novelraw Chapter 279 - 280: Caught in Bed with Mother-in-law
Chapter 279 - 280: Caught in Bed with Mother-in-law
Chapter 279: Chapter 280: Caught in Bed with Mother-in-law
"Oh, by the way, the betrothal gifts in Sileria City are quite expensive."
"Betrothal gifts?" Adrian Desmond did not quite understand this term.
"It’s the money the groom’s family has to give to the bride’s family! Don’t you give betrothal gifts in Abyanabad when you marry?"
Nowadays, with more men than women, women are highly valued in the marriage market, and the cost of betrothal gifts is skyrocketing. If Sienna Johnson could marry the man she truly loved, she absolutely wouldn’t care about betrothal gifts. However, she was not remotely willing to marry the man standing before her. Therefore, the betrothal gift couldn’t be insignificant!
"In Abyanabad, when men marry, it’s the woman’s family that provides the money... So, your ’betrothal gift,’ as I understand it, is money for the marriage, which means you should be giving it to me," Adrian explained their respective customs.
Abyanabad’s culture shared some similarities with Orienta’s, yet their traditional wedding customs were diametrically opposed. Most Amwan people in Abyanabad married young, with the entire wedding ceremony held at the bride’s home, and all expenses borne by the bride’s family. It was similar to the Orientan custom of ’marrying into the family’.
"I’m supposed to give you a betrothal gift?" Sienna asked, finding it utterly ridiculous.
"According to Amwan customs in Abyanabad, the entire wedding ceremony is held at the bride’s home, and all related expenses are borne by the bride’s family... Are you sure you want to follow Abyanabad’s wedding customs?"
"So, it figures! You Abyanabad men raise daughters just to give them away for nothing. Not only do you get a daughter for free, but her family has to pay you too," Sienna grumbled resentfully.
"How is it giving a daughter away for free? The husband has to support her for the rest of her life!"
"Then why don’t you mention that women have to serve you insufferable men, bear your children, and raise them? A woman could support herself for a lifetime working as a maid in someone else’s house. Listening to you just now, one would think supporting a woman is some great act of charity on your part."
"Alright, alright, let’s do it your way. How much money do you want?" Adrian, being quite wealthy, didn’t want to haggle with her over such trivialities.
"What’s with that tone? What do you mean, ’how much money do I want’? Do you think I’m desperate for your money?" Sienna fumed. What was he implying?
"Then what exactly do you want?" Adrian asked, exasperated.
This wasn’t right, and that wasn’t right either. What on earth did she want?
"You figure it out," Sienna said finally. "For now, can you please leave the same way you came in?"
"Let me kiss you."
Adrian started to get touchy-feely again. This was the man’s true nature, his mind consumed by lust. Sienna was terribly annoyed, yet she knew this man responded to soft words, not harshness, so she could only try to coax him.
"Sienna, I’m uncomfortable."
A cold drop of sweat landed on her neck. Sienna, realizing the gravity of the situation, whispered, "Why don’t you take a cold shower?"
"Don’t move. Let me lie here for a moment."
"I’m not moving; you’re the one who keeps moving."
"Sienna, you smell so good."
"Adrian, calm down!"
"Sienna, your skin is so smooth..."
"Adrian, you... stop!"
Just at that critical moment, the door was thrown open with a BANG. Adrian reacted instantly, yanking the covers over both of them an instant before the intruder’s eyes could fall upon them.
The intruder was none other than Sabrina Johnson.
"What are you two doing?" Sabrina demanded.
Adrian, of course, recognized her—the Johnson Family’s adopted daughter. Because of this woman, Sienna had been cast out and had endured immense suffering. This woman had even driven Sienna to jump into the sea. Though, in a twisted way, Sabrina had played matchmaker for him and Sienna.
If not for Sabrina, Sienna in Orienta and he in Abyanabad might never have crossed paths in this lifetime. Still, he thoroughly detested this woman.
"Sabrina, I hear you’re out on bail?" Sienna asked, her voice dripping with disdain.
She and Sabrina were fundamentally incompatible.
"That’s right. You want me in jail? Dream on!" Sabrina taunted.
"Get out! I don’t want to see you!"
Sabrina chuckled, her gaze flicking to the man on the bed—a complete stranger, and remarkably handsome. Sabrina assumed Adrian was some boy toy Sienna was keeping.
"Mom, come quickly!" Sabrina suddenly shouted.
Sienna cursed inwardly; Sabrina really loved to stir up trouble.
"What is it?" Pauline Briggs, thinking something serious had happened, hurried upstairs and into Sienna’s room. Upon seeing the man and woman on the bed, Pauline’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"You two..."
Pauline had never witnessed such wanton, ill-disciplined behavior. Her sharp gaze swept over Sienna’s flushed face before settling on Adrian’s nonchalant, devil-may-care expression.
"Sienna Johnson, what is the meaning of this? And who is this man?"
Adrian felt no compunction whatsoever about being in Sienna’s bedroom. "You must be Madam Johnson? A pleasure. I’m Adrian Desmond, Sienna’s man!"
Pauline’s face flushed with fury. "Sienna, look at yourself! What has become of you? You ended a marriage just yesterday, and today you’re in bed with another man! What am I supposed to say to you? If your father were still alive, how heartbroken would he be?"
Pauline was so incensed she even invoked the deceased Dexter Johnson.
"Sister, I’m sorry," Sabrina began, then glanced at Adrian. Under his dark, wolf-like gaze, she found herself unable to utter another word. "I heard a noise in your room, so I called Mom up. I didn’t expect..."
"Sabrina, you did nothing wrong! Your sister is the one at fault! No decent woman would behave so... so utterly shameless!"
Sienna remained silent.
"Sienna Johnson, get dressed and come downstairs immediately!" Pauline commanded, her voice shaking with anger.
Before leaving, Pauline cast one last look at Sienna, her eyes filled with an emotion that was hard to distinguish—was it anger, or disappointment?
The door closed, and the room was plunged into silence.
Adrian chuckled. "Your sister, is she always this... interesting?" he finally said, after a moment of searching for the right word.
Sienna glared at the man beside her. "You find her so interesting? Perhaps I should introduce you two properly."
"Jealous? You’re quite the jealous type! I used to find it annoying, but now I really like it when you’re jealous for me."
"Shameless! Who’s jealous?"
"You can rest assured, 15 times over. You’re the only one in my heart. Other women could be standing naked in front of me, and I wouldn’t be interested in the slightest." His hand roamed towards hers, only for Sienna to slap it away.
"Stop fooling around! Didn’t you see how angry Madam Johnson was? You need to leave, now!"
"Well, since I’m already here, I might as well pay a visit to Madam Richardson. Even though you don’t like her, she is, after all, my mother-in-law in name."
Sienna clutched her head; this man was like a piece of sticky plaster, impossible to shake off.
"Don’t be upset..." Adrian offered, as if sharing a piece of wisdom. "Getting scolded... it all depends on your perspective. She can say what she wants; just let it go in one ear and out the other. Treat it like she’s just farting, that’s all."