When the company’s funds ran dry and salaries could not be paid,Adrian concealed the truth from her.He went instead to a former rival,lowering himself,drinking to borrow money,until he bled from an ulcer and ended up in the hospital.
She kept vigil by his bedside,weeping,while Adrian only smiled,brushing away her tears.
“Clara,don’t cry.For you,all of this is worth it.”
“In this lifetime,I,Adrian Cole,will never betray you.”
They lived in a cramped rented apartment,sometimes sharing a single bowl of instant noodles.He would always push the sausage and the fried egg into her bowl.
In winter,he warmed her frozen feet with his body heat.In summer,he fanned her to sleep,sweating through his own shirt.
When Adrian signed the walk-away-with-nothing clause,he did not hesitate.He held her hand and said,
“If I sign this,will you finally feel safe staying with me forever?Everything I have is yours—including me.”
That burning love,those shared struggles,the solemn promises—they had been so real,etched into her very bones.
Could it all be voided simply because of Vanessa?
Had Adrian’s devotion all been false?
Clara’s heart quaked violently,pain tangled with reluctance and confusion.