Screw you, Sanders

"What's up with you?"

"Did you offer her another contract?" Bryan asked.

"No haha, that was a joke, okay. You don't need to keep the grudge, I just wanted to see how she would react. Anyway, now tell me what's up?"

'Weirdo.' Bryan sighed and pulled his feet onto the coffee table

Cal glared at him and quickly kicked them off.

"I'm worried."

"Why?"

"Because they are talking again and she'll get distracted from her goal."

Cal sighed and poured himself a drink. "You're kidding, her loose focus?"

"Pshh, I've never met a more serious woman in my life. Who's she talking to, anyway?"

"Her ex-husband."

"Oop-"

Bryan tapped his thigh, trying to remember something.

"Get me information on who lives here…" He took out his phone and sent Cal an address through text message.

"I never do things for free-"

"What do you want?"

"Spill the tea."

"I'm worried that she will self-destruct again. Last time, she tried to tell him she was alive, and she had a breakdown. Adriana might look okay, but her mental health isn't exactly at 100%. Her children and her revenge are the only purposes she has for her life. One wrong move and it will all come crumbling down." Bryan explained.

"I see what you mean, but I think you're just being too paranoid."

"She trained herself mentally and physically not only to become a wonderful mother but to execute her plan perfectly. If there is any mishap, she will handle it." Cal's playfulness disappeared, and he had a serious expression on his face.

"I know you care about her, we all do, but you can't overdo it. For example you, Bryan….you don't actually think she has forgiven you right?"

"She only has you because she needs you, the scar you left her will never disappear. So I suggest you know your place." Cal lifted his drink with a mocking smile and gulped it down.

He walked towards his desk, giving Bryan one last glance. Leaving him deep in thoughts.

"She's my best friend's sister. Just like him, I would do anything to protect her."

"Like the way you protected Caroline? She is your best friend's sister, isn't she? Half-sister, but they are still blood." Bryan gave him a mocking smirk.

"The situation differs. Adriana doesn't know that he knows she exists, unlike Caroline, who went into that marriage with her own naiveness….Adriana is his full-blood sister and her-"

"And she what? Humph, I don't even know why she keeps you close. You could have done better to help Caroline, but you didn't. And you know what Adriana would do for her sister, don't you? I suggest you don't let her find out that you pushed her into this mess."

Bryan stood up and was about to leave before Cal commented, "I don't know why she keeps you by her side either. Who knows, maybe we are all dancing to her music without realizing it. I wouldn't be surprised if she ruins your life for what you did to her."

"I still wonder why though, it has always gotten me curious. Why would you do such a thing if you loved her so much in the past? You were the secret admirer she ran off with, weren't you?" Cal taunted.

"Oh wait, catch!" He then tossed the keys to the apartment, keeping his smug smile.

Bryana caught them and took a deep breath to control himself from beating him up. "I'll see you around." He then left Cal's office in a dark mood.

Cal chuckled. "What a cowardly bastard. *Sigh* When did life get so complicated. I just wanted to come to New York and explore, not to get involved in this mess."

When he took his seat, Bryan's words repeated in his mind.

When he thought of Caroline, he groaned.

Caroline had a misunderstanding that her disastrous marriage. She was never supposed to get matters with his trashy brother. A sorry excuse for a man marrying a high-class lady, way out of the league?

It was all a mistake, a mistake he regretted every day since it happened.

Caroline's future husband was supposed to be with him, but he freaked out and had blurted out the first thing that came up to his mind.

He had seen his brother and Caroline in their garden talking and they looked intimate so when the topic came up at a family dinner he said that Caroline and his brother were interested in each other.

Their parents, who were not aware of his brother's true nature, were pleasantly surprised and arranged everything quickly.

When the news reached Caroline's parents, they were happy to give their daughter a wonderful marriage with the so-called love of her life.

In reality, it was all a mess he created.

"I'm the coward." He mumbled, knowing he could have fixed it before it was too late but he didn't.

He had been trying to get them to divorce before things got terrible, but he had no success. He hoped one day he could confess what he had done to Caroline herself.

"Great timing." he rolled his eyes when he saw his best friend's incoming call.

With a sigh, he picked it up and answer.

"What's up?"

...

"Ma'am, Mr.Anderson received a call from-"

Before he could finish, Adriana nodded her head. "Like always, record the call and sent it to me."

Ralf nodded.

"You know what.....Have Alyssa Thread's CEO snatch all the projects Harmon Enterprises and Anderson Industry are aiming for. Give them a little treat for the way they treated my sister," She ordered.

"As you wish."

Yes, she had it all at her fingertips. Alyssa Threads is hers and she built it in secret, putting another person in her place to play the role of the owner.

Alyssa Threads was just one of her backup plans. Any time something would go wrong, she would have unique resources to choose from.

"Anything else you want to report?" Adriana asked, closing her eyes and laying her head back on the car seat, with a sleeping Aria on her lap.

"Ms. Caroline insists on staying in NY."

"And why is that?"

"She didn't explain. She only rejected your offer to bring her along tomorrow."

"Go on."

"All the publishing companies that tried to post pictures of the young Miss and you two together were taken care of. Along with the person behind the incident in your hotel room." Ralf answered, regarding the time when reports had been waiting outside Adriana's hotel room.

He took a pause and then said, "It was Ms.Carolien who took care of it."

"I remember giving Natalie the order."

"Yes, but she insisted on being helpful."

"Continue your report what about Bryan?"

"He sent a message stating that he will drop by the hospital where his mother is and then to your hotel where he will hand you the keys to the new apartment. He too insists on not leaving the country."

"Send flowers to her, and tell her I will try to come to visit her before I leave the country," Adriana told him, referring to Bryan's mother.

If there is one reason, she doesn't have any plans to hold him accountable for the part he played in the past, is because of his mother.

Just like she did what she had to do for her children, he had done what he had to do to save his mother.

"Mr.Sanders is calling."

Adriana pinched the space between her brows and complained, "Just one second without him bothering me. That's all I ask for."

Ralf took the cue to hang up the phone and silence it.

"Ms. Brooklyn is on her way home right now, and the package has been delivered safely."

"I know that, tell me something I don't know."

"Mr. Brooklyn confronted his wife about what he found out and threatened her to give him more or else he will expose her."

"That's not what I planned. Assure her he can't do anything because I got her back." Adriana sighed, looking exhausted.

Her back hurt and the thumping in her head was getting louder.

'It's too much for me in one day.'

She had to admit that it was exhausting, the secrets, the plots, the pretending. But she had to be extremely careful with all of her calculations. For example, right now she had Briana's parents at each other's throats but secretly assuring them that nothing will happen because she's there for them.

It was simply hilarious, and this was just the start.

.....

Adriana picked up Aria in her arms and carried her up to their hotel room. When she arrived, she saw James passed out on their sofa, and she shook her head.

"He was tired from the flight and refused to move from the couch," Caroline told her.

Adriana laughed and placed Aria down on her bed. She then picked up James.

When he shook his hand, refusing to move from the sofa, she whispered in his ear. "Don't you want to cuddle with your sister?"

As soon as she said that, he relaxed in her embrace and nodded his head. Adriana smiled and placed him down right next to his sister.

She watched him wrap his arm around her and hug her to sleep.

Closing the door quietly, she walked to Caroline and sat down next to her at the kitchen table.

"Why don't you want to come with me to Paris?" She asked.

Caroline laid her head on Adriana's shoulder and sighed.

"They've landed here an hour ago, I want to meet them and tell them about my divorce."

"Then I'll go to Hawaii and take some time for myself."

"If you don't come by, I'm going to drag you back," Adriana warned her, making Caroline laugh.

"Don't worry, I can't stay away from my niece and nephew for too long."

"Hmm, let's move into my new apartment tonight."

"Nope, you can go. I'll stay in the hotel."

"Why?"

"Because I want to stop relying on you. Little sister, needs to spread her own wings." She snorted at her own sentence and closed her eyes.

Adriana smiled and patted her head.

"I'm going to tell him."

"Ahead of time?"

"Mhmm."

"Wow, that's not shocking at all. What made you change your mind?"

"It hurts to see them yearn for their father. I can't stomach it anymore." Adriana admitted.

"You know what we need? The club, dancing, drinks, music, and party. I called it."

"oh and sex, lots of sex."

"..."

"You know it's true. All you do is work, I say we get some time off for ourselves. I'm going to come to visit you in Paris and you won't be able to refuse."

"I heard there's this place, THE best drinks, perfect for hookups and hey, wait before you say no! The cheesecake is god-level. Delicious~"

"Okay."

Caroline gave a hard stare, and then she fetched her phone to look at the day and time. She then placed her hand on Adriana's forehead and laughed.

"You have a fever. I got sacred for a second, I thought the world was ending."

Adriana rolled her eyes and watched pick up some pills and hand her a glass of water.

She obediently took them and gulped them down in one go.

"Help me take the kids down. Ralf is waiting."

"What about your things?" Caroline asked.

"Bryan will take them, he'll be here soon to give me the keys." She then placed her head down and covered herself with her arms.

She was sober, but she felt drunk and had no energy to even open her eyes.

Adriana felt mentally exhausted.

"What's the point though, aren't you leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but I'll be back, eventually. I want to have a safe place."

A knock interrupted their conversation and Caroline stood up to go open it.

"Well, if it isn't my lucky day." She gave Bryan a fake smile and extended her hand, asking for the key Adriana had mentioned.

Bryan returned the fake smile and handed it to her. "Wait here I'll prepare the luggage and then we'll take the twins down."

Bryan nodded and stood my door looking at Adriana from a distance, wondering what had happened.

"Bryan, tell Simon to tell Sanders to screw himself."

He burst out laughing when he heard her, and he could hear Caroline's laughter from the other end of the apartment.