Chapter 1097: Chapter 1097: Bertha, are you this eager?
As soon as Bertha Swift came downstairs, Lorna Victoria stepped out. “I’ll give you a ride.”
“It’s okay, I can go by myself.” Bertha Swift had just turned down Maria White, so it was hard to accept Lorna Victoria’s offer, but before she could finish speaking, Lorna was already following her, so she said nothing more.
Once out of the room, Bertha Swift awkwardly explained, “I’m just going next door, um… tonight…”
“Oh, okay.” Lorna Victoria saw Bertha’s face turn red but she didn’t say much. She cleverly replied.
Bertha Swift felt even more embarrassed, “Then… shall I go first? You…”
“I’ll head back in a while.”
“Thank you.” Bertha Swift was deeply moved by Lorna Victoria’s understanding nature.
Lorna Victoria seemed to want to say something, but the elevator doors suddenly opened, and both of them turned their heads to see Adam Piers stride out quickly.
“Why are you standing here?” Adam Piers asked Bertha Swift, glancing at Lorna Victoria.
Bertha Swift instinctively rushed to Adam Piers’ side, “How did you get here so fast?”
“Come upstairs with me first.” Adam glanced at Bertha’s room door and said softly.
Bertha Swift was puzzled, “Upstairs?”
“I’ll explain later.” Adam said as he held Bertha’s hand to lead her back to the elevator and then turned to look at Lorna Victoria, “You come too.”
After swiping the card, the three of them went up to the top floor together.
Unlike the two-apartment-per-floor layout where Bertha Swift lived, the top floor had just one large apartment per floor, much more luxurious, with two huge terraces, one featuring an open-air pool and the other a greenhouse filled with lush greenery like a small botanical garden.
Bertha Swift was shocked after seeing it!
She was born into the Swift family, raised with luxury and privilege, yet she was stunned by the Piers’ wealth.
In a city like Swallow City, where every inch of land is precious, especially in a high-end community like Kerry City, she thought their rented two-hundred-plus square meter duplex was already luxurious, but she hadn’t expected the top floor to be even more extravagant—no, extravagant didn’t even begin to describe it.
For a moment, Bertha didn’t know how to express her feelings, then she thought about the Piers’ castle in F Nation, and suddenly, it seemed acceptable to have such a villa-like luxurious duplex at the top of Kerry City.
“Why weren’t you living here earlier?” Bertha Swift, like Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, couldn’t help but ask after touring the place.
Even Lorna Victoria, who had remained silent but was as visibly amazed as Bertha, stood behind her with a similar astonishment.
“What else could it be?” Adam lazily responded to Bertha’s question.
Bertha paused, “Because of me?”
After asking, Bertha felt an inexplicable shame, thinking perhaps she was being too narcissistic, and she lowered her eyes in embarrassment, “Um, I…”
“Could there be any other reason?” Adam chuckled lightly, seeing Bertha’s embarrassment.
Bertha suddenly lifted her head, as another thought crossed her mind, “Then the apartment I’m renting now…”
She realized a possibility and stared at Adam in surprise.
Adam didn’t expect to be exposed so easily and pretended to clear his throat, “Let’s discuss first. If you like this place, we can use it as a wedding home once we’re married.”
“Cough, cough…” This time, Bertha choked on her own saliva, not expecting Adam to suddenly bring up the topic of a wedding home.
“What’s with that reaction? Don’t you want to marry me? Bertha Swift, a relationship without marriage in mind is playing around. Are you planning to toy with me?” Adam said with a displeased face.
Bertha was bewildered by Adam’s verbal labyrinth and it took her a while to respond with a soft refutation, “I’m not, I’m not what you say.”
“Then it’s settled.” Adam seized the opportunity.
Bertha was even more confused, “What’s settled?”
“This will be the wedding home. Tomorrow, I’ll have Ray Leighton transfer it to you.” Adam was in an exceptionally good mood.
Bertha couldn’t keep up with Adam’s train of thought at all and opened her mouth slightly, “Um… I don’t…”
“Don’t what? Still want to play around?”
“You know that’s not what I mean…”
“Then close your mouth. Let’s talk about today.” Adam allowed no room for refusal from Bertha.
Just moments ago, Bertha was amazed at the villa-like duplex on the top floor, and now it was hers in a few minutes, leaving her at a loss how to react. She just stared blankly at Adam.
Adam was pleased by Bertha’s reaction, poking her nose playfully, “Too happy to think?”
“I didn’t… um…” Bertha didn’t manage to say the word before Adam blocked her lips. As she struggled, she suddenly remembered there was a third person in the room, and her face turned crimson as she pushed Adam, “Someone… someone um…”
Having only eaten a portion of instant noodles at lunch, Lorna Victoria didn’t expect to be fed a bellyful of witness PDA before dinner. As Adam kissed Bertha, she sensibly turned away.
Seeing the person in his arms struggling mightily, Adam didn’t dare go further. When Bertha patted him again, he timely let go, a mischievous smile on his lips as he whispered by Bertha’s ear, “Sweet.”
Bertha blushed even more and glared fiercely at Adam.
Adam, however, laughed even more unruly, then cleared his throat lightly, “Tonight Bertha’s with me, please keep an eye on Maria White tonight, Lorna. If there’s a problem, you can tell Bertha at any time, or reach out to Ray Leighton.”
“Okay.” Lorna thought, finally, you remembered there’s another living person here, but she still kept a straight face, agreed, and left the room.
After Lorna left, Bertha’s face was still flushed, and her gaze at Adam carried a tinge of resentment, silently blaming this hateful man. How would she interact with Lorna from now on?
Adam only laughed more heartily, yet he didn’t forget the real business, “We’ve already found out that the information was indeed bought from the Twitter user ‘Goodygirl’ by that station master and then sold to the person who made trouble today. But the account used to sell to the station master was a secondary account. However, through investigation, it’s the same person. As for the relationship between this person and Maria White, Ray is checking, and we should have results soon.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ray Leighton’s call came through.
After listening for a while, Adam hung up and looked at Bertha, “‘Goodygirl’ and Maria White indeed know each other; he’s her cousin.”
Even though Bertha vaguely suspected this, hearing it confirmed by Adam stirred complex emotions within her, but Adam dealt an even heavier blow, “Do you remember the first time you were taken to a club to dance by Maria White? The bar manager responsible for hosting you is ‘Goodygirl.’
“What?” Bertha instinctively looked at Adam. She hadn’t expected ‘Goodygirl’ not only to be a man but also someone she had met before, a bar manager.
Her mind started to form a dreadful assumption.
Adam seemed to know what Bertha was thinking, speaking with a voice laced with reserved gloom, “That Manager More was originally a pimp. Back then, I couldn’t understand why Oswald Lewis sent you to me, but now it’s somewhat related to that manager. Maria White must not have had good intentions when she introduced you to him right from the start.”
“How could that be? I really was in a tough spot back then, and she was also…” Bertha instinctively sought to defend Maria, but suddenly remembered that Maria took a cut every time she danced and pondered whether she would also take a cut if Bertha was taken overnight.
But back then Maria White was clearly scared too…
“Bertha, don’t think too kindly of people, Milne Swift is a very good example.” Seeing that Bertha Swift couldn’t accept it, Adam Piers said cruelly, despite feeling sorry for her.
Bertha Swift was all too aware of this truth, but Maria White was the first friend she met during her most difficult time, which she cherished deeply. That’s why she wanted to bring Maria White along as soon as her own career started to improve.
Yet she never expected that from the beginning the other treated her like a sheep.
“I get it.” Bertha Swift felt uneasy and responded quietly, then looked up, “But why did she harm me this time? I promised to help her enter the field in the future.”
She knew Maria White had formal training but was unlucky, having struggled in the industry for two years without gaining fame. Even as an internet celebrity, her popularity wasn’t high, and she often needed part-time jobs to make ends meet.
“Oswald Lewis.” Adam Piers uttered two words.
Bertha Swift pressed her lips, “Oswald Lewis threatened her?”
“The personal account of ‘Goodygirl’ received a transfer of a million a fortnight ago, which was later transferred to Maria White by Manager More in batches under various reasons.” Adam Piers narrated calmly to Bertha Swift the result of an investigation.
Bertha Swift had nothing more to say; her whole mood was dispirited, with no desire to continue the conversation.
Adam Piers stepped forward, picked her up gently and placed her on the sofa, “Don’t be sad for such people, they’re not worth it.”
“I know.” Bertha Swift nodded, but still couldn’t help feeling bitter inside, even for a moment feeling like the whole world couldn’t be trusted.
“Bertha Swift, you still have me.” Adam Piers seemed to see through her thoughts and said quietly but assuredly.
“I…” Bertha Swift wanted to say now I have you, but what about the future? Yet faced with Adam Piers’ worried gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to ask, not wanting to doubt Adam Piers because of Maria White.
But emotions always seem filled with uncertainty, who can guarantee they’ll love someone forever?
“Stop overthinking, if you don’t trust me, after we marry I’ll transfer all my assets to you. If there comes a day I’m not good to you, you can leave me with nothing, how’s that?” Adam Piers gently coaxed the person on the sofa.
Bertha Swift was stunned upon hearing it, and seeing Adam Piers’ earnest expression, her heart softened. At that moment, she was utterly certain that Adam Piers loved her, otherwise why would someone as reckless and unruly as him say such things so cautiously?
People probably wouldn’t believe it if his words from earlier were told outside as coming from Adam Piers!
Adam Piers’ reputation for being wild was famous in Swallow City’s high society.
“I trust you, but I don’t want your assets.” Bertha Swift felt much better because of Adam Piers’ words, but still firmly expressed her stance.
“You say you trust me but refuse my conditions, which shows you still don’t trust me.” Adam Piers was displeased.
Bertha Swift snorted lightly, “I still owe you 27 million, don’t make me owe more.”
“That’s why I said after marriage, because after we’re married, my assets in your name or mine are marital property. What are you afraid of? Unless you don’t want to marry me?”
“I don’t!” Bertha Swift instinctively retorted to him saying she didn’t want to marry him, but then realized she’d been tricked.
Sure enough, the next sentence Adam Piers said, satisfied, “Bertha’s so obedient. When do you have time to get a marriage certificate?”
Bertha Swift, “…”
Was this man proposing?
“Who wants to get a marriage certificate with you right now?! Adam Piers, don’t go too far!” Bertha Swift finally realized and shouted at Adam Piers.
Hearing Bertha Swift’s powerful voice, Adam Piers was in a great mood and directly pulled her into his arms with a wicked smile, “You’ve slept with me so many times, and don’t want to register for marriage, Bertha Swift, you’re being irresponsible.”
“I… I…”
Bertha Swift was utterly stunned by the man’s shamelessness.
How did it become that she slept with him so many times, it was clearly he who tossed and turned her… right?
Her slender fingers pointed at Adam Piers for a long time but couldn’t say anything, only for Adam Piers to lower his head and gently suck on them.
In an instant, Bertha Swift went limp in Adam Piers’ embrace, her eyes still blazing at him, yet her body refused to obey as she lost strength, only able to silently protest.
Adam Piers, in a better mood, sincerely invited, “Bertha hasn’t tried the water yet, right? The pool on the terrace has an automatic cleaning function, it’s very clean. Do you want to try it with me?”
Bertha Swift’s beautiful eyes widened, the man once again widened her views. She suddenly realized he hadn’t brought her over because he was concerned for her safety, it was clearly to satisfy his own desires.
“If you don’t say anything I’ll take it as a yes.” Adam Piers said, holding Bertha Swift while heading towards the terrace.
Bertha Swift finally panicked, lowering her head to bite Adam Piers on the shoulder.
Adam Piers grunted, then asked in a low, hoarse voice, “Bertha, are you so eager?”
“I…” Where did he misunderstand that she was eager?
But faced with the man’s primal gaze, Bertha Swift couldn’t say a word, so she lowered her head and bit Adam Piers again.
After all, she cared about him and didn’t dare to bite too hard.
Gurgle…
But the result of not biting hard was that Adam Piers was already carrying her to the poolside, just as Bertha Swift was about to refuse, they were interrupted by her stomach growling.
The ambiguous atmosphere suddenly turned strange, and both of them simultaneously lowered their heads to look at each other’s stomachs.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Two more growls were heard, this time both were clear.
Bertha Swift was already embarrassed enough, and now hearing her own stomach groan made her both relieved and mortified, wishing she could dive into the pool to hide.
“Didn’t you eat dinner?” Adam Piers was initially just teasing Bertha Swift to distract her, but her response got him somewhat frustrated, intending to commit, until he heard her stomach growl and asked with a not-so-pleased expression.
Bertha Swift realized she might have spoiled the man’s mood, feeling even more awkward—rejecting him was one thing, but being interrupted by her own stomach’s growl was another. However, facing Adam Piers’ intense gaze, she could only nod honestly.
“Do you know your last hospitalization was due to malnutrition? I miss one day taking care of you and you treat yourself like this?” Adam Piers’ face looked bad.
He was fuming—he’d been doing everything to nourish her body, and this woman, when he’s not watching, doesn’t even eat!
Bertha Swift originally thought that she had interrupted Adam Piers’ mood, hence his displeasure. Little did she expect the man was upset because she wasn’t eating, and seeing the sweetness in her raised eyes, she felt a surge of happiness.
What to do? It seemed he really loved her!