Chapter 10 Staying Together

• From the hotel to Sebastian's apartment, neither of them said a word. The atmosphere inside the car was also suffocating.
• At first, Adriana felt a little guilty, but soon, that feeling completely faded away. They weren’t a couple, and Sebastian had already turned down the marriage arrangement, so she was free to befriend whoever she wanted.
• Upon arriving at his apartment, she entered the living room and sat down calmly. The low pressure from the car had followed her into the living room, pressing down on her so hard that she could barely breathe.
• Realizing that she had truly angered Sebastian, Adriana quickly decided to save herself. "Young Master Kingsley?"
• Nothing had happened between her and Jack, and she had been alone in that room. If Sebastian didn’t believe her explanation, she might not live to see the sunrise tomorrow.
• In the five years she had been with him, she knew exactly how he dealt with those who had betrayed him. He was very ruthless with them.
• "Do you have a good relationship with him?" Sebastian slowly unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. The muscles in his arm flexed with the movement, almost tearing through the restraint of his sleeve.
• Adriana quickly averted her admiring gaze and shook her head obediently. "Not good. I only met him on the way down the hill and hitched a ride into the city. I had no money and nowhere to go, so he took the initiative to help me."
• "Nowhere to go?" Sebastian turned his head toward her. His cold eyes were like the depths of the ocean, capable of dragging someone's soul into a dark abyss.
• "En! I don’t have a key to your apartment either, so..." she replied softly as she watched his expression.
• Knowing that her explanation still couldn’t extinguish his anger, Adriana took a deep breath and stood up. She walked toward him, intending to coax him with her kiss.
• She rose on her tiptoes and brushed her lips lightly against his. Sebastian only stared at her expressionlessly, and in the next moment, his strong hand pressed against the back of her head, pulling her into his arms as he kissed her back fiercely.
• Adriana froze for a moment. She had only meant to give him a quick peck, but instead, she was kissed until she was breathless. When he finally pulled away, his voice was so cold it sent chills down her spine as he spoke against her lips. "Don’t do that again."
• After giving her a disdainful glance, he left the living room and headed upstairs.
• “Phew...” Adriana let out a long sigh and sank into the couch with relief, hugging a small cushion tightly against her chest.
• Sebastian was so different from her previous life. His temperament, the way he treated her— everything was different, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on what part of him had remained the same.
• Adriana sighed deeply again and closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept well at all last night, and now that she was lying on Sebastian’s comfortable and plush couch, a wave of drowsiness washed over her.
• After tossing and turning a few times, she finally fell asleep. She faintly heard the sound of footsteps, but no matter how hard she tried to wake herself up, she couldn’t. In the end, she gave up and allowed herself to continue sleeping.
• When she opened her eyes again, it was already 3 p.m. The entire apartment was so quiet that even the soft buzzing of a mosquito could be heard.
• Adriana got up from the couch and stretched her body lazily. It was already past lunchtime, and she was now feeling a little hungry. Rubbing her growling stomach, she made her way to the kitchen.
• Sebastian’s kitchen was spotless and clean, and even his fridge was fully stocked with cooking ingredients. Adriana tilted her head to the side in confusion.
• Sebastian wasn’t the type to cook; he always ate out or went to his grandmother’s for dinner. So why would he bother stocking up on all these ingredients?
• Adriana quickly slipped on an apron and began to boil the noodles. She decided to make a tomato and egg noodle soup. Fifteen minutes later, the wonderful aroma of the tomato stew filled the air.
• She took a deep breath of the delightful smell and smiled with satisfaction. As she ladled the noodles into her bowl, she suddenly heard Sebastian’s voice behind her. “Next time, add a bit more chili powder.”
• “Ugh...” She stared at him blankly, watching as he casually took the bowl from her and walked away.
• She hadn’t cooked the noodles for him, okay!
• Adriana sighed and cooked the noodles again. When she walked to the dining table with her bowl, Sebastian had already finished eating. Not a single drop of soup remained in his bowl.
• Adriana pretended not to notice him and pulled out a chair to sit down. She mixed her noodles and began to eat.
• Sebastian didn’t move, nor did he speak. He simply sat there, staring at her intently.
• "Young Master Kingsley?" Sensing the danger, Adriana began to break into a cold sweat. His gaze was like that of a hungry beast eyeing its prey. That expression was all too familiar to her.
• Couldn’t he just let her recover from what happened yesterday? Her waist still hadn’t healed!
• "Call me Sebastian." He stood up and walked around the table before calmly sitting next to her. "Are you going back tonight?"
• Adriana choked slightly when she saw him sitting beside her. Then, remembering his question, she guessed he was asking if she would be returning to the Hudson residence. She subconsciously bit her lip and shook her head. "No."
• After saying that, she seemed to think of something and looked at him with a slightly embarrassed expression. "Can I stay here with you tonight?"
• Sebastian had a slight obsession with cleanliness. He could be intimate with her, but he would never spend the night with her.
• This habit of his had never changed. Even Olivia didn’t have that privilege.
• When she thought about it, it was somewhat ironic. Both of them loved him dearly, yet this was the one thing that no one could win.
• In this life, she had no intention of chasing after him, nor loving him. The feeling of her heart being crushed and trampled on was enough for her to experience it once.
• After a moment, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Of course."