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Under Adrian’s cold gaze, Eva felt a shiver of unease crawl down her spine. Hadn’t he come with Vivian during lunch? Where was Vivian now? The questions swirled in her mind as she struggled to focus. Eva hadn’t heard what Carter had asked her; her thoughts were preoccupied. When she snapped back to reality, she quickly responded, not quite sure what she’d missed. The report ended soon after, and Carter, sensing the tension, offered to leave.
Adrian gave a curt, cold nod.
As Carter turned to leave, Adrian’s gaze remained fixed on Eva. Earlier, she had been partially hidden behind Carter, but now, there was no escaping the weight of Adrian’s stare. Why was he still looking at her? The questions flooded her mind.
Just as Carter reached the door, he turned back, his voice cutting through the silence, “Eva, shall I pick you up again tomorrow at noon?”
Eva was taken aback by his sudden offer, unsure how to respond. Adrian’s eyebrow arched slightly in response.
“Mr. Blackwood,” Carter interjected, his voice smooth, “Do you mind if I have a word with Eva?”
Eva’s brows furrowed, confusion crossing her features. She couldn’t understand Carter’s intentions—why would he want to speak with her now?
Adrian’s reply was sharp and cold, “Better not, considering it’s working hours.”
Carter seemed surprised but quickly recovered, “Then I’ll come for her after work.” With that, he exited the room.
The office fell into a heavy, oppressive silence. Adrian’s gaze was now solely on Eva, his eyes narrowed with displeasure.
“So, you went out with him during lunch?” Adrian’s voice was icy, though a trace of something deeper lingered beneath.
Eva nodded, unwilling to lie. It wasn’t like anything had happened between her and Carter. They had simply had lunch and talked about work.
Adrian’s brows furrowed, his expression darkening. “What did you do together?”
Eva’s response was calm, even though she felt an inexplicable tension rise in her chest. “We had lunch and discussed yesterday’s work.”
Though Adrian’s frown deepened, the mention of work seemed to ease his tension, at least momentarily. They both worked at Blackwood Group—it was normal to discuss business. But Adrian’s annoyance was palpable, as though something more than just the work was eating at him.
He pressed his lips together, and after a long pause, his voice was low, “People might think I’ve been mistreating you.”
Without thinking, Eva responded, her voice sharp, “And you think you haven’t mistreated me?”
The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and for a moment, everything froze. Both of them were taken aback by the bluntness of her response.
Eva immediately regretted her outburst. Why had she said that? Maybe it was because of their shared childhood, the familiarity that made her feel she could speak freely with him—even if it meant speaking out of turn.
As she reflected on her words, Adrian stood abruptly, his movements swift and purposeful. He crossed the space between them, his presence overwhelming despite his slim frame. There was a quiet power about him, a dominance that came from years of holding the reins of authority.
Eva instinctively took a step back, but Adrian closed the distance, gripping her shoulders with a force that kept her pinned between him and the cold wall behind her.
“What are you doing?” Eva’s voice quivered as she tried to retreat, but his grip on her neck tightened, holding her in place. His warm breath brushed against her face, sending an unexpected chill down her spine.
“Now, tell me how exactly I’ve mistreated you,” he murmured in a low, almost melodic voice, his fingers kneading the nape of her neck in a way that made her feel both confused and strangely vulnerable.
Eva’s mind raced. What was happening? This was not the Adrian she knew—the one who ignored her messages, the one who disappeared without a word. This Adrian was warm, possessive, as if none of their previous tension mattered. Was he pretending as if nothing had happened?
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Adrian pressed, his grip tightening as he pinched her chin and tilted her head up, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes narrowed, searching for a reaction.
Eva froze, her lips parted, words lodged in her throat. She wanted to ask him about the message he had ignored, about his disappearance. But nothing came out.
What if he said something like, “I was just trying to leave you some dignity. Why can’t you see that?” How would she respond to that?
No, she couldn’t answer that right now.
Eva shook her head slightly, her voice barely a whisper, “It’s nothing.”
Adrian’s expression darkened. He was growing impatient, his earlier tenderness replaced by something colder, more distant. Eva had been acting strangely lately—distant, unwilling to communicate. His patience was wearing thin, and whatever warmth he had just shown her was slipping away.
He released her chin and stepped back, his eyes narrowing. Eva could feel the coldness seeping back into the air between them.
Suppressing the lump in her throat, she turned to leave. “I’ll get back to work.”
But just before she could reach the door, Adrian’s voice halted her. “Wait.”
She turned back, her heart skipping a beat. “What?”
“You haven’t taken your vacation this year, right?” Adrian’s tone was uncharacteristically soft, but there was still an edge to it.
Eva paused, surprised by the shift in his tone. “Yes,” she replied, wondering where this was going.
“Then start your vacation tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Eva echoed, uncertain.
“Yeah,” Adrian nodded, his voice filled with an almost casual concern. “You’ve been unwell recently. You can have a good rest during your vacation.”
Eva’s heart dropped. His words felt like a subtle warning wrapped in concern. She knew him too well—he wasn’t the type to say something like that without an ulterior motive. Was he asking her to take a break to “handle” things? To get rid of the child during her time off?
The thought made her skin crawl, but she couldn’t let it show. Eva swallowed hard, her voice strained, “Okay, I’ll start my vacation tomorrow.”
As Eva sat with Emily later, recounting the conversation, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Adrian’s words held more weight than he let on. Emily was furious, ready to storm the Blackwood offices, but Eva remained eerily calm.
“Damn Adrian!” Emily hissed, her hands trembling with rage. “How could he be so cruel?”
Eva sipped her tea, trying to maintain her composure. “Don’t be mad. We’d have to pay for anything broken.”
Emily’s frustration was palpable, but Eva’s calmness seemed to only fuel her anger. She shook Eva’s shoulders, her voice rising. “How can you stay so calm? He can’t treat you like this!”
Eva set her cup down, her gaze distant. “So what should I do? Force him to take responsibility and let him, Vivian, and everyone else laugh at the Hansen family?” She paused, her expression hardening. “Our marriage is a transaction. We should part ways with dignity.”
