Adrian Grant’s face was dark and cold, like a storm brewing in his eyes, his emotions held in check at a distance. "Jonah is dead. If you plan to rely on me for the rest of your life, I urge you to think carefully before you speak or act!" "Are you upset because I hit the nail on the head?" Selene Keane said recklessly, "Adrian, are you angry that I said you’re competing with your brother for a woman, or that Eleanor doesn’t like you? Huh? If Eleanor liked you, would she have gone abroad as an exchange student right after you returned home two years ago, avoiding you like the plague? If she liked you, would she have proposed a divorce instead of living well with you? Adrian, someone as cold-hearted as you, Eleanor would never like! How can you compare to your brother?" Jonah was truly a gentleman, restrained and refined. Adrian was taken by Old Master Grant as an infant and raised personally with heavy academic burdens. Before school, he was not familiar with Jonah, but every time they met, Jonah would gently call him "Adrian," show concern for his happiness, secretly bring him toys he liked, and advise him to study well and take care of his health. As a child, Adrian had a cold, expressionless face, and when young Eleanor first came to Aethelgard, she was scared to tears by little Adrian’s cold demeanor, and it was Jonah who comforted her. Later, when Adrian wanted to play with Eleanor, he begged his gentle brother to accompany him, and Jonah would always oblige. All the parental love was given to Jonah, the frail eldest son, but Adrian received abundant brotherly love. In his youth, he asked himself whether he resented his brother for taking all their parents’ love. Adrian’s answer was: Never. How could he hate such a good brother? He even tried to become someone like Jonah. He donned the guise of restraint and propriety. He became the exemplar of a gentleman in elite circles. He was worried he might scare Eleanor again. But only he knew that his heart remained barren, cold, and ruthless. Growing up together, Eleanor knew his true nature. Not liking him was understandable. She still ended up becoming his wife. Eleanor caused quite a stir at the direct admissions presentation, and upon returning home, she received several comforting messages from her close classmates. Eleanor replied one by one that she was fine, telling them not to worry. Her gaze fell on the last person she hadn’t replied to. The most update n0vels are published on novelFɪre.net Julian Jacobs: [Junior, you were brave and amazing.] Eleanor replied with a thank you. Then, the notification showed the person was typing, but ultimately, nothing was sent. Julian Jacobs was typing again, but Eleanor did not receive any message before Mia Winslow’s incoming call interrupted. "Eleanor, do I need to return the sapphire ring to you?" Mia Winslow asked pretentiously over the phone, "I don’t mind returning it, just afraid you’ll be uncomfortable since Adrian gave it to me." Eleanor laughed silently; what a coincidence! She had just learned some new information. "Mia, did you hear about the commotion I caused in school today?" Mia furrowed her brows: "What?" News from school always spread slower than gossip within social circles, let alone that Pearl Morgan lost face this time, and the Morgan Family tried to cover it up hastily. "It’s not important," Eleanor said, "I just didn’t know when you got so close to Adrian’s mother, that she would give you a sapphire ring worth nearly ten million just like that." Exposed by the lie, Mia’s expression changed slightly, keeping her composure: "What... what are you talking about?" "I met Adrian’s mother today." "..." In the Winslow Villa, Mia’s fingers unconsciously clenched as she controlled her demeanor, trying not to panic. Eleanor looked out at the night through the window, "Mia, how many lies have you told, really?" Mia bit her lip and, with urgency, asked, "Eleanor, do you not want to divorce Adrian anymore?" Eleanor raised her tone deliberately. Mia stood up from the sofa, seeing her own distorted countenance in the mirror not far away. "Eleanor, wouldn’t you imagine that merely a sapphire ring could prove anything? You are well aware of all the little things Adrian has done for me these years. If you don’t divorce, the neglect, abandonment, and ridicule you’ve experienced in the past three years will repeat themselves over and over in the future!" "Mia, you’ve become impatient." Eleanor tapped her fingers on the table lightly, amused, "The old you disguised very well, never would have said something leaving evidence against herself." Mia’s lips were tightly sealed, not speaking. She indeed felt impatient, for she noticed Adrian’s treatment of Eleanor becoming increasingly different. Perhaps, it was different from the beginning, only she hadn’t realized it before. Mia inhaled deeply, eager to find something to support herself. Suddenly, she thought of something, and her mood improved. "Eleanor, do you know why Adrian agreed to marry you?" Her voice seemed to be laced with infinite malice. Eleanor had never pondered this question. She always thought Adrian married her because Old Madam Grant favored her and pressured him into doing so. "You must not think it’s because of Old Madam Grant, right?" Mia’s laughter grew in the receiver. Eleanor’s silent demeanor made Mia incredibly pleased. "Because—Adrian is jealous of Jonah! He wants to have everything Jonah had, including you!" Sensations seemed to disappear, the world becoming void. And you don’t realize how long it’s been until the chime of a WeChat message brought Eleanor back to consciousness. Julian Jacobs’ message came through: [Junior, heard you have a boyfriend now?] Such a sudden topic, Eleanor hadn’t figured out how to answer. No boyfriend, but a husband. At this thought, the doorbell rang. With a sense of intuition, Eleanor opened the camera at the door to see Adrian standing outside. The man stared at the door intently, his gaze firm; Eleanor felt as if opening the door would result in being tightly gripped. ——Because Adrian is jealous of Jonah! He wants to possess everything Jonah had, including you! Mia’s words echoed like an evil chant in Eleanor’s mind. Twice pressed the doorbell without any response. Adrian directly called Eleanor. Looking at the incoming call, Eleanor hesitated for two seconds then picked up. "Where are you?" Adrian asked directly. "..." Eleanor stared at him through the camera, "Do you need something?" "Eleanor, where are you?" Selene’s words made Adrian eager to see Eleanor. Eleanor took a shallow breath, "Adrian, thank you so much for today... can you tell me, why did you agree to marry me three years ago?"