Inside the car, Adrian's gaze drifted toward her.
Riley snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh," she muttered, climbing in—but the bright enthusiasm from earlier was gone. She slumped into her seat, visibly deflated.
Adrian frowned.
Did I say something wrong?
Did I upset her?
But… I've always been like this.
Riley was sulking. Adrian had his own thoughts weighing on him. Neither spoke. The atmosphere in the car quickly turned tense.
Up front, Derek felt his scalp prickle.
What now? Weren't we just fine a second ago?
Meanwhile, the "culprit" sat in the back, completely unaware, quietly regretting her earlier behavior and trying to figure out how to fix it.
Adrian's frown deepened.
She really did look upset.
He couldn't understand it.
He'd dealt with women before—but none who changed moods this fast.
No warning. No logic.
No solution.
Riley sniffed, shook off her thoughts, and suddenly realized—
Why did the car feel so cold?
She wrinkled her nose, annoyed. "Derek, it's freezing. Turn up the air conditioning."
Derek nearly jumped.
This has nothing to do with the AC…
Still, he obediently adjusted the temperature.
Riley glanced at Adrian, who sat there like an ice sculpture, silent and distant. She shivered again.
She couldn't stand this kind of atmosphere.
"Hubby," she finally said, trying to break the tension, "didn't you say your trip would take a week? Why are you back so soon?"
A flicker passed through his eyes, but his expression stayed calm. "I've finished my work early."
The truth was… even he didn't know why he'd rushed back.
There was still work left in Malacca, but it could be handled remotely.
So he came back.
Riley nodded, about to respond—
When suddenly, a car shot out from an intersection.
The driver jerked the wheel.
Riley lost her balance. Momentum sent her lunging toward Adrian—
At the last second, she grabbed the back of the front seat, spun neatly, and landed back in place.
Crisis avoided.
That was close.
She exhaled, secretly pleased with herself.
Almost crashed into my future source of income.
Beside her, Adrian's breathing had noticeably changed. His face darkened as he slowly lowered the hand he had half-raised.
His voice turned cold.
"Tomorrow, we're going to the Yates Estate. Get ready."
Riley blinked.
Wait… what?
Meeting the family?
As if confirming her thoughts, Adrian added, "My Grandpa wants to see you."
"Okay." She nearly cried.
I'm supposed to play a fool in front of the whole family too?
This is torture.
Adrian seemed to notice her unease. His tone softened slightly.
"Don't worry. You don't have to do anything. Just stay with me. I'll handle the rest."
Riley barely reacted, giving a distracted "Mm."
***
Early the next morning, Martha dragged Riley out of bed.
She was bathed, dressed, styled—then lectured extensively on etiquette, rules, and what to do and not do at the Yates Estate.
Riley's head spun.
So many rules… I'm going to die.
Once everything was done, she left with Adrian.
Today, he wore a black suit, as always.
His dark hair fell effortlessly, giving him a lazy elegance that clashed with his sharp, cold features. If not for that constant icy expression, he could easily pass as a rising star in the entertainment industry.