Chapter 428: Sweet Melon
Adam’s arms tightened around her for a long moment, holding her so close she could barely breathe, as though he never wanted to let go. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, he lifted her clean off her feet and spun her around.
Melanie gasped in surprise, her hands clutching at his shoulders, and for the first time that night, her laughter broke free. The tension, the fear, the confusion of the last few minutes melted away in the warmth of his embrace. She clung to him as he twirled her, her hair flying loose around her face, until he finally set her gently back down on the floor.
"Melon!," he said quickly, searching her face, his brows drawing together in concern. "I didn’t hurt you, did I? Just now, when I held you—was I too rough?"
She shook her head at once, smiling through her tears. "No. Not at all. You didn’t hurt me."
Relief softened his features, and before she could say more, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. The kiss was deep and urgent at first, his lips moving against hers as though he was trying to pour every unsaid word, every bottled-up emotion, straight into her. Melanie melted into it, her hands sliding up to the back of his neck, holding him close.
When he pulled back just enough to breathe, his forehead rested against hers, his voice rough with emotion. "I’m so happy, Melon. You don’t even know how much. The thought of you carrying our child—it feels like everything I’ve ever wanted."
Her lips trembled, but this time with happiness. She kissed him again, softer, slower, savoring the moment. "I’m happy too," she whispered against his mouth. "So happy, Adam."
But in the very next moment, Adam’s smile faded. The warmth in his eyes vanished as his expression hardened into something grim and unyielding. His tone carried no trace of hesitation when he said, "You need to leave."
Melanie blinked, frowning in confusion. "What?"
"Now, Melon." His voice was low but firm. "Now that Marianne knows you’re pregnant, she won’t sit still. She’ll start plotting immediately. The fact that she deliberately invited me to dinner tonight, and then followed you just to eavesdrop on us, makes it clear-she has probably already figured out the truth. She suspects we aren’t together in the way we’ve let her and Melody believe."
He exhaled slowly, his gaze never leaving hers. "For the moment, she thinks you and I are fighting about it. And with those red marks Cadence left on your neck, she’ll assume the two of you quarreled as well. That gives her exactly what she wants—two men with motives, both of whom could be painted as the ones to hurt you."
Melanie stiffened. His words struck too close to the truth, and she hated admitting it, but he was right. She gave a small nod. "Yes... that’s exactly how it looks."
Adam’s jaw clenched. "So you see? You’ve been placed right at the center of the storm she’s trying to stir up. And if I’m not mistaken—" he paused, as though weighing his words, "—I’m close to understanding why Marianne chose to cling to Richard, why she manipulated events the way she did. It isn’t just about status or her obsession with power. It has something to do with the Thomas Holdings. I’m certain of it."
Melanie’s eyes widened, but before she could ask, he shook his head. "I’ll explain more later. For now, what matters is this—you can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous."
He reached out, cupping her face in both hands, forcing her to look into his eyes. His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek, a contrast to the gravity in his voice. "Tell Cadence to take you back to the island. Tonight. Don’t argue with me. That’s the only safe place for you right now."
Melanie’s heart twisted at the desperation beneath his words. But then she caught the way his gaze flickered, the darkness in his tone when he added quietly, "We don’t need to gather evidence against Marianne anymore. I’ll handle her myself. I’ll arrange something else... a way to get rid of her permanently."
Her breath caught, and she pulled back slightly, her scowl immediate and fierce. "Adam Collins!" Her voice trembled with equal parts anger and fear. "You will not get involved in any unlawful things. I know you’re worried about me—I know you’re only thinking of my safety—but what about yours? Do you have any idea what you’re suggesting?"
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to steady herself. "Once you take a step into something like that, it becomes a freefall. There’s no way back, Adam. You’ll be dragged deeper and deeper, and it won’t just be Marianne who gets destroyed—it’ll be you as well. And I won’t let that happen. Not to you."
Her hands caught his wrists, clutching at them as though she could physically anchor him, as though she could stop him from acting on the dangerous thoughts she saw forming in his eyes.
Melanie tightened her grip on his wrists, her eyes steady despite the tears still clinging to her lashes. "Adam, listen to me. Everything will be okay. Marianne hasn’t won anything yet. Right now, all she’s doing is creating tension, trying to pit us against each other. If that’s her goal, then we still have time. She hasn’t made her real move."
Adam shook his head slightly, but she pressed on, her voice firmer. "I promise you this—if I ever feel that we’re truly in danger, I won’t argue. We’ll leave. Both of us. Together. We’ll find another way to deal with her, something that doesn’t risk destroying you in the process. I won’t let her take that from us, Adam. Not when we’ve already fought this hard."
Her words softened as she touched his cheek, her thumb brushing across his tense jaw. "Please trust me. Just a little longer. Don’t carry this burden alone."
However, neither of the two could have guessed that Marianne Thomas would move faster than either of them expected...