Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 81 - Chapitre 90

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 serving tray away."That's enough."Bianca glanced at his stern expression and didn't dare argue.Francesco and Oliver resumed their discussion on business collaboration, a conversation that seemed endless.They didn't leave until the restaurant's closing time. The mall lights were half off, and only the staff remained, finishing up the last tasks. Adriana rubbed her overly full stomach—she had eaten too much."We should head out," she said.In the underground parking garage, Oliver and Francesco shook hands before parting ways.Francesco looked at her. "Mrs. Slater, goodbye.""Goodbye, Francesco," Adriana replied distractedly, waving lightly. Every time he called her "Mrs. Slater," it

"I'm going to take a bath."Adriana sank into the bathtub, letting the warm water envelop her. It was soft, comforting, and alive with a gentle warmth. She closed her eyes, letting herself slowly slide under the surface, her body sinking, merging with the water.Until she could no longer hold her breath, she shot her head above the water, gasping in a deep, liberating inhale.The sensation was strange and wonderful—like being born anew.In the afternoon, she followed Chris's wishes and sorted out a pile of useless old things.Wind chimes, a bicycle, a rose teddy bear, a record player, a wedding dress…She carried them all to the front yard, making multiple trips, and still hadn't finished."Adriana, none of these are yours, are they?"Joan stood beside her growing "trash pile," hands on her hips, like a lioness surveying her trophies, arrogant and triumphant.But all of it belonged to Chris, most of it gifts Adriana had bought for him over the past five years. Clothes, daily n

Oliver knew about their past and deliberately avoided Adriana's workstation."Mr. Este, this is the core laboratory of our building—the largest in terms of floor space."This machine was imported from Djarmany, worth over ten million dollars. Apart from me, it's the most valuable asset in this building, and there's currently no domestic equivalent."This is our Ph.D. graduate from Djarmany—our most academically accomplished team member."Oliver rattled off his introductions while Francesco simply nodded along, a faint "hmm" punctuating each point.After a tour of the lab, he asked, "Mr. Este, would you like to see other floors? We have plenty more amazing stuff."Francesco's gaze swept past the machines and landed on a slender figure behind them. "And her?"Oliver's heart skipped a beat. "What about her?""Is she also one of the amazing stuff you mentioned? Otherwise, why have you shown me everything else but deliberately avoided her?"Francesco's smile was almost imperceptibl

A boyfriend is temporary, but a best friend lasts a lifetime.Adriana felt like she'd found a savior, almost moved to tears with relief."Bella, you're literally my lucky star."She explained the business trip to Bella."That's easy. I'll go with you to Mitaly.""No need to trouble yourself. You could still go to Greece. Just tell Chris that you're taking me on an overseas trip."It was a business trip to Mitaly, and she probably wouldn't have time to play around with Bella. It would also be awkward to interfere with the couple's plans. As long as she managed to gloss over it with Chris, it would be fine. She had never traveled abroad since marrying him, so he probably wouldn't object.By eight in the evening, Chris finally returned. He seemed preoccupied, barely responding even when Edward spoke.Before bed, Joan took Edward to wash up, and Adriana finally had a chance to be alone with him."Chris," she called softly, trying to pull his wandering thoughts back to her.Chris'

Outside the window, a cliff stretched high, capped with pure white snow. Below, the deep blue ocean extended to the horizon. Waves crashed against the rocks, spraying foaming white water."This is a soundproof curtain," Francesco said. "If it's too noisy, pull it down. "That's the bathroom. Everything's in there—brand new."He surveyed the room before placing his hands on his hips, eyes settling on Adriana, who was engrossed in taking photos."There's a dinner with the business partners tonight. Get ready."At the mention of work, Adriana immediately put down her phone and straightened."Will there be a translator?" she asked. She didn't speak Mitalian, and if she couldn't communicate clearly, it might make Sanctity look unprofessional."Speak English," Francesco said, glancing at his watch. "You have three hours to rest."With that, he closed the door and left.Adriana's sleepiness vanished. She pulled out her laptop and sat by the window, reviewing work files.Three hours