Gold Digger vs Gold Saver My Man's Double Life novel Chapter 33

**Marriage Without Temperature by Mark Twain**
**Chapter 2**

A heavy silence enveloped the room, thick and suffocating.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally broke the stillness, his voice weary and laced with frustration. “Elena, please, stop overthinking this. I’m simply helping a friend. This is settled—I’m going to pick her up.”

With that definitive statement, he strode out the door, the sound of it slamming behind him echoing in my ears like a thunderclap.

I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to hold back the tide of tears that threatened to spill over.

Getting upset over a man who clearly didn’t value me felt utterly pointless.

Just then, my phone buzzed, jolting me from my thoughts. It was Adrian’s mother.

“Elena, tomorrow is the weekend. Why don’t you come back to the estate with Adrian for dinner?”

Mrs. Cross had always shown me kindness, and I found it impossible to refuse her invitation, despite the turmoil swirling within me.

“Of course, Mom,” I replied, forcing a smile that I hoped sounded genuine.

After hanging up, I gazed out of the window at the darkening sky, a blanket of clouds casting shadows over my heart, leaving me feeling cold and empty.

The following day, I made my way to the estate alone, the weight of solitude pressing down on me.

The Cross family estate, once a symbol of their wealth and success, had been mortgaged and auctioned off during their financial struggles.

When Adrian had made his triumphant return to the world, he had expressed a fervent desire to reclaim this house, filled with the echoes of his childhood laughter and memories. However, the new owner had been resolute, refusing to part with it no matter how much Adrian pleaded.

It had been me who took it upon myself to visit that eccentric retired professor who had bought the estate, showing up at his door with gifts in hand, week after week. After three long months of persistence, I had finally worn him down, and he reluctantly agreed to sell it back to us at the original price.

As I entered the familiar yet altered space, Mrs. Cross’s face fell when she saw only me. “Where’s Adrian? Off busy with his nonsense again?”

“Emergency meeting at the company. He’ll be here later,” I offered, crafting an excuse that felt flimsy even as I spoke it.

Mrs. Cross sighed deeply, patting my shoulder as she led me to the sofa. “Elena, you shouldn’t cover for him. I’ve heard whispers about what he’s been up to lately.”

My heart sank like a stone in water.

“Is he involved with that Victoria Sterling again?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Mrs. Cross’s expression sharpened, her eyes narrowing. “I warned him long ago about that woman! I told him to stay away from her!”

I lowered my gaze, unable to meet her eyes.

With a gentle pat on my back, Mrs. Cross spoke with a mix of recognition and sympathy. “Poor child, he’s putting you through this. But don’t worry—you’re the only daughter-in-law the Cross family recognizes. If he dares to wrong you, I’ll be the first to set him straight!”

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