Chapter 9: I Want to Wear Her Nightgown

"Miss, I’m fine, it’s just that your picture frame seems to have broken..."

The worker's apologetic voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

Vivian Hale snapped out of her daze, her pupils trembling as she stared at the photo on the floor.

That was...

walked over and picked up the yellowed photograph. "It's fine. I'll just replace the glass and reframe it later."

It was a photo of her and Adrian Cross from their childhood.

In the photo, she was wearing a floral dress, standing next to a young Adrian who already had a cold, aloof expression. Behind them was the villa garden she knew so well.

Purple irises swayed gently in the wind.

Their pinky fingers were tightly hooked together.

Vivian’s chest felt tight, a tangle of complex emotions intertwining within her.

She remembered that this was also the first time she had played with Adrian.

The neatly dressed little boy was always alone, peeking at her from behind the sycamore trees.

The nanny had told her there was something wrong with the Cross family's child and forbade her from getting close to him.

But Vivian didn't listen; she had proactively walked over and taken his hand.

"You're very handsome. Let's play together."

That day, Adrian's eyes had lit up like a puppy's.

Until they were later separated, Vivian never truly understood what the nanny had meant.

Aside from being a bit clingy toward her, Adrian was no different from anyone else.

It was only after they grew up that he developed a sense of pretentious pride.

Not only had he never mentioned this photo again, but he also remained tight-lipped about the memories of them playing together as children.

Vivian gave a self-deprecating smile in her heart.

What she cherished was not even worth mentioning in Adrian's eyes.

This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.

Perhaps in Adrian's heart, those beautiful childhood days they spent together were nothing more than an insignificant memory, and everything had just been her own wishful thinking.

Vivian placed the frame back on the bookshelf and turned to direct the movers.

"That's about everything. You guys head out first, I'll follow shortly."

"You got it!"

The workers picked up the last of the boxes and left.

Vivian did the final walkthrough.

She hadn't touched any of the items that were out in the open; Adrian rarely came home, so he wouldn't notice.

Standing at the entrance, her hand tightened around the doorknob.

Finally, she took a deep breath and slammed the door shut, locking away the last trace of pain from this marriage along with three years of memories inside the villa.

Then, she sent a message to Adrian.

"Honey, I'm heading out on my vacation now."

As expected, there was no reply.

Tiffany Rose was currently basking in her triumph and wouldn't let Adrian leave her side easily.

Vivian had specifically chosen a luxury flat near the river this time—two units per floor with a private elevator. She had signed a one-month lease.

Just as Vivian was about to start organizing her new home, her phone rang.

It was a call from Adrian, and his tone sounded somewhat anxious.

"Vivian, where are you?"

Vivian was slightly surprised.

She hadn't expected Adrian to return to the villa today; it seemed he hadn't completely let his guard down.

She would have to give him another push.

Softening her voice, she replied gently, "Honey, did you forget? I'm going on vacation. You were busy, so I asked Pearl to come with me. I'm at Pearl's place right now, helping her pack. we leave tomorrow."

Adrian clearly breathed a sigh of relief, though he began to complain.

"Why didn't you say anything? I came home to change my clothes and didn't see you come out. I called for you and no one answered—it gave me a fright."

Hearing this, Vivian found it laughable.

Hadn't she sent him a message?

Since their marriage, he had never truly cared about her itinerary, yet now he was acting considerate.

However, this pretense was only because there was no one at home to serve his daily needs.

"I'm sorry, honey. I'll arrange for Nanny Wang to come over and look after you. You'll have to endure being home alone for a few days."

Adrian paused for a moment.

"Fine. When are you coming back?"

Adrian knew that Pearl’s family had some background.

Combined with the fact that Vivian had always been sensible, he didn't worry much.

Vivian glanced nonchalantly at the calendar.

"Pearl is on a whim and said she wants to stay out for a while. I'm not sure how many days we'll be playing."

At this point, Vivian paused, her tone becoming playful.

"Since I won't be around, you have to be a good boy at home, honey. Don't go 'snacking' outside, or else—"

She didn't finish the sentence, only giving a soft hum of a laugh.

There was a slight silence on Adrian's end for a few seconds before he offered a string of reassurances.

"How could I? Wife, you know you're the only one in my heart. All these years, you've always been the person I care about most. No one can compare to you."

He spoke with deep sincerity.

Vivian, with a smile on her face, suppressed her revulsion and asked back.

"Really?"

She had stopped believing Adrian's words long ago.

The other side fell silent for a second before he suddenly spoke with incredible seriousness.

"Vivian, in our three years of marriage, maybe I've done things wrong when my emotions got the better of me. But no matter what, I am absolutely certain that you are the person I want to spend my life with. When you get back, let's have a child."

Vivian's body stiffened.

Adrian rarely spoke sweet words, let alone such humble ones.

Her blind love had given Adrian ultimate control.

Could it be that he really sensed something?

Vivian's heart wavered for an instant, but she quickly buried the feeling.

She continued to respond in a sweet tone, "Okay, I believe you. Pearl is calling me, I have to go now."

She hung up the phone.

Quiet returned to the living room.

Vivian stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the call log on her phone. Countless thoughts piled up in her mind, leaving her momentarily in a state of turmoil.

She was preparing to take a bath when a ding from a phone notification interrupted her thoughts.

Vivian picked it up; it was an alert from the security camera outside the villa bedroom.

Because Adrian used to stay out for years at a time, she often heard rustling noises at night.

Fearing thieves, she had installed a few cameras.

She had intended to tell Adrian, but he was always busy with work, so she had forgotten.

But now, the surveillance showed an outsider entering?

Vivian instinctively opened the footage, and the next second, her entire body went cold.

The person on the monitor was Tiffany Rose.

She was wearing a high-end designer dress, her makeup exquisite.

Her rhinestone-covered fingers brushed over the mahogany staircase as she looked over everything in the villa with satisfaction, looking for all the world like the lady of the house.

Adrian hugged her from behind, his tone doting. "You kept making a scene about coming here. I don't know what's so interesting about an old villa, but are you satisfied now?"

Tiffany gave a flirtatious hum and tilted her chin up. "You can't give me the status, so everything else she has, I want too!"

With that, her eyes darted around, and she turned to wrap her arms around Adrian's neck, her eyes suggestive.

"Give me the nightgown she usually wears. I'll wear it while we do it. From now on, even if she's the one sleeping next to you, I'm the one you'll be thinking about!"

The "innocent little flower" was speaking words that were incredibly lewd and filled with contrast.

Adrian's breathing quickened instantly, no longer able to control himself.

He buried his head in the crook of Tiffany's neck, his hands reaching under her skirt, kneading forcefully.

"You little demon!"

The ambiguous moans and gasps of a couple in the throes of passion continued to ring out.

"Adrian, does she call your name like this in bed too? Do you feel more than you do now?"

"I've never touched her. The scars on her body... they're too disgusting..."

Vivian gripped her phone tight, her nails nearly digging into her palms.