Chapter 322\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As if she had been waiting for those exact words, Rosalind\u00a0<\/p>\n
smiled, nodded, and walked into the house.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca asked tentatively, \u201cAre you Adrian\u2019s colleague?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOr a student?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s never mentioned you before.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosalind turned back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNever mentioned me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, that makes sense. After all, Adrian never even told you his\u00a0<\/p>\n
real identity, did he, Rebecca?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s heart sank, as if she\u2019d been hit by something out of\u00a0<\/p>\n
nowhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Real identity?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words echoed, buzzing in her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 322\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked at the woman in front of her, who called herself\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosalind; the perfectly crafted smile on her face now seemed\u00a0<\/p>\n
particularly jarring, carrying a sense of smug superiority, as if\u00a0<\/p>\n
she knew everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca didn\u2019t answer right away. She just watched Rosalind\u00a0<\/p>\n
quietly, trying to find more information, or any crack in her\u00a0<\/p>\n
composure, on that delicate face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Rosalind just calmly met her gaze, the hint of contempt in\u00a0<\/p>\n
her eyes no longer hidden, mixed with a look of something\u00a0<\/p>\n
close to pity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean by that, Rosalind?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca heard her own voice, surprisingly calm, even a little\u00a0<\/p>\n
cold. \u201cI don\u2019t quite understand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosalind let out a soft laugh, a pleasant sound, but it was like\u00a0<\/p>\n
ice beads hitting the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She took an elegant half\u2013step across the living room, her gaze\u00a0<\/p>\n
sweeping over the simple yet cozy decor, a flicker of\u00a0<\/p>\n
indescribable complexity in her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 322\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means the Adrian you know might not be the whole person.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosalind turned and faced Rebecca again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHis identity as Professor Shaw is real, of course, but it\u2019s just\u00a0<\/p>\n
the side he chose to show you. He didn\u2019t tell you his father is\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradford Shaw, did he?\u00a0<\/p>\n
And he didn\u2019t tell you that for a family like his, nothing personal,\u00a0<\/p>\n
including marriage, can ever be just a personal matter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradford?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s breath caught in her throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That name often appeared in the local news. He was a high-\u00a0<\/p>\n
ranking official with a very positive public image.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had never connected Adrian with that name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was gentle, refined, and devoted to his academic work. He lived in this university\u2013provided apartment, his life so simple it\u00a0<\/p>\n
was almost low\u2013key.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There wasn\u2019t a trace of the usual air of a scion of a political\u00a0<\/p>\n
family about him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, Rosalind\u2019s tone, her expression, that certainty and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 322\u00a0<\/p>\n
insider knowledge, didn\u2019t seem to come from nowhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This kind of family background did indeed better explain the\u00a0<\/p>\n
hints of \u201chaving no choice\u201d and \u201creal identity\u201d in her words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou seem to be particularly interested in other people\u2019s family\u00a0<\/p>\n
matters, Rosalind.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca suppressed the storm raging inside her, trying her best\u00a0<\/p>\n
not to let her emotions show on her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t lose her composure in front of a sudden stranger,\u00a0<\/p>\n
especially one who clearly meant her no good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cInterested?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosalind caught the word, the curve of her lips taking on a\u00a0<\/p>\n
meaningful arch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, some circles are very small, and some relationships are deeply intertwined. Adrian and I grew up together in the same exclusive government compound. Our fathers have been colleagues and good friends for years. Some paths are planned and expected long in advance, and they don\u2019t allow for\u00a0<\/p>\n
unplanned\u2026 deviations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She paused, her gaze landing on Rebecca with physical weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 322\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the look you give a person, but more like you\u2019re\u00a0<\/p>\n
appraising an out\u2013of\u2013place piece of furniture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t come here with any ill intent. I just thought there were\u00a0<\/p>\n
some things you should probably know. It seems\u2026 he\u2019s really built himself a very comfortable \u2018safe harbor\u2018 here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The implication in her words was barely concealed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was she asserting some kind of privilege, or reminding\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca that her relationship was as fragile as a sandcastle?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca felt a chill run through her, but she straightened her\u00a0<\/p>\n
spine even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was about to speak when the faint sound of the elevator\u00a0<\/p>\n
came, followed by familiar footsteps in the hallway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rosalind obviously heard it too, her expression subtly changing\u00a0<\/p>\n
in an instant. The sharp scrutiny and contempt quickly\u00a0<\/p>\n
disappeared, replaced by a proper, even gentle smile, but her\u00a0<\/p>\n
look toward Rebecca now held a faint, almost imperceptible\u00a0<\/p>\n
provocation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A key turned in the lock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, I\u2019m home. The elevator was right on B1, so it didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 322\u00a0<\/p>\n
take long\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian pushed the door open, his voice trailing off as he saw\u00a0<\/p>\n
the other person in the living room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The relaxed smile on his face froze instantly. His brow furrowed\u00a0<\/p>\n
instinctively, his eyes filled with unconcealed surprise and a\u00a0<\/p>\n
fleeting, extremely rare flash of severity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRosalind?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian\u2019s voice was low, laced with a cold, hard inquiry. \u201cHow did\u00a0<\/p>\n
you find this place?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His first reaction was to glance quickly at Rebecca, his\u00a0<\/p>\n
expression urgent and complex, filled with worry and an\u00a0<\/p>\n
impulse to explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 323\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 ` 322 Chapter 322\u00a0 \u201cCome in.\u201d\u00a0 As if she had been waiting […]<\/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-29619","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\/29619","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=29619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29619\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}