Chapter 10: Going Back to Give Him a Surprise

Even though she knew Adrian Cross was excessive, she hadn't expected him to be this heartless—whispering sweet nothings and talking about having a child with her one moment, only to bring that woman into their home the second she left.

A familiar cramp seized her stomach, and a wave of nausea surged up.

Unable to control it any longer, she knelt on the floor, clutching the trash can and retching.

The phone lying beside her continued to broadcast the sounds of debauchery.

Only after emptying her stomach did Vivian feel a bit of relief.

But she quickly remembered something, scrambled to find a pregnancy test, and hurried into the bathroom.

Five minutes later, it was still a single line.

Vivian sat on the toilet, her lips pressed into a tight line.

Was she being too impatient? It had only been once, after all; pregnancy wasn't a certainty.

The app showed she was still in her ovulation window. Vivian gritted her teeth and decided to try one more time.

But how was she to find that man?

Suddenly, her phone screen lit up with an unread message: "Where are you?"

Adrian had previously told her he’d opened a new account and asked her to save it.

Although she had heard Adrian's actual voice when this number first contacted her, this time, she felt it was that man.

He was still imitating Adrian’s tone, but for some reason, Vivian could sense the difference between the two.

Had Adrian grown suspicious of her and sent him to test her again?

A decision quietly formed.

Vivian intentionally replied: "I'm packing with Pearl. Honey, do you miss me?"

After that sentence, there was silence from the other side.

Only after a long while did a "Yeah" come back.

Vivian’s fingers flew across the screen as she intentionally acted spoiled.

"It’s a bit far to go home, and Pearl and I might miss our flight. How about I book a hotel near her place? Come and spend the night with me, okay?"

This time, the reply was swift.

"Okay."

"Shengjiang Hotel, Building 88, Presidential Suite."

Vivian replied quickly and sent the location.

Turning to the mirror, she looked at her bright eyes and white teeth and gave a radiant smile.

She carefully downloaded and saved all the videos from her phone, then picked out her newest red dress and sprayed on a rich, mature perfume before heading out.

She went straight to the presidential suite on the 88th floor.

Watching the elevator numbers climb, Vivian couldn't help but feel a sense of self-mockery.

She never expected that at the end of their relationship, both of them would have to wear masks and treat each other like fools.

The elevator arrived. Vivian took a deep breath to steady her emotions just as she was about to open the door.

In the next second, the door swung open, and her wrist was seized.

Vivian fell into a cool, firm embrace. An aggressive masculine scent washed over her—something she had never experienced with Adrian.

In the half-light, she looked up at the man. He clearly had the same face as Adrian, but he felt colder, more arrogant, and more strikingly handsome.

Undercurrents swirled in his eyes, hiding emotions Vivian couldn't decipher.

She parted her soft lips. "Honey..."

The man’s breath hitched visibly, and a storm-like kiss descended.

Vivian was kissed until she could barely breathe. She was pushed back onto the soft bed like melting spring water, letting the man’s hands roam inch by inch, taking whatever he desired.

Even when he reached her scars, he didn't pause for a second; instead, he kissed them with the devotion of a believer.

"Did it hurt?"

Vivian’s entire body trembled violently.

She suddenly realized the man was asking if the surgery had been painful back then.

In all this time, he was the first person to ever ask that.

Her eyes grew misty. She bit her lip and proactively hooked her arms around the man’s lean waist.

"I forgot a long time ago."

Sensing her proactivity, the man’s gaze darkened further.

He no longer suppressed his desire, completely immersing Vivian in his feverish passion.

She didn't know how long they struggled.

It wasn't until Vivian began to cry and beg for mercy that the man finally slowed to a stop.

After the extreme indulgence, she was exhausted, curling up in the man’s arms like a kitten.

In a daze between sleep and wakefulness, she thought she heard his husky voice.

"What exactly will it take for you to finally see me?"

The words were heavy with deep affection, yet carried a trace of restraint.

Vivian figured she had misheard.

He was just an actor playing a role—where would such deep affection come from?

Her eyelashes fluttered, but she couldn't open her eyes, eventually falling into a deep sleep.

By the time sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtains, it was already ten in the morning.

Vivian opened her bleary eyes to find the space beside her empty.

Only the wrinkled sheets, the soreness of her body, and the breakfast left nearby proved that the passion of the previous night hadn't been a dream.

Quite the professional substitute.

Vivian mocked herself inwardly before heading into the bathroom.

In the mirror, her snow-white body was covered in ambiguous red marks.

Even Vivian blushed at the sight; these marks probably wouldn't fade for at least a week.

Just as she was considering whether to cover them up, the security app on her phone alerted her again. Vivian picked it up and saw that Tiffany Rose was still at the villa!

In the footage, she was leaning into Adrian’s arms, playing with a model sailboat.

Vivian recognized it instantly—it was the birthday gift her parents had given her for her tenth birthday!

She hadn't found a suitable box for it when she was packing and planned to carry it by hand, but after the photo fell, she had completely forgotten about it.

She took a deep breath, thinking of a solution.

Tiffany’s mocking voice came through the monitor: "I really like this. Adrian, can you give it to me?"

Adrian doted on her, patting her head. "Take whatever you like. Consider it compensation."

Tiffany arched a brow. "This isn't yours, is it? Aren't you afraid she'll come back and make a scene?"

Adrian gave a light scoff. "Her? She won't."

The certainty and contempt in his words pierced Vivian’s heart like a knife.

She had given him her sincere heart, but in Adrian's eyes, she was just a stupid creature he could trample and control at will.

Tiffany, however, was delighted by his coaxing, breaking into a broad smile and kissing Adrian several times.

The man clearly enjoyed Tiffany’s fawning.

"Well, to make Adrian even more comfortable, let’s play a new game."

Tiffany acted spoiled as she began to undress.

Seeing that another live show was about to start, Vivian was about to turn off the monitor when she heard Adrian ask between gasps:

"Your new patent... when will it be approved?"

Vivian’s movements paused, a deeper chill settling in her heart.

She waited to see how Tiffany would answer.

"Soon. You know, I used AR technology to overlay virtual objects. This is unprecedented, so the process might take a bit longer."

AR technology overlaying virtual objects?

A cold, mocking smile touched Vivian’s lips.

That was exactly the first item in the report she had submitted to her professor.

Before submitting her patent application, she had written a detailed report for her mentor.

She and Tiffany were alumni. When the rumors started that Tiffany had developed a new patent, Vivian investigated; those rumors stemmed from several viewpoints Tiffany had shared at a university seminar.

Coincidentally, those viewpoints were all straight out of her own report.

But that was only a rough draft of a report. Did Tiffany really think she could gain anything based solely on that?

Vivian turned off her phone. When she looked back into the mirror, her eyes held a touch of irony and coldness.

She cut the surveillance feed and packed her things to leave the hotel.

At the same time, a playful smirk played on her lips.

If she suddenly returned right now, their expressions would surely be quite magnificent.