Chapter 2 Go Home or Get Divorced

Dorothy quickly stepped in to diffuse the tension. "Adeline, you've got it all wrong. Christopher and I are just good friends. Did you misunderstand something?" Just good friends? A misunderstanding? If Dorothy were thrown into Amber Tide and Azure Flow, the entire nation would be sipping pure green tea from their waters. Adeline chuckled. "Oh, really? Then, why don't I see you hugging Henry over there?" She swept her hand toward the group of men. "Since they're all buddies, why don't you hug each of them for me to see?" Dorothy's smile froze, her face stiff with embarrassment. Adeline turned her gaze to Sean, who was watching the scene with amusement. Her smile remained calm. "Sean, you're one of Christopher's closest friends. How about a hug between the two of you?" Sean visibly shuddered and quickly waved his hands. "Adeline, please, no need for that." A few clueless onlookers laughed, but the humor died instantly when Christopher stubbed out his cigarette with a sharp motion and threw a pool ball at the source of the laughter. His icy glare swept the room. "Do you think this is funny?" Everyone knew Christopher's temper. The room fell silent immediately. Adeline glanced at her watch, unfazed by the tension. Her voice was light, as if she hadn't noticed his simmering anger. "It's one in the morning." She reached for the pool cue in Christopher's hand, leaned over the table, and lined up her shot. Her form was perfect, accentuating her graceful figure. The first shot sent five balls into the pockets. The second cleared the table entirely. She straightened, letting the cue drop to the floor with a sharp clatter. It landed at Dorothy's feet. Looking directly into Christopher's piercing eyes, she said, "Game's over. I'll give you ten minutes. I'll be waiting downstairs." Christopher sneered. "What? Can't you sleep without me?" Adeline smiled faintly and tilted her head. "Of course not. You're my husband. If you're not home, doesn't that make me a widow?" Her words struck him like a dagger. Christopher's jaw tightened, and his expression darkened. Even Sean and the others couldn't help but wince at the audacity of her remark. Christopher grabbed her chin with his long fingers, his grip firm. His sharp gaze locked onto her lips. "Adeline, has your mouth been dipped in poison?" She blinked innocently at him. "Didn't you kiss me yesterday? Why aren't you dead yet?" His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his voice dropped to a low growl. "I'll make sure to kiss you to death first." His expression was so intense it seemed he might devour her right then and there. Adeline looked up, meeting his stormy gaze with a playful smirk. Despite his suggestive words, his eyes were devoid of warmth. Dorothy's voice cut through the charged tension, her forced laugh breaking the moment as she said, "Adeline, you've really misunderstood me and Christopher. You know how I am… I'm a straightforward person. I get along with Christopher, Sean, and the others. I'm just like one of the guys. We were just out for a ride. You're reading too much into it." She glanced at Christopher, her voice becoming softer as she added, "If there really was anything between us, it would've happened a long time ago, wouldn't it, Christopher?" Christopher released Adeline's chin and cast Dorothy an impatient look. "Can you shut up already?" His blunt words hit like a slap, leaving Dorothy momentarily stunned. She opened her mouth as if to respond but, catching sight of the displeasure on his face, quickly thought better of it and fell silent, her expression turning pale. Adeline found the whole exchange amusing. "Dorothy, I've dealt with all kinds of drama in my time. If you really have feelings for Christopher, you'd better make him marry you and flaunt it openly. Otherwise, you'd do well to behave yourself." She was honestly tired of constantly cleaning up Christopher's tabloid messes for the sake of the company's reputation. Lucy, standing behind Adeline, jumped in with a sharp tone. "Exactly! The Lambert family isn't easy to enter, and not everyone can sit in the position of Mrs. Lambert!" Her haughty remark hit a nerve with Dorothy, who retorted with a smug smile. "Of course, the Lambert family isn't easy to step into. If it weren't for the car accident three years ago, Adeline wouldn't have—" "Dorothy, are you done?" Christopher's voice sliced through the air, cold and biting. His fury boiled over as he raised a leg and kicked over a nearby table. The bottles and glasses atop it crashed to the ground with a deafening clatter, shattering into pieces. "I told you to shut up! Didn't you hear me?" Dorothy flinched, visibly shaken, her face pale. Christopher's reaction spoke volumes. Clearly, the incident three years ago was still a sore spot for him. His outburst silenced the entire room. Nobody dared to move or speak, the atmosphere heavy with tension. Sean quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. "Alright. Dorothy, let's leave the past in the past. Christopher, she didn't mean anything by it. We're all friends here. There's no need for this." Adeline's gaze lingered on Christopher's face, which was clouded with anger, his entire presence exuding the rage of a caged lion. She understood what had set him off. Three years ago, the woman who had been by his side during the accident was hospitalized and had yet to regain consciousness. That woman, his one true love, lay in a coma. Meanwhile, Christopher had been forced to marry a woman he didn't love—Adeline. Their union had become a constant thorn in his heart. But three years ago… Was it her choice? Their fathers had arranged the marriage, and Christopher's father, David's dying wish had sealed the deal. Adeline had no say in the matter. If it weren't for those circumstances, why would she, the heiress of Keller Corporation, have agreed to such a marriage? There was no wedding ceremony and no celebration. It was just a rushed trip to the registry. In the three years since, Adeline had done everything in her power to fulfill her role as Mrs. Lambert. Dropping the polite smile she had worn since she entered, Adeline fixed Dorothy with an icy stare. "Then, what do you suggest? That Christopher divorce me?" Her words hit like a thunderclap, leaving everyone in the room stunned. The silence that followed was deafening, so profound that even the drop of a pin would have sounded like a crash. Lucy's eyes widened in disbelief as if Adeline's words were nothing more than a heat-of-the-moment outburst. She reached out, tugging gently at her arm. "Adeline…" Christopher's cold gaze locked onto Adeline as he stormed over, grabbing her delicate wrist with a grip like steel. "Say that again, Adeline. I dare you." Unfazed, Adeline yanked her hand free. "Christopher, I'll say it again: either you come home, or we get divorced. Your choice." … Stepping out of the bistro, Adeline exhaled a long breath. The words she had said hadn't been a threat, nor were they born of anger. She knew full well that her place in Christopher's heart wasn't significant enough for a divorce to rattle him. But she had meant every word. Three years. She had fulfilled one of the promises she had made to his father, David. As for the second… If it weren't for that car accident, she might have already completed it. Perhaps, if Christopher decided to annul their marriage and marry the woman he truly loved, Adeline would willingly step aside. Anything would be better than being trapped in this agonizing, one-sided marriage, watching the man she loved flit from one woman to another. The quiet behind her was deafening, no sound of footsteps following her. A bitter smile tugged at her lips. What was she hoping for? That he would chase after her? How ridiculous. Heading to her car, she opened the door. Just as she was about to step in, a figure clad in black appeared at the top of the stairs. She glanced back instinctively. It was Christopher.