CHAPTER 15: CHAPTER 15: IF YOU DON’T APOLOGIZE, THERE’S NO WAY I’LL FORGIVE YOU

After hanging up the phone, Talia Rhodes meticulously recalled the events of the night.

Why did Vivian Coleman sneak into her room while she was bathing? It certainly wouldn’t be as Vivian said, just to take a look around her room.

Vivian must have had some ulterior motive.

Talia walked around the room, carefully checking the arrangement of items. Apart from the shattered porcelain doll, everything seemed the same as before, with nothing amiss.

Suddenly, her gaze landed on the glass of milk on the bedside table.

Talia had a habit of drinking a glass of warm milk before bed.

The milk had been warmed by the housekeeper and brought up before she took a bath, intending to drink it afterward.

The porcelain doll had also been on this bedside table before it was shattered.

Since Vivian had broken the porcelain doll, it indicated that Vivian must have lingered near the bedside table when she entered her room.

This glass of milk was very likely tampered with by Vivian.

...

Adrian Jennings arrived in Mirehaven three hours later.

When Talia received the call, Adrian Jennings was already on his way to the Serene Gardens Villa.

At that moment, Talia was throwing away bags of unwanted items she had packed over the past few days into the garbage bins outside the villa.

"Adrian, I’m not staying here tonight," Talia said while walking back to the villa on the phone. She still had many things to discard, and the housekeeper was resting at this time, so she didn’t want to bother anyone, deciding to do it herself.

Adrian didn’t ask much, just responded with a simple "okay."

Talia asked again, "Have you booked a hotel yet?"

Adrian mentioned the name of a hotel.

"Alright, I’ll book a room at the same hotel. Let’s meet there later. You don’t need to come here; just head straight to the hotel."

She planned to clear everything out tonight and leave the villa with her luggage.

It was also time to say goodbye to Ethan Grant.

Talia placed her suitcase in the trunk and, just as she was about to book a hotel room online, discovered that the hotel was fully booked.

She checked online and found out that there was a major exam at a nearby school tomorrow, and hotels within several kilometers were almost fully booked.

She searched around and found only one budget motel with a vacancy. Browsing through the reviews and photos, she frowned at the poor feedback.

One review read: [The soundproofing is terrible. In the middle of the night, the noise from the couple "cooking" next door was so clear, it was like a live broadcast in front of me, keeping me awake all night.]

Talia understood.

She had a court session at 3 PM the following day, and it would take about three hours to drive there. Factoring in time to freshen up and have lunch, she needed to be up by 10 AM at the latest.

It was already past 11 PM, and with Adrian to meet later, she hardly had any rest time left.

If there was noise disturbing her sleep at night, she’d be sleepy the following day.

After some thought, she messaged Adrian.

[The hotel has no vacancies, and the surrounding hotels are fully booked too. Can you book a room for me, Adrian?]

Although standard rooms in upscale hotels were gone, there were usually luxury suites reserved for VIPs.

Adrian, being a member of the Jennings Family and President of The Jennings Group, could easily book a room.

Adrian quickly replied.

[I have a duplex suite on the top floor with two bedrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs. If you don’t mind, you can stay for a night.]

Talia hesitated for a while.

She hadn’t seen Adrian in over three years. Sharing a place immediately might not be appropriate.

But if not, where else could she find a room at this late hour?

Considering it was a duplex with rooms quite far apart, it seemed manageable.

After a few minutes of deliberation, Talia agreed.

Just as she was about to start her car, a message from Ethan Grant popped up.

He sent several photos showing Vivian Coleman’s hand wrapped heavily in bandages, appearing quite severe.

[Talia Rhodes, you’ve really gone too far this time. Hurry to the hospital and apologize to Vivian.]

[I won’t forgive you unless you apologize. You can continue staying at the villa if you do.]

Talia let out a cold laugh, chose not to respond, and decisively blocked and deleted Ethan Grant.

...

In the hospital, Ethan Grant stared at the conspicuous red exclamation mark on his phone’s screen, his eyes cold and stern, his handsome face clouded.

"Ruan has enabled friend verification. You are not their friend yet. Please send a friend verification request. You can chat once the other party approves your request. Send friend verification."

Talia had actually deleted him!

Ethan felt a twinge in his brow, a rise of anger swelling within him.

How bold, she had even learned to delete friends.

On the hospital bed, Vivian Coleman noticed Ethan’s somber expression and couldn’t help but ask, "Ethan, what’s wrong?"

Pulling his thoughts back together, Ethan dismissively replied, "Nothing."

Vivian didn’t probe further. She gazed at Ethan with her beautiful eyes, projecting vulnerability. "Ethan, is my hand ruined? Will I never be able to play the piano again?"

Vivian had previously studied piano, going abroad to a renowned music academy for further studies.

Before returning home, she had started managing an account on a popular short video platform domestically, amassing over a million followers, becoming a relatively well-known influencer online.

Upon hearing her words, Ethan’s expression softened, showing a hint of sympathy and affection. "No, the doctor said it’s just superficial. It didn’t harm the muscles or bones. You’ll be better in a few days."

Vivian looked sorrowful, on the verge of tears. "Really? You’re not just comforting me, are you, Ethan?"

Ethan reached out and tousled her hair. "No, I promise."

Vivian looked up into Ethan’s eyes, asking with a forlorn expression, "Ethan, if, I mean if, my injury worsened, and I couldn’t play again, would you forgive Talia Rhodes?"

Ethan’s eyes were deep and his voice icy. "Even now, with your current injury, if she doesn’t apologize, I won’t forgive her. If you really couldn’t play the piano again, I’d make her pay the price."

Tears glistened in Vivian’s eyes as she leaned her head against Ethan’s shoulder, speaking softly, "Ethan, I always knew you were the best to me."

Ethan held Vivian, but his thoughts wandered back to Talia Rhodes.

Moments ago in the villa, was he too harsh when saying he’d never want to see her again?

But she was the one who hurt Vivian, the one in the wrong!

Removing him as a friend was just her way of waiting for him to coax her, but this time, he didn’t want to indulge.

...

In the hotel lobby, Talia Rhodes glanced up and immediately noticed Adrian Jennings.

In a black shirt and pants, he exemplified a build of broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs, his features sharp, with deep brows and expressive eyes. Compared to three years ago, he hadn’t changed much, still as outrageously handsome.

Beside him stood a man in a suit, shorter by a head, seemingly an assistant.

Upon seeing her, Adrian urgently crossed the space with long strides, taking the suitcase from her hand. "Talia, are you alright?"

Talia pursed her lips, softly replying, "I’m fine."

"President Jennings, I’ll head down now," the assistant said deferentially.

Adrian nodded.

The penthouse suite of the five-star hotel was luxuriously decorated and offered a broad view. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could overlook the night scenery of Mirehaven.

"Talia, would you like to stay upstairs or downstairs?"

Coexisting with such a perfect handsome guy made Talia a bit nervous and uneasy. "I, I’m fine with either."

Seemingly hearing a low laugh, Talia dared not directly look into Adrian’s eyes.

She heard his deep, gentle voice say, "Then stay upstairs. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Her face flushed with a suspicious blush. "Okay."