Yes, I Have a Child with the Villain

Adrian calmly took his hand back, picked up her phone, and held it out to her.

Caroline froze. ’Did I just feel someone touching my mouth?’

Looking at the refined face before her, she thought, ’Adrian can’t be that kind of pervert, can he?’

As she was lost in thought, Adrian lowered his gaze to her. "Aren’t you going to answer?"

"Oh, right."

Caroline hurriedly took the phone. Seeing it was an unknown number, she tapped the answer button. "Hello?"

"It’s me, Ethan Xavier. Don’t tell me you’ve really forgotten your old classmate, have you?"

Caroline paused for a moment. The voice on the other end continued, "I came back to expand my business, and I heard you’re doing quite well for yourself. There’s a potential collaboration I’d like to discuss with you."

Hearing it was about a collaboration, Caroline perked up. "What kind of collaboration?"

Ethan chuckled. "It’s a bit difficult to explain over the phone. I was wondering when you might be free. Could we meet up and chat?"

Caroline thought for a moment. "How about this? Since you sought me out, I assume you’ve already done your research on my company. But as for you, my ’old classmate,’ I’m completely in the dark. Why don’t you start by emailing me your company’s profile, credentials, and a project proposal? We can discuss things in detail after that."

Ethan gave a surprised laugh on the other end of the line. "It seems getting a meeting with you isn’t so easy."

Caroline chuckled lightly as well. "This way, neither of us wastes any time."

Ethan replied, "Alright, then. I’ll send it over when I get a chance."

After the call ended, Caroline’s attention slowly returned to her surroundings. She suddenly realized she was still nestled snugly in his arms.

Her cheeks flushed, and she sat up from his embrace, flustered. "Did I fall asleep again?"

"Mhm. It seems the film I chose wasn’t to your taste."

Caroline gave a sheepish smile.

"The beginning was great, but I started to get drowsy when it got to the sentimental part. Next thing I knew, I was out. Heh, I guess if I have one talent, it’s falling asleep quickly."

"I noticed. You can pick the film next time." Adrian changed the subject, smoothly handing the choice over to her.

Caroline thought, ’Do we really have to watch another movie?’

Besides, they always watched movies in this highly private screening room.

It was only then that she belatedly realized the distance between them had become subtly, intimately close.

The dim light from the screen was all that lit the room, faintly illuminating his hand resting by his side—long and well-proportioned.

It was mere centimeters from the back of her hand. The slightest movement and they would touch.

She subconsciously shifted away, trying to create some distance, but the child was fast asleep beside her, blocking her retreat.

She couldn’t move much farther. Instead, in her flustered movement, her knee brushed lightly against his leg as she tried to shift.

She was dressed casually today.

A simple white T-shirt and a pair of black shorts.

Beneath the blanket, the fabric of his trousers rubbing against her bare skin sent a faint jolt of electricity shooting up her leg.

The tips of Caroline’s ears instantly burned, and she found herself holding her breath.

"..."

As much as she wanted to spend more time alone with Adrian and deepen their connection, whenever a situation like this arose, for some reason, her first instinct was always to shy away, flustered.

She quickly tried to change the subject.

"I should take Ryan upstairs to bed."

’The movie’s over anyway.’

Caroline turned aside, one hand already lifting the blanket, but before she could, her wrist was caught by a larger hand.

"He can sleep here just as well," Adrian said. "If he wakes up while you’re carrying him upstairs, it’ll only disturb him."

But to Caroline, his words sounded like a pointed remark directed at her.

She thought back. In the past, whenever he’d carried her to bed, she had never once managed to just lie down and go back to sleep.

Caroline lowered her gaze to her wrist, still held firmly in his grasp. Her body tensed instinctively as she asked:

"The movie’s over. What are we still doing here?"

But Adrian simply turned to look at her, asking with a smile, "Well, what do you suggest we do if we leave the screening room?"

He paused, then added quietly, "Or perhaps... you have plans later?"

Caroline said, "No..."

’I wish I did have plans right now.’

Then, it belatedly dawned on her. ’Why am I being so honest?’

’I’m right here in Kingsport. Whether I have plans or not is just a matter of saying so.’

Just as she was about to take back her words, Adrian cut her off. "I don’t have plans either."

Caroline pressed her lips together and looked at him, meeting the deep pools of his dark eyes behind his glasses. "So we’re just going to sit here?"

Adrian looked away, his gaze falling back on the large screen. "Since we have nothing to do, let’s find something to do."

The moment he said that, an inexplicable series of risqué scenarios flashed through Caroline’s mind.

Her mind also inopportunely conjured the memory of her first erotic dream.

The star of that dream was now, in the flesh, right in front of her.

Caroline gazed at his prominent brow and the straight bridge of his nose, swallowing unconsciously.

"Like what?" she asked.

Adrian released her wrist. With a slight lift of his chin, his gaze fell on the movie selector in front of them. "You pick something you like. We’ll watch another one."

Caroline was speechless. "..."

’If I question him with "Another movie?",’ she thought, ’he’ll definitely make me come up with an alternative.’

So, she tried a different tack. "But Ryan’s sleeping here. Won’t it wake him up?"

Adrian replied, "Someone who can fall asleep during a movie is unlikely to be woken up by one."

Caroline fell silent.

’There was no arguing with him.’

She had no choice but to get up and silently go pick a film.

There were plenty of genres to choose from: suspense, romance, comedy, horror, family-friendly...

Torn between suspense and comedy, Caroline ultimately chose comedy.

’Can’t break character.’

In the end, she picked one of the highest-rated comedies.

She did notice, however, that the film Adrian had chosen was also on the highly-rated list...

Once she’d made her selection, she silently returned to her seat.

It suddenly felt like the space between them had shrunk, bringing her even closer to Adrian.

She turned to look at her son and noticed that at some point, a new, separate blanket had been draped over him.

Something stirred inside Caroline. Her gaze shifted from the single blanket covering both her and Adrian, then back to the little guy.

"To keep the draft off Ryan’s side and make sure he doesn’t get cold in his sleep, I gave him his own blanket," Adrian explained, as if sensing her confusion.

"Oh."

The film began.

Caroline focused on the screen. She found the film genuinely funny, and partway through, she snuck a glance at Adrian. To her relief, she found he was laughing just as frequently as she was.

’At least they were on the same wavelength in that respect.’

But as she continued to sneak glances at him, she found that the sight of his knowing smile was more captivating than the film itself.