The Bigshot Married Himself to the Heiress

Chapter 353 - 354: Knowing You Bit by Bit

"

—Excuse me, who is the gentleman upstairs?

—Adrian Desmond!

—AAAHHH—

—Who the hell is Adrian Desmond? (Someone asked fearlessly.)

—I’m no ’thing,’ but I’ll make you into one!

—The guy upstairs sounds so cool; I like it. Handsome, send us a photo to admire, please.

—Wow, I remember now! Adrian Desmond is the husband of our beautiful President Johnson. It can’t be someone else with the same name, can it?

—Sienna Johnson is my woman!

—Little Peachy, you’ve provoked the President’s husband again. You’re toast!

At lunchtime, the Weibo group was usually quiet. However, today, everyone ditched lunch and started discussing in the thread. Eastminster Group headquarters had about five thousand people, and with everyone swiping their screens, Vivian Abbey saw that there were already more than three thousand replies...

This speed... Vivian Abbey had never thought the people at Eastminster Group could be this gossipy.

"President Johnson, shouldn’t you respond and state your position?" Vivian Abbey asked.

"What position?"

"They’re all asking if the man on the ’second floor’ online, the one claiming to be your husband, really *is* your husband. They don’t believe it..."

"Since he claimed to be my husband, then he naturally is." Probably no one else would have the guts to claim to be her husband anyway.

Adrian Desmond’s call came through, and Sienna Johnson picked it up. "Hello?"

"In the office?"

"Mhm."

"I’ll come over. Let’s have lunch together."

"Where are you?"

"In the building across from yours."

Sienna Johnson looked over and saw the "Haunted Building" across the street.

The Haunted Building wasn’t its actual name. Its original name was the Spring Orchid Building.

The Spring Orchid Building was just across the street from Sienna Johnson’s Eastminster Tower. Strangely, the Spring Orchid Building seemed cursed. No matter who it was or what business they operated there, they would inevitably lose money. Some people didn’t believe in bad luck, but that building had a way of proving skeptics wrong. Sure enough, anyone who went in lost their investment, and any pair who tried, lost theirs too.

After businesses went bankrupt there one after another, the Clear Spring Building was completely abandoned. Eventually, its name—Clear Spring Building—was forgotten, and people started calling it the "Haunted Building" as a dark joke.

"See me? I’m on the 21st floor too, standing right by the window," Adrian Desmond said.

At night, exhausted from overtime, Sienna Johnson had gazed at the building across the street countless times. It was always deathly still. Now, a man stood there, waving at her. Though she couldn’t make out his face, she recognized his silhouette.

It was Adrian Desmond. She had picked out the clothes he was wearing today. He had arrogantly complained she had no taste, which angered Sienna Johnson so much she’d thrown the clothes on the floor. But the scoundrel had cheekily picked them up and put them on anyway.

Isn’t that just asking for trouble?!

"I see you."

Sienna Johnson saw him lower his hand, his gaze fixed on her. She asked, "What are you doing in the Haunted Building?"

"The Haunted Building?"

"The building you’re in *is* the Haunted Building."

"Isn’t it called the Clear Spring Building? That’s what the agent told me," Adrian Desmond said, puzzled.

Sienna Johnson suddenly thought of something and asked, "Wait, don’t tell me you *bought* the building across the street."

"Yes. The ownership was just transferred yesterday. I had someone clean it, and I moved in today," Adrian Desmond replied.

Sienna Johnson brushed her loose hair back with her hand, unsure what to say. "Why didn’t you ask me before buying a building? I grew up in Sileria City; surely I know this city better than you do, right?"

"Why would I need to ask you?"

"If you’d asked me, you wouldn’t have gotten ripped off! Don’t you know that building is haunted? Nobody buys it, and no one does business there. The original owner who sold it to you must be ecstatic right now. They’re probably thinking, ’What a fool!’"

"You’re the fool!"

Sienna Johnson explained, "Alright, fine, let me tell you. The building across the street *was* indeed called the Clear Spring Building. However, that place is seriously bad news. No matter who it is or what business they try to run there, they end up losing everything, going completely bankrupt. One owner, after his business failed and he was saddled with a mountain of debt, even jumped to his death from the rooftop of the Clear Spring Building... So, after that, no one ever occupied it again, and everyone started calling it the ’Haunted Building.’"

"Oh, no wonder it was so cheap," Adrian Desmond said nonchalantly.

"What did you buy that building for?"

"To do business, of course. Didn’t you say last night we should have more kids? Naturally, I have to work hard and earn money. I can’t have everyone thinking I’m just some pretty boy living off you."

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you: everyone who’s ever done business in there has lost everything. So, Sixth Master, remember, if you end up with nothing, don’t get any ideas about jumping off a building. You’ll still have me. I’ll support you," Sienna Johnson declared grandly.

Adrian Desmond’s delighted laughter came through the phone. "You? Support me? With what little money you have?"

"I’m Sileria City’s richest woman!"

"..."

"Just eat a little less, be a bit more frugal, and I’ll be able to support you soon enough. You must have heard the saying, ’A wife follows her husband, for better or worse,’ right?"

"Exactly. ’A wife follows her husband, for better or worse.’ Mrs. Desmond, you’d do well to remember that. And don’t go playing the disappearing act again! If you dare run off again, I’ll break your legs next time, lock you up on Unnamed Island, and make sure you can never leave me for the rest of your life!"

"Seriously! I offer to support you out of the kindness of my heart, and this is what you say? Fine! When you go bankrupt, run out of money, and become a penniless pauper, see if I care! You can go beg on the streets for all I care."

How could Adrian Desmond possibly let a woman support him? But he didn’t argue with Sienna Johnson, saying instead, "I hear the food at your company’s cafeteria is good. Let’s eat there for lunch today."

"Who told you the food at our cafeteria is good?"

"Oh, I joined your company’s WhatsApp group. That woman, Lucy Harrington—why haven’t you fired her yet? She actually posted a photo today to slander you."

"That ’husband’... that was you?"

"Besides me, do you have another husband?" Adrian Desmond’s voice was laced with menace.

"I was just thinking someone might be an imposter."

"Anyone who’s not afraid to die is welcome to try."

"How did you get into our company’s WhatsApp group?"

"Didn’t you say I don’t understand you? Well, I decided to immerse myself in your life to understand you completely."

Sienna Johnson thought for a moment. She remembered an argument she’d had with Adrian Desmond where she had called him self-righteous, accused him of not truly loving her, and of not understanding what she wanted. She’d said he used love as an excuse to treat her domineeringly and crudely.

There was no fairness between them; he would never grasp that love required equality and respect. She had also said that he didn’t love her, only himself. He wanted to possess her, to keep her by his side merely to please himself, with no regard for her feelings.

His fiery, all-consuming desire to possess her had been too intense. In the end, she was the only one who got burned, scarred deeply. All that remained between them was ice.

"