A small cup of latte was brought to Sienna Johnson, who frowned; she actually wanted a cardamom vanilla latte. It was made with cardamom vanilla syrup, topped with whipped cream and cardamom sugar powder. Noah Phillips had taken her to drink it once, and she had fallen deeply in love with cardamom vanilla lattes. "The 8th of next week is a good day, suitable for worship, prayer, seeking offspring, and marriage! We’ll get married on the 8th. You have no objection, right?" Adrian Desmond, in a rare move, asked for Sienna’s opinion. Sienna’s hand trembled, and the scalding coffee splashed onto her fair hand, reddening a patch of skin. Adrian frowned, took an ice cube from his glass of plain water, and pressed it against the scalded red spot. "Are you so eager to marry me? Do you have some kind of scheme?" This is too hasty. "Of course, I’m eager. I’ve wanted to marry you for many years," he said, glancing at her meaningfully. Sienna had never told Adrian that her lost memories were gradually returning. And with those recovered memories, she knew she was in love with this man. "Did you really divorce that woman?" "You’re not lying to me, are you?" Seeing that she didn’t believe him, Adrian swore, "If I’m lying to you, may I never see you or Sienna again for the rest of my life!" For original chapters go to NoveI(F)ire.net This kind of oath was a most dire one for Adrian. "In Orienta, it’s one husband, one wife!" She looked up at Adrian, carefully studying his features, especially his eyes. His features were handsome, his eyes held an unruly and roguish charm, and his thick, dark, sword-like eyebrows contributed to an overall impression of cold dominance, a disdainful arrogance that seemed to look down upon the world. This man is very dangerous. But what about an honest man? Like Kenneth Brown, for example. I thought I could control him, but didn’t he still do so many despicable things right under my nose, making me a laughingstock?! As the Boss of Eastminster Group, I need a marriage. This man is, at the very least, Curly’s father. Curly likes him. If he really does have some scheme in mind, for Curly’s sake, he probably wouldn’t take things too far. "Then let’s get married!" It wasn’t an impulsive decision, but a rational compromise made after carefully weighing the options. Sienna lowered her head, missing the fleeting joy that softened Adrian’s gaze for an instant. She drank two lattes in succession. The bitterness of the coffee spread through her mouth and seemed to seep into her brain, gradually clearing her mind and sharpening her thoughts. "Can I stay at your place tonight?" Sienna asked. "I don’t mind cohabiting before marriage!" Sienna’s mouth twitched. "I have nowhere else to go!" Sienna explained, resisting the urge to kick Adrian hard. "And I don’t want to go home to face my family’s so-called ’concern’." After reaching a preliminary consensus on certain issues, the two of them settled the bill and left. Sienna got into Adrian’s car. Adrian took Sienna to a villa complex. The security was excellent: entry required fingerprint verification, and the elevator—exclusive to each household—also needed a fingerprint scan. "Exactly how many properties do you own in Sileria City?" "This is where I lived when I first came to Sileria City." Adrian’s phone rang. "I need to step out and make a call," he said to Sienna, phone in hand. She felt utterly exhausted, as if she had just run a long marathon. She half-reclined on the sofa, her gaze weary. With Kiki taking care of Curly, I don’t have to worry. I’ll just leave that whole mess for now and deal with it once I’ve sorted out my feelings. Luckily, because of the engagement, Kenneth had insisted on going on a trip, so I’d cleared my work schedule. I don’t have to go to work tomorrow, which means I won’t have to face the sympathetic and pitying gazes of my colleagues. The last thing I need is anyone’s sympathy or pity. Sienna, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa, immediately straightened up when Adrian suddenly walked back in. She watched him quietly, and he, in turn, frowned as he looked at her. "What do you want to eat?" Adrian asked, walking over. Sienna immediately stood up. "I’m not very hungry. Do you have a change of clothes? I’d like to take a shower." Adrian glanced at Sienna’s figure, then pointed towards his bedroom. "You can wear one of my T-shirts or dress shirts." Sienna went to Adrian’s bedroom to get a change of clothes. From behind her, Adrian’s voice came, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll force myself on you while you’re in the shower?" "If you wanted to assault me, I wouldn’t be able to escape whether I was showering or not, right?" Sienna walked into Adrian’s bedroom. It had the same warm and romantic atmosphere as the living room. The headboard wall was a backdrop of light green and creamy white, and the lighting cast a truly romantic ambiance. A two-meter-wide bed was covered with blue sheets. Along the north side of the bed stood a row of white wardrobes. Sienna walked over, slid open a wardrobe door, and saw clothes hanging inside—not many. She casually picked out a dress shirt that looked large enough, removed it from its hanger, and walked out. The man stood with his arms crossed, staring at her, but she completely ignored his gaze. Sienna took off the unsightly wedding dress and tossed it into the trash bin, unwilling to look at it for even a second longer. She was genuinely afraid the man might suddenly barge in, so she locked the door from the inside and then enjoyed a comfortable, long soak in the bath. KNOCK KNOCK. There was a rap on the bathroom door. Adrian called out, "Come out and eat! You’ve been in there for half an hour." Has it been that long already? Sienna realized she must have dozed off; the water had grown a little cool. Sienna quickly dried herself and put on Adrian’s dress shirt. It was very large on her, just barely covering the tops of her thighs. The black fabric made her smooth, pale legs look even whiter and more alluring. When Adrian saw Sienna emerge from the bath, his eyes practically popped. Sienna instantly knew what he was thinking and said softly, "I’m not in a good mood today. Don’t try to force me." Sienna walked to the dining table and saw the food laid out: two dishes and a soup—Tomato scrambled eggs, hot and sour shredded potatoes, plus freshly steamed rice, all piping hot. She was already hungry, and the meal looked delicious. It was immensely satisfying. "I didn’t expect you to know how to cook." Men in Abyanabad are usually so proud. Just look at Lucas Robertson; he considers it a disgrace for a man to cook. "If I said I learned specifically for you, would you believe me?" Sienna laughed. "Alright, I believe you!" "It’s nowhere near as good as my mom’s cooking." "Then maybe next time your mom can teach me." "I meant my adoptive mother." Adrian didn’t have much appetite for Orienta cuisine. He only took a few bites before stopping. The woman across from him, however, seemed to be enjoying it immensely, eating with gusto.