The Breeding Deal: Brother-in-law's Forbidden Offer - Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Bottom Line
Christine was furious. As soon as she left the bathroom, she grabbed her bag and told everyone she needed to go to the hospital. After a quick goodbye to her parents and James at the door, she left.

The hospital was just an excuse. She had the driver take her home—her home with Ethan. All she could think about was taking a shower, desperate to wash away Adrian’s scent from her body.

Though their house wasn’t far from the Blackwood mansion, her thoughts raced during the short drive.

She was truly angry. How could Adrian call her into the bathroom with her family just outside, insisting on doing such things with only a wall between them? True, their “arrangement” was still ongoing—she could still see his contemptuous face telling her to “just take it until I’m bored”—but this was going too far.

Her mental distress manifested physically. Sitting in the car, she couldn’t shake the feeling of that subtle scent of his semen, and the uncomfortable dampness between her legs.

Fearing Adrian might use her parents to pressure her again, she turned off her phone as soon as she left the neighbourhood. Once home, she went straight for a bath.

Since becoming pregnant, Christine couldn’t stay in the tub too long without getting dizzy. She carefully lathered her entire body with soap until the fresh scent of body wash completely covered her skin.

After her bath, Christine dried her hair and yawned, realizing it was already past two. She grabbed her bag and headed to the hospital to visit Ethan.

This time, she brought the new photography magazine and her garden plant diary from the week, planning to read them to Ethan. She loved sitting by his bed, reading their shared interests word by word to her beloved husband.

However, pregnancy made her constantly sleepy. As she sat reading by the hospital bed, she dozed off first. The magazine rested in her arms as her eyelids slowly drooped closed.

Christine dozed peacefully beside the bed. Looking at his wife’s tired face and the slight redness under her eyes, Ethan felt a deep ache in his heart. He quietly called Rebecca over, asking her to gently cover Christine with a blanket without waking her.

He’d told Christine many times she didn’t need to visit daily. Rebecca was staying next door to care for him, and they had the city’s best nurses and caregivers. Moreover, being pregnant, Christine shouldn’t spend too much time in a hospital full of patients and potential health risks.

But Christine wouldn’t listen. Though stubborn, her voice was always gentle as she held his hand, eyes soft: “It’s fine. I just want to be here. I really, really want to stay with you.”

Ethan watched her growing belly with mixed emotions. She was carrying a new life, yet still coming to care for him. He longed to stand up, walk to her, embrace her, and spin his beloved wife around in circles.

But for now, all he could do was lie in bed, watching her sleep with a troubled expression.

Christine was having a nightmare.

She was truly angry, mixed with tension and fear, with Adrian appearing in her dream.

She was back to a few hours ago, in that cramped bathroom, where he lifted her legs, his thick purple member penetrating her, with fluids moving rapidly inside. She screamed in fear, then heard Pat’s footsteps outside. The next second, as her mother was about to push open the bathroom door—

Chris suddenly woke up.

“What were you dreaming about?”

Ethan’s gentle voice came through his oxygen mask: “You were saying ‘no’ in your sleep.”

Christine tried to appear calm: “…I was dreaming about Oliver.”

“I see.” Ethan nodded, squeezing her hand reassuringly. “It’s over now. You’ve been through a lot. Thank you and Adrian for helping with Oliver’s situation.”

Christine felt conflicted. She took a deep breath, closing and opening her eyes to calm her unease.

Opening her bag, she turned on her phone to find a missed call from Adrian.

She walked outside the room to a quiet corner of the hallway and called him back.

Though Adrian was generally cold and detached, his desires were intense. Today’s incident at home must have been due to the alcohol.

Their “arrangement” wasn’t over, and similar situations might occur again, the third time, or even more. While she couldn’t unilaterally end their agreement, she deserved basic respect.

“Ring… ring… ring…”

On the other end, Adrian was at an auction.

James noticed the incoming call and passed the phone to Adrian while raising paddle number [8] to bid another 100,000.

“1.2 million!” As the connection was made, the auctioneer’s enthusiastic cry blasted through the speaker into Christine’s ear.

Simultaneously, she could hear Adrian’s steady breathing closer to the phone.

Adrian held the phone with his long fingers but remained silent.

He was waiting for her to speak first.

…. Though he was the one who acted barbarically and wrongly with his animal instincts, it was always like this – he remained so high and mighty, as if he was the absolute authority, acting like everyone should revolve around him, cold, arrogant, and insufferably egotistical.

Christine knew she had no real leverage in negotiating with Adrian. But now that she was carrying the child and her brother was safe – Adrian had kept his promises – she just wanted to be treated with proper respect.

“Adrian, why… did you do that earlier?”

Though she knew she might not get an answer, Christine had to ask.

The auctioneer’s excited voice came through: “1.2 million! Any more bids? Going once at 1.2 million!”

Then came his deep, obsidian voice: “You were the one teasing me.”

Adrian wasn’t drunk at all.

At the dining table, he’d looked up to see her pink-tinged face smiling softly at him. Later, when her brother came to talk to him, she smiled again, even waving him over.

Her eyes had sparkled then, cheeks flushed pink, breathtakingly beautiful.

If Oliver hadn’t been there, he might have pushed her onto the table right there, kissed her, stripped off her dress, and taken her hard.

“I- I…”

What? Who was teasing whom?

Christine was stunned speechless. “When did I ever…”

Adrian remained silent.

She quickly replayed that lunch in her mind – from arriving, her parents greeting him, eating, until… suddenly remembering herself waving to Oliver, and Adrian walking over.

“Remember now?”

Adrian’s deep voice chimed in at that moment, his tone ending with a mocking laugh, as if ridiculing her.

“I…”

Christine was speechless, her anger nearly robbing her of the ability to speak. How could anyone in this world be so brazenly dishonest, completely twist right and wrong, and manipulate truth to such an extent – he didn’t even think he’d done anything wrong, and was actually laughing at her.

She immediately regretted asking the question.

Forcing down her anger, she gripped the phone tightly. After a moment’s silence, she spoke carefully: “Adrian, whatever the case, I hope something like today never happens again.”

Just then, a series of message notifications came in. Christine checked them – they were from Oliver, full of screenshots and exclamation marks. She quickly caught the key points:

“Sis! Adrian arranged me as the business partnership with his Blackwood group!”

“I can be the beverage supplier for all their exhibitions and auctions!”

“I just calculated… could make an extra 30-40k per month!! And it’s stable!”

“Adrian is so good to me!!! He’s really amazing!”

Christine silently read the messages, letting out a soft sigh before raising the phone again: “My parents, Oliver, and Ethan are my bottom line. They can’t know about what’s between us.”

“… And thank you for finding work for Oliver. I really appreciate it.”

The man on the other end merely gave a dispassionate “mm” in response.

“Sold for 1.2 million! Congratulations to Blackwood Group!” The auctioneer’s enthusiastic announcement came through, followed by a bang and scattered applause.

Christine swallowed: “…I won’t disturb your work then. Goodbye.”

She hung up, and the auction’s atmosphere and his deep voice disappeared, leaving everything far behind.

Just her, and Ethan in the hospital room.

James signed the transaction confirmation and returned to his seat. About to ask Adrian about the deposit payment, he noticed his boss staring at his phone screen with flickering emotions in his eyes.

So… her family – Ethan, Oliver, her parents – they were her bottom line.

And he was just the shameless outsider crossing boundaries.

Everything between them… had to remain secret from everyone.

The auction wasn’t over, but Adrian stood up to leave. James followed with the confirmation, asking: “Boss, are we heading to the hospital later?”

Adrian had just spent 1.5 million on a thousand-year-old Chinese Qing Dynasty vase, plain with colored flowers.

James boldy guessed it was an “apology gift” for Christine.

Adrian stopped, turned back coldly: “No. Give it to the exhibition department.”

James stood there stunned, wanting to persuade him, but could only manage: “…Alright.”