Adrian Jennings gathered with a few brothers for a poker game.
Ryan Quinn drew a card, holding a cigarette with a playful tease, "Oh, the sun must be rising from the west! Adrian has time to hang out with us today, aren’t you picking up your little Talia from work?"
Ever since Talia started working, moving to an apartment to live by herself, Adrian would go over to Brighton Court whenever he had time.
He hadn’t gathered with them in quite some time.
After the incident at the engagement ceremony, Adrian stayed in the hospital for a while, and after his release, his relationship with Talia heated up, sticking even closer, almost finding time daily to pick her up from work.
Adrian’s mood was extremely calm, playing a card, "She’s having dinner with colleagues tonight."
"Being abandoned?" Ryan exaggeratedly laughed at the news, his expression irresistibly annoying.
He spoke with a mocking tone, "Our big young master Adrian actually being ditched by a woman? What kind of colleague gathering is this, could they be more important than you?"
The atmosphere around Adrian grew slightly chillier, his cold eyes glanced at Ryan, "Abandoned?"
"Not possible." Adrian smirked, "She’ll still be coming home after her gathering, won’t she? What about you? Do you need to pick your girlfriend up later too?"
This comment was more of a sting than an insult.
It was well known that Ryan was single, where would a girlfriend come from?
Annoyed, he gritted his teeth and turned to Andrew Donovan, trying to incite, "Look at him, joking with brothers ? Andrew, you’re also single, can you stand this?"
Andrew Donovan coughed, "Sorry, I’m seeing someone too."
"What?" Ryan dropped his jaw, mouth agape, even his cigarette fell, "What did you say? You’re seeing someone too?"
Andrew gave a slight "Um."
"Never heard you mention, who’s the lady? Someone from the Abbott Family? The Lee Family?" Ryan looked intrigued.
The Abbotts were a renowned wealthy household in Oakhaven, and the Lee Family had political connections, with the head of the family holding significant power, their influence second only to the Jennings and the Donovans.
Andrew was a third-generation officer, a true high-born, so Ryan instinctively thought the girl he fancied was a match for his social standing.
Andrew hadn’t responded before Ryan continued on his own, "I saw the one from the Abbotts not long ago, she’s just returned from studying abroad and is very pretty, is it her?"
However, Andrew just shook his head, "Just an ordinary female university student."
"What?" Ryan looked incredulous, repeating slowly, "Ordinary female university student?"
Adrian’s reaction was casual, giving Andrew a passing glance, "Will your family agree?"
Andrew exhaled smoke rings, his tone impartial, "Just dating, not marrying, what’s there not to agree with?"
Ryan tutted twice, shaking his head, "You’re playing with college students now? Aren’t you afraid it will be hard to let go?"
Andrew laughed indifferently, with a devil-may-care attitude, "What’s hard to let go of? Buy a couple of bags, send some money, and if I don’t want to see her, can she see me?"
Ryan scratched his chin, "That’s true."
For people of their class, ordinary folks might never get to meet them unless they wished to.
Adrian drew a card, his gaze flicking over Andrew, his tone indifferent, "Playing with a girl’s feelings , aren’t you afraid of karma?"
Andrew chuckled, "What playing? We’re just satisfying each other’s needs."
Adrian: "Just weigh it yourself, don’t get trap yourself when things get deep."
Ryan’s eyes gleamed with curiosity again, "What does she look like? Bring her out for us to see some day."
Andrew’s expression was slightly aloof, "What’s there to see? Not in the same circle, no need."
Ryan shrugged, "True."
Adrian didn’t say anything more.
While playing cards, he kept an eye on his phone, afraid to miss any message from Talia.
After several rounds, he hadn’t received a message from Talia, but he did from his friend Evan Coleman.
[Heard you have a problem in that area?]
Adrian frowned, his lips stiffening a bit.
Just finishing a hand, Ryan stood up to stretch, coincidentally walking to Adrian’s side, her sharp eyes catching the message on Adrian’s phone, suddenly erupting into cackling laughter.
"Hahaha, cackle cackle—" Ryan laughed excessively, "Really? Haha do you really have a problem in that area?"
Adrian’s expression remained stern, his gaze coldly scanning over.
Ryan immediately stopped laughing, awkwardly suppressing it, his face comical, "What’s going on?"
Adrian stood up, "I’m leaving first."
Ryan grinned and followed, not forgetting to signal Andrew to tag along: "Come, let’s follow to see the show."
Talia took the drink the bartender had mixed and drank two more sips, swaying and starting to sing.
When Adrian arrived, Talia was singing the climax of a song, way off-key.
Upon entering the bar, Ryan instantly covered his ears, "My word, who’s singing so terribly."
Adrian, recognizing Talia’s voice, stayed silent with a tense face.
As they walked closer, they saw it was indeed Talia singing with passionate enthusiasm on the bar stage.
Ryan elbowed Adrian, "Quickly pull her down, this is pure noise, isn’t it? Others charge for singing, she charges lives!"
Adrian stood unmoved, "Let the kid sing how she wants."
"Fine, you spoil her." Ryan removed his hands from his ears, found a high stool, and sat down.
Adrian sat beside him, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the stage, with a doting smile on his lips.
Andrew looked at Talia with interest, then at Adrian, his tone teasing, "Your Talia sure has a talent."
Ryan laughed too, "Honestly, after listening for a while, it starts sounding alright."
Talia was seriously drunk, her mind cloudy, the lyrics of the song muddled, frequently off-key.
Adrian endured it to the end before stepping onto the stage.
The man grasped her wrist. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel⚑fire.net
Warmth spread from her wrist, Talia turned to look at him, her eyes hazy, "Mister, you’re really handsome, I calculated, you’re my destined husband."
This word "husband" made Adrian’s heart skip a beat.
He felt all his blood boil in that instant.
Breath turned erratic, Adrian froze momentarily, unsure what to do.
Talia tilted her face slightly, smiling cheekily at him, her flushed cheeks dimpling, a sweetness he couldn’t look away from.
They maintained eye contact for a few seconds in that position.
Talia suddenly leaned forward, pressing her head into Adrian’s chest.
Her fluffy head gently rubbed against Adrian like a little cat, murmuring, "Hmm, the scent is exactly like my husband’s."
Adrian routinely used fresh woody fragrance cologne, like snow-covered cedar under winter sunlight; it smelled wonderful, Talia couldn’t help but take a deep breath, "So nice, husband..."