Chapter 6
He thought she was pretentious?
Eva paused, then sneered inwardly a moment later.
"I am certainly not as understanding as your Vivian." The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Adrian was stunned, and so was Eva.
What... was she babbling about?
Eva secretly regretted her words, but Adrian suddenly lifted her chin, catching her off guard. She looked up and met his deep gaze.
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly, sharp as a hawk's.
"Are you jealous of her?"
Eva's brow twitched, and she anxiously tried to swat his hand away.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Eva felt inexplicably guilty and desperately tried to retract her hand. In her haste, she ended up falling backward onto the sofa.
And then she couldn't get up.
She had no strength.
Adrian stood there, his gaze complex as he looked at her for a few moments before saying, "Wait here."
He then went to the bathroom and returned with a plastic basin filled with water and a towel, placing them on the chair beside her.
Adrian soaked the fresh towel in the cold water, wrung it out, and began to wipe Eva down.
"What are you doing?"
Seeing him approach with the towel, Eva instinctively dodged.
Adrian gripped her shoulder, his handsome face frowning, "Don't move, I'm trying to cool you down."
Eva wanted to refuse, but as soon as the towel touched her skin, the icy sensation swept over her, making it impossible to say no.
Her body temperature was high, and it wouldn't be good if she didn't cool down.
It was just physical cooling...
With that thought, Eva let him continue.
Adrian wiped the sweat from her forehead, then her cheeks. As he continued, a thought crossed his mind, causing his thin lips to quirk up. In a soft voice, he murmured, "Eva, you've been giving me headaches since we were kids."
Eva's eyelid twitched at his words.
"What did you say?"
Adrian's eyes, deep and intense like black sapphires, let out a soft scoff, “Why pretend ignorance? This is the first time I've ever done this for someone. You, as always, remain quite uncooperative, causing me vexation."
As he spoke, Adrian's hand moved from her shoulder, pulling open her collar to reveal a patch of fair skin, and the wet towel ventured inside.
Eva's expression changed slightly, and she pressed down on his hand, "What are you doing?"
"I'm wiping inside," he replied with a righteous look.
Eva, both anxious and shy, pulled her collar back, "No. I can do it myself."
Adrian frowned at her actions.
"Why are you holding against me?"
His hand didn't move away, still holding the wet towel at her chest. From a certain angle, it looked as if he was caressing her body...
If someone else saw this, it would surely cause a misunderstanding.
"I'm not holding against you, I can do it myself."
Adrian continued to frown, staring at her with displeasure.
"Are you..."
Bang!
Before he could finish, a loud noise came from outside the door. Both Adrian and Eva looked over to see Vivian frantically picking up something she had dropped.
Adrian's hand froze, and after a moment, he withdrew it, his expression unreadable.
Eva lay there, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.
Vivian quickly picked up her things and walked in.
She smiled gently at Adrian and Eva, as if she hadn't seen anything just now.
“My apologies for the mishandling a moment ago. I hope I didn't startle you?"
Adrian's lips pressed together, as if he wanted to say something, but Vivian stepped forward and extended her hand. "Let me take over."
Adrian could only pass her the wet towel.
"You may leave this task to me, Adrian. Don’t worry; I shall take good care of Eva."
Hearing this, Adrian glanced at Eva, who lay there motionless, and then nodded.
He then left the room.
The door closed, and the room fell silent. After a while, Vivian washed the towel again and walked over to Eva.
"Eva, shall I help you wipe down?"
"How about calling a nurse? I don't want to trouble you," Eva suggested, feeling embarrassed to have Vivian help her.
Vivian smiled gently. "No trouble at all. Can a nurse be as attentive as I am? As long as you don't mind me seeing everything."
With the conversation at this point, Eva had no choice but to nod reluctantly.
After she agreed, Vivian leaned in and began unbuttoning her clothes.
To avoid awkwardness, Eva closed her eyes and didn't notice Vivian's scrutinizing gaze as she undid the buttons.
Vivian pressed her lips together, her expression not exactly pleasant.
If she hadn't seen wrong earlier, Adrian had been holding a wet towel, intending to wipe Eva down, right?
He had even pulled down her collar.
When had their relationship become so intimate?
Could it be that during her time abroad, something had happened that she was unaware of?
Vivian's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a sense of unease creeping into her heart.
She had to admit, Eva had a great figure—ample breasts and tender skin. Even as a woman, Vivian had to acknowledge the allure this body held for men.
Vivian bit her lower lip lightly and said softly, "Actually, over these years, I need to thank you."
Eva opened her eyes, meeting Vivian's beautiful eyes.
"Thank me?"
Vivian nodded. "Yes, although on the surface, it seems like the fake marriage helped you through a tough time, I know that over the past two years, your status has shielded Adrian from many romantic advances. Hence, I wish to extend my gratitude to you. Otherwise, if I came back to find him surrounded by a bunch of admirers, it would be quite troublesome for me."
Eva was taken aback by her words.
She wasn't stupid; she could hear the underlying message in Vivian's words.
Vivian first expressed her gratitude, then emphasized that Adrian and Eva's marriage was fake, subtly warning her not to harbor any illusions.
Eva pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Vivian continued to wipe her down for a while longer, then buttoned her clothes back up, helped her sit up, and considerately poured her a glass of water. "Have some water."
Eva drank, finally soothing her throat.
She looked up at Vivian and conveyed what she had been meaning to say.
"Actually, you don't need to worry about Adrian having any feelings for me. The place by his side is always reserved for you. After all, you are his savior, a benefactor unmatched by any other. You have also been kind to me, and I won't forget your kindness."