?<strong>Chapter 424:</strong>


    Adrian opened his mouth to dismiss her concern, but the words caught in his throat,ing out differently. “Now that you’re here, I feel like I can’t rest properly.”


    At Adrian’s meaningful remark, Joelle smiled and lightly hit his shoulder. “Come on, be serious now.”


    Adrian’s exhaustion vanished in an instant, reced by a surge of joy at seeing her finally perk up.


    Be serious, huh? How could he, when all he wanted at that moment was to scoop her up and carry her to be with him? He made Joelle sit on the shoe cab by the door and kissed her, his yearning unmistakable at the contact.


    He leaned closer, deepening the kiss.


    Joelle threw all her reservations aside and responded eagerly, though she could barely match his fervor.


    Adrian pulled away from the kiss, panting, and carried her to the bedroom. The white sheets were a bit disheveled, but that was the least of their concerns at the moment.


    As she plopped down on the bed, Joelle grabbed the remote from the bedside table and drew the ckout curtains shut.


    The light slowly faded, leaving nothing but darkness and heated desire in the room.


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    Adrian tossed his shirt over his head and removed Joelle’s clothes at the same time.


    It had been a while since they’d made love, but their physical connection remained as strong as ever. After their blissful lovemaking, Adrian carried Joelle to the shower.


    Soaking in the bathtub with Adrian, Joelle grew heavy with thought once more.


    The truth haunted her again: Rnd and Lacey were gone.


    Fixing her wistful gaze at the ceiling, Joelle muttered, “I used to think that if we just worked hard enough on our rtionship, our future would be filled with happiness.”


    Adrian squeezed some shampoo into his palm,thered it up, and massaged it into Joelle’s hair. He wished there was a way to improve the situation, but no one could undo what had happened.


    “Things will get better, Joelle,” he said gently, hoping to uplift her spirits.


    “I don’t have confidence in that,” she replied quietly.


    Joelle looked away, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. Since Rnd’s passing, her mood would often take a sudden downward spiral.


    There were times while ying with Aurora when she’d suddenly zone out, her smile fading as the weight of sorrow gripped her heart.


    She knew her shifting mood affected Aurora, yet she often felt helpless to pull herself out of despair.


    “I’ve been having dreams of Rnd crying to me these past few nights,” she admitted softly.


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