Chris Carter's expression changed slightly, his gaze turning cold as he looked at the intimate interaction between Adrian Carter and Riley Palmer.
"Did you get the marriage certificate?" Lydia Suvian asked, slowly linking her arm around Chris's.
Adrian casually pulled the still-warm marriage certificate out of his pocket. "Sister-in-law, want to take a look?" he said with a smirk, watching their slightly stiff expressions.
Lydia looked at Adrian's smug face with a rigid expression. "Congratulations, little brother."
Adrian leaned in intimately to smell Riley's neck for a moment, eyes curving as he looked at his girl. He even glanced at the standing Chris.
There was a hint of provocation in it.
The chairman ignored Lydia and Chris's embarrassment and quietly watched everything happening in the living room.
The atmosphere in the living room was stiff. The family members who used to have at least a bit of warmth seemed to fall apart in an instant.
Riley naturally sensed the subtle tension in the room, but she didn't leave. She calmly sat beside Adrian, watching him talk happily with the old man beside him.
For a moment, Riley's gaze swept over Chris's figure.
The usually high-spirited young man had somehow begun to look a little more mature and steady.
Riley didn't notice that Chris's eyes were fixed on the ring gleaming on her ring finger, or that the hand resting on his leg had clenched tightly.
"Boom—"
A quick flash of lightning streaked across the window, and from the backyard came the sound of roaring flames.
"Sir, the backyard is on fire," a maid gasped, leaning against the doorway of the living room.
Everyone immediately stood up.
Adrian tightly held Riley's hand, giving her a sense of security.
Riley craned her neck to look toward the flames in the trees.
The fire was huge, that direction…
It was the bauhinia tree.
The tree was gone…
Adrian looked in that direction. His grip on Riley's hand gradually loosened, and he glanced at Chris behind him.
The bauhinia tree was illuminated by flames, casting a complicated mix of emotions in everyone's hearts.
The chairman watched the last bauhinia flower fall to the ground."Once twin blooms, now dust and ash, fallen petals, lone shadows in distant lands."
He bent down to pick up the flower, glanced lightly at Adrian and Chris beside him, then pinned the flower by Riley's ear.
"The night air is cold. It's time to go back and rest early."
With that, Lydia turned and left decisively.
Chris looked at the bauhinia tree that was now nothing but a trunk, his heart filled with an indescribable feeling, a dark emotion swirling in his eyes.
He looked at Riley in front of him, seeing her hand hooked around Adrian's arm, then turned away.
The fire burned away not only the tree, but also the time they once spent together, leaving a deep scar on this already broken family bond.
Adrian walked over to the bauhinia tree as well, slowly kneeling down and carefully brushing away the soil beneath it.
"It's gone… everything's gone…" Adrian knelt on one knee, staring at the wooden box that had been burned to ashes.
Riley crouched beside him, looking at him with concern. "What's gone?"
Adrian's eyes were slightly red. He looked at Riley, then at the Chris who had already walked away. "The wooden box is gone…"
Seeing his reddened eyes, Riley's heart ached. She pulled him into her arms tenderly, gently patting him as he still trembled.
Holding his hand tightly, Riley led Adrian away from the Carter family's old residence.
Adrian's apartment.
As soon as they entered, Adrian's suppressed emotions completely lost control.
Gone was his usual gentleness. He pressed himself against Riley, demanding her.
"Riley, I want it…" His voice was hoarse.
Riley wrapped her arms around his neck. "Adrian…"
From the living room to the hallway, then to the kitchen and the bedroom.
Every corner of the apartment was touched by them.
Their clothes were carelessly scattered across the floor.
Adrian held Riley's slim waist, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at her face."Riley, I love you. I love you."
The next morning.
Riley slowly opened her eyes, holding her sore waist and lower body.
"Hiss—"
Struggling, she picked up the water beside the bed and poured it down her dry throat.
"Awake?" Adrian leaned lightly against the wall, looking at the masterpiece he'd made last night.
Riley slowly turned her head, looking at his smug face, and didn't answer.
Ten times. Last night, a full ten times!!
Her waist was still burning with pain. She had no mood to deal with him.
She turned her head and looked at the sunlight outside.
Adrian chuckled softly. He walked over to the bed and gently stroked her hair."Wife, I was wrong."
Riley still ignored him.
"Where does it hurt, Riley? Here?" Adrian gently pressed on her lower back as his fingers slowly moved down. "Or here?"
Riley immediately turned around and slapped his hand away. "Adrian!"
He smiled, kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good morning, my wife."
Looking at his face, her ears slowly turned red.
Adrian continued on his own, "Don't go to work today. The boss is granting you a day off."
"Paid leave."
Riley slowly poked her head out from under the blanket and looked at him.
He gently ruffled her hair. "Alright, I'm heading out. Breakfast is outside, want me to bring it in?"
As he fixed his shirt, he glanced at a bite mark on his neck and lightly touched it.
"Where are you going?" Riley immediately forced herself to sit up.
Looking at her cute and worried expression, Adrian stared directly at her bare body."To Carter Conglomerate. Grandpa is handing Carter Conglomerate over to me."
Riley's supporting hand suddenly slipped. She stared at him in shock.
"Rest well." He stepped forward and patted her head. "Wait for me to come back."
"Mm." She nodded obediently, watching his departing figure.
"Remember to eat breakfast." His voice lingered in the apartment.
"Got it."
"Bang—"
The apartment door closed.
Riley slowly fumbled around for her phone, finally finding it under Adrian's pillow.
She saw more than a dozen unread messages and missed calls.
[Riley, are you coming back tonight?]
[Riley, come back to the apartment tomorrow, okay?]...
Seeing May Miller's message bombing, Riley quickly replied.
[Okay, I'll head back later.]
She slowly got up and walked toward the bathroom.
After an entire night of intense activity, her body was sticky and uncomfortable.
Holding her waist, she walked out of the bathroom wearing Adrian's clothes that he left there.
The stickiness was gone, but the fatigue still remained.
Looking at the breakfast set out on the table, she smiled faintly.
She took out her phone and snapped a picture of the warm moment.
Scooping with her spoon, she ate bite by bite.
"Beep beep beep—"
Riley unlocked the door to her own apartment.
"Riley!"
May threw herself at Riley.
"Bang—" The two of them fell to the ground together.
Riley grimaced, clutching her already fragile waist.
"Are you guys okay?" Chloe Frost leaned against the wall, foam in her mouth, toothbrush in hand.
May stood up laughing, looking at Chloe. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She patted her chest. "I'm strong."
Chloe didn't look at her. She turned instead to Riley, who was still lying on the floor."She's not fine."
May immediately reacted and looked at Riley, who was rubbing her waist."Riley, are you okay?" She reached out and pulled her up.
Riley struggled up, massaging her waist.
Chloe smiled faintly and turned back to deal with the foam in her mouth.
"Riley, President Carter is really something." May supported her, glancing at the large red marks on her waist.
Riley lightly tapped her head. "Shut up."
May helped Riley onto the sofa and thoughtfully made her a cup of her favorite tea.
"Here, Mrs. Carter, please enjoy." May bowed slightly with a grin, offering the cup.
Watching her, Riley suddenly felt like teasing her."Mm, you may leave now, Little May."
"Tsk, getting carried away." May rolled her eyes and plopped down beside her, leaning gently on her shoulder.
"Riley, now that you're married, will you drift away from us…" May murmured softly.
Many of their classmates had already entered marriage, and without exception, they gradually lost contact.
Either they said they were busy, or stuck at home taking care of children.
Silence filled the apartment. Riley looked gently at May beside her.
"I won't." She spoke her true feelings softly.
May straightened up and looked at her in delight.
Riley smiled lightly. "I won't trap myself in a boxed-in life. Life is alive, and I have no reason not to see the outside world, and no reason to give up my independent life. That's how I am, and Adrian is the same."
Chloe, wearing casual home clothes, sat cross-legged beside May.
"Hey, are you not going to work today?" May asked, resting her head on Chloe's leg and looking up at her.
Chloe didn't look at her, her hands still busy."No work recently. I'm giving myself a break."
May immediately sat up, smiling brightly as she looked at both of them.
She walked to the middle of the living room."Then how about… we go out and have some fun?"
She rubbed her hands together, looking at them with anticipation.
Riley lifted her head, and exchanged a glance with Chloe beside her.