The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 366

Audrey swayed against him with a coy smile.

"Stop it! Of course not," she murmured playfully.

Adrian spoke in a soft, coaxing tone.

"We have your dress fitting tomorrow. You need to get some sleep. If you stay up too late, you'll wake up exhausted, and we want you looking perfect for your big day."

The mention of her appearance instantly made her panic.

"You're right. I need my beauty sleep. I can't look terrible for the dress fitting."

He framed her face and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"Good girl."

Having successfully placated her, he slipped out of her room.

The second he reached his own suite, he dialed Todd.

"Head to Northwood University immediately. Pull every single academic record and file they have on Jocelyn. I want it done fast."

"Right away, Boss," Todd replied.

Hanging up, Adrian lit a cigarette.

Jocelyn's biting remarks echoed relentlessly in his mind.

Ever since his top developers defected to Vanguard Tech, everything had started to feel terribly off.

Did it have something to do with her?

Operating entirely in the dark was driving him absolutely insane.

Feeling overwhelmed, his thoughts involuntarily drifted to Lana.

When she answered the phone, her voice sounded raspy.

"Adrian. You're up late."

He took a deep drag of his cigarette.

"Yeah, just got back. Did I wake you?"

"A little. I was tired, so I turned in early."

"I see."

"Did you handle everything you needed to?"

"Yeah. It's done."

"That's good. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

He swiftly changed the subject.

"Are you settling into the new place?"

"It's fine. A bit spacious for my taste. I'm used to smaller apartments."

The place was too big and empty, making her feel incredibly lonely.

"It's a beautiful neighborhood. Quiet and safe. It's a good place to live."

"Exactly. Treat her like any casual acquaintance."

He let out a dark scoff.

"She acts like I'm her worst enemy."

Lana fell quiet again.

"You seem to care an awful lot about what she thinks of you."

He closed his eyes, and the image of Jocelyn—radiant, poised, and utterly flawless—flashed into his mind.

An inexplicable surge of irritation gnawed at him.

When they were married, why hadn't he noticed how incredibly captivating she was?

"Adrian?"

Her soft voice pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts.

He decided to drop the subject entirely.

"The flower shop is fully set up. When do you want to officially open? I'll have Todd arrange the necessary supplies for you."

"Don't worry about it. I prefer to keep a low profile. I'll head over there tomorrow to start."

Sitting around doing nothing all day was far more exhausting than working.

It was emotionally draining.

Only by staying busy could she feel any sense of purpose.