Adrian Carter stood quietly outside the door, watching Riley Palmer's body begin to twitch slowly. He still couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for her.
He lifted his foot softly and walked up behind her, taking away the tightly clenched folder from her hands. "If you keep crying, your eyes are going to swell."
Adrian gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Riley's eyes were red. They had long been invaded by tears, and the makeup around her eyes had been washed away.
Adrian leaned quietly against the desk, watching her still trembling, both hands clenched into small fists.
"Let's go to the office first." Adrian held Riley's hand and walked straight into the office.
"Click—"
The office door was locked.
Adrian glanced at Riley, then left her standing there alone.
He walked over to the small table, opened the lunch box, took out two pairs of chopsticks, and sighed. "You've cried for so long. Aren't you hungry?"
Riley slowly raised her head to look at him. She didn't speak, nor did she move forward.
Adrian laid everything out, then stood up and walked over to her, leading the girl to sit on the sofa. "Eat first. We'll talk later."
There was no usual smile on his face. His expression was unusually serious. "Eat."
Riley lowered her head and looked at him several times, staring at his cold expression.
Bitterness filled her heart.
Adrian silently watched the motionless figure who wasn't using the other pair of chopsticks. He frowned faintly and glanced at Riley out of the corner of his eye.
He picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her bowl, without any expression on his face.
Riley didn't speak either. The two of them ate quietly.
The sweet atmosphere they once had was gone.
"Clank, clank—" the bowls gradually emptied.
Riley had her head buried in the bowl, carefully observing Adrian's every move.
Adrian didn't speak. He simply went on cleaning up the plates as usual.
The only thing left on the table was the bowl and chopsticks in Riley's hands. Without looking at her, Adrian reached out and took her bowl.
Riley's stunned gaze followed his footsteps.
When Adrian returned to the office, Riley softly called out to him.
"Adrian…"
Adrian walked back to his seat and looked down at Riley, who was standing by the sofa.
Facing his slightly cold gaze, Riley felt her heart stop beating for a moment.
"I…"
The usual ease and composure were gone.
In Adrian's eyes, she looked like a crying little rabbit, timid and hesitant, unable to say a full sentence clearly.
Adrian sighed. "Take your time," he said, walking over to her.
Riley trembled, lowering her head as she looked into Adrian's deep eyes, now softened with a hint of tenderness.
"I'm sorry… I… I shouldn't have let go." Her voice shook, her words unclear.
Adrian gently pulled the girl onto his lap. "Stop crying, okay? Your eyes are going to swell."
He lightly kissed the corner of her eye, immediately tasting the saltiness of her tears.
Riley buried her head into the curve of his neck, her tears soaking into the edge of his clothes.
Adrian gently patted her on the back. His eyes were filled with heartache.
He had thought he could be more ruthless, but when he saw her red eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Adrian remembered what Leonard Sterling had said in the conference room before—he didn't want to wait another ten years.
Ten years and twenty-eight days.
He didn't want to wait anymore.
"Adrian… I'm sorry…" Riley's voice kept reaching his ears.
"Alright." He cupped her face in his hands, his fingers wiping away her tears.
"Riley, you didn't do anything wrong. The fault is mine for not holding onto you tightly enough."
Riley shook her head desperately as she looked at him. "You're not wrong. It's my fault."
He patted her back gently and looked at her. "Alright, didn't we agree not to cry anymore?"
"Adrian…" Riley tried to control her sobbing. "Why are you so good to me?"
Adrian lifted the corner of his lips slightly as he looked at her. "Because you're my wife."
His warm palm slowly wrapped around her waist. "Riley, you deserve it."
Riley quietly wiped her swollen eyes.
Adrian gently placed her back onto the sofa, then walked to the nearby mini fridge and took out a bottle of ice-cold alcohol.
"Put this on first." He gently pressed the bottle to her eyelids, his other hand steadying her body so she wouldn't lean backward.
"Knock, knock—"
"Mr. Carter." Yulius Linn stood outside the door and glanced at Riley Palmer, who had turned her back. "Mr. Carter is waiting for you in the conference room."
Adrian's loosened expression instantly went pale again. "Got it. Tell him to wait."
Yulius's face showed some difficulty. "But, Mr. Carter, that's the eldest young master…"
Adrian looked at Riley on the sofa, covering her eyes and facing away. "Tell him I'm busy." His tone turned completely cold.
"Riley, how are your eyes? Still cold?" Adrian slowly walked toward her, holding another bottle.
Riley didn't answer. Her body was still trembling up and down.
Seeing his boss's state, Yulius didn't say anything more. He turned and closed the door.
He sighed at Nalya Zulky, who was anxiously waiting outside. "Make another cup of coffee for the eldest young master."
"Adrian, you should go first." Riley took the bottle from his hand and looked at him, her voice still soft.
Adrian ignored her words and took the bottle back. "Don't touch it, it's cold."
With his other hand, he dialed the second number in his speed dial.
"Leonard Sterling, are you almost here?"
"Almost."
The space on the other end sounded extremely confined.
"Ding—"
"I'm here." Leonard's voice came through again, quick and clear.
Adrian slowly stood up. "Conference room."
He looked at Riley beneath him, bent slightly, and kissed her forehead. "Be a good girl and wait for me."
"Okay." Riley nodded obediently.
"You stay here and watch her," Adrian ordered Yulius.
Yulius nodded respectfully, seeing his boss off with his eyes.
He glanced at Riley nearby, gave a small nod, then turned his back to her.
Conference room.
"Everyone's here." Adrian forced a smile as he looked at them.
Jassen Carter sat with a cold expression, his fingers tapping the table continuously.
Leonard Sterling casually lifted his head to glance at Adrian, then went back to smiling at his phone with interest.
"Sorry, I had something to take care of," Adrian said politely as he walked over and sat beside Leonard.
"Big brother, what is it that brought us here today?" Leonard and Adrian both turned to look at the cold-faced Jassen sitting opposite them.
The two young men, full of vigor, were facing a crafty old fox who had spent many years in the battlefield of business.
Yet in comparison, they were not inferior at all.
"Then I'll just say it directly." A faint smile formed on Jassen's face as he clasped his hands on the table.
Leonard leaned back slightly in his chair, casually rocking it.
"Adrian, the Carter family estate runs deep." The corners of Jassen's lips lifted. "You're still young. You can't control it."
Adrian frowned slightly, abandoning his usual smile as his tone grew deep. "What do you mean, big brother?"
"I know Father has already handed the inheritance over to you."
As soon as those words fell, the atmosphere in the conference room became more stifling.
The assistant behind Jassen handed a contract to him.
"Adrian, take a look." Jassen pushed the contract toward him.
Adrian casually opened it and glanced at it. "Big brother, aren't you going to give me a reason?"
Jassen leaned back in his chair. "A reason?" He gave a soft laugh. "Because I've been in this company since I was young, helping to handle business matters."
"And you, all these years, have been fooling around as a playboy overseas."
He slowly raised his eyes to meet Adrian's. "Do you really think you're capable?"
Adrian gave a humorless laugh. "If I'm not, then you are?"
"Big brother, do you really think Father doesn't know about the money you've been embezzling all these years?"
Jassen's expression changed immensely. His hands unconsciously gripped the arms of the chair.
Leonard slowly sat more upright and picked up the contract Jassen had handed over earlier. "Share transfer… you really do know how to dream big."
Jassen shot Leonard a vicious glare, but then lowered his eyes again.
Leonard had always walked the line between light and darkness. The Sterling family business was extremely complex, and Leonard himself carried an aura that was both wicked and pure.
The Buddhist beads on his wrist were the only clean and innocent thing about him.
Jassen tried hard to control his emotions and looked at them again and again. "Looks like there's no more room for discussion. Adrian, if you won't give me the Carter Group, I have plenty of ways to get it."
With that, Jassen stood up and left.
They watched his enraged retreating figure and then looked at one another.
"Pfft—hahaha." Leonard finally couldn't hold it in. "Adrian, is there something wrong with your big brother's brain?"
He rested a hand on Adrian's shoulder. "If you're not capable, then where do he think Aurelius came from? Does he really think it's because of me or the old chairman?"
Adrian rubbed his temples, his expression darkening. "Have your people get deployed around Riley and Yudy."
The smile on Leonard's face slowly faded. "Mm, got it."
Seeing the worry in Adrian's eyes, Leonard comforted him a little. "This is the capital. He won't dare to do anything."
Adrian unconsciously touched the left side of his waist. His gaze dimmed.
"Buzz—"
Leonard looked at the message on his phone. A smile immediately appeared in his eyes as he leaned back in the chair.
[Leonard, I'm coming back tomorrow.]
[Mm. I'll pick you up.]
"Caleb is coming back?" Adrian could tell just by the way he was grinning.
"Yeah." Leonard's voice softened.
Adrian slowly stood up. "I'm heading out."
Leonard showed no intention of getting up. "Mm," he hummed, smiling as he played with his phone.
Adrian glanced at him from the doorway, then left with a faint smile.