Chapter 2

Felix finally sat up, his eyes full of surprise. "You're willing to marry Wilson? Ivanna, are you out of your mind? The Kirk family had a verbal agreement with Kimberly before, but Wilson's legs are crippled. He'll spend his life in a wheelchair. Marrying him would be no different than living as a widow," he said. Ivanna gave a cold laugh. "If I marry Wilson, that bitch Lydia will end up with Adrian. Isn't that exactly what you've been hoping for? As for my reasons, why do you care about them so much?" "Fine. Just don't regret it," Felix indifferently replied. Ivanna then rose and walked to the door, but suddenly, she stopped and said, "Don't tell Adrian about this yet." "Relax. I'm not that stupid." After all, Felix wouldn't risk telling Adrian and letting him make a scene. … By the time Ivanna reached her apartment, it was nearly dawn. There, she immediately noticed Adrian crouched outside her door, reeking of alcohol and looking as pitiful as an abandoned dog. The sound of her footsteps made him lift his head, and the moment he saw her, his eyes lit up. "Ivanna, you finally came back. I've been waiting for you forever! "Why didn't you come to find me? Do you know how miserable I've been?" Adrian had striking eyes. Whenever he fixed them on someone, they'd look deceivingly affectionate. In the past, whenever he made Ivanna angry, he would give her this same pitiful look too, and Ivanna could never bring herself to stay mad. But this time, all Ivanna could hear in her mind was the cruel mockery his words from earlier had held. They replayed in her mind over and over. "Do you need something?" she coldly asked. "Why are you so cold to me? Ivanna, let me come inside please. I drank too much, and I got soaked in the rain. I feel awful..." Adrian tugged lightly at the corner of her sleeve, his voice soft and wheedling. But before Ivanna could answer, his phone rang. Ivanna could faintly hear a woman's voice on the other end—it sounded like Lydia. "If you're not feeling well, call a doctor. Why are you bothering me?" Adrian impatiently snapped, then immediately hung up. At that moment, the rain still hadn't stopped, and Ivanna also noticed the unnatural flush on Adrian's face. Against her better judgment, her heart softened. After all, they had grown up together. So, she brought Adrian inside, fetched him some cold medicine, and settled him on the couch. Then, after making sure everything was in order, she finally returned to her room to rest. Ivanna was exhausted after an entire night of dealing with Adrian. But just as she was drifting off, she thought she heard someone trying to open her bedroom door. However, Ivanna had the habit of locking it before sleeping, so when the attempt failed, the person quickly gave up. … The next morning, Adrian was gone, but on the dining table was breakfast he had left behind. At first, Ivanna thought he had prepared it that morning before leaving. But when she arrived at the theater, she immediately noticed the hickeys on Lydia's neck. "Lydia, is the person who just dropped you off your boyfriend? He's so handsome!" "Yeah! That car wasn't cheap either. He must be loaded!" "You're so lucky, Lydia. Your boyfriend isn't just handsome, but he treats you well too..." Lydia shyly smiled at them. Then, she gave Ivanna a smug glance. Ivanna instantly understood what her look meant. Belatedly, Ivanna realized that since she had locked her door last night, Adrian must have gone straight to Lydia. That breakfast on the table had just been an afterthought. As she bent down to change into her dance shoes, Ivanna let out a mocking smile. During rehearsal break, she stepped outside alone to get some air, unwilling to listen to the chorus of flattery surrounding Lydia. But Lydia followed her out and said, "Ivanna, I heard you went home last night. Don't tell me you went to snitch?" Her delicate face carried a mocking smile. Ivanna glanced at her and turned away, not bothering to respond. But Lydia grabbed her wrist and said, "Ivanna, what right do you have to look down on me? The Hale family is mine now. Dad is mine, the principal dancer spot is mine, and even Adrian will be mine too." "You're sick," Ivanna simply said. "Do you really think Adrian loves you? The truth is, when he was with me, not once did he think about you. After all, men are creatures driven purely by desire." Ivanna yanked Lydia's hand back and sneered. "You and Marissa would know that better than anyone. You both like throwing yourselves at married men. I guess that kind of thing runs in the family." For a moment, Lydia's expression twisted, but she quickly recovered. First, her eyes darted around, and then, she put on a pitiful voice, saying, "Ivanna, I was wrong. I shouldn't have hoped for Mr. Cross' love. "It's my fault. But I only want to stay by his side. Ivanna, I'm begging you, just let me be." With that, she dropped to her knees before Ivanna. But before Ivanna could even make sense of what was wrong with Lydia, Adrian's voice rang out behind her, "Ivanna! Why are you bullying Lydia again?"