Chapter 12 The Scumbag Adrian

After dinner, Lila Cross retreated to her room. She slipped off her clothes and began inspecting the fresh bruises from today's filming when a knock echoed at the door. Hastily, she pulled her clothes back on and opened it. It was Lucian. The boy stepped inside and handed her a sheet of paper. "Sign it." At the same moment, Noah pushed open the study door, forcing Adrian Quinn to set aside his work. "A marriage contract?" Lila frowned. "Clause one: I must fall in love with Mr. Adrian Quinn within one month?" "I can't love him." "I won't love him." In the study, Adrian coldly shoved the contract aside. "At most, I won't dislike her." Noah rested his chin in his palms, blinking his wide, dewy eyes at his father. "But Dad, not disliking her is the first step toward loving her! You've been single forever—your old tree should bloom already!" Adrian shot him a cold glare. "If I never bloomed, how did you and your brother come to exist?" Noah rolled his eyes. "You never liked my real mom anyway!" Adrian's brow furrowed. A memory of darkness five years ago flickered in his mind. Her soft voice. The delicate warmth of her body against his. His throat tightened. "How do you know I didn't love your mother?" "How do you know I'll ever love your father?" In the bedroom, Lila gave Lucian a helpless look. "Dad's as handsome as we are." "But falling for someone isn't just about looks." "He's good in other ways too. Just give him a chance." Lila: "…" She pressed her lips together and continued scanning the contract—"Why must I conceive a child with Mr. Quinn within six months?" "Because you don't have a child of your own, Mom." In the study, Noah beamed. "Dad, look—you've already given us two sons. But Mom's lonely. You need to give her a baby of her own—one who'll stand by her." Adrian snorted. "And you two are on my side?" Noah: "…" The boy huffed off the desk, hands on hips. "I don't care! I want a little sister! No matter what it takes, within six months, you must get Mom pregnant with a little sister! Or else I'll do what I did before—only this time, I'll tell everyone you're… lacking in performance!" Adrian: "…" Ten minutes later, pressured by Noah and Lucian, Adrian returned to the master bedroom. He had no intention of indulging the boys, but Lucian was too brilliant at coding—he'd written a virus that hijacked Adrian's computer. Having a genius son was sometimes a curse. In the master bathroom, Lila was showering. She never imagined she'd so easily embrace two sons who shared no blood with her. Yet now, soaking in the tub filled with rose petals Lucian had arranged, she suddenly felt a deep sense of happiness. Being doted on by her sons was bliss. She finished her bath in high spirits, wrapped in a towel, and stepped out. There, the proud, aloof man leaned against the headboard, reading. The bedside lamp cast a soft glow from the side, deepening the sharp angles of his profile. "!!!!" Lila nearly gasped. "Y-you… what are you doing here?" Adrian lifted his gaze, giving her a cool glance. "Why shouldn't I be here?" Lila pressed her lips together. He was right—they were married. He belonged in this room. Besides, the contract Lucian made her sign earlier demanded she conceive within six months… Surely this was his idea? After all, Lucian was only five—how could a child come up with such a thing? At the thought, her heart fluttered. "Still injured?" Adrian's brow knit slightly as he studied the bruises and red marks on her skin. They looked worse than the photos Lucian had shown him yesterday. "These are new." Lila snapped back, pulled out a jar of bruise ointment from the nightstand, and sat on the carpet to apply it. "I'm a martial arts stunt double at the film studio. These are just minor injuries." The man set down his book. "Stunt double?" "You can fight?" "No." She lifted her face, eyes crinkling into a smile. "But I'm tough—I can take hits." Adrian's gaze lingered on her pale, slender legs. Tough? He remembered how smooth and delicate those legs had felt in his hands. His stare made Lila's cheeks warm. She slowed her motions instinctively. When she finished, the man was already asleep. The dim wall lamp softened the cold lines of his face. She hesitated, then gathered her blanket and settled on the floor. "Afraid to sleep in the bed?" When the lights went out, his low, cold voice cut through the dark. Lila clutched the blanket, tense. "I toss and turn. I don't want to disturb you." "Hmph." A dry chuckle echoed, then silence. The night passed in peace. At dawn, she woke to an empty bed. Lila rose from the floor and went downstairs to make breakfast. "Mom!" At breakfast, Noah grinned slyly. "How was your night with Dad?" Lila froze. "F-fine." "Eat properly!" Lucian shot Noah a sharp look. The boy pouted and bowed his head. After Lila left for work, Noah slumped on the sofa, eyes wide with sorrow. "Why'd you glare at me?" Lucian folded his arms, mature beyond his years. "They didn't make a sister last night." Noah scowled. "How do you know?" Lucian tapped his head. "Dad left early. And Mom didn't blush when we mentioned last night. Proof they did nothing. If they had, Dad wouldn't have left her." Noah nodded slowly. Clearly, he rejected this conclusion. After a pause, he lifted his head, his big, glistening eyes fixed on his identical brother. "But… what if Mr. Adrian Quinn is a cad?"