Adriana pov

The duvet curled up beneath my fingers, my eyes circled around the lavish room that had been plunged into deep darkness after I flicked off the chandelier lights, my eyes caught recognizable shadows of my intricately designed gold-rimmed furniture and I sighed into my goose feather pillow.

Despite lying down on the lap of luxury, there was an acute pain in my chest that just wouldn't go away. Recalling Mr Williams' called words, I buried my face into the pillow as my cheeks blushed a violent red.

“What it felt like was babysitting, and if you ever make me do that again, this contract will be over.”

All of that just because I was harmlessly flirting with him! The nerve!

I sat up unable to sleep. As I was about to reminisce about my embarrassment again, my phone rang out with a phone call.

Naturally, I assumed it was my mother. Thanks to Justin, I had no one in my social circle. What I had initially misjudged as over-protectiveness was just him isolating me from others until he was the only one in my world.

My mom was the only one that stuck around, biting down on her disapproval of him.

“Hi, Mom…” I said, and the silence that dragged over was deafening. I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the screen, glancing at our unknown just as a known voice slipped into my ears.

“I can't believe I defended you. Natasha said you had definitely blocked my number, but I told her that you wouldn't.”

My stomach twisted upon hearing the voice of my ex-husband.

“Why would I need to have your number on my phone when we're over?” I spat out.

“Adriana, stop being overdramatic, both of us know that you must have been losing your mind, missing me. ""Don't act like you haven't been waiting for this call,”

I shivered with deep disgust. Not only was he not weighed down by the smallest speck of shame, but he was actually daydreaming that I was missing him.

Why would I miss waking up next to a man that always had a cold, deep-set frown at the ready? Who never remembered any special occasion or gave me gifts while I would always meticulously plan out celebrations and shower him with grand gifts for the most minute achievements?

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I've been happier for the last couple of weeks without you than I have these past years with you.”

He grunted over the line like someone that was battling with constipation, while I sat down with my back straight.

“Have you found someone else?”

“I haven't,” I responded sharply, “but that's not to say I'm not looking,” I said in a tone that taunted him.

Justin growled, taking a deep breath that eventually dissolved into a weighty sigh.

“Adriana, we have played this game before, and I always win. I'll let you keep up with your temper tantrum for a little bit more before you come crawling back to me like you always do.”

I cringed as memories of me being gas-lighted by Justin and apologizing when he was the one clearly in the wrong flashed through my mind and my resolve only hardened.

“I can't stop you from dreaming, but thank you for reminding me that I needed to change this number. I didn't think that you would be stupid enough to call me but…”

At that point, I decided that there was no need to waste my breath anymore and cut the call before he could speak again, quickly blocking his number and taking out my SIM card.

I will buy a new one and call my mother tomorrow. The realization that she was the only person that needed my number struck me like a prick in the flesh.

Stretching out my hand to place my phone on the bedside table, I suddenly remembered that there was someone else that might need my number, but he had been rude to me tonight, so I thought about it.

In the morning that followed that night, something unexpected happened, something that had never ever occurred since I got married to the reclusive billionaire.

I found him in the dining hall at the same time as me.

I stood awkwardly in the dining room entrance, eyeing him with of confliction.

“What are you doing here?” I cautiously approached him. The table had not yet been served with food, but the plates and cutlery had been set.

“Waiting for my breakfast, obviously. "Have you ever heard of someone taking a shower in the dining room?” he said sarcastically, picking up a fork and idly tapping it on his bare plate.

I decided not to make a big fuss about it and slipped into my own seat. He glanced over at me for a second and went back to his empty plate.

“How was your night?” he asked completely unprompted, forcing me to give him another distrusting look.

“It was fine, I hope yours was too,” I said, wishing that he wouldn't reply, but he didn't stop there. From somebody that flippantly ignored me before so suddenly wanting a conversation so badly, I was a bit thrown off balance and started feeling like I was the one that might have to begin avoiding the dining room now.

Our food finally came. As always, it was a lavish and scrumptious feast with an attractive presentation with the added bonus of being incredibly healthy.

“You should eat a lot. "" You'll need all your energy,” he said as I took a bite of my food.

“There's something that has been bothering me, and I've wanted to ask you,” I found myself asking curiously. He popped up one of his eyebrows, then he reached over, wrapped his fingers around a glass of water and sipped it.

“What is it?” His voice sounded tense.

“It's just that, well…” I began hesitantly, “I was wondering when you were going to get me pregnant.”