The Bigshot Married Himself to the Heiress-Chapter 606 - 647: Feeling sorry for her, feeling sorry for her, and still feeling sorry for her.
In the study, Adrian Desmond sat alone for a long time.
Thinking of Sienna Johnson’s experiences, he was angry for her and sad for her. As much as his heart ached for her, he also resented her at this moment. If she hadn’t run away back then, she wouldn’t have suffered these injuries and humiliations. As Adrian Desmond’s woman, who would dare make her debase herself, who would dare make her feel wronged, who would dare bully her?
"I told you to run? Now you regret it, don’t you?"
After only blaming Sienna Johnson for a while, all of Adrian Desmond’s resentment shifted to those men. Just breaking their hands and feet seemed too light a punishment; it wouldn’t be enough to quench the hatred in his heart. If Aiden Howard were still alive, it would be best to entrust these matters to him.
He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the bright moon outside, his heart heavy.
He truly hadn’t expected that this woman had faced such difficulties back then. Come to think of it, she was a medical student, a woman who hadn’t even graduated from university, taking over a large company—the difficulty was imaginable. Back then, a manager from Eastminster Group, a relative of Sienna Johnson’s, had taken advantage of Dexter Johnson’s funeral, when the Johnson Family was just a widow and orphans, to abscond with almost half of the company’s liquid capital. When Sienna Johnson took over, it was such a disaster. Abyanabad was a man’s world. Women were only responsible for staying behind men, managing the household and raising children. Women who appeared in the business world were merely drinking companions, there for men’s pleasure; women could never be the main players. Therefore, Adrian Desmond had never imagined what Sienna Johnson, as an inexperienced Boss of a conglomerate who knew nothing, must have encountered when negotiating business with men.
"Fool! Why do you always have to be so stubborn!"
The anger in his heart dissipated, leaving only an unbearable ache.
...
Sixth Master cast aside all thoughts of face and self-esteem. He returned to his residence and gently pushed the door, finding to his delight that Sienna Johnson hadn’t locked it from the inside.
The wall sconce in the room was still lit. He walked straight to the large bed. A lump under the covers was Sienna Johnson; she looked so small and thin that Adrian Desmond couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.
"Sienna, haven’t you woken up yet?"
No response!
It seemed she was still angry.
Adrian Desmond, undeterred, pressed on. He walked over and said shamelessly, "Don’t be angry anymore. I apologize. I won’t talk recklessly again."
"..."
"The sun’s high in the sky! Get up, and I’ll make you some Steamed Egg Custard, okay?"
He hadn’t bathed the previous night, and his strong masculine scent clung to him. Sienna Johnson slowly opened her eyes, a sudden, sharp pain flaring in them.
"Why are your eyes so swollen?"
He saw her eyes, red and swollen like walnuts, resembling those of a little rabbit.
"Adrian!"
Seeing it was him, Sienna Johnson sat up and threw herself into his arms, hugging his neck tightly, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Adrian Desmond held her and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"I missed you," she said hoarsely. "You left last night and didn’t come back..."
"So, you cried because of that?"
Sienna Johnson fell silent. Seeing her red eyes, Adrian Desmond knew he’d guessed right, feeling both amused and exasperated. "Weren’t you the one who told me to get lost? I obediently got lost, and now you’re complaining I didn’t come back."
The woman bit his shoulder. So much for speaking the truth.
"I didn’t cry!"
"Your eyes are swollen..." he said softly.
"..."
"So what if you cried? You’re a woman; there’s no shame in crying!" Always acting tough in front of him, isn’t she tired?
"Sixth Master, when you negotiated business with women, did you also often use unspoken rules to coerce them, touching their thighs and breasts, even..." She didn’t finish.
Adrian Desmond understood her unspoken words: even drugging them, making them lose consciousness... If he hadn’t had someone investigate what Sienna Johnson had endured, Adrian Desmond would have argued with her again over this. But now, he had no anger left at all.
"No. Women in Abyanabad don’t do business. The women present during business negotiations are all escorts. How could I possibly be interested in such crude and vulgar women?"
"..."
"Don’t be angry anymore. I was just teasing you yesterday. You’re my woman, yet you insist on drawing such clear lines between us. How could I not be angry? I apologize, alright? Or, how about you hit me a few times?"
He grabbed her small hand, genuinely trying to make her hit him. Owen Hunter was right: a happy marriage needs that ’rare foolishness.’ Being too particular, always needing to distinguish right from wrong, would eventually wear down their affection.
When he guided her hand toward his torso, she balled it into a fist and hesitated. Adrian Desmond chuckled, "What? Does your heart ache for me? Can’t bear to hit me now?"
After a night to cool down, both of their tempers had subsided. Since both intended to mend their relationship, things naturally fell into place.
"About building the bird’s nest processing plant, I have no objections. I’ll listen to you completely. Decide the profit-sharing however you see fit. Anyway, what’s mine is yours, even if you don’t particularly care for it."
"Who said I don’t care for it?"
"If you care for it, why won’t you take it?"
"That all belongs to you; you worked hard for it. How could I just reap the benefits without sowing? Besides, the Johnson Family’s assets are something I intend to leave to the Johnson Family. If Samara’s children are interested in business, I might pass the Johnson Family’s business to them. So, your business is your business, and the Johnson Family’s business is the Johnson Family’s business... I don’t want to conflate the two. Adrian, do you understand?"
"I understand."
"Then you’re not angry with me?"
"Why would I be angry with you? Who cares about the Johnson Family’s assets? Whoever wants them can have them. Even though Curly’s surname is Johnson, I don’t want Curly to slave away for the Johnson Family like you do. Curly just needs to be the apple of our eye."
"Mm-hm."
"I have a bad temper. If I say something wrong and upset you, you can hit me a few times, that’s fine. Just don’t sulk alone. Look at you, your eyes are all swollen from crying. I’ll go get you a large ice pack for a cold compress."
But Sienna Johnson hugged him tightly, not letting him go. Adrian Desmond absolutely loved how clingy she was being. "I’ll get the ice pack and be right back. I’m not going anywhere today."
"..."
"Don’t fidget. You know my self-control isn’t great when I’m with you." She was straddling him, her face buried in the crook of his neck. This position... Sixth Master was completely losing control of the situation.
"At a time like this, what do you need an ice pack for?" she whispered softly in his ear, her kisses landing on his neck. Adrian Desmond understood.
He fell back onto the bed, holding her waist, and she settled down on top of him. Their eyes met, brimming with tender affection. He asked, "Today, you on top, me on the bottom?"
"No, I’m tired."
"Could you possibly be any lazier?"
He gently patted her bottom but didn’t make her get off. Sienna Johnson looked at the man beneath her. His gaze, as he looked at her, was full of profound tenderness, so different from those men who harbored ill intentions toward her.
He treated her so well; she resolved to treat him even better.
