Chapter 2

Footsteps coming from outside the doorway interrupted Adonis' thoughts. He looked up at the sound and found himself meeting Meredith's gaze. Upon noticing him sitting alone at the dining table, Meredith instinctively glanced at the clock on the wall—it was almost 11:00 pm. She frowned ever so slightly but didn't say a word. In the next second, she turned and headed upstairs. From when she saw Adonis until she walked away, she didn't even bother to say a simple greeting. She treated him coldly as if he were a stranger. This caused Adonis to feel a pang in his chest, but he still couldn't help but call out, "Sis, what about dinner—" Without pausing, Meredith replied in a distant tone, "I had dinner with Nic already. I've told you many times that you don't need to wait for me." The last of her words was drowned out by the sound of the door slamming shut. Adonis' heart shook with the impact, and he felt a stinging sensation in his eyes. Meredith had never spoken to him so indifferently. She knew he was scared of being alone after losing his family and didn't like eating by himself. No matter how busy she was with her academics or work, she would always come back to eat dinner with him. Even when she traveled abroad, she'd make her trips as short as possible. She was worried that if Adonis didn't eat well, he might end up with some kind of health problem. For so many years, there had never been an exception to this unspoken routine. But ever since Adonis confessed to Meredith, everything had changed. She started keeping her distance and worked overtime more often. She would even go on business trips to avoid seeing him. Then, she stopped buying him gifts to surprise him. Mercilessly, she took back all the special treatment she had once showed him. After Nicholas appeared, her gaze toward him grew even colder. She looked at him as if he was nothing but a stranger to her. Adonis understood the reason, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only pick up his cutlery and force down the cold dishes. Soundlessly, he swallowed tasteless bites one after another—he felt like he was chewing through wax. The table was filled with various dishes, but all he could taste was bitterness. When he was about 70% full, he cleaned up everything and walked to Meredith's bedroom. He knocked on her door softly. Meredith opened the door with a frown, her tone far from friendly. She snapped, "Haven't I told you not to bother me if there's nothing important?" Adonis bit his lip, twisting his fingers together nervously. "I'd like to change rooms, Sis." A flicker of surprise passed through Meredith's eyes, but she didn't think much of it. She simply replied, "If you want to change, go ahead." Adonis nodded slightly and headed back to his bedroom in silence. He looked at the large floor-to-ceiling windows, the elegant furniture, and the walk-in closet filled with clothes, shoes, and bags, taking in every detail of this room in a daze. This bedroom was the largest and brightest in the entire villa. It had originally been Meredith's room. On the day he moved into Irving Villa, she had willingly given this room to him. She had ruffled his hair and said that since he was such a likable boy, he deserved the biggest and the best room in the entire villa. Now that Adonis was leaving, Nicholas would probably move in sooner or later. After all, he was just a foster child living under someone else's roof. What right did he have to live in the largest room—the master bedroom—meant for the real owner? That was why he suggested changing rooms. He wanted to make room for the rightful person and also to sort through his belongings. By noon the next day, Adonis had moved everything into a small room at the end of the hallway, which used to be Meredith's study. After tidying up the room, he took his documents and headed downstairs. He had planned to sort out his visa application that day. As he passed through the living room, he nodded slightly as a gesture of respect instead of greeting Meredith warmly like he used to. Of course, Meredith was not used to seeing him so quiet and reserved. She couldn't shake the feeling that he had changed a lot as she watched him walk out with his head bowed. Instinctively, she called out to him, "It's snowing so heavily outside. Where are you going? I can drive you there." It had been a while since Adonis had heard her offer to take him anywhere. He froze for a moment and mumbled, "Today's Christmas. Don't you have a date?" Adonis spoke too softly, so Meredith didn't quite catch what he said. She asked, "What?" Adonis clenched his fists and lowered his gaze, saying, "I saw in the news yesterday that you bought a diamond necklace at an auction for tens of millions of dollars. You're giving it to Nicholas today, right?" Meredith froze for a bit and instinctively blurted, "That necklace was meant for—" The ringing of the doorbell cut her off. A moment later, a neatly dressed Nicholas walked in and took Meredith's hand. He said, "Meredith, I've got you a present for Christmas. Can you guess what it is?" Everything was exactly as Adonis had imagined. He lowered his head. A faint, bitter smile appeared on his lips. As he had already decided to leave, it didn't hurt him as much as it used to when he heard them talk about going on a date. He simply took a few steps backward to make way for them. Meredith didn't explain further. She hooked her arm around Nicholas' and called out to Adonis as they headed out. "Don't wander around. If you're going somewhere, I'll drive you there." Adonis was momentarily taken aback, but he nodded and said, "Thanks, Sis." He meant it sincerely this time when she addressed her as "Sis". From the bottom of his heart, he regarded her as his sister-in-law and nothing more.