He said those words so close to her ear that Adriana felt the warmth of his breath seep into her skin.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, heat spreading uncontrollably as the reality struck her... she had broken up with Peter, the man she loved.
"We... we have broken up..." She weakly argued.
"Is it even a breakup if the other person doesn’t accept it?" Peter blocked her words with ease.
She opened her mouth to argue, to remind him of the ssage she had sent with trembling fingers, but Peter didn’t give her the chance.
He leaned in without warning, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of her neck before biting down lightly, possessively.
His voice dropped into a hoarse whisper as he muttered,
"Do you have any idea how scared I was when I saw that ssage that you sent by mistake?"
Adriana’s breath hitched.
’No... I didn’t send it by mistake.’
Yet before she could deny it, his lips lifted slightly, brushing dangerously close to her ear.
The low timbre of his voice made her shiver from head to toe, her fingers curling instinctively.
"You must’ve sent it by accident," he murmured, confidence laced with threat.
Her body trembled despite herself.
"Don’t," she whispered, voice unsteady. "Don’t do this. You... you shouldn’t threaten like that."
She knew it, even if it felt intoxicating.
The gesture looked romantic and intimate, but beneath it lay a clear warning.
If she dared to admit that she truly ant to break up, he would bite her earlobe next. He knew her weakness too well.
That was the most sensitive part of her body, the place she could never resist.
Biting her lip, Adriana forced herself to look at him. "If I say it was a mistake..."
Before she could finish, Peter pulled her tightly into his arms, relief washing over his face.
"I knew it," he breathed. "I knew you didn’t an it."
His lips descended onto hers without hesitation, sealing the mont with a kiss.
Her heart fluttered wildly, betraying her resolve.
She raised a finger and pressed it against his chest, trying to regain control.
"Peter," she warned softly, "you’re crossing a line."
He smiled, utterly unbothered. "What’s wrong with kissing my fiancée?"
Her eyes widened in shock. "Fiancée?"
Peter’s smile deepened. "I’ve already talked to my father," he said casually.
"We’ll get engaged next month. I just need to visit your parents."
Adriana stared at him as if he had lost his mind. ’He has to be lying.’
Fear crept up her spine when she thought of his father. She shook her head instinctively.
"Your father won’t agree," she blurted out, then imdiately regretted it.
Peter’s expression darkened. His eyes narrowed as he studied her carefully. "Is that why you wanted to break up?"
She shook her head quickly.
He cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing her cheek.
"Then is that why you looked so heartbroken this morning?"
His voice softened.
"Did my father say sothing to you? Did he scare you so you tried to push away?"
Adriana lowered her gaze, her lashes trembling. After a long pause, she finally nodded. "Yes," she admitted quietly.
"If I accept your proposal, my family could be in danger." Her hands pressed against his chest as she tried to push him back. "We can’t be together."
Peter didn’t move an inch. Instead, he leaned closer, his eyes unwavering.
"You don’t need to worry about him," he said firmly. "Soone’s already taking care of it."
She looked up at him, confused. "What do you an?"
He only smiled mysteriously.
"Soone must have arranged a surprise for you," he added lightly. "So don’t be sad right now."
The mont those words left his mouth, Adriana’s phone rang.
She froze when she saw the caller ID.
Her fingers tightened around the phone as she glanced at Peter before answering, forcing her expression into calm neutrality, as if receiving this call was perfectly normal.
She did it deliberately... she couldn’t let Peter suspect anything.
Peter watched her with faint amusent. He already knew Miss Dawn must have taken action.
Otherwise, she would never have gone so far as to threaten him during their first eting.
How could she stay silent when soone close to her was being cornered?
Sure enough, a polite, familiar voice sounded from the other end. "How are you, Adriana?"
For a mont, Adriana almost thought it was a wrong call.
The tone was far too courteous, nothing like what she rembered. ’Did he dial the wrong number?’
Then the man spoke again. "Are you well? Did my words hurt you earlier?" He paused, then added,
"I’d like to speak with you privately. When are you free?"
Adriana was stunned. During their last eting, he had issued commands without discussion. Now he was asking about her schedule.
’Is he... trying to ask when I am going to schedule a breakup with Peter?’
Suppressing the bitterness in her chest, she replied evenly, "I’m free now. I can co right away."
"That’s good," David responded quickly. "As long as it’s not inconvenient, we can talk."
She ended the call and looked at Peter, her voice calm and composed. "I’ll be back soon."
On the other end, David stared at his phone, stunned.
He hadn’t even given her the ti or location, yet she had agreed without hesitation.
Shaking his head, he let out a breath. His attitude toward Adriana had changed completely.
From his perspective now, she was priceless... like pure gold.
’How could I let a girl like this go?’
She was family to Miss Dawn. A billionaire.
Offending her would be suicide.
He even sent her the private room along with the location and timing of the eting.
The mont Adriana saw it, her breath caught in her throat.
Her fingers tightened around her phone as disbelief washed over her. It was the sa café.
Her heart sank. ’So this is what he wants... to humiliate .’
Taking a slow, steady breath, she lifted her head and looked at Peter.
"I’ll go first," she said quietly.
Before Peter could respond, Adriana turned and hurried away, her steps quick and uneven, as if she were afraid he might stop her or ask more questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
Behind her, Peter chuckled softly, watching her retreating figure. "She’s really overthinking," he murmured to himself, shaking his head.
He had no intention of stopping her.
After all, his father was supposed to apologize today. At most, Peter would sit at a nearby table and watch his father swallow his pride and make ands.
With that thought, he followed after her at an unhurried pace.
By the ti Adriana reached the table, her palms were damp with sweat.
The seat, the angle, even the faint scratch on the tabletop... it was the sa familiar spot. Yet the man sitting there felt completely different.
David no longer looked like the imposing businessman who had pressed her into a corner yesterday.
Dressed simply, with a relaxed posture, he looked more like a friendly neighbor or an ordinary uncle from next door.
The mont he saw Adriana, his face split into a wide grin. He waved at her enthusiastically.
"I’ve been waiting for you. Sit, sit."
His warmth was so sudden that Adriana almost wondered if she had walked into the wrong café.
She took a deep breath and sat down, her back stiff. "I’ve been thinking," she began cautiously.
"Even if you want to pressurize into breaking up with Peter. You at least need to give so ti before I co up with a plan."
Before she could say another word, David raised his hand. "You’re misunderstanding ."
He smiled, almost sheepish.
"Yesterday, I behaved like a fool." He leaned back slightly. "I did it to test your ntal resilience."
Adriana froze.
"It’s a good thing you didn’t break up with my son; this proves that you love him even more than your family. I am truly touched!" David continued calmly. "That proves you’re qualified to stand beside Peter."
Her eyes widened. "I sent a breakup ssage to him."
David paused for half a second, then laughed awkwardly.
"Ha, ha, ha. You’re such a well-behaved child."
He waved it off smoothly.
"I never imagined you’d be willing to sacrifice your own happiness for your family."
Each word hit her harder than the last. "Peter would be a lucky man," David went on, smiling.
"To have a woman who’s willing to go to such lengths for him since he too would beco your family at one point."
Adriana was completely stunned.
Yesterday, every sentence from him had been sharp and humiliating. Today, every sentence was praise.
’Was it really just a test?’
As she was still trying to process it, David took out a docunt and slid it across the table.
"Please," he said gently, "look at this before saying anything."
Adriana unfolded the paper. Her breath hitched when she saw the bold print.
Twenty percent of the Richardson Corporation’s shares... registered under her na.
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