Inside a vast mansion, four individuals awaited Abner and Adrian's return. Riley became the center of attention. Like Adrian's family members, they sat at the dining table as if participating in a staring contest. Anthony King, Tonet, and Fredrick scrutinized Riley's every move, judging her by her appearance.Tonet had short black hair, very full lips, a slender face, and skin as white as pearl. She kept raising a brow at Riley and sometimes whispered in Fredrick's ear. Adrian's stepbrother also had very fair skin. He had light brown hair and was good-looking. However, to Riley, Fredrick paled in comparison to Adrian. Fredrick was constantly smirking and checking Riley's frame. The way he maintained his prolonged gaze felt invasive and inappropriate to Riley. It made her very uncomfortable."Anthony, I'm only looking out for Adrian. I think she must be a gold digger," Tonet remarked, leaning closer to her husband. She pretended to whisper, but her voice was audible enough for Riley

'What? Give Adrian a chance to lead the company?' Fredrick thought. If it were last year, he would never consider this, but with the current state of the conglomerate, he might benefit from the setup.The construction company was losing projects, and Fredrick was at his wits' end trying to figure out how to restore it to its former glory, but Adrian might have a solution that he was unwilling to share. Inside Fredrick's head, he thought, 'If Adrian thinks he can prove himself by temporarily taking over my position, he is wrong. I'll use him, and by the end of his brief leadership, I'll take credit for everything he has done. Haha!''You don't know, Adrian. You don't know what kind of backing I have within the board of directors now.' Fredrick was laughing in silence, but however amused he was, he concealed his inner thoughts and said with a complicated expression, "Fine!""I agree," Fredrick said, his voice dripping with a hidden agenda. "But you have to take care of the company, Adri

While asleep, Riley kept tumbling and turning. On the left side of the bed, she felt cold and alone. Often, Riley found herself moving to the right, where it was warm. Even though the pillows were a little hard, like an overbaked bread, she unconsciously thought they were soothing. The scent drew her in the most. It made her feel secure, and she slept like a baby through the night. "Hmmm," Riley hummed. Her smile reached her ears as she savored that manly scent that was engulfing her. 'This scent is so familiar,' Riley thought. 'It smells like Adrian.''Adrian?' Riley fluttered her eyes open. When she saw how she was hugging the man like a teddy bear, her leg around his, she silently screamed, 'Oh, my god!'Riley flinched as she shut her eyes back. She remembered the Korean series she had seen, in which the female lead awoke in the same situation. She thought, 'How in the world did the same thing happen to me?'In that drama, the female lead pretended to be asleep as if nothing hap

'A goodnight kiss?' Riley's mouth hung open as she looked at Adrian wide-eyed. The fluttering in her stomach intensified her emotions. As she locked eyes with Adrian, her heart pounding in her chest, she stammered, "A... goodnight kiss?"There was a hint of disappointment in Adrian's eyes when she asked, and it made Riley panic. Have she thought about it? Of course! After that morning's first kiss, the scene frequently visited her mind, and she wondered how it would feel if that kiss lasted longer or perhaps was a real deal, not a mere peck or nibble. Adrian averted his gaze, saying, "It's okay, Ri -"Quickly, Riley held Adrian's face, her eyes filled with yearning. After that, Adrian smiled faintly. He raised his upper body so that Riley was lying on his left forearm, and he was leaning towards her. Riley felt every second of that moment. As their faces inched closer, she noticed his warm breath tickling her skin. His eyes became hooded as if he was merely focusing on her lips. W

"I thought you were full?" Adrian asked while Clint was driving them out of the opera house. Riley's stomach was growling, a low rumble that seemed to echo in the quiet car. She chuckled at the sound, saying, "I was. I had a sandwich with Mom in the afternoon, so I didn't eat much at our early dinner, but I suppose I'm hungry again.""You only ate a salad," Adrian pointed out. He directed Clint to drop by the nearest hotel where they could have a late-night meal for Riley and him to eat. The closest was the Marriot Hotel, which was strangely swarming with people at ten in the evening. "Looks like there is an event, Sir," Clint said. "Shall we go to another hotel?"Adrian frowned. He answered, "It's out of the way. The restaurant should be empty. Call the manager and arrange for someone to meet us.""Yes, Mister King," Clint answered. As Adrian anticipated, no one was in the restaurant because it was closed. However, being who he was, the hotel manager only opened the restaurant for