\u201cAdrian, I know you have a girlfriend, but there\u2019s something I\u00a0<\/p>\n
want to say again. Our two families know each other inside and\u00a0<\/p>\n
out, and our union would be the best choice for both our\u00a0<\/p>\n
families. I don\u2019t care who\u2019s in your heart right now; feelings can\u00a0<\/p>\n
be cultivated over time. I can even accept\u2026 you staying in\u00a0<\/p>\n
touch with her after we\u2019re married. As long as it doesn\u2019t go too\u00a0<\/p>\n
far, I won\u2019t interfere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She finished, feigning generosity, paused for a moment, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
then continued, \u201cThe resources and prospects that the Vance family and the Shaw family could gain by joining forces are far beyond what personal feelings can compare to. Are you sure\u00a0<\/p>\n
you won\u2019t reconsider?\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is the most rational choice, the one that best serves your\u00a0<\/p>\n
interests.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had lowered herself completely, even making an almost\u00a0<\/p>\n
humiliating concession.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She laid the practicality of the strategic marriage on the table,\u00a0<\/p>\n
trying to persuade him with pure rationality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 315\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian listened quietly, his face expressionless, only the gaze behind his glasses growing colder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Rosalind finished, he was silent for a few seconds before\u00a0<\/p>\n
he slowly began to speak, his voice clear and cold, every word carrying undeniable weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRosalind, first of all, there is no such thing as \u2018staying in touch\u2018\u00a0<\/p>\n
between my girlfriend and me. She is the woman I love, the only\u00a0<\/p>\n
person I want to spend my life with. There is no option for you\u00a0<\/p>\n
to \u2018accept\u2018 or \u2018interfere\u2018 with.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSecond.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused, a hint of mockery in his voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat you call \u2018rational\u2018 is a calculation based on maximizing\u00a0<\/p>\n
benefits, not my kind of rational. My rationality tells me that a\u00a0<\/p>\n
marriage without an emotional foundation, filled with\u00a0<\/p>\n
calculations and compromises, is the most irrational and\u00a0<\/p>\n
immoral thing of all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd finally.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice suddenly became extremely serious. \u201cPlease, respect\u00a0<\/p>\n
me and respect yourself. Don\u2019t make this kind of proposal that\u00a0<\/p>\n
insults both you and me again. My girlfriend and I have a\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 315\u00a0<\/p>\n
wonderful relationship, and I am not, nor will I ever, consider\u00a0<\/p>\n
any other possibility. I don\u2019t want to hear words like this again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The other end of the line fell into a long silence, with only the\u00a0<\/p>\n
sound of slightly ragged breathing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long while, Rosalind\u2019s voice came again, carrying a\u00a0<\/p>\n
barely perceptible tremor and\u2026 resentment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdrian, you\u2019ll regret this. Feelings are the most unreliable thing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The only thing that\u2019s real are the interests you can hold in your\u00a0<\/p>\n
hands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are your values, not mine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian said coldly, \u201cIf there\u2019s nothing else, I\u2019m hanging up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Standing in place, Adrian took a deep breath, suppressing the\u00a0<\/p>\n
irritation that the phone call had stirred up in him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He composed himself, making sure his usual gentle and calm\u00a0<\/p>\n
expression was back, before turning to walk back to Kevin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The little guy was still sitting there, quietly watching the deer in\u00a0<\/p>\n
the distance, seemingly undisturbed by his phone call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 315\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian walked over and sat down beside him again, as if that\u00a0<\/p>\n
unpleasant phone call had never happened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Shaw,\u201d Kevin turned his head and asked in a low voice, \u201care\u00a0<\/p>\n
you in some kind of trouble?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian was a little surprised; he hadn\u2019t expected the boy to be\u00a0<\/p>\n
so perceptive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smiled and gently shook his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo trouble.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just an\u2026 unimportant person, saying some unimportant\u00a0<\/p>\n
things.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is that so?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kevin tilted his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hmm, so adults lie too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The investigation on Gerry\u2019s end wasn\u2019t going smoothly. There were just too many people going in and out of the mall, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
investigating each person\u2019s connections was a massive\u00a0<\/p>\n
undertaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 315\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hours passed, but there was still no good news.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for Mrs. Miller, no news was the best news.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSir, Chase.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kirsten came over, carrying an insulated bucket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHave something to eat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick had called Kirsten to make the food. He had no\u00a0<\/p>\n
appetite, but he was worried Madeleine and Owen would go\u00a0<\/p>\n
hungry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine took it and walked over to Owen, who was sitting in\u00a0<\/p>\n
a daze nearby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, have something to eat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Owen shook his head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t have any appetite.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to eat. What if you collapse by the time Mrs. Miller wakes up?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without another word, Madeleine opened the insulated bucket,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and the aroma of food drifted out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 315\u00a0<\/p>\n
Owen sighed and had no choice but to take the fork and eat a\u00a0<\/p>\n
few bites.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as he finished, a nurse came out and called out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe patient is awake. Does the family want to come see her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They all stood up at once.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, Roderick also received a call from Gerry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Livingston, we found something!\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that time, Edward was there too!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs. Miller had just woken up and still looked very weak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash ` 315 \u201cAdrian, I know you have a girlfriend, but there\u2019s something […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}