《Billionaire Second Choice 》全部章節：第 21 章 - 第 30 章

Adrian moved first. "Why are you here," Adrian said. "Elara," Jonas said simply. Something shifted in Adrian's expression. "What happened. Is she—" "She's okay." Jonas kept his voice even. "Dehydration. Stress. The baby is fine." He held Adrian's gaze. "She called me because she was alone on a street corner after you left her at the courthouse." The words landed and Jonas watched Adrian receive them watched the slight tightening at his jaw, the almost imperceptible shift that meant something had connected that he wished hadn't. "I had to leave," Adrian said. "I know." "There was a call—" "I know, Adrian." Jonas looked at him steadily. "I'm not fighting with you. I'm just telling you what happened." "your brother," he said quietly. "Derrick got to her." Adrian's jaw tightened fully this time. He looked down the corridor and something moved behind his eyes cold an

His voice came out slightly strained at the edges.Elara stopped.She turned slowly and looked at him at this man she'd married this morning who had a fiancée four doors away and who was standing in a hospital corridor telling Jonas where to take her like she was a package to be delivered. Like she was an arrangement. A contract. A convenience.That's all this is, she reminded herself.That's all you agreed to.It didn't make it feel any better."I'll decide where I go," she said quietly."You're staying at the penthouse," he said. "It was part of the arrangement. You need to be—""I need to rest," she said. "After today I think I've earned the right to decide where I do that.""Elara—""Good night, Adrian."She turned and walked toward the elevator.Jonas fell into step beside her without a word. He pressed the button. The doors opened immediately — small mercies — and they stepped in.In the last second before the doors closed she saw Adrian still standing in the corridor watching

The penthouse kitchen was the kind of kitchen that made her feel briefly, absurdly intimidated all clean lines and dark marble and equipment that looked more architectural than culinary. She opened three wrong cupboards before she found the mugs. Found the coffee after that. Stood at the machine figuring it out with the quiet determination of someone who had assembled flat pack furniture alone at midnight and was not going to be defeated by an espresso machine regardless of how expensive it looked.The coffee, when it came, was extraordinary.She stood at the floor to ceiling window with both hands wrapped around the mug and watched the city come alive thirty two floors below. The early light was grey and soft, turning the skyline gentle in a way it never managed once the day properly started. She liked it at this hour. The city looked almost approachable.She was on her second cup when she heard the door.Adrian came in the way she was beginning to understand he did everything quietl

Derrick was at his desk.He looked up.And to his credit to the credit of twenty years of cultivated composure he didn't flinch. Didn't scramble. Just leaned back in his chair with the unhurried ease of a man who had anticipated this and prepared for it and was comfortable with whatever came next."Adrian," he said. "You look terrible.""Seraphina," Adrian said.The name landed in the room.Derrick's expression didn't change. "How is she?""You know how she is." Adrian crossed to the desk and stood in front of it didn't sit, didn't lean, just stood. The particular stillness of someone who has stopped managing their anger and started using it. "You've had eyes on that hospital since she was brought in. Don't."A beat.Derrick looked at him."three months," Adrian said quietly. "You kept her for three months.""Adrian—""three months." Quieter now. Which in Adrian was always worse than loud. "You looked me in the eye at father's table and told me she'd left. That she'd chosen to leave.

Jonas POV The conference room on the thirty eighth floor was the one Adrian used when he didn't want an audience.Jonas had arrived five minutes before Adrian, which was typical. He was already at the table with two coffees and a folder he'd clearly brought as cover something to look at if looking at each other became complicated.It already was.Adrian came in, closed the door, set his phone face down on the table, and sat. He didn't touch the coffee immediately. He looked at the folder Jonas had brought, then at Jonas, with the expression of a man who had been running on empty since yesterday morning and was now operating on something colder and more efficient than energy."You called," Adrian said."I did." Jonas laced his fingers on the table. "Wanted to go over the Harmon acquisition before Friday. The numbers in section three need—""Seraphina left the hospital."Jonas opened the folder."I heard," he said.Adrian looked at him.The particular stillness that preceded something.