?<strong>Chapter 159:</strong>


    After sipping the water, Adrian immediately sensed something amiss—a searing sensation ignited within him. As Joelle reached for the doorknob, he abruptly grasped her hand with startling force. Moments before, he had seemed barely conscious, but now he rose from the bed, his body radiating an intense heat.


    “Adrian? What are you doing?”


    Joelle’s voice was tinged with rm and anger. But Adrian’s fury surpassed hers, his veins throbbing as if on fire.


    “Joelle, you’re resorting to the same tactics?”


    “What are you talking about? Let go of me!” she demanded, struggling against his grip.


    Adrian spun her around, his eyes aze with unchecked desire. “You know exactly what I mean!”


    Joelle, married to him for three years, recognized the dangerous glint in his eye.


    “Adrian, calm down. Look at me and see who I am.”


    Adrian seemed beyond reason, hastily undoing his belt with a sinister intent. “Since you seem so eager, I’ll grant your wish,” he growled menacingly.


    Panic surged through Joelle, not for the intoxicated Adrian but for herself. Her pregnancy was at a delicate stage, heightening her emotions and desires. Yet, despite her body’s reactions, her mind screamed for separation.


    As he lifted her, she pounded on his shoulder, yelling, “You bastard!”


    Thrown onto the bed, she barely had time to react before he was upon her, his voice dark and determined. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it how you like it.”


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    Before Joelle could utter another word, he silenced her protests. Worried for the well-being of her unborn child, Joelle felt a momentary relief that she was past the most vulnerable first trimester.


    Allowing herself this once to sumb to her feelings, she nevertheless feared Adrian’s intensity. “Please, be gentle,” she pleaded softly.


    Ignoring her plea, Adrian became even more aggressive. Joelle’s fear escted into terror. Tears streamed down her face as she begged, “Please, please, Adrian, you’re hurting me.”


    Adrian’s demeanor softened, bing more gentle. He bowed his head, kissing away the tears on her cheeks.


    The night quietly passed.


    Joelle, feeling the weight of her pregnancy, woke from a particrly deep sleep to find Adrian already awake, propping his head with his hand as he watched her sleep. “Why do I feel like you’re getting rounder?” he asked. Startled by his observation, Joelle’s drowsiness instantly dissipated.


    Her increasing appetite and consequent weight gain were normal during pregnancy, but she feared Adrian might suspect more.


    Quickly regaining herposure, she changed the subject and rose to dress.


    Adrian caught her wrist, pulling her back and pinning her beneath him. “Running away after spending the night with me?”


    Joelle scoffed at his tone. “Mr. Miller, let’s not be childish. I’ll consider it no worse than being bitten by a dog. It isn’t the first time, after all.”


    “Bitten by a dog?” Adrian retorted, pinching her cheek yfully, his voiceced with sarcasm. “You’ve gotten quite good at this act.”


    She had drugged him, yet now she likened her actions to being bitten by a dog. However, Adrian dismissed the contradiction. He understood that preserving one’s dignity often led to such rationalizations.


    Her bold move indicated that she hadn’t fully detached from their rtionship. Despite his words, Adrian’s irritation faded as he looked at her. It had been a long time since they’d been so close.


    Although initially furious to think he’d been drugged, he felt a flicker of hope.


    Joelle shook off his grasp and hastened to leave, her mind racing with the fear of him discovering her pregnancy. “Is that all? Can I go now?” she asked, desperate to escape.


    Adrian held her chin, his thumb brushing her lips. “If you need anything, just let me know. As your husband, I’m here for you—far better than any stranger could be.”


    “Thanks, butst night was thest time.”


    Once outside, her facade of calmness crumbled. Despite Adrian’s eventual gentleness, concern for her baby drove her straight to the hospital.


    Thankfully, the check-up confirmed the baby was healthy.


    Relieved, Joelle sat on a hospital bench when Rafael suddenly appeared. “Why are you here all of a sudden? Is something wrong with the baby?”


    He remembered that today wasn’t scheduled for her prenatal check-up.


    Joelle, her nerves unsettled by Rafael’s presence, was aware of his long-standing affection. Though she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings, theplexity of her emotions deepened, especially after her recent encounter with Adrian.


    “Joelle? Are you okay? You don’t look well.”


    “I’m fine,” Joelle replied, masking her turmoil with a weak smile, feeling a twinge of guilt for deceiving such a good man.


    “You arrived just in time. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”


    Rafael brought her to his office and presented her with an envelope from an overseas research institute. “I’ve shared details of your hand injury with them. They’ve pioneered a new technology that might be exactly what you need.”


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