Ch. 231..240

Chapter 231 The Scent of Perfume

Eva never expected that such a thing would happen when the children went to school.

She initially thought that the atmosphere of that school was good, which is why she let the two kids go. Back when they were abroad, everyone was still young, so there were no ulterior motives. But now, the children were gradually growing up.

The disadvantages of being from a single-parent family were gradually surfacing among their classmates.

Eva remembered experiencing a period like this when she was young too.

Her father had shown her a lot of love.

And she was the Miss of the Hansen family, a powerful family. Those people didn't dare to gather together and bully her, even going out of their way to please her because she was the Miss of the Hansen family.

At first, Eva was happy that everyone was willing to be friends with her. She even considered herself an outsider.

She thought that her single-parent family would definitely make people think she was unhealthy and not want to befriend her.

So, when everyone wanted to befriend her, Eva always thought that everyone was kind.

But later, she overheard those people secretly discussing her.

"Let me tell you a little secret, Eva is a weirdo."

"Weirdo?"

"Her mom is a shameless woman who ran away with another man right after giving birth to her. My mom said we shouldn't be true friends with her, or else she'll corrupt us in the future." "That's so scary! Let's keep our distance from her."

Young Eva's eyes turned red after hearing these words. From then on, she didn't need them to keep their distance anymore; she avoided them herself.

When she was young, her mentality was abnormal.

It wasn't until later, when those people said bad things about her again, that she hid in a corner and listened quietly. The adolescent Adrian heard it, and he directly kicked over the chairs in the classroom and threatened to fight them. Only then did those people disperse.

After the people who had spoken ill of her left, Adrian dragged her out of the corner.

"Eva, you hide here and listen to them insulting you?"

Eva kept her head down and didn't say anything.

Adrian stared at her in silence for a while, then finally pressed her head into his chest.

"With me around, no one dares to speak ill of you anymore."

Since then, with Adrian's presence, Eva gradually grew bolder, and her mental state improved significantly.

But... as Eva snapped back to reality, she looked at Ruby.

Each child's situation was different, as were the things they encountered on the way.

Sometimes, she regretted not finding them a father all these years, regretted not doing enough. But the one thing she never regretted was giving birth to them.

With that in mind, Eva turned over and hugged Ruby, closing her eyes.

"Ruby, don't worry. With mommy around, no one will ever mock you and your brother."

Ruby didn't think much of it and replied with a smile, "Ruby is fine, mommy doesn't need to worry. When they tease Ruby, big brother will protect Ruby."

"Mmm, mommy will protect both of you too."

Hotel penthouse suite

Adrian returned to the room with a cold expression and found two people on his room's couch. One was his assistant, Jacob, and the other was Vivian. Seeing Vivian, Adrian's eyes flashed with surprise. "Adrian."

Seeing him return, Vivian immediately stood up. "You're finally back."

The surprise was fleeting, and Adrian quickly regained his composure, walking inside with an emotionless face. "How did you get in?"

As he spoke, his sharp gaze also scanned Jacob.

Jacob, feeling guilty, averted his gaze. He knew Adrian would blame him for allowing Vivian to enter. He wouldn't have let any other woman in so easily. But this was Vivian, even though Adrian and her weren't officially together, everyone knew Vivian was well acquainted with Margaret.

She would marry into the Blackwood family; it was just a matter of time in everyone's eyes.

Vivian knew what Adrian's words meant and felt somewhat embarrassed. She could only explain, "Don't blame Brent. I asked him to let me in. I said I'd cause trouble if he didn't, and he had no choice."

Hearing this, Adrian paused, his gaze fixed on Vivian's face. "Is that so?"

Vivian weakly nodded, but in the next moment, she heard Adrian coldly sneer, "Throw a tantrum if you don't get your way? Vivian, when did you become so unreasonable?"

Vivian's expression changed slightly. "Adrian, I just..."

Brent didn't expect Adrian to disrespect Miss Morrison like this. Knowing that this place would soon become a scene of trouble, he didn't dare to stay any longer and immediately packed up, saying, "Miss Morrison seems to have something to discuss with Mr. Blackwood. I'll leave first."

Leaving when trouble arises, Adrian scoffed.

Seeing that he didn't want her around either, Jacob hurriedly left with his belongings.

After he left, the hotel room fell silent. Vivian looked at Adrian in front of her and felt a lack of dignity. Fortunately, Jacob was his personal assistant; she wouldn't have been able to bear it if someone else was present.

"Adrian, where were you all day? I called you, but your phone was off. Are you busy with work? Oh, did you eat today? Are you hungry now..."

"Vivian," Adrian's tone was very cold.

He called her name in a cold tone. Vivian stopped and looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I've told you before, don't waste your time on me."

Upon hearing this, Vivian's eyes immediately turned red.

"How is this a waste? I just like you, I want to give and sacrifice for you. And I believe that as long as I stay by your side, you will eventually realize..." "No." Adrian denied her without hesitation.

Vivian stood there in shock.

Adrian fixed his gaze on her face, frowning slightly. "I made it clear to you five years ago. If you still can't understand, I'll say it again today."

"I only see you as a benefactor, so don't waste your feelings on me. No matter how long you wait, it's futile, understand?"

Vivian's eyes grew redder as he spoke, and tears even started to stream down her face. She bit her lower lip.

"No, I don't understand. Everything was fine five years ago, and you promised that my place was by your side. So why did everything change when Eva left? Do you only like whoever leaves you?" Adrian frowned in displeasure and had no intention of entangling further.

"It's getting late, you should go back."

"No, I'm not going back!"

Adrian glanced at her coldly and said, "I'll call Jacob to take you back."

"No!"

Vivian rushed forward and hugged him directly. "Adrian, don't drive me away, please? I just like you, that's all..."

Suddenly, Vivian caught a faint scent of perfume on Adrian's body.

 

Chapter 232 What's the Harm?

Perfume...

As tears flowed down Vivian's face, she instantly became alert.

Five years had passed. When did his body ever have the scent of a woman's perfume?

Moreover, this fragrance was light, like the scent of flowers wafting on the water. If one didn't sniff carefully, they wouldn't be able to detect it at all. Women in bars or at drinking tables wouldn't spray such a faint perfume.

Lost in her thoughts, Vivian's hand was pushed away by Adrian. He exerted some force, causing Vivian to stagger backward.

Then she saw Adrian staring at her aggressively, like a wolf.

"Don't touch me!"

Seeing him make this expression for the first time, Vivian was frightened and stood frozen in place, not daring to approach again.

But thinking about the perfume on his body, Vivian couldn't accept it.

"Fine, I won't touch you. But tell me honestly, where did the scent of perfume on you come from? It's okay if you don't like me, but what about someone else?" Perfume?

Upon hearing this, Adrian's expression became somewhat dazed. He raised his arm and sniffed, indeed catching a whiff of a faint fragrance.

It was her scent.

Having spent so much time together, riding the same horse and being in his embrace, how could there not be a lingering scent?

Adrian had simply made these gestures unconsciously.

But to Vivian's eyes, it meant everything.

In Vivian's eyes, she was shocked.

As an outsider, she was able to clearly see the moment when Adrian's gaze and the heaviness on his face instantly disappeared, even raising his hand to smell himself. Afterwards, his eyes became softer.

If there was a mirror at that moment, Vivian estimated that she would see how hideous her expression was.

"Who is it?" Vivian instinctively asked when she realized a possibility.

Hearing this, Adrian snapped out of it, giving her a cold glance.

"I don't need to explain my private life to you, do I?"

Vivian bit her lip, her face turning pale.

Adrian's disdainful appearance was unbearable for Vivian, who then turned and left. The door to the hotel slammed loudly, but Adrian didn't care as long as she was gone. He expressionlessly went to the bathroom to shower.

While showering, Adrian's mood became even more agitated as he thought about what had happened today, as well as Eva's words to him. He quickly took a shower, then casually tied a towel around his waist and came out, taking out his phone to call Henry. When Henry answered the call, he was still at the bar, where it was incredibly noisy.

"Come out," Adrian said coldly. Henry was afraid to offend him, so he quickly found a quiet place to talk.

"What's wrong?" Adrian asked, thinking about something.

"Does she have a favor to ask of you?" Henry didn't immediately react, "Who?"

Adrian restrained his temper and said coldly, "What do you think?"

After hearing his voice, Henry finally regained his composure after a while. "Are you talking about Eva? I don't think she has any favor to ask of me, right?"

"Then why did she come to you? How did you two meet?"

After finding out about their relationship during the day, Adrian asked, and Henry briefly explained how they met, then added, "Last time at the auction, I borrowed a suit from her, and she said she would bring it to me, so I asked her to come to the stable."

"Only returned the suit?" Adrian discovered a loophole. "When you said you borrowed her a suit at the auction, which auction was it?"

"Don't you know which one? You were there too, weren't you? You didn't meet her that day?"

"Tell me, after returning the suit, what did she say to you?"

This time, Henry remained silent for a while before saying, "Adrian, although we have a business relationship, is it necessary for you to interfere even in what she says to me as a friend?" However, Adrian didn't buy his explanation at all. "Will you tell me or not?"

"Adrian, you're shameless!"

Finally, under his threat, Henry directly disclosed what happened yesterday.

After hanging up the phone, Adrian coldly looked at his phone and, after a moment, his thin lips curved slightly.

Because of tomorrow's events, Adrian's originally restless mood improved somewhat.

Before falling asleep, he took out his phone and logged onto the app to check the account of those two adorable kids.

Last time, they came on the same flight when Adrian was abroad, so their destination should also be here.

Sure enough, Adrian clicked into their profile and saw that the IP address showed Chicago.

What a coincidence.

They were in the same city abroad last time, on the same flight, and now, after returning for so long, they were in Chicago.

Did his parents plan to settle down in Chicago with the kids?

The thought made Adrian's face turn unpleasant.

If he hadn't divorced Eva five years ago, should their children be this age too?

...

The next day, when Eva woke up, Ruby was lying on her, her little head nestled in the crook of Eva's arm.

As soon as Eva moved, Ruby murmured twice.

"Mama, sleepy, hugs."

Eva reached out to hug her and grabbed her phone while checking the time before saying to Ruby, "Time to get up, we have to go to school today." Ruby lazed on her for a few more seconds before getting up.

Both of them had good habits, and as soon as Eva mentioned getting up, they never stayed in bed.

After getting up, Ruby dressed herself.

Eva went to do other things without helping her.

When they were abroad, the two of them were already capable of dressing themselves, and Eva went to the kitchen to make breakfast for the children.

As she approached, she heard noises coming from the kitchen.

Only then did Eva realize that Luna had come to cook.

Although it had been half a month already, Eva still wasn't accustomed to having a maid at home.

When she got up, Luna greeted her warmly.

Michael was also awake, and after everyone had breakfast, he said he would take Eva to work.

Eva's lips moved, and then she said, "That's not necessary, I can go by myself."

Michael then said, "Then shall I take the children to school?"

Eva felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Michael, you don't have to. Don't you still have other things to do? It's fine for me to take them to school on my way to work..." Before she could finish her sentence, Michael took a few steps forward and lightly held her wrist.

"Eva, I'm in a hurry."

Hearing this, Eva paused.

Michael smiled slightly, his voice soft.

"So, let me show you, what's wrong with that?"

 

 

Chapter 233 Kisses and Hugs

In the end, Eva didn't let Michael send her to work, but he did take the two children to school. Eva went to work alone.

Because she hadn't settled down yet, she still hadn't bought a car for herself. As the boss, she commuted to work by subway or crowded buses every day, while her employee Tim had already bought a personal transport vehicle. On her way to work, her best friend Emily, who was far away on the other side of the ocean, called her.

"My Eva, lately...

Emily's voice sounded fine, and Eva's lips curled up as she softly replied, "Not bad. How have you been recently?"

"Don't even mention it. I feel like my boss is going to drive me crazy. Eva, let me tell you, I've been alive for so many years, and I have never seen a boss like him! How does he manage to exploit his employees like this?"

As Eva listened to her vent about her boss, she occasionally agreed. After Emily vented for a whole ten minutes, she said, "Forget about him. I have so many complaints whenever I mention him."

"By the way, how are you getting along with Lisa? Before I left, she told me she rented a house specifically for you two, saying you must be getting along well now. By the time I return to the country, I'm sure you'll have forgotten about me, right?"

When Lisa was mentioned, Eva's eyes dimmed slightly. Since the last time Lisa hinted that she didn't want to live with her, Eva had even moved out with Adrian to avoid causing her trouble. She didn't blame Lisa, but they hadn't kept in touch since then.

Every time Eva called Lisa, she would give a few perfunctory responses before hastily hanging up. After a few times, Eva realized that Lisa probably didn't want to stay in contact with her. If she really didn't want to be in touch anymore, as adults, she wouldn't continue to harass the other person.

However, with Emily not by her side now, Eva didn't want to tell her about all this and add to her worries. She simply smiled and said, "The house is beautiful. Don't worry, there will definitely be a place for you when you come back. No need to worry about not having a spot."

"Alright then, make sure to save the best spot for me, I'll take over when I come back."

"Okay."

After chatting for a while, Emily began asking about Eva and Michael's relationship. Eva still didn't want to say much about her relationship with Michael.

Emily could only sigh. "Alright, alright, just think about it seriously. After all, this is your lifelong matter."

"I know, you worry about me all the time."

"I'm just caring about you. Don't you need my concern anymore? I knew it, you've forgotten about me since you've got Lisa."

Emily started acting spoiled again, and Eva laughed as she spoke while hearing the subway announcement. "Alright, I've arrived at my stop. We'll talk another day."

"Okay, let's talk another day." After hanging up the phone, Eva left the subway station.

Because she had arranged to meet Henry today, she didn't go to the company but went to find him directly.

After getting off the subway, the JT Group was not far away, so Eva walked there directly.

When she arrived at the JT Group, Eva went straight to the front desk.

"Hello, I'm looking for Mr. Davis," she said to the receptionist.

The receptionist glanced at Eva's attire and then at her beautiful face with a somewhat lazy expression, asking, "May I ask who you are?"

Eva replied seriously, "My last name is Hansen, and I had an appointment with Mr. Davis yesterday."

The receptionist's expression softened as she finally recognized Eva.

Some to be casual, but after hearing her say that her surname is Hansen, their attitude immediately changed.

"Excuse me, are you Eva Hansen?"

The change in attitude also surprised Eva, who nodded.

"Miss Hansen, Mr. Davis has instructed us that if you arrived, we should take you upstairs directly."

"Is that so?" This surprised Eva a bit. "Mr. Davis is considerate."

The receptionist smiled mysteriously and then led her to take the elevator.

"This is Mr. Davis's private elevator. You can go straight to the top floor."

Inside the elevator, the receptionist entered a temporary password for her and then sent her to the top floor.

As the elevator doors closed, Eva suddenly remembered that she forgot to ask which office it was.

When she arrived at the top floor, Eva realized there was only one office.

So, there wasn't really anything to ask.

The office door was closed, and Eva walked up and knocked.

A deep voice came from inside.

"Come in."

This voice made Eva pause.

Although she hadn't gotten to the point of recognizing Henry's voice, the deliberately deep voice made Eva inexplicably feel somewhat familiar. Eva was still thinking in place when the office door suddenly opened.

A handsome face suddenly appeared in front of Eva.

The person had a tall figure, neat black hair, and there was a coldness in his eyes that seemed to be tempered by snow, which fell upon her. Adrian!

When she saw him, Eva's face changed, and a speechless emotion flooded her heart. Immediately, she turned and left.

"Not here to find someone? Leaving so soon?"

After he reminded her, Eva paused in her tracks, only then realizing that she had come to find someone.

She turned her head, asking coldly, "Where's Henry?"

Adrian: "You came to talk about work with him?"

He tugged at the corner of his lips. "Looking for investment?"

Hearing this, Eva's expression slightly changed.

If she remembered correctly, she didn't clarify that she came to find Henry for investment. How did he know?

Could it be that he investigated her?

At the thought of this possibility, Eva's expression changed.

"Why didn't you come to me if you wanted investment?" Adrian asked.

Eva remained silent, still observing Adrian's expression. If he knew about the two children, he probably wouldn't be this calm.

So how did he know that she came to find Henry for investment?

Seeing her silence, Adrian probably guessed what was on her mind. He narrowed his eyes and said, "He doesn't dare offend me. If you want investment, you can come to me." Hearing this, Eva looked away.

Seeing him like this, she finally confirmed that he didn't know about the children. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "No need. If he doesn't want to invest because he's afraid to offend you, then I can find someone else." Upon hearing this, a dark expression suddenly appeared on Adrian's face, and he said coldly, "Without my approval, do you think anyone will invest in your small company?"

Eva: "... Are you intentionally opposing me?"

Adrian's coldness made Eva pause.

Rather than answering, Eva retorted, "Is it me who wants to oppose you, or is it you who desperately wants to distance yourself from me?"

Eva raised her eyebrow in disdain, "We never had a relationship to begin with."

"Is that so?"

Adrian chuckled softly, his tone tinged with mockery, "We were together for two years, kissing, embracing, sleeping together. How is it that there was no relationship?"

 

Chapter 234 She Misses You

The old memories resurfaced, bringing up those intimate moments.

Eva's eyes slightly changed, her crimson lips twitched, and she finally stared at him, saying, "Adrian, you are truly shameless."

He already had Vivian, yet he still wanted to entangle himself with her.

What did he think he was?

It was laughable.

Five years ago, did he feel like he hadn't caused enough harm?

"Shameless?"

Adrian approached, step by step, pushing her back to the corner of the wall. When she tried to escape, he blocked her path by placing his hand against the wall. He pursed his lips and said, "You didn't say that when you were in my bed." Unable to control her emotions, Eva couldn't help but slap Adrian across the face.

He probably didn't expect her to suddenly strike, so his cheek was pushed to the side by the force.

When he reacted, he grabbed Eva's wrist and leaned down, intending to kiss her.

In her desperation, Eva slapped him once again.

"Adrian, you've gone too far! What you're saying, it's all in the past! We've been divorced for five years!"

Some words seemed to have struck a nerve with Adrian, as his actions abruptly stopped. Gasping for breath at such close proximity, he stared at Eva.

So five years had already passed, huh? He thought he would have spent his whole life like this.

Seeing him catch his breath in place and not move forward, Eva took the opportunity to push him away and turned to leave.

"Eva, you always leave whenever you please. You have a heart of stone."

Eva sneered in her heart. Who could be more heartless than him?

He abandoned their child himself, and he decided to divorce at the Civil Affairs Bureau. And now he accused her of being heartless? "You don't care about anything? Not even Grandma?"

When she heard this term of address, Eva's steps faltered. Grandma, she did miss her...

She had already divorced Adrian, and visiting her at this point seemed unnecessary.

"She misses you," Adrian added.

With just a few words, Eva's mental defense almost collapsed. However, at this critical moment, she managed to regain control of herself.

Her grandmother might be her weak spot, but that couldn't be his excuse to manipulate her.

To prevent him from saying such things to her again in the future, Eva had to be stern now.

"So what?"

She turned her head, her eyes slightly reddened as she looked at him, "Since our divorce, she hasn't been my grandmother anymore. Take care of your own grandmother." Upon hearing her words, Adrian stood frozen in place.

Perhaps he hadn't expected that she would even deny their familial connection.

With a slight twitch of his lips, Adrian's eyes filled with derision.

"Is that so? Well then, I will let her know about your words so she won't keep worrying about you."

As the words fell, Eva felt as if her heart had cracked open.

"It hurts so much."

She didn't want to admit that it wasn't her grandmother, after all, her grandmother meant something special to Eva.

But there was no way back after the hurtful words had been spoken. Even if she took them back, it wouldn't change anything.

Eva almost bit her lip until it bled, but in the end, she said, "Suit yourself."

With those words, Eva quickly left.

As she got off the elevator, Eva ran into Henry who had just returned from outside.

When he saw Eva's slightly reddened eyes, he was taken aback and instantly stepped forward to stop her.

"Ms. Hansen? What's wrong?"

Damn, all he did was agree to give up his position and space for Adrian. Did Adrian bully her to tears?

Seeing the teary eyes of the beauty, Henry regretted it deeply and felt like a fool.

He wanted to ask her carefully, but Eva just walked past him without any intention of staying and talking to him.

Henry stood in place, with only the image of those teary yet restrained cold eyes remaining in his mind, and overwhelming guilt in his heart.

Just as he was about to go after her, Eva suddenly stopped and turned back to face him.

"Mr. Davis, do you have no intention of investing in my company at all?"

"What?"

Hearing this, Henry was shocked. "Invest in your company? You started a company? Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Upon hearing this, Eva's eyes showed a hint of doubt.

"What else could it be?"

"I thought you had come to your senses and finally agreed to work at my company, but that beast Adrian didn't like it, so he came to stop you."

So that was it, Henry didn't know.

It seemed that Adrian had investigated it himself, but how did he find out? From the looks of it, he seemed to only know that Henry was being approached for investment. Was it a coincidence?

"Ms. Hansen, you started a company? Where is it?" Henry asked with genuine interest.

Upon hearing his words, Eva snapped back to reality and shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Why not? Didn't you just say that you wanted me to invest in your company?"

"Yes, but would you offend Adrian for the sake of investing in our company?" Henry fell silent immediately.

He pursed his lips. Although he currently seemed to have a good relationship with Adrian, he was certain that if Henry ever dared to have thoughts about Adrian's woman, Adrian would immediately turn against him. Eva didn't make it difficult for him anymore and nodded slightly before leaving directly.

After leaving the JT Group, Eva walked out into the sun and didn't close her eyes until she took the subway and sat in her seat, exhausted.

In her mind, she kept replaying Adrian's words.

"You don't care about anything? Not even your grandmother?"

"She misses you a lot."

"In that case, I will tell her about your words so she won't keep worrying."

Thinking about this, Eva suddenly opened her eyes, and her breathing became erratic. She couldn't think anymore.

If she continued to think, her mind would break. Grandma didn't need to consider her thoughts on this matter. Over the years, Eva had secretly thought about coming back to see her, even if just for a glance.

However, every time she thought about the divorce and the fear of her child being discovered, Eva could only ruthlessly suppress her longing. So she hadn't seen Grandma all these years. She didn't know how she was doing, if she was well. After five years, did she have more white hair? Would she still recognize Eva? Or maybe she would blame herself now? Because she left without saying goodbye. Grandma must hate her, so why would she miss her?

Crystal tears rolled down Eva's face, falling into her collar. She gently wiped them away with her hand, as if nothing had happened.

 

Chapter 235 Unless You Can't Let Go of Him

Top floor office

As soon as Henry arrived upstairs, he went to find Adrian.

"I thought she wanted to work in my company, but it turns out she came to seek investment. Did you know about this and didn't tell me?"

"Do you know that she had a terrible expression when she left? Did you make her cry like that?" Henry began.

Adrian, who was leaning against the wall, paused for a moment at the words, then a mocking smile appeared on his thin lips.

"Is that so? Can a heartless woman like her cry? That's quite rare." He replied.

"What? Are you not believing me with that expression? Do you really not know how foolish you are? Making her cry and acting so indifferent." Henry said angrily.

Upon hearing this, Adrian remained silent, his thin lips tightly pressed together, his face slightly pale.

Unobservant Henry didn't notice anything amiss and continued to complain.

"With your attitude, I don't even know what you're trying to do. At first, I thought you wanted to win her back, but now I suspect that you don't want to see her and that's why you made her cry. Is that it?" Henry asked.

As he didn't get a response, Henry turned to look at Adrian, only to find him leaning weakly against the wall, his forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Henry blinked, thinking he must have seen wrong, so he walked closer for a closer look and realized that it really was sweat.

A few seconds later, he exclaimed, "Your forehead is so hot on such a cold day."

Adrian tried to endure the discomfort, gave Henry a speechless glance, as if saying he was a fool.

Receiving his gaze, Henry asked, "Did you wear too many clothes?"

The assistant behind couldn't bear it anymore and reminded him, "Mr. Davis, Mr. Blackwood has a stomach disorder, didn't you forget?"

Hearing this, Henry's face changed drastically. "You have a stomach disorder. Oh no, Adrian, is your stomach acting up?"

Adrian ignored him, walked towards the elevator with a cold face.

"You're ignoring me? Can I not take care of you?" Henry said.

"No need." Adrian said coldly, "There shouldn't be any serious problems."

"Alright then."Henry replied.

Although Henry knew about Adrian's stomach illness, he wasn't too worried. After all, Adrian had occasional episodes in the past, and Henry had seen it firsthand. This man was always able to endure, so he should be able to bear this pain.

Finally, Henry advised him, "I suggest you make time to go to the hospital seriously. Don't let it develop into gastric cancer and pass away prematurely."

Upon hearing this, Adrian glanced at him indifferently and replied "Just because you're silent doesn't mean no one sees you as a mute."

Henry quickly made a gesture of locking his own mouth.

After Adrian left, Henry stood in place, touching his chin. The assistant couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Davis, should we just let him leave like that? What if something happens?"

"What are you thinking? When have you ever seen him collapse? If he had a problem, he surely wouldn't have walked away just now. Besides, why would we worry about it?" Henry replied. Hearing Henry's explanation, the assistant found it reasonable.

"That's true." The assisstant replied.

"It's annoying. How did Eva end up having a relationship with Adrian?" Henry said.

Otherwise, Henry was really interested in Eva. And it wasn't just a fleeting interest.

He had indeed been a womanizer, but in all these years, the only woman who had truly captured his heart was Eva.

Thinking of her appearance yesterday at the equestrian field, dressed in riding attire with her long hair flowing, he couldn't help but feel a longing sensation in his heart.

Why did Eva have to become Adrian's woman?

If only she had chosen another man...

Having followed him for a long time, the assistant seemed to understand his thoughts and said, "Mr. Davis, if you like her, why don't you pursue her? After all, they are in the past, and Ms. Hansen is currently single. It's not illegal for you to pursue her."

"You don't understand. Even though that's what people say, have you not seen Adrian's appearance? He can't let go of her at all. If I were to pursue her, wouldn't I be going against him?" Henry said.

The assistant looked confused and said, "But Mr. Adrian has aleardy had a fiancée."

"You mean Vivian? What kind of fiancée is she?" Henry said with a disdain.

"But that's what the outside world says. And for all these years, there hasn't been anyone else besides Vivian by Mr. Blackwood's side..."

"Are you trying to say that because there hasn't been anyone else by Adrian's side for all these years, people assume that Vivian is his fiancée?"

The assistant nodded.

"Use your brain and think. Why hasn't he been engaged to Vivian despite no one else being around him for years? It's been five years, they would have been together if they wanted to." The assistant suddenly couldn't argue anymore.

...

As Eva returned to the company, Tim handed her the proposal.

"This is what I made yesterday. If we could secure investments from the companies other than those two conglomerates... it would be a good thing for our company at the moment."

Eva stared at the proposal for a while, then reached out and placed it on the desk without a word. After that, she silently sat down.

Seeing her lack of enthusiasm, Tim probably guessed a little of what was happening.

Sit on the chair in front of her,"Are you not in the mood to read? Should I read it to you?" Eva sighed, "No need to read. It doesn't matter which company it is. As Adrian said, as long as he doesn't nod, who would dare to risk offending him by investing in a small and new company like mine?"

She looked at the business plan on the desk, her expression somewhat defeated. "I even started to doubt whether it was a mistake for me to return from abroad to start a company."

Tim could probably guess something, considering his previous experience in management. "Boss, even though you are my boss, you are younger than me in age. I have experienced more things, so in terms of age, I can be considered your elder and have some experience to advise you with."

Seeing Eva still not speaking, Tim continued, "To be honest, you have nothing to do with him anymore, right? If that's the case, why do you care if he is your business partner?"

After hearing this, Eva paused and looked up at him. Tim smiled slightly, "Did I say it wrong? I sincerely want what's best for the company, which is why I dare to give such advice to the boss. Are you sure that not going back to our country to start a company means you won't encounter setbacks abroad? You will encounter them. It's not easy on the road of entrepreneurship, and anyone can start a company. Even I can, and I don't have to come here now to work in management, don't you think so?"

"Yes."

"So what's the problem with directly cooperating with the Blackwood family? As long as the company is good, why do you resist it so much? Unless you still can't let go of him."

After hearing this, Eva suddenly frowned, showing a strong reaction. "What did you say? I can't let go of him?"

Tim smiled, "Your reaction is so pronounced, I've hit the mark."

 

 

Chapter 236 Shyness

Tim's words made Eva extremely uncomfortable, even his confident expression and tone made it seem like it was really the case. Something that didn't exist was now being portrayed as existing.

"If it doesn't exist, then when you hear me say it, you should have an indifferent attitude. After all, for a person, if a wound is healed, there is no feeling when touched." "Is that so?" Eva chuckled softly, "Manager, it's true that touching a healed wound doesn't hurt, but if you vigorously strike it with a stick, can you say it doesn't hurt?" Upon hearing this, Tim raised an eyebrow.

"Just casually saying a few words, is it really that serious according to your description? Or is it that the injured person is still heavily wounded and hasn't healed?" Upon hearing this, the smile on Eva's lips gradually turned cold.

"You're wrong, I really don't mind."

Tim shrugged, "Boss, if you can let go of these emotions and focus on our business, it would be the best thing for us employees."

At this point, Tim stopped probing further and changed the subject. "The documents are on the desk, but I guess boss doesn't need them. I'll go out and get busy. Finally, a new employee has arrived, but I don't know if they can stay. Call me if you need anything."

After Tim left, Eva remained alone in the office, gradually calming down the emotions that he had stirred up earlier.

Since she had already decided to let go and treat Adrian as a stranger, why should she care about working with him? However, she still had another concern: Ruby and Dylan, her two children.

Once she collaborated with the Blackwood family, she and Adrian would definitely cross paths in the future.

Although others couldn't see it, Eva was well aware that the two children actually resembled Adrian quite a bit. They were still young, so their features hadn't fully developed, resulting in only a few similarities.

If they were referred to as father and daughter or father and son, people would surely think that the children resembled their father. But if they didn't know, they wouldn't see any connection between the two children and Adrian. If he discovered the existence of the two children, would he try to take them away from her?

In theory, he should have been with Vivian since she left, and they probably have children now, right?

He shouldn't... come and claim her children, should he?

But who knows if that possibility exists?

Eva's face was filled with worry.

She initially thought that she could handle all the difficulties when she came to Chicago to start a company. However, at this first hurdle, she was already considering backing down a bit. Whenever she thought about the possibility, Eva felt that she couldn't accept it.

She should think of another solution.

The person Tim interviewed for the job heard that their company was very new and had nothing. Despite knowing that Tim had a rich background, he shook his head and left.

Before leaving, he said to Tim, "I think a big company is more reliable. Your small company has no capital, and if it collapses in the future, what will I do?"

After saying that, he simply grabbed his briefcase and left without any mercy.

When Eva came out, Tim was still watching the person leave.

"Not staying?"

Tim shook his head and sighed. "He thinks our company is too small and lacks capital."

Eva stood quietly in place for a while, then suddenly leaned on the table with her hands and asked, "Manager, what do you think if we could find a large overseas conglomerate as our capital?"

"If we really can't find one, of course finding one is better than none. But we're a small company, and in the current situation, many people in the country are looking for stability in their jobs. Even if the foreign conglomerates are big, they are far away and might not be familiar with the business. There might be some who are willing to come, but I don't think there will be many."

Upon hearing this, Eva had some preliminary ideas.

"So, when there's no way out, this path is still viable?"

"Yes, with assistance overseas?" Tim had a gossipy expression. "Do you mind if I ask a personal question?"

She didn't even need to wait for him to speak, Eva knew what he wanted to ask, so she directly refused him after he finished speaking. "I mind."

Upon hearing her response, Tim couldn't help but laugh and say, "Actually, I wanted to ask if you got remarried after that, if you're single now."

Eva looked at Tim with some helplessness.

"I refuse to answer that question."

"It's fine. No one is here to work anyway, a little gossip won't hurt."

Indeed, no one came to work. Eva glanced at the time and realized it was almost time to pick up the kids from school. She said to Tim, "If you don't have anything else today, you should head home early." "Alright, I'll leave early then. Will it count as leaving early?"

The two of them left the company while joking around.

...

After that, Eva took the bus to pick up her two precious children from school.

When she arrived, the teacher immediately approached her and said, 'Ms. Hansen, you're here to pick up Ruby and Dylan again? Their father already took them home.'

Hearing the word 'father' again today, Eva no longer felt nervous.

She could tell it was Michael.

"I was busy at work and forgot to answer the call."

After casually explaining, she left.

When she arrived home, she saw Michael sitting with the two little ones on the couch, helping them with their homework.

Seeing this scene, Eva thought about the things Emily had asked her to consider, and also the possibility that Adrian might try to take the kids away from her.

If she were with Michael, would he also consider the children to be theirs, without any doubts about himself?

But if she really did that, it would be unfair to Michael, right? After all, he truly liked her and treated her well. And now she was having thoughts of using him. But if she wanted someone to cover it up, she had to find a man.

So it didn't matter who she used, it was all the same.

No, Eva pushed those unrealistic thoughts out of her mind and bit her lip.

Ever since she had decided to raise the children on her own five years ago, she had made up her mind that no matter what, she would raise them alone. So what did these thoughts amount to now?

Moreover, Michael had been treating her so well. She couldn't repay his kindness with ingratitude. At worst, she could start a new company in another city! Although it would be difficult to start from scratch, she had just started after all. Adrian wouldn't move to the same city just because she moved, right? He wouldn't be so shameless for the people around him, would he?

 

 

Chapter 237 A glance

Michael is a sensible person. He only stayed for one night yesterday and didn't mention staying any longer tonight.

Before leaving, Michael said to her, "I'll bring breakfast tomorrow morning and pick you up."

Eva paused, and then nodded.

"Alright, I got it."

Seeing that she didn't refuse herself anymore, Michael rubbed her head gently. "Finally, you didn't say you don't need it anymore. This is a good sign for me. Keep it up."

Eva looked at Michael as if she had something to say, but hesitated.

"Don't overthink it."

It seemed like Michael could see through her thoughts, as he voiced his own.

"Actually, when I was abroad before, I never had the opportunity to tell you this. Now, I guess there is still a chance, although the timing might not be perfect. But Eva, I want to tell you that if you choose me, I will definitely be a good father. I will treat Ruby and Dylan as my own and I can assure you that we won't have any other children besides them."

Eva didn't expect to hear such heartfelt words. She had been pondering these things today, and she didn't expect him to bring it up just like that.

After a moment of contemplation, Eva replied, "This won't work, it wouldn't be fair to you."

"Fair?" Michael chuckled softly. "Eva, it's hard to find fairness in matters of the heart, especially when everyone seeks different things. I don't need to look at others, as long as you are willing to give me a second glance, that's a response. Even if you're using me, it doesn't matter, as long as you're by my side."

Upon hearing the last words, Eva felt a slight bitterness in her throat. She bit her lower lip and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Seeing her expression, Michael gently tapped her nose and said, "I'm not telling you this to make you sad, but to make you think about me more. After all, Dylan and Ruby have grown up and reached an age where they understand things. I also want to protect them from future embarrassment at school."

"How do you... know about this?" Eva asked.

As he mentioned this, Michael's smile dulled a bit. "The other day when I went to pick them up, I happened to encounter a few kids who were teasing them."

Eva didn't expect that he had also witnessed the situation. It seemed like this matter was indeed quite serious.

She bit her lower lip, remembering the hardships she went through in a single-parent family herself. She knew how uncomfortable those situations could be. Did she want her children to go through the same?

"But you don't have to worry too much. I can pick up the kids in my free time. Even if you don't accept me, they probably won't say anything again," Michael reassured.

Eva remained silent for a while before finally speaking with difficulty, "Thank you. I will seriously consider what you said."

Upon hearing her words, a hint of joy flashed in Michael's eyes.

"Good."

Was this finally a big step forward? She used to be particularly evasive towards herself before, but today was the first time she seriously told him that she would consider it. In other words, she truly regarded his pursuit of her as something important.

Michael knew that once they returned to their home country, many things would be beyond his control.

But if he could accelerate her emotional connection to the children and alleviate her fears, leading her to ultimately choose to rely on him, he would be quite satisfied. After bidding farewell to Michael, Eva returned to the living room and fell into deep thought.

While she was lost in her thoughts, her two little treasures came over to find her.

"Mama, Ruby and I looked at the phone today. Those aunties and uncles all miss us. Can we start livestreaming this week?"

Eva almost forgot about the livestreaming. Since they were preparing to go back to their home country, the two little ones had stopped livestreaming.

Due to environmental factors, they didn't announce when they would resume. And Eva was busy during this period of time, so she didn't bother about the live broadcast.

It was only now, brought up by her two babies, that she finally took her phone out to read the comments.

Unexpectedly, more than half a month had passed, and the latest video posted on her Tiktok had tens of thousands of comments.

These comments were all inquiring about the re-run date, and there was even one comment saying that she missed her two little babies that was liked to the highest level.

Eva pondered, "Actually, according to the current homework situation of you two, it's not impossible to broadcast live, but you'll have to reduce the frequency in the future, and most of the time it's better to participate in more outdoor activities."

Hearing this, Ruby then shook her little head and said, "Mommy, then you can make videos when Ruby and her brother participate in outdoor activities."

This suggestion sounded good, she was supposed to be accompanying the children, and it seemed good to make a few more videos when she was accompanying them, or to start a live stream. "Okay, since you're both happy with that, let's do it."

...

Around 9pm, Adrian's phone sent out an account update alert, and after showering, he pulled out his phone only to realize that the only account he was following had updated with a video. It was the two little guys' account update?

Adrian tapped into the video and it was of the two little ones sitting in rows at their desks in identical outfits.

The video was quiet, the person filming it didn't speak, just filmed the two little ones studying.

In the middle of the filming, Ruby, the little girl sitting in the corner, suddenly turned her head in the direction of the camera, "Mommy, I can't find Ruby's textbook."

So the next second, the camera changed and the little girl had gotten her own textbook and was studying seriously.

Adrian's eyes flashed, the middle part of this was probably pinched off.

But Adrian didn't care about this little tidbit that happened in the middle, after all, there was no way he would be interested in a woman who was married with two kids.

He was just a little curious as to how the parents of the children actually raised them, how they managed to teach them to be so well behaved, as well as curious about the couple's facial features.

But that was just about it.

The video was accompanied by the text: a while ago has been busy in the matter of returning to the country, moving to get a job and to find a school for the child, only recently settled down, recently will resume live broadcasts, but the live broadcast time is not certain, thank you for your concern, I wish you all a happy life oh.

The live broadcast is not sure?

It seems that after they returned to China, there are indeed a lot of things, because it is a video, so Adrian did not have the ability to reward, can only repeatedly watch the video several times.

However, even when he disks the video out of the pulp and turns off his phone to prepare for rest, his mind still automatically pops up Eva's desperate look during the day in THE JT Group. Those cold-hearted words, word by word, pierced his heart like needles.

She really knew what her pain was, and stabbed wherever it hurt.

Closing his eyes, it was still her words that echoed in his ears, circling again and again.

Eventually Adrian got so tired of it that he had to take out his cell phone and play a video of the two little ones from before over and over again.

It didn't work at first, but by the end, the voice in his head was gradually replaced by the soft and cute voices of the two little ones, and he finally fell asleep.

 

Chapter 238 Serious Consideration

The next day, right after Adrian woke up, John called him.

"Jacob called me and said you didn't eat anything last night," John said.

Adrian didn't have a good mood considering he had only slept a few hours last night. Plus, waking up to Eva's heartless words didn't help improve his mood. He had a sour expression on his face. "What is it?" Adrian asked.

John clicked his tongue and said, "We're friends, can't I call to check on you?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Adrian replied, wanting to hang up the phone.

"Wait," John intercepted him, sensing his intentions. "There are some things I want to talk to you about."

Adrian still had some patience left for his friend. "Go ahead."

"Did you hurt Vivian's feelings again?" John asked. Adrian's eyes flickered with mockery upon hearing this.

"What? Did she run to you for sympathy?" Adrian sneered.

"It wasn't her, it was Jason. He's really worried and asked me to talk to you."

Adrian responded, "John, if you're just idle with nothing to do..."

"Okay, okay," John hurriedly interrupted him. "I'm not just sitting idle, so spare me from doing anything. I came here to advise you and find out what you're thinking."

Having said that, John paused for a moment before continuing, "And you've been in Chicago for quite a long time this time, haven't you? Is it because of work that you haven't finished?" Adrian originally didn't want to tell him, but the memory of Eva's attitude yesterday made him silent for a while before saying, "She's back."

John instinctively asked, "Who?"

Adrian didn't answer him.

After a while, John's tone carried shock as he said, "You don't mean..."

John didn't mention any names, fearing it would hit a nerve.

But Adrian's silence confirmed that the person had indeed returned.

The two of them didn't hang up the phone and remained silent.

Finally, John took the initiative to ask, "What now? What are you going to do?"

Adrian lowered his gaze and said, "I don't know."

John became frustrated and said, "Five years have passed, and you still don't know? You don't know what you want to do?"

Hearing this, Adrian leaned back and closed his dark eyes.

How could he not know what he wanted to do?

For the past five years, day and night, every minute and second, his mind and body had been thinking about her.

"But I have to remind you, it's been five years. In the beginning, she left without hesitation. Who knows, she might have already gotten married and had children," John said. "Shut up."

"I know you can't bear to hear it, but can you say this is an impossible scenario? Five years is not five months."

Upon hearing this, Adrian clenched his jaw. "Didn't I wait patiently for five years?"

"You wait, but she has to wait with you? Don't forget, you have also made others wait in the past."

With that statement, Adrian was left speechless.

As he thought about that day, he realized that the person he had been waiting for never showed up.

Eva arrived.

She looked much prettier. When she let down her hair, there was an innocent charm mixed with sultriness, something not typically possessed by ordinary girls.

Five years can change many things.

Perhaps he could hire someone to investigate.

But soon, John spoke up, "Are you thinking about finding someone to investigate if she's married? I'm telling you, you better not. You hurt her five years ago, and now you want to hurt her again?" Upon hearing this, Adrian fell silent. "Then what should I do?"

Having known him for many years, this was the first time John detected a hint of confusion in his tone.

He was genuinely seeking his advice.

John sighed, "Can't you find out about her through proper means?"

"I got it."

After hanging up the phone, Adrian fell into deep thought.

Other methods?

Perhaps worth a try.

...

Today, Michael personally drove Eva to work.

In the meantime, he also dropped off two kids at school.

On the way to the company, Eva kept looking out the window, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Of course, Michael knew what she was thinking.

Since she came back yesterday, she had been lost in contemplation.

"What's wrong?"

Even so, Michael turned off the music in the car and proactively asked.

True enough, initially Eva didn't hear him speaking. It wasn't until Michael said the second sentence that she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Nothing, I'm just thinking about work."

Michael asked, "How's the company lately? I've been busy recently and haven't asked you. Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm good." Eva shook her head. "I can handle those things."

"If there's anything, don't handle it alone. What have you been busy with lately?"

"Not much, just wanted to expand the company's influence and recruit new people."

Because Eva's thoughts were not on this matter, she wanted to bring up the company's affairs herself to cover up.

But to her surprise, Michael smiled lightly after hearing it. "You should join my company."

Upon hearing this, Eva's expression changed and she hurriedly explained, "That's not what I meant. I didn't say these things to make you..."

"But what can we do?" Michael pushed up his glasses and softly said, "I came back for you, and I started the company for you. If you don't come to me, then who else do you want to find?" Eva remained silent.

She bit her lip, thinking that Michael was quite outstanding.

After a long time, she asked, "Is it because of him?"

Upon hearing this, Michael let out a sigh.

"He has his part in it, but it's also because I don't want to wait anymore. I really like you and the kids, and I want to be with you forever."

"So, have you considered it seriously?"

"I..." Eva looked at Michael, her red lips moved. "You have indeed been very good to me, if you are willing..."

The phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.

Eva's words were interrupted, and she had to stop and take out her phone.

Michael furrowed his brows, a sense of foreboding creeping in.

"The manager?" Eva didn't expect to receive a call from the manager on her way to work. "What's going on?"

While Eva was focused on the phone call, she didn't notice that Michael in the driver's seat was inhaling lightly, listening intently to her conversation.

"What?" Eva was shocked, then hurriedly asked, "Who?"

A few seconds later, Eva fell silent, her emotions sinking along with her. It wasn't until a long while later that she spoke, "I understand, I'll be there right away." After hanging up the phone, Eva leaned back in her seat without saying a word.

"What's wrong?" Michael pursed his lips.

"The manager just called to tell me that someone has invested in the company."

 

 

Chapter 239 Investment

Upon hearing this, a glimmer appeared in Michael's eyes.

"Really?" He restrained his emotions as much as possible, and his thin lips slowly curved upward. "Which company has such great insight to discover your company?" Eva looked at him with complex eyes.

Sensing her gaze, Michael's uneasiness grew. "What's wrong?"

"It's him who invested."

Even someone as composed as Michael stepped on the brakes and parked the car by the roadside.

Eva was startled and turned to look.

Fortunately, there were no cars behind them. Otherwise, with his abrupt braking, a rear-end collision would have surely occurred.

After the car stopped, Michael sat there and took a deep breath, quickly regaining his calm state.

"Really?"

Seeing his unusual behavior, Eva nodded hesitantly.

"Well, are you okay? Should I drive?"

"Eva, it's not necessary." Michael started the car again and explained softly, "I overreacted just now. I just didn't expect him to do this. Did I scare you?"

"Not really, it's just that next time you encounter such a situation, you can't brake so abruptly. Luckily, there was no car behind us, or we would've had a rear-end collision today. It's quite dangerous." "Okay, I was wrong this time. I'll remember."

Michael easily admitted his mistake and apologized to Eva.

Eva breathed a sigh of relief. That's one thing about Michael that is great.

He doesn't care about his face and is willing to admit his mistakes, always accommodating her in everything.

If Adrian had done this today, he would have undoubtedly scoffed after saying such things to her, saying, "Are you afraid that I'll get into trouble? Don't worry, even if someone has to die, it will be me before you." Despite not seeing each other for five years, the expression and tone he had when encountering such situations could easily come to her mind.

Eva shook her head to get rid of those messy thoughts and images.

After arriving at the company, Eva quickly grabbed her bag and got out of the car.

"Thank you for driving me here. Be careful on the way."

After finishing her words, Eva turned and left. But she didn't walk far before she heard the sound of a car door closing behind her. When she turned around, she saw Michael walking towards her. "Let's go, I'll accompany you to take a look," he said. Eva's red lips twitched.

"What? I haven't visited your company since it opened, and now I want to go up and take a look. Am I not welcome?"

"Of course not," Eva tugged at her lips.

"Let's go then."

The two of them entered the elevator together. "What were you going to tell me before the phone call?"

Michael suddenly asked in the quiet elevator. Upon hearing this, Eva's nerves tightened. What was she going to say?

"I forgot, should we wait until this matter is resolved before discussing it?" she replied just as the elevator doors opened.

Eva, preoccupied with the investment, didn't think much of it and walked out directly when the elevator doors opened. Michael stood in the elevator, and his eyes beneath the lenses flickered with a deep gloom.

If he didn't remember incorrectly, the exact words she said were: If you're willing... What comes after 'willing'? It should have been what he wanted to hear, but unfortunately, it was interrupted by this phone call. As the elevator doors were about to close, Michael stepped out slowly.

Eva pushed open the door and saw a man wearing glasses, dressed in a well-tailored suit, sitting across from Tim. He had a briefcase next to him, holding a document and discussing something with Tim. Upon hearing the noise, both of them stopped and turned to look at her.

Tim stood up and nodded towards her. "Boss, this is Brent, the representative of the Blackwood business," Tim introduced. When Jacob saw Eva's face, he suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with shock.

He had been wondering how Mr. Blackwood could suddenly make such a confusing move, so Jacob had his doubts. He even called his cousin to ask, but his cousin advised him not to ask too much and just focus on his work, as there would eventually be answers to everything. And now the answer was right in front of him.

All of Jacob's doubts were explained when he saw Eva's face. He had thought everything was fine, so how could Mr. Blackwood suddenly want to invest in a small company? The reason was right here.

Seeing someone investing, Tim was clearly in a good mood, smiling as he greeted Eva.

"Boss..." he was about to speak, but then he saw a handsome man with gold-rimmed glasses following behind Eva. This man had a gentle and elegant demeanor.

Tim's words froze on his lips. Although the man appeared gentle, his presence was powerful. As soon as he entered the room, his gaze swept across everyone, passing by Tim and finally landing on Jacob, filled with curiosity and scrutiny. How could Tim, who had climbed the ranks in management for many years, not see the aura of a top executive like Michael? Especially since he was following closely behind Eva.

Eva could immediately tell from their interaction that the relationship between these two people was not ordinary. So, she quickly closed her mouth, understanding the situation.

"Hello," Eva walked up and shook hands with Jacob.

Jacob nervously and awkwardly extended his hand, feeling as stiff as a wooden post. He muttered, "Hello."

Watching Eva up close, Jacob felt like he had been hit by her beauty. No wonder his cousin had thought Mr. Blackwood's ex-wife was a goddess. He had initially thought his cousin was exaggerating, but when he saw her photo, he was completely shocked.

Now, seeing her in person, Jacob instantly felt that the photo only captured one percent of her beauty. She was truly stunning.

Jacob withdrew his hand, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

Eva raised her lips slightly and asked softly, "Sorry, may I ask where Mr. Blackwood is?"

"Mr. Blackwood? He didn't come today."

Jacob found this strange too. Why would he be sent instead? Mr. Blackwood didn't show up himself yet still helped others behind the scenes.

After thinking for a moment, Eva decided to be more direct, "So where is he now?"

She would just go find him herself.

"Hansen, does Ms. Hansen want to find our Mr. Blackwood?"

After asking, Jacob took out his phone and muttered, "Then I'll give our Mr. Blackwood a call."

But before he could make the call, Eva's fair and beautiful hand held his phone.

"No need to tell him. He knows me. Just tell me where he is."

As Eva's hand moved, her fingertips brushed against Jacob's hand, causing his face to instantly turn red. As a single man, he was flustered by such a touch. "Okay..."

Jacob stuttered and reluctantly gave Eva Adrian's address. His ears turned red almost to the point of bleeding.

Eva, completely focused on the address, didn't notice his embarrassment.

"Thank you."

Afterward, she glanced at the information of the two men and asked, "How did your conversation go?"

Tim blinked, glanced at Eva, then at Michael, and finally weakly replied, "I agreed to this good opportunity even before you arrived."

 

 

Chapter 240 Fainted

Eva thought that she was somewhat prepared for this. After all, Tim had been urging her to approach the Blackwood family for investment for a while. And from a company's perspective, having such management in place was actually a good thing. She didn't get angry, just nodded, and then turned to leave the room. Throughout the entire process, Michael had been almost completely ignored by her.

When she reached the stairs, ready to call a cab, Michael stopped her.

"I'll accompany you."

At his words, Eva paused and saw that Michael was holding his car keys, following her all this time. It was at this moment that she realized something.

"Sorry, I was a bit hurried just now..."

"It wasn't intentional..." She just wanted to say that she didn't intentionally ignore Michael, but when the words reached her lips, she felt like they would hurt him even more if she said them out loud.

"Do you want to go find him? I'll go with you." Eva instinctively called out to him. "I can go on my own."

Hearing this, Michael's movements paused, and after a moment, he turned his head and silently looked at her. Faced with his silent gaze, Eva felt guilty and lightly bit her lip.

"I'm sorry. Wait for me to come back and then I'll talk to you, alright?" When she came back after a trip, Michael thought that the situation might change. But at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to say anything that would trouble her. "Eva." After a long pause, Michael finally called out her name and sighed.

"Go, I'll wait for you to come back." He hoped that he wouldn't be disappointed with the outcome when she returned.

Following the address Jacob provided, Eva found the hotel where Adrian was staying. He was staying in a deluxe suite on the top floor. When Eva stood in front of the room door, she was still wondering what she should say when she saw him. As Eva contemplated, she pressed the doorbell. No one opened the door for a while, so Eva double-checked the room number. Was he not in? But it made sense too. His assistant only said he was staying here, not that he was still here. Maybe she was too anxious after finding out about this. Just as Eva was about to give up and leave after pressing the doorbell for the fourth time, the hotel room door suddenly opened.

Adrian opened the door with a cold face, but when he saw Eva standing outside, a hint of astonishment flashed in his handsome face. After a moment, he spoke, "Why are you here?"

In that moment, Eva felt some regret when she saw him. Did she really have to come here and ask him something just because he invested in her company? Eva suddenly felt a bit of regret, but it was too late to turn back now. She calmly countered his question, "What about you?"

Adrian pursed his thin lips, his complexion appearing somewhat pale. In contrast, his black eyes looked even deeper. Seeing him standing there, just staring at her without saying anything, Eva's brows furrowed lightly.

"What do you want? I already made myself clear to you before, didn't I?"

"I don't know," Adrian replied.

Even though she said so many harsh words, even though those words pierced his heart, he couldn't help but want to invest in her company. He wanted to know how she had been for the past five years, if she slept well, and even... if she got married and had children.

Just like what John said, he wanted to obtain her news through normal means. So after hanging up the phone, Adrian didn't even think twice and made this decision directly.

"You don't know?" Eva couldn't help but find his answer amusing.

The day before, she made it clear that without his approval, no other company would offend him or invest in her company. Now he suddenly came to invest in her company and said he didn't know?

Eva chuckled lightly and spoke coldly, "Since you don't know, then don't do anything unnecessary."

Upon hearing this, Adrian frowned slightly and asked, "What if I do? I still want to invest in your company. What can you do to stop me?"

Eva looked at his pale lips and slightly damp forehead, and slowly said, "I don't care what you do. As long as you're not afraid of losses."

After finishing her sentence, Eva turned around and was about to leave.

Adrian, on the other hand, quietly watched her, his thin lips tightly pressed together, seemingly unwilling to engage in further conversation with her.

After taking two steps, Eva suddenly thought of something and turned her head to look at Adrian.

"What about Grandma?"

Adrian, who had lowered his gaze after she left, raised his eyes slightly and chuckled, "You want to see her?"

"Yes." Eva nodded. "I want to see her."

She regretted the words she said yesterday. No matter what happened between her and Adrian, her grandmother was still her grandmother.

Adrian sneered, "No need to see her."

Eva furrowed her eyebrows and scrutinized Adrian's face.

"Why?" she asked.

"No specific reason. Are you done talking?" Adrian coldly dismissed her, "If you're done, can you leave?"

Eva didn't leave as he expected, but took a step forward.

"Unless you tell me why we don't need to see her anymore. Did you tell Grandma what I said?"

Adrian's breathing became heavier.

"I told her everything."

Upon hearing this, Eva frowned.

She initially thought Adrian was just saying that he would inform her grandmother out of anger. After all, those words would not only disappoint her grandmother but also make her angry, potentially causing harm to her health. He had no reason not to understand.

But he said he had told everything to her grandmother, which was not right.

Eva narrowed her eyes and carefully observed him. "Adrian, are you hiding something from me?"

Adrian paused, his hand gripping the door frame, making a loud noise.

His face filled with anger, he looked at her harshly and said, "Who said that my grandmother wouldn't have anything to do with the person who chose to divorce me?" Eva was speechless.

"Are we done here?" Adrian stared at her angrily, with no desire to see her anymore.

His attitude made Eva extremely uncomfortable. "Fine, if you don't want to see me, then forget it."

After saying that, she turned around and walked away.

So what if her grandmother was his biological grandmother? If he didn't want her to see her, then she wouldn't go?

Since he came all the way to invest in her company, she would find an opportunity to visit her grandmother as well.

However, today's Adrian seemed off.

He had invested in her company, but when she came to find him, he seemed to want her to leave as soon as possible, never wanting to see her again.

And his pale lips and slightly damp forehead.

At this thought, Eva's steps suddenly halted.

Two seconds later, she quickly turned around.

She had only walked for a while, and Adrian shouldn't have had time to close the door yet. If...

No need for Eva to dwell on what would happen next, because she had already seen Adrian collapsing to the ground.

He collapsed right after closing the door.