The Bigshot Married Himself to the Heiress-Chapter 529 - 530: Non-spicy Kung Pao Chicken

"It’s not that serious..."

Sienna Johnson’s pervasive negativity and pessimism made her assume the worst about everything, and Adrian Desmond didn’t know what he could say.

Sienna suddenly stopped talking. An abrupt silence fell, and he felt her mood instantly plummet.

Worry and heartache spread through his chest. His tone softened as he asked, "What’s wrong? Why did you suddenly stop talking?"

"I just suddenly remembered when I was kidnapped.

"Back then, when Charlie Parker abducted me, there was a girl about Samara’s age with us on the road. She died from a drug overdose..."

This incident was like a nightmare, one Sienna Johnson had never mentioned to anyone. The thought of that girl—violated even after death and then carelessly buried by the roadside—still caused Sienna an unbearable heartache.

Adrian, who had seen many deaths, was unfazed. "It’s all in the past. Why dwell on it?"

"Adrian, do you realize? They didn’t even let her go after she died... Do you know how cruel they were? They..."

Adrian pulled her into his arms, making a silencing gesture. "SHHH... Don’t say it."

The world Adrian lived in, the things he had experienced, were far darker and crueler than anything Sienna had ever encountered in her lifetime; he had seen far worse.

She hadn’t fallen into Uncle’s hands. If she ever learned of the perverted methods Uncle used to torment women, there was no telling how terrified she would be.

But this woman was his. As long as he was alive, no one would dare touch a single hair on her head.

"Adrian, this world is so dangerous. I just don’t want the people I care about to get hurt.

"My sister, as you know, is too beautiful and naive. She foolishly believes there are no bad people in this world.

"If I don’t scold her, how will she learn her lesson?

"If she goes out without using her head next time and encounters danger, the harm done could last a lifetime. By then, it’ll be too late for regrets or tears."

"You’re not Samara’s mother. Shouldn’t Madam Johnson be worrying about this?"

"Madam Johnson? Hmph, I can’t count on her. I’d be grateful if she just didn’t cause me trouble. Ai..." She sighed, feeling weary. Every single person in her family was a source of worry; none of them gave her any peace of mind.

"I’ll help her find two capable bodyguards. With them around, even if she runs into some minor thugs, they won’t be able to hurt her."

Sienna agreed with getting two bodyguards for Samara.

Last year, there was a case in Sileria City where a wealthy man’s daughter was kidnapped. Although the kidnappers eventually released her, the incident made all the wealthy families in Sileria City anxious, and hiring bodyguards became common among the rich.

And the appearance of the fake Aiden Howard a few days ago had made Sienna feel even more insecure.

"Okay, help her find two skilled ones."

"Leave it to me!"

"She’s all alone in the Dragon Court Residence Complex, and I’m worried. After we deliver dinner to Madam Johnson, let’s bring Samara home. I really need to talk to her properly, so she doesn’t dismiss this lightly."

"Whatever Mrs. Desmond says."

"There’s one more thing. I’ve been so busy I almost forgot. Has the person who impersonated Aiden Howard and then disappeared been found yet?"

Adrian’s expression turned grave. "Not yet. I’ve had Walter Klein handle it..."

"I’ve also asked Lucas Robertson to investigate. That person must be found. To think he could replace Aiden Howard and get so close to you without you even noticing... I have a strong feeling he’s no simple character," Sienna said seriously.

Adrian remained silent.

"I wonder what his objective is," Sienna mused.

"I’m looking into it."

"What about the real Aiden Howard?" Sienna asked.

Adrian looked at Sienna. Knowing he couldn’t hide much from her, he told her the truth. "He’s likely... dead."

Sienna stared at Adrian. The word that came from his thin lips—"dead"—sent a jolt through her heart. "Dead? Are you sure? Have they found a body?"

"No."

"No body? Then how can you be so certain? Maybe... maybe Aiden Howard was just captured and hasn’t been able to escape..." she said, clinging to hope. "If there’s no body, he could still be alive."

Although she didn’t particularly like Aiden Howard, she still wished he were alive.

"Adrian, was this person targeting you?"

Although Adrian didn’t yet know who was behind it, he was certain it was one of his many enemies. As for who it was and what their motive might be, he would investigate thoroughly...

"I’m going to cook," Adrian said, wanting to steer the conversation away from such heavy topics.

Walter Klein, Aiden Howard, Brett Jacobs... these men had been with him for so many years. Though technically subordinates, they were like brothers, like family.

Aiden’s presumed fate saddened Adrian, despite his usually stoic demeanor.

What frustrated him even more was that an enemy had been right under his nose, and he hadn’t even realized it.

He recalled his conflict with Sienna in the Johnson family garden when the imposter was present. He dared not imagine what might have happened if that man had harbored ill intentions toward Sienna.

"Adrian..." Sienna called out to him, her voice firm. "No matter what happens, I will always be here for you."

"Mm."

A little later, in the kitchen, Sienna acted as his assistant, washing and preparing vegetables. The two of them worked together seamlessly, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere amidst the everyday bustle of cooking.

"Add more chili! Your food is so bland."

"Young ladies shouldn’t eat such strongly flavored food; you’ll age faster."

"So what if I age faster? I have a husband and a child. It’s not like I need to impress anyone." Sienna added another spoonful of chili sauce to the dish.

The once pale dish instantly turned a fiery red. Just looking at it made Adrian’s throat tingle with anticipated spiciness.

"How am I supposed to eat this?"

"It’s spicy chicken! If it’s not spicy, can you still call it spicy chicken?"

"But I can’t eat spicy food!"

Even after living together for so long, their culinary tastes remained stubbornly different. Sienna pointed to a cold dish. "Don’t you like eggplant? There, you can have the hand-shredded eggplant."

"Sienna, we’re married. We’re going to live together for a lifetime. If your taste in food is this strong, does this mean we’ll have to cook two separate meals every day from now on?"

"I don’t get why you’re so insistent that my tastes match yours. It’s not like we only eat one dish per meal. There are plenty of other dishes..."

Sienna, feeling hungry, started eating right there in the kitchen. She deftly picked chicken pieces from the sea of red chilies, a sight that made Adrian frown.

"Because if you eat something that spicy, it’ll be spicy when I kiss you!"

Sienna looked at the piece of spicy chicken she held with her chopsticks, then back at Adrian. "That’s your reason...?"

Adrian’s domineering streak surfaced again. He grabbed her beloved plate of spicy chicken and dumped it straight into the trash can. "Since you like spicy chicken so much, I’ll make you another version—a non-spicy one."

Sienna was left speechless.