Since the night of the banquet, Ethan Forrest was busier than ever.
From dawn till night, he barely had a moment to rest. The car shuttled back and forth between the mansion and the city's restaurants, day after day.
The dish Adrian had made that night, ReSnack, had become an overnight sensation in the upper circles. Everyone, from noblewomen to party planners and rich young masters, was ordering it like crazy. The phone wouldn't stop ringing, and online orders were flooding in.
At first, Ethan thought it was just a phase, but reality slapped him in the face. The craze wasn't dying down; it was getting crazier. That small hubby of his had really changed from being his bad luck to being his good luck charm!
To meet the demand, he personally trained two new chefs that were arranged by the butler Ray.
He taught them every step, from chopping vegetables to seasoning and cooking, demanding near perfection for the one dish and many others. Despite this, he still insisted on handling most orders himself.
In the mansion, Adrian watched Ethan's busy figure, feeling a mix of emotions.
Ethan's eyes seemed deeper, and the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced.
Adrian wanted to help which would definitely be a way to get closer too, but Ethan's words blocked all possibilities when he said, "You can't go anywhere until I say so. Remain here in the mansion."
The tone wasn't harsh, but it was firm and unshakeable. It wasn't a command, but protection.
Adrian's heart was warmed by it.
…..
That afternoon, the sunlight streamed into the corridor, casting a golden path. Adrian walked barefoot, planning to get something to eat.
He had since decided to redecorate his room, tired of the overly feminine pink decor that felt like a womanly prison. He had even moved to Ethan's room because of this.
For now, he was still staying in Ethan's room, but Ethan was rarely home, spending most nights in the kitchen or the restaurant's dormitory.
As Adrian reached the top of the stairs, he stopped.
In the corridor ahead, a familiar figure, Butler Ray, was sneaking around, looking furtive. His usually steady footsteps were now rapid, and after glancing around, he ducked into a side hall.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
Butler Rya was one of the few people he trusted, but now that trust was shaken. Why the hell was he sneaking around?!
Adrian quietly followed him.
From the side hall, Ray's low voice were heard. "Yes, Mr. Hayes, it's me... Yes, the young master is doing well, thanks to Mr. Ethan's care."
Adrian's heart skipped a beat. That was his father's voice. Why was Butler Ray secretly talking to him? They were in the same mansion; why the secrecy?
He held his breath.
"Yes, the young master has made great progress... No, he doesn't know... I'll keep an eye on it."
"Doesn't know?" Adrian's brow furrowed. He was about to peek when his foot accidentally creaked on a loose floorboard.
Butler Ray spun around, his face pale. "Young master! What are you doing here?"
Adrian leaned against the doorframe, a faint smile on his lips. "I could ask you the same thing, Uncle Ray. You're talking to my father, aren't you?"
Butler Ray hastily hid his phone behind his back, stuttering, "No, no, I was just..."
Adrian smiled again, his expression unreadable. "It's okay. I want to talk to him too."
Butler Ray's heart sank.
He knew what happens when the young master speaks with his father. The young master with all tears, would throw tantrums, and plead for attention. The young master was really a headache and that was why no one ever made calls to his father while the young master was around.
"He's busy," Butler Ray forced a smile. "I'll pass on your message when he's free. Just tell me what you want to say to him."
"No," Adrian disagreed. "I want to speak to my father myself." He stretched forth his hand. "The phone."
Butler Ray: "…"
The atmosphere was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Butler Ray stood frozen, his phone clutched in his hand, his knuckles white.
Adrian took two steps forward, his eyes calm and steady.
"Uncle Ray, give me the phone," he said.
"Young master," Butler Ray hurriedly spoke, his voice tinged with panic, "you don't need to talk to your father personally. He... he'll be back tomorrow."
His heart was racing as he spoke. He had been traumatized by the young master's tantrums whenever he spoke with his father.
He will always threaten to kill himself, cry, go on hunger strike, etc, just so they can let him talk to his father. And when they finally let him, he would throw a tantrums again, pleading that his father should abandon his other illegitimate children and mistresses and return home to him or he'd kill himself.
The young master was simply insecure and insane at the same time!
"Tomorrow?" Adrian repeated, his eyes flickering.
Butler Ray held his breath, bracing himself for the worst.
But Adrian's tone remained calm, his voice soft. "He said he'll be back tomorrow?"
"Yes," Butler Ray replied, his voice rapid. "He has some.. some matters with Miss Smith. He wants to give something to her so he will be here tomorrow."
"Are you happy now? Your father will be on a flight tonight. He's busy, but you always cling to him too much, making it hard for him to work..."
"Today is the 18th," Adrian murmured, as if to himself. "Which means tomorrow... is the 19th."
A memory from his past life flashed through his mind. His father had left for a month and didn't come back. But now, it had only been three weeks and he wanted to come back? On the 19th?! That auspicious day?!
He looked up, his eyes sharp. "Uncle Ray, give me the phone."
Butler Ray was taken aback by the cold glint in Adrian's eyes. "Young master, your father is busy... He has work to do, and..."
"Give me the phone," Adrian repeated, his voice firm but controlled.
Butler Ray's voice rose in desperation. "Young master, please understand... Your father has company matters to attend to even though he is in the house of his mistress and her kids. He still took him his assistant and two other sub-assistants and a pile of work, and..."
"Give me the phone!" Adrian's voice was laced with suppressed anger, making the air vibrate with tension.
Butler Ray's hand trembled, and the phone almost fell to the ground. He looked up at Adrian, and the stranger in his eyes made his heart skip a beat.
This wasn't the young master he witnessed these past few days. He sincerely thought the young master had changed for the better!
The silence was palpable before Butler Ray finally handed over the phone, his head bowed. He felt a pang of disappointment. The young master's display of maturity these past few days was just an act, after all.
But what he didn't know was that Adrian's heart was icy cold as he took the phone. The 19th... That was the day history labeled as "The Wind Catastrophe."