The Nightingale's Heir Returns

Reality Check

Vanessa's heart raced. Never would she have believed that Adrian would be the one that served her a divorce. 

She always saw herself in control and someone that she could tame to serve her. 

“Why are you bringing up a divorce?” She demanded, her voice rising sharply as panic clawed its way into her chest. “ I thought you loved me so what exactly are you trying to do?”

“I don’t love you anymore.” Adrian shook his head. 

Vanessa felt like a stone slab had slammed into her chest. Even her heart skipped a beat. 

He no longer loved her? How could that be possible? She didn't believe that. She just felt he was playing this card to get her attention. She just had to play out her charm and he would be back under her leash. 

“Adrian. You're just overreacting, let's talk about this.” Her voice trembled and her hands moved up his arm but Adrian shook his hand off. 

Vanessa froze. She stared at his back in disbelief, her fingers tightening uncontrollably at her sides realizing he was very much serious about it. 

This was the man who had once cut off his own family and mother when she tried to prevent him from getting married to her. 

The man who gave up his own future for her and tolerated her family members that mocked him anytime they had the chance.

At her request he had thrown his career to the air and lived as a house husband cooking and cleaning for her and even when she told him she didn't want children till whenever he had accepted and not argued. 

But now he was saying he didn’t love her anymore? Just like that?

“Is this because I asked you to apologize?” She chuckled. She almost laughed from disbelief. “You want to divorce me over something that small?”

“Is that not enough?” Adrian replied unmoved. His voice was dangerously calm. 

“I'm only a house husband and can't help you in your career right?” He asked.

“You’re being irrational!” she snapped. “How can you throw away years of history because of jealousy?”

Adrian let out a cold laugh. 

“You let another man kiss you in front of me then demanded I apologize to him.” He looked at her like he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Suddenly he felt a burning rage in his chest. 

“Since when he came back you have barely spent a night in our matrimonial home. You think I can't smell the different scent of you anytime you come back in the morning?” He began. 

The rage made him pour out what he had held together for a long time. 

“When I was sick you didn't even care to check on me like I had always done for you. You only cared about your late night meetings with him.” He pointed at Marcus. 

Her lips parted slightly.

“I never knew he was the business partner so I had no reason to suspect you. But then not only are you unfaithful you mentioned in front of a crowd that the reason you were with me was because I was obedient?” 

Vanessa's eyes widened and she exchanged glances with Marcus who had a smug expression on his face. 

Adrian's voice became colder. “Not only that, the gold earrings I had gifted you are what he is wearing right now. I also know that.”

They were both taken aback but Marcus was confused. His mouth slowly formed an “O” and he turned to Vanessa. 

“Vanessa is that true?” He sat up and his brows pressed together in surprise.

“Marcus It's true but…Adrian I….” Vanessa wanted to speak but Adrian interrupted her. 

“And today…” He took one step closer. “You let him kiss you and tried to force me to apologize to him.” 

His voice had become so calm it was frightening. 

Marcus slowly shifted on the couch this was exactly the kind of mood Adrian was in when he punched him a while ago. 

This time he braced up. 

Vanessa hearing all of this was filled with so much guilt that color drained from her face. “I-I can explain…”

“But I don’t care anymore.” Adrian shook his head. He tried to relax. 

That was what terrified her most. She realized he no longer cared. He only wanted to leave. Her chest tightened painfully. 

“No,” she said quickly, stepping forward instinctively. “You’re just emotional right now. We both are. This is rash.” 

Adrian’s eyes remained cold. “Sign it.”

Adrian handed her a pen from the table and instantly she felt her pride trampled on right in front of Marcus. 

She was at the crossroads of still keeping the marriage and humiliation. Slowly she felt rage, she was the one being abandoned. That trampled on her pride and ego. 

How dare a man who depended on her speak to her this way?

“Fine!” she exploded.

She grabbed the divorce papers violently.

“You want a divorce so badly? Then fine!”

Her eyes reddened with fury.

“I’ve clearly spoiled you too much! To the point where a mere stay-at-home husband dares to talk to me like this!”

The room went silent except the scribbling pen. 

Marcus was at a loss of what to do because everything had escalated too quickly. 

She signed the papers and handed it to Adrian. 

“That’s what you really think of me and you have finally come clean.” Adrian scoffed looking at the sign paper. 

“What?” Vanessa asked, confused.

“All the time you defended me in front of your family was just pretense" Adrian said in an icy tone. 

Vanessa's anger faltered. “I didn’t mean it like that—”

He cut her off calmly.

“You said you didn’t want me exhausting myself outside anymore and you wanted me beside you.”

“And because I loved you,” he continued, eyes locked onto hers, “I gave up everything without hesitation.”

“Adrian we don't have to talk about all this here…

“But now,” he said quietly, “you use that sacrifice to humiliate me.”

Her face turned white because she realized he wasn’t wrong.

The realization hit her so hard she instinctively reached toward him.

“We’re both upset today and you're being dramatic Adrian,” She said quickly, forcing herself to calm down. “I understand you're hurt but there's nothing going on between me and him so let's stop this game.”

Her voice softened. “If you give me the papers back… I’ll tear them up.”

“We’ll pretend none of this happened, okay?” She forced a smile. 

Marcus was stunned. He had always wanted to make Vanessa leave Adrian but couldn't understand why she still stayed around but this was the first time he had ever seen her lower herself like this for anyone.

Adrian scoffed and carefully placed the signed papers in the folder. 

“Anything going on between you and Marcus. I don't care anymore and you can do whatever you want.” He casually said and walked towards the door.

Vanessa's heart dropped violently. 

“You can’t just leave like this!” Her voice trembled but this time it wasn't with the rage from before but something different. Panic. She realized this was real. 

Adrian at the door, his hand resting on the handle, but he didn’t turn around.

That single pause was enough to make Vanessa's heartbeat spiral out of control.

She realized now that this wasn’t one of their usual arguments. He wasn’t trying to coax her but was truly leaving.  

Panic flooded her chest completely and she hurried after him. He walked out and slammed the door in her face. 

He walked out of the company and glanced once at the towering building behind him. The same company he had once sacrificed everything to help build.

Outside the building, a black Rolls Royce remained parked silently by the curb. 

Emilia was sitting inside and the moment she saw him walking toward the car, she straightened up. 

The driver quickly stepped out and opened the door and Adrian slid beside her. 

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Emilia studied him quietly before she spoke up. “That was a pretty fast young master.” 

“…Did she sign it?” she finally asked. 

Adrian leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes briefly. “Yes.”

Outside, rain slowly began falling against the windows.

Adrian shut his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them the warmth in them was gone completely.

What remained was cold clarity. “Withdraw all aid and support to Lawson's group immediately.”

Emilia’s eyes flickered slightly.

He turned his head slightly toward the rain-covered window, voice low and emotionless.

“I don’t want a single shred of connection with that woman ever again.”