Chapter 9: Chapter 9



Joelle’s eyes traced the buttons on Adrian’s shirt until they met his seething gaze. Without a moment’s hesitation, she blurted out, “Oh, so you’re that son of a bitch!”

Adrian’s forehead veins pulsed with fury, but his gaze softened upon noticing she was drunk. With a resigned sigh, he swept her up into his arms with effortless strength.

Katherine, observing the scene, darted over. “Hey, Adrian, put Joelle down!”

Adrian’s cold eyes swept the room, from the wine-filled bathtub to the scantily clad toy boys, before landing squarely on Katherine.

“Let me make this clear—if you ever bring Joelle to a place like this again, I’ll make your business prospects vanish from this city!”

Adrian was known for making threats that carried weight. Katherine’s lips tightened. Her three companies were the fruits of her labor, and she had no choice but to temporarily throw Joelle under the bus for their sake. Facing the head of the city’s most powerful family, she could only shake her fist at the air as Adrian turned his back.

“Jerk, if you hurt Joelle, I swear I won’t let you get away with it!”

As the raucous sounds dwindled, Joelle felt herself being carried into a more confined space. Groggy, she opened her eyes to find Adrian’s cold smile greeting her. The sight sobered her instantly. She scrambled to the corner, pressing her back against the car door.

“Quite the party, Joelle,” Adrian said with a chilling calm, wiping his hands with a disinfectant wipe. “What’s the matter? Do you think a bunch of scrawny guys are more satisfying than me?” His calm tone was more chilling than any outburst.

Despite her inebriation, Joelle remembered all too well why she’d ended up in this state and was all too familiar with Adrian’s volatile temper. The very air seemed to suffocate her.

“I want to get out,” she pleaded. “Let me out!”

Adrian leaned in suddenly, his cool fingers gripping her chin with unsettling precision. His face hovered inches from hers, his breath warm and unsettling against her skin. Joelle’s fear rendered her mute.

Adrian’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk. “My patience is not infinite, Joelle. If you’re going to misbehave, you better know when to quit!”

As the driver slid into the car and sensed the charged atmosphere, he raised the partition. The car began to move. A few stray strands of Joelle’s hair fell across her tear-streaked face, the alcohol in her system amplifying her vulnerability.

“Adrian, I’m not trying to cause trouble. I’m just so tired! Let’s get divorced. I can’t keep doing this anymore!”

Adrian’s heart twisted painfully in his chest. Joelle’s tantrum, unusually potent this time, had a way of pulling him in, ensnaring him in the same trap over and over.

“It was my mistake to misunderstand you. But didn’t you already settle that score when you hit me?”

Joelle shook her head, her expression unreadable. “It’s not just that.”

“Then what is it?” Adrian’s voice softened. He couldn’t resist brushing his lips against the corner of her eye. “Tell me, Joelle. What else have I done wrong?”

He trailed soft kisses down her face, each one a mix of warmth and a subtle sting, causing Joelle to weaken under his touch. Desperate to cling to her last shred of self-control, Joelle pushed him away. “Adrian, don’t touch me!”

But Adrian didn’t stop. His lips moved to her ear, his breath hot and deliberate. His large hands slipped beneath her clothes, rough and insistent as they roamed over her skin. “Haven’t you had enough?”

His voice, low and cold, cut through the air, his words piercing and too real. A shiver ran down Joelle’s spine, leaving her trembling. Adrian’s grip on her chin tightened, drawing a stifled gasp from her lips.

“Joelle, don’t push your luck! I’ve already agreed to have a baby with you, just like Grandma wanted. That’s my biggest compromise. Don’t ruin my mood.”

Before Joelle could process his words, a tearing sound filled the car as Adrian flipped her over, pressing her face against the cold glass of the window. She found herself kneeling shamefully on the back seat. The ominous sound of a belt unbuckling sent a wave of despair crashing over her, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

“No!” she whispered, her voice broken.

Adrian’s strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, holding her firmly in place. Joelle clung to the car’s overhead handle with one hand while the other pounded weakly against him, her resistance futile. “Be a good girl, Joelle!” Adrian murmured, his voice now a dangerous blend of dark desire, ignited by her resistance.

Joelle’s voice cracked as tears blurred her vision, the car’s interior illuminated only by the fleeting orange glow of the streetlights outside. In that moment, memories of all the humiliating days came rushing back. The days when Adrian didn’t love her and only touched her out of some cold sense of duty. The lonely, empty nights when she had waited for him, only to be met with silence. She had loved this man with every fiber of her being, and he had torn her heart apart.

When it was over, Adrian carelessly tossed his jacket over her, covering her flushed, tear-streaked face. Joelle sobbed silently, her right wrist throbbing with a familiar pain. Adrian discarded the tissues he had used with detached indifference.

“Did you leave your luggage at Katherine’s place?” he asked. Joelle, drained of energy and will, rested her head against the window, choosing silence over words.

Suddenly, the car jerked to a halt, throwing them both forward. Adrian reacted quickly, instinctively shielding Joelle’s head with his hand—a habit he had formed long ago, back when things between them were different. The gesture left them in a tense, awkward silence.

“What just happened?” Adrian asked the driver.

“Mr. Miller, someone just ran into the road. It looked like Miss Lloyd.”

Adrian was about to step out and investigate when Joelle, who had remained eerily quiet until then, grabbed his sleeve.

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