Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Choosing to Let Go
"If you do this, your mother is going to blame me again. She’ll say I’m destroying your family. They’ve never accepted me."
"I’m sorry," Adrian Quincy apologized in a low voice.
"This isn’t your fault. Why are you apologizing to me?"
"I’ve hidden this from you for so long... Are you angry with me?"
Claire Sinclair said nothing.
She had once told him that she hated it when he hid things from her ’for her own good,’ but he had done it again anyway.
’He really did do it for my own good... Should I forgive him?’
Seeing her silence, Adrian Quincy knew she was upset. His heart ached as he laid out his final offer: "If you ask for a divorce right now, I’ll agree."
Claire Sinclair’s head snapped up, and she stared in shock at his flawless, handsome face.
"Have you thought it through?"
"If being with me will only bring you more and more pain, then I’ll choose to let you go." His voice was calm as he spoke, devoid of any emotion.
And yet, after he said it, tears began to stream silently down his face.
’So much for "real men don’t cry" or "a man’s pride is worth more than gold." For him, it seemed those conventional ideas were just empty words.’
But unfortunately, she wasn’t going to let his tears soften her resolve this time. Giving in would only drag her deeper and lead to more pain.
"We’re definitely getting a divorce, but I’ll only do it after Yara Quincy is in prison."
’Otherwise, what if we divorce now and he suddenly changes his mind about pressing charges against Yara Quincy?’
’I can’t let myself have been beaten for nothing, and I certainly can’t let my child’s death at the hands of that woman be in vain.’
’Since we’re going to get divorced anyway, since I’m going to anger his family anyway, and since I’m going to hurt him anyway... I’ll wait until the day Yara Quincy is imprisoned. Then I’ll divorce him, and I’ll do it right in front of his family.’
’I’ll show all those people who look down on me. It’s not their "king" who’s getting rid of me—it’s me who’s dumping their "king"!’
Adrian Quincy, oblivious to her inner calculations, smiled through his tears. "Okay."
’As long as it’s not right now, that’s all that matters. I can still be with her as her husband for a little while longer.’
"I’m hungry."
"I’ll go downstairs and make you something to eat." Adrian Quincy turned to leave.
Claire Sinclair grabbed his hand, then pushed him down onto the bed. She straddled him, pinning his chest with her hands and staring down into his dazed, confused dark eyes.
"Claire?"
"After we eat, are you going to the hospital to see your sister?"
Adrian Quincy nodded.
"Teacher Hartwell once told me something that I think makes perfect sense: ignore conventional prejudice, follow your heart, and do whatever you want. And right now... I suddenly want you."
Adrian Quincy’s brow furrowed slightly, but he remained silent.
He couldn’t see any passion in her eyes, just a strange, unfamiliar emotion.
When he didn’t respond, Claire Sinclair simply leaned in and bit his lip. She tried to deepen the kiss, but he pushed her away.
"Claire, don’t do anything reckless."
"I’m being perfectly rational. Your sister is in the hospital, fighting for her life. Your family is desperate for you to be there, but I don’t want you to go. I want them to feel it—the despair of not being able to see the person they’re desperate to see, especially when they’re at their most vulnerable."
Adrian Quincy quietly gazed into the girl’s cold, clear eyes, saying nothing.
’He understood. She was retaliating against his family, even if her methods were a bit crude.’
Claire Sinclair wasn’t about to waste any more words on him. She reached out and began to unbutton his shirt...
From start to finish, the man let her do as she pleased.
Later, he seized control, and only then did Claire Sinclair regret her reckless actions. But regret was useless now; all she could do was yield to him.
...
