Chapter 3 Adrian Always Indulges Her Without Restraint

Adrian avoided responding to Cheryl's question and rose from his chair. "I need to handle something at the office. Jessica and I are leaving."

Cheryl's expression changed instantly as she rushed to stop him. "Why would you go now?" She gestured toward the kitchen, voice tightening. "The chef has already finished preparing the dishes, and all the family members are here. Can't you at least stay for lunch?"

Without hesitation, Adrian reached for Jessica and pulled her to her feet, his voice flat. "No. We are not staying."

After the couple left the Buckley Estate, Cheryl's anger erupted. Her chest rose sharply as she struck the arm of her chair with her fist.

Understanding her son was becoming more difficult by the day.

If he truly disliked Jessica, then why was every word and action of his instinctively protective of her?

Yet if he did care for Jessica, why did he remain tangled with Eleanor?

Even Eleanor's past marriage and child failed to deter him in the slightest.

Cheryl could not make sense of his thoughts at all.

Once seated inside his car, Adrian lit a cigarette, pale smoke curling around his knitted brows.

Jessica recognized the habit. Adrian only smoked when he was frustrated.

She remained still beside him, breathing lightly, afraid of disturbing him.

The cigarette shortened inch by inch until only the filter remained.

Adrian finally turned, his intense gaze settling on Jessica.

She looked exactly as she had been when they had first met-delicate features, a pale face, calm to the point of detachment.

Even when mistreated, she never protested or made a scene, always compliant to an unsettling degree.

Time had not changed her in the slightest, yet his dislike for her submissive demeanor only deepened.

To him, she resembled a hollow doll, numb and unresponsive, while he, a man with ordinary desires, favored women who were vibrant when it came to intimacy.

The irritation boiling in Adrian's chest intensified. He pulled off his tie and flung it aside.

Jessica quietly picked it up, smoothing the fabric before placing it into a bag to keep it clean.

Adrian's eyes lingered on her movements before he spoke abruptly. "You heard what my mother said earlier, didn't you?"

A subtle tremor passed through Jessica's brows as she turned to look at him, her expression gentle.

Adrian studied her face and asked, "What do you think about it?"

For a brief second, the meaning behind his question failed to register with Jessica at all.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Adrian continued, his voice steady, "Do you want to have a child?"

Jessica instantly understood what he meant and gestured quickly. "I'll follow whatever your mother decides. You don't need to worry. I've never allowed myself to fantasize about that."

In truth, during the early days of their marriage, she had once imagined a child that belonged to the two of them.

But gradually, she realized the harsh reality.

She learned that all the good things were reserved for women who were cherished.

They were never meant for someone like her, a mute person, unwanted and always looked down upon.

Just like at the Buckley family's banquet, an important family gathering in their first year of marriage, when she ate something bad and gagged a few times.

Every gaze in the room had swung toward her, whispers spreading as people wondered if she might be expecting.

At that time, Cheryl's face had hardened, and Adrian's expression had darkened alongside it.

Once the nausea finally passed, Jessica heard Cheryl tell her that the Buckley family had no intention of welcoming a child currently and that if she was pregnant, she should go to the hospital to end her pregnancy.

Panic seized Jessica, and she instinctively turned to Adrian for help.

But Adrian said nothing. He did not object to the idea at all.

That silence made everything painfully clear to Jessica. Adrian did not want a child, or rather, he didn't want a child with her.

So now, when Adrian brought the topic up again, Jessica understood it was never a question of her wishes; he just wanted to make sure that they were on the same page.

As if confirming her thoughts, Adrian's next words followed calmly. "You understand what I mean, don't you? I didn't take any precautions last time."

Jessica responded at once, lifting her hands again, "It's alright. I already took birth control pills."

Her gestures were careful and deliberate, as though she feared he might misunderstand her. She had an earnest expression, and a faint sheen of moisture shimmered in her clear eyes.

Adrian received the answer he had been wanting to hear, yet the sense of ease he had expected never arrived.

He watched her in silence for a long moment before letting out a breath and turning to look at the passing scenery beyond the window. "Good."

That single word drained the color from Jessica's face even further.

Worried he might notice, she lowered her head quickly, slender fingers knotting together in her lap.

Just as she had anticipated, his concern had never been about what she wanted, only about confirming whether there was any chance she might get pregnant.

Thankfully, she had not blurted out her true feelings just now.

Had she acted on that impulse, the humiliation would have been unbearable.

The thought alone made her chest tighten briefly before she steadied herself.

The luxury car soon slowed to a stop at the entrance of the Buckley Group.

Through the car window, Jessica immediately spotted Eleanor standing nearby.

Eleanor had been smiling, but the instant her gaze landed on Jessica getting out of the car behind Adrian, that smile collapsed, replaced by a sharp, hostile glare.

Her voice cut through the air. "Adrian, why did you bring her here?" The displeasure in her tone was obvious, making it seem as if she were actually Adrian's wife.

Adrian didn't mind that. Without hesitation, he turned to speak to Jessica. "I'll have the driver take you back."

Jessica inclined her head obediently and settled back into the seat.

Eleanor, however, was still not satisfied. She clung to Adrian's hand, her annoyance plain. "Adrian, can you stop bringing her to the company from now on?"

Her eyes flicked toward the car. "People might misunderstand and think you two are together."

Adrian did not pull away. His response was calm. "She is my wife. That's simply the truth."

Eleanor's dissatisfaction deepened. She pursed her lips into a pout. "I just don't like you being around her. Promise me you won't do it again."

A faint trace of a smile flickered across Adrian's otherwise impassive face.

He offered no verbal reply, his silence serving as quiet agreement.

From inside the car, Jessica watched the exchange, her vision slowly blurring as her eyes reddened.

She witnessed her husband favoring another woman, and that woman was her own half-sister.

No matter how unreasonable Eleanor acted or how openly she tried to take her place, Adrian always indulged her without restraint.

To him, the woman he loved could never be at fault.

Perhaps, in their eyes, Jessica, the so-called Mrs. Buckley, was nothing more than a laughingstock.

Lowering her gaze, Jessica used sign language to quietly instruct the driver to pull away.