Blessed with the Trio - the Bad CEO Husband Who Melts My Heart Free Preview

"Babe…"

A coarse and charming male voice sounded in Cathy Shaw's ear.

…

Cathy was startled awake. Her forehead was covered in a cold sweat.

Her cheeks felt unusually warm to her touch. It has been five years. Why am I still having this dream?

She got up and went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. The cool water cleared her mind instantly.

Then, she took her glass and went downstairs to get some water.

"No, I don't want to! I will never marry that ugly old man!"

"Everyone knows that Adrian Bolton is old and ugly. No woman in this city would ever want to marry him!"

"I heard that his mind turned twisted after he disfigured his face in a fire about five years ago. Furthermore, it is rumored that he killed two women! I will not marry him!"

A woman's sharp tone sounded from the living room. "Moreover, if someone has to marry him, it should be Cathy! After all, she is no longer a virgin and has even given birth! She is experienced, so it's fine to marry her off to that old pervert!"

"Ember!"

Dorian Shaw scolded, "Cathy is your elder sister!"

Ember gritted her teeth and sobbed, "Dad, I'm your biological daughter. Cathy is just a girl you accidentally brought back instead of me. I lived eighteen years in poverty, in her place! Now, I have finally found my way back to the Shaw family and built my career. You can't force me to marry someone!"

"Yes, she's right."

Marion Staller quickly defended Ember. "Ember has made a name for herself in the business world and is the pride of our family. How can we sacrifice her?"

"Furthermore, we have sheltered Cathy for twenty-three years. It's time for her to repay us."

Ember, Dorian, and Marion all turned to look at Cathy who was coming down from upstairs.

Cathy's knuckles turned pale as she gripped the glass tightly.

She understood what was going on.

They wanted to have a marriage alliance with the Bolton family but were unwilling to sacrifice Ember. Therefore, they planned to send her there instead.

She took a deep breath. Once she was downstairs, she extended her hand as if to ask something from Dorian and said, "I want a contract."

Dorian looked at her in confusion. "What contract?"

"There should be a contract saying that my debt will be paid once I marry that man from the Bolton family. Otherwise, I won't have a guarantee that you won't later use this debt to make me commit a crime for you."

Dorian was stunned. Behind him, Ember and Marion were stunned too.

"Are you not going to write a contract?"

Cathy took a pen and a piece of paper. Then, she wrote a few sentences before signing her name. "That's enough. All of you can stop acting. I will marry him."

After that, she went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water before heading back upstairs.

Ember rushed to get the piece of paper after Cathy left.

Cathy had written the following words on the paper:

Cathy Shaw shall marry on behalf of Ember and repay the Shaw family in full for their upbringing for twenty-three years.

Ember found it hard to believe that Cathy would agree to marry so easily.

She watched as Cathy walked up the stairs and mumbled, "Mom, has Cathy gone crazy? She agreed to marry without a protest. Does she not want her boyfriend anymore?"

Marion quickly covered Ember's mouth and glanced toward Cathy. She feared that Cathy would change her mind.

But Cathy had heard everything.

She smiled bitterly. Two days ago, she did have a boyfriend whom she had been with for the past six years. She was willing to do anything for him.

Now, not anymore.

Therefore, she did not care who she married. It only meant a change of lifestyle.

…

Three days later, Cathy went to the Bolton residence.

Strangely, they did not accept her immediately but asked her to stay in the Bolton's villa temporarily until Adrian makes a decision.

In other words, even if no woman in the whole of Ryzan wanted to marry Adrian, he would still not simply accept anyone.

Dorian had ordered Cathy to please Adrian so that he would marry her. They needed him to channel funds into Shaw Group.

It was now night.

Cathy sat in the bedroom quietly, waiting for the man to appear.

"Clap!" A noise sounded out of nowhere. Instantly, all the lights went out in the villa, plunging it into darkness.

Cathy could not stop herself from shivering.

She was scared of the dark!

Ever since that night five years ago, she could not remain in the dark alone. She needed a small lamp by her bed to fall asleep.

She was now in an unfamiliar place. Therefore, she could not help but panic.

She hugged her knees and shivered.

She was too caught up in fear to notice that someone had opened the door.

Suddenly, something touched her feet and covered her hand.

Then, something sticky and cold rubbed her hand.

Cathy's face instantly turned pale, and her heart stilled from fright.

She screamed and retreated quickly until her back collided with a cold and hard wall. It hurt so much that she nearly fainted.

However, the unknown creature continued to crawl toward her in the darkness.

Then, it spoke with a hoarse voice. "Darling, my dear wife… It's me, your husband…"

Suddenly, the lights came back on again and lit the whole room.

Cathy finally had a clear look at the creature before her.

It was a man with a terrifying face!

Perhaps, it could not be called a man…

His body was stooped like a dwarf. His limbs were lumps of black. It was hard to tell where the joints were.

He was clad in a bathrobe as he lay on the side of the bed, staring at her with eyes as black as a bottomless pit.

Furthermore, his face…

It no longer seemed like a face. Scars criss-crossed his face, and his features were deformed. He looked like a demon from hell!

"Ah!"

Even though Cathy had mentally prepared herself to face him, she could stop screaming at this inhuman creature before her.

The man chuckled and said, "Darling, why are you screaming? Are you scared of me?"

"But you agreed to marry me…"

Cathy was on the verge of losing her mind.

She jumped off the bed in fright and ran out instinctively. She did not dare to look at the man again.

While running away in terror, Cathy knocked over and shattered a vase in the corridor. She did not even notice that her leg was bleeding from a cut by the vase fragment.

"Hahaha…"

The man in the bathrobe watched Cathy disappearing down the corridor. Then, he took off his gloves and mask, revealing a smooth and chubby face. It turned out to be a boy. "How can she even dream of being our mom? She's a coward!"

Then, he climbed off the bed and ran excitedly to a small study. "I did it again!, I scared off another one!"

"Oh." answered a boy who looked just like him. He did not bother to look up from his book.

The boy who scared Cathy was unhappy with his elder brother's reaction. He sat on a chair and scolded, "Can you show some concern for daddy? He hates women, but grandpa keeps arranging fiancées for him. That woman is the third one."

The other boy arched his eyebrows slightly. His expression seemed much more mature than what was expected of his young age. "I see."

The boy who scared Cathy was rendered speechless.

My brother has a high IQ, but he always behaves coldly toward everyone. Like daddy, he is always reading. He is a bore!

He pursed his lips and ran to the large study on the third floor. Then, he entered it and said, "Mr. Adrian Bolton, your third fiancée is a coward too!"

The study was brightly lit.

A man in a clean white shirt sat at the main seat, exuding a dominant and masculine aura.

He was reading a document. One could see that he had well-formed and elegant facial features.

After he finished reading a page, he said in an indifferent tone, "Tell Shaw Group to return the money we gave them tomorrow."

The butler bowed slightly and answered, "Yes, sir."

After that, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sir, please allow me to say something. I think this Ms. Shaw… Is different from the one from two years ago."

It was the butler who had met Cathy when she arrived in the morning.

She had a pleasant face and beautiful eyes. One could instantly see that she did not harbor ill intentions. Therefore, he found her likable.

She did not speak much except to ask a few questions about Master Adrian's preferences.

Furthermore, she did not seem to care what the rumors said.

The two young boys worked together to create rumors about Adrian's hideous appearance, and the death of his two previous fiancés. It was hard to find a woman like Cathy, who was not scared and was willing to try her best to please him.

The butler felt that it would be a shame to let her go.

However, the man seated at the desk did not think the same way. "She couldn't even pass a simple test. There is no point keeping her."

The butler did not know what to say.

Sir, are you sure that was a simple test?

Even I, a fifty-year-old man, am terrified whenever I see Abner's disguise. It is understandable that a twenty-something young lady would be scared!

The butler sighed. If this goes on, how is he ever going to find a bride?

The butler looked worried.

At this moment, the doorbell sounded downstairs.

Cathy shivered as she pressed the doorbell.

She had run as far as she could.

She was already scared of the dark. Therefore, she panicked when the hideous monster appeared when the lights turned on.

However, once her terror receded, she realized that she shouldn't have run.

Furthermore, she had known that Adrian was a twisted and disfigured person.

Since she agreed to marry him, she should fulfill her promise and not run away.

Therefore, after long consideration, she decided to return to the Boltons' villa.

Her face was pale as she pressed the doorbell. She could not stop her heart from beating wildly within her chest.

She was afraid of seeing that hideous man again.

However, she knew that she had to overcome her fear because she would be living with him for the rest of her life.

After a while, someone came to open the door.

To her surprise, it was not Adrian or the butler. Instead, it was a handsome five-year-old boy with a serious expression.

If this was not the only villa around, Cathy would have thought that she had gone to the wrong one.

The boy glanced at Cathy before turning back to the living room and pointing to a couch, indicating that she should sit.

Cathy pursed her lips. Although she did not know who this boy was, she knew he did not have ill intentions.

Thus, she walked awkwardly to the couch and sat down. The boy poured her a glass of warm water.

"Thank you."

She accepted the glass of water and began to calm down.

The boy glanced at her but did not say anything. He went to a shelf and began to search for something.

"Wow!"

The boy who scared Cathy widened his eyes in surprise as he stood by the handrail on the second floor. He watched the scene unfold below and said, "She came back."

"Daddy, should I scare her again?"

Meanwhile, a tall and intimidating man stood in a dark corner. He frowned as he looked at the young woman hugging herself and saw his son holding a first aid box. "No."

Everyone knew that Adrian became cruel and bad-tempered after a fire disfigured his face five years ago. He had two twin boys after that incident.

His eldest son, Arius, was a quiet boy. On the other hand, his younger son, Abner, was mischievous.

At this moment, the usually indifferent Arius was looking for medicine for Cathy.

"Ah!"

Cathy suddenly realized she had a wound on her calf when cool antiseptic-soaked cotton touched the wound. She had ran in a panic and did not notice when she hurt herself.

She looked down and watched the boy holding a bottle of antiseptic while carefully disinfecting her wound.

The light from the glass chandelier shone on his long lashes, casting small shadows on his face.

Even though he was young, he cleaned her wound with utmost care.

Cathy was touched by his care, so she asked gently, "Hi, what is your name?"

"Do you live here?"

After cleaning her wound, the boy put a plaster over it.

"Arius."

After he had finished everything, he glanced at Cathy and said, "That's my name."

Cathy looked at his adorable face and small hands. She could not resist reaching out to touch him, but the boy dodged her easily.

He walked to the couch opposite hers and climbed onto it.

His clear eyes seemed mature beyond his young age. He looked at her and asked, "Why did you come back?"

Why did I come back?

Cathy smiled and said, "This villa will be my home from now on."

"I will be marrying Mr. Adrian Bolton, so I had to come back."

Arius looked down at his well-formed fingers and asked, "Are you not scared?"

Cathy was stunned for a moment and wondered how he knew so much.

Still, she answered frankly, "I'm scared, but I don't have a choice."

"I agreed to marry him, so I can't go back on my words."

She was not one to run away from challenges. Furthermore, if she messed things up this time, the Bolton family would refuse to transfer funds to Dorian. Then, her life would be hell.

"No… No matter how ugly and scary Adrian Bolton is, I will do my best to overcome my fear and be a good wife to him."

I don't know why I'm saying all these to a boy whom I just met. He probably doesn't even understand what I said.

But in this unfamiliar place, this little boy is the only person that I can talk to.

"He is not ugly."

Arius looked up at her with sincerity in his gaze. "So, don't worry."

Cathy did not know what to say.

How can he say Adrian is not ugly?

I just saw him!

Arius is still a child. Perhaps Adrian does not dare to reveal his true face to him.

Then, she took a deep breath and smiled. "Are you hungry? Would you like me to cook you something tasty?"

Cathy did not have any special talents other than the ability to cook tasty food.

She wanted to thank this handsome and kind little boy. The only thing she could think of was to cook something tasty for him.

Arius glanced at the time and said calmly, "You have thirty minutes.

Cathy was stunned.

"I can't eat after eight o'clock. It is now seven-thirty."

Cathy rushed into the kitchen.

The kitchen was clean and tidy. Although it did not have much food, it had all the necessary ingredients.

Meanwhile, a man and a boy were surprised to see Cathy working busily in the kitchen.

"Daddy, what is she up to?"

Abner sprawled near the handrail and pursed his lips. "Is she planning to cook something to curry favor with Arius? That's impossible."

"Arius is a really picky eater."

Meanwhile, Adrian kept looking at Cathy.

Somehow, she seemed familiar to him.

Cathy worked busily in the kitchen for a while. She made an omelet and a few jacket potatoes. Then, she brought them to the dining table and said, "Arius, it's time to eat!"

Arius looked at the time. There were still around fifteen minutes left.

He jumped off the couch and walked elegantly to the dining table to have a seat.

Upstairs, Abner wiped saliva from the corner of his mouth and snorted, "Although it smells nice, I can see that they are not tasty."

"It's delicious."

Arius took a bite of each dish and complimented them. It seemed as if he had heard Abner's comment.

Cathy smiled happily and said, "Since you like it, I will cook more food for you in the future."

After that, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, why are you here this late at night? Where are your parents?"

"Are you a son of Mr. Adrian's friend?"

She had not heard any mentions of Adrian having children.

Arius frowned and nodded. "You can say that."

"Ah, I see."

Cathy nodded and said, "Although Mr. Adrian looks a little ugly, he seems like a kind person."

Adrian lets his friend's son stay in his house freely. It shows that he is not as violent as the rumors say.

"He is not ugly."

Arius reminded Cathy as he took another bite of the omelet.

Upstairs, Aidan looked at Abner salivating. His gaze seemed to indicate that Abner should emulate Arius' behavior.

Arius always appeared elegant and mature. On the other hand, Abner did not hesitate to show everyone how weird he was.

Abner pursed his lips and appeared indignant. "I don't want a strange woman to be my mother."

Adrian frowned slightly as he turned around to leave.

It was ten minutes past eight when Arius finished eating.

He ate slowly and attentively.

In the end, he placed two uneaten jacket potatoes on a small plate. He took the small plate with him as he turned around to head upstairs. "You should go to sleep soon."

Once he reached the top of the staircase, he glanced at Cathy standing uncertainly on her spot and said calmly, "Don't worry."

"I will protect you from now on."

Although he was a small boy, he had an air of authority. When he gazed at her, Cathy could see the determination that was unlike a five-year-old child.

She was stunned for a moment.

She did not know whether she should laugh or cry as she watched his small figure disappear from her line of sight.

Even if I can't adjust to this environment, it doesn't seem right for a small child like him to protect me.

Then, Cathy went to clean up the kitchen and the dining room. After she finished cleaning, she did not dare to return to that frightening bedroom.

In the end, she sighed and lay on the couch. She covered herself with her jacket and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Arius entered the children's bedroom upstairs.

Arius placed the plate of jacket potatoes at the head of Abner's bed.

However, Abner sat facing the wall and refused to look at Arius. "I won't eat them."

"Sure."

Arius took the plate of jacket potatoes to his bed.

Abner was rendered speechless.

He pursed his lips and mumbled, "Didn't we agree to work together and stop that strange woman from becoming our mother?"

"How could you betray us so soon?"

Arius went to his bed and glanced at Abner's back. "Her food is tasty."

"No matter how tasty her food is, she is still not our mother!"

Abner scratched the wallpapers with his fingers. "I want my real mommy!"

Arius sighed as he lay on the bed. He looked up at the ceiling and said softly, "But our real mommy is dead."

He was more mature than Abner and understood that his real mother could never return.

Daddy should not remain single forever.

Furthermore, the lady downstairs seems alright.

"She is not dead."

Abner clenched his fists. "Mommy is still alive. She is waiting for us to find her!"

Arius closed his eyes and ignored him.

Soon, the children's room became quiet, but the fragrance of the jacket potatoes hung in the air.

In the end, Abner got down from his bed and tip-toed carefully to Arius's bed. He grabbed a piece of jacket potato and took a bite.

His eyes brightened the moment he tasted it.

It's delicious!

It tastes so much better than what the servants made.

"Remember to send the plate downstairs."

Arius' childish voice sounded as Abner ate the second piece of jacket potatoes. "Also, you are not allowed to scare her anymore."

"I will protect her."

For a moment, Abner did not know what to say.

Then, he pursed his lips and said, "Arius, you're not usually like this."

Arius had never cared about my pranks. Why is he protecting that lady now?

Is it because she made tasty food?

With this thought, Abner bit on the jacket potato fiercely.

He could not deny that it was delicious.

After finishing the jacket potatoes, Abner brought the plate downstairs.

When he came to the living room, he saw a lady sleeping on the couch.

She had curled herself up on the couch but was shivering slightly.

He came near and stopped to look at her face.

She is pretty and has good cooking skills.

If only she were my real mother…

Cathy vaguely sensed someone watching her as she slept.

She opened her eyes suddenly and saw Abner standing before her.

He held a plate and stared at her.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and said, "It's you… Are you still hungry?"

Why is he staring at me while holding a plate?

Abner pursed his lips. He knew that she had mistaken him for Arius, but he still nodded. "Yes."

He did feel a little hungry.

Cathy looked at Abner's adorable face and felt her heart melt from his cuteness. She pinched his cheek and said, "I'll cook something for you."

With that, she headed to the kitchen and wondered to herself. Didn't he say that he doesn't eat after eight o'clock?

Furthermore, I made quite a lot of food just now…

Cathy cooked up a few simple dishes suitable for children.

Abner finished everything.

Cathy was stunned.

Isn't this boy's appetite a little too much?

He even asked for seconds.

Once Abner finished eating, Cathy could not help but say, "Arius, don't you think that your appetite is too big?"

Abner was surprised by her question, but he chuckled mischievously and said, "Yes, I can eat a lot."

He raised two fingers and said, "Whenever you cook anything nice, make sure to prepare two portions for me!'

Then, he thought for a moment and realized that Arius could leave him with food he doesn't like. Therefore, he said, "Furthermore, both portions must be exactly the same!"

Cathy was surprised by his request, but she still nodded and cleared the plates. "I understand. You are a growing child, so you need to eat a lot."

After that, she took out a gift she had prepared for Adrian and gave it to Abner. It was a box of cookies she had made. "You can have this."

She smiled and patted his head. "You have to grow big and strong."

Abner blushed and ran upstairs with the cookies.

Then, Cathy finally breathed a sigh of relief and went back to the couch to continue sleeping.

In a room on the upper floor of the villa.

An expensive phone vibrated twice on the table.

It prompted a man to reach for the phone and turn on the screen.

It was a message from Arius. "She has passed the test."

Abner had also sent him a voice message. He was munching on cookies as he said, "I'll let her pass for now. Although I don't like her, she cooked really tasty food. I have to compromise for the sake of my stomach."

The man put down the phone and tapped his fingers on the study table. "Make the necessary arrangements. We shall register it tomorrow."

The butler woke Cathy up early in the morning.

She had met him yesterday, and he seemed like a kind person.

At this moment, he was holding a set of formal ladies' wear and asked, "Madam, why are you sleeping here?"

"You should wake up and get dressed quickly. A marriage officiant will be here soon!"

Cathy rubbed her brow. She did not sleep well last night, so she was still in a daze.

She frowned and looked at the butler with a confused expression. "A marriage officiant?"

"Yes!"

The butler smiled at her and said, "Congratulations on passing the test. Mr. Bolton wants to register the marriage today. From today on, you shall be the lady of this house."

Cathy instantly became alert.

The news was too sudden.

She looked at the butler in shock and asked, "Are you sure that Mr. Bolton wants to marry me?"

She ran away in panic when she met him last night.

Therefore, she couldn't understand why he wanted to marry her.

"That's right, madam. Please don't be alarmed. Master Adrian has considered the marriage fully."

Cathy did not know what to say.

She did not believe that Adrian had given that much consideration to marrying her.

We had only met for a moment last night. How could he decide to marry me so soon!

No matter what, it is good news that Adrian is willing to marry me.

I can finally get the Shaw family off my back.

Even though Adrian is scary, I will finally have a home.

Since Ember returned to the Shaw residence five years ago, that place ceased to be home.

The marriage officiant arrived after she finished changing her clothes.

Then, the marriage officiant and his assistant asked Cathy to stand in the living room to take a photo. After she signed the marriage certificate, the butler brought the marriage officiant and his assistant upstairs.

The three of them soon returned downstairs again and gave Cathy a marriage certificate. "Congratulations! You are now Mrs. Bolton."

The female assistant held Cathy's hands enviously and said, "Congratulations, madam! You found a handsome husband."

Cathy furrowed her brow.

A handsome husband?

She quickly unrolled the marriage certificate.

Wife: Cathy Shaw.

Husband: Adrian Bolton.

Usually, there would be a photo of the couple on the certificate, but her certificate only had her photo.

She sighed in relief. Adrian was considerate in not putting his photo on the wedding certificate.

Otherwise, Cathy believed that she would never dare to touch this certificate again.

"Madam, please get ready."

The butler's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Tonight shall be your wedding night with Master Adrian. You should get ready to spend the night with him."

"I will bring everyone out of this villa. Only you and Master Adrian will be here tonight."

Cathy was stunned.

Her heart sank as the little joy that she felt just now disappeared.

She could almost feel his hand on her shoulder, and she remembered how it felt gliding down her arm. It disgusted her.

Her face turned. "Must it be tonight?"

It was too sudden. She was not ready to look at that scary face again…

The butler nodded. "Yes, it must be tonight."

They have gotten married. It won't do if madam still doesn't know Master Adrian's true face.

He had spent a lot of effort persuading Adrian to not wear a mask tonight. He needed to reveal himself to Cathy.

Cathy was in despair.

After breakfast, she hid in her room and messaged her best friend, Quinn Fuller. "Can you recommend a few horror films? Thank you!"

Quinn replied, "I've never received such an outrageous request."

Soon, Quinn sent a list of various horror films to her email.

Cathy sprawled under a blanket and watched horror films the whole day. She even vomited in the toilet a few times.

By the time the sky darkened, Cathy felt that she had toughened up her mind sufficiently.

She believed that even if Adrian appeared before her now, she would not be afraid.

Therefore, she went downstairs to get herself a glass of water. After that, she turned on the TV, hoping to calm down by watching the news.

She felt terrible after watching horror films for the whole day.

"Breaking news! Xavier Carter and Willow Xenos were caught entering a hotel together. Our reporters have contacted their agencies and confirmed that they are in a relationship. We shall expect an announcement of their engagement soon."

Cathy felt sick looking at Xavier and Willow on the screen.

She quickly changed to another channel.

"Xavier Carter and Willow Xenos, winners of this year's Academy Award, have begun dating openly. This must be a good year for them…"

Cathy changed the channel again.

It was news about them again.

In the end, Cathy turned off the TV and threw the remote aside. She lay on the couch tiredly and closed her eyes.

Xavier and Willow.

Xavier, now ex-boyfriend, was her beloved boyfriend for six years.

Willow was her close friend for eight years.

Five days ago, Cathy went to the film set to give Xavier a surprise.

When she used the spare key to open the door to his trailer, she heard Xavier and Willow breathing laboriously.

"Xavier, when are you going to break up with Cathy? I can't wait anymore."

"I will break up with her eventually. Why the rush?"

"Cathy is beautiful. I'm scared that you would fall for her."

"Babe, why would I fall for her? She gave birth to someone else's children five years ago. Why would I want to marry such a disgusting woman?"

Xavier and Willow's words were like sharp knives, stabbing straight into Cathy's heart.

Five years ago, Xavier sunk to the lowest of his career as his enemies kept slandering him.

Cathy worked hard to find evidence to clear his name. She also gathered money to help him fight this attack on his reputation.

It was around the time Ember returned to the Shaw family. Dorian and Marion began to treat her coldly, so she could not ask to borrow money from them. Instead, she turned to Willow for help.

Willow found a way for her to earn money. It involved selling her ovum.

However, something went wrong with the deal. They had agreed to use artificial means to harvest her ovum, but the buyer changed his mind.

After she took a drug to stimulate ovulation, they locked her in a dark room.

Then, a man appeared in the darkness and tortured her a day and a night.

Later…

She received the money and successfully cleared Xavier's name, sending him to new heights in his career.

Five years passed. When Xavier reached the top of the entertainment world, he decided to abandon her and cheated on her with Willow.

He said Cathy was disgusting.

He looked down on her for giving birth to another man's children.

However, she had done it all for his sake.

Cathy lay on the couch and let tears flow freely.

She loved Xavier for six years.

How many years can a woman waste with nothing in return?

She cried for two hours.

After she had cried enough, she glanced at the time and saw that it was past nine o'clock at night.

Adrian had not returned yet.

I guess he won't be returning tonight.

Cathy blew her nose and noticed a wine cabinet in the living room.

There were many bottles of wine that she had never seen before.

She was not good with alcohol, but she had a strong desire to drink at this moment.

She wanted to drown her sorrow in wine.

Thus, she acted on impulse and grabbed a bottle of wine. She uncorked it and drank straight from the bottle.

The wine burned her throat. She kept weeping as she drank.

"Xavier, you bastard!"

"I curse that you will never win another award! I hope that you will get into a scandal and ruin your career!"

"What's the use of being good-looking? You have no morals! Therefore, you are uglier than Mr. Bolton!"

At this moment, a man's hand shook slightly as he unlocked the door.

Adrian's expression turned stern as he opened the door.

He immediately smelled alcohol in the living room.

Then, he saw a few bottles of his precious wine on the coffee table. Each of them was worth millions.

They were all empty.

Furthermore, a young woman lay wasted on the sofa. Her cheeks flushed as she kept scolding a man. Sometimes, she would mention Adrian's name.

She looked like a mess.

Annoyance appeared on the man's cold and handsome face.

We have just gotten married. Is she now revealing her true colors?

Cathy suddenly noticed someone had walked in; she burped and turned to him.

"Who are you?"

She was completely drunk. She got up and went to Adrian.

Adrian had a high nose and stern eyebrows. He was a handsome man with chiseled facial features.

He seems handsome like Xavier.

No, he is Xavier…

How dare he appear before me!

Cathy gritted her teeth furiously and raised her hand to slap him. However, Adrian grabbed hold of her wrist.

Adrian's cold eyes turned stern. "How much did you drink?"

Her legs were wobbly, and she could not stand still as he held her wrist. She kept swaying as she answered, "I didn't drink…"

With that, she flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Xavier, I miss you."

Her face flushed like a young girl in love, and her voice was alluring as she shouted, "Xavier, can you please not hate me? I didn't mean it…"

Cathy began to cry. Her tears seeped through his shirt and wet his muscular abs.

Adrian furrowed his brow, his expression darker than a stormy sky.

He looked down at her.

At this moment, Cathy hugged his waist tightly. She looked innocent and adorable.

Although she looked at him lovingly, her red lips called out another man's name.

Adrian grabbed hold of her and carried her in his arms, bringing her upstairs.

Cathy had prepared a warm bath for Adrian.

But the water had turned icy cold at this point.

Splash!

Adrian dropped Cathy into the tub of water.

Her wet white t-shirt clung to her body, revealing her alluring figure.

Even though the bathroom was cold, Adrian felt a wave of heat coursing through his body as he looked at her.

He hated women.

After he had hurt a woman five years ago, he felt an instinctive aversion toward women.

He would not allow any woman to touch him, including his sister.

However, when Cathy hugged him just now and stuck close to his body, he did not feel disgusted. Instead, he even found it a little pleasant.

"It's cold…"

Cathy shivered in the tub.

She had drank too much wine, so the cold water did not wake her from her drunken state. Instead, she became even more daring.

"Xavier."

Cathy rested her head on the edge of the bathtub and called out weakly, "I'm cold."

She reached out and grabbed the hem of Adrian's shirt and said, "Can you hug me?"Her eyes were alluring, and her cheeks flushed. She looked at him coyly and continued,

"Can you carry me out? It's really cold…"

Her voice was smooth and sweet like hot chocolate, melting Adrian's cold heart.

He could not remember the last time he had felt like this.

He had to admit that she was different from other women.

However, she kept calling out for a man named Xavier.

Adrian kneeled by the tub and grabbed her jaw with one hand. "Who am I?"

Cathy pursed her lips and answered, "You're Xavier."

She could only see Xavier in her drunken state.

Adrian frowned dangerously and pushed her head into the water.

The bone-chilling water surrounded her head but did not wake her from her drunken state. She struggled helplessly in the bathtub.

Adrian quickly let go of her and gave her an icy stare. "Tell me. Who am I?"

"Xavier."

Adrian pressed her down again.

Tears fell from Cathy's eyes as she coughed out water. She looked at him with eyes full of tears and said, "You should tell me who you are then."

Adrian reached for her ruby lips and rubbed them as he said, "Call me hubby."

Cathy said in resignation, "Hubby…"

Adrian felt an intense urge surged throughout his body when he heard her.

Cathy reached out and held Adrian's face. She looked at him with her crystal-like eyes and said, "Please get me out of this cold water."

"I've called you hubby, so you mustn't bully me anymore."

She had a beautiful face. Now that she was drunk and crying, she seemed alluring like a red rose.

Adrian looked at her and muttered, "You little drunkard."

"You think this is bullying?"

Cathy looked up at him innocently and nodded.

Adrian's voice turned hoarse. "Let me show you what bullying is."

He immediately climbed into the bathtub.

…

The following day.

The sun rose as usual.

Its piercing light shone into the room through the glass window.

Suddenly, a man pulled open the curtains, revealing a floor-to-ceiling window. He stood with his back facing Cathy as he looked out of the window.

The man was tall and sturdy. One could sense his dignified and dominant aura from his back profile.

At this moment, Cathy woke up with a piercing headache.

Last night, she had a wild dream about her wedding night. She had a bath with a handsome man and spent a passionate night with him.

The dream lingered in her mind. She thought about it for a moment before opening her eyes gradually.

She was immediately greeted with the sight of a masculine back profile. Cathy was so shocked that she could hardly speak.

"You... You!"

"Who are you?"

Why is there a man in my room?

He looks tall and strong. Even from his back profile, I can tell that he is not Adrian!

Who is he?

Did I sleep with another man under Adrian's roof?

Adrian heard Cathy's gasp and frowned. He turned around and said, "You must never drink wine again."

She drank a few millions worth of his wine last night.

Although he did not care about the cost, he felt sad over the loss of his hard-to-find premium vintage wines.

After saying that, he walked out of the room without another glance at Cathy.

Cathy was stunned for a long while.

She remembered feeling suffocating sadness when she saw Xavier and Willow on the news. Then, she drank some wine.

After that…

"No way!"

Cathy looked down at the bruises and scratches on her body and wanted to weep.

She was supposed to have her wedding night with Adrian last night. However, she could not wait for Adrian to come home and even let a stranger…

She recalled all those rumors about Adrian's violent tendencies.

Cathy could imagine that she would suffer a terrible end…

Furthermore, that man who cuckolded Adrian even dared to stay behind to tell her never to drink wine again.

She would never dare to drink wine again from now on.

While she was still in a daze, someone knocked and opened the door.

It was Arius dressed in light yellow pajamas. He walked into the room and said, "I'm hungry."