Chapter 6 Which Woman Are You Busy With?

In the sleek black Maybach, the man sat in the back seat wearing a perfectly tailored suit. Gold-rimmed glasses rested on his prominent rose as he kept his eyes slightly closed. The woman sitting beside him stole glances at his handsome profile, lost in thought. Her gaze lingered until the man opened his eyes slightly and met hers with an icy stare, forcing her to quickly look away. Carlos cast a fleeting glance at her subtle movements. "Christopher calls you 'Aunt,' and it throws you off balance like this?" Hannah clutched the folder on her lap tightly, her gaze lowering. "I wouldn't dare." Having been by Carlos' side for nearly a decade, she knew all too well that nothing escaped his notice. Carlos reached out, gripping her chin firmly, forcing her to meet his gaze. His voice was cold. "Good. Don't forget your place." Hannah's delicate face, carefully adorned with tasteful makeup, paled despite the faint blush she wore. She knew that Carlos was angry. She could love him, and she could sleep with him. But she could never talk about marrying him. That was Carlos' biggest taboo. For 10 years, she had been nothing but a secret lover, nameless and unacknowledged. "Understood, Mr. Leishman," she replied quietly. Carlos held her chin for a moment longer before suddenly pulling her in for a hard kiss. Just when Hannah thought he might take things further right there in the car, Carlos abruptly released her and shoved her away, straightening his posture as if nothing had happened. Hannah adjusted her disheveled skirt and smoothed her clothes without a word. In front of Carlos, she had no agency and no dignity. She was used to it by now. Carlos glanced at her, his eyes calm and unreadable behind the lenses. "Howard Lambert's birthday is coming up in a few days. Christopher doesn't seem to care about it. Take care of the arrangements." He added, "And keep an eye on Christopher." Hannah's lips turned pale, her voice slightly shaky as she replied, "Yes, Mr. Leishman." … Adeline floored the gas pedal, heading straight to her other apartment. After a quick shower and a change into fresh clothes, she drove to Gee Maison. Gee Maison, known as GM, was a prestigious fashion design company in Gillstone City. Adeline had been recruited as Creative Director shortly after returning from her studies abroad. The elevator stopped at the 26th floor. Adeline stepped out wearing a mint-green satin blouse, the neckline unbuttoned just enough to reveal her slender, fair collarbones. She had paired it with a luxurious gold collarbone chain and matching earrings. She looked minimalistic yet sophisticated. Her delicate features were accentuated by light makeup, and she radiated elegance. Meanwhile, her perfectly styled black waves cascaded effortlessly over her shoulders, making her already porcelain-like skin appear even more luminous and refined. She was also wearing some light blue jeans and a pair of custom-made heels. The outfit looked seemingly casual, but every detail reflected her meticulous taste and aesthetic sensibilities. The moment Adeline entered, she drew everyone's attention. Her colleagues paused their work to greet her. "Good morning, Adeline!" "Morning, everyone," Adeline replied with a polite and graceful smile before heading into her office. Her assistant, Debra Danis, soon brought in an iced Americano—no sugar, no milk, and extra concentrate, just the way Adeline liked it. She also replaced the diffuser on the desk with a fresher scent. Debra, a sharp and observant young woman, had been working with Adeline for a year and had already figured out her work habits. "Adeline, here's the market research for the next quarter," Debra said, handing over a stack of documents. Adeline took a sip of her coffee, glanced at the materials, and instructed, "Besides this quarter's report, prepare a trend analysis for the quarter after that." Debra nodded, admiration shining in her eyes. She greatly respected Adeline's work ethic. Under Adeline's leadership, the company had landed several major contracts. Adeline asked, "By the way, what's the progress on Stellar Company's project?" "Janet Jay has been negotiating for a week. She should be finalizing it today," Debra replied. Adeline nodded and gestured for Debra to return to work. Before leaving, Debra's curiosity got the better of her. In a low voice, she asked, "Adeline, I heard you're married?" Adeline glanced up and smiled. "Yes, I'm married." Debra's eyes darted to Adeline's slender, ring-free hand. "Why don't you wear a wedding ring? I thought you were single." Adeline replied smoothly, "It gets in the way when I'm sketching, so I don't wear it." That excuse worked for someone like Debra, who didn't know the truth. But those in the inner circle knew her marriage to Christopher had been nothing more than signing a piece of paper—no ceremony, no ring. Apart from a handful of people in their circle, no one knew about their relationship. After Debra left, Adeline immersed herself in sketching. GM had taken on numerous contracts recently, and naturally, her workload had increased. Once she got busy, the frustrating issues with Christopher faded from her mind. It wasn't until late afternoon, when Martha Hill, the housekeeper at their villa, called to ask if she would be coming home for dinner, that Adeline realized it was nearly time to leave work. Martha said, "Mrs. Lambert, I couldn't reach Mr. Lambert. Could you check if he'll be home for dinner tonight?" Adeline placed her pencil back in the holder, finding the situation amusing. What kind of marriage required a wife to repeatedly confirm whether her husband would come home for dinner every day? "I'll find out." She opened Christopher's contact on her phone. Just the memory of the nonsense he had spouted that morning annoyed her. Yet, despite herself, she dialed his number. The phone rang for so long that she nearly hung up before he finally answered. "What is it?" His tone was cold. Adeline bristled at his attitude. "What woman has you so occupied that you can't pick up your phone sooner?" Christopher let out a derisive laugh. "What's this? Are you jealous?" "If I said no, would that make you feel inadequate?" Adeline shot back. Instead of anger, Christopher chuckled, his voice tinged with mockery. "Adeline, your words are sharp now, but you weren't nearly this bold last night." Adeline, exhausted from her day, had no energy to spar with him further. She was about to ask if he would be home for dinner when she heard a woman's voice in the background. "Christopher, is that Adeline? Why not invite her over? Otherwise, if she misunderstands, even the Amber Tide couldn't wash away the accusations." Adeline immediately recognized the voice—it was Dorothy. The same Dorothy who had apparently been "just a good friend" and whom Christopher had crawled out of bed with that morning. Her innocent, understanding tone was infuriating, painting Adeline as the unreasonable one. Before Christopher could respond, Adeline shouted into the phone, "Christopher, if you want to be cheated on, just say the word! I promise to make your humiliation as public as possible!" "Adeline! Don't you dare!" Christopher roared, his tone seething with fury. She didn't need to see him to imagine how dark his expression must be. "Watch me." she snapped, slamming the call off. Celeste had only warned her not to divorce Christopher. She hadn't said anything about playing along with his little games. Adeline scoffed. In Gillstone City, she was unmatched in both beauty and status. Suitors lined up from here to Tatulon. If Christopher couldn't see her worth, he was blind. Just as she settled into her car, her phone rang again. This time, it was Debra. "Adeline, something wrong with Janet!"