Chapter 368
Serena's voice trembled with raw emotion as she choked out the words, "Adrian, are you truly walking away from me?" Her question hung heavy in the air, laced with heartbreak and desperation. Adrian's fingers unconsciously tightened around Vivian's wrist, leaving faint pink marks on her porcelain skin.
Neither noticed the significance of that possessive grip in the charged moment.
Adrian's voice remained steady as he responded, "You'll always have my protection, Serena. That won't change." Serena's reply came sharp and strained. "That's not what I'm asking for."
"I don't want to be just another person in your life - I want to be your wife, your everything."
Catching herself, she tried to soften her approach, though her words still tumbled out in a frantic rush. "What I mean is..." She faltered, struggling to articulate her thoughts.
After a brief pause, she continued with renewed determination. "I was foolish before."
"Ending things between us was the biggest mistake of my life."
"I kept waiting for you to come after me..."
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine you'd marry Vivian out of spite..."
"You can't possibly love her, can you? You're still mine - that's why you're willing to sacrifice her dreams for me..."
"Tell me you still love me."
Her final plea came out as a fragile whisper, barely audible yet loaded with hope and fear.
Each word struck Vivian's heart like a dagger, twisting deeper with every syllable.
The silence stretched as Vivian watched Adrian with bated breath.
Both women, though miles apart, were connected in this pivotal moment, hanging on Adrian's next words.
Adrian's gaze darkened slightly as he finally spoke. "I've always held you in high regard."
Serena pressed harder, unsatisfied. "Then divorce Vivian and marry me. Let's be together properly this time - just you and me, forever. Please?"
Adrian exhaled slowly, reining in his frustration. His voice remained calm but firm. "Serena, I've only ever seen you as family. When I was alone, you wanted the Blackwood name, and I might have given it to you. But now..." He hesitated, glancing at Vivian before adding in a lowered voice, "All I can offer is security. Nothing more."
Vivian's eyes widened in shock. What had she just heard? "You wanted the Blackwood name"? Was there more to their history than she'd been told? Did Serena have some hold over Adrian?
The screenwriter in Vivian immediately conjured a dozen dramatic scenarios before dismissing them. No, Adrian's concern for Serena seemed genuine. The powerful Adrian Blackwood bowed to no one - not even the old board members of Blackwood Group. How could an ordinary woman have such influence over him?
Yet the sinking feeling in Vivian's chest persisted. Did Adrian still harbor feelings for Serena?
The line went quiet except for Serena's broken sobs. Adrian remained silent, offering no comfort as the crying continued. Questions swirled in Vivian's mind. She wanted to escape the uncomfortable situation, but Adrian's grip kept her rooted in place, forced to listen to every heartbreaking sound.