Chapter 10

~Adeline~

I had come back only to take care of Zora—to ensure the divorce would proceed smoothly.

The last thing I expected was to be insulted like this.

To have all my effort, my love, reduced to nothing more than currency on a piece of paper.

However Adrian’s brows drew together and he only let out a harsh scoff at my words.

“Go ahead,” he sneered. “I’d like to see how you—a housewife who’s been nothing but a leech all these years—plans to win against me in court. Go on. Try!”

“Addy…”

Elizabeth spoke softly, shaking her head as if she were the injured party.

“This argument started because of me… because of my presence.”

She stood up the next second, ignoring Zora’s weak whimper and the way the child reached for her.

“Maybe I should just leave,” she said, her voice trembling. “That way, Adeline won’t feel so insecure… and won’t have to seek attention elsewhere.”

Her words were coated in pity—

But the meaning beneath them was clear.

I was nothing more than an insecure woman, desperate for attention.

“Elizabeth—” Adrian began, his voice softening as he looked at her with concern.

“I don’t want to be the reason a family falls apart, Adrian,” she continued.

And in that moment something in me snapped.

“Then keep your mouth shut.”

My voice cut through the room, cold and sharp.

For a second, Elizabeth froze, clearly caught off guard.

“Whether Adrian and I divorce, whether I’m having an affair or not—none of that concerns you,” I continued, my gaze steady. “So keep your mouth shut.”

For a brief moment, her expression flickered between shock and anger, as if she hadn’t expected me to speak back.

“Adeline, watch your tone!” Adrian snapped immediately. “Elizabeth isn’t someone you can speak to as if she’s the cause of your miserable situation.”

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

But she was.

Even if Adrian had never truly loved me, I had managed—for Zora’s sake.

But the moment Elizabeth returned, everything changed.

The child I had carried for nine months now treated me like a stranger.

And I knew exactly why.

“Addy…” Elizabeth reached for his hand again.

This time, he pulled away, shooting her a look of disapproval.

“You’re too kind for your own good, Elizabeth,” he said. “People like Adeline,” he pointed at me accusingly, “Will only take advantage of you if this continues.”

At his words, Elizabeth lowered her head like a meek, innocent woman.

But I didn’t miss it, the slight curl of her lips and the flash of victory in her eyes.

My fist clenched, nails digging into my palm as I forced myself to remain composed.

“What are you still standing there for?” Adrian demanded, his tone turning cold again as he looked at me. “Go take care of Zora.”

I stared at him, my expression tightening.

If he thought that after everything, I would still obey him like a trained dog, then he was gravely mistaken.

Without another word, I shot him one last cold glance, turned on my heel, and walked out.

“Adeline! Adeline Carter, get back here!”

His voice thundered behind me.

But I didn’t stop, not even once.

I walked out of the house, hailed a cab, and went straight back to Mikaela’s place.

As soon as I stepped inside, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, my fists clenched tightly at my sides.

Who would have thought that all those years of sacrifice and effort would reduce me to nothing more than a woman who married for money?

The thought settled heavily in my chest, cold and suffocating.

A mocking scoff slipped past my lips.

I had said I was done with that family.

That I was letting go.

Yet the image of Zora clinging to Elizabeth still lingered, sharp enough to sting.

And Adrian’s words they still had an effect on me.

Shaking my head, I pushed myself off the door with a quiet sigh.

Just as I started toward my bedroom, my phone rang.

I pulled it out—and the moment I saw Adrian’s name on the screen, my brows furrowed.

“Shameless,” I muttered.

Without hesitation, I rejected the call.

It rang again and again.

Each time, I declined it without a second thought before finally turning my phone off completely.

Reaching my room, I dropped onto the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Powerful or not, tomorrow in court, I would do whatever it took to secure that divorce.

No matter what.

With that resolve settling in my chest, I closed my eyes, wanting nothing more than to escape the weight of the night.

Sleep came slowly—but eventually, it claimed me.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been asleep when I was suddenly jolted awake again.

This time, it wasn’t my phone. It was the sound of heavy knocking.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I sat up instantly, my instincts kicking in.

Even though the apartment Mikaela had given me was in a decent neighborhood, it wasn’t a fully secured estate.

Anything could happen.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The knocking came again—louder this time.

My frown deepened as I stared toward the living room.

Robbers didn’t knock.

Announcing their presence wasn’t exactly part of Robbing 101 and Mikaela had a spare key.

So… who was this?

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Another round echoed through the apartment.

This time, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down before getting out of bed.

I walked toward the door and peered through the peephole, then immediately frowned.

Adrian.

How the hell had he found me and what was he doing here?

“Adeline, I know you’re in there,” his voice rang out from the other side, loud and impatient. “Open this door now, or I’ll let the entire neighborhood know what kind of woman you are.”

My jaw tightened.

What the hell was he doing?

Wasn’t Elizabeth enough to keep him occupied?

Why was he here, causing a scene at my doorstep?

“I’m giving you to the count of three, Adeline. One…”

Under normal circumstances, I would have ignored him.

But this was Mikaela’s place. If anything went wrong, it would be her reputation at stake—not mine.

“Two…”

Before he could finish, I unbolted the door and pulled it open.

“Adrian Carter, have you lost your mind?” I hissed, glaring at him. “How dare you show up here in the middle of the night and cause a scene?”

“You brought this on yourself,” he said coldly, stepping forward.

Instinctively, I tried to shut the door again, but his hand shot out, stopping it.

“Zora is still sick, and you walked out like she meant nothing to you.”

Before I could react, his hand closed around my wrist.

I frowned sharply.

“Let go,” I demanded, trying to wrench my hand free.

But his grip only tightened.

“Throw a tantrum all you want,” he said, unmoved. “You’re coming with me.”

With a sharp yank, he dragged me forward, pulling me out of the apartment.

“You—let me go, you scoundrel!” I snapped, using my free hand to hit his arm. “Why should I take care of that child when Elizabeth is already there? Let me go!”

He let out an irritated grunt. Then suddenly, my feet left the ground. Before I could react, he hoisted me over his shoulder.

“You—!”

“Elizabeth is not that child’s mother,” Adrian cut me off, his voice firm, almost scolding. “Neither is she the one who stayed home all those years, living off my money while I worked. The least you can do… is take care of your sick child.”

“You bastard!”

I smacked his back, but he ignored me completely. It wasn’t until we reached the parking lot that he finally set me down.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I grabbed his collar and yanked hard.

“You really get off on tormenting me, don’t you, Adrian Carter?”

Unhurriedly, he reached up, wrapped his hand around my wrist, and pulled it away.

“Think whatever you want,” he said flatly, then his tone turned stern. “But listen carefully, Adeline, if you don’t come back and take care of that child tonight, don’t blame me for going back on my word about the divorce.”

My teeth clenched as I glared at him.

Going back there felt like the worst possible decision.

I didn’t want to. Not even a little. But if that was what it took to finally cut him off for good… then I would swallow this bitterness one last time.

I yanked my hand free and shot him a cold glare.

“If you don’t keep your word, Adrian Carter, I’ll make you regret it.”

With that, I turned and pulled open the passenger door—only to freeze.

On the floor of the car, a used condom lay discarded, staring right back at me.