Bab 96: Adriana's 'me' time
4. Stay ABSOLUTELY away from Noah and make sure he stops investigating the past by having Angel do his last task ✗
(*A/N: Yes Adriana really made an actual list on her notepad lol)
New York, May 30th:
"Hey!" Angel took a seat in front of Noah.
They were currently in a bar and he had called Noah to meet up.
He looked around and was surprised.
"It's closed today." Noah clarified and that left Angel to figure out Noah had paid for them to be inside right now.
"Oh!" Angel looked down at his already ordered drink. It seems Noah wants him to get straight to the point.
Angel's lips curled up into a smirk.
"Go on." Noah urged Angel since he had mentioned an explanation on the phone.
He desired that the most at this moment.
Not once did that woman contact him, and when they had to speak business she would either ask to speak with someone else or would have him speak with one of her subordinates
She was obviously avoiding him.
And it made his blood boil. Just a few days ago she was in his arms, crying and now she wanted to pretend as if nothing happened.
"I'm going to resign." Angel suddenly spoke.
Noah replied with silence, his serene expression not changing.
To be honest, he never understood why a good friend of his with so much potential stayed as his assistant for so long.
He could surely accomplish much more, especially with all the experience he has with so many years beside him and learning with him and from him.
"But I will stay around until I train your new assistant properly... and-"
"Are you going to explain and apologize? You should get straight to the point." Noah took a gulp from his drink and stared at Angel dead in the eye.
A nervous Angel fidgeted with his fingers wrapped around his glass. He lifted it and gulped it all down in one go.
"It was all a misunderstanding…. it was all my fault. Can you believe how fickle I was? I discarded years of friendship and trust as soon as I found out about her visits to that doctor. At first, I promised to support her on it. I promised I would keep in from you until she was prepared to tell you about her struggles with pregnancy and how dangerous it would be."
"Out of everyone, she probably expected more from me. She had apologized various times for not explaining everything to me. Soon enough things were too sketchy, I was worried for her and so I investigated and asked the doctor herself about what Adriana was doing. As soon as she gave me the reports, I brought them to you." He admitted.
He lowered his head and shut his eyes straight. His heart stung, and he tasted the bitter regret on his tongue.
"I broke her trust, and I had the guts to go up to her face and accuse her of things that weren't true. I was so stupid, I acted like I didn't know how she was like and believed any piece of crap that fell on my lap. And then I reported it to you…." Angel lifted his head, gripping onto his glass even tighter.
"Maybe it was the disbelief of the information that I immediately thought the Adriana I knew was just an act. I was already distrusting her when she was accused of poisoning Kim, and so it just got worse and worse until she screamed at me and told me she never wanted to see me again. All I did was continue to taunt her and place false accusations on her. How could she explain herself in the middle of all that? All the people she trusts pointing fingers at her?"
"She just wanted to be happy, she just wanted to have a successful career she-" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "She was a little sister to me, someone I treasured and yet I-"
Noah flinched. He was as quiet as he could be.
He couldn't say anything, the pain in his chest didn't allow him to.
"She didn't deserve this. I failed her, and I did nothing but regret it after she supposedly died. Until a few years ago, I thought I was seeing a ghost. I nearly fainted, but when I realized she was real, I could not let go of her. But it was too late, Noah." Angel lifted, contained eye contact with him, and laughed bitterly.
"That spark in her eyes was gone, and she wanted me to make it up to her. She wanted nothing else, she just wanted me to be at her disposal anytime."
"What do you mean?" Noah furrowed his eyebrows.
"It means it was planned. Me speaking with you right now is planned. This whole thing is just a well-crafted plan created who knows how long ago. She calculated every single moment and decision we might take. And she wants you to hear what I'm telling you at this very moment. This is her way of letting you know what happened."
"No, she won't give you an explanation. Instead, she will show you. I am the first. But I will not be the last. Bit by piece you will find out every single thing that happened back then or at least I hope. At this point, she's completely unpredictable."
Noah froze, completely and all the color in his body was drained until he was pale and white as a sheet.
"You should stop your investigations with Joshua. You should wait patiently and follow her lead on this."
"Did she order you to say that too?" Noah raised an eyebrow.
"No, it's my opinion. I overheard your conversation with Chris and if I were you, I would wait." He lied, it was his opinion but Adriana had also told him to say it.
But he couldn't tell Noah or else Adriana's plan would be flawed.
"I waited for seven years and buried myself in my pain. Yes, I can wait, but I will find out what happened either way. I can't continue to think about the pain I went through while oblivious to hers. It's not fair." Noah insisted.
Angel laughed. "That's right. I shouldn't be surprised. You always prioritized her, even then. Just like you, I wish she had been brave enough to tell you what was happening. And I also wish to know what she went through."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Noah, I know nothing either. All I know is what I did to her, I do not know what else happened." Angel confessed.
Noah's calm facade started to break apart and he suddenly blocked out Angel's words and the surrounding noise.
All he heard was nothing. No matter how hard he tried, he heard nothing as thoughts and worries overwhelmed him.
This means what happened then is not at all simple. She just kept pushing him and pushing him into investigating this, didn't she?
His hand trembled, and he clenched it into a fist to keep his composure.
"I'll see you around." Angel then left, leaving him to his wandering thoughts.
The more he heard, the more he needed answers.
Now she wanted to play a game in which she would reveal things slowly? Does she think he has her patience? How can he sit here and wait, doing nothing for her?
He was angry, damn right he was.
Was she underestimating his love for her? How can he just stay still and wait?
He waited for her explanation in the past and he never received one, this time he would not just sit around and wait. He would find out every single thing that happened and every single person who was involved and he would use his own f*cking method.
He was done and completely exhausted from going to sleep every day and waking up with nightmares.
He was sick and tired of being so useless. And yes, he knew how useless he was. If he hadn't been so emotionally clouded by the things she never admitted or denied, he would have seen things clearer.
All he did was pressure her and overwhelm her.
But what was the use of regret? Would it change the past? No. But his present decisions would change the future.
Did she think Angel's words would pacify him into waiting still for her answers? Wow, she must have really forgotten the man he is.
And yes, he was right.
Adriana had calculated his reaction wrongly. She thought this would keep Noah in place and she could concentrate on her revenge.
Unfortunately, things wouldn't go her way either.
The plan she had mastered, perfected, and calculated would crumble.
And all the flaws she had failed to notice would come back to haunt her.
Along with a man who refuses to move on from her, knowing that she took his heart.
She had taken his heart, and she had not returned it, and so he had plans to exchange his for hers.
Adriana had dismissed the fact that he knew she was up to something the moment she showed up.
Noah was smarter than she thought, and as soon as he heard those things from Angel he started connecting all the dots.
Slowly but surely, he would find out everything.
Noah then exited the bar and he sought his answers.
What Adriana did not realize: [Task failed]
******
5. Get a win after Sanders's little stunt on her ✓
May 31st:
Adriana was better, and she had recovered successfully. Days had gone by extremely quickly and she could barely get any time for herself.
She needed 'me' time urgently. When she was not working, she was with her children, who were very persistent in becoming 'better' and more 'responsible' kids.
To be honest, their overdone well behavior was so that she could change her mind about the kitten. Anyway, she didn't want them to behave just to get their kitten; she needed them to understand how severely reckless they had acted.
*Sigh*
She walked up the stairs, and when she saw her queen-sized bed, she smiled to herself.
Just one small nap….
Before she could jump into her bed, she heard hurried footsteps coming from the stairs.
"Ma'am your blood test results came out. You are completely immune to the poison." Ralf reported, catching his breath.
Even better! Now she would have the most wonderful nap ever~
"Thank you, Ralf." Adriana then bid him goodbye with a rare sincere smile and walked and closed her bedroom door behind her.
A stunned Ralf blushed and walked back down the stairs.
Was this the carefree Adriana of the past? The one who held the cutest smile, and the brightest pair of eyes? Did he see that wrongly? He had heard descriptions of how Adriana used to be but he never thought he would ever get to see that person because Adriana thought of her as dead.
....
Instantly unbuttoning her blouse, Adriana placed it on her vanity and then removed her heels.
After that, she pulled down her pants and also tossed them aside. Too lazy to remove her jewelry and makeup, Adriana fell on the bed and covered herself with her comforter, only with her underwear on.
Did Sanders really think she was going to let him get away with what he did to her?
No, she had been secretly taking doses of all the poisons he's invented. Since their business partners in many areas, they also shared their abilities with each other and invented positions together.
Such things they would experiment on, which he always perfected. He was a natural genius at it, and it was his best skill.
The nerve he had to use one of his poisons on her was completely unacceptable. The only thing he wasn't aware of is that she had been long getting immune to his poisons one by one.
It so happened that he completed the last dose of that poison by giving it to her, and now she was completely immune to it.
That bastard could not harm her again, and if he tried, it wouldn't take a toll on the body as it did before.
This is good, fantastic even.
A relaxed sister, behaving kids, an important collaboration going smoothly despite all the overworking she had to do, and her plan with Briana was running smoothly.
She laughed, thinking of the call she made only 20 minutes ago.
Had Briana opened her new gift? Hmm, she had sent very interesting information this time.
Oh, her little game was ending. What a pity.
The only thing bothering her was how quiet Noah was.
Through their ongoing collaboration, their representatives would speak to each other. Not once since arriving in Paris did they speak.
Kimberly had gone back to New York, and she had mentioned nothing about her brother like she usually would.
This means Noah had done nothing that relates to her or spoken even.
'He's acting like he did these past years. As if you never existed in his life, because that's how things should be.' A voice told her.
"Why the f*ck do I even care?" Adriana frowned and buried her face in her fluffy pillow.
She felt so childish right now, but she just wanted to stay in bed, laze around and eat.
After all the recent events, she just wanted a vacation.
All was going well, and that made her happy.
She suddenly glanced at her phone on the other end of the room and laughed.
Would she let herself go today? Yes. Would she have fun? Yes. Would she be petty? Yes.
It had been a long time since she treated herself for a good time, anyway. If she was going to walk a path of revenge, she would enjoy it and live it with bliss.
Walking out of her bed, she let down her bun and sighed in relief.
Setting her hair free from that tight bun was so satisfying. She ran her finger through her hand and picked up her mobile, only to jump back into bed.
Looking at the email on her phone she furrowed her eyebrows.
Her representative suddenly caught a cough and can barely peak? Really?
Is this the universe telling her to call him? She rolled her eyes at the weird situation, after all, she could have anybody else give Noah's representatives the details.
She didn't necessarily need to speak with him. She sighed and looked over the contents they were supposed to discuss this week. After making her decision she composed a new email and decided to send it.
Before she could do that, she gave it a second thought.
She wanted to call him not to talk to him but only to hear his voice.
And she had the intention of using business as an excuse.
She then started looking through her contacts with a sly smile.
When she saw the phone number on Noah's business card, recorded into her contacts, she laughed. Since she broke her phone and had to get a new one, she did not have the guts to add his name and left it as a set number.
Oh, she had the urge to call.
His hand itched to press the call button. Just how pissed off would he be if she called after avoiding him so obviously?
The simple thought made her feel like a sadistic woman that enjoyed other's irritation.
But every time Noah's annoyed expression came across her mind, she really wanted to call.
Was he even going to answer? Surely he wouldn't but she wanted to test her theory.
She was supposed to be avoiding him, wasn't she?
It wasn't breaking her promise to stay away from him; it was simply business related!
'I sound so stupid. Just admit you want to see him and get over it.' She scolded herself.
Anyway, just like she expected, she did not answer.
And with a sweet smile, she scrolled through her social media, searching up his name as she continued calling.
"Huh...." She called again and entered the tab where she had found fan pages.
Yes, his fan pages.
"Whoa....why these dirty-minded little-" Her eyes turn wide when he saw the discussions online.
Why are they all such perverts!
END OF CHECKLIST
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I see we are halfway through our 200+ goal, if we reach it before the weekend I will just give you the chapters then.
I promise I have some good stuff prepared hehe *smirks*
So keep voting guys >.<
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lizmorgan
lizmorgan I couldn't help myself and updated lol. I'm excited for the ending of this volume :D
Stay safe~
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