The sound of running water in the bathroom finally stopped.
Christine hurriedly put on her scattered clothes - underwear, bra, dress, and top.
She didn't want Adrian to see her naked. The carpet and desk were still a mess. After dressing, she grabbed some tissues and hastily wiped the wet spots on the desk, trying to make the scene less embarrassing.
She had barely started cleaning when the bathroom door opened, and Adrian walked out.
He had changed into fresh clothes - a black shirt and gray slacks. Even in this semi-casual outfit, his cold expression made him seem distant and unapproachable. The only thing out of place was his damp hair from the shower.
Compared to him, Christine was a mess. Her lipstick was gone, her eyes and nose were red, and her hair was completely disheveled.
She looked down, nervously running her fingers through her hair and trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress.
Adrian ignored her awkwardness and walked to his desk, pressing the intercom button.
"Come in."
Seconds later, James opened the office door and entered.Ever professional, he kept his eyes firmly fixed on Adrian, deliberately avoiding looking anywhere else as he waited for instructions.
The musky scent still filled the room. Even if the scent wasn't obvious, the evidence was clear - the messy desk, wet spots on the surface, and damp marks on the carpet.
Christine felt mortified having someone else see this scene.
"See her out," Adrian said coolly, putting on his suit jacket.
He glanced at the wet spots on the carpet and added, "Have someone clean this up."
James immediately stepped forward, giving Christine a slight bow. "This way, Mrs. Christine," he said quietly.
Christine followed James out, her face burning and heart pounding. She couldn't even bring herself to look back at Adrian as James closed the office door behind them.
The dark had already fallen outside. Adrian had fucked her for nearly three hours. By now, all the busy secretaries had gone home, leaving the entire floor in silence.
Before taking the elevator, James asked Christine to wait a moment while he went to the coffee station.
Half a minute later, he returned with a box of throat lozenges and a bottle of water.
"Here, Mrs. Christine. Take these with you," he said politely.
It was clear that James knew everything that had happened in that office.
"...Thank you."
Christine fought down her embarrassment as she accepted his thoughtful gesture. Thankfully, James showed no signs of gossip or knowing looks. He barely spoke another word as he accompanied her in the elevator down to B1.
The driver was still waiting for her downstairs. Before the car started, James handed her a business card through the window.
"Mrs. Christine, here's my card. If you ever need any assistance, please don't hesitate to call me."
Christine nodded, somewhat surprised, and took the card gratefully. Though honestly, she didn't expect to have much contact with Adrian's assistant in the future.
It was past 10 PM when Christine got home. In the living room, she only found Martha doing some cleaning.
"Martha, where's Rebecca?"
"Oh, Mrs. Sinclair has already gone to bed. I'll heat up your dinner right away."
Christine let out a quiet sigh of relief when she heard her mother-in-law was asleep.
As she sat down at the dining table, a young woman she'd never seen before walked out of the kitchen.
The girl immediately approached her with an extended hand and a warm, professional smile. "Hello, Mrs. Blackwood. I'm the new nutritionist, Sophie Cooper."
"Please, call me Christine."
Christine shook her hand. Her throat still hurt, but the lozenges from earlier had helped enough to hide it.
Sophie's bright smile lit up her face. "Thanks, Christine!"
Christine barely touched her dinner, but at the nutritionist's insistence, she drank a glass of milk and ate some nuts before heading upstairs.
This mansion had been bought when Rebecca married Ethan's father. Both Adrian and Ethan grew up here. Even back then, the Blackwoods were wealthy enough to afford this luxurious villa in the expensive suburbs of N City. After the divorce, the house went to Ethan's father, who left it to both sons.
When Christine married Ethan, he brought her here and let her redecorate as she wished, though they kept the main rooms' functions the same. Now with Ethan seriously ill, Rebecca had moved back from her downtown apartment to be closer to her son's hospital.
Christine and Ethan's bedroom was on the third floor, next to Adrian's old study. Rebecca was temporarily staying on the second floor.
Back in her bedroom, Christine soaked in the bathtub. Her body ached more intensely as time passed, and she felt increasingly sore between her legs.
After her bath, she carefully brushed her teeth. Her lips were slightly swollen and redder than usual. When Adrian had taken her mouth earlier, he'd gone deep - she could see clear bruising on the roof of her mouth.
Finally, she applied ointment to her chafed wrists, lip balm to her mouth, and body lotion to her legs and torso.
Exhausted, she collapsed into bed.
After Ethan's accident, she'd kept one of his pajama sets on the bed, holding it while she slept - as if she were embracing him.
The intense sex, the hidden lies, the fear of discovery... it all left Christine physically and mentally drained. She fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She wasn't sure how long she'd slept when a buzzing noise woke her around four or five AM.
Her phone was vibrating with a call.
Christine reached for it on the nightstand, squinting at the screen in the darkness.
[Adrian]?
She froze, suddenly wide awake, and answered the call.
"...Hello?"
Her voice came out in a whisper, still husky from sleep. Her foggy mind couldn't begin to guess what he wanted.
His reply slid through the darkness like black velvet: "Come to my room."
Christine's heart stopped. Adrian was home?
The realization hit her - right now, he was in the next room, separated from her by nothing but a wall.