Chapter 16: Sunk Costs Should Not Influence Decisions

Vivian Hale’s face was deathly pale.

Just then, the eyelashes of the man before her fluttered slightly, and his long, narrow eyes slowly opened.

He was awake.

Vivian’s breath hitched.

She watched helplessly as the man sat up, his deep gaze locking onto hers.

"What’s wrong? Waking up so early—were you not tired enough last night?"

Seeing the smirk at the corners of his lips, Vivian let out a breath of relief.

It was the double.

She felt as if the strength had been drained from her body, her frame going limp for a moment.

But in the next second, a deeper confusion set in.

Whether she was facing Adrian or Eleanor yesterday, she believed she hadn't let anything slip, acting exactly as she always had.

So why did Adrian send the double again?

Moreover, they shouldn't even know she was here. If the double was truly sent by them, he shouldn't be reacting this way.

The man, leaning toward her, asked at that moment, "Why aren't you saying a word? Are you angry?"

Vivian took a deep breath and managed to force a thin smile.

"No, I'm just a bit tired... didn't I tell you yesterday not to come looking for me and to focus on work? Why did you come anyway?"

The man gave a low chuckle, his lips grazing her pearl-like earlobe.

"How could work be more important than you? I'm still waiting for us to have a baby of our own."

Vivian’s breathing tightened slightly.

This man was definitely off. Given the current situation, if Adrian knew she was hiding here, he would be furious—let alone sending a double to speak to her so tenderly.

A bold thought flashed through Vivian’s mind.

Could it be... that he came here to find her on his own initiative?

Vivian pulled at the corners of her mouth, her smile appearing dazed.

"But honey, I didn't tell you which flight I was taking back from Sanya. How did you know I was here?"

She continued to probe, yet the man showed not a hint of panic.

He straightened his back, his large hand gently stroking Vivian’s soft cheek, his eyes filled with indulgence and helplessness.

"Alright, you caught me."

"I confess, I was on my way to the office when I saw a figure from behind that looked just like yours, so I followed to be sure. But you didn't leave the house all day yesterday, and then in the middle of the night, you suddenly started screaming and crying. I thought something had happened to you."

"I was so worried that I tried the front door code on a whim. I didn't expect it to work, so I came in. Before I could even stand still, someone threw themselves at me, crying and demanding to kiss me."

At this, the man couldn't help but chuckle.

His hand slid down to Vivian’s delicate chin, tilting it up.

His tone took on a teasing edge: "We haven't seen each other for a few days, and you've been missing me so much you're dreaming about it? It seems I'll have to satisfy you a few more times."

Vivian’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson, mixed with a touch of irritation.

She could accept that this man had slept with her using Adrian’s identity.

After all, she wanted a child.

But now he was slowly seeping into her life, even starting to influence her emotions.

That was something she would not allow.

Suddenly, she lost interest in this farce.

She pushed the man away, staring straight into his deep eyes.

After a moment of silence, she finally couldn't hold back the question.

"Are you really Adrian Cross?"

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of scrutiny entering his gaze as he looked at her.

"Who... do you want me to be?"

Hearing this, Vivian suddenly snapped back to reality.

Her divorce plan had only just begun, and this man was someone Adrian had brought in.

She couldn't be sure where his loyalties lay.

At a time like this, it was better not to invite unnecessary complications.

Realizing this, Vivian took a deep breath and feigned a look of just waking from a dream.

"Of course you are my husband, Adrian. I was just sleep-deprived and confused. If you aren't my husband, who else would you be?"

Upon hearing this, the man’s thin lips pressed together.

Those eyes, deep as ink, darkened, and the aura around him grew cold.

He let out a low, dry laugh and didn't respond. He stood up, picked up his shirt from the floor, and put it on.

On his sturdy back, there were several red scratch marks.

Seeing them, the tips of Vivian’s ears burned.

She wanted to say something more.

The man’s deep voice beat her to it: "There are things at the office. I'm leaving."

Vivian froze.

She didn't know if it was her imagination, but after she called out the name "Adrian," the double’s attitude toward her had suddenly turned icy.

It was as if the person who had held her so tightly before, wishing to meld her into his very bones, wasn't him.

However, before she could find an answer, the man had already left.

Vivian sat on the large bed with its rumpled sheets.

With her messy hair draped over her shoulders, her delicate face was pinched with worry.

Although she had brushed off the incident just now, for some reason, an unease lingered in her heart...

She thought it over but found no conclusion. Never mind—she felt it was best to stay quiet for now and stick to her original plan.

Getting out of bed, she prepared to head to the bathroom to wash away the lingering stickiness.

Suddenly, the phone on the nightstand rang.

It was a message from Ruby.

"Manager Hale, are you back from your trip yet?"

"I don't know what’s possessed President Cross lately, but he’s letting that Tiffany Rose run wild in the company. Not only did she fire two of the planning teams, but she also egged him into spending a fortune on a bulk purchase of processors."

"If you don't come and stop this, she’s going to play the company into the ground!"

Looking at the messages, a mocking smile touched Vivian’s lips.

It seemed her "gentle nudge" was working well.

The current Adrian trusted Tiffany implicitly, even handing over personnel changes to her.

She was actually looking forward to seeing Adrian’s reaction when he realized he had pinned all his hopes on a fraud.

Vivian replied to Ruby’s message.

"I'm out of town and can't book a flight back. Ruby, you and the others were trained by me personally. With your skills, you can shine anywhere. If you want to jump ship, I can help write your recommendation letters."

She left it at that.

But Ruby was clearly hesitant: "But this is our life's work..."

Vivian raised an eyebrow and typed a serious reply, word by word.

"Sunk costs should not influence major decisions."

Just like her marriage.

One must let go when it is time to let go, rather than wasting a lifetime on something—or someone—unworthy.

The other side remained silent for a long time, seemingly deep in thought.