short.

Ryan abruptly shoved a phone in front of him, stammering, "Adrian, you… you need to look… Julia said something in the group."

The tension hanging in Adrian’s chest finally eased. He knew it. Julia couldn’t let him go.

However, the moment he saw what she had sent, it felt as if the sky collapsed. She posted a photo of a divorce agreement along with three words.

"Let’s get divorced."