CHAPTER 10: CHAPTER 10: ADRIAN REMEMBERS EVERY POST SHE MAKES

She gave Adrian Jennings a call.

The call was quickly connected, and Adrian’s voice was gentle, "Talia, do you like those three dresses?"

"Yes." Talia Rhodes said, "Which one do you think looks the best?"

Adrian seemed to chuckle on the other end of the line, his voice indulgent, "Didn’t I say that if you like them, we’ll buy them all? I’ve already asked my assistant to reserve all three sets."

"So soon? I only just sent them."

Adrian: "Afraid if I waited, they might be gone, these are limited editions."

"Alright, thank you, Adrian brother."

"Talia, you’re my fiancée now, we’re family. There’s no need to talk about trouble or anything like that."

He was right, but she still couldn’t quite step into the role of fiancée; to Talia Rhodes, Adrian was still the patient neighbor who helped her with her studies.

"Oh, Talia, it’s inconvenient to hail a taxi in Mirehaven. I’ve bought a car for you, just completed the formalities. Give me an address, I’ll have someone drive it to you."

Upon hearing this, Talia felt quite embarrassed.

Back then, to avoid the marriage alliance with Adrian, she had run away from home, and Shawn Rhodes froze her card—Adrian couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.

She indeed had neither a car nor a house in Mirehaven, living the life of a typical wage earner.

Though her two best friends once joked about ’supporting’ her, Talia refused.

She only accepted some money from her friends to tide over the first two months. Once her job stabilized, she stopped taking financial help from them.

Moreover, she also gradually repaid the initial sum after she received her salary.

Despite running away to Mirehaven to escape marrying him, Adrian not only didn’t fault her but wanted to buy her a car.

Feeling ashamed, her grip on the phone tightened.

"No need, taking a taxi is quite convenient."

Adrian’s voice carried a faint hint of hurt, "Talia, are you being so polite because deep down you still don’t want to marry me?"

Talia instinctively shook her head, then realized they were on a phone call, and Adrian couldn’t see her expression and actions.

She explained softly, "No, Adrian brother, since I’ve agreed to the marriage, my heart is certainly willing. I’m just thinking that I’ll be returning to Oakhaven in a few days, no need to buy a car now."

Adrian replied, "It’s okay, once you head back to Oakhaven, I’ll have someone drive the car back."

"This..." Talia wanted to refuse again.

"Aren’t you going to the neighboring city for a court session in a few days? Driving there would be convenient."

Talia was slightly surprised.

"How do you know I’m going to the neighboring city for a court session in a few days?"

"I saw it on your social media moments two months ago."

Talia hesitated for a moment.

The court session was indeed scheduled two months prior for September 25th, in the Intermediate People’s Court of the neighboring city.

Back then, she casually posted a social media joke saying it was a public-funded trip, planning to eat a much-craved bowl of spicy rice noodles after the court and check in at a famous tourist spot.

Adrian’s voice carried a gentle laugh, "Having a car would be much more convenient, after the court, you can also visit some nearby scenic spots."

At that moment, Adrian stood in the presidential office of the high-rise building, overlooking the myriad lights below, with eyes full of tenderness.

He knew three years ago how much he wanted to buy her a car, a house, and send money when he found out Talia was living so frugally in Mirehaven.

However, he lacked an identity—sending gifts to her abruptly, she surely wouldn’t accept them.

Fortunately, things were different now; she had agreed to marry him, giving him a legitimate status to gift her things.

Upon hearing Adrian’s words, Talia felt a momentary pause, touched deep inside.

That feeling was akin to a small stone falling into a heart’s lake, causing ripples to spread.

Her social media moments were set to visible for only three days; sometimes, she’d forget what she had posted after some time, yet Adrian remembered so clearly.

Ethan Grant would never pay attention to the moments she posted.

Sometimes, she’d clearly told Ethan beforehand where she would be traveling, yet on the day of the trip, he’d call asking why she wasn’t in Mirehaven.

She’d mentioned many times wanting to travel to certain places with Ethan before, but he didn’t give it any thought—the places she wanted to visit with Ethan two years ago, she still hadn’t been.

So this is what it feels like to be cared for.

Talia no longer refused, providing Ethan Grant’s villa address.

Adrian said, "You’ll be there tomorrow morning, right? I’ll have someone drive the car over in the morning."

"Yes, I will."

Not long after hanging up the call, Ethan Grant returned, with Vivian Coleman accompanying him.

When they entered, Talia was watching TV in the ground floor living room.

Talia glanced at them with her peripheral vision, not speaking.

Ethan didn’t speak either, but Vivian initiated the greeting, "Miss Rhodes, we meet again."

Talia lazily leaned against the sofa, eyes glued to the legal program on TV, without responding.

Vivian wasn’t annoyed, smiled as she walked over to sit on the sofa, "Miss Rhodes, is this the kind of thing you usually like to watch?"

Ethan Grant tossed out, "I’m going to shower," as he went upstairs, without indicating whom he was speaking to.

"You saw that video, right?" Once Ethan left, Vivian quickly dropped her smile, switching to a different demeanor, "The one Ethan loves is me."

Talia wasn’t concerned about who Ethan loved; she merely nodded, eyes staying fixed, "Uh-huh, got it."

Such a dismissive attitude displeased Vivian greatly, her eyes revealing undisguised disdain, "You sure know how to play cool, let’s see how long you can keep it up."

Talia coldly replied, "Not as well as you."

"Ha." Vivian huffed coldly, rising to walk upstairs, "Ethan, I’ll join you for the shower."

She turned back to give Talia a provocative smile after speaking, yet Talia didn’t look at her.

During dinner, Ethan and Vivian sat together while Talia sat separate.

Housekeeper Aunt Zhang placed a plate of boiled greens down, "The dishes are served."

Talia frowned and looked at her, "Aunt Zhang, why is it all these dishes today?"

Chinese cabbage, lettuce, water spinach, choy sum, broccoli, cold cucumber salad.

A pure vegetarian spread, glaringly green, not a single meat dish.

Ethan Grant said unemotionally, "These are Vivian’s favorites. She loves vegetables."

"Love vegetables?" Talia said with a sardonic smile, "Seems like an insinuation that I’ve been cheated on, huh?"

"Talia Rhodes! Why are you acting crazy again?" Ethan’s face darkened with anger, "You can eat recklessly, but don’t speak recklessly!"

Talia stared at Ethan’s neck—kiss marks stood out glaringly.

Vivian deliberately marked them there for Talia to see.

Talia smiled at the man who was furious with embarrassment across from her, "Do you not know if I’m talking recklessly or not?"

Ethan said with a dark face, "Eat if you want, and also, Vivian has no place to stay so she’ll be here for the next few days; we might be having vegetarian dinners often, if you can’t handle it, cook for yourself."

Even though there was a housekeeper, Ethan refused to make two more dishes; if she recalled correctly, Ethan wasn’t that fond of vegetarian food, clearly he was trying to embarrass her.

To make her uncomfortable, Ethan was willing to endure dining on vegetarian meals every day with Vivian—it was indeed a case of harming oneself to injure the enemy.

Talia knew he was still upset about the watch incident, but she had no intention to explain nor to admit any wrongdoing.

She hadn’t done anything wrong.

She put down her chopsticks and got up to leave.

If she wasn’t eating, she could always order takeout.

The next day, Adrian had someone drive the car over.