One night stand with my president(chapter 452)

 

Chapter 452: What If I Stay?

Adeline looked at him and suddenly asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"

Sure, he'd get angry when employees made mistakes.

But he rarely showed it so plainly, especially not when it was just the two of them.

She thought about it-it had to be something related to her.

"It's nothing," Harrison replied.

Adeline gave a half-smile.

She knew he must've heard about her conversation with Russell.

After all, ever since her kidnapping, bodyguards had been following her in secret.

And those bodyguards worked for him.

Of course they would've reported that to him.

He knew perfectly well she had no interest in Russell.

Still, it was normal if he felt bothered.

She would, too, if the roles were reversed.

But could he not just ask her directly?

He could yell, even get angry.

She wouldn't mind. She'd comfort him.

Instead, he was bottling it all up again.

Just yesterday, when he got upset over her smiling at Ronan, he'd spoken right up.

Adeline thought, "So why did he hold back today? Did he really still think Russell is different to me?"

Silence stretched between them.

Adeline picked up the file-the one with the incorrect data-and turned to leave.

But before she could take a step, Harrison grabbed her wrist.

She paused.

"Dinner at the Thomson mansion tonight," he said.

Then, as if afraid she'd say no, he added,

"Frondfithor ncbad ictn enma"

"Grandfather asked us to come."

"Got it," Adeline replied calmly.

Visiting Lorenzo was the right thing to do.

Of course she wouldn't refuse.

She pulled her wrist from his grasp and headed toward the door.

But halfway there, she hesitated.

Her brother and Connie had taught her that if something was wrong, one had to talk it through—not bottle it up.

She knew she should talk to Harrison properly.

That thought slowed her steps.

She hadn't even made it to the door when footsteps thundered behind her.

Then, all of a sudden, strong arms wrapped around her from behind.

She couldn't move another inch.

"Don't leave," he whispered.

Those two words turned her heart to mush.

It wasn't like she was leaving him forever.

Why did he have to sound so pitiful?

She couldn't help turning around.

And there he was-Harrison, with eyes just slightly red.

The mighty Mr. Thomson reduced to this over something so small.

"Alright," Adeline said softly, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "I won't leave."

"I wasn't trying to start a fight. I don't doubt you," he said. "I just... "

Just that last time they fought-it had been about Russell.

So this time, he didn't dare bring it up.

He was scared another fight would break them.

He was terrified of losing her.

Watching her walk away earlier sent him into a panic.

He could tell she was upset. And he could guess why.

She probably wanted him to just say what was on his mind.

Hiving his hair a gentle tug, Adeline said, "What did we agree on? If there's a problem, we talk about it. Did you forget everything we promised?"

"No," Harrison admitted, sheepish. "I messed up. I should've just asked you."

"So ask now."

She gave him permission-and he didn't hold back.

"What did Russell say to you?"

That finally made her smile.

She repeated the conversation word for word.

Her memory was sharp.

Even if she didn't recall every syllable, it was close.

At the end, she added, "Don't go looking for

trouble with Russell. Just let it go. As long as you know we're fine, that's all that matters."

It wasn't about siding with Russell.

It was just that if Harrison really picked a fight with him, neither of them would win.

She cared about her boyfriend.

He was already busy enough running a business empire.

Now he had to deal with the Tillman family too.

If he tangled with Russell on top of that, he would not even get to rest.

Harrison felt pure relief because she had clearly, firmly rejected Russell and because she'd chosen him.

So he agreed easily, happily. "Alright. Whatever you say."

He wasn't pretending. And that sincerity let Adeline finally relax. She gave him a stern look and said, "Don't bottle things up like this again."

"Yes, ma'am," Harrison said with a smile. "I won't."

"And if you do?"

"At your disposal."

She thought for a moment, then gave him a mischievous grin.

That smile alone made his stomach twist with dread.

"Maybe don't say it out loud..."

"You told me to say it," she said sweetly. 

"Next time you mess up, you sleep in the guest room. For a week."

Harrison winced like she'd punched him in the gut.

A whole week in the guest room? That might as well be a death sentence.

Adeline clearly knew how to dish out punishment.

"Did you hear me?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Loud and clear." Harrison surrendered. 

"With a punishment like that, I promise I won't do it again."

Adeline beamed, tiptoed up, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips-then turned and walked away.

Harrison stood frozen, savoring that fleeting kiss, already missing it the moment she closed the office door.

That evening, they arrived together at the Thomson mansion.

They brought a gift for Lorenzo. He loved it-and the fact it came from his future granddaughter-in-law made him even more delighted.

Lorenzo had taken a liking to Adeline a long time ago.

If only Harrison hadn't been so slow to realize it.

But now, finally, he hadn't let her slip away.

In Adeline's honor, Lorenzo had the

kitchen prepare a feast, most of it made up of her favorite dishes.

Though he didn't pressure them to get married quickly, he did gently hint that he hoped for great-grandchildren sooner rather than later.

Adeline understood how the old man felt.

But marriage, to her, wasn't like dating.

It was the start of a whole new journey.

So she wanted to take her time.

That said, there was only one man she could see herself marrying- Harrison. That would never change.

Harrison knew how she felt.

And he didn't let her face Lorenzo's expectations alone. Smiling, he said, "Grandpa, don't worry. We know what we're doing."

Lorenzo nodded, satisfied, and didn't press further.

After dinner, Harrison had some matters to discuss with Lorenzo in the study.

He'd wanted to bring Adeline with him, but she insisted the two of them talk alone. So, she took a quiet walk through the garden by herself.

Spring was slowly creeping in, and the plants in the courtyard had begun to sprout new buds.

Adeline wandered through the Thomson mansion with no particular destination in mind.

Word was that Ashton had moved out of the estate, choosing to live alone elsewhere, likely because of Milania.

After all, he had brought such a dangerous woman into the Thomson family-how could he still have the face to stay here?

Edward, however, still lived in the mansion.

And judging by the way he carried himself, he had no plans to leave again, probably because he'd once again tasted the luxury and power of the Thomson family and couldn't bear to let it go.

Yet he hadn't severed ties with Britney.

Then again, that wasn't surprising.

Edward was the one who chose to fake his death and run away back then.

It wasn't like Britney forced him to.

Truth be told, both of them were in the wrong-a scumbag and a homewrecker.

But what could anyone do?

Edward was Lorenzo's son.

Lorenzo was aging, and his heart had softened.

He couldn't bring himself to truly cast out his own flesh and blood.

But he also couldn't accept Britney.

So things were left hanging in this awkward limbo.

A harsh, ragged coughing fit snapped Adeline out of her thoughts.

She turned toward the sound.

There, in a small pavilion nearby, a young man was hunched over the railing, coughing violently.

She recognized him-Marshall, one of the younger members of the Thomson family.

She walked over and kindly handed him a couple of tissues.

"Thank you..."

Marshall took the tissues and coughed for a while longer before finally catching his breath.

He gave her a faint, grateful smile. "Miss Hensley, thank you. Did you come with Harrison today to visit Grandpa?"

"Yes." Adeline nodded. "It's warmer now, but your health isn't great. You should go inside soon-if the wind picks up, it won't be good for you."

Marshall gave a bitter smile. "I know, but... I spend most of my day indoors, recovering. It gets so suffocating sometimes. Just being outside a little longer helps me feel normal."

There was sympathy in Adeline's eyes.

"Miss Hensley, would you mind keeping me company for a while?" he asked softly. "No one in the family really talks to me much."

Adeline knew Marshall's background.

His father was Lorenzo's younger brother's adopted son, which made both father and son's positions in the family complicated.

Lorenzo treated them decently, but in such a big household, not everything could be fair.

What Marshall said might very well be true.

She checked her phone.

No messages from Harrison yet.

He was probably still talking with Lorenzo.

So she nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you, Miss Hensley," Marshall said gently.

"I was really worried when I heard something had happened to you."

"Thanks for your concern," Adeline said with a polite smile. "But I'm fine now."

"I heard Harrison was gone from Orianto for quite a while during that time," Marshall said with a sigh. "Miss Hensley... he must care about you very much."

Adeline didn't quite know how to respond.

After all, Marshall was a man.

Talking to him about this kind of thing felt... awkward.

She was about to steer the conversation elsewhere, but Marshall continued, "You and Harrison are together now, right?"

That question made Adeline feel uncomfortable.

She barely knew him, and he was a man. 

Why was he asking her about this?

Even if he was curious, shouldn't he be asking Harrison instead?

Asking her directly like this felt off.

Still, she kept her composure.

She offered a faint smile and replied with a quiet, "Yes."

"That's wonderful," Marshall said with a wistful look. "Someone like me, with a body like this... I doubt anyone would want to be with me."

"Don't think like that," Adeline said gently. 

"You'll get better. And you're a good person. One day, you'll find someone who truly loves you."

"You're right, Miss Hensley." Marshall smiled and nodded.

Adeline glanced at her phone again. "I should head back now. You should get inside too-the wind's picking up."

"Alright. Goodbye, Miss Hensley."

"Goodbye."

Adeline turned and left.

The smile faded from Marshall's face.

His eyes darkened as he watched her retreating back.

Was she hinting at something?

Saying he was "a good person"?

Did she suspect something from the way he spoke?

But he hadn't said anything suspicious.

It was just small talk.

Still, Adeline wasn't simple.

How else could she have stayed by Harrison's side for so many years as his top aide?

Marshall began replaying their conversation in his head.

He thought, "Did I say too much? Did she catch on to something when I asked about her and Harrison?"

He sighed, annoyed with himself for being too eager.

But it wasn't the end of the world.

Last time, he had secretly helped Milania escape, and Harrison hadn't noticed a thing.

People saw him as weak, quiet, and harmless.

No one would suspect him.

He just needed to be more careful from now on.

With that in mind, he relaxed a little.

As he slowly made his way back to his courtyard, he thought carefully.

He thought, "So, Adeline and Harrison are definitely together now. That means-she is Harrison's weakness."

All the effort he and his father had poured into this... hadn't been for nothing.

Harrison clearly cared about Adeline.

Otherwise, why would he have gone all the way abroad and nearly lost his mind trying to find her?

What they hadn't expected was that Adeline would turn out to be the Mendoza family heiress.

They'd assumed she came from an ordinary background, which would've made her easier to manipulate.

But now? She was not someone they could use so easily.

Marshall's brow furrowed as a cold wind blew through the trees. He coughed again-violently.

He looked down at the tissue Adeline had handed him earlier.

He stared at it for a long moment.

Then he gave a soft, derisive laugh and tossed it into the nearest trash bin.

He didn't need pointless kindness.

When Adeline returned to the main hall, she 

happened to run into Harrison coming down the stairs.

"Finished talking with Lorenzo?"

"Yeah."

He walked over and took her hand.

Her fingers were a little cold, and he frowned slightly.

"You were outside too long?"

"It's fine." She smiled. "It's not that cold out now."

Even so, Harrison called for someone to bring hot coffee.

The two of them went to his room in the mansion to rest.

After the coffee was served, the servants quietly left.

Adeline looked around the room, and then gave a little nod.

"What's that nod for?" Harrison asked.

"It's just... this place has your style," Adeline replied. "Same as your villa. You really do like this aesthetic."