Chapter 4 Why Did You Marry Me?

It was unclear whether Christopher was furious at Adeline or something else had set him off tonight, but he was utterly relentless. He didn't allow her even a moment to catch her breath. His low, raspy voice carried an edge of icy detachment. "Beg me." I couldn't help but think, "Beg, my ass!" "Beg me to let you beg me." Adeline's face flushed crimson, her breath uneven. Sweat dampened the strands of hair clinging to her forehead, giving her an even more alluring appearance. Christopher sneered. "Adeline, with that sharp tongue of yours, you could probably hold the whole world together if it came crashing down." … The gray light of dawn seeped through the windows. Adeline awoke to the sound of water running in the bathroom. Her legs ached so much that it felt as though they had been amputated and crudely reattached. She struggled to sit up and then glanced down at her porcelain skin beneath the thin blanket. She was covered in kiss marks. Just how insane had Christopher gone last night? The bathroom door opened, and Christopher emerged, dressed in a navy robe. His damp chestnut-colored hair fell messily across his forehead, and the loose neckline revealed his well-defined collarbones and chiseled chest. Standing nearly six foot three with a face that could rival the gods, he was a masterpiece of masculinity. He was complex, alluring, and undeniably dangerous. Adeline found herself momentarily entranced until a small box landed on the bed, snapping her back to reality. Christopher's sharp eyes glanced at Adeline briefly before he sank into the couch, lighting a cigarette. He took a few drags, exhaling gray rings of smoke that curled lazily in the air. "Take this," he said flatly, his tone calm and indifferent, devoid of any emotion. Adeline stared at the box he had tossed to her. It was a packet of pills, and her ears buzzed as she processed what it was. Emergency contraception? Was he serious? Did he have any idea how harmful this was to her body? "Take it yourself!" she snapped, grabbing the box and flinging it back at Christopher. "If you can't afford protection, then go get a vasectomy!" Christopher chuckled darkly. "Me? Can't afford it? The condoms I've bought could build you a villa." "Get lost!" Adeline shot him a glare. Christopher laughed, extinguished his barely smoked cigarette, and picked up the discarded box. He popped two pills out, placed them on his tongue, and strode to the bed. Before Adeline could react, he cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened in shock as the bitter taste of the pills seeped into her mouth, mingling with the faint tang of tobacco. He had forced the medication into her mouth. She shoved him away with all her might, coughing violently as the bitterness overwhelmed her. Christopher licked his lips, his dark eyes fixed on her trembling figure. "What? You don't want to take the pills? Are you planning to trap me with a kid instead? Do you think a baby will tie me down?" Adeline's face turned scarlet, and tears were welling up in her eyes from her coughing fit. When she finally looked up, his smug face hovered close, his lips curled into an infuriating smirk. The more satisfied he looked, the angrier she became. Adeline grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at him. "I'd rather have kids with a dog than with you!" Christopher sidestepped the pillow with ease, grabbing it mid-air and tossing it back at her. It brushed her cheek as it whizzed past. He pointed at her and said, "Then, go find a dog to have kids with! I won't stop you." Adeline exploded with rage. "Do you think I want to have kids with you? Your dad begged me to. That's the only reason I'm even considering it! Do you think I don't have better things to do than to clean up after one kid while you bring me another?" A loud bang sounded as Christopher kicked the bedside table. His face was dark, and his voice was thunderous as he retorted, "A man who's been dead for six years is your excuse? He told you to have a kid, so you'll do that?" Adeline was stunned. What a rebellious, ungrateful son! How could he say something so outrageous about his own father? "If you don't want kids with me," she snapped, the words "then let's divorce" hovering on the tip of her tongue. Bus as she met his stormy gaze, she swallowed them and said instead, "Why did you marry me in the first place?" Christopher's cold laughter echoed through the room. "Isn't this what you schemed so hard to get? You wanted to be the Lambert family's young mistress so badly, I'm letting you enjoy it to your heart's content!" Adeline's anger boiled over. She wanted to slap him right then and there. So, was this why he wouldn't agree to a divorce? For a moment, she had almost thought Christopher cared, that he might value their marriage even a little. Adeline quickly dressed despite the soreness wracking her body, preparing to leave. Christopher grabbed her wrist, his tone impatient. "Where are you going?" Adeline looked at him with a calm yet cutting expression. "Christopher, I was wrong." His eyes flickered with surprise at her admission. "You're admitting your fault?" Adeline wrenched her wrist free, her voice sharp. "I was wrong to think of you as a human being." She turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her, leaving Christopher's furious roar echoing in the room. "Adeline Keller!" … Just as Adeline settled into her car, her phone buzzed from her bag. It was Christopher's aunt, Celeste Leishman. Adeline answered, and Celeste's urgent voice came through immediately. "Adeline, I heard about last night from Lucy. She said you're planning to divorce Christopher. Is that true?" Rubbing her aching temples, Adeline sighed inwardly. With Lucy's dramatic tendencies, she didn't need to guess how exaggerated the story had become. "Aunt Celeste, it's not true." "That's a relief," Celeste breathed out, her tone softening. "You absolutely cannot divorce Christopher." Before Adeline could respond, Celeste continued her impassioned plea, "Christopher might be a little unruly and stubborn right now, but he wasn't always like this. He's been through a lot, and he doesn't understand the nuances of people's intentions. I rarely get the chance to see him, but as his wife, you should guide him more." Guide him? Adeline let out a faint, humorless laugh. If she had the power to influence Christopher, the marriage wouldn't be in its current state. "He was sent to Yslandria by David when he was very young. 13 years. Imagine a child that small, living alone in a foreign country. It's truly pitiful…" Celeste said, her voice tinged with sorrow. Adeline felt a strange pang in her chest. She had always known Christopher had grown up abroad, returning to the country only seven years ago when their engagement was arranged. But she had assumed that, with his prominent family background, his life overseas would have been carefree, surrounded by relatives or friends. "Did Mrs. Lambert not live with him abroad?" Adeline finally voiced the question that had lingered in her mind for years. Neither Christopher nor anyone else in the Lambert family had ever mentioned his mother, Vivienne Leishman. Even Lloyd didn't seem to know much about Vivienne. Adeline had assumed Vivienne had passed away, but every year during the memorial for Christopher's father, David, she noticed there was no headstone for Vivienne. Furthermore, the Lambert estate's chapel lacked even a memorial plaque for her. In life, she was unseen. In death, she was forgiven. It left Adeline puzzled. When she asked the question, silence followed on the other end of the line. Realizing she may have touched a sensitive subject, she quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Auntie Celeste. I shouldn't have been asking about this. "It's not something that can't be spoken about," Celeste said softly. "Vivienne fell ill when he was four. She's been living at Tranquility Hospital ever since." Adeline's breath caught, her fingers instinctively tightening on the steering wheel. Tranquility Hospital… She had heard of it before. It was a high-end psychiatric facility funded by the Lambert family. The patients who lived there were all suffering from mental illnesses.