*Old flames die hard*, she thought. If their breakup hadn't been so ugly back then, Sara would likely be the one sleeping alone in an empty room tonight.

Dropping her guard, she walked over and handed him his pajamas with a smile. "Mr. Harding has been gone for ten days."

"Keeping track?"

The corners of Adrian's mouth hooked into an ambiguous smirk.

Sara seized the chance to show loyalty. "Wasn't I trying to find a chance to come crawling back and apologize?"

"And it took you ten days to find that chance?" Adrian's tone was half-joking, half-serious. "I thought you'd forgotten a man like me."

A man who is slightly drunk is a dangerous actor.

If a stranger heard his tone, they might think Adrian Harding was deeply in love with his wife.

Sara sighed inwardly, but her smile only grew sweeter. "How could that be? When you're not home, I don't even have the appetite to eat."

He gave a hoarse laugh, but the warmth didn't reach his eyes.

"The water is ready. Go take a shower."

Sara couldn't guess what was going through his mind, so she decided not to try. She turned to leave.

Before she could take a step, the man suddenly unbuttoned his shirt, stood up, and swept her off her feet.

Sara gasped, caught off guard. Still shaken, she looked up and crashed straight into his deep, burning pupils.

His breath, laced with alcohol, fanned against her face. His gaze was scorching.

"Let me check—just how much weight you've really lost."

It wasn't a request; it was a notification. Before she could answer, he carried her directly into the bathroom.

As expected, Sara was thoroughly conquered.

She hadn't lost weight at all. *When the cat's away, the mice play*—without Adrian around to stress her out, she had actually gained two pounds. The result was a brutal, exhaustive lesson from her husband.

They moved from the bathroom to the bed. Although it was only two rounds, it left Sara so drained she couldn't even lift a finger.

Adrian rarely held back his strength, but physically, she had no complaints. It was the one area where they were perfectly compatible.

The next morning, Sara dragged her sore body out of bed. The man was already sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast with impeccable posture.

His "One That Got Away" had returned, yet he still devoured his wife with such fire the night before. Sara truly hadn't expected it.