Chapter 327\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice was muffled, but you could hear the smile in it,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, Professor Shaw, for keeping something this big from\u00a0<\/p>\n
me\u2026 you\u2019re not getting off scot\u2013free.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing the playfulness in her voice, Adrian felt a weight lift\u00a0<\/p>\n
from his chest. He chuckled softly and played along, asking,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh?\u00a0<\/p>\n
How do you plan to punish me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll save it for later.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two of them walked hand in hand for a while longer before\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca finally spoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still haven\u2019t asked me what was in that box I received at\u00a0<\/p>\n
the banquet.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian looked at him, his eyes full of trust.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll tell me even if I don\u2019t ask, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 327\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca thought for a moment, tilting her head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you free the day after tomorrow?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For her, he was always free.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca smiled. \u201cThen come with me somewhere the day after\u00a0<\/p>\n
tomorrow, and I\u2019ll tell you then.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The day after tomorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Leo\u2019s death anniversary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She needed to be clear with Adrian, and she needed to be clear\u00a0<\/p>\n
with this chaotic part of her past.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next afternoon, at The Sovereign Club.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The salon\u2019s atmosphere was elegant and private, more like a\u00a0<\/p>\n
top\u2013tier private academic exchange.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soft light shone on the precious artworks in glass display\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 327\u00a0<\/p>\n
cases, while well\u2013dressed guests held champagne, talking in\u00a0<\/p>\n
low voices, their gazes filled with appreciation and admiration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The air was filled with a unique blend of erudition and wealth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward was undoubtedly the most dazzling person in the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was wearing a well\u2013fitted dark gray suit, his posture relaxed\u00a0<\/p>\n
and elegant, accompanying several key bank directors and\u00a0<\/p>\n
internationally renowned art appraisers, speaking in front of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
central display case.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was engrossed in conversation until he noticed everyone\u00a0<\/p>\n
around him turn to look at Roderick entering, and only then did\u00a0<\/p>\n
he stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s words faltered slightly, the composed smile on his\u00a0<\/p>\n
face didn\u2019t fade, but a flicker of displeasure and vigilance\u00a0<\/p>\n
flashed deep in his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s arrival was like a piece of ice suddenly dropped into\u00a0<\/p>\n
a calm lake, instantly shattering the harmonious and gentle\u00a0<\/p>\n
atmosphere of the venue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick wasn\u2019t deliberately conspicuous; he simply strolled in,\u00a0<\/p>\n
his sharply tailored black suit a stark contrast to the soft tones\u00a0<\/p>\n
of the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 327\u00a0<\/p>\n
His expression was cold, his gaze sharp as a torch. He didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
look around, yet it was as if he had already seen everything,\u00a0<\/p>\n
walking precisely toward the inner circle where Edward and the\u00a0<\/p>\n
bankers stood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wherever he passed, conversations involuntarily quieted down,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and an invisible pressure spread through the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Livingston?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward was the first to speak, his tone maintaining the perfect\u00a0<\/p>\n
amount of surprise and courtesy. \u201cWhat a pleasant surprise. I\u00a0<\/p>\n
didn\u2019t expect you\u2019d be interested in this kind of salon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was trying to regain control of the rhythm, defining\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s appearance as a surprise rather than a disruption.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick stopped in front of them, first giving a slight nod to\u00a0<\/p>\n
the puzzled bankers. His manners were impeccable, yet carried\u00a0<\/p>\n
a detached authority.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, he turned his gaze to Edward, his eyes calm and\u00a0<\/p>\n
unrippled, as if looking at an ordinary object.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot particularly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s voice was low and steady, betraying no emotion. \u201cI\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 327\u00a0<\/p>\n
was just passing by and remembered that Aitana Wilson\u00a0<\/p>\n
seemed to have some interest in collecting Nordic\u00a0<\/p>\n
contemporary art.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned his gaze to Aitana. \u201cA private museum is currently\u00a0<\/p>\n
negotiating a touring exhibition of some smaller works by\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vermeer and Munch. I have some connections with the\u00a0<\/p>\n
organizers. If you\u2019re interested, Aitana, perhaps a private, non-\u00a0<\/p>\n
public viewing could be arranged beforehand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aitana\u2019s eyes instantly lit up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vermeer and Munch!\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was far more appealing than what was in front of them,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and it was a private tour\u2013a rare opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With these words, Roderick directly catered to her interests,\u00a0<\/p>\n
showcasing a deeper and more elite network of resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had nonchalantly outshone the \u201chigh\u2013end\u201d atmosphere\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward had just created.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The smile on Edward\u2019s face faded a little.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick wasn\u2019t here to talk about art at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 327\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was clearly here to hijack things!\u00a0<\/p>\n
The smile on Edward\u2019s face was about to break.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tightness in his chest grew heavier, as if an invisible hand\u00a0<\/p>\n
was squeezing it, making it hard to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s very presence felt like a negation, making his prized confidence and abilities seem like child\u2019s play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time he tried to steer the conversation toward the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Southside Development Project and investments, Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
would seamlessly take over, shifting to anecdotes about some\u00a0<\/p>\n
banker\u2019s private collection or the movements of an international\u00a0<\/p>\n
art fund.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His words were substantive, packed with information, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
completely dominated the direction of the conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He, Edward, had actually become Roderick\u2019s supporting act!\u00a0<\/p>\n
This feeling was even harder for him to bear than outright\u00a0<\/p>\n
failure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Excuse me for a moment.\u201d\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 ` 327 Chapter 327\u00a0 Her voice was muffled, but you could hear […]<\/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-29624","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\/29624","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=29624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29624\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}