Chapter 19: Then I'll Give You a Surprise

The moment the words left her mouth, a dark glint flashed through the man's eyes.

After a long silence, just when she thought he would refuse her.

The man’s voice turned raspy, "Okay."

Drifting through the waves of passion, Vivian Hale turned her head away, no longer looking at the man’s face.

Naturally, she missed the fleeting look of loneliness and hurt in the depths of his eyes.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that the two finally finished their intense entanglement, both drifting off to sleep from sheer exhaustion.

The night was thick, yet it could not dissolve the lingering intimacy filling the room.

Vivian was awakened by thirst.

When she sleepily opened her eyes, it was still dark outside.

The space beside her in bed was empty, leaving behind only a trace of residual warmth.

Turning her gaze, she spotted a tall, slender silhouette out on the bedroom balcony.

The man was leaning against the railing, the glow of the cigarette between his fingers flickering bright and dim.

He looked as though he had something heavy on his mind.

Despite sharing the exact same face as Adrian Cross, this man was far more refined and noble, carrying an elusive, brooding melancholy that made him hard to read.

If he were out in the world, he had more than enough charm to infatuate crowds of young girls.

Yet Vivian only wanted to sneer.

This man was playing her for a fool alongside Adrian, and now he was putting on a deep, brooding act.

She felt a wave of visceral disgust at her own subconscious reaction from just moments ago.

Vivian ignored him, losing even her desire for water.

She simply yanked the blanket over her head and fell back asleep.

It wasn't until the next morning.

The sunlight pricked at her eyelids, accompanied by a familiarly sore and aching body.

Vivian opened her eyes; this time, the man beside her was truly gone.

She threw back the blanket and got out of bed, intending to prepare some breakfast.

Turning her head, she noticed a glass of warm milk sitting on the nightstand, with a note pressed beneath the bottom of the glass.

She picked it up and saw the bold, fluid strokes of his handwriting.

"Eat your meals on time, or your stomach will hurt."

Vivian’s hand trembled slightly as she held the note.

Having been with Adrian for so long, he had never once shown concern for her chronic stomach issues.

In all likelihood, he couldn't even remember such a thing existed.

Yet right now, the milk on the nightstand was still warm.

She couldn't help but feel a subtle tremor deep in her heart.

...

Life on Adrian Cross's side was not going nearly as well.

Since the villa was empty, he had simply brought Tiffany Rose back to live with him at the ancestral mansion.

However, early in the morning, he was jolted awake by the sound of harsh scolding.

Mrs. Eleanor Cross was sitting at the dining table, venting her rage at the breakfast spread before her.

"What on earth is all this? You don't even know how to cook a simple black truffle multigrain porridge? The heat was completely overdone, and you couldn't even find any decent astragalus root?"

Tiffany stood beside her, looking utterly submissive and fearful.

"Auntie, I got up at five this morning and kept my eyes on it the entire time. It couldn't possibly be burned..."

In reality, she had begged Adrian to bring her back here, thinking that spending more time with Eleanor would allow her to elevate her status sooner.

Who would have thought that on the very first night, Eleanor would hand her a detailed menu.

She said that when Vivian lived here, everything was prepared exactly according to this list.

Tiffany had been completely dumbfounded at the time.

A list that long—their family required eight separate dishes for every single meal, including breakfast...

She had forced herself to do it, but instead of praising her, Eleanor had unleashed a torrent of abuse right to her face.

Before her, Eleanor was still unyielding: "You can't even handle a trivial matter like this, you're not even a patch on Vivian Hale. How can I trust you to take care of Adrian!"

"I..."

Tiffany had a mouth full of bitterness but no way to speak out.

Adrian walked downstairs wearing his pajamas, his brows knitting tightly at the scene before him.

"First thing in the morning, what is all the shouting about?"

Before Tiffany could utter a word, Eleanor immediately turned her interrogation on him.

"Look at the women you find, each one worse than the last. What kind of garbage is she serving me first thing in the morning? If you ask me, stop wasting your energy and go get Vivian back immediately!"

Mainly, her scheduled beauty routine had been delayed, and wrinkles were about to form on her face, yet this Tiffany could only make excuses and couldn't even renew her salon membership.

She didn't want to wait any longer.

Tiffany’s eyes turned slightly red, her voice carrying a hint of tears.

"Adrian..."

Adrian's brows knit even tighter.

The breakfast on the table was remarkably complete, ranging from Chinese to Western styles; it wasn't hard to see that Tiffany had put her heart into it.

Since when had his mother become so aggressively demanding?

Adrian felt a surge of dissatisfaction in his heart.

He took a seat at the dining table, and for the first time, he didn't side with Eleanor.

"This is plenty. Stop nitpicking and just eat."

Eleanor froze, instantly driven into a fit of rage.

"What is that supposed to mean? Don't tell me you're actually protecting her now? I never saw you protect Vivian like this before."

Adrian was stunned, only just remembering that Vivian used to endure the exact same lectures, though she seemed to have never complained once.

He took a sip of the porridge and realized the flavor was indeed a far cry from what Vivian used to make; it was no wonder his mother was angry.

"Fine. I’ll call Vivian tomorrow. When she comes back, you need to restrain yourself too."

As he spoke, his tone carried more than a hint of impatience.

Hearing this, Eleanor's eyes suddenly reddened, and her dissatisfaction boiled over.

"What, do you pity her now? She’s a cripple who can't even give birth to a child. The fact that you were willing to marry her and let her live the life of a wealthy socialite is more than enough for her—what is there to pity? Your mother’s health has always been poor; is it a crime for me to call her back to serve me and show some filial piety?"

The porridge in Adrian’s mouth instantly lost whatever flavor it had left.

Eleanor wasn't wrong either.

Aside from him, who else would marry a woman who didn't even have breasts.

Helping to take care of his mother was, when calculated out, entirely within the realm of what was right and expected.

After all, she no longer had a mother of her own, so wouldn't his mother be hers?

Adrian set his bowl down, "Don't worry, I'll call her very soon and have her come back."

With this assurance, Eleanor had nothing left to say.

Her heart felt considerably lighter and more satisfied.

Having Tiffany flitting around her for two days had left everything in a complete mess.

In the end, Vivian was still the most obedient tool to order around.

Meanwhile, listening to the two of them chime in together and treat her completely as if she were invisible, Tiffany was filled with resentment. Yet she didn't dare to unleash it, leaving her to endure it all in isolation.

Heh, did they really think she was a soft target to be pushed around?

...

It was already quite late when Vivian received Adrian’s call.

She originally didn't want to bother with it, but she was unwilling to show any flaws at such a critical juncture.

Only after adjusting her emotions did she press the answer button.

Vivian made her voice incredibly soft, like a cat's tail brushing against the heartstrings.

"Hello, Honey. Why are you calling so late?"

This time, however, Adrian wasn't buying her act.

The man’s voice was cold and direct, "Vivian, you've been away on vacation for a long time now. When exactly are you coming back? A lot of things have happened at home recently, and I really need you. Furthermore... regarding that matter with the public relations, I need you to come back and clarify things."

Vivian knew that his patience had officially run dry.

But returning just like this, letting Adrian suffer only this tiny bit of trouble, was far from enough.

She intentionally adopted a dejected tone, "But Mom told me everything. She said Tiffany has been helping you a lot by your side, and you have so many excellent talents like her around you; I'm sure they can help you resolve it..."

She paused deliberately, cutting across Adrian just as he was about to speak, "I’ve thought about it a lot these past two days. Maybe Mom is right—without me, you can resolve these things much better. I shouldn't come back to drag you down, let's wait until the matter blows over."

Hearing this, Adrian was instantly choked for words.

What on earth had his mother been saying to her?

But in order to coax her back, he could only suppress his temper and speak patiently.

"Don't listen to her nonsense. You're different from them; you're my only wife. I only want you. I'm buying the earliest ticket to Sanya tomorrow morning to come pick you up. Whatever grievances you have, tell your husband face-to-face when we meet."

If this had been any ordinary time, Vivian would have long since been deeply moved.

But now, all of Adrian’s kindness was nothing more than poison wrapped in a sugar coating.

It looked like a charge made out of love, but in reality, he simply didn't want her to escape his grasp.

He only wished for her to be forever trapped in the cage of illusions he had woven.

Vivian, of course, would not give him that chance.

"No need. But since you miss me so much, Honey, I'll give you a surprise! Don't worry, I will definitely clarify the public relations matter for you!"