Novel-novel oleh bixiaojiestella

　She wanted to ask Adrian what style he liked—what kind of design he imagined wearing every day.But the question caught in her throat.What if he hadn’t meant it?　　And what if he’d just said that to pacify his mother?What if he didn’t care?　　That thought dropped into her stomach like a stone.　　Adrian’s mother stood from the sofa with a soft smile,announcing that she needed to rest and recover from jet lag.“Your father will arrive tonight,”she said,stretching slightly.“We’ll have dinner together,all of us.”　　Emily nodded and watched her disappear down the hall.　　She turned to go upstairs,already reaching for the railing—when Adrian’s voice stopped her.　　“Don’t you have something you want to ask me?”　　She paused,glancing back at him.“About the wedding rings?”　　He arched an eyebrow,as if amused by her hesitation.“Mm.&

Emily froze for a second, caught off guard by the question.Adrian’s mother had shifted her gaze—not just to Emily’s bare finger, but then to Adrian’s hand as well.No ring.Her eyes narrowed slightly. “You two got married and didn’t bother with rings?”Emily’s heart gave a faint stutter.In a flash, her mind flew back to that quiet little chapel, to the ring Adrian had handed her that day.She hadn’t even thought to bring it with her when she moved into his home. Maybe, deep down, she hadn’t wanted to pretend more than necessary. After all, this wasn’t real. It wasn’t supposed to be real.But now, under the scrutiny of Adrian’s mother, it felt like a glaring omission.Especially in a world like theirs—where a wedding ring wasn’t just a symbol of love, but a silent boundary, a social shield.Before she could scramble for an excuse, Adrian spoke up smoothly.“Emily’s designing our rings,” he said, tone calm and sure. “She’s putting a lot of thought into it. Once they’re ready, we’ll we

　　“I thought about it.”Adrian’s voice was low, his jaw tight. His gaze dropped for a second, shadowed with something unreadable.“But after five years…I still can’t watch her end up with someone else.”　　His mother’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing. Not yet.　　Adrian exhaled, slow and steady.“It was at that summit in Geneva. I overheard Mike—bragging to someone about how, once they were married, he’d have Emily transfer all her shares to him. Said it was for her own good. So she could stay home, stop worrying about work.”　　He gave a bitter smile.　　“Like she was just some pretty accessory to keep on a shelf.”　　His mother’s silence deepened. There was no judgment in her face, only calculation—and perhaps, the faintest trace of sympathy.　　“I asked Lila,”Adrian continued,“and she told me they’d already argued over it. Emily didn’t want to give up her work, her independence. But Mike didn’t care.”　　His gaze lifted, sharp again.　　“There’s a saying in business—timing

　　The orgasm crashed through her like a riptide, wringing a broken cry from her throat. Adrian gentled her through it, his mouth softening but not stopping until she pushed weakly at his shoulders.　　As she floated back to awareness, she felt him press a kiss to her damp stomach before shifting up to gather her against his chest. Her cheek landed on his pounding heartbeat.　　Neither of them spoke for a long time.　　"Sleep,"he said, tucking the covers around them both. His voice was rough, his body still visibly aroused beneath the sheets, but his arms around her were firm.　　Emily traced idle patterns on his collarbone."What about you—"　　His fingers laced through hers, bringing her hand to his lips."This wasn't about me."　　The room had long since settled into a heavy hush, the air warm with the remnants of shared heat.　　Emily lay still, her head on his shoulder, but sleep didn’t come.　　She couldn’t stop thin

　　Emily lay on his side, the soft hush of the evening wrapping around the room. The shadows on the ceiling shifted gently as the breeze moved through the curtains.　　She hadn’t spoken in a while.　　Adrian, lying beside her, finally broke the silence.　　“You’re still awake,”he said quietly.　　Emily hesitated.“I’m just…thinking.”　　“About?”　　She turned her head slightly, catching the faint outline of his profile in the dim light.“Us,”she admitted, voice barely audible.　　For a beat, he didn’t respond.　　Then—“I see.”　　“I mean…”she searched for the words.“It’s just…things feel different now. We’re still pretending, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like pretending.”　　Adrian’s gaze remained steady, though his voice dropped just a touch.“It doesn’t feel like it to me either.”　　Her breath caught, her heartbeat fluttering in the silence that followed.　　Then he shifted slightly, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from her cheek. His fingers lingered, soft and warm.　　She shifted sli

　　Emily returned from the bathroom with her damp hair tucked behind her ears, a towel draped loosely around her neck. When she stepped into the bedroom, she paused.　　The small breakfast table near the window had already been set.　　A silver tray held a bowl of warm congee, a few side dishes, and a cup of ginger tea, still steaming.　　Adrian was seated nearby, scrolling through his tablet with casual ease.　　She blinked, surprised.“You…set this up?”　　He looked up, his expression calm.“I asked the kitchen to bring it up.”　　Emily hesitated, then smiled faintly.“Thank you.”　　Adrian nodded. Then, as if remembering something, he added,“By the way, your phone rang while you were gone. I answered—it was someone named Claire? She said she’s from your design team.”　　Emily froze for a half-second, then relaxed and picked up her spoon.“Oh, Claire. She’s nice. Did she say anything?”　　Adrian leaned back slightly, watching her reaction—maybe expecting more. But when she stayed composed, he onl