Divorced My Cheating Husband, Married A Billionaire novel Chapter 7

Back at the Plaza Hotel, Riley's mouth hung wide open as she thought deeply. Then, she asked, "Why can't you just fix your engagement with Leni Eros?"

Adrian's eyes narrowed. He responded, "I'm afraid the engagement is irreparable."

"Did - did you try to reason with Miss Leni Eros?" Riley inquired.

"You would not really understand until you meet her. Our engagement is off, and that's final. Now, I need a wife," Adrian said.

Riley gasped. She responded, "I - I don't think it's a good idea, Adrian. I'm pretty traumatized right now -"

"I'm not Brian, Riley. I am a different person - a different man," Adrian responded. "And, as you suggested, this will be some sort of contractual marriage, where expectations are set beforehand."

Riley gulped. She looked at Clint, hoping to get some help, but of course, he did not. So, instead, she said to Adrian, "But we don't love each other -"

"You married for love. How did that turn out?" Adrian pointed out. "Love can betray you... But I won't."

Riley raised a brow. She inquired, "How would I know that you won't betray me?"

Adrian remained relaxed and expressionless. He simply responded, "We can put that in the contract. Should I betray you, you can have half of my assets -"

"What? Haha!" Riley had not laughed in a while, but Adrian's suggestion certainly tickled her bones. She supposed she should thank him. "Adrian? Have you lost your mind? You are a billionaire, for crying out loud!"

"I am perfectly sane," Adrian answered. Again, he had that poker face - a handsome kind. "It's my way of telling you that I won't turn my back on you."

Shaking her head, Riley answered, "That's absurd - wait, are you doing this because of Brian? This is your way of pissing him off?"

Riley knew one thing about Adrian and her now ex-husband: They used to be friends but became rivals. She never truly understood why, and Brian never explained it to her. However, was their misunderstanding so bad that Adrian would use her to get back at Brian?

"Please, if I wanted to piss off your good-for-nothing ex-husband, I would have just hired someone to break his legs, and I’d get away with it," Adrian said with sarcasm in his voice.

"My reason is simple.I require a wife, and you are indebted to me. Why look for someone else when I can collect that favor you owe me?" Adrian clarified. "Besides, we are not strangers, Riley. Do you remember?"

'Right.' Indeed, Adrian was no stranger to her. Adrian, Riley and Brian went to the same university in college. However, Riley and Brian had not spoken to Adrian in six years or so.

"Anyway, you don't have to decide now. Like I said, I would never force anything on you, but I hope you will agree to my proposition. After all, we will both benefit from it," Adrian described. "However, I will enforce this: go to Zia and get yourself checked. I will not tolerate patients who are ignoring their health."

"Ha?" Riley reacted. "But I signed a waiver -"

Riley's words were cut off. Adrian raised a finger and said, "Listen to me. I won't have it any other way. I am asking you to please have yourself checked. It will only take one hour at most. Your mother is being cared for in the ICU, am I right?"

"Yes," Riley replied.

"Then, let me and Clint take you," Adrian offered.

***

King's Medical Center.

"Okay, you're good. You're not bleeding heavily," Zia confirmed. "But if you experience any discomfort, don't hesitate to call me."