Yes, I Have a Child with the Villain

By the time she and Adrian Grant had changed and stepped onto the court, the others were just taking a break.

"Long time no see. It’s been a while," Milo Morgan said with a chuckle, greeting Caroline Whitman.

Evan Shaw walked over, racket in hand, and teased Adrian Grant. "So *that’s* why you were so nice and drove her home last time."

Back then, all they knew was that the Whitman Group and the Grant Group were collaborating. They’d figured he was just being a gentleman by driving her home.

Now, thinking it over, they realized there had been signs all along.

Milo piped in, "Exactly! And I’m not just saying this to kiss up to Adrian, but I’ve never seen him offer a female business partner a ride home before."

Caroline laughed as well. "I get it. It’s one of those ’I haven’t seen the young master smile like that in so long’ moments, right?"

Adrian Grant: "..."

"Hahahaha! Caroline, you know that trope too?" Evan Shaw found this hilarious.

Just then, Chloe Carson came out of the restroom. "Oh, you’re all here? It looks like we’re just missing Finn Kaye."

Evan replied, "He said he had to pull over mid-drive... had a bad case of diarrhea. He’s probably looking for a restroom, so he won’t be here anytime soon."

Chloe asked, "Shall we play then?"

Evan was all for it. "Perfect! You and Milo can be a team, and Adrian and Caroline can be a team. I’ll just watch."

He’d just been playing against Milo and his wife all by himself, and it had totally worn him out.

Adrian Grant grunted in agreement, showing he was fine with the arrangement.

Caroline had been observing him on the sly. ’So that’s it,’ she thought. ’From the moment Adrian Grant walked into the tennis center and met up with them, he’s been the perfect embodiment of "a man of few words."’

’No wonder I always feel like I have nothing to say to him. He’s just not a talkative person in the first place.’

After staring for a moment, her wandering thoughts finally focused on his face.

He wasn’t wearing his usual gold-rimmed glasses today. Instead, he had on a pair with thin, black frames.

His vibe instantly shifted from a cold, domineering CEO to a handsome, top-student type you’d find on campus.

It was a different kind of charm, for sure.

Just then, Adrian Grant turned to her. "How’s your game?"

Caroline recalled an article she’d read before bed a couple of nights ago, something about how "in certain situations, it’s good to show a little vulnerability."

So she offered a demure smile. "I haven’t played in a long time, so I might be a little rusty. I’ll be counting on you."

"..."

Adrian’s face was blank. "Act normal."

Caroline blinked, inching closer to him. "What part wasn’t normal?" she asked curiously.

It wasn’t that she was trying to act weak; she was telling the truth.

Her life for the past few months had been completely filled with her child. When would she have had time to play tennis?

She’d lost her touch.

"Your tone of voice. Be normal."

"..."

’All I wanted was to act a little cutesy, like people in relationships do, and Adrian doesn’t buy it?’

’Do you have any idea how much courage it takes to act cute in front of a face as perfect as yours? Hello?’

Caroline immediately switched back to her normal self. "Oh."

As they turned, the other pair was just about to serve. Caroline leaned in again. "I’m serious, I haven’t played in ages. I’ve lost my touch."

"Hey, you two lovebirds, better keep your eyes on the ball!"

Milo Morgan called out the reminder as he served, seeing that the two were still stuck to each other like glue.

Otherwise, getting hit by the ball would be a world of hurt.

Both conversations happened at once. The moment Caroline heard Milo’s warning, she looked up to see the green ball arcing through the air, heading straight for them.

Since she was standing right in front of Adrian, she was in a better position to react. She took a step forward, leaped, and swung her racket, returning the ball with all her might.

POW!

The ball shot back with surprising speed and bounced on the court floor.

Milo and Chloe, stunned, failed to return it.

’Those reflexes.’

’That explosive power.’

In unison, the two of them gave her a thumbs-up.

Even Evan Shaw, watching from the sidelines, had his eyes wide with surprise.

Adrian was stunned for only a second before patting her on the back. "I haven’t played in a long time either. I might be a little rusty. I’ll be counting on you."

"..."

To be honest, Caroline had even surprised herself.

She hadn’t expected to have that kind of explosive power left in her.

’Hiss... maybe I shouldn’t be trying to change my fate in the business world. Maybe I should be switching channels to a career in competitive sports,’ Caroline mused, her mind wandering for a second.

At this point, she threw her earlier modesty to the wind. She puffed out her chest, patted Adrian’s shoulder, and said with mock solemnity:

"Don’t you worry. Your little sister Caroline absolutely won’t let her big brother Adrian lose."

Adrian chuckled. "Then I’m counting on you, little sister Caroline."

Hearing him call her that for the first time, the tips of Caroline’s ears turned a faint pink.

On the other side of the court, Milo and Chloe watched the lovey-dovey atmosphere bubbling up around the new couple. "..."

Milo felt the urge to light a cigarette and stare at the sky. "Now I finally get why everyone gave us so much crap back in the day."

Chloe felt like she was looking at a mirror of their past selves. "Ugh, the sickening stench of new love."

Only Evan Shaw, the third wheel, silently pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of the scene, and sent it to their group chat with an indignant message:

"I’m a dog if I ever agree to hang out with them again."

Finn Kaye, still on the toilet, replied almost instantly: "What kind of dog? A simp or just a single one?"

Only after sending the message did he click on the pictures.

Leaving aside everything else, just seeing Adrian looking so completely blissed out—like he was basking in a spring breeze—made Finn wonder if the photo was photoshopped.

’Is this even the same Adrian Grant I know?’

"Okay, I’m starting for real!" Milo called out, giving them another friendly warning.

This time, however, he waited until they were ready before serving.

They rallied back and forth, and just as Caroline had promised, she took care of everything.

Caroline returned almost every single shot.

Adrian could have practically walked over to the sidelines and kept Evan company.

Ten minutes later, they had completely crushed Milo and his wife.

During a break, Chloe walked over with a bottle of water. "Wow. I honestly thought we were making a guest appearance in *The Prince of Tennis* for a second there."

Milo came over too. "You should go pro. You could probably win a few medals."

This time, Caroline gave a genuinely modest smile and laughed it off. "You’re exaggerating."

After the break, she and Adrian played a match against each other.

She hadn’t given Adrian a chance to play earlier. Now, facing off, they were evenly matched for over ten minutes, and she discovered that Adrian was no slouch himself.

Neither of them held back. In the end, it was Caroline who got tired first, raising her hand to call a stop to the match.

Adrian must have really missed playing. After she left the court, he played with Milo and Evan for another half an hour.

After the game ended and they all went their separate ways, Caroline sat in the car, rubbing her sore shoulders and neck. Thinking about Adrian’s performance today, she commented, "You’ve got some pretty good stamina."

Adrian turned his head, watching her rub her arm. He leaned over, took her hand, and began to massage her arm from shoulder to wrist. "Want me to give you a full-body massage when we get home tonight?"

"...Mm," Caroline hesitated before whispering, "A... proper massage?"