เข้าสู่ระบบHeidi smiled. "The weather's nice today. After their shots, I'll take the babies to the park for a bit—getting some fresh air and time with nature is good for them.""Alright, I'm off to work then. Milo, Maeve—be good, okay?" Adriana waved at the babies.They waved their little hands back at her, babbling sweetly.She left the house reluctantly. By the time her car had barely cleared the underground garage, she was already missing them. But the product development was nearly complete—this was their first product, and it couldn't afford any delays.Once she arrived at the lab, she dove straight into work, pushing everything else out of her mind. It wasn't until someone knocked on the lab door that she surfaced from the sea of data.Francesco stood outside in a black coat, sharp-featured, holding an insulated lunch box in one hand. A hint of late-autumn chill clung to his shoulders.Compared to other seasons, autumn always felt fleeting. The summer heat had barely faded before the
The cold air from the car's AC seeped through her pores, and Chris felt a chill spread deep into his bones. Adriana's words just now had made one thing clear—she was drawing a line between them, telling him to stop interfering in her affairs. But how could he possibly stay away? She was the most important person in his life.Neither of them spoke for the rest of the drive. The only sound was the soft whisper of air through the vents.Adriana pulled up in front of the Slater family estate. Chris opened the door and stepped out, wanting to say something, but when he turned back, all he saw was her cold profile. The door had barely closed before the car pulled away, its taillights vanishing into the dusk.Adriana drove home alone. After that night, she threw herself entirely into her work, hustling alongside Bella. On the first day of autumn, their pet-focused company, Pobu, was officially launched.Adriana stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of her office, gazing down at the city be
Chris turned his head to look at her and smiled. "You're so young. How did you become this naggy?"Adriana's tone turned serious. "This is about your health. It's no joke.""I only had one sip. Don't be mad. I promise I won't touch a drop from now on.""Save those promises for Alex."Adriana kept her eyes forward, both hands steady on the wheel.A scorching gaze fell on her profile. Chris stared at her with wet, glistening eyes. Streetlights streamed through the window one after another, casting flickering patterns of light and shadow across her delicate features. He watched the light catch on her lashes, the corner of her lips, the curve of her neck.When he spotted the faint red mark on her neck, his hands clenched suddenly. He thought back to earlier—how she and Francesco had appeared at the bar together, how Francesco had grabbed her wrist.The wetness in his eyes slowly hardened, crystallizing into something icy and sharp."Why were you with Francesco?""We were both at t
Oliver gave Adriana an apologetic shrug, a sheepish look on his face.Chris leaned back in the booth, lazily twirling a glass between his fingers. His gaze drifted through the dim, shifting lights—sweeping over her, then over Francesco, with an unreadable stillness.Francesco grabbed Adriana's hand without a word and pulled her over to the booth, his face dark as he turned to Bianca. "Who taught you to lie like that?"His tone was harsh, and Bianca flinched, lowering her head in silence. Adriana tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to go easy on her.Oliver stepped in to explain. "Francesco, this has nothing to do with Bianca. We were the ones who wanted to lure you and Adriana here."Adriana gave a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Since none of you are actually drunk, I'll head home. The kids are waiting for me."She didn't want to be a party pooper, but she didn't appreciate being played for a fool. And she knew full well this wasn't really Oliver's doing.Sophia rose a
That line was ordinary enough, yet in this humble, bustling little Italian trattoria, it sounded like the simplest and most moving confession of love. Every week—every single week of a lifetime.Francesco looked up at Adriana across the table and suddenly said, "From now on, let's come here every week.""Huh?"Adriana blinked, utterly confused. Was he sick? Or had he lost his mind? Had eating such "carb-loaded food" for the first time after a lifetime of healthy meals somehow short-circuited his brain? But that didn't make sense either—he'd let loose plenty of times before."I said, let's come here every week from now on," Francesco repeated.This time, he put extra emphasis on the word "we."Adriana caught the undertone and felt her heart skip a beat for no reason. She forced a smile and deflected with a light, casual tone. "If you like it, you can have your chef make it at home. It'd definitely be cleaner and healthier than this."The food, the warmth, the atmosphere—they'd al
Francesco, feeling Adriana stop struggling beneath him, contentedly nuzzled his chin against the curve of her neck.Adriana closed her eyes, trying to ignore just how close they were. But his warm breath brushed against her neck again and again, sending tingling sensations like tiny electric currents spreading through her limbs."Adriana."His low, husky voice was followed by his lips grazing her neck—barely there, yet unmistakable.Adriana's body went rigid. Her breathing grew heavier.Just as the atmosphere thickened to an almost suffocating degree, her stomach let out two very loud, very distinct growls.Francesco froze for a second, then let out a low chuckle. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, braced his hands on either side of her, and sat up. The warmth still lingered in his eyes. "What do you want for dinner?""Pasta."Adriana sat up as well, reaching up to smooth her tousled hair, the tips of her ears burning."Pasta doesn't travel well. Let's go out."Francesco went in
Adriana hesitated, then stole a quick glance at Francesco. His expression remained cold and detached, revealing no trace of emotion."Could we use cooperation as leverage… to make them leave Chris alone?" she asked softly.Francesco tilted his head, not even bothering to hide the faintest smirk of
Adriana stepped forward with calm composure. "Dean, gentlemen, this really isn't such a big deal. I'm sorry you had to make the trip."Dean got straight to the point. "Where's Chris?""He's in his ward. The doctor has instructed that no one disturb him for now, and he doesn't wish to see anyone."
Alex skimmed through the two articles in the newspaper, then crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the trash.If Chris saw the second article, he would only get angry all over again."And this Francesco… his remarks are completely inappropriate.""Achoo!"Francesco, lounging against the edg
Seeing the wicked glint at the corner of Francesco's eyes, a sense of foreboding rose in Adriana's chest.She lifted the binoculars. The moment the cross-river bridge came into view, she saw a figure climb over the unguarded end of the bridge and plunge into the river below.Even from a distance,







