Ch. 261..270

Chapter 261 Feeling Suffocated

Ten minutes later, after ordering, Eva returned the menu to the waiter. "That's all," she said.

The waiter took the menu and nodded. "Alright."

After speaking, he intended to leave with the menu in hand.

Adrian, sitting across from Eva, remained silent.

The three of them sat at the table with a strange atmosphere.

Jacob had simply chosen to ignore it, so he felt fine at the moment.

Eva had no desire to converse with Adrian; she simply held her phone and looked up information.

Jacob couldn't help but sarcastically comment in his mind when he found out. She was a workaholic.

He used to think that Adrian was already a workaholic, but he didn't expect Eva to be even more serious than him.

The restaurant was bustling with people coming and going, and even the air was filled with a tantalizing spicy aroma, which was not friendly to Adrian's stomach. After about ten minutes, Eva's ordered dishes were served one by one.

Truly Mexican cuisine, as every dish that arrived was brightly red and filled with chili peppers.

Jacob enjoyed spicy food and found it appetizing.

So, as the dishes were brought out one by one, he had already started salivating, but because Adrian and Eva were sitting in front of him, he had to restrain himself. Once all the dishes were served, Eva said, "Let's start eating."

Jacob looked at her and realized she was addressing him.

So he secretly glanced at Adrian.

At first, he had no expression and didn't say a word, but now Adrian's face was as dark as a storm's eve.

He didn't touch his chopsticks, and Jacob didn't dare to either.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Eva urged, already starting to eat with her own chopsticks.

Only at this moment did Jacob pick up his chopsticks, then quietly said to Adrian, "Mr. Blackwood, let me see if there are any non-spicy dishes for you."

As a result, he searched the table for a long time but couldn't find a single non-spicy dish.

Picking and choosing, by the end, Jacob's face didn't look too good.

He had a feeling that Eva was doing this intentionally.

She clearly knew that Mr. Blackwood had a stomach problem, yet she still suggested Mexican cuisine.

It would be okay if it was just Mexican cuisine, but she also ordered a table full of spicy dishes.

Thinking of this, Jacob put down his chopsticks and couldn't help but say to Eva, "Ms. Hansen, all the dishes you ordered are spicy, right? There are too many."

Upon hearing this, Eva looked at him as if it didn't matter.

"All the dishes in Mexican cuisine are spicy. If you don't like spicy food, what do you want to eat? Just eat quickly and go home to rest."

However, Eva ignored him after that.

Jacob didn't have the appetite to eat anymore. Meanwhile, Adrian sat there, his gaze fixed on Eva's face.

She had been looking after him, staring intently at him and giving him hot water on the plane. There was no reason for her to change her mindset before seeing his grandmother. He felt suffocated.

She completely disregarded her own physical condition.

After thinking for a moment, Adrian picked up the chopsticks, and Jacob widened his eyes as he saw Adrian about to pick up a piece of chicken at the front. However, before his chopsticks could touch it, Eva's chopsticks intercepted them. "What are you doing?" Adrian paused, looking up at her.

"Eating," he replied in a deep, muffled voice.

Eva furrowed her brows. "Did I ask you to eat this?"

Upon hearing that, Adrian's eyelashes trembled lightly. "You brought me here, didn't you want me to eat these?" That was his assumption, thinking she wanted to get back at him, since he had previously wronged her. Even though his heart felt heavy, he was ready to accept it if she really wanted to take revenge on him.

Just as he finished speaking, the waiter arrived with the last dish. "Sorry, miss. The cream of mushroom soup takes a little longer. Please take your time."

The waiter placed a small pot of cream of mushroom soup on the empty space to the left.

Seeing that pot of soup, Adrian's mind went blank for a moment. Jacob also froze. "Ms. Hansen?"

Eva looked at him with a surprised expression and chuckled. "Do I look that malicious to you? Do you really think I would let him eat these knowing he has a stomach problem?"

If she wanted something to happen to him, she could have simply ignored him without taking such a roundabout way.

But it was true that Eva deliberately brought him to a Mexican restaurant.

Wasn't it because he didn't eat properly without her?

So, let him drink this bland and tasteless cream of mushroom soup while she and Jacob enjoyed spicy dishes.

"No, no," Jacob quickly explained. The complicated emotions he had before suddenly cleared up.

Not to mention Adrian. He looked at that pot of steamy cream of mushroom soup, feeling conflicted.

Did she order it in advance?

Jacob quickly served a bowl of cream of mushroom soup for Adrian. "Mr. Blackwood, it's hot. You should let it cool down a bit. You should eat slowly because it wouldn't be good if it scalds your esophagus or stomach." Adrian looked at the cream of mushroom soup placed in front of him.

Although it was just a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, he felt that it was extremely precious at this moment.

In a place where no one else could see, Adrian's lips curled up slightly as he scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth.

It was a bit hot, so thinking of Jacob's words, Adrian waited for it to cool down before taking the second sip.

Seeing that he remained calm and didn't argue, and there was no sign of dissatisfaction on his face, not even the stimulation of good food seemed to affect him, Eva raised an eyebrow, impressed by his endurance.

After finishing dinner, Eva's originally rosy lips became even redder, while Jacob, who was beside her, was not as composed. Although it was winter, he was sweating profusely from the spiciness.

As they were leaving, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with a tissue and looked at Eva, who was completely different from himself, and sighed, "Ms. Hansen, you can really handle spicy food."

Eva's lips curled up, but she remained silent.

In reality, she hadn't eaten much either.

Although she had been eating the whole time, she took very little food and instead drank tea. Adrian, on the other hand, finished the bowl of soup, despite the circumstances.

When Eva was about to return to her room at the hotel, Adrian stopped her. "We'll leave at 8 am sharp tomorrow."

Eva nodded and said, "Okay."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Or maybe 7:30 am. I'd like to buy something before we go. It's my first time visiting my grandmother, and I can't go empty-handed, you know."

Though her grandmother had already passed away, Eva's expression turned unpleasant as she thought of certain things. Adrian could understand what she was thinking just by observing the change in her mood. He pursed his lips and comforted her, "Don't overthink it. Get some rest."

 

Chapter 262 Cemetery

Before going to sleep, Eva sent a message to inquire about Lisa. Lisa responded by sending a video of two cute kids playing games at an amusement park. "Don't worry, I've taken care of them for you. The two little ones had a great time today. It's convenient that tomorrow is the weekend, so I'll bring them back a bit later." Eva trusted Lisa because she had helped take care of children for her before. "Okay, thank you. I'll see you when I get back," Eva replied before putting away her

phone to rest.

Unaware that after sending the message, Lisa opened Dylan and Ruby's video in WhatsApp. She found them so adorable that she couldn't resist sharing it on her Moments.

Shortly after sharing, several boys who had been pursuing her quickly liked and praised the children, hoping to impress her. As Lisa scrolled through their comments, she couldn't find any joy in it. All these men did was mindlessly flatter her, so insincere.

Thinking about something, Lisa exited Moments and couldn't help but look at the WhatsApp chat with Mr. Blackwood, whose contact information she had pinned. Since adding him, they hadn't exchanged a single word.

Lisa had messaged him, but he never replied. Judging by his cold attitude, he probably didn't even read them. And it seemed like he had something with Eva. Lisa didn't dare ask, nor did she want to. If there was something, she didn't want to know.

With that in mind, Lisa opened their chat, only to see that all the messages were sent by herself. It made her feel like a bothersome pest. She had never felt so low in her life; usually, it was men chasing after her. Even when she made the first move, a flick of her finger was enough to have them come running. But with him, it felt like no matter what she did, he wasn't interested.

Lisa felt a bit annoyed and clicked on his profile, contemplating deleting him. However, when her finger hovered over the delete button, she hesitated. She still felt attached... After a moment of indecision, Lisa exited the profile. She decided to keep it for now. Maybe there would be a chance in the future.

At this moment, Ruby called out to her, "Aunt Lisa, come quickly."

Lisa immediately put away her phone and replied, "Coming."

She didn't pay attention to how many comments there were in that circle of friends and went to play with the two children.

The next day, Eva woke up on time and got ready. She changed into a set of underwear she had brought, followed by the sweater and coat she wore yesterday, and went out.

She thought she would have to wait, but to her surprise, as soon as she stepped out, she saw Adrian leaning against the door and Jacob standing awkwardly to the side.

When Jacob saw her, he immediately smiled.

"Ms. Hansen, good morning."

Eva glanced at him and Adrian and coincidentally caught Eva's gaze.

"Why are you both here so early?"

"We woke up early, Ms. Hansen. It rained all night yesterday, and the temperature outside is low. Would you like to wear something warmer?"

Low temperature?

No wonder Eva felt a bit cold after coming out.

She was fine herself; she could handle the cold.

Eva looked at Adrian.

After seeing what he was wearing, her eyebrows instinctively furrowed.

Adrian was wearing just a shirt and a coat, with only a light-colored sweater underneath. Actually, for a healthy man, this kind of outfit is not insufficient for this weather, but Adrian is still sick, and his immune system is weak, yet he is wearing so little.

"Jacob, you'd better remind Mr. Blackwood to dress warmer than me."

At least she was wearing a coat, and the coat was padded.

"Not cold," Adrian said.

"But you're a patient," Eva said as well.

Upon hearing this, Adrian chuckled softly, "If I were a patient, would I accompany you to the cemetery? Come on, let's go. Stop fussing, don't we still need to buy things?"

Eva didn't know what else to say. Since he doesn't wear more clothes, he must know what he's doing.

She couldn't keep treating him like a wife, could she?

After thinking it through, Eva didn't say anything else and nodded.

"Let's go then."

They bought some fruits, flowers, and offerings before heading to the cemetery.

On the way to the cemetery, Eva's mood suddenly became heavy, and the atmosphere in the car became very somber.

No one spoke. Everyone knew this was a sad occasion.

"We're here."

After arriving, the car stopped and the doors were opened.

The cemetery still had traces of water on the ground from the night's rain, and the air smelled of a mix of rain, grass, and moist soil.

After the rain, the cemetery was sparsely populated. The roads on both sides were clean, with rainwater washing fallen leaves into the soil.

Eva followed behind Adrian as they walked in, and she noticed that the graves were not as closely connected as she usually saw. There was a small gap between each one. After looking around for a bit, Eva averted her gaze.

They walked for who knows how long until Adrian's steps came to a halt.

Observing his actions, Eva stopped as well and followed Adrian's lowered gaze.

Attached to the monument was a color photograph. In the photo, Granny Blackwood looked young and radiant, with a dazzling smile. As Eva looked at the picture, she stood frozen in place. The words Granny had spoken years ago seemed to echo in her ears.

"Adrian, Eva, when I pass away, please stick a photo of me when I was young on my tombstone. Your grandfather left us early, and I'm afraid that if you stick a photo of me from later years, he won't recognize me."

Eva's vision blurred, and she could no longer make out the details of the photo. However, Granny Blackwood's youthful smile had already been deeply imprinted in her mind.

"Sorry, can you give me a moment alone with Granny?" Eva's voice trembled, despite her efforts to restrain it. Adrian furrowed his brows slightly, then glanced at Jacob. Understanding the silent signal, Jacob left with Adrian.

Once they were at a distance, Eva and Granny Blackwood were left alone. Eva approached the tombstone, holding flowers and offerings. She bent down, placing them gently by the grave. "Granny, Eva's back."

When she had come, Eva had so many things she wanted to say to Granny Blackwood. She even planned out what she would say. But now, standing here, she couldn't utter a single word. It felt like a small knife was stirring in her heart. Gently, Eva brushed away the grass beside the tombstone and wiped off the dust near the photo. Her emotions began to calm slightly.

"Granny, I'm sorry. When you left, I didn't tell you the truth. I haven't come to visit you all these years either. You must be angry, right? It's okay, it's normal to be angry. I'm even mad at myself. If you can see me from heaven, you can scold me in my dreams, okay?"

 

Chapter 263 Wasn't it you who wanted a divorce back then?

Adrian stood quietly in the distance, watching Eva lean gently against the tombstone and speak to Granny. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but he could feel the intense sadness and despair emanating from her. Her current state was exactly how he felt when he first learned of Granny's passing. No, it was even worse.

Adrian recalled five years ago when Granny had surgery, and she became lost in her own fantasies. It showed just how important Granny was to her.

With this in mind, Adrian narrowed his eyes, growing concerned about how Eva would be after seeing Granny.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, the weather began to worsen. Thunder rumbled in the sky.

Jacob looked up and noticed the deteriorating weather. Furrowing his brows, he reminded Adrian, "Mr. Blackwood, it looks like it's going to rain again. Should we go find Ms. Hansen and head back?" Adrian stood still for a moment, then said, "Go and bring two umbrellas."

Jacob hesitated, then ultimately didn't say anything, turning to find the security guard and request umbrellas.

A few minutes later, Jacob returned with two umbrellas.

Adrian held two black umbrellas and rushed over towards us.

"Mr. Blackwood, here you go."

"Take them over."

After saying that, he thought of something and opened his palm towards Jacob.

"Forget it, give them to me."

He took one umbrella and walked over.

Eva was already leaning there in silence, just sitting quietly. It seemed like she didn't care about her appearance anymore, sitting there regardless of whether the ground was wet or not, and her light-colored coat showed traces of soil staining. Adrian frowned slightly, holding the umbrella and stopping in front of her.

"It's going to rain."

He reminded her, but Eva didn't react even though she heard it, still sitting there expressionless.

Adrian furrowed his brows, "Eva."

She remained seated and didn't move.

Another thunderclap sounded, and it started drizzling.

Adrian's expression changed slightly as he held the umbrella, shielding her from the falling raindrops.

But Eva sat there unmoving, as if she didn't hear his words or feel the rain pouring down.

Indeed, something was off.

At first, it was just a light rain, but later the sound of rain hitting the umbrella became more urgent. If she sat like this, her clothes would probably get wet. It's winter now.

Adrian didn't care anymore, he bent down and embraced her waist, lifting her up.

Eva was very thin, so even if Adrian was sick, he could still carry her effortlessly.

As Eva was pulled up, she leaned against Adrian, powerless as if her soul had been drained.

Jacob hurried over when he saw the situation and took the umbrella for Adrian.

After Jacob lifted the umbrella, Adrian lowered his head and looked at Eva in his arms.

"What's the use of being sad now? They're already gone, crying won't bring them back." Adrian's words were harsh and direct, piercing Eva's heart like a knife.

She looked up at him.

Despite knowing she shouldn't, she couldn't help but feel resentful towards him at this moment. "It's you, it's all your fault."

Adrian saw her suddenly turning the blame towards him, "What do you mean?"

Eva tightly bit her lower lip, refusing to speak, staring at him fiercely.

Seeing her glaring at him in anger but not uttering a single word, Adrian narrowed his eyes, "Speak."

Why is she blaming herself? Does she have something to hide from me?

Eva scoffed, "What's there to say? What is there to discuss between us, Adrian? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have left my grandmother, and I wouldn't have missed her final moment entirely." "What do you mean? It wasn't you who wanted the divorce in the first place?"

"I wanted the divorce?"

Eva seemed to have heard a joke, she pushed Adrian away directly and took a few steps back, exposing herself to the rain.

Seeing this, Adrian's expression changed, he held the umbrella and stepped forward to shield her from the rain.

When he saw that she still wanted to step back, Adrian just held onto her waist.

"Don't step back and get drenched."

"That's none of your business." Eva said, refusing to say more.

With a cold expression, Eva wanted to break free from his shackles, but Adrian grabbed her wrist. "Why does it have nothing to do with me? Let's clear things up right in front of grandma." Upon hearing the last sentence, Eva suddenly realized that they were still at her grandma's grave. Even if they wanted to argue, they should leave the grave first.

She couldn't lose control.

Thinking about this, Eva's terrible mood gradually subsided, and she began to calm down.

She lowered her eyes, and her whole being became serene once again.

"I have nothing to say to you, so go back." Eva said, taking two steps forward, but Adrian held her back. "Explain yourself."

Adrian had no intention of leaving. Instead, he held onto her wrist. "What do you mean by, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have left grandma? What does that mean?" Eva looked at him coldly.

"Can't you understand the literal meaning?"

After saying that, Eva forcefully shook off his hand, but suddenly everything went dark before her eyes, without any anticipation, she fell down.

"Ms. Hansen!" Jacob, who was beside them, exclaimed and subconsciously tried to move forward.

Adrian timely caught her.

Eva, who fainted, fell into his embrace. Adrian then noticed that her complexion was completely different from when she had arrived earlier. Now, she looked very pale, which he hadn't noticed before.

"Mr. Blackwood, is Ms. Hansen alright?" Jacob asked with concern as he looked at Eva's pale face.

Adrian didn't respond but instead handed the umbrella to Jacob. "Hold onto this."

Jacob reached out his hand to receive the umbrella. However, both umbrellas were too big, so he couldn't hold onto Adrian's while holding his own. After a second of deliberation, he decided to throw away his own umbrella and only use Adrian's.

After receiving the umbrella, Adrian lifted Eva in his arms. Jacob followed closely, holding the umbrella for her, and they hurriedly left the cemetery.

By the time they reached the car, Jacob was completely soaked.

Adrian was also covered in water, looking quite disheveled.

But he didn't pay attention to himself. He went into the car and took out a clean towel, wiping off the rainwater from Eva's body while instructing, "Drive to the hospital."

Once inside the car, Jacob also quickly grabbed a towel to dry himself.

It was winter, and getting caught in the rain was extremely cold.

However, Jacob was a man, usually with a strong physique, so it wasn't much of a problem for him.

As he wiped himself off, he observed Adrian and noticed that Adrian completely disregarded himself. Jacob could only wait until he finished wiping off the water before offering a dry towel. "Mr. Blackwood, your back is wet too. You should wipe it."

Adrian saw the dry towel in his hand and took it, but instead, he wiped Eva again.

After wiping Eva once more to make sure there was no trace of moisture on her, Adrian finally used the remaining towel to clean himself.

 

Chapter 264 Something's Off

They were supposed to go to the hospital, but Eva woke up before the car even reached it.

When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying in the car, with the air conditioning turned up high. However, Jacob in the front seat still had wet clothes on and was beginning to sneeze, constantly sniffing. She was confused for a few seconds, then reached out and touched her own head, only to meet a pair of calm eyes.

Adrian was sitting quietly in the corner of the back seat, watching her.

Then she realized that she had taken up all the space in the back, which was why Adrian was sitting in the corner.

She tried to sit up but felt a bit dizzy, so she decided to stay lying down.

Jacob in the front seat sneezed a few more times.

Unaware that Eva had awakened, he rubbed his nose after sneezing and turned to Adrian, asking, "Mr. Blackwood, your back must be soaked too. How come you're not sneezing?"

Upon hearing Jacob's words, Eva froze for a moment. She could infer from Jacob's words what had happened after she fainted.

It was raining at the time, and both she and Jacob had gotten wet. She had been lying here without noticing anything strange. Her clothes were dry, and she had been well protected.

There was no need to think about it - it was clear who did all this.

Just a moment ago, they had been arguing, and the next second, she had collapsed, and he had helped her. Eva felt unsettled.

"Mr. Blackwood, we're almost at the hospital," the driver suddenly reminded them.

Upon hearing this, Eva was taken aback, realizing that after she fainted, they must have been taking her to the hospital. Jacob in the front seat also realized something and leaned forward to look at Eva, only to meet her cold, beautiful eyes. He was stunned.

"Ms. Hansen, you're awake?" Eva glanced at him indifferently. "Yeah, we don't need to go to the hospital. Let's go back to the hotel."

Jacob was still wet and needed to go back to the hotel to change his clothes.

Both of them had ended up like this because they wanted to help her. If they caught a cold because of this incident, she would feel guilty for no reason. Probably caught off guard by Eva waking up at this moment, Jacob couldn't decide for himself and could only look at Adrian.

"Mr. Blackwood?"

The driver was also not someone who would act without authorization, so he parked the car by the side of the road and waited for new instructions. However, Adrian's gaze had never left Eva's body. After a long silence, he finally said, "Then let's go back."

After returning to the hotel, everyone went back to their rooms. Jacob immediately went back to change his clothes due to the cold, but when he finished changing and came out, he found Adrian sitting motionless on the sofa. "Mr. Blackwood, aren't you going to change your clothes?"

Adrian glanced at him but remained silent.

"Your clothes are wet too. You should take them off quickly." Jacob walked up and tried to help Adrian with his clothes.

Who knew that Adrian was still sitting there, motionless, and Jacob knew that his problem was probably acting up again.

"Mr. Blackwood, you're not really neglecting your health at this time, are you? It's winter, and you're already sick. Your stomach problem alone is enough to torment you. If you catch a cold and get a fever, you'll have to go to the hospital." Adrian finally looked up and met Jacob's gaze. "Going to the hospital isn't that bad, is it?"

Hearing this, Jacob frowned. "Going to the hospital isn't a good thing, Mr. Blackwood. You're pretending to be sick, not actually sick. If you continue like this, your body won't be able to handle it. Trust me, change your wet clothes. Ms. Hansen woke up in the car just now, and she already knows that we got soaked in the rain for her. It won't hinder your act of being sick if you change into dry clothes now."

Seeing Adrian still sitting there without moving, Jacob had to resort to a stern tone. "If you don't take off your wet clothes, Ms. Hansen will know when she sees you later that you did it on purpose, won't she?"

"You have a point." Adrian was finally convinced by Jacob's words and got up to take off his coat and wet clothes.

After changing into dry clothes, Adrian indeed felt instantly more comfortable. At this moment, Jacob's phone rang.

Just as he took out his phone, Adrian asked, "What did she tell you?"

Jacob didn't even have a chance to read the message yet.

After reading it, Jacob said, "Ms. Hansen said she's not feeling well and wants to take a nap, so she won't have lunch with us."

"Not feeling well?" Adrian furrowed his brows. "Ask her where she's not feeling well."

After all, she had just fainted earlier, so it was really worrying to hear that she wasn't feeling well now.

However, Jacob hesitated and held his phone, considering Adrian's gaze.

"Mr. Blackwood, why don't you use your own phone to call?"

Upon hearing this, Jacob felt a chilling gaze from Adrian, sending shivers down his spine. With a reluctant courage, he dialed Eva's number. After a short while, Eva answered the phone directly. "What's up?"

"Ms. Hansen, I..." Jacob didn't even finish his sentence when Adrian took the phone from him.

"Where are you not feeling well?"

The cold voice transmitted to Eva's ears through the phone, causing her to grip the phone tightly and say in a low voice, "I'm tired, does that count?"

Adrian furrowed his brows. It was obvious that this answer was just an excuse.

So Eva said again, "I want to sleep. Anything else?"

Her annoyance with him was especially evident.

Adrian pursed his lips. "Where does it hurt? If you're not feeling well, go to the hospital."

Eva replied, "...I'm just tired. I want to sleep."

After speaking, she hung up Adrian's phone directly.

Listening to the busy tone coming from the phone, Adrian's expression became even more unpleasant.

Upon seeing this, Jacob quickly approached to retrieve his phone, fearing that Adrian would get angry and smash it later.

"Mr. Blackwood, let Ms. Hansen sleep if she wants to. Maybe she didn't sleep well last night."

Adrian didn't say anything further and went back into the bedroom.

By noon, Jacob directly ordered food over the phone to be delivered.

Adrian's meal was still a bowl of cream of mushroom soup.

His stomach could only handle such things for now.

Jacob had ordered a bunch of food for himself.

Eva wasn't around, and Adrian seemed to have little appetite. After drinking half a bowl of porridge, he put the bowl down and asked Jacob, "How long has she been sleeping since I came back this morning?" Jacob calculated the time. "About two hours, I guess. Why?"

Two hours... The estimated time should be about right, right?

Adrian instructed, "Order food for her room."

"But Ms. Hansen..."

"Can't she eat before sleeping?"

"Alright." Jacob dared not say anything and could only make the food order call.

After about twenty minutes, the hotel staff delivered the food, and the two of them went to the door to listen for any movement.

However, the doorbell rang for a while, and no one came to open the door.

Adrian felt something was wrong and opened the door directly.

"What's the matter?"

 

 

Chapter 265 You Think I can't help you?

The hotel staff looked at the two of them with a surprised expression. "Who are you?"

Jacob pointed at himself. "We called to order food for our friend. She's in the room opposite."

Upon hearing this, the hotel staff suddenly realized. "I see, but your friend doesn't seem to be inside. I rang the doorbell a few times, but there was no response."

Then, the hotel staff reminded them nervously, "Why don't you give her a call to confirm if she's inside?"

Adrian looked at Jacob. "Make the call."

Jacob took out his phone and called Eva. He initially thought she wouldn't answer, but she picked up quickly. "Jacob."

Jacob heard Eva's clear voice, as if she wasn't woken up from sleep. But then again, she shouldn't have been sleeping at a time like this, right? Why didn't she open the door when they rang the bell? "Ms. Hansen, have you woken up?"

Eva was sitting in the bustling lobby with her phone pressed to her ear. She pursed her lips before sighing.

"Ms. Hansen, if you've woken up, could you please open the door? Mr. Blackwood and I have ordered food for you."

Brent's voice carried a hint of anxiety and eagerness to please.

Upon hearing this, Eva couldn't help but sigh again.

"No need. Thank you for your trouble, but I'm already outside."

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Jacob's eyes flashed with confusion and bewilderment. "Ms. Hansen, what do you mean by that..."

But he trailed off.

Before Eva could finish her sentence, Adrian snatched the phone away from her. Just as Adrian brought the phone to his ear, he heard Eva's voice on the other end say, "I'm at the airport, getting ready to go back to Chicago. Please let him know for me."

Upon hearing this, Adrian's face turned cold. "What did you say?" he responded.

The sudden change in his cold voice startled Eva. It was then that she realized why Jacob's voice had suddenly cut off earlier; Adrian had taken his phone away.

She calmed herself down and spoke softly, saying, "Didn't you hear what I just said? Well, then, there's no need for Jacob to pass on the message."

Adrian's gaze became frosty. "Eva, what do you mean by this?"

"It means nothing. We agreed on a deal, don't you remember? I told you at the hospital yesterday that this was merely a transaction. Now that I've seen my grandmother and I have work in Chicago, I decided to return early." Adrian sneered. "Didn't you say you weren't feeling well and needed rest?"

"Yes, I rested for only twenty minutes. Is there a problem?"

After hanging up the phone, she bought a plane ticket and came out after resting for only twenty minutes.

Adrian was left speechless by her words, not because he couldn't argue back, but because her attitude left him dumbfounded.

He clenched his teeth, almost grinding them to bits.

"Wait for me there."

Eva curled her lips, her voice light and airy. "Sorry, Mr. Blackwood, but I can't wait. I've already passed the security check, and the plane is about to take off. If you rush over now, you might not make it in time." Adrian didn't say a word, but the pressure on his grip tightened inch by inch.

"Eva, do you think that once you're in Chicago, I won't be able to do anything to you?"

"What are you implying, Mr. Blackwood? I'm just going back to Chicago to work. Is there a problem?"

After a long silence, Adrian chuckled softly.

"Alright, no problem. You go back to Chicago first. Wait for me there."

The false smile on Eva's lips faded slightly. "Sure."

After saying that, Eva hung up the phone and the smile vanished from her face.

Putting away her phone, Eva carried her small luggage and walked towards the boarding gate.

On the other side, Adrian handed the phone back to Jacob.

Jacob glanced at the phone and noticed that the call had ended. Combining it with the conversation he had overheard, he cautiously asked, "Mr. Blackwood, has Ms. Hansen already gone to the airport?"

Adrian didn't respond, but his expression confirmed everything.

"Well...what should we do next then?"

Adrian glanced at him and said, "Let's go back to the company first."

With that, Adrian went straight into the hotel room. Just as Jacob was about to catch up to him, he remembered the hotel staff who were delivering food next to him and waved them off, saying, "We don't need these anymore. You can go." "The staff shared and finished the food, and the people inside have already left," she said and hastily followed Adrian's footsteps and left.

At the airport in Chicago, Eva had just disembarked when Tim called.

"Boss, I am waiting for you at the exit. I see that your flight has arrived," Tim said.

"Yes, I am heading in that direction. Give me a few minutes," Eva replied.

"Alright." Tim hung up and leaned against the railing, tapping his fingers lightly. After a few minutes, he spotted a slender figure walking towards him.

Tim immediately smiled and greeted her, "Welcome back, boss. How was the trip to New York? Any chance of reconciling with Mr. Blackwood?"

The second half of his sentence almost tripped Eva's steps, and she glanced at Tim in disbelief. "Can you please stop joking?"

Tim even took her luggage for her and said, "Let me handle it. You're the boss, just focus on getting in the car."

Eva didn't refuse and handed her luggage to him. It would save them from declining at the exit and drawing attention, not to mention wasting time.

Once they were in the car, Tim couldn't help but ask, "But seriously, why didn't Mr. Cooper come to pick you up?"

Hearing that, Eva looked at him sideways. "Next time we hire someone, I think we should add a condition." "What condition?" Tim laughed.

"No casual gossiping or discussing the boss's private life," Eva replied, closing her eyes, dismissing him.

Tim was easy-going and loved to joke around, and he wouldn't be offended if Eva ignored him. "But based on the way you look, I don't think you're interested in talking to Mr. Cooper, right? That's good, I don't really like him either." With pursed lips, Eva responded in a somewhat speechless tone, "Is your own love life going well?"

"It's going swimmingly. I have a wife and children, and our family life is harmonious. So, if you have any relationship problems, feel free to ask me. I have experience," Tim said.

 

Chapter 266 He's Not Suitable for You

"I don't need that," Eva replied sullenly. "I have no intention of pursuing any further romantic relationships." This answer surprised Tim. "Are you saying you don't want to find someone in the future? You want to live alone?"

Eva opened her eyes again. "That's about right."

"Well, you better think it through. Living alone can be quite lonely in the future," Tim said, steering the car into the main road amidst the traffic. "After all, humans are social animals. When you're young, you have parents and single friends around you, so you don't feel the need to get married. But as you get older, if you don't have friends or parents around..."

If one doesn't have children, they will start to miss having someone around, someone to accompany and eat together with," Eva listened quietly to these words without responding. Because she wasn't alone. She had two little ones. "When I was young and full of energy, I also thought about not getting married. What's good about having a wife? What's good about having children? Can't one live well on their own? I even have to spend money raising children and all. But after I truly started a family, I realized having a wife and children is better for me. However, everyone's choices are different. This thought of mine is only for myself. Some people live their whole lives alone and still live well." "Mm," Eva responded.

"But no matter what path you choose, you need to be mentally prepared in advance. After all, life only happens once, and there's no such thing as a regret pill."

"I know."

Tim stole a glance at Eva when he had the chance and sighed, "Actually, in my personal opinion, I think it's fine if you don't get married, but you should have a child. You're so beautiful, and your child would surely be beautiful too." Upon hearing this, Eva couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

She didn't just have one child; she had two.

Even though others couldn't tell, she thought they were both handsome and adorable. That was what mattered to her.

"So, are you saying if I have a child, I can consider not getting married?"

Tim smiled, "Not exactly. With your conditions, I think you can still get married if the opportunity arises. After all, your conditions are exceptionally good, and the men around you are all great, not just average. You have a high level of selectivity."

Eva pondered for a moment. Michael was genuinely good to her.

"But regarding Mr. Cooper, I still want to reiterate what I said last time. Think carefully because he is not really suitable for you."

Upon hearing this, Eva furrowed her brows again. "You seem to have a bias against him. Do you think it's because the Blackwood Group invested in us, so you..."

"No." Tim shook his head. "It's unrelated to that. I'm only focusing on that day. When I pursued my wife, I was very respectful of her. If she didn't like me, I would never force it. What good can come from being together against one's will?" Hearing this, Eva fell silent once more. Michael did treat her well, and if she were a normal person, she would have been moved long ago. Unfortunately... her heart was probably made of iron.

"But the way he pressured you, from my personal perspective, I don't think it's something a good person would do. Of course, he may have been anxious, but ultimately, it's up to you. This is just my experience as someone who has gone through it."

Hearing this, Eva finally understood why he had an opinion about Michael.

Because on that day in the office, Michael's reaction did make her feel pressured, and she could even sense it herself, let alone the bystanders.

The two of them continued to chat aimlessly until they arrived at the company.

Eva went straight back to her office.

In the meantime, she called Lisa, who informed her that the two children were still with her today.

"Good, I'll pick them up after work."

Adrian made a trip back to the company.

Upon arriving at the office, Jacob received a message instructing him to pack up and relocate to the company's branch in Chicago. Needless to say, Jacob understood the message clearly and immediately started preparing for the move. Adrian sat down in the office, his hand pressing against his slightly aching stomach, his expression grim.

Today, she had truly infuriated him.

At this moment, Adrian desperately needed something to distract his attention and improve his mood. He opened his phone and opened an app to see if the two little ones had uploaded any new videos.

To his surprise, there was indeed a new video.

For Adrian at this moment, it was a pleasant surprise, as he could watch the two adorable little ones to help alleviate his mood.

After clicking on the video, he saw the two children playing in an arcade.

The video was raw and unedited, with some shaky shots, sometimes focusing on Dylan and other times on Ruby.

Though the footage was shaky, the two little ones laughed with pure joy. Their laughter was long, bright, and incredibly soothing. Adrian's thin lips couldn't help but form a gentle smile.

It had to be said that the two little ones were truly adorable. If only he had a pair of his own...

Lost in his thoughts, Ruby suddenly turned her head in the video and looked directly at the camera.

More accurately, she looked at the person behind the camera.

"Aunt Lisa, Ruby wants to eat candies."

"Hmm? candies? Alright."

A young woman's voice responded, and then the camera panned out to show the woman holding Ruby's hand, with Dylan following closely behind. "Dylan, come along."

Then the camera focused ahead as she took the two children to buy candies.

It was just a simple clip, but Ruby's words to Aunt Lisa made Adrian squint his eyes.

His memory was good.

If he wasn't mistaken, he had heard this name before.

Adrian quickly searched his memory and soon remembered.

Lisa... Wasn't that the name of the woman who always bothered his woman at the bar?

Thinking of this, Adrian exited the app and opened WhatsApp.

It had been a long time since he last logged into WhatsApp.

As he logged in, numerous messages popped up, all from one person.

The person's nickname was "It's Lisa."

Wasn't that the same name Ruby had just called?

Upon closer consideration, their voices did seem somewhat similar.

Of course, Adrian didn't bother reading any of the unproductive messages sent by the other person. Instead, he clicked on her profile picture and discovered a few shrunk photos in her personal information. In those pictures, he recognized a very familiar silhouette.

He followed the path and enlarged the photos, confirming that it was Lisa and the two children in the pictures.

Why was this woman, Eva's friend, with these two children?

Something flashed through her mind. It was quick, but Adrian still caught it. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning dangerous.

 

Chapter 267 Bitterness Befalls

Lisa didn't go to work today. She stayed at home with Eva's two children. The two kids were well-behaved and didn't require much of her attention. She only had to make sure they didn't wander around or get into any accidents. The rest of the time, she focused on her own tasks.

At this moment, she was browsing her phone, looking at the latest trends in the fashion world. She was contemplating whether to directly order the items for delivery or to wait until she had some free time to go with Eva. Suddenly, her phone vibrated, and a new message popped up at the top of the screen.

With just a glance, Lisa froze in place. Though her body remained still, her heart started pounding rapidly.

Could she have misread it? Did she see a message from Mr. Blackwood?

After realizing what she had seen, Lisa quickly tapped on her WhatsApp and indeed found a new message at the top of her chats.

Lisa was so excited that she didn't know what to say. Her eyes even started to well up with tears. She opened the conversation.

Mr. Blackwood: Hello, are you available to talk on the phone right now?

Talk on the phone? Many messages she had sent him had gone unanswered, but now he was asking if she could talk on the phone? Lisa didn't quite understand his intentions. However, she was already happy that he was willing to contact her, no matter the reason.

Thinking this, Lisa immediately replied, "I can!"

After sending the message, it only took a couple of seconds for Mr. Blackwood to make a WhatsApp call.

Lisa's heart raced even faster. She quickly got up and called out to the two children, "Ruby, Dylan, Aunt Lisa is going out to take a phone call. Just play by yourselves." Without waiting for a response from the two kids, she rushed to the balcony.

Taking a few deep breaths and calming herself, Lisa answered the call and greeted cautiously, "Mr. Blackwood, hello?"

"Hello."

His voice sounded clear and cold, like frost and a snow-capped mountain, but it was also calm and firm.

"There are some things I want to ask you about, do you have a moment?"

Ask her? In an instant, Lisa thought back to their previous encounter at the restaurant. Could it be that he wants to ask about Eva again?

With that thought in mind, Lisa bit her lower lip.

Although she wasn't entirely willing, she still said insincerely, "Of course, Mr. Blackwood, what would you like to know?"

"I came across your tweets and saw a photo."

"A photo?"

Lisa momentarily didn't understand which photo he was referring to.

"Yes," Adrian's voice grew low and powerful, "the photo you updated last night. I saw those two children."

As he spoke, Adrian tapped his long fingers lightly on the smooth desk.

Lisa inquired, "You also watch their livestreams? Fans?"

Upon hearing this, Lisa finally understood who Adrian was referring to, and she burst into laughter instantly.

"So, you were talking about Ruby and Dylan. I do watch their livestreams, but I'm not their fan."

The last sentence hit Adrian like a hammer on the heart.

He slowly squinted his narrow eyes.

"Oh really?"

Because Lisa wasn't asking about Eva but instead mentioned two kids and even thought she was a fan, she completely let her guard down and even felt they had found a common topic. "Mr. Blackwood, you don't watch their livestreams too, do you? That would be quite a coincidence."

"Hmm."

Adrian lowered his eyelids. "So, you are their mother?"

Hearing his words, Lisa was taken aback and then refuted, "How is that possible? They are not my children. If I had kids, how could I possibly still approach you for a conversation?"

To dispel any suspicion of being married with children in his eyes, Lisa explained in a hurry, "Those two are my friend's kids, as you asked before."

When saying these words, a hint of guilt flashed in Lisa's eyes.

Don't blame her. Actually, she had been suspecting that Eva and Adrian might have known each other before, or else the man's behavior wouldn't have been like this. Now that she had the chance, she would definitely talk about Eva's situation. If the other party knew that Eva already had children, would that make Lisa's own chance bigger?

Of course, this was just a little hope Lisa held onto. She didn't think she did anything wrong, after all, Eva had already given birth to children, who were now so grown-up. There was nothing to be ashamed of, and she was just telling the truth. Hearing this, Adrian probably had some thoughts in his mind.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "The Miss Hansen you mentioned?"

"Yes." Lisa nodded. "The two kids belong to her."

After she finished speaking, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

For a long time, she waited but didn't receive any response. She had to call out to him, "Mr. Blackwood?"

Adrian's phone emitted a deep chuckle. "Your friend seems quite fortunate."

Lisa awkwardly agreed, "Indeed, I also think so. The two kids are so cute and well-behaved."

She wanted to say something more to him on this opportunity, but she heard the sound of a door opening from the other end of the phone, followed by someone calling out. "Mr. Blackwood."

Adrian raised his hand to signal for them to stop and then said into the phone, "Thank you for informing me of the news today. I have something else to deal with."

"Alright, I understand. You can go ahead and handle it."

After hanging up the phone, Adrian caressed his phone and fell into contemplation.

"Mr. Blackwood?"

It was only when Jacob couldn't wait any longer and called him that he snapped out of his thoughts.

He furrowed his brow and looked at the other person, somewhat displeased.

Jacob was momentarily speechless. Weren't things fine just now? Why did he suddenly start finding fault with him again?

But before he could think it through, Adrian coldly said, "Come here."

"What's the matter, Mr. Blackwood?" Jacob approached.

Adrian opened two photos of children and pursed his lips. "Take a look."

So Jacob leaned in to see. When he saw the two children in the photos, he couldn't help but say, "Aren't these the photos of those two children you always look at? What's wrong? Who is the woman in these pictures?" "Eva's friend."

"Friend? Eva... Ms. Hansen?"

Jacob widened his eyes. "Mr. Blackwood, you don't mean to say that these two children are Ms. Hansen's friends' children, do you? Is that a coincidence??"

"A coincidence?"

Adrian's words made Jacob's lips twitch. He gave a sarcastic chuckle. "What if I tell you that these two children are Eva's, too? Would you find that even more coincidental?"

"Uh..." Jacob nodded in agreement, then halfway through, he suddenly realized something and looked at Adrian in disbelief. "Mr. Blackwood, what did you just say?"

Did he mishear? Otherwise, why would he hear that those two children were Ms. Hansen's?

"She had children? Then Mr. Blackwood, don't you have no chance anymore?" Jacob's first thought was that their Mr. Blackwood's suffering these days seemed to be in vain!

 

 

Chapter 268 A Special Feeling

"No chance?" Adrian chuckled softly. "How do you know if I have a chance or not?"

After learning that Eva had children, and two children that big, Jacob felt extreme sympathy for Mr. Blackwood. So now, he was also wearing a mournful expression.

"Mr. Blackwood, with someone else's children being this big, it means they have a father. So you definitely have no chance left. And if you keep going like this, you might become a third party in someone else's marriage. Do you want to let your reputation develop like this in the future?"

Hearing this, Adrian glanced at him, his gaze as if he were looking at a fool.

Jacob didn't understand. Did he say something wrong?

"Do you remember what you said before?"

"What did I say? Mr. Blackwood, can you please make it clear in one go?" Jacob was getting a bit impatient from Adrian's comments, not knowing what he meant, so his tone inevitably became anxious.

But after he finished speaking, he regretted it.

Even if he was in a hurry, he shouldn't have spoken to him in that tone.

Just as he was about to apologize, he realized that Adrian wasn't angry at all. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"No rush, take another look at the photos."

Adrian handed the photo to Jacob once again.

Jacob furrowed his brow, feeling skeptical. After considering it for a moment, he earnestly examined the photo, scouring it thoroughly, yet he couldn't find anything different.

In the end, he had to inquire, "Mr. Blackwood, I've looked at this photo countless times. Is there something I'm missing? It's just Ms. Hansen's two children, isn't it?"

Adrian cast a suspicious glance at Jacob, unsure why this person's brain seemed to have stopped working at this critical moment.

In the past, he always had his own ideas about everything, but now that there was something going on, he couldn't come up with anything.

Thinking of this, Adrian impatiently reminded him, "Look closely at the children's features."

Their features?

Jacob followed his words and looked again, saying, "To be honest, these two children have beautiful features. They look quite similar, yet they possess different temperaments. The girl has the charm of a girl, while the boy has his own uniqueness, but..."

As Jacob pondered, rubbing his chin, he rambled on without getting to the point, leaving Adrian speechless.

"But what?"

"It's just that these two children don't resemble Ms. Hansen at all. Instead, they somewhat resemble..."

When he reached this point, Jacob's voice abruptly trailed off.

After a few seconds, he gazed at Adrian's features, then back at the two children, seemingly confirming something. After several consecutive glances, Jacob struggled to swallow his saliva.

"Mr. Blackwood..."

"Hmm." Adrian silently watched him, his voice steady. "Finish your sentence. What do they resemble, in fact?"

Jacob had countless expletives running through his mind, finding it hard to believe, but the more he looked, the more they resembled each other.

Especially the little boy in the photo, he was practically a spitting image of Adrian.

Jacob had mentioned it before, but back then, he hadn't given it much thought. After all, who could have imagined that Mr. Blackwood had children?

But now these two children belonged to Ms. Hansen, and they had grown so much.

"Speak," Adrian urged, his brow furrowing.

After a few silent seconds, Jacob firmly declared, "They look like you, Mr. Blackwood. I've said before that these two children resemble you, but I didn't think much of it at the time. However, now... Mr. Blackwood, if these two children are somehow connected to me, then doesn't that mean Ms. Hansen..."

Adrian was also contemplating this question.

"Mr. Blackwood, you truly... didn't know?"

At this moment, Jacob's gaze towards Adrian had changed, suggesting a hint of awkwardness.

Adrian pursed his lips. He also wanted to know why he didn't know about this matter.

"Pack up, we're going to Chicago," Adrian said.

Jacob nodded, "I'm all packed. When are we leaving?"

"Now," Adrian replied with a serious expression.

Before boarding the plane, Adrian turned to Jacob and said, "Find someone to investigate where these two children are now, and get detailed information."

"Alright, Mr. Blackwood, I'll make a call and have someone look into it right away."

After boarding the plane, Adrian stared out the window, but his eyes didn't seem to see anything.

He never expected that Dylan and Ruby could possibly be his children. No wonder he always felt a special connection with them.

So, that's how it is!

At this moment, any pain or discomfort seemed to vanish for Adrian.

Jacob sat down next to him with a notebook in hand and whispered, "Mr. Blackwood, I've asked someone to investigate. We should have the results by tonight or tomorrow." "Hmm." Jacob glanced at Adrian, then looked away, still shocked by everything.

He never imagined things could take such a dramatic turn.

Those two children could potentially be Mr. Blackwood's bloodline...

He always ignored others, so how could Mr. Blackwood inexplicably enjoy watching the livestreams of those two children and even spend so much money to reward them? It turns out, some things are guided by fate.

Destiny unconsciously brings people together if they are meant to be.

Although the results haven't been found yet, judging from their striking resemblance, it seems likely. Just waiting for the results now.

After finishing work, Eva left the company and went to Lisa's place to pick up the two children.

She went to the same place as last time, where Lisa was still living.

At first, there was nothing unusual. However, as soon as Eva stepped into the living room, Lisa was reminded of how she had previously driven her away, and her heart felt heavy. So, when Eva came over, Lisa apologized first.

"Sorry about last time."

Upon hearing this, Eva was momentarily stunned, then she dismissed it and said, "What's the big deal?"

"Really, I don't know if I was being stupid, but I actually made you leave because of that incident. I rented this house because of your return, but I never expected that I would... I'm sorry."

As Lisa spoke, her eyes turned red, and she walked forward to embrace Eva. "I'm truly sorry."

The two children were in the room and didn't see this scene. Eva hugged Lisa, patting her shoulder gently. "It's alright. If I held grudges, do you think I would have brought the two kids to find you? Coming to you means I don't mind." "I feel guilty because you reached out to me with so much care, and I easily destroyed it."

"How could that be?" Eva smiled gently, "Even if you don't want this friendship, I still do. It's okay."

Lisa sobbed on Eva's shoulder for a while before finally leaving with red eyes.

She couldn't help but think about her conversation with Adrian earlier today.

After making the phone call, he felt even more guilty and wanted to explain to Eva, but the words got stuck in his throat.

Forget it, she probably doesn't mind, judging by her appearance.

 

 

Chapter 269 Daring Not to Let Her Know

After thinking for a moment, Lisa didn't continue with that topic but asked where Eva was currently staying.

"In the house Michael prepared for me, and of course, I paid the rent."

She added the last sentence to prevent Lisa from misunderstanding her.

Sure enough, Lisa appeared shocked upon hearing this. "You paid rent? Is it possible for Michael to accept rent from you?" "If he doesn't accept it, then I won't stay."

Lisa hesitated for a moment before smiling, "He has no choice but to accept your money since he can't do anything else." Eva smiled and didn't reply.

"But you're resisting him too much, aren't you? He truly cares for you. Haven't you considered accepting him?"

"Lisa, precisely because he is genuinely good to me, I can't be with him. It would only hurt him, not be good to him."

Lisa scratched her head. "Well, I don't understand you two, but it's your decision."

After chatting for a while, it was getting late, and Eva took the two kids home.

Before leaving, Lisa asked, "Do you still need me to look after the children tomorrow?"

"No, I'm done with my tasks. I'll take care of the kids myself tomorrow. If you want to visit them, feel free to come by." "Alright, I'll come over when I have time. Take care."

"Say goodbye to Aunt Lisa."

Then Eva and the two kids left.

After they arrived home, the kids went to take a bath, and only then did Eva have time to sit down and check the videos that Lisa had taken them to play. Lisa had taken several videos, and Eva sat quietly on the sofa one after another, watching them.

Finally, she found a good one and wanted to upload it to the TikTok app. However, when she opened the app, she realized that her account already had updated videos. She suddenly realized that Lisa must have used her account to update the videos.

She clicked on them and found that they were videos of the two kids playing. When she heard Ruby calling Lisa "Aunt Lisa" in the middle, Eva's heart skipped a beat. This title... hopefully won't be discovered, right?

Someone like him, with so many responsibilities, probably wouldn't go on TikTok.

After thinking this way, Eva finally felt relieved.

She looked at the video again, and there were already tens of thousands of comments. It wasn't appropriate to delete it at this moment, so she decided to leave it as it was. That night, Adrian arrived in Chicago.

Before the plane landed, Adrian gazed at the city through the window.

Adrian saw the sparkling lights of Chicago at night, almost as bright as daylight. It was an extremely developed city.

After landing, Jacob followed Adrian, pushing the luggage.

"Mr. Blackwood, I've received the message. The information has been sent."

Upon hearing this, Adrian paused for a moment and said, "Send it to me."

"Do you need me to organize it for you?" Jacob offered.

"No, just send it to me directly," Adrian declined in a calm voice.

"Alright, Mr. Blackwood." This was the first time Jacob sent the content to Adrian without any processing, but he wasn't worried. Having been with Adrian for so long, Jacob had already figured out his temperament. Adrian seemed to be in a good mood at the moment.

As soon as they got into the car, Adrian opened the documents and started reading. Jacob discreetly glanced at him throughout the journey but realized Adrian was deeply engrossed in his reading and had no spare time to pay attention to him, nor did he scold him as Jacob had imagined.

When they arrived at the hotel, Adrian hadn't finished reading the documents, but he still put away his phone and said in a deep voice, "Look up the coordinates of this school."

He mentioned the name of a school, and Jacob immediately opened the map for a search.

"Found it, it's not far from Ms. Hansen's company," Jacob pointed on the map.

Adrian glanced at it.

Jacob pointed to the locations on the map, saying, "Ms. Hansen's company is here, and the school is here."

Adrian looked at the map on his phone, thinking about the appearance of the two adorable kids and comparing it to his own features which were extremely similar. He remained silent for a long time. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze.

"Let's go upstairs."

The next day, when Eva took the two children to school, she didn't notice at all that there was a black car parked not far from the school gate, entirely black in both its body and windows.

Because there were many cars coming to drop off children, Eva didn't pay any attention.

She could only watch as the two kids reached the school gate and said goodbye to her.

Eva crouched down and felt each of the kids kissing her cheek.

"Bye, Mommy."

"Go inside now," Eva pushed their small backpacks and sent them into the school.

Once they had entered, Eva stood up and prepared to leave.

When she passed by the black car, Eva suddenly felt something and stopped walking, looking in the direction of the black car.

But she couldn't see anything.

It was sunny outside, and the black car didn't seem out of the ordinary; it was just parked there.

Eva pursed her red lips. Was it just her imagination?

When she passed by earlier, she felt like someone's gaze was fixed on her, but now there didn't seem to be anything unusual. The two kids... should be safe, right?

After thinking it through, Eva quickly left.

Once she was completely gone, the window of the black car rolled down, revealing a handsome face.

Adrian stared calmly at the street where there was no longer any trace of her, his thin lips pressed tightly together.

Observing this from the driver's seat, Jacob couldn't help but let out a breath, "Ms. Hansen is really vigilant. That's all we are, just people passing by."

Sitting there, she seemed to have sensed something. Fortunately, Ms. Hansen didn't notice, but... Mr. Blackwood, why are you afraid to let Ms. Hansen know?"

Hearing this, Adrian glanced at him with an expression as if he were looking at a fool. "If she knows, do you think she would want to see the children?" Being reminded by him, Jacob suddenly understood.

"You're right. If these two children are really yours, Ms. Hansen didn't tell you because she didn't want you to know. If she finds out that you know, she might just take the children and run away. That won't do." As soon as he finished speaking, Adrian had already pushed open the car door and got out.

Jacob saw this and quickly followed suit.

Adrian had a handsome face and clear features, with an imposing presence and an invisible aura. People around started to gaze at them.

As he was about to enter the school, he was stopped by the security personnel at the entrance.

"Sorry, may I ask who you are?"

Jacob quickly stepped forward and presented his work badge. "I made an appointment with your principal to visit the school environment today."

Upon hearing this, the security personnel glanced at his work badge, then looked at the orders given to them today. After confirming their identities, they let them pass.

 

 

Chapter 270 Handsome Uncle

The school principal personally came out to receive Adrian.

Actually, when they learned that Adrian was coming to their school, the principal was quite shocked.

As a successful figure in the business world, the principal also knew about Adrian. But he was surprised that Adrian would come to their school to visit the environment. Because he never received any news about Adrian getting married or having children.

After expressing his doubts, his wife said, "Why do you care if they have children or not? Maybe they are just preparing for the future. Rich people always plan ahead. Don't overthink it. He's just here to visit, so focus on your own duties." After hearing his wife's words, Frank welcomed Adrian with a beaming smile and took him around the school.

"Our school environment is actually quite good. If Mr. Blackwood has children in the future, you can consider sending them to our school."

Unfortunately, no matter how he said it, Adrian's expression remained cold and calm, as if unaffected by it.

Seeing this, Frank wondered if Adrian was unsatisfied with the school.

On the other hand, Jacob knew that Adrian didn't come here to check out the school. His intentions lay elsewhere, so he stepped forward and said, "Frank, the environment here does look good. I'm just not sure about the teaching atmosphere. Can we go and have a look?"

"Of course!" Frank nodded. "Sure, I'll take you there."

Frank personally led them towards the direction of the classrooms.

It wasn't class time yet, so many students had just arrived.

In the class, some students still hadn't arrived.

"At this time, it's free playtime for the preschoolers, but several teachers are watching to ensure nothing unexpected happens."

As they entered the first classroom, Adrian's gaze lifted and swept across the room, but he didn't see anyone familiar.

He withdrew his gaze coldly.

Jacob understood and immediately suggested, "Can we check another classroom?"

"Of course, of course, let's go."

Because it was Frank, he wanted to take people wherever he wanted to go. Along the way, some even recognized him and called out to him with an angelic voice. "Mr. Principal."

"Good morning, Mr. Principal."

In front of Adrian, Frank responded happily all the way. In several consecutive classrooms, Adrian still didn't see the two little ones he wanted to see.

His brows furrowed. They were clearly seen entering the school earlier, so where had those two little rascals gone?

While pondering, suddenly, two familiar figures appeared in front of him. They were sitting in the corner, playing something together, their heads close together, looking down at something in their hands.

Adrian stopped in his tracks, gazing blankly at the two little ones. He couldn't tear his gaze away, not even an inch.

Jacob and Frank followed his gaze.

When they saw the two little ones, Frank smiled, "Mr. Blackwood, aren't these two little rascals adorable? Let me tell you, these two are quite famous online. They have their own livestream room, and many viewers tune in. The traffic they receive is no less than that of entertainment stars. Even my wife and children love watching their livestream."

Speaking of which, Frank suddenly remembered the last time his wife was watching the livestream. He was nearby, and his wife suddenly thought of something. She came over with her phone.

"Doesn't this child resemble Mr. Blackwood from the Blackwood Group?"

Hearing this, Frank became interested and took a glance. If it had not been mentioned, he wouldn't have noticed, but after his wife pointed it out, he couldn't help but find the resemblance striking. "It really does look quite similar."

"Could it be Mr. Blackwood's illegitimate child?"

"Nonsense, does he even need an illegitimate child? He hasn't even gotten married yet."

"True, there were rumors in the industry about someone getting plastic surgery on a child and trying to infiltrate the Blackwood family. None succeeded. Moreover, it's normal to have people who look alike in this world. It doesn't necessarily mean they share blood."

While listening to his wife's ramblings, Frank couldn't help but take another glance at the screen and thought to himself, this is different from those who underwent surgery, it really looks alike.

Of course, he dare not say such things in front of Adrian. Now that Adrian had stopped upon seeing these two children, he probably had the same awareness, right?

Adrian kept his eyes on the two little kids and then took a step forward.

"Mr. Blackwood," said Frank.

Seeing this, Jacob intercepted Frank when he tried to follow.

"Frank, Mr. Blackwood probably just wants to greet the cute kids. You wouldn't disagree with that, would you?"

"But..." Frank looked conflicted. "According to the school rules, this isn't appropriate, and for the kids, he's a stranger."

"You're mistaken," Jacob corrected him. "They are not just strangers."

As soon as the words were spoken, Adrian had already reached the two little ones. In the midst of their play, Ruby looked up and her eyes brightened upon seeing Adrian. "Handsome uncle!" Ruby tugged on Dylan's sleeve. "Brother, it's the handsome uncle from our last airplane trip."

Hearing this, Dylan looked up and locked eyes with Adrian.

In just a glance, Dylan recognized the uncle who had helped him by opening the bathroom door at the airport, while he was on the phone. It had been a few seconds, and then he exclaimed, "Good morning, uncle!" Adrian stood there, quietly observing the two little kids in front of him.

He didn't know why, but perhaps it was because it was the first time he was able to see these two little ones not through a screen, but in real life, standing right in front of him.

So real, their features, their breath, and even their voices were so close.

It made him feel like he was floating on a cloud, teetering on the edge.

They appeared so real, yet at the same time, almost like a mirage.

Lost in his thoughts, Adrian slowly crouched down.

His gaze lingered on Dylan's face before shifting to Ruby.

Perhaps she was surprised by his silence and lack of response, so Ruby tilted her head and widened her eyes, "Uncle?"

Adrian snapped out of it, extending his hand to gently pat Ruby's head and made a soft sound of affirmation.

Not far away, Jacob pointed at this scene with a smug smile. "See, Frank, I told you they know each other. Familiar."

And who knows, perhaps they are even father and son.

Of course, he wouldn't say that until there was solid proof.

Frank was also taken aback, looking at this scene in front of him.

"They know each other?"

They actually knew each other, and so Frank remembered what his wife had said. Now, looking at Adrian and the twins, the resemblance became more and more apparent.