Chapter 212
Thomas kept sneaking glances
the rearview mirror as he drove through the twinkling city streets. Each time he caught Adam and
Irene sitting in comfortable silence, he bit back a knowing smile.
When they pulled up to the restaurant with its elegant windows and soft glow spilling onto the sidewalk, Thomas couldn’t help himself.
“I’ll swing back later,” he said, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Take your time.”
Irene helped Adam into his wheelchair, then froze as she fook in the restaurant’s interior. Candlelif tables for two. Fresh roses. A violinist tucked in the corner playing something soft and slow.
Oh god. The kids set us up.
“The triplets picked this place?” she whispered, the pieces clicking into place.
Adam’s face gave nothing away as she pushed his chair through the entrance. The host led them to a corner spot with a killer view of the skyline, the city lights mimicking the candles dotting the room.
“Our couple’s special tonight is divine,” their server gushed. “Perfect for sharing.”
Irene’s eyes darted around, suddenly noticing what she’d missed at first glance–every single table held pairs making googly eyes at each other or playing footsie under tablecloths.
She opened her mouth to set things straight, then caught Adam’s utterly unbothered expression. He scanned the menu like they ended up at romantic hotspots every Tuesday.
Making a scene would just make it weird, she decided.
“The special sounds good,” Adam said, closing his menu.
“Works for me,” Irene agreed, finding her footing.
As their server disappeared, the violin’s melody wrapped around them like a usually sharp features, turning him from intimidating CEO to just… Adam.
,
Cocoon. The candlelight softened Adam’s
“I really needed to thank you properly,” Irene said, meaning every word. The articles, the lawyers… you didn’t have to jump into my dumpster fire.”
She surprised herself with how easily she accepted his help. Usually, taking assistance felt like admitting defeat–a luxury she couldn’t afford after years of standing alone. But with him, it felt different somehow.
Adam shook his head. “Some fights aren’t meant to be solo battles. Especially the unfair ones.”
“Why though?” The question popped out before her filter caught it. We barely know each other…”
Great job, Irene. Why not just pass him a ‘Do you like me? Check yes or no note? She cringed internally at sounding like a teenager fishing for validation.
Adam watched her for a beat too long. “Sometimes you meet people worth breaking your own rules for.”
Almost told her everything, he thought, catching himself. Normally, he hated beating around the bush, but with Irene, rushing felt risky. She’d just weathered a family hurricane; dropping another bombshell seemed cruel.
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Chapter 212
Their eyes locked across the Table. Something electric bummed in the space between them. Irene felt her pulse kick up a notch,
Adam broke first. “Those people coming to your defense online–former patients?”
:ཙམ་
“Maybe,” Irene smiled, grateful for the lifeline. I did collect some…perfans in R Country,”
Adam lifted his glass. “To Dr. Joy–making the impossible look easy since… whenever.”
Irene rolled the stem of her glass between her fingers, something shifting behind her eyes.
“Sometimes,” she said quietly, “we need to let the past go before new miracles can happen. Maybe it’s time to close old chapters and
start fresh ones.”
The words landed with double meaning that surprised even her. Was she ready to move beyond Sterling family drama? To possibly even help Rose, despite everything? And was she finally willing to let someone new past her carefully constructed walls?
Their glasses clinked. Their fingers brushed. A tiny jolt raced up Irene’s arm at the contact.
As the night deepened, conversation flowed easier. Adam described his first coding competition disaster. Irene shared the story of her first solo surgery–terrifying until muscle memory kicked in. They discovered shared tastes in music and mutual hatred of pretentious food.
Irene caught herself laughing–real, unguarded laughter–more than she had in months. For one evening, her brain wasn’t consumed with the kids, the hospital, or family chaos. Tonight, she was just a woman enjoying a man who kept surprising her.
When the violinist finally packed up and their plates disappeared, Adam reached for his phone to text Thomas. The evening had vanished in a blink.
“Still steady on your feet?” Adam asked, noting the flush on her cheeks.
She laughed. “Please. Two sips of wine isn’t going to knock me over.
Adam held out his hand, voice dropping just a notch. “Humor me.”
Irene stared at his outstretched palm. Something tugged at her, like gravity shifting its center. When she finally slipped her hand into his, her first thought was how warm his skin felt against hers. As their palms fully connected, a current seemed to run between them, subtle but unmistakable.
Thomas pulled up right on time, catching sight of their linked hands as they exited. His face remained perfectly neutral, though his eyes practically glowed with satisfaction.
Back home, the triplets and Joseph sat in the living room, clearly having blown past bedtime. The kids pounced with questions the moment they walked in.
“Was the food amazing?”
“Did you like the music?”
“How was everything?”
Thomas couldn’t res “They were holding hands,” he stage–whispered.
The kids exchanged victorious glances while trying to keep poker faces. Lily bounced on her toes while Lucas and Alex bumped fists when they thought nobody was looking.
“It wasn’t like that,” Irene protested, her cheeks betraying her. “Adam was just steadying me.”
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Chapter 212
“If you say so.” Thomas replied with exaggerated politeness. “Just reporting the facts?
Joseph watched it all unfold, lying nothing but seeing everything, satisfaction written across his weathered face,
Hours later, with the house silent and daik, Trene lay wide awake, slepp wouldn’t come as her mind kept replaying snippet of the evening on loop–especially the warm pressure of Adam’s palm against hers.
Why did he make her feel so damn safe? The sensation felt foreign yet somehow like coming home.
She finally gave up and padded to her closet, pulling out the jacket Alam had lent her at that Hayes Estate party. Her fingers traced the expensive fabric, catching the ghost of his cologne still clinging to the collar.
She’d meant to return it tomorrow, but instead hung it carefully on her bedroom chair.
“One more day won’t hurt,” she whispered, a strange anticipation fluttering in her chest,
Back in bed, she glanced toward her window with its distant view of Adam’s wing. A light still burned in what she guessed was his study.
Was he thinking about her too?
A small smile tugged at her lips as she finally drifted off, the memory of his fingers wrapped around hers following her into dreams.
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