Chapter 186
Chapter 186:
“A good boy?” Mike’s face turned even more flushed, and Sadie’s gentle tone only made him angrier. He glared at her, his voice trembling with rage. “Rory pretended to be Adrian to chase women, and dumped all the fallout onto his brother! The whole town’s talking about it p>
Sadie’s pleasant smile faltered. She was caught off guard by Mike’s outburst. Still, she quickly pulled herself together and tried to soothe him, brushing off Rory’s bad behavior.
“Rory’s still young. He’s trying to find his way, and sometimes… he gets a little carried away. He only acted like that because he didn’t want to upset you. Deep down, he just wants your approval p>
Mike’s scowl eased, just a bit. He could tolerate a little of Rory’s womanizing—after all, boys would be boys. But defiance, especially from his own family, was a line no one crossed.
Mike’s glare shifted right back to Adrian, his tone full of authority. “That little stunt Sophie and the Barnes family pulled? Unforgivable. Trust me, they’ll regret playing me for a fool p>
Adrian cut him off, voice sharp and unwavering. “Whatever happened with Sophie was my decision. You don’t get to act like some white knight. Sophie’s my wife, and that’s between us. Any fallout with the Barnes family is mine to handle. I don’t need your interference p>
𝘛𝗿𝘦𝗻d𝗶n o𝗇 ѕ.𝗰𝗼m
“You think you can handle it on your own?” Mike snapped, contempt thick in his voice. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re barely scraping by at some no-name ad agency. The Barnes family might not be a powerhouse, but they’re still out of your league p>
“Soon enough, you’ll see exactly what I’m capable of.” Adrian took a deliberate step forward and closed the distance between them, his presence commanding enough to make Mike unconsciously step back. “I didn’t come here to argue. Consider this your only warning—for both of you p>
Adrian’s cold gaze swept over Sadie, taking in her pale, shaken expression. “Stay away from Sophie. If I find out you’ve pulled any tricks or made her life difficult, you’ll answer to me. That’s a promise p>
Mike’s expression twisted with disbelief, his face red with anger. “A damn woman has you crawling like this? And now you talk to me like that p>
He nearly barked at the maid to fetch his belt, itching to knock the rebellion out of Adrian the old-fashioned way. But as the moment stretched, doubt crept in. How could Adrian be so headstrong over a stand-in wife after just a few months? Maybe it was all for show, a new angle to spite his father.
Thinking of the Ross family’s powerful backing cooled Mike’s temper a bit. He chose to play it softer now, offering Adrian a way out.
Mike let out a dismissive snort, feigning generosity. “Look, she’s nothing special—let her hang around if it amuses you. But I’ve secured something much better: Daisy Ross, a true catch from the Ross family in Prasti. You know she’s had her eye on you for years. She doesn’t care about your situation—she’s the one who insisted on this match in the first place p>
Mike paused, certain he had cracked Adrian’s resistance. “That whole Barnes family marriage was just to honor your mother’s dying wish, right? Well, you’ve done that. The contract’s finished, and the rest was the Barnes family’s con. No reason to tie yourself down to Sophie, or anyone else from that deal. She wasn’t even the one you were supposed to marry p>
Finally, Mike eased off the hostility and tried to sound generous. “Agree to this alliance, and I’ll let it all go. Every mistake, including tonight, erased. You’d be back in the Knight family’s good graces, and living the life you were always meant for p>