Ch. 561..570

Chapter 561 Won't He Get Angry?

If Eva wasn't married, Emily would have immediately agreed to the suggestion of sleeping over. However, now that Eva was married and not living alone, it would be quite impolite for Emily to accept without any reservations. Therefore, the first thing Emily did was instinctively look over at Adrian. Seeing her glance at Adrian, Eva couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at him?"

After saying that, she also turned to look at Adrian.

"Don't you agree?" She asked.

Adrian, feeling somewhat cornered under her gaze, could only respond with a sense of resignation, "When did I disagree? Let's go, I'll have the driver call and inform the housemaid to prepare your room." Emily was surprised that he actually agreed. Eva, on the other hand, was delighted and hugged her.

"Then I'll sleep with you tonight."

Emily could only nod awkwardly. "Okay."

After getting into the car, Adrian, who had been sitting in the back with Eva, was promptly sent to sit in the front passenger seat because of Emily.

Adrian sat alone in the front, his expression and eyes darkening. But considering that Eva only had this one close friend, he had to suppress the jealousy in his heart.

That night, Emily stayed at Eva's house. The guest room was very clean due to the housemaid's regular cleaning, and the bedding was all fresh.

After taking a hot bath to wash away the fatigue and emerging with her skin still pink, Emily saw someone lying on her bed.

"Eva?"

"Are you done bathing?" Eva, already changed into her pajamas, was lying on the bed and quickly patted the spot beside her upon seeing Emily come out. Emily was somewhat taken aback.

She thought Eva's offer to sleep together was just talk, and even if it wasn't, she didn't expect Adrian to actually let her come over.

"What's wrong?" Eva asked curiously upon seeing her standing there staring.

"Nothing."

Having regained her composure, Emily walked over, realizing it had been a long time since she had slept with her best friend.

Of course, it was nice to be able to sleep together, but she was still a bit worried and asked as she approached the bed, "Won't Adrian get angry 'cause you're here with me?" Eva was somewhat perplexed by the question.

"Why would he get angry?"

She was accompanying her best friend, not another man. If that was something to get angry about, Eva felt she probably wouldn't indulge him.

"I've taken his wife away from him. If it weren't for me, he'd be cuddling with his lovely wife right now."

Eva burst into laughter.

"Come on, it's just for one night. If he dares to complain, I'll deal with him!"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Do you really have the heart to?"

"What's there to have the heart for?"

Emily thought for a moment, then suddenly jumped into the bed and snuggled up with Eva, and the two of them started giggling together.

Just like when they first met over a decade ago, they would sleep together, tickle each other, and roll around on the bed in laughter like they were still teenage girls.

When things quieted down, they would chat about all sorts of things and share their troubles until one of them fell asleep.

But even now, at their age, some habits hadn't changed.

As soon as they lay down, the two of them embraced each other, and then Emily couldn't help but start ranting about all the bizarre things she encountered at work, as well as about Nathan. Eva listened quietly, occasionally responding when needed.

In the midst of their conversation, Emily's phone began to ring.

She glanced at it and was surprised to see that the caller ID showed it was Nathan.

Emily was shocked.

What time was it, and he was calling her? Didn't he need to sleep?

No, that was not right.

It was daytime where he was.

Emily took a deep breath and said to her friend, "I need to take this call, okay?"

"Okay."

"Hello? Mr. Powell?"

Because she answered so quickly, it seemed to catch Nathan off guard, causing a moment of silence.

Not hearing a response, Emily pulled the phone away slightly and murmured softly, "Did he dial the wrong number?"

Just as Nathan was about to speak, he heard another woman's voice beside her.

"Who is it?"

Thanks to his remarkable memory, Nathan immediately recognized the voice.

It was Eva's voice, the woman who had accompanied her when they had met before.

It seemed that Emily hadn't replied to his messages earlier probably because she was meeting with her best friend and had forgotten. Nathan quickly made excuses for her in his mind.

"Shh."

Emily put her finger to her lips to signal Eva to be quiet, and Eva covered her mouth. Then Emily spoke again, "Mr. Powell?"

Nathan finally made a sound of acknowledgment.

"Was there a bad signal just now? I couldn't hear anything from your end."

"Ah, yes, the signal might not be great."

Nathan's voice was calm and detached, "Have you reached the hotel?"

"No, I'm staying at a friend's house tonight. Mr. Powell, is there a reason you're calling at this hour? Is there a problem at work?"

There was a long silence from Nathan's end, and Emily thought she even heard him sigh before he finally said, "There's a bit of a hiccup, but considering the time difference between there and here, let's forget about it." Emily fell silent.

Nathan hung up shortly after.

As the busy tone came through the phone, Emily was still at a loss for words. She tossed her phone aside and began to vent to Eva.

"I'm telling you, this guy is not only a workaholic himself, but he also exploits his subordinates to the max, right? I've already resigned, and he still calls me to handle work? Haha."

Eva blinked, a bit in the dark due to not remembering any past incidents between the two.

But from Emily's description, and the fact that he called in the middle of the night just to talk about work, it did indeed seem like he was a workaholic.

"Didn't you hand over your work properly?"

"How could I not have? It's all taken care of; Yvette is quite capable."

"Then even if he wanted to call about work, he should've called the person you handed over to. Why call you?"

"Right, why did he call me? Does he think I'm a beast of burden?"

The more Emily thought about it, the angrier she got. "Next time he calls me about work, I'll set things straight with him! I don't work under him anymore, so I'm not afraid of offending him, hmph."

Eva then said, "Actually, even if he wanted to ask about work, it probably wouldn't be at this time. Could it be possible that he was just concerned about whether you landed safely?"

"That's impossible," Emily shook her head.

"Why?"

"He already asked. Right after you called me, I got a message from him while I was getting my luggage. I replied a long time ago. Look, here it is."

 

Chapter 562 Playing Along with Mischief

Emily even opened WhatsApp, intending to show their chat history to her good friend. She never had anything to hide from her. Seeing that she was about to show her, Eva naturally leaned in closer. That was when she let out a "hmm," "You didn't reply to his latest message."

Emily hadn't noticed until Eva mentioned it, and then she realized, turning her phone back to herself, that in their chat box, aside from her own message thanking him for his concern, there was more content from Nathan. "Be safe, and let me know once you get to the hotel."

She hadn't replied for a long time since then. At that time, she had already picked up her luggage and was in a hurry to find Eva. She then had late-night snacks with Eva and her husband, bathed, and only now...

"It seems that asking about work was just an excuse. He mostly just wanted to make sure you're safe, right?"

Hearing this, Emily couldn't help but look up at Eva.

"But why does he need to make sure I'm safe?" She found it strange.

"Hmm," Eva thought seriously for a moment. "You've been working under him for many years, and you're always working together. It's normal for him to express concern when a long-time employee resigns, especially late at night. If he didn't show any concern, it would mean he's too cold-hearted."

Emily felt Eva's explanation made sense, and the nervousness that had risen in her heart dissipated.

She stretched her hand to rub her face.

"You're right. Then he probably won't bother me anymore."

They didn't dwell on the topic for long and soon moved on. Eva talked with her for a long time, and after a while, she couldn't help but want to ask about what had happened between Adrian and herself.

But just as she was about to speak, she saw that Emily had succumbed to fatigue and fallen asleep.

"Emily?"

Eva called out to her, but the only response she got was the light sound of Emily's breathing.

Well, it seemed she really was tired after traveling all day.

Eva didn't make any more noise to disturb her; instead, she pulled the blanket up a bit higher to prevent her from catching a cold at night.

Then she turned off the bedside lamp and quickly fell asleep herself.

That night, everyone went to bed late.

But Eva's biological clock still woke her up early.

When she woke up, Emily was still sleeping next to her and almost fell off the bed.

Eva's eyes were sore; she could barely open them. She lay on the bed, struggling for a few seconds before deciding to sleep a little longer. This sleep lasted until noon.

In her sleep, she felt something fluffy rubbing against her face. At first, she didn't feel much.

Gradually, she started to feel a bit itchy on her cheeks.

Eva was sleeping soundly and subconsciously brushed it away.

"Mommy, time to get up."

After being waved away by her hand, a soft and cute voice spoke up.

Upon hearing the voice, Eva thought she had heard wrong.

"Mommy?"

"Mommy, time to get up."

After a while, Eva recognized that it was her daughter's voice.

Sure enough, when she opened her eyes, she saw Ruby's cute little face lying next to her, propped up on her little hands and looking at her with bright, sparkling eyes. Now that Eva was awake, those spirited eyes curved into crescents.

"Mommy, you're finally awake."

"Ruby?"

She called out and then instinctively pulled Ruby into her arms, her voice still lazy, "How did you get here? What time is it now?"

After saying that, she yawned.

"Mommy, it's already twelve o'clock."

"Twelve..."

Eva, who was still feeling sleepy, suddenly opened her eyes wide and then sat up.

She instinctively looked to the side and found that Emily's sleeping spot was empty.

"Emily?"

"Mommy, are you looking for Aunt Emily?"

"Yes, do you know where she went?"

Eva asked as she got out of bed and lifted the covers.

"Aunt Emily got up early this morning. She went downstairs earlier and seemed to be chatting with Grandma."

"She got up so early..." Hearing this, Eva's brows instinctively furrowed.

She hadn't even noticed Emily getting up?

Eva felt displeased with herself and couldn't help but purse her lips. She got dressed and said, "Then I'll go downstairs and have a look."

Seeing her about to leave, Ruby quickly clung to her legs, "Mommy, carry me."

Eva bent down and picked her up.

She intended to go straight downstairs to find Emily, but as soon as she stepped out the door, she ran into Adrian.

Adrian, seeing Ruby hanging on the slender Eva, reached out his hands.

"Ruby, Daddy will carry you."

Ruby was initially clinging to Mommy's embrace, but upon seeing her daddy reaching out to her, she couldn't bear to refuse and went into his arms. Now that Ruby was being held by Adrian, Eva felt relieved and said to him, "Take care of her for a moment, I'm going to check downstairs."

She didn't expect to be caught by his hand as she walked past Adrian, "Looking for your friend?"

"Yes, Ruby said she got up very early."

"She's gone."

Hearing this, Eva paused, "Gone?"

Then her eyebrows knitted together.

"Why did she leave so soon? She didn't even tell me."

After seeing her look so aggrieved, Adrian couldn't help but sigh helplessly.

"She did want to tell you, but you were sleeping too soundly."

Adrian's response left Eva speechless for a moment, and she instinctively argued, "It's not that I was too sleepy, it's that you all got up too early." Everyone went to bed so late last night. According to their biological clocks, they should have only slept for two or three hours.

She did wake up early, but her body felt very sore, and she couldn't move. She only wanted to sleep more.

This was completely different from before.

She felt comfortable only after getting enough sleep.

Adrian chuckled softly, "Yes, we got up too early. What about you, the little sleepyhead who got up late?"

Eva was speechless.

Before she could retort, Eva heard Ruby in Adrian's arms chiming in, "Oh yeah, Mommy is a sleepyhead who got up late."

Initially wanting to scold Adrian, Eva had to swallow her thoughts and could only pinch Ruby's cheek.

"You little rascal, your daddy is being naughty, and you're joining in?"

Ruby still cooed even after being pinched, "Sleepyhead Mommy!"

Eva looked at Adrian speechlessly.

"Don't say that again. It's not good for a child to learn such things."

Adrian laughed, "What's wrong with that? Don't you think it's cute to say?"

"Where's the cuteness? Let's see if you find it cute if I call you that?"

 

Chapter 563 I Might Not Agree

Suddenly, a certain little troublemaker, after hearing this, clapped their hands in delight.

"Yay yay, Sleepyhead Mommy and Sleepyhead Daddy."

Eva was at a loss.

Adrian didn't see any issue with the nickname his daughter had come up with; in fact, he seemed to enjoy it. He smiled as he bounced her in his arms.

"Ruby is so talented, coming up with names at such a young age."

Eva was truly astonished.

She wondered if Adrian's 'dad filter' was turned up too high. How could he praise such an awful nickname?

"Daddy likes it?"

Ruby's attention was drawn to him, and then she began to imagine all sorts of names for her daddy.

Listening on the side, Eva remained speechless, but watching how much fun they were having, even as Ruby eventually climbed onto Adrian's shoulder to play with his hair, made a slight smile form on her lips.

Ah well, it was just a few ugly nicknames. Compared to moments like these, they seemed to matter very little.

Eva quickly came to terms with it and stood there for a while before Adrian urged her, "Go downstairs and eat; don't just stand there."

"Have you guys eaten already?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then I'll go downstairs."

Before heading down, Eva didn't forget to bring her phone with her.

As soon as she went downstairs, a servant led her to the dining room and served the meal that had been prepared in advance.

"Thank you."

After sitting down to eat, Eva took out her phone and saw a message from Emily.

"Dear, you can really sleep, huh? I didn't want to overstay my welcome since it's your house and you were still asleep, so I left. Contact me when you wake up, kisses." Imagining the expression Emily must have had while typing those words, Eva couldn't help but smile.

"I'm awake now." Eva replied.

After that, Eva made a call.

Emily answered quickly.

"Woke up so soon? I thought you'd sleep until the afternoon."

"It's not early anymore; it's already noon. Why did you leave without waking me?"

"I felt guilty for disturbing you last night, and you hardly got any rest. I couldn't bear to wake you up when you were finally resting. Wouldn't I be asking for a beating?" "We're best friends; why talk like that?"

"Silly, because we're best friends I couldn't bear to wake you. I wanted you to sleep a bit more. You've lost a lot of weight; you need to rest and eat well, you know?" Towards the end, Emily's tone even took on a bit of sternness and warning.

It sounded fierce, but Eva couldn't help but smile, scooping up a spoonful of chicken soup to her mouth.

"I know. Where are you now?"

"I'm still in the car, on the way home."

Emily's home was in another city, not too far away. With the New Year approaching, she naturally wanted to go back to her place.

"How much longer until you arrive?"

"I'm not sure; I thought it would be a few hours' drive, but it's so congested since everyone is on their way home for the New Year holiday," Emily answered, unable to suppress a yawn. Hearing that, Eva told her to rest.

"Okay, then I'll sleep a bit more in the car and let you know when I arrive."

"Alright."

After hanging up, Eva began to eat her lunch in earnest.

The end of the year was always especially busy. After lunch, Eva rushed to the company to finish up some end-of-year work.

Busy until the evening, she finally managed to wrap up all the loose ends.

After that, she wouldn't need to come to the office anymore; she could just take care of things at home.

Whenever she was busy at her company, Eva always felt like there weren't enough hours in the day.

But once the company work was finished, and she returned home, she realized that there wasn't much for her to do at home.

With Kim and Margaret handling the household affairs, and the rest being taken care of by the servants, there was little for her and Adrian to do.

Gradually, some servants went home early for the New Year, leaving those whose homes were too far or who had no relatives to spend the New Year with.

Eva also received a call from her father, asking how she planned to spend the New Year, whether with the Blackwood family or going abroad with him.

Mr. Hansen had been aware of Eva's amnesia, and upon hearing that she had gotten involved with Adrian after losing her memory, he remained silent for a long time. Adrian had sought a private conversation with him and even secretly met with him abroad without Eva's knowledge.

Eventually, Mr. Hansen softened a bit.

"Since she's so reliant on you without her memories, I entrust you to take good care of her. But if you make her unhappy again, I will not hand my daughter over to you."

Mr. Hansen had been distressed for a long time over Eva taking care of the children on her own, and his daughter being bullied.

For a long time, Mr. Hansen harbored great resentment towards Adrian, his former son-in-law.

But he had been young once and knew that some matters of the heart were beyond the elders' control. The more he intervened, the more pressured the children might feel, potentially leading to an unpleasant outcome. Moreover, he understood his daughter well, so Mr. Hansen eventually decided to let her do as she wished for now.

Still, Mr. Hansen couldn't help but feel heartache for her.

This New Year, besides asking where she would spend it, he also wanted to gauge how well she had been doing lately.

Caught off guard by her father's question, Eva hesitated for a moment before saying, "I don't know..."

She privately wished to spend it with her family.

But since she was married to Adrian, he was her family too, and Kim and Margaret had been truly kind to her, treating her like their own daughter.

So, the question put her in a difficult position for a moment.

Hearing her indecisive and confused tone, Mr. Hansen sighed softly.

"Then I won't make it difficult for you. You celebrate the New Year first, and come visit when you have time after."

Eva didn't know how to respond right away, so she simply agreed.

"Okay, I'll see how I can arrange it."

After hanging up, Eva called Adrian over to discuss the matter.

Adrian listened silently until she finished speaking and then looked up at her with calm eyes.

"What do you think?"

Eva's pink lips parted slightly.

"If I knew... would I still be asking you?"

Hearing this, Adrian couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"It seems you want me to decide for you?"

Eva sighed lightly.

"Even if you give me advice, I might not agree."

 

Chapter 564 Shameless Every Day

Seeing her like this, Adrian became a bit restless and reached out to pull her to sit in front of him.

"I have an idea now; listen to it and tell me if you're satisfied. If not, we can think of something else." Eva's interest was piqued when he mentioned he had an idea.

"Alright, let's hear it."

But Adrian chose that moment to raise an eyebrow.

"I'll tell you, but first you have to give me a kiss."

"Huh?!"

Eva wondered if she had misheard.

She looked at Adrian with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

"What did you say?"

Adrian's deep eyes lingered on her lips, his voice low and husky. "Playing dumb?"

After a brief pause, Eva's face suddenly flushed red.

"We're talking about serious matters; what are you doing?"

Adrian leaned in closer, making Eva feel his warm breath on her face.

"This is serious too, very important."

Before his breath could get any closer, Eva instinctively turned her head to the side.

Adrian, however, reached out to hold her chin.

"Just give me a kiss."

Eva frowned, "I don't want to."

Adrian looked at her, puzzled.

"Why? Do you find me repulsive?"

The word 'repulsive' made Eva instinctively retort, "No, why would you think that?"

She thought about it. It was impossible for her to find him repulsive.

"Not at all?" Adrian lowered his gaze, appearing deeply hurt.

"Lately, you've been rejecting my advances. Just the other day, you didn't sleep with me because of your friend, and now you don't even want to give me a kiss."

His lips curled into a self-mocking smile.

"If this isn't repulsion, what is it?"

His words made Eva feel like she was the bad guy all this time, and she subconsciously started to defend herself.

"I haven't been... The reason I rejected your advances was that we were at the company, and people might have come in, so I..."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "You should know that, and about the other night; it wasn't that I didn't want to sleep with you, it was because Emily was there, and I went to sleep with her. It was just for one night, and that was it." "And about just now... it's not that I don't want to kiss you, it's just..."

"If you don't mind, then what's the harm in a kiss?"

This time, Adrian was quick to respond.

Eva pursed her lips, "We're discussing serious matters."

"Then give me a kiss, and we'll continue the serious discussion."

Eva felt helpless.

It seemed that she couldn't escape the kiss today.

Feeling a bit speechless and afraid that he really thought she found him repulsive, Eva reluctantly leaned in and pecked his cheek.

She moved so quickly that Adrian was caught off guard. Before he could even savor it, she had already pulled back.

"Now do you believe that I don't find you repulsive?"

"That was too quick," Adrian said.

"What?"

"I mean, it was too quick. I didn't even feel it."

"You only said a kiss, not how fast or slow. Anyway, you can't go back on your word. Tell me your idea now."

"Hmm."

Adrian just hummed softly, then began to laugh quietly.

"I'm not satisfied yet, let me have another kiss."

Eva stood up, intending to leave, but her wrist was caught tightly, and she was pulled back before she could react and tumbled into his embrace.

Then her chin was grasped, and a familiar scent pressed down on her.

Eva was about to push away, but it was already too late. Her lips were sealed by Adrian's, his familiar scent and the friction on her lips giving her a very comforting feeling. Within seconds, Eva closed her eyes. Adrian, who had expected her to resist, was somewhat stunned when she reciprocated. Once he realized what was happening, he deepened the kiss.

......

An hour later

Adrian, with a look of contentment, embraced the woman in his arms, his eyebrows slightly raised in a hidden joy, the usual depth in his eyes replaced by another emotion.

After a sigh from deep within his throat, he held the woman in his arms even tighter.

Thinking back to what had just happened, Eva's face flushed red, and she buried her little face in his chest.

Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and when she moved, she could hear the vibration of Adrian's low laughter.

She couldn't help wanting to look up and ask him what he was laughing at, but remembering what had just happened, she suddenly lost her nerve and could only grit her teeth and punch him lightly.

The man who was thoroughly satisfied didn't care about what Eva did at this point, because in this past hour, he had gotten enough to make up for the recent cold treatment and the jealousy in his heart. She punched him a couple of times, still not feeling relieved, and continued punching.

Around the fifth punch, Adrian finally caught her delicate wrist, and he said with a helpless tone, "Alright, stop hitting me."

"I can't even hit you once?"

"It's not that. You can hit me if you want, but didn't you say your hand was sore?" Adrian's voice tinged with a hint of laughter, "It was so sore earlier; what if it hurts after you're done hitting me?" Eva was speechless.

She couldn't believe he could so brazenly bring up the embarrassing moment from before.

The mention of what had happened made Eva's ears turn so red that they looked like they might start bleeding, and she quickly withdrew her captured wrist. "Shameless!" She muttered angrily at him.

"Mhm, I'm shameless, and I'd be willing to be shameless every day if you treat me like you did just now."

"I don't want to talk to you."

Eva pushed him away, trying to get up and leave.

"Wait, you don't want to hear my idea anymore?"

When he brought up the matter of the New Year's plans, Eva paused mid-step, but fearing further teasing from Adrian, she stood still.

"You say it."

Seeing her genuinely scared by his antics, Adrian didn't dare do anything more to her. After all, you have to catch a small animal bit by bit. Otherwise, if she ran away scared, it would be difficult to get any more sweetness next time.

"I'll talk to Mom and Dad about buying plane tickets later."

"Plane tickets?"

Eva suddenly turned around.

"What do you mean? Why are we buying plane tickets?"

"It's impossible to take care of both sides, so we might as well go abroad and spend the New Year with them."

Eva pursed her lips and did not respond.

To be honest, that was indeed what she had been thinking in her heart.

But those were Adrian's parents, and it seemed unfair to them if they had to go abroad with her.

And if her own parents were to buy tickets to come back, it would be unfair to them as well.

While she was struggling with these thoughts, Adrian had already made the decision.

Thinking this, Eva turned to face him and asked softly, "Is that okay? Won't Mom and Dad... be unhappy?"

 

Chapter 565 Such a Polite Girl

"Why would they be upset?"

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "They spend every day doting on the twins. They barely have time to think about anything else. Whatever you ask them to do, they'll do it." Eva bit her lip, the silence between them stretching.

Though she was hesitant to believe it, the truth was undeniable.

Kim and Margaret absolutely adored Ruby and Dylan, to the point of complete devotion.

Their days revolved around the twins, and they'd even taken over Eva's duties of dropping off and picking up the kids.

At first, Eva found it hard to let go because she loved her children dearly. But Kim and Margaret were just too free - they had fully handed over the company reins to Adrian, having been only sporadically involved before. Once they met Ruby and Dylan, they stepped back entirely, leaving everything to Adrian and spending their days showcasing their grandkids on social media.

Seeing her still in contemplation, Adrian chipped in, "For instance, if you decided to take Ruby and Dylan abroad for the holidays, they'd probably book tickets right away to join you and not miss a moment with the grandkids." Eva thought it over and conceded that it did sound like something Kim and Margaret would do.

Finally, she nodded. "Would you talk to them about it?"

"Who else? You think you could face them?"

Eva fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. "It's not... impossible."

On this topic, Adrian didn't tease her any further. Instead, he reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "You don't have to worry about this. I'll handle it."

Eva pressed her lips together, at last willing to turn and face him.

As she did, she met his eyes, now warm and smiling - a striking difference from the brooding aura he used to carry. Presently, Adrian looked like a content wolf who had just enjoyed a hearty meal, with his tail well hidden. "However..."

His hand slid from the back of her head to caress the nape of her neck as he leaned in to gently kiss her forehead.

"After everything's settled, don't forget to reward me~"

With that, Adrian left.

A blushing Eva remained standing there, frozen until it finally registered in her mind, and she rushed to the washroom to wash her hands.

Sure enough, just as Adrian had mentioned in passing, Kim and Margaret quickly agreed to the proposal without so much as an objection. A terse nod was all it took, and not a single question was asked as to why. After settling the matter, the two immediately went back to doting on their grandchildren.

Their reasoning was simple, really.

The entire Blackwood family felt they owed Eva a debt. After all, it was Eva who had risked her life to save Adrian by jumping into the river, yet someone else had taken the credit.

Due to their oversight, they had been thanking the wrong person all along and had even inadvertently nurtured the very threat to their family...

And then what?

It was bad enough that the person they had supported wasn't their true benefactor, but what truly weighed on their conscience was the fact that after her divorce, Eva had to fend for herself with her two children, enduring a time that one could only imagine as incredibly tough.

Though they made sure Eva was financially stable and that her children were well taken care of, the emotional void of love that was missing for those five years could never be replaced by any amount of money.

Therefore, Kim and Margaret felt an overwhelming sense of guilt towards their daughter-in-law.

They were overjoyed at the mere thought of her willingness to return, not to mention she brought their grandchildren with her.

Eva was now treated as someone more precious than a daughter by Kim and Margaret, her word was law.

When Eva found out how readily they had agreed, she was somewhat embarrassed.

"Sorry, Mom, the house was all set for the New Year with decorations and supplies, but now I have..."

Before she could finish, Margaret stepped forward and enveloped her in a warm embrace.

"My dear child, there's no need for you to apologize. If anyone should be saying sorry, it's us," Margaret said softly, her voice kind and gentle. After saying this, she realized that Eva had lost her memory and didn't remember any of the past events, so she quickly added, "Just let us know whatever you want to do. We'll support you. Don't worry about it. In my heart, I already think of you as my own daughter."

With the plan to spend the holiday abroad, the family booked their international flights that same evening.

With the New Year just days away, they made their preparations and headed to the airport.

At the airport, Eva called Emily to let her know she couldn't meet up over the holidays.

Emily was astounded upon learning that the Blackwoods were going abroad for New Year's. "Your whole family is going?" She asked in shock.

"Yes."

"Well, I'll be. This is a first for me. Adrian's parents must really think the world of you."

Emily had a bit of a chip on her shoulder when it came to the Blackwoods, but after the recent event, it was hard to hold a grudge.

"Sure," she replied nonchalantly to the idea of traveling abroad for the holidays. "It's nice to just go wherever feels right, y'know? Just a bummer I just got back and won't get to see you for New Year's."

Sensing the hint of dejection in her voice, Eva could only offer a chuckle. "Didn't you just quit your job? Once I'm back from the holidays, we'll catch up."

"That's true!" She said, letting out a contented laugh.

"And don't forget to bring me a gift from abroad - I want the most expensive one!"

"You got it; the most expensive gift ever is on its way to you."

After hanging up, a warm smile lingered on Eva's lips. Margaret, noticing her demeanor, asked, "Was that Emily; the girl who came over the other day?" With a nod, Eva confirmed, "Yeah, I just spoke with her."

Margaret proceeded to sing Emily's praises. "That young lady is so polite. Though she left early that day - too early. I wished she'd stayed for lunch." In truth, Emily wasn't a stranger to the Blackwoods.

She had been good friends with Eva since their school days, and back then, Eva often visited the Blackwood household, sometimes bringing Emily along. Familiar with the girl who was a close friend of Eva, the Blackwoods had grown fond of her, holding her in high regard.

Yet, perhaps because of her own family reasons, Emily always maintained an air of formality around them; she seemed very cautious about getting too close. "Yeah, Emily has always been on the formal side," Eva agreed.

"Say, Eva, has Emily ever been married?"

Remembering how her job had consumed her life to the point of resignation, Eva shook her head.

"Nope, seems like she hasn't even had a boyfriend all these years."

Margaret was taken aback. "She hasn't dated anyone for all this time?"

"Yeah, her job kept her pretty tied up."

"She's something else..."

 

Chapter 566 Feels Like a Matchmaking Fest

Yeah, Eva too thought that Emily was something else.

Emily had always been all about her work, diving into it for years without surfacing. In their recent heart-to-heart, she hadn't kept any secrets from her best friend, Eva, even spilling the details of her savings amassed over the years. Emily was now back with a dream to set up her own boutique shop, a perfect venture for her parents to look after.

At first, Eva had toyed with the idea of poaching Emily for her own company once she returned to the States. Since they were best friends and all, she could offer Emily a top-dollar salary.

But before Eva could even broach the topic, Emily shared her own vision of opening a shop, bringing Eva into the loop for some brainstorming.

Eva could hear the fierce determination in Emily's voice to become a small business owner, making her hesitant to pitch the corporate gig.

If it were a handsome paycheck that Emily was after, she wouldn't need to return home at all. Her former boss was known for generosity that Eva knew she couldn't match. His company, a testament to self-made success, was leagues beyond her own fledgling enterprise in stature and maturity.

In the midst of this, a thought seemed to strike Margaret, who asked, "Is your friend too caught up in work to date, or is she just not interested in romance?"

Eva chuckled. "She's simply been too busy."

Post-memory loss, Eva had been clueless about Emily's past, least of all her romantic life. Yet, their recent talks had given her snippets to piece together a clearer picture, particularly when Emily expressed envy toward the sweet gestures Adrian made for Eva, complaining of being force-fed 'relationship goals' and voicing her own cravings for a bit of romance.

With time, Eva felt she could almost read Emily's mind.

"It's not that she's against the idea of dating," Eva mused, "actually, I might know someone who could be a good match for her." Surprise flickered across Eva's face. "Mom, are you really suggesting playing matchmaker for Emily?"

Margaret's lips curled into a soft smile. "Yes, I think she's a girl of good character, and I've just recently met a fine young man."

Eva didn't immediately agree. Despite not subscribing to rigid class disparities herself, she knew others might. Margaret's high society connections weren't likely to be average Joes. What if Emily's family background became an issue? Eva couldn't risk Emily feeling uncomfortable if things didn't work out.

"I'll ask for her opinion when the time comes," Eva said, opting to consider Emily's feelings first.

"Alright, we should definitely get her input on this. If she's willing to talk, then you can pass on the message to me."

Hanging out at the airport wasn't a problem, as the family was together. Ruby and Dylan were naturally looked after by Kim and Margaret, and with Jacob and Kim's bodyguard by their side, they were quite the entourage.

At first, Eva sat stiffly in the chair, but then, finding it too uncomfortable, she leaned into Adrian's embrace, half-reclining as she texted Emily.

She couldn't bring herself to relay Margaret's matchmaking idea to Emily directly, so she broached the subject in a roundabout way.

"During the holidays, does your family ever try to set you up on blind dates?"

It was common for young adults who didn't have time to come home during the year to meet potential partners during the holidays; their relatives were often keen on arranging such meetings.

So, Eva started by asking that, to see if Emily would be averse to the idea of being set up.

Emily replied quickly.

"Don't even mention it, I've had so many people trying to set me up, I'm surprised they have the energy for it. Do they not find it tiring and troublesome?"

In her reply, Emily couldn't help but complain, "When I get older, I'm not going to be setting people up like this. The holidays should be about having fun, not matchmaking. Isn't it just a matchmaking fest?" Her complaint made Eva laugh.

"Hey, do you think if I had gotten married and had kids earlier like you, I wouldn't have to be so bothered today?"

Eva had thought the idea of setting her up was dropped, but Emily brought up the topic of marriage herself.

So, she carefully asked her, "Since that's what you think, then why are you bothered? Do you think blind dates aren't reliable?" "That's for sure; there aren't many reliable guys who go on blind dates. I have never met anyone reliable on a blind date."

"Eva, it's not that I'm against being set up; it's just that there are too many weirdos on blind dates." Emily continued.

As Emily's best friend, Eva naturally didn't want her to marry a weirdo and ruin her life, so she said, "Anyway, you haven't gotten married up to now, so there's no rush. It's a lifelong decision, so you should take your time; weirdos are definitely not an option. But there's something I still want to ask your opinion about."

Eva then mentioned the idea that Adrian's mother had brought up to Emily.

After hearing it, Emily was quite shocked.

"Mrs. Blackwood wants to set me up?"

Just like Eva had imagined, Emily's first reaction was to ask, "Would someone Mrs. Blackwood introduces be interested in someone from my kind of family?"

 

Chapter 567 Heartbroken Concern

If it were up to Eva, she'd obviously wish for her best friend to marry well and enjoy a blissful and happy marriage.

Faced with Emily's questions, all Eva could do was provide an honest opinion.

"I'm not sure. You'd have to meet and get to know him yourself. But I assume he must be decent, or my mother wouldn't have brought it up."

From her interactions over time, Eva had grown confident that Mrs. Blackwood was an upstanding and reliable person who wouldn't even mention something unless it was credible.

Having laid out her reasoning, Emily seemed to find sense in her words and hesitated before replying, "You might have a point. I'm not very familiar with Mrs. Blackwood's character, but a man who meets her standards must be quite exemplary and of good character. I just worry that I might not measure up."

"Don't sell yourself short."

Eva offered these words of affirmation as she typed, bolstering her friend's confidence.

"You're pretty great yourself. And, you know, everyone's taste is different. How can you know whether you like someone or not without having met them?"

"True. You've got a point. I guess I'll think about it. I've been so frazzled lately that even my head feels too big."

"Okay, take your time and let me know once you've decided. I'll screen them for you. If they can't get past me, then they definitely won't get introduced to you." "Thanks, babe."

"Don't mention it~~"

The two sent each other all sorts of mushy messages on WhatsApp. By the end of the exchange, even Eva couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.

"Seems like you're having fun. What are you chatting about?"

A deep voice suddenly came from above.

Before the words even settled, and before Eva could react, Adrian reached down and snatched her phone.

"Give it back."

Eva instinctively tried to retrieve her phone.

Adrian simply held it out of reach and asked, "What's the matter? Can't let me see? Were you chatting with some guy?"

"No, it was Emily."

"Then what's there that I can't see?"

Though Adrian said that, he didn't actually go through the chat history between Eva and Emily. He understood that girls have their secrets and was not about to invade their privacy by reading their messages.

Still, he didn't give the phone back to Eva. Instead, he tapped her nose and said, "Chatting has distracted you, so I'll be keeping your phone for a while."

Then he pocketed her phone in his coat.

Eva, fuming, wanted to pinch his waist, but knowing that their elders were nearby, she held back, lowering her voice, "Give it back. We were almost done; I was just about to say goodbye." After hearing her explanation, Adrian reluctantly returned the phone.

"Say goodbye and then hand it back to me."

Eva was visibly exasperated.

Though he returned it, his earlier actions had annoyed Eva, who pouted and muttered under her breath, "Why so bossy? Really..."

Despite her complaints, Eva quickly wrapped up her chat with Emily and handed the phone over to Adrian.

"Here, take it."

His lips quirked up at the sight of her aggrieved expression.

"That's it? I thought you didn't want to hand it over?"

"I didn't want to, but you were going to snatch it anyway, weren't you?"

Rather than have him snatch it from her, she might as well just hand over her phone.

As those words faded, Eva's nose was gently pinched by Adrian.

"Are you taking me seriously? I was just messing with you."

Eva, not in the best of moods, swatted his hand away: "How am I supposed to know if you're just kidding?"

In the end, Adrian slipped her phone into his coat pocket and said, "I'll give it back to you on the plane."

"Oh."

Eva couldn't help but roll her eyes at him slightly, "Glad to know you plan to return it. Here I thought you'd keep it until the world's end."

"Hmm? I could, actually. You can't use it on the plane anyway, so how about I give it back to you after we land?"

Really?

Eva was astounded by his shamelessness.

This man was really...

Forget it, she didn't want to stoop to arguing with him.

Eva closed her eyes, hoping to catch some sleep before boarding. She hadn't slept well the previous night, and there was still some time left before they had to board. But Adrian took her hand, "Wait a bit before you sleep."

Opening her eyes, Eva asked, "Why? Is something wrong?"

Before she knew it, Adrian pulled her from her seat and swept her into his arms without warning.

Then, his lazy voice floated down from above her, "We've got a good while before we have to board. How about I take you to get something?"

Eva was baffled, "Get what?"

"You mentioned yesterday while packing that you were running low on lipstick, remember?"

His reminder jogged her memory about the previous day.

During packing, she looked through her lipsticks and found that many of them were past their expiration date. Concerned about the risk of lip inflammation from using expired lipsticks, Eva had thrown them all away. Those few unopened ones left were either too bright or too formal.

They were fine for work since they gave her an extra bit of presence.

But it didn't seem right for the festive season at home with family.

Since Adrian was helping her pack, she didn't give it much thought at the time and just casually complained about it, even mentioning she might skip using lipstick for New Year's.

Eva hadn't taken the matter seriously, so when Adrian didn't respond then, she didn't think much of it.

She hadn't expected him to suddenly suggest a shopping trip at this time. As Eva bit her lips, the memory of her needing lipstick lingered. She thought if there wasn't time to shop, she would simply check for a chance to pick some up after landing, completely forgetting that the airport had cosmetic shops too.

Margaret, overhearing their conversation while Eva was zoning out, promptly said, "Go ahead then, while there's still time before boarding. Make a dash for anything you need to buy."

Ruby caught wind of the plan and longed to join in.

"Daddy, Mommy, Ruby wants to go too."

Unfortunately, before Ruby's little legs could take a step, she found herself reeled back by Margaret.

"Little Ruby, don't run off. They're going to buy makeup, something you can't touch just yet, sweetheart."

Margaret's actions stemmed from more than just affection for her granddaughter and a desire to keep her close; she also aimed to foster more intimate opportunities for Adrian and Eva.

A man shopping for lipstick with his wife-what a romantic scene it could be, Margaret mused. He might even offer his opinions, perhaps even share a moment trying on shades together. Margaret, in her younger days, would've found these thoughts out of place, yet here she was, thoroughly engrossed in plotting for the couple's happiness.

 

Chapter 568 Like That Color?

Sure enough, after hearing what Margaret said, Ruby obediently nodded.

"Okay then, Ruby won't go."

Margaret quickly waved at Adrian and Eva, reassuring them, "Go on now, we'll take good care of Ruby and Dylan. Don't worry about a thing."

Once Adrian and Eva had departed, Ruby lifted her little head to gaze at Margaret.

"Granny, when Ruby grows up, I can use makeup too, right?"

Margaret tenderly nudged her granddaughter's nose and spoke in a gentle voice, "Absolutely, my dear. When you're older, you can dress up any way you like." Encouraged by Margaret's promise, Ruby's imagination took flight. "Then, can you buy lots and lots of makeup for me?"

It was a dream almost every young girl harbored, to one day indulge in a trove of cosmetic treasures.

"Of course, my darling. Granny will buy you all the makeup you want. Will that make our Ruby happy?"

Ruby's kiss was her sweet reply.

Adrian and Eva were a strikingly attractive couple, and as they walked together, they couldn't help but draw the eyes of onlookers. Some even went so far as to whip out their phones to capture a photo of the pair. Eva sensed the attention and leaned in to whisper to Adrian, "I think someone's taking pictures of us."

Following her gaze, Adrian spotted a girl angling her phone in their direction.

Busted, the girl sheepishly redirected her phone.

With just a glance, Adrian dismissed the incident, but when the girl saw their lack of objection, she daringly pointed the lens back at them.

Once Adrian's eyes retreated, he checked in with Eva, "Does it bother you?"

Eva pursed her lips, "Not really; are you okay with it, though?"

She wasn't a celebrity or anything, and they were out in public. Being photographed didn't seem like a big deal to her. But that didn't necessarily mean Adrian felt the same.

To her surprise, Adrian cracked a smile and said lightly, "Coincidentally, I'm fine with it, too."

With that, Eva blinked in acceptance. If neither of them minded, then let them snap away.

She glanced back at the photographing bystander, who seemed unexpectedly charged with emotion. Before Eva could make sense of the sudden swing, Adrian bent down and planted a soft peck at the corner of her lips. The tender touch and warm breath momentarily stunned Eva.

Regaining her senses, she looked up into Adrian's profound eyes, questioning his actions since he knew they were being stealthily photographed.

Amused by her gaze, Adrian's eyes twinkled, "We both don't mind, so why not share a kiss and let them capture it?"

Eva was speechless.

Sure, she didn't mind being photographed, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with her kiss being on camera.

As these thoughts swirled in her head, she instinctively looked over at the girl who had taken their picture.

But this time, the girl didn't notice Eva's gaze. She was too busy squealing with delight with her friend over the kiss they'd just caught on camera; it was as if they'd snagged something spectacular. Watching their excitement, Eva shook her head in resignation.

Oh well, it seemed harmless enough, and the girls didn't appear to have any ill intentions. Maybe they were just charmed by how well-matched the couple looked and wanted to capture the moment. Luckily, the kiss from Adrian wasn't on the lips but rather at the corner of her mouth. If the video went public, it wouldn't be too much of an embarrassment. Adrian's action had clearly been intentional; he knew they were being filmed and decided to put on a little show of affection for the camera.

Upon realizing his intent, Eva said with a hint of exasperation, "What do you think you are, a celebrity trying to win fans with PDA? We're just regular folks; even if it's shared, nobody's going to care." Adrian didn't seem bothered.

"It doesn't matter. If no one watches, then so be it. I'm happy just to entertain myself,” he replied casually before releasing his hold from around Eva's waist and walking over to the two girls. "Wait here for me."

Eva considered following him but stopped when he spoke; instead, she decided waiting there was just fine-she wasn't interested in any fuss, and quite frankly, she was too lazy to move.

She watched the scenario unfold from where she stood. The girls, initially excited over their phones, changed expressions instantly as Adrian approached, instinctively trying to hide their phones behind them. But within a few seconds, they seemed to rethink their move and handed the phones over to Adrian, looking quite dejected.

Eva was puzzled. Wasn't Adrian's goal to flaunt their relationship? Why did he approach these girls? Was he aiming to delete the pictures?

If that was the case, why didn't he prevent them from photographing them in the first place?

It didn't make sense to her.

From a distance, she couldn't make out their conversation, only observing Adrian talking to the girls as his lips moved in earnest discussion. After he spoke, the girls' faces morphed from gloominess to brightness; their eyes sparkling with disbelief.

Then Eva spotted Adrian pulling out his phone, and one of the girls seemed to scan something on it. Eva's brows furrowed slightly, and her lips pursed involuntarily.

This was all too familiar to her. It was like those incidents when someone asked for her WhatsApp on the street, one would present a QR code, and the other would scan it. Wasn't that exactly what Adrian and the girl were doing?

Just minutes ago, the thrill from Adrian's actions still tingled in her, but now, standing there, Eva's mood plummeted; she was growing irritable by the second.

She'd waited long enough; it was time to stop lingering for Adrian. Determined, she decided to shop for lipstick on her own.

With that thought, Eva glanced around and noticed a cosmetics store right ahead. She made a beeline for it, no longer inclined to wait for Adrian.

Inside the boutique, the staff was busy attending to customers, leaving Eva to browse at her leisure-which she preferred.

In today's vast array of cosmetic creations, lipsticks came in countless shades and hues, each suiting various makeup styles.

Eva, who'd watched enough beauty vloggers' tutorials, caught sight of a lipstick and chuckled inwardly, recalling the term 'guy-magnet' color-a delicate, tender pink. Lost in thought while staring at the lipstick, a deep, male voice interrupted her reverie.

"Like that color?"

 

Chapter 569 Why So Adorable?

Startled by the voice, Eva turned to face Adrian, whose smile reached his twinkling eyes.

"Weren't you supposed to wait for me? What brought you here on your own?"

Her lips parted; she was about to retort, but after recalling his recent interaction with another girl, a wave of discomfort surged through her. She swallowed her words and walked away from Adrian without acknowledgment. His smile, which had lingered in the anticipation of her liking the lipstick, faltered as she glanced at him and turned away; her expression seemingly less than cheerful.

Adrian paused, pondering her distant demeanor. Had he upset her somehow?

Shrugging off the thought, he quickly caught up to her.

"Aren't you going to consider that lipstick? It's a pretty color."

Eva hadn't anticipated his persistence, let alone him bringing up lipstick again. Her frown deepened the 'guy-magnet' term might not have been just influential vlogger talk. After a moment's consideration, she stopped and turned to ask him.

"Do you like it?"

Adrian didn't overthink his response. "I like it. Didn't you say other shades weren't versatile enough for everyday wear? That one seems about right; it's close to your natural lip color."

As he spoke, Adrian's gaze dropped, taking in her lips with an appraising look.

Not long ago, Eva had been feeling under the weather, which left her lips pale and colorless, but lately, her mindset had improved. She was eating well, and her health had rebounded, so as a result, her lips had regained their delicate pink hue. They looked soft and jellylike against her fair skin.

But Eva had no idea what he was thinking about. She was still irked by his earlier actions. So, when he expressed his fondness for the lipstick, she retorted without missing a beat, "You like it? Then buy it for yourself."

With that, Eva turned on her heel and left him in the dust.

Adrian might have been slow on the uptake, but after being ignored twice, he finally got the hint.

He hesitated, then swiftly picked up the lipstick Eva had admired and sprinted after her.

Catching up using his long strides, he reached out and grasped her slender, pale wrist. "Are you upset?"

Feeling his grip, Eva's brows furrowed slightly. "No," she lied and promptly wriggled free from his hold.

Adrian stared at his empty hand and, after a silent moment, said with a hint of defeat, "That strong of a response, and you claim you're not mad?"

"Do I?" Eva gave a sardonic smile. "Then tell me, what do I have to be mad about?"

Her question prompted Adrian to contemplate seriously.

"Because I kissed you earlier?"

This left Eva speechless.

The two of them were extremely close; kisses and hugs were routine, and he had done far more outrageous things. How could she possibly be upset over a simple peck? The absurdity of his question rendered Eva speechless, and she lost any desire to respond.

Adrian could tell she was still fuming and refusing to answer, which left him rather helpless.

Racking his brains, he could not figure out what had upset her, other than the kiss he had planted in full view of the cameras.

So, before Eva could walk away again, a persistent Adrian followed her, pestering her with questions. "What's really bothering you?"

Without knowing the actual reason for her sudden dissatisfaction, Adrian had to guess from his actions, but when that yielded no answers, he started grasping at straws.

"Did you not sleep well last night? Are you feeling unwell because of that?"

"Did I tire you out by bringing you to pick out lipstick?"

"Should I just buy every shade here, so you won't have to choose, and we can go home and rest?"

"Eva?"

"Eva ?"

While browsing lipsticks, Eva found herself accompanied by a persistent Adrian, who peppered her with questions until, with a turn of her head, she caught his expression eagerness and concern were etched all over his handsome face. His lips were even slightly parted, his confusion apparent.

The way he acted... he seemed genuinely worried about upsetting her.

Had she misunderstood him?

But...

With these thoughts, Eva inhaled deeply and faced Adrian. "What were you doing just now?"

At long last, she was speaking to him. Adrian, who had been feeling the cold shoulder for some time, eagerly leaned in.

"What was I doing? Didn't you see? I was talking to those two-"

Before he could finish, Eva extended her fair palm.

"Give me your phone."

Without hesitation, Adrian handed over his phone.

She noticed it was locked. Without having to ask, Adrian quickly said, "The password is your birthday."

Her birthday?

Pondering for a moment, Eva typed a sequence of numbers, and the phone unlocked.

Seeing her own birthday as his lock screen password softened Eva's mood, easing her anger.

She opened WhatsApp, expecting to find unknown contacts but instead found herself as the pinned conversation, with familiar faces below-family and acquaintances.

His WhatsApp was sparsely populated, with hardly any friends at all.

Surveying the chat interface revealed nothing, so Eva wrinkled her nose and switched to the contacts screen.

She had a quick scroll through Adrian's friend list it was so brief that, with a couple of swipes, she had already reached the end.

She scrolled up and down but found nothing of interest.

Adrian had been by her side since she took the phone, watching her every move. Seeing her swipe through, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Eve, what are you looking for?" "Your new contacts?"

Eva replied without overthinking his question.

Adrian paused for a moment. "New contacts?"

Sensing the puzzlement in his tone, Eva lifted her gaze to meet his dark eyes, annoyance still prevalent in her voice, "Weren't you just adding those girls as friends?"

Adrian seemed lost at first, but her words triggered a realization in his mind.

'Yes, that's it.' He thought.

Indeed, she was miffed about the friend request.

Eva couldn't help but grind her teeth in frustration.

"And that friend?" She asked.

Adrian raised an eyebrow, an amused glint in his eye. "Deleted."

It seemed he suddenly grasped the cause of her foul mood. He'd been sulking, trying to figure out why she was upset, and now that he had unearthed the reason, a smile crept across his lips, curving higher and higher until he could no longer resist wrapping his arms around Eva's shoulders, his voice brimming with mirth.

"Eve, don't tell me you got upset thinking I added another girl on WhatsApp?"

Eva fell silent, not knowing how to respond.

He tenderly pinched her fair cheek, "How can you be so adorable? You should tell me when you're upset."

 

Chapter 570 Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Since the misunderstanding hadn't yet been clarified, Eva wasn't in the mood to tolerate his touch and swiftly brushed his hand aside. "Don't touch me."

Adrian, far from retracting his hand, instead leaned closer and placed his large hand at the nape of her neck, his voice low as he explained, "Alright, I did add that girl as a friend, but I also deleted her." "Why did you add her and then delete her?"

"How else could I get the video?"

"What video?"

"What do you think?"

Eva got it then; he was referring to the video that girl had secretly taken of Adrian kissing her. She realized she had jumped to conclusions when she saw them exchange contact information. She had thought... He had just gone after the video.

Eva felt a sting of guilt as she thought back on how she had coldly turned away from him.

"What, you thought I was just adding random girls on WhatsApp?" Adrian tapped her nose lightly. "I would risk my life for you; do you really think I'd go through the trouble of adding someone else just to complicate my own life?" These grand declarations, of risking life for another, would've been dismissed as sweet nothings by Eva in the past, or maybe from anyone else. But after witnessing him fearlessly save her from danger, she knew he wasn't joking. He meant every word.

And so, she found herself without a rebuttal, even moved by the memory.

"Sorry..." she whispered, "I misunderstood you."

Adrian simply found her jealousy adorable.

In his eyes, jealousy sprang from care, and her jealousy meant she deeply cared about him. This realization delighted him.

But Adrian never expected an apology from Eva, so when she suddenly muttered "I'm sorry," he was utterly taken aback.

"I like it when you get jealous. It means you care about me. What's there to apologize for?"

Eva blinked in confusion.

"I misunderstood you and then I lost my temper. It's only right to apologize."

"No need," Adrian cut her off. "With me, you can be who you are. You never have to feel sorry. If anyone should feel sorry, it's me..."

He was the one who owed her - a debt he knew he could never repay in this lifetime.

He actually wished Eva would be more willful, more dramatic, maybe even vent her frustrations on him, doing whatever she pleased, just to give him a reason to make it up to her. Before he could finish his thoughts, Eva piped up with curiosity, "What should you feel sorry for?"

Adrian snapped back to reality and shook his head.

"Nothing. So, are you no longer mad at me?"

Since it was all a big misunderstanding, there was no way Eva could still be angry.

She fell silent.

"So, if you're not mad anymore, then how about the lipstick?" He prodded gently.

Adrian handed over the lipstick she had eyed when she first saw it.

Eva was surprised to see that particular color, the "guy-magnet" shade. She had barely glanced at it and he had already grabbed it for her. "You like this color?" She asked.

Adrian chuckled softly. "Didn't I say your natural lip color is a close match? It should be perfect for everyday use."

"If it's close, then what's the point in using it?"

Caught off guard by her logic, Adrian found himself stammering. "Yeah, if it's close to your natural lip color, then why use it? Shall I put it back?" "Never mind. Since you've picked it out, I might as well choose a few more shades."

As Eva was selecting colors, she asked softly, "So, after you added that person and they sent you a video, you just deleted them?"

Adrian nodded with brazen pride.

"What else? Keep them for chatting? To make you jealous?"

Eva felt a twinge of guilt recalling her own bout of jealousy.

"I was mistaken. I'm not angry anymore. Why do you keep bringing it up?"

"Can't I mention it? It's rare to see you get jealous over me. Isn't it worth a few extra mentions?" He teased.

Eva could only respond with silence.

"I mean, isn't it wrong to just delete someone like that?"

"Eva, are you acting coy after getting your way?" He teased. "If I hadn't deleted them, imagine how much angrier you would've been while checking my phone."

After speaking, Adrian didn't wait for her to ask again and instead patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, I told her upfront that I'm married when I added her as a friend. I didn't want you to get upset, so I only got that video, and then I deleted her."

She blinked in surprise. "What about the video?"

"You want to see it?"

Adrian opened his gallery and showed her the saved video.

The video was taken from afar, but their expressions were still visible. Through the video, Eva could even catch the adoring way Adrian looked at her.

Normally, she wouldn't pick up on such nuances in their everyday conversations. Now, through someone else's lens, Eva realized how tenderly Adrian actually gazed at her.

Although Eva wasn't one to watch soap operas regularly, in this era of shared clips and snippets, she couldn't help but be reminded of the romantic scenes between leads when she saw that look.

"By the way, after sending the video, that girl asked me something," Adrian mentioned casually.

"What was that?"

"She wanted to know if she could post the video online."

Eva pursed her lips, "And you agreed?"

"What do you think? Should I have said yes or no?"

Eva raised an eyebrow playfully, "Up to you."

It was just a video of them being affectionate. Deep down, Eva didn't seem to care whether it got out or not.

After her remark, she noticed Adrian had gone quiet, which piqued her curiosity. "So, what did you tell her?"

Adrian gave her a teasing smile. "Looks like someone's 'whatever' isn't so indifferent after all."

He ruffled her hair gently, saying softly, "When she asked if she could post it, I said yes. We're not celebrities, after all."

Eva huffed softly, declining to respond.

"Made your choice?"

"Yeah, more or less."

While she had been talking to him, Eva had been selecting shades and by the time Adrian asked, she had already reached for a few everyday colors. "These will do."

But unexpectedly, Adrian threw her off with a comment, "Aren't you going to test them out?" She looked at him, with a trace of surprise in her eyes. "You know about testing shades?" "Yeah, I've heard a bit about it."

"There's no need to test them. They're all neutral shades; you can't really go wrong with them."

Adrian glanced over at her upon hearing this, marveling at how her porcelain skin could carry any color without fault. In his eyes, she was flawless, but perhaps it was just a lover's adoration coloring his perception.