Chapter 9 Where Is Your Wedding Ring?

After Landon left, Adrian finally went upstairs.

He ran into Violet right away.

The old Violet would have smiled warmly and called him "Adrian" gently.

Now, Violet coldly turned her face away.

Violet walked quickly past Adrian, ignoring him completely.

Adrian saw she was dressed neatly and paused a bit.

He wanted to ask where she was going in the middle of the night.

Violet hadn't been home for a long time. Now she was finally back, but leaving again—Adrian thought it was strange.

Adrian wanted to call out to her but hesitated.

Wherever Violet wanted to go was her business. What did it have to do with him?

Adrian went to the kids' room and checked on sleeping Theodore.

Theodore was hugging a dinosaur pillow, sleeping soundly, mumbling now and then.

He was calling "mommy."

Adrian's face softened a little. After a moment of silence, he bent down and tucked Theodore in gently.

Then he turned off the light and left the kids' room.

Adrian went back to the master bedroom.

The room felt empty. In the past, there had always been a faint fresh gardenia scent.

That was Violet's favorite perfume.

Now, with Violet not coming home, the smell was gone.

Violet's things were just the right amount, neatly arranged. Everything was there, but she never came back.

Adrian only felt a little off about her staying out all night.

Just then, his phone rang. Adrian answered.

It was Quinn. That slight unease about Violet disappeared completely.

Three days later.

Violet suddenly got a call from Adrian.

Seeing his name, she felt a bit dazed.

Over the years, he'd rarely called her first.

She wanted to ignore it, but she was too soft-hearted.

"Hello?" she answered.

Adrian's voice was cold. "Tomorrow night, family dinner at home. Grandpa wants our family of three there for supper."

A family of three?

Hearing that from Adrian, Violet found it bitterly ironic.

She was about to say no and remind him they were divorcing, but then she thought better of it.

Edward was the only one in the Hart family who truly cared about her.

"I'll be there on time," Violet said. She didn't want to disappoint Grandpa.

After the divorce, she'd see him even less.

She hated to leave Edward behind.

Before she could hang up, Theodore's voice came through.

Theodore asked Adrian excitedly, "Dad, tomorrow when I go horse riding with Auntie Quinn, which outfit should I wear?"

Adrian said gently, "Theo, no horse riding tomorrow. We're going back to the old house for dinner."

Theodore sounded disappointed. "I don't want to go eat there. I want to eat with Auntie Quinn."

Violet gave a cold smile and hung up.

The next evening, Violet stopped by VelocityTech.

She was starting work in a couple days and wanted to check out the place early.

After leaving VelocityTech, she drove to the Hart family old house as planned.

It poured rain, causing bad traffic.

By the time Violet got there, everyone was already gathered.

From afar, she saw the disdainful smirks on Eleanor and Nora's faces.

Eleanor had never liked Violet as her granddaughter-in-law, and Nora kept stirring things up, making her prejudice worse.

Violet ignored Eleanor and Nora and walked straight to Edward, who was surrounded by the younger family members.

"Showing up late to a family dinner. Quite the big shot," Nora mocked. She couldn't stand Violet's soft, fragile-looking face.

Violet said coolly, "Traffic jam."

Eleanor snapped at her too. "If you knew about traffic, why didn't you leave earlier?"

Nora piled on. "Don't say you're busy with work. You're just a plain undergrad who got into Hart Group through connections—what could you be busy with?"

The harsh words stung like needles.

Violet smirked and fired back at Nora. "No matter how useless I am, I'm still better than gossipy parasites who can't get anything done but mess everything up."

Gossipy parasite—aimed at Nora's loose, poisonous tongue.

And the company that survived only by sucking blood from the Hart family.

Nora's face flushed red then pale. She exploded. "Violet! You!"

She wanted to rush over and slap her.

Then an elderly voice called out.

"Violet? Come to Grandpa." Edward smiled, his face full of wrinkles, and waved her over warmly.

Nora couldn't blow up now and had to swallow her anger.

Violet walked through the crowd to Edward.

Edward reached out, pulled her close, and chatted with her.

Edward asked: "Violet, how have you been?"

Violet replied: "Everything's fine."

Edward: "That brat Adrian hasn't been bullying you, has he?"

Violet shook her head stiffly to say no.

Soon the family dinner started.

Violet sat with Adrian, Theodore between them.

They didn't exchange a word the whole time.

Adrian was always quiet and cold to Violet, so no one batted an eye.

But Violet was acting off.

Unlike before, she didn't politely serve food to everyone while they ate.

She always made sure everyone else was taken care of before sitting down to eat herself.

This time, she just sat, ate slowly, and ignored everyone.

Until Theodore started fussing. "Mommy, I want crab."

Violet saw her son's eager eyes and didn't want to let him down. "Okay, Mommy will get it for you."

She grabbed a big crab, picked up the special crackers, and carefully broke it apart.

Edward glanced over at Violet's clean white hands.

"Violet, where's your wedding ring?" he asked with concern.

Everyone at the table looked her way.

Violet was suddenly the center of attention.

She quickly checked Adrian's hand and saw he was wearing his ring.

He never wore it normally, keeping their marriage secret.

He only put it on reluctantly at the old house to please Edward.

Violet kept cracking the crab, smiling warmly and acting calm. "I rushed out today and left it at home."

In truth, she'd already put the ring with the divorce papers and handed them to Adrian.

Edward smiled and didn't press.

Adrian glanced sideways at her hand. His eyes darkened bit by bit.

It was the first time he noticed Violet wasn't wearing her wedding ring.