Adrian Desmond was in a foul mood, and Jule wasn’t feeling much better. Thinking of the tears Melanie Carpenter had shed, the heartbreak she had suffered, Jule angrily smashed his liquor bottle on the floor and glared at Adrian. "Adrian, are you even a man? If you claim to be one, then you shouldn’t treat Melanie like that." Jule had harbored feelings for Melanie since childhood. But with her marriage to Adrian, Jule had kept his love hidden and unspoken. He had let Adrian have his chance, but Adrian only trampled over Melanie as if she were nothing more than a blade of grass. "She’s also your cousin! Have you forgotten how much your Uncle adored you? His actions brought ruin to his family out of loyalty for yours. If it weren’t for you, Melanie wouldn’t have ended up an orphan... and how do you repay her?" Adrian lifted his gaze to Jule, finally tearing down the pretense. "I know I owe a great deal to my Uncle’s family, and to Melanie. But I don’t love her. The affection I have for Melanie is the same as what I feel for Paige. Jule, just as you can’t help loving Melanie, I can’t help loving Mai!" Jule was taken aback. Love is indeed a strange thing, with a will of its own. If Adrian simply did not love Melanie, what could he do about it? "Melanie refuses to divorce me, but in my heart, she and I are already divorced. If you still care for her, then go after her. I believe Melanie would be better off marrying a man who genuinely loves her!" "You bastard! You know full well Melanie’s heart only has room for you..." Jule felt Melanie deserved better; she had waited so many years, only to be met with Adrian’s heartlessness. "Mai is the only one in my heart." Adrian’s eyes welled up. He beat his chest. "Here, it aches every single day! Jule, do you think I want this? Do you have any idea how much pain I’m in? But I can’t control my heart. I just don’t love Melanie. I’m in love with Mai. What do you want me to do?" "You love Melanie Carpenter. At least she hasn’t disappeared; you can still see her if you want to. But what about me? The woman I love has vanished. She might as well be dead. Our son will be born in just two months, and I can’t even be there to witness his birth..." As tension rose, Dan Taylor interjected to lighten the mood. "Heh, let’s not argue. We’re all brothers here. We’re here to welcome Owen Hunter. Nobody is allowed to ruin this get-together, understand? Otherwise, don’t think for a moment that I’ll still consider you brothers!" "Jule, that’s enough." Jule finally sat down, nursing his drink in silence. Adrian, having drunk more than he could handle, grew more loquacious. "I’ve never felt so miserable... Every time I sleep, I dream that she’s marrying someone else... You don’t know how cruel she can be. I’m still pining for her, and yet, she seemed able to forget me completely in the blink of an eye... Was I not good enough to her? I, Adrian Desmond, have never groveled to anyone in my entire life..." "How could she treat me this way?" Adrian asked, his voice laced with grief and anger. Owen drank with him and asked, "Could it be that she left because you married Melanie?" Adrian gripped his glass, his thoughts heavy. After a moment, he nodded. "Adrian, most countries in the world practice monogamy. You married Melanie, so naturally, she had to leave. What did you expect? For her to stay and be your mistress? No self-respecting woman would stoop so low." Owen shook his head. "In a woman’s eyes, if you marry someone else, any other woman by your side is just a mistress." "But I would treat her well," Adrian still didn’t understand. "Better than Melanie. So why did she leave?" Although Owen was from Abyanabad, he had married an Orientan woman and had lived in Orienta for many years, so he deeply understood the concept of monogamy. "I didn’t understand it before either... There was a time when my current Madam, who was only my girlfriend back then, found out that in my culture, I could marry several women. She got so angry she threatened to go sleep with another man. When I found out, I was furious. She then told me that if I were to marry another woman, she would feel exactly as I did then." "Adrian, if you put yourself in her shoes, then you’ll understand why she left." Adrian clutched his glass, mulling over Owen’s words. He recalled his nightly dreams, his jealousy, his rage, his heart-wrenching sorrow... I can’t share Sienna Johnson with another man. I just can’t. Adrian gave a wry smile, threw back his head, and drained his glass. He didn’t want to say another word; he just wanted to drink. Maybe if I get drunk, my heart won’t ache so much. "You should drink less." Seeing how Adrian seemed ready to drink himself to death, Dan couldn’t help but express his concern. 「」 Original content can be found at novel✦fire.net In the end, Adrian was so drunk he was practically unresponsive. Owen and Dan supported him as they walked out. The manager, knowing Adrian was there, had been waiting. Seeing Adrian’s state, he hurried forward and asked, "Since the Sixth Master is this drunk, perhaps he should stay at the club for the night." Dan said, "Good idea. And find a few pretty girls to attend to him." Owen shot Dan a glare for his inappropriate remark and declined, "He’s too drunk. I wouldn’t be at ease. I’d better take him home." The manager knew he couldn’t make decisions for Adrian, so he nodded and personally escorted them out. Dan and Owen managed to get Adrian into the car. Thankfully, Adrian held his liquor well; though drunk, he wasn’t making a scene. The grudge between Jule and Adrian was set. Jule got into his own car and drove off without even a word of farewell. Watching Jule’s car speed away, Dan Taylor wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered, "What a mess this is." Owen, also sweating profusely and feeling uncomfortable, glanced at Dan and warned, "You can eat whatever rubbish you want, but there are some things you simply can’t say. Didn’t you hear what Adrian implied today? He intends to stay faithful to Mai. If you’d let those girls from the club get their hands on Adrian tonight, you’d be waiting for him to castrate you." Dan clutched his groin, his face paling. "Surely not..." "You think he wouldn’t?" Owen shot back. "He absolutely would! You can tell just by looking at Adrian—he’s dead serious!" "No... I’m still young! I don’t even have a son yet... I still want to have children..." Adrian woke with a splitting headache. He only remembered attending the welcome gathering for Owen Hunter last night. He’d been in a terrible mood and drank too much. After that... everything was a blur. Looking around, he found himself in his own room. He was lying on Sienna’s pillow, but her scent had long since faded from it. "Mai, where are you?" "Come back, please? I know I was wrong." Adrian pulled Sienna’s pillow over his face. Two more months. I must find her and our son before he is born.