The Breeding Deal: Brother-in-law's Forbidden Offer - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Cufflinks

A small apple pie wasn’t nearly enough for Adrian’s dinner. But with only leftovers in the house, Christine couldn’t conjure up anything more.

Any normal person would know this was the time to stand up, say they didn’t want to intrude, and politely leave.

But Adrian made himself unmoved like he was expecting a royal feast. He sat there unmoved, stretching his long legs out under the table. Even the elegant mahogany dining table seemed less impressive next to him.

Now he definitely wasn’t leaving – Christine reluctantly put the pie on a plate, added a fork, and awkwardly walked to the table to place it in front of him.

She felt like a waitress serving some VIP at an international conference.

This was just the beginning of the awkwardness. Forcing down her confusion and doubts, she quietly sat across from Adrian and started eating her portion.

She struggled through each bite of the apple pie, not even daring to look up for a sip of coffee. The pie that had smelled so sweet earlier now felt like cardboard in her mouth, nearly choking her. The atmosphere was so uncomfortable – she had never eaten alone with Adrian before.

Christine had only one thought: finish quickly and leave.

The dining room was dead silent except for the occasional clink of silverware, matching her thundering heartbeat.

It felt like the longest five minutes of her life.

Finally, Christine finished her last bite. As she forced herself to swallow and looked up, she realized Adrian had finished long ago and was staring at her intensely.

Her heart jumped. Avoiding his gaze, she was about to stand up and say she was done when Adrian suddenly pulled out a small linen pouch from his pocket and tossed it onto the table.

Christine looked closer – wasn’t this the aromatherapy pouch she’d asked Sophie to give him?

She had originally searched online for solutions when she learned Ethan wasn’t sleeping well. After careful consideration, she decided to make him an aromatherapy pouch. It was practical and thoughtful, plus simple to make. Christine had started just to practice, but once she got into it, she made ones for Rebecca and her parents too. With leftover materials and dried flowers, she made one for Adrian as well.

“Does he have one?”

Christine’s eyes were still on the pouch when the man suddenly spoke.

It took Christine several seconds to recognize his words as a question – his voice was arctic cold, every word flat and emotionless. His eyes were dark and intense, like the depths of an ocean before a storm. The way he spoke made everything sound like a command rather than a question.

…Does he have one?

Somehow, she instantly knew who “he” meant: Ethan.

Her heart started racing uncontrollably. Adrian’s question was so brief, but she could feel waves of unspoken emotions surging beneath the surface. Before her mind could catch up, her head was already nodding, teeth catching her lower lip in an unconscious gesture.

Adrian stood up, took a long stride, and dropped the aromatherapy pouch into the trash can beside the dining table.

Christine was used to his mysterious ways and subsequent willful behavior. The dinner had left her nerves completely frayed. She automatically assumed he just didn’t like her gift, thinking it was no big deal – she could fish it out of the trash after he left.

She just wanted this imposing presence gone.

But Adrian didn’t leave. The tall man stood there, his features elegant yet reserved, looking down at her with an overwhelming sense of dominance and intimidation. He held his chin high, his thick eyelashes casting dangerous shadows.

“Get me something else.”

He said again.

“…”

Christine froze.

Something else? What? How?

She stared at Adrian’s face for several seconds before finally understanding: he wanted her to replace the gift.

What was this about?

Coming to someone’s place late at night, eating leftover food without explanation, throwing away a handmade gift, then demanding a replacement?

What kind of person does this?

She felt instinctively angry, but Adrian’s gaze grew even more intense as he stared directly at her – somehow, it reminded her of when they had sex the other day. Adrian always liked to cover her eyes, and during their rare moments of eye contact, he would look at her just like this.

That usually meant she was about to break down crying from his intense thrusts.

The rush of memories mixed with the present moment scattered Christine’s anger, replacing it with an inexplicable fear. She carefully asked, “What… what should I get …?”

Adrian’s company was worth billions, and his every move influenced countless wealth. What could she possibly give someone who could have anything he wanted?

“Something he doesn’t have.”

Huh?

Who… who doesn’t have what…?

Ethan…?

Christine stood frozen. After a few seconds, Adrian’s phone vibrated. He frowned slightly, pulled it from his pocket, and glanced at the screen.

He swiped to answer, then looked up at the stunned Christine, his thin lips parting: “Hurry.”

Right… right now?!

Christine stared at him wide-eyed – she could barely think straight anymore. Seeing Adrian’s frown deepen, she quickly moved her feet, running upstairs to her room, hastily calling back: “Wait… wait, I’ll go look…”

Adrian’s gaze followed Christine until she disappeared upstairs. He raised his phone to his ear. On the other end was James Cooper, and his boss’s ice-cold voice nearly scared him to death:

“Speak.”

“Boss the Vista Harmony Capital partners are meeting you at Core Club in twenty minutes I just wanted to remind you.” James said in one breath, not daring to pause even for punctuation.

Adrian replied with “Five minutes” and hung up.

James was left completely puzzled: Where was his boss and what was he doing? He could’ve sworn he heard a woman’s voice…

Meanwhile, upstairs in her bedroom, Christine’s mind was in chaos: part of her questioned why she was so panicked; the other part was consumed by Adrian’s intimidating gaze, forcing her to search for something that met his criteria: something Ethan didn’t have… something unique.

She rummaged through everything. Perfume? No. Electric razor? No. Sunglasses? No again – Ethan had all these things. She didn’t even have time to wonder why Adrian insisted on something Ethan didn’t own.

After frantically searching, she actually found something.

It was a pair of Montblanc cufflinks, a birthday gift she’d bought early for her father next month. She opened the elegant leather jewelry box to reveal the classic cufflinks – round, matte finish, with a subtle platinum sheen under the light.

This would work.

Christine sighed with relief, carefully closed the box, and carried it downstairs.

Adrian stood at the bottom of the stairs, apparently waiting for her. The tall man blocked the light, leaving Christine with only his backlit silhouette looking down at her. He was too handsome, yet too intimidating.

She quickly approached him, offering the jewelry box with both hands, head slightly bowed: “This is for you.”

Christine still didn’t understand why she needed to give Adrian a gift. Labor Day didn’t have any gift-giving tradition, and that aromatherapy pouch had just been a casual thank-you gesture.

Adrian took the box, opened it in front of her, looked at the cufflinks, said nothing, closed it, and turned to leave.

Only after Adrian’s figure disappeared through the door did Christine finally exhale deeply.

Her back was drenched in sweat, and she had to fan herself with her hand.

… Adrian was just too scary.