Chapter 135: Damn, What a Pervert
"..."
"How can that be the same?" The nuzzling was making Caroline Whitman a little ticklish, and she turned her head to avoid it. "There was nothing between us back then."
"But we do now."
"That’s why I’m saying I’m no good at acting." By this point, Caroline Whitman’s voice had dwindled to little more than a mosquito’s buzz.
Adrian Grant finally smiled.
Sensing his mood had improved slightly, Caroline Whitman took the opportunity to push him again. "Alright, alright," she said softly. "Let me go. We’ve been out here together for too long. People might start putting two and two together."
Adrian Grant didn’t move.
’It would be for the best if people connected the two of us,’ he thought. ’After all, our relationship isn’t something we need to hide.’
The way she was acting, however, made it seem like they were having a secret affair.
"Adrian Grant." Seeing that he wasn’t moving, Caroline Whitman called his name again.
"One more kiss."
"..."
He said it with a tone that was completely matter-of-fact.
Caroline Whitman was half exasperated, half amused. "You, honestly..."
Adrian Grant lowered his head. This time, the kiss landed on the corner of her lips—just a light touch.
It didn’t deepen, wasn’t lingering or passionate.
Then, he straightened up, released his hold on her, and even took a moment to smooth out the collar and hair he had disheveled.
"Let’s go."
Adrian Grant reverted to his usual cool and composed demeanor, turning and heading back toward the private room first.
Caroline Whitman stood where she was, raising a hand to touch her lips. She pulled out her phone and used the front-facing camera to check her reflection.
Sure enough, her lipstick was smudged off. She took a lip gloss from her purse to touch it up. Only after confirming that no telltale signs remained did she slowly walk back.
Outside the private room, the business partner was just hanging up the phone. He turned, saw Caroline Whitman returning, and greeted her with a smile.
"President Whitman, you were gone for quite a while. Are you feeling alright?"
The two of them entered the private room, one after the other.
"Not at all," Caroline Whitman said, taking her seat and smiling nonchalantly. "I had to take a work call and deal with a small matter."
As she spoke, she glanced at Adrian Grant out of the corner of her eye.
Adrian Grant was already back in his seat, his expression impassive, as if he wasn’t the one who had just pinned her against a wall in the hallway and kissed her.
’What an actor.’
’A smoldering one, at that.’
Caroline Whitman rolled her eyes inwardly.
She casually picked up her wine glass, then paused as she brought it to her lips.
The aroma of the wine was mixed with a familiar, crisp, cool fragrance.
A scent she had just been tasting moments ago.
While her thoughts were still swirling, her body acted faster than her mind, and she had already taken a sip.
Caroline Whitman set down the glass, her gaze falling on the one in front of Adrian Grant.
The rim bore the faint half-imprint of lipstick. It was her glass, the one she’d left when she stepped out.
"..."
’Wait, when did he switch them?’
The business partner next to her, having also taken his seat, was completely oblivious to this little exchange. He had been waiting all dinner for the right moment and finally began to broach the subject of a partnership with Adrian Grant.
Adrian Grant nonchalantly raised the wine glass, his lips covering that faint lipstick mark as he took a slow, deliberate sip.
His gaze flickered over the rim of the glass, meeting hers for a fleeting moment, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"..."
WHOOSH. Caroline Whitman’s face instantly turned beet red.
’Holy crap, that pervert!’
「 ... 」
After the business dinner, Caroline Whitman got into Adrian Grant’s car.
The moment she was inside, a large hand pulled her into an embrace.
He caressed her soft hand, lacing their fingers together. The frustration that had been building all evening was evident in his deep voice when he finally asked, "Where’s the ring?"
It wasn’t just the ring. She wasn’t wearing the necklace or earrings he had given her, either.
His lips drew close to her ear, and he gave her earlobe a gentle nip.
Caroline Whitman turned her head to dodge his mouth and answered truthfully, "I put them in the safe."
Adrian Grant: "..."
Seeing that her actions must have seemed a bit absurd, Caroline Whitman had no choice but to explain what had happened when she ran into Wanda Sutton at the salon.
"Besides, the pieces you gave me aren’t really suitable for everyday wear," Caroline Whitman added.
’All that flashy jewelry was also hard to match with outfits.’
Adrian Grant actually gave it some thought. "Hm, that was my mistake. I’ll have Reina Carson send you some pieces for everyday wear tomorrow."
"...That’s really not necessary. I already have jewelry like that."
"It’s not the same."
At that, Caroline Whitman fell silent, not bothering to argue with him on this point.
"However,"
Adrian Grant paused, and Caroline Whitman’s heart jumped into her throat.
When he remained silent for a long moment, simply stroking her hand, Caroline Whitman couldn’t help but ask:
"However what? Just say it."
"Why were you so formal with me today?" Adrian Grant asked, lifting a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.
’He’d been holding it in for a while now.’
’Otherwise, he wouldn’t have slipped out in the middle of the dinner just to steal a kiss.’
He hated having to keep his distance from his own girlfriend in public.
It was just like their last business trip to Floria, when Caroline Whitman had treated him like a complete stranger.
Then again, there had been nothing between them back then.
But things were different now.
They were a real, official couple now.
It wasn’t a secret affair, so why couldn’t they be open about it?
Caroline Whitman arched an eyebrow. "Then what did you expect me to do today? Just announce to them, ’This is my boyfriend. For any future projects, please give the Whitman Group first priority, and maybe you’ll even get a chance to work with the Grant Group someday’?"
This was actually a good opportunity. She’d been wanting to talk to Adrian about whether they should go public with their relationship.
Thinking about Adrian’s perverse little stunt with the wine glasses, she was genuinely getting a little freaked out.
If he pulled a few more stunts like that the next time they were at a business function together, her heart wouldn’t be able to take the stress.
Adrian Grant: "..."
He squeezed Caroline’s palm, an amused tone in his voice. "Ryan is usually so sharp-tongued. I’m guessing he gets that from you?"
"..."
Caroline Whitman muttered under her breath, "It’s not like he could have inherited being a smoldering brooder like you."
"I heard that."
"Oh."
Caroline Whitman pressed her lips together.
’His hearing just had to be sharp at a time like this.’
"If you want to say that, then go ahead and say it."
Adrian Grant chuckled, bringing the conversation back to their previous topic.
He didn’t mind being publicly linked to Caroline Whitman in the slightest.
’Only by letting everyone know that Caroline was his would those classmates with designs on her finally back off.’
Caroline Whitman finally understood. The guy just wanted to go public with their relationship.
"Let’s just keep things normal. Announcing it like that would cause a lot of trouble."
’Caroline also wanted that, but she suddenly remembered the world she was in was basically a Mary Sue novel.’
’What if some cannon-fodder character suddenly pops up looking to start a fight? Wouldn’t everything just blow up in our faces?’
Adrian Grant’s fingertips traced the back of her hand as he asked slowly, "What kind of trouble?"
Caroline Whitman shot him a look. "What do you think? The moment your ’President Grant’ title is attached to me, all sorts of long-lost relatives and classmates will crawl out of the woodwork. How am I supposed to get any work done?"
The moment Franklin Whitman became a nouveau riche overnight from that demolition payout, he was flooded with calls from countless distant relatives.
The second wave came when the Whitman Group was first established and just starting to make a name for itself.
Of course, her own relatives and classmates weren’t the main concern.
The real issue would be the people from Adrian Grant’s side.
Thinking of this, Caroline Whitman seized the initiative. She let out a small "hmph" as it became her turn to interrogate him.
"And don’t tell me that after we go public, all your female confidantes, your long-lost first love, your old classmates, your childhood sweetheart, and all your secret admirers won’t come crawling out of the woodwork to give me trouble, will they?"