Ch. 31..40

Chapter 31

Emily excitedly said, while propping her chin up, 'Having a baby is so much fun, you know? For example, if it's a girl, you can dress her up every day, like a living dress-up doll. Have you played Love Nikki before? You can dress the characters up

like that!'"

Eva: "..."

Eva, who never played games, looked at Emily in speechless surprise. She didn't expect that Emily would ever think this way.

"Oh!! By the way Eva, please let me be the child's godmother." Emily rubbed her hands excitedly, with a hidden gleam in her eyes. "If you're busy, I'll move in with you. Hehehe, I want to clarify that I'm not moving in just to play with the child."

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Eva suddenly understood why Emily wanted her to keep the baby.

"By the way." Emily suddenly became serious again. "Did Vivian contact you yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Damn, what did she say to you?"

Eva told her everything that happened yesterday.

After listening, Emily, who couldn't hide her joy, started venting again.

"I can't believe she has not a single ounce of self-respect. She actually gave you money and acted like she's the original wife. Does she think she is someone special? Isn't she only Adrian's girlfriend? Why is she even acting like she is the main wife?"

As Emily went on ranting, Eva didn't bother to stop her. Emily was always like this; once she started venting, no one could stop her from saying whatever she wanted.

After Emily finished, Eva handed her a tissue and advised, "This time, just let it go. Don't mention her again."

"What?" Emily widened her eyes. "After everything she did to you, you're still defending her?"

"Emily, she helped me before."

"When was that?" Emily was confused. "Why don't I know about it?"

Eva lowered her gaze.

"It was a long time ago."

At the time when the Hansen family went bankrupt, all her cards were frozen, and she only had a few thousand dollars left in her WhatsApp account.

She didn't know what had happened, and her father's phone was constantly busy. She hurriedly rushed home.

When she arrived home, she found a group of people putting seals on their door, smearing paint, and even confiscating things from the house.

Her father was trying to stop them but was pushed hard, breaking his leg. Eva was furious and confronted the people, planning to call the police. But during the commotion, her phone was knocked out of her hand. The scene was chaotic.

Finally, the person in charge received a phone call, causing his attitude to become submissive and apologetic.

"Alright, I understand. We'll leave now."

After hanging up the phone, the person in charge walked over and gave Eva a disdainful look.

"Hmph, consider yourselves lucky. We won't take this house anymore. We'll leave it for you."

After speaking, the person sneered, "If it wasn't for Miss Morrison knowing our boss, you would never have had this chance. We're doing this for Miss Morrison, understand?" Miss Morrison...

A name flashed through Eva's mind.

"You mean Vivian?"

"That's right. Consider yourselves lucky. We're leaving."

Eva couldn't believe that Vivian had helped her that day. Shortly after those people left, Vivian called her.

"Are you alright? Were you scared? I may have called a bit late. I heard that Uncle was injured. I've already arranged for a car to come pick you up. You can head on over to the hospital, I've already arranged for a doctor." Eva held her phone, unable to understand.

"Why did you help me?"

Her relationship with Vivian couldn't be considered good. They met through Adrian's friends, but they didn't really get along well at all.

And after finding out about Adrian's feelings for Vivian, Eva became even more indifferent towards her. She tried to minimize their contact.

After all, she never considered herself a magnanimous person.

She might not resent or dislike Vivian, however she would never be friends with her.

But unexpectedly, Vivian helped her.

After hearing her question, Vivian lightly laughed, "Eva, you're Adrian's friend. Adrian's friends are my friends too. Of course, I will help you. You don't have to feel burdened. Just consider what I did for you as help from Adrian." What else was there for Eva to not understand?

Vivian helped her because of Adrian's sake.

Eva pursed her slightly pale lips, unable to speak.

At that moment, Mr. Hansen suddenly coughed heavily, and the servant beside him exclaimed in alarm, "Sir, are you alright? Miss, you need to hurry and take your father to the hospital."

Vivian's concerned voice came from the phone.

"Is Uncle alright? Eva, I won't take up any more of your time. You should hurry and take your father to the hospital. The driver should be there soon.'

Eva looked at her sweating and pale-faced father and tightly squeezed her hand, almost forming a fist.

Finally, she let go, seeming to have accepted her fate.

She spoke to Vivian on the other end of the phone, "Consider it as me owing you a favor. Thank you."

"What are you saying? Didn't I tell you? Just consider it as Adrian helping you. Now, go take care of your father."

Vivian quickly hung up the phone.

Eva put her phone away and quickly walked over to her father's side to support him. "Dad, are you okay? Hang in there a bit longer. The car will be here soon."

As soon as she finished speaking, someone came in with the driver, and they all helped Mr. Hansen into the car.

On the way to the hospital, Mr. Hansen looked at his daughter beside him and cautiously asked, "Eva, who was that one the phone call just now?"

Eva was the nickname Mr. Hansen gave Eva. She had been raised by her father alone since she was young.

When Eva was young, she was delicate and soft, wearing a white dress, and she looked like a little sticky rice ball. That's why Mr. Hansen gave her this nickname.

He had called her that from a young age.

Eva paused for a moment before saying, "It was Vivian. She helped us, and I owe her a favor."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Hansen looked surprised, but then waved his hand and said, "Eva, let's get off of the car."

As a father who spent every day with his daughter, how could Mr. Hansen not see through his daughter's thoughts? She liked Adrian.

But the incident between Adrian and Vivian was well-known in their circle.

His daughter had already been held back by this matter, but if she now owed a favor to her competitor, how would things go in the future?

That's why Mr. Hansen wanted to get off the car right away.

Eva held him back, her face pale. "Dad, don't get off the car. Even if I get off now, I've already taken on this favor. If she hadn't made that phone call, those people wouldn't have left." "But you and Adrian..."

Eva smiled faintly. "It's alright. Maybe it's just not meant to be."

 

 

Chapter 32

Favors are what you owe others in times of need. Eva realized this when she had to ask for help from various people later on, and only then did she realize how timely Vivian's phone call was.

The Hansen family lost all their assets except for a property. When they started over again, Eva wanted to sell the property and use the money to start anew with her father.

However, Hansen refused and calmly told her, "Deal with the house however you want. Since I succeeded in starting my business from scratch before, I will definitely be able to do it again in the future. You can give those people the house as collateral and invite Vivian out for dinner soon after to see if there is anything she needs your help with, so that we can repay our debts as soon as possible." "Dad..."

How could one ever fully repay their debts? Hansen patted his daughter's head warmly.

"Even if Dad has nothing left now, he cannot let our family bow down in front of our rivals. Don't worry; even without funds, Dad will find a way eventually. It might take longer than expected but wait patiently for me."

Eva fell silent for a long time before raising her head weakly.

"Dad... should we go find Uncle Steven?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Hansen immediately frowned and said sternly: "No!"

"I don't think that Uncle Steven knows about this matter yet; even if he does know about it already, he won't need us to take initiative because he would have helped me anyway. But Eva, once we accept his help truly someday, what will you do then? The Eva that I raised is the best one in the world; I don't want you lowering your head in front of anyone else no matter what happens. Rest assured, even without funds, Dad will find a way. It might take longer than expected but, again I ask you, please wait patiently for me."

That day, Eva cried until her eyes were swollen when she returned to her room. After crying, instead of mortgaging the property back to those people as collateral, she turned it into cash and transferred all of it into Hansen's bank account. When she came out of the bank, Eva took out her phone and stared blankly at a photo of herself with Adrian.

Perhaps her feelings for Adrian weren't as pure and passionate as she had imagined them to be. She really needed this money now.

In front of real-life hardships, nothing else mattered.

-

Eva and Emily each left after two hours. On the way home, Eva calculated in her heart when they would divorce.

She had just visited Grandma recently; her condition was good enough that surgery could be performed in about a month or so. When that time comes and Grandma has made a full recovery without any complications for a good time frame post surgery, she and Adrian can then end their superficial marriage. He can also fulfill his promise to Vivian then too. Vivian is gentler than Eva; kinder than Eva; has better family background than hers too - surely Grandma would like Vivian more?

They both have bright futures ahead of them; there's no need for her to worry anymore.

"Madam."

The driver noticed that Eva was absent-minded through the rearview mirror and reminded her: "What time are we going over to Madam's place today?"

Eva snapped out of it upon hearing him speak: "Oh? Is it Sunday already?"

Time passed by so quickly!

Due to work reasons, Granny Blackwood only allowed them to visit on Sundays while forbidding visits on other days, and so, they visited on Sundays only, lest she gets angry with them if they do otherwise.

For these past two years since their marriage began deteriorating, Eva always went together with Adrian every Sunday to visit her.

He got drunk last night and left with Vivian; who knows what he's doing now...

Just then, the driver asked: "Do you want me to call Mr. Blackwood?"

Upon hearing this, Eva came back to her senses and instinctively said: "No need; he's busy."

The driver was speechless.

"I'll go by myself today."

All he could do was nod silently before driving on.

Having stayed at the Blackwood family for so long, he could tell that something wasn't right lately from their atmosphere. He had also heard some rumors going around too. Seeing how Eva looked right now made him feel sorry for her. But they were just hired help - it wasn't their place to worry about such things.

-

New York's best nursing home

As soon as she arrived, a caregiver greeted Eva with a smile and said: "Mrs. Blackwood is here! Granny Blackwood was just talking about you earlier; our colleague wanted to take her downstairs for a walk but she refused and insisted on waiting in her room instead because she didn't want you waiting when you arrive."

Hearing this, Eva couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, it's okay to make me wait a little longer."

The caregiver said, "The main thing is that you only come once a week. The old lady cherishes this time and feels that if she can see you for an extra ten minutes, then she will have seen you for ten more minutes."

Eva heard this and was stunned for a moment before sensing something.

"How has her mood been lately? Is she okay?"

"Her mood seems fine with no major fluctuations."

Eva asked again, "What about her meals and rest?"

"It doesn't seem like there's anything different."

"Thank you." Eva nodded. "But I still need your help to carefully check her recent sleep times and meal amounts."

The medical staff nodded.

"Okay, no problem. I'll go check right away."

"Thank you."

After thanking them again, Eva turned around and headed towards Granny Blackwood's room.

When Granny Blackwood returned home, under the care of her personal caregiver, she had already sat on the bed resting while waiting for her granddaughter-in-law and grandson to visit.

Although age had left its mark on Granny Blackwood's face over the years, it did not take away from her elegance or composure.

Hearing footsteps outside the door made Granny Blackwood's face light up with joy beyond what one would expect at her age.

"It's almost time; Adrian and Eva must be here now," she said happily.

As soon as she finished speaking, a familiar slender figure appeared at the door of the room.

"Eva!"

Granny Blackwood exclaimed in delight: "You're here!"

Eva quickened her pace and walked over to Granny Blackwood's side. "Grandma,"

"Yes?"

Granny Blackwood immediately grabbed hold of Eva's hand feeling very happy.

The smile on her face disappeared as soon as she touched Eva's hand, replaced by shock and concern. "Why are your hands so cold? Are you not wearing enough clothes?" Before Eva could answer, Granny Blackwood continued to nag.

"You're such a child; you're naturally weak and afraid of the cold. Why hasn't Adrian taken better care of you in this weather?"

It was then that Granny Blackwood noticed something else.

"Speaking of which, where is he?"

 

 

Chapter 33

Whenever Adrian was mentioned, Eva couldn't help but think of the scene she saw outside the bar last night. Where is he?

Of course, Vivian had taken him back.

As for what happened last night and what they did, it was clear to Eva that it wouldn't be revealed in front of Granny Blackwood anytime soon. She felt angry about it but couldn't express her feelings in front of her. So, she came up with an excuse for Adrian that would not easily be found out.

"He stayed up late last night and can't get up today."

After saying this, Eva suddenly realized that what she said was actually true. He did stay up late, but no one knew what he did during that time.

Seeing her good-natured appearance, Granny Blackwood sighed. "Only you can tolerate his personality."

Eva replied softly, "No way."

She didn't want to talk about this topic anymore so she suggested taking Granny Blackwood for a walk in the garden instead. The old lady agreed.

The caregiver brought over a wheelchair and helped Granny Blackwood onto it. Actually, her leg problem wasn't serious; she just couldn't walk long distances and could only take a few steps inside the room before feeling tired. Once seated on the wheelchair, Eva opened the cabinet door and skillfully took out a thick shawl and blanket to cover Granny Blackwood completely before pushing her outside.

Granny Blackwood snuggled into the furry shawl contentedly and exclaimed, "This material is really comfortable! I remember when I was much younger, I used to find this kind of fabric too heavy. Now I like it very much, unfortunately I'm not young anymore."

Eva sensed some regret in her tone so she quickly comforted her by saying, "Grandma, I think you are more suitable for this kind of fabric now. It matches the traditional dress tailored for you perfectly and makes you look stunningly beautiful. Your beauty and temperament have always been something I admire very much."

This was the truth.

All women in the Blackwood family were extremely beautiful, including Granny Blackwood and her mother-in-law.

The way men from the Blackwood family looked at women was quite vicious.

Eva couldn't help but add, "Grandma, do you know that when I attended a banquet as a child, I saw you standing next to my mother and thought you two were sisters?"

At the time she was still young. Seeing these two people standing together with their exquisite features and smooth faces without any wrinkles made them look like an elegant pair of sisters.

Granny Blackwood chuckled at this remark, feeling happy inside. "You are so sweet and say such nice things! You've convinced me that I'm not old anymore."

As soon as she finished speaking, Eva bent down to hug Granny Blackwood around her shoulders with both of her hands.

"Grandma, you're not old at all. Eva really likes you."

Granny Blackwood had always been very kind to her. And Eva liked her very much too - not because of Adrian or because she became a member of the Blackwood family through marriage - but because Granny Blackwood had treated her exceptionally well since she was just a little girl.

Because her own grandmother passed away early on in life and she didn't have a mother either; Granny Blackwood's love for her felt like it filled up some voids in her heart.

It felt like...she had found another real grandma again even if one day she would divorce Adrian...

At this thought, Eva hugged Granny Blackwood tighter and said, "You will always be my dear grandmother."

As they approached the exit, a man walked towards them. He was tall and slender with handsome features but his eyes were cold. When Eva saw him, she stopped in her tracks. "Adrian?" Granny Blackwood was clearly surprised to see him here.

"Grandmother," Adrian called out in a deep voice. His voice had a hint of sexy melancholy to it.

Eva snorted softly under her breath, almost imperceptibly. But Adrian seemed to have caught on as he looked at her with heavy eyes.

"What's going on? Eva said you couldn't get up because of me. I thought you weren't coming today," Granny Blackwood asked Adrian.

Adrian didn't expect that Eva would come up with such an excuse for him. He pursed his lips before using a conciliatory tone towards Granny Blackwood and said, "Even if I had stayed up all night, I still must come see my grandmother." "You smooth talker," Granny Blackwood playfully threw an insult at him but couldn't hide the pleased smile on her face.

Afterwards, Adrian walked over to Eva and said, "Let me push." As he pushing her wheelchair, Eva smelled the fresh scent of soap emanating from his clothes which were neatly pressed unlike yesterday's outfit where he wore a black shirt that wasn't ironed properly - she could guess who did it for him after spending time with someone like Vivian.

As she pondered this thought process in silence while watching Adrian approach close enough that his hand was about to land on the wheelchair handlebars; she instinctively withdrew her hand and quickly took two steps back away from him as if he were some kinds of ferocious beast or floodwater rushing towards her. Adrian's natural movement froze in place. A few seconds later, his handsome face turned cold and he exuded a chilly aura. Originally, Adrian had softened up quite a bit after hearing John's speculations but now he realized that he was overthinking things.

"What's wrong?" Granny Blackwood asked curiously when she saw Adrian standing still for so long.

Adrian snapped out of his thoughts and curled his lips before saying, "Nothing grandmother, let's go."

Then Adrian pushed Granny Blackwood towards the garden with Eva following behind them. Usually when they accompanied Granny Blackwood to the garden, it was either Adrian pushing her wheelchair while Eva held onto his arm or tugged at his clothes like a little tail. But today, Eva kept her distance from Adrian as if they were strangers instead of husband and wife causing Adrian's expression to become increasingly sour and cold. Suddenly, he stopped walking altogether. "Grandmother, I need to send a message," he said.

Granny Blackwood didn't think anything was amiss and nodded her head in agreement. Then Adrian took out his phone and began typing on the screen while Eva watched him emotionlessly - probably sending another message to Vivian already? They had only just left each other not too long ago yet here he is unable to bear being apart from her already?

Eva couldn't control herself any longer as she felt an acidic sensation bubble up inside of her chest upon seeing the notification pop up on her own phone which read: "Are you trying to make my grandmother suspicious by keeping your distance?" sent by none other than Adrian himself."

 

Chapter 34

"Upon seeing this message, Eva instinctively looked up at Adrian and met his deep black eyes.

He was staring at her intently.

Eva held his gaze for a moment, pursed her lips, and turned away from him.

Adrian:...

The phone vibrated again, and Eva picked it up to take a look.

"Come over."

No, she didn't want to.

"After Grandma's surgery is done, you can do whatever you want. For now, be good and cooperate with me. Didn't you say we have a business relationship?"

After reading the last sentence, Eva finally came back to reality.

Yes, they were originally in a business relationship.

This was all consensual. Why was she being difficult now?

With that in mind, Eva took a deep breath and slowly moved towards Adrian despite having mentally prepared herself beforehand.

When she finally reached him by his side Adrian's expression could only be described as dumbfounded.

He looked at the little girl in front of him speechlessly.

Suddenly he reached out to grab her hand.

Eva was startled and instinctively avoided it but her speed wasn't fast enough and Adrian still caught hold of her hand. Then he pulled it down beside his arm with an blank expression "Hold onto me."

66 39

Eva looked at him incredulously; did he really just say that in front of grandmal

She couldn't refuse anymore since grandma was important after all.

So reluctantly, she had no choice but to hold onto his hand.

Only then did Adrian breathe a sigh of relief before withdrawing his gaze helplessly, "Hold on tight and follow me."

Impatiently, Eva said: "I know."

Granny Blackwood who had been quiet until now couldn't help but chuckled "Have you made up?"

"Eh, grandma?"

"He didn't come with you today, so I felt something was off. Since I've been staying at the nursing home, the two of you have never come separately."

Hearing this, Eva could only lower her eyes and purse her lips.

She thought she had acted well enough, but she didn't expect grandma to be so perceptive; nothing could escape her notice.

Not only did she not hide it from her, she also didn't say anything about it.

How would that work?

Thinking of this, Eva spoke up: "Grandma, we just had a little misunderstanding. It's all good now."

"It's normal for young people to have some misunderstandings. Just explain things in time. Adrian, you're a man; you should be more considerate towards Eva, understand?" Adrian: "When haven't I been considerate towards her?"

Hasn't he always done everything according to what she said? What hasn't he given in to?

This answer made Granny Blackwood dissatisfied: "I'm telling you what to do and you should agree without talking back."

Adrian: "...Okay, I got it Grandma."

Afterwards, the three of them walked around the garden for about twenty minutes. Eva was afraid that Granny Blackwood would be cold, so she suggested going back and coincidentally received a call from the hospital. "The doctor is here to do rounds, hurry up and bring Granny back."

Adrian and Eva then escorted Granny Blackwood back.

During the examination, they couldn't go in.

Eva watched as Granny Blackwood was pushed into the examination room and immediately let go of her arm held by Adrian and took two steps away from him to keep her distance.

Seeing Adrian frown at her, Eva said: "I'm going to the bathroom."

Afterwards, regardless of Adrian's reaction, she turned around and left.

Once inside the bathroom, Eva went straight to the sink and found some hand soap.

She washed her hands over and over again with a cold expression on her face.

She thought that if it were just touching Vivian alone, she wouldn't have such a reaction or feel anything towards Vivian. But as soon as she thought about how he had been with Vivian last night, she felt very dirty - psychologically disgusted kind of dirty.

The weather was already cold, and washing her hands repeatedly like this only made it harder for them to warm up again.

Eva dried off her hands before turning around to leave but suddenly stopped when seeing Adrian leaning against the doorframe outside waiting for her. He stood there with his eyes slightly lowered staring at ground while his side profile looked incredibly three-dimensional due to his facial features being so refined; you could even see his long eyelashes too!

Hearing movement behind him, Adrian raised his head and looked towards Eva whose hand he noticed had become red from all that washing earlier on.

A hint of sarcasm flashed across Adrian's eyes as he slightly parted his lips: "Did you wash your hands so many times because you touched something dirty?" Eva pursed her lips and replied, following his words: "Yeah, so I washed them a few more times."

Hearing this, Adrian's brows furrowed deeply.

This woman!

But Eva couldn't be bothered to say anything else to him and walked towards the door. However, she had to pass by Adrian on her way to see Granny Blackwood.

Eva deliberately took a few extra steps forward and walked along the opposite side of the wall against which Adrian was leaning.

Seeing this scene unfold before him, Adrian finally couldn't take it anymore and quickly stepped forward grabbing hold of her hand tightly.

"Eva, do you think I have bad habits? Do you think I'm dirty? What did I do that made you feel like that?"

He exerted great force causing Eva pain as she instinctively tried to break free but he held onto her even tighter instead.

Eva twisted her eyebrows in discomfort.

"Adrian, let go."

Ignoring what she said he continued staring at her with an intense gaze while tightening his grip further still.

Despite feeling psychologically disgusted by him now, Eva forced herself not to show any fear or weakness; instead forcing out a stiff smile: "Is there any point in doing this?" They were getting divorced soon anyway - why was he acting like this?

Adrian pursed his lips as his eyes grew colder still.

"Don't find it repulsive? Then don't act like you're avoiding me all the time! You think Granny can't tell?" Hearing this caused Eva to take a deep breath before saying:

"Okay then...before Granny has surgery done today, or whenever we come back here again for treatment in the future...I promise nothing will happen between us." She added another sentence afterwards too: "Don't worry about me either; I'll play my role well."

Adrian really needed her assurance because his grandmother was an extremely sensitive person who observed everything in great detail. He was genuinely worried that something might happen between them at this time and his grandmother would notice.

Originally, he just wanted her to cooperate with him but when he heard her say she would play her role well, Adrian's heart suddenly felt a dull pain - like a rusty knife slowly cutting through it cruelly and relentlessly.

Even his throat felt blocked up and heavy as he looked at Eva's small white face before asking in a hoarse voice:

"Did you come out looking for me last night?"

 

Chapter 35

"Eva instinctively denied it. "No."

Then she asked, "Who told you?"

Upon hearing this, Adrian narrowed his long eyes and said, "Isn't it true? Why do you care who told me?"

"Oh." Eva replied indifferently, "If you want to know who has such strong rumor-making abilities, is it Jason or John? Yes, John called me and said that you were drunk and asked me to come over. Before I could refuse him, he hung up the phone."

Adrian frowned and looked at her calmly as she spoke.

"Originally, I wanted the butler to go pick you up. But since most of your staff are older people, like the butler himself, it wouldn't be good for them if they were woken up in the middle of the night. I thought since both John and Jason were there with you, they would naturally take care of you even if you got drunk."

"So?"

Her words sounded seamless as if there was no problem.

"So, after thinking about it for a while longer," Eva continued staring at him. "I went back to sleep."

"Then who told me that you came looking for me?"

"Thank him for me," Eva smiled lightly despite feeling pain from his grip on her hand getting tighter by the second. "And thank him for creating such a good image for myself." Adrian remained silent.

Eva kept talking non-stop: "By the way, do your two friends still not know about our transactional relationship? So, I didn't go because I was afraid we'd argue!"

Before she could finish speaking though, Adrian couldn't bear holding onto her hand any longer, so he let go abruptly before walking away with an expressionless face.

After Adrian left, Eva found herself alone in the hallway again.

She lowered her eyes and looked at the hand that had just been held tightly by Adrian. She remained silent for a while before finally deciding not to go back to the bathroom to wash her hands.

It didn't matter anyway.

Since it was only a transaction, she needed to be mentally prepared at all times. After all, she would come over every week to visit Granny Blackwood. It wouldn't be appropriate if she kept going back and forth just to wash her hands each time.

After adjusting her mindset, Eva turned around and left.

-

"Granny Blackwood's recovery is exceptionally faster than I originally estimated. If things continue in this order, we can move up the surgery date."

As Eva walked towards the door of the consultation room, she heard what the doctor said to Adrian.

"How much earlier can we do it?" Adrian asked.

Upon hearing this, Eva decided not to enter and instead leaned against the wall outside listening in on their conversation.

"It depends on current circumstances. If Mrs. Blackwood continues this way, then we can move the surgery up by half a month."

"Thank you."

"Mr. Blackwood, you don't have to be so polite with us. It's our honor that you trust us."

There wasn't anything else worth listening in on after that, so Eva went ahead and returned early, as instructed earlier that morning by Granny Blackwood's caregiver, who was waiting for her near the entrance when she arrived there moments later.

"Mrs. Blackwood, you're here! I got hold of those data records you wanted me to."

Eva hadn't forgotten about this task from earlier, she nodded at her before asking, "How did it go?"

"Follow me," The caregiver replied leading Eva into another room where they proceeded with their discussion regarding Granny Blackwood's health condition which included details about sleep patterns and dietary habits being recorded regularly but were deemed normal until now.

Eva leaned over to look at the data on the computer screen. Every day's diet, sleep, and computer usage were recorded in detail because there were too many patients in the nursing home for caregivers to remember everyone's habits. To better differentiate between them, this nursing home records everything.

Eva carefully looked at it and found that as the caregiver said, changes were very subtle - so subtle that they could almost be ignored. Generally speaking, they all have a range; if it doesn't exceed this range, then it is considered normal. Eva pursed her lips and felt heavy-hearted. Perhaps she was just overthinking things? She could feel Granny Blackwood's emotions had changed somewhat but not for the better.

"Mrs. Blackwood, I understand your concern about Granny's mood but... maybe you're worrying too much?" The caregiver spoke up.

Without arguing with her, Eva even went along with what she said: "Hmm... maybe I am worrying too much."

She always spoke appropriately; seeing her say this made it difficult for the caregiver to explain anything further.

Eva smiled slightly at her and asked: "Could you do me a favor and print out the data that is more recent?" The caregiver hesitated for a moment before nodding: "Of course."

"Thank you."

"You don't need to be so polite,” replied the caregiver.

Although she found Eva's behavior strange, printing out data was an easy task which she quickly completed.

As Eva watched her operate beside her, she thought of something else: "I'll come back later to pick them up before leaving."

"Okay Miss," replied the nurse

Afterwards, Eva left to find Granny Blackwood again. Adrian was already in Granny Blackwood's room talking with her when she returned. He sat in front of Granny Blackwood, his lips curled into a faint smile, and warmth flickered in his eyes. Adrian has always been filial, and Eva knew this.

"Eva's back."

"Granny~" Eva walked over to join the conversation.

Adrian's smile faded slightly but quickly returned to normal. From then on, the two of them seemed to have forgotten all their previous unpleasantness outside and became incredibly affectionate in front of Granny Blackwood - like a newlywed couple.

They stayed until it was dark out: "Alright, it's getting late now. You two should head back already."

Eva shook her head when she thought of something: "Granny, there is still time left. I'll stay with you for a while longer."

"It's not early anymore! It will take some time for you both to get back after washing up," replied Granny Blackwood

"It doesn't matter, Granny. I took vacation time for a few days, I'm very relaxed."

"You took vacation time?" asked Granny Blackwood.

"Yes," nodded Eva. "So, for the next few days, I'll come every day. Please don't mind me too much."

At first hearing that she would be coming every day made Granny Blackwood happy but soon enough her eyes lost their light again as she said helplessly: "Forget it; don't come here every day. Everyone here is sick and staying here for too long Isn't good."

Hearing these words made Eva feel uneasy but before she could reply Adrian spoke up beside her: "What are you talking about? Grandma isn't sick anymore; the doctor says your condition is good now and that you can have surgery half a month earlier than planned, which means you won't need to stay at the nursing home anymore."

 

Chapter 36

Grama Blackwood was stunned for a moment before asking, "Surgery's been moved up?" "Yes."

After that, Granny Blackwood didn't say anything.

Eva watched on the side and thought for a moment before speaking up, "Grandma, although surgery sounds scary, the process isn't as terrible as it seems. You just need to sleep through it and wake up feeling better." As she spoke, her tone was light-hearted and even a bit playful.

Adrian couldn't help but glance at her. She hadn't looked so radiant in a long time.

Perhaps her emotions had infected Granny Blackwood because she started laughing again. "You always know how to make me happy."

"It's true, Grandma. If you don't believe me, you can ask the doctor tomorrow," Eva said with sincerity.

"Alright, I know you're worried about me. Grandma isn't afraid," Granny Blackwood replied with a smile.

When they left the sanatorium, it was already eight o'clock on Adrian's watch.

Eva wanted to spend more time with Granny Blackwood but she needed rest so they had to leave together instead.

The two of them who were inseparable walked out of the ward holding hands until they reached some distance away where Eva expressionlessly let go of his hand. She released his hand and Adrian's face fell too.

Then Eva said to him: "You go ahead."

Adrian frowned upon hearing this and questioningly asked: "What else do you have planned?"

"I want to get Granny Blackwood's recent data," Eva answered truthfully.

"I'll come with you," Adrian offered immediately without hesitation or any second thoughts whatsoever.

Eva was taken aback by his offer then shook her head saying: "No need; I can handle it myself."

"Do you want everyone at the sanatorium talking about how Adrian left you behind tomorrow morning?" he asked with a smirk.

Eva was speechless for a moment before agreeing to let him come along.

They went together to get Grandma Blackwood's data. The nurse handed her a thick stack of papers which Eva carefully took and thanked the nurse. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, Mrs. Qin. Are you leaving now?"

"Yes."

"Take care then."

"Okay, thank you."

After they came out, Adrian looked at the thick stack in her hand and asked: "What's wrong?"

Since this matter concerned Granny Blackwood, Eva directly told him what she had in mind.

When she finished speaking, Adrian pursed his lips and glanced at her saying: "You do care about Grandma after all."

Hearing this made Eva pause for a moment before replying firmly: "I care about Grandma not because of you."

66 39

Adrian was speechless and said, "Did I do something wrong? Why are you always targeting me?" He said it lightly, but Eva didn't think much of it.

"Am I targeting you? I'm just explaining." Her tone was calm and she didn't seem like she wanted to argue with him, which made Adrian feel powerless. "Let's go home," reminded Eva, and Adrian followed her.

When they got outside, the Blackwood family car was already parked at the gate. Eva looked at Adrian and asked, "Didn't you call your own car?"

Adrian looked puzzled as he asked her what she meant by that. Could he not ride in the Blackwood family car?

Upon hearing this, Eva kindly reminded him: "Didn't you say that you weren't going home? I thought you would call a car."

After talking big last night, Adrian regretted it today and wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to step down from his high horse:

66 39

Who knew that Eva would not giving him an easy way out.

Eva smiled slightly and said: "I'll take my leave then." After speaking, she opened the door and got into the car before slamming it shut for the driver to go.

The atmosphere inside the car became strange; Eva thought that after saying what she did earlier on, about not wanting him in her company while driving back home, meant he wouldn't come along. Apparently not...

But she didn't care either way since those were his words spoken out loud; if anyone had lost face here then it was him rather than herself.

Eva took out the printed data sheet from inside the car without speaking to Adrian who also remained silent throughout their journey back home, except for when he finally spoke up asking about his grandmother's condition being abnormal or not.

This caught Eva off guard momentarily as Adrian seemed upset that he couldn't even ask about his grandmother's condition. She looked at him with a 'are you okay?' expression before replying, "Of course not." Then she handed over the data sheet to Adrian and said, "You can see for yourself."

Adrian was speechless again but took the data sheet from her anyway since it contained information about his grandmother's health.

At first, he wasn't paying much attention due to Eva's attitude towards him earlier, but as he read on, he became more engrossed in the details and forgot everything else around him.

After finishing reading it, Adrian asked Eva how she had noticed such small changes in his grandmother's diet and sleep patterns when even the staff at the nursing home hadn't picked up on them. Eva replied that she had sensed a slight change in her mood which made her feel uneasy.

Adrian lifted his eyes to look at her then asked how she could sense something like that so easily. Eva explained that she was sensitive by nature and could pick up on things others might miss; however, this didn't necessarily mean that what she felt was always accurate.

Adrian agreed with her reasoning saying that if there were any changes in the data they received then it meant something must have changed somewhere along the line which confirmed what Eva had sensed all along.

 

 

Chapter 37

"You're right," Eva said. "The data they gave me has changed, which means my intuition was correct."

Eva nodded and didn't say anything else. She simply took the data back and neatly stacked it away.

After finishing, she remembered something and said to Adrian, "Actually, I think Granny is afraid of having surgery. You shouldn't have told her that the surgery would be moved up this afternoon." Adrian looked at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," Eva replied.

He looked at her serious expression and suddenly realized that what she had said about caring for Granny wasn't just an act of rebellion.

She really did consider Granny as her own grandmother.

Realizing this, Adrian pulled his lips into a smile. "Okay, I understand now. I'll comfort her later."

Talking about Granny seemed to ease the tension between them for a while. But after they finished discussing the topic, silence fell between them once again.

The driver up front couldn't help but feel surprised by their behavior inside the car.

When they got into the car earlier, he thought they were going to have a heated argument any second because of how tense things were between them. But instead of fighting with each other, they started talking amiably about Granny Blackwood's condition.

The driver shook his head in confusion and decided to focus on driving instead since he couldn't make sense of their relationship dynamics anyway.

When they arrived at The Blackwood Family estate...

Eva got out of the car before Adrian did and walked straight up the stairs and into the house without hurrying or slowing down too much either way - leaving him behind shortly thereafter.

As soon as Eva entered through the door with an expressionless face, Adrian came in, not long after that, with a blank face too - both went upstairs together.

Since the wife returned home drenched from the rain that day; the atmosphere in this house seemed to have become very strange. The servants were all working more diligently and carefully, afraid that they might be used as punching bags by their master and mistress.

After both of them went upstairs, the servants couldn't help but gather together to discuss what was going on between their employers.

"Look at how they are acting. They must be getting a divorce soon," one said.

"What are you talking about? They probably just had a fight. But it's not like they're going to get divorced over it," another replied.

"Didn't you hear what happened that day? Mr. Blackwood only married his wife for show; he has someone else he likes now. If he doesn't divorce her, how is he supposed to marry the person he really loves?"

"That may be true, but after being married for so long, there must still be some love between them. Right? I think Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood won't get divorced."

"Well then I bet that they will definitely get divorced! You'll see - if not this month, then next month for sure!"

The group split into two factions and continued discussing the couple's marriage with great seriousness.

Eva went back to her room and began preparing for bed.

Her emotions had calmed down considerably by now since she'd been thinking about things during the ride home earlier.

Granny's surgery was coming up soon; Eva didn't need any unnecessary conflicts with Adrian at this time.

He had already said before that their marriage was fake anyway; if divorce was inevitable then whatever happened between Vivian and him would be normal too.

However, what Eva couldn't understand the most was why Adrian told Vivian about her pregnancy. It was confusing and frustrating for her. But looking at it from another perspective, Vivian was someone he liked, so naturally he would be sincere and open with her. Now Eva understands, but from her own point of view, she still cannot accept it. However, she has to maintain a calm demeanor during this time.

After she finished washing up, Eva saw Adrian lying on the sofa in the bedroom when she came out. He seemed tired as he had taken off his coat and closed his eyes while lying there. When he heard some noise, he opened his eyes and looked towards Eva's direction.

Eva was already looking at him when their eyes met unexpectedly. She felt embarrassed and quickly looked away but Adrian didn't mind it too much as he casually asked if she had finished washing up.

Eva responded with a muffled "yes" before Adrian said that he would go wash up too. Half an hour later, Adrian walked out of the bathroom while drying his wet hair with a towel before suddenly stopping in his tracks upon seeing Eva had fallen asleep on the bed.

She had propped a pillow behind her back and held a book in her hand while reading under the light of a table lamp before falling asleep after only flipping through several pages.

Adrian watched silently for a while before throwing his towel and walking over to her quietly. As he got closer to her side, Adrian gazed at Eva under the soft light of the lampshade which highlighted how beautiful her clear cold eyes were when not smiling like an icy spring found atop snow-capped mountains - or how lively they became whenever she did smile - like ripples on water sparkling brightly under sunlight during autumn afternoons.

Apart from these two sides of hers that were equally charming in their own ways; there was also another side of her that Adrian found even more captivating. Whenever she looked at him with a certain expression in her eyes, it was enough to drive him crazy.

Adrian's hand couldn't help but reach out and touch the bridge of Eva's nose before moving downwards towards her eyelids. The warmth from his fingertips instantly spread throughout his body as he felt a sudden jolt in his lower abdomen. He pursed his lips together while his eyes turned pitch black and deep. Suddenly, Eva's eyelids twitched under the pressure of Adrian's fingers which caused him to quickly retract them as if nothing had happened. However, before he could move away, Eva had already opened her eyes and their gazes met once again. Adrian: "

Eva gave him a strange look since she didn't notice what he did earlier so she asked curiously: "What are you doing here?"

Adrian calmly replied: "Just checking if you were asleep."

Eva realized that she must have fallen asleep during Adrian's washing up period after all. She coughed lightly before saying: "Maybe I was too tired from today."

She closed the book and then asked: "Have you finished washing up?"

"Uh-huh." Adrian sounded muffled while keeping an eye on her every move - trying to guess what was going through her mind.

Her attitude seems to have improved a lot compared to earlier in day.

After thinking about it and holding back, Adrian couldn't resist his desire and asked, "Are you not... angry with me?" "Adrian, let's call a truce."

Both of them spoke at the same time. Eva's words were short and fast, so Adrian couldn't say the rest of what he wanted to say before she interrupted him. "Truce?"

He didn't quite understand her meaning.

 

Chapter 38

"Well, truce." Eva nodded gently. "Can we go back to how things were before?"

Back to how things were before?

Adrian's heart leaped with joy because of her words; he didn't even realize that he was stuttering. "You mean..."

Eva glanced at him and then lowered her eyes seriously as she spoke: "On our way back just now I thought carefully about it. Grandma's emotions seem stable now, and those small changes don't seem like they will cause any problems yet but there is still half a month until surgery. We don't need to argue at this point in time so as not to let grandma see anything wrong which could affect her."

Hearing this, Adrian felt like he understood something.

"What do you mean..."

"Don't you understand what I'm saying? This is a critical time for us right now, we need to cooperate well together. Once these two weeks are over, you can do whatever you want without anyone or anything holding you back." Eva felt that she had made herself very clear.

"You're smart enough; You should understand what I'm saying."

Upon hearing this, Adrian pulled his lips up slightly - yes! How could he not understand?

In other words, she wasn't trying to make peace with him nor was she angry with him any longer; rather, it was only because of grandma that they had to call a truce.

But what could he say? After all, she was doing it for grandma's sake.

Adrian smiled bitterly in his heart. He was simply throwing stones at himself.

He lowered his voice and said, "Okay."

Looking at Adrian's current appearance, Eva moved her red lips but decided not to discuss the matter of keeping the child with him. She thought that Vivian already knew about her thoughts and would pass them on to him; perhaps he agreed since he didn't bring up the topic again.

She gave him some credit for that.

Eva lifted the covers and then got out of bed. She opened the closet door and looked at the long pillow lying in the corner. This pillow had been used as a boundary between her and Adrian on their bed for quite some time until one day it suddenly disappeared, causing them to become inseparable from each other.

Now...

It was going to be used again.

Eva took it out and put it back in the middle of the bed. Adrian saw this scene, making his already unpleasant expression even more unsightly than before. What exactly was he hoping for?

Since this woman declared a truce with him earlier, he thought that their relationship could return to how things were before they fought.

After finishing, Eva turned around and found that Adrian was still standing there motionless with a seemingly unpleasant expression on his face. She didn't want to guess what he was thinking anymore, so she could only ask, "Aren't you going to sleep? I'll go ahead and sleep then, you can turn off the lights later."

Without waiting for his answer, Eva lay down directly in front of Adrian and closed her eyes while covering herself with a blanket.

Adrian: "..."

He looked at the long pillow in the middle of the bed for a long time before snickering sarcastically. Then he walked over with an ominous expression and lay down stiffly like a corpse.

After turning off the light, the room fell into darkness which made their senses infinitely magnified. Adrian breathed heavily and couldn't fall asleep at all while hearing Eva's even breathing beside him after just a short while.

-

Unable to resist any longer, Adrian turned his head towards Eva's direction in the dark for quite some time until he wasn't sure what he was thinking about.

After reaching a ceasefire agreement between them, they no longer had cold wars at home. After waking up as usual one day, Eva came over to help tie Adrian's tie when she saw him getting dressed.

Adrian's eyes were full of anger because although she slept soundly next to him last night but it seemed like he himself hadn't slept well throughout most of it until dawn broke whereupon he finally felt drowsy.

He dozed off for a while but woke up again upon hearing her get out of bed too.

Because he hadn't slept well coupled with her reaction making him unhappy; this unhappiness had nowhere else to vent so Adrian's movements became somewhat rough when dressing up - especially impatient when tying his tie without much patience left whatsoever.

Unexpectedly though during such moments is when she would come over to help him tie his tie.

"I'll do it," she said softly.

Hearing her, Adrian lowered his eyes and stared at her intently. Eva deliberately avoided his sharp gaze and whispered again, "Bend down or I won't be able to reach."

Adrian pursed his lips flatly while calculating something in his heart but stubbornly refused to bend over.

Eva couldn't help looking at him.

"Finally willing to look me in the eye?" Adrian smirked.

Eva: ""

What's wrong with him? Weren't they chatting well last night? What happened now?

Adrian didn't know what was going on either; he had become very strange lately - easily irritable, wanting to see her yet not wanting to see her, wanting her to approach him actively but then unable to resist poking fun at her when she did so. "Adrian, don't be like this. We agreed yesterday that there is only half a month left so we should cooperate."

Hearing this, Adrian frowned and took a step back before pursing his lips again saying: "No need for that. When there are no servants around next time, you don't have to act so 'enthusiastically'."

After speaking he turned away and left.

Eva stood still for a while before laughing out of anger. It was simply unreasonable!

She didn't wait for Adrian but went downstairs by herself for breakfast instead, after a while he came down too.

Because of the tie incident earlier Eva was angry upon seeing him come down as well, thus ignoring him completely. All the maids who were originally in the living room quietly retreated into the kitchen upon seeing Adrian coming downstairs. They gossiped together near the door watching as Adrian strode towards Eva's side before sitting down beside her. Everyone: "??"

"Have the husband and wife reconciled?"

"They didn't have breakfast together before today, but today the husband actually took the initiative to sit next to his wife."

"Haven't you heard of a saying? Couples always make up after quarreling. They had such a good relationship before and slept together every day. They will definitely reconcile."

Adrian sat down calmly next to Eva with a stern face.

As soon as he sat down, Eva felt a cold breath emanating from him. She didn't even need to turn her head to feel how unwilling he was.

Although Eva felt slightly uncomfortable in her heart, she quickly suppressed it.

Half a month left, just half a month.

She could leave here soon. She endured everything for her grandmother, for her baby, and for herself.

After preparing herself mentally, Eva gently poured Adrian a glass of milk with a gentle expression on her face. When Adrian looked at her, she smiled slightly and said, "Good morning hubby."

Adrian: "......"

He clenched his teeth instantly.

She really doesn't care at all, does she?"

 

Chapter 39

That day, Adrian finished breakfast with a scowl.

As he had his back to the servants, they couldn't see his expression and could only see the intimate behavior between him and Eva from behind, thinking that they had reconciled again.

Later on, due to her vacation time, Eva didn't rush to go back to work and instead went to accompany Granny Blackwood at the nursing home every day.

For several days in a row, Granny Blackwood's mood noticeably improved.

Eva was also feeling quite calm these few days.

Things seemed to be developing according to her plan and half a month passed quickly in what seemed like only three or four days.

Sometimes when she was alone, she would gently stroke her belly. Her mentality had actually changed as well.

When she first found out about the pregnancy, she was still in a state of confusion about this child but as time passed by, Eva could feel more and more that this baby inside her was one with her heart and gradually developed feelings of love for it too.

Even many things that were inconvenient for her to say to outsiders could be said directly to the baby now.

This made Eva feel personally that their relationship was getting better and better.

Things were originally progressing smoothly according to plan. Eva thought everything would continue calmly until Granny Blackwood's surgery was over and until after she finished her vacation time before returning to work, when Vivian called again wanting an outside meeting with her.

Since last time's incident happened, Eva did not really want to meet Vivian anymore because she knew clearly what Vivian's intentions were.

Thinking of this, Eva refused without hesitation, "Miss Morrison, I know why you are looking for me, but unfortunately I have already made my decision, and no matter what happens, I will not change it. So, there is no need for us to meet again."

Perhaps because she spoke too bluntly, Vivian was quiet for a moment before saying, "Are you really not going to change your mind?"

"Um."

"Eva." Vivian's voice suddenly became gentle. "I remember you told me before that you owe me a favor, right?"

Hearing this, Eva's eyes turned cold.

Vivian continued softly, "What if I use this as a request? Would you still refuse me then?"

Eva bit her lower lip hard and her eyelashes trembled.

"You don't have to answer me in a hurry. Maybe we can meet first."

After hanging up the phone, Eva stood there with a blank mind.

She had thought about returning favors and repaying kindness but she had thought of other ways.

As long as she needed help, she could even risk half of her life for it, but Eva did not expect that Vivian would make such conditions at this point in time. At a quiet cafe.

When Eva walked up to the door, she saw that the sign outside said they were closed.

Her phone rang just at that moment.

"Eva, you can just push open the door and come in. This is my friend's coffee shop. It hasn't opened yet."

Eva hung up without showing any expression on her face, and, pushed the door to the café open.

As soon as she entered, she saw Vivian waiting for her in the corner.

Seeing her, Vivian waved at her.

Eva walked over steadily and stopped in front of Vivian.

There was originally also a scarred man sitting next to Vivian, but he looked fierce and evil.

However, when he saw Eva coming over, he stood up at once, his voice rare softness: "Beauty, you are Vivian's friend, right? What do you want to drink?"

The man looked at Eva, stunned by how beautiful she was. Eva didn't have much interest so only pulled on one corner of her lips: "No need, Thank you."

Her refusal made the man stunned for a moment, then he heard Vivian say, "Give her a cup of hot milk."

The man nodded quickly: "Okay, I'll go make it. You guys talk."

Vivian looked at Eva's attire and commented while sizing her up, "He is my friend that I met abroad. He has an open personality and after returning to the USA, he opened this coffee shop. Although he doesn't have any high ambitions, his life is very comfortable, and he treats his girlfriend seriously and gently too."

At this point, Vivian paused for a moment before carefully saying, "After you divorce Adrian, if you don't have anywhere else to go, you can consider him."

"

66

Eva suddenly looked up and couldn't help but say, "Miss Morrison, do you have to be in charge of my marriage for the favor I owe you?"

Vivian was stunned at first, then smiled and said, "Of course not. Eva, don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to make decisions about your marriage. I just think he's a good person."

Eva pursed her lips and asked, "Is that so? Then why don't you consider him for yourself?"

The smile on Vivian's lips gradually faded away.

How could their relationship be as harmonious as it seemed on the surface? After the tide receded, what was revealed was the truth.

Eva didn't believe that Vivian would sincerely help her because Adrian stood between them. However, she had received some favors from Vivian and had to accept them.

After a moment of silence, Vivian picked up a spoon and stirred her coffee lightly before saying with a disdainful tone, "I never thought Ms. Hansen would treat her benefactor with such an aggressive attitude."

Her voice was no longer gentle; it sounded much sharper now with a hint of contempt in her eyes when looking at Eva.

However, Eva found herself liking this version of Vivian more than before. She smiled back, "Finally stopped pretending? Miss Morrison looks better without pretense. At least it doesn't look fake."

"Fake? "Vivian sneered, "Just feel like you're not worth being treated gently by me. I originally thought even if you weren't smart, you should still be a good girl. But who knew that you were so ungrateful?"

"Ungrateful?" Eva rubbed her fingertips slightly while squinting at the person in front of her. "In Miss Morrison's eyes, I may be an ungrateful person, but I never expected that having gratitude or loyalty according to Miss Morrison means killing someone."

The word 'killing' made Vivian's face change drastically. "What are you talking about? When did I ask you to kill someone?"

Eva continued, "So does that mean you won't use your favor to force me to have an abortion again?"

This sentence immediately made Vivian speechless for a while. After a long time, she said, "The child is like a ticking bomb. If you were in my position, you wouldn't be able to accept it either."

After saying this, Vivian looked at her and asked, "You're getting divorced anyway. Why do you want to keep the child? You can always have another one after remarriage. What are your real intentions?"

 

Chapter 40

Even without standing in Eva's shoes, it was clear that she couldn't accept Vivian's proposal. But Eva was Eva, not Vivian. She could only think about what had already happened from her own perspective.

"It's a shame that I'm not such a great person with a spirit of sacrifice. The child is inside my body, whether to give birth or terminate the pregnancy is entirely up to me. Besides me, no one can decide the life and death of my child." "You..."

"If you want me to repay your kindness, I can do so by helping you with other things as long as they are reasonable. But this particular matter is out of the question."

Her baby was her own flesh and blood; she herself couldn't bear to terminate the pregnancy. How could an outsider decide on the life and death of her baby?

"I'll ask you to do something for me, will you do it?"

"Yes, as long as it's reasonable."

Gratitude must be repaid but if her request was too unreasonable then there would be no need for consideration.

Vivian pondered over this situation.

Before coming to meet Eva, she had already anticipated that Eva wouldn't easily agree with her proposal.

Adrian was someone who held power within the Blackwood family; his wealth, character and personal qualities were all top-notch.

In Vivian's eyes there were hardly any men in this world who could match Adrian in terms of these qualities.

Who wouldn't covet such a man? Who would willingly let go once they got him?

And what about Eva? Her family went bankrupt and now she relied on Adrian like he was her savior lifeline; if she became Mrs. Blackwood then she would have climbed up onto a branch and directly crossed social classes. If she were willing to let go, then perhaps she wouldn't have become pregnant at all.

Now this child might just be a bargaining chip for her to use against Adrian, and Vivian couldn't let such a chip exist. Otherwise, not only would their future be uncertain but even the possibility of divorce was unclear. But she herself didn't want to terminate the pregnancy so Vivian had to find another way.

And currently, the most important thing was to stabilize Eva.

Thinking about this, Vivian smiled gently and said: "It's too cruel for you to terminate your pregnancy. I can't bear it either. So why don't we sign an agreement instead?" "Agreement?"

Vivian put on a very 'considerate' look and pushed a glass of warm milk towards Eva: "You can't drink anything else right now; the milk is warm, have some."

Eva glanced at her and noticed that she had resumed wearing her mask again.

"What? Are you afraid that I'll drug your milk?" Vivian laughed: "Eva, rest assured if I wanted to do something as despicable as that then I wouldn't have met up with you directly."

Eva withdrew her gaze without continuing this topic and asked directly: "What kind of agreement was it, that you're thinking off, you mentioned earlier?"

Vivian smiled: "Looks like you really don't want me around for long."

"Why? Don't you want us to finish things quickly?"

"Of course, I do."

As she spoke, Vivian took out a leather bag from her tote bag and handed it over to Eva.

"This is the agreement; take a look at it."

Eva took it expressionlessly.

Seeing how calm she looked made Vivian feel frustrated. Even though there wasn't any better solution available at present time but how could Eva remain so composed in such circumstances? What exactly was supporting her? She thought back many years ago when Eva jumped into the river without hesitation despite its danger. Her expression showed no signs of hesitation whatsoever. It was completely different from Vivian who looked panicked and didn't know how to handle the situation.

In every dream where Adrian appeared, darkness corroded her nerves and she could clearly see herself compared to Eva.

In front of others, Vivian received praise for sacrificing herself to save Adrian's life.

After Adrian's accident, Vivian was just a clown under Eva's spotlight. The more she tried to save him without hesitation, the more despicable and shameless she appeared in taking credit for herself.

Outsiders thought that Vivian was pure and noble with precious character, but in reality...

Don't think about it, don't think about it.

The incident has passed and now everyone knows that Vivian is Adrian's savior. Adrian himself also thinks so.

And the only person who knows the truth, Eva, lost her precious memory during that illness and will never be able to remember it again in this lifetime.

"I have an issue with this agreement."

Eva's clear and cold voice brought Vivian back to reality. Eva's face overlapped with her past self before separating again.

The young girl from the past had a delicate and bright face while today's Eva was somewhat aloof but still stunningly beautiful.

Vivian forced out a smile. "What issue?"

Eva glanced at her then lowered her head to look at the contract once more.

Actually, although Vivian's agreement seemed convoluted on paper, it all revolved around several points:

Firstly, after divorce she must leave the USA immediately and cannot return within five years;

Secondly, she is not allowed to bring up their child or use their child as leverage when talking to Adrian;

Thirdly, before divorce there can be no intimate contact between her and Adrian;

Fourthly, Vivian would give her money if she wanted to raise their child alone until adulthood.

Under Vivian's gaze, Eva lightly tapped on the table with her fingertips before slowly speaking, "Why am I not allowed to talk about our child in front of Adrian?"

Hearing this, Vivian's pupils shrank slightly. She added this clause recklessly. Eva wasn't stupid, she would definitely become suspicious upon seeing it. However, Vivian had to use this clause to suppress her. Otherwise, if Eva stayed with Adrian every day and accidentally let slip about their child, what would happen?

After much thought, Vivian decided to take a gamble. After all, she held evidence against Eva. If she didn't agree, Vivian still had other means.

So in order to make Eva believe her, Vivian had already prepared an excuse. She looked into Eva's eyes and said softly, "I'm doing it for your own good."

Eva: "?"

Vivian took a sip of coffee and added disdainfully, "Actually, you two were childhood sweethearts. Even if he doesn't have romantic feelings towards you, there is still friendship between you both. Otherwise, why would he help you? But in the future, he will be with me. A child that Isn't his not only stands between us but also acts as a thorn between you two. He cares about this matter very much. Do you understand now? Most importantly..."

Vivian paused before delivering the final blow.

"I'm afraid that if you say too much, what if he decides to take the child away from you later on? Eva, I really don't have any interest in raising someone else's child."