Reborn as Mr.CEO’s Fat Wife
Chapter 996: You guys play so thrilling?

Chapter 996: Chapter 996: You guys play so thrilling?

Bertha Swift followed behind Adam Piers, her heart feeling cold as ice, with the last bit of hope she held for him completely shattered, along with any feelings of apology fading away, leaving only indifference.

Just then, a white figure suddenly lunged towards her, startling Bertha Swift, lost in her own emotions, causing her body to sway. Then she heard Maria White’s voice, "Bertha, are you okay?"

"I... I’m fine." Bertha Swift was momentarily stunned, looking at Maria White’s worried face, unsure of how to react.

Maria White, though, was staring at her nose in a daze, "You... are you playing such an intense game?"

Bertha Swift was slightly puzzled, then belatedly thought of her nose, immediately covering it with her hand, "It’s not what you think."

"Not what I think in what way? We’ve lived together for so long, you know I’m a fan of Adam Piers, and yet you hid the fact that you’re his fiancée from me..."

"Ex-fiancée." Bertha Swift corrected her.

Maria White nodded hurriedly, "Okay, ex-fiancée, but that doesn’t change the fact that you were dishonest. If you’d told me he was like this, I would’ve stopped being a fan earlier, plus when you followed me to West Mountain... um, Bertha, what are you doing?"

Unlike Bertha Swift, Maria White was too shocked, so she babbled on and on until Bertha Swift covered her mouth when she mentioned West Mountain.

"It’s getting late, go home early." Bertha Swift, while covering Maria White’s mouth and nose, glanced at Adam Piers ahead, ensuring he hadn’t heard Maria’s last words before exhaling and speaking.

Maria White wasn’t so dull; she understood Bertha Swift’s meaning, knowing there were things Bertha didn’t want Adam Piers to know. She nodded and went to grab Bertha Swift’s hand.

Bertha Swift didn’t move, and Maria White realized something, "You’re not going back?"

"I still have some things to do, you go ahead." Bertha Swift pressed her lips together, forcing a smile towards Maria White.

Maria White was a bit worried upon seeing this and was just about to speak when a rather nondescript man walked up behind them, "Miss White, Master Adam asked me to see you home for Miss Swift."

"This..."

"Go on." Bertha Swift glanced at the man in the distance with a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth and waved her hand towards Maria White.

Maria White followed Bertha Swift’s gaze to Adam Piers, who looked even more dandy and handsome than the roles he played on the big screen.

On the big screen, such a cool man might make female audiences scream with hormonal excitement, but in real life they’d be too intimidated to even approach.

Maria White thought about how she had just Tsukkomi-ed him in front of Adam Piers, feeling a panic inside, she subconsciously complied with the arrangement, waved to Bertha Swift, and followed the plain-looking bodyguard out of the bar.

After Maria White left, Bertha Swift found no reason to linger and continued to follow Adam Piers as the two of them passed through the noisy bar’s back corridor and exited through the back door.

Unlike the lively buzz of the bar’s front entrance, the backdoor opened to a very narrow alley, too small even for a car to fit, leaving them only able to walk out along the alley.

Bertha Swift didn’t expect Adam Piers to choose such a route, furrowing her brows slightly before continuing to follow.

But compared to the dazzling neon lights on the other side, this path from the backdoor didn’t even have street lamps, like... the city’s side A and side B.

Side A was colorful, prosperous, and dazzling; side B was dark, damp, hiding ugliness and hardship.

Stepping on the uneven gravel road, Bertha Swift felt complicated inside, she could roughly guess why a man like Adam Piers, accustomed to luxury, would choose such a path.

It must be to avoid the paparazzi.

Todays’ rumors about him and Miss Thatcher were spreading rapidly. Although neither were big shots, they both recently participated in a popular variety show and got injured during the recording. The buzz was high, and dating photos would naturally garner attention.

Given Adam Piers’ usual personality, as soon as such news came out, he would have had it pulled... no, he wouldn’t even let such news get out.

Now not only did this news come out, but it’s also being hyped up, so he must be aware.

Under the circumstances that he was aware, the fact that Adam Piers didn’t stop it leaves two possibilities. The first is that it’s to let someone see, which was the excuse she used to fool Oswald Lewis before, but clearly, that was just a ruse, she didn’t even believe it herself. The second possibility is that the woman is leveraging the situation, and Adam Piers tolerates the use of this as promotion.

Under what conditions would Adam Piers allow a woman to use him for promotion? Of course, that would only be if he cared about or even liked her.

Only in that scenario would he worry about being photographed with other women, fearing she’d see and become unhappy, and thus inconvenience himself.

Bertha Swift had witnessed what it was like when Adam Piers pursued someone he liked, so she was fully aware of how uninhibited the dandy Master Adam seemed to others could go when genuinely doting on someone!

Precisely because she had seen it before, witnessing the man’s current coldness and harshness, and indulgence towards another woman felt very painful.

But what is there for her to regret, what use is Adam Piers’ bewitching affection, in the end, doesn’t it just get given to someone else...?

Bertha Swift thought mockingly and sarcastically.

But her intense focus caused her to miss a step on the dark, unlit alley, stumbling forward, just as the man in front stopped, and Bertha Swift couldn’t stop herself, crashing into him.

"Ouch..." In the darkness accompanied by the sound of a collision, Bertha Swift was in such pain that tears welled up in her eyes as she tumbled to the ground.

Adam Piers turned back to see the person slumped on the ground, with the weak light outside the alley only allowing him to see Bertha Swift’s silhouette, not her subtle expressions. He frowned lightly, "Bertha Swift, what trick are you trying to pull again?"

He had seen this woman’s scheming; she had used countless childish tactics to climb the Piers family through Brandon Piers. It was only because he was fond of her that he found it cute.

But from the moment Bertha Swift took it upon herself to abort their four-month-old child, he knew this woman’s heart was as cold as a stone, impossible to warm.

Her sudden collision now surely meant she was up to some trick again, did she loathe him so much?

The more Adam Piers thought, the dimmer the light in his eyes became, making his questioning in the dark seem even colder.

Bertha Swift was only momentarily stunned, then clutched her hurting nose, forcing herself to stand up. It was only then she realized she had sprained her ankle in the fall, but she knew that if she said anything, Adam Piers would only find her more scheming and loathsome, so she simply stood silently, "Let’s go."

Without any extra explanation, Bertha Swift’s voice was colder than Adam Piers’.

Adam Piers was stunned for a moment, wanting to say something, but Bertha Swift directly urged, "Why are you still standing there, Master Adam? Aren’t you afraid I’ll pull some trick again?"

"You... let’s go." Adam Piers was taken aback, took a deep breath, and continued walking forward, but eventually realized that the alley was a bit dark for Bertha Swift, so he pretended to unintentionally turn on his phone’s flashlight.

Bertha Swift pursed her lips upon seeing this, then gritted her teeth, enduring the sharp pain from her ankle to catch up to the man, only to see him suddenly stop again.

The next moment, before Bertha Swift could understand the situation, warmth came to her wrist, then she saw Adam Piers retreat a step, grabbing and supporting her, "Let’s go."

Bertha Swift didn’t understand how Adam Piers knew about her injury, but he was already supporting her. She felt the warmth of his mature man’s palm on her left elbow. It wasn’t burning hot, yet she felt inexplicably flustered and uneasy. She looked up at him, only to see Adam’s taut jawline, which enhanced his already handsome face with more definition and masculinity.

She clearly remembered the man’s humiliation not long ago, yet her heart, which had always been moved, betrayed her by racing.

Bertha bit her lip until a sour pain brought some clarity to her mind, and she said thank you to the man beside her in a calm tone.

Adam seemed not to hear her gratitude, silently supporting her step by step forward.

Bertha had no idea when the man extinguished his cigarette, but she could still smell the smoke mixed with his woody scent when they were close together. It wasn’t unpleasant; it even provided a sense of security amid Bertha’s turbulent emotions tonight.

The originally narrow, dark alley filled with strange smells suddenly wasn’t so repelling. Listening to each other’s breathing, Bertha almost wished the alley were longer.

Unfortunately, every path ends, and no matter how close they are, they aren’t a couple.

After walking through a long stretch of night, as if isolated from the world, they turned a corner and were greeted by the city’s bright lights. In front of those lights was a black car with its hazard lights on, as if reminding Bertha that it was time to wake up from her dream.

At that moment, the man beside her released her and walked toward the car first. His swift movement left Bertha, still in a swirl of complicated emotions, stunned. Then she heard him honking the car horn impatiently after getting in, urging her not to dawdle.

Bertha snapped out of it, ironically curled her lips at the thought of him still being tense and caring about her.

No, he does care.

But the current concern wasn’t because of love; it was revenge against her...

Recalling the embarrassment she felt when the Paypal notification chimed, Bertha bit her lip, forcing herself to clear her mind and not be swayed by the man’s occasional kindness.

Now, they were just a transaction.

A clearly forced yet inexplicable, sordid transaction between adults.

Enduring the pain in her ankle, Bertha made herself appear normal while getting in the car.

The man in the car didn’t even spare a glance at her, only urged the driver to start driving.

The long-waiting driver darted off at the boss’s command, speeding along and finally stopping at the hospital’s underground parking lot.

Bertha didn’t expect to be sent back here just a day later. She took a deep breath and looked at Adam, "Does it have to be the hospital?"

Recalling last night’s ordeal where Adam forced her to touch his body made Bertha extremely uncomfortable. Did their relationship have to degrade to such an embarrassing degree?

"Where else do you want to go?" Adam saw Bertha’s pained expression and recalled their first time, where she similarly resisted him. He asked with a poor expression.

Bertha’s mouth opened as if wanting to say she’d return the money, but she swallowed it back down. With her current financial situation, not only was it hard to cover the missing eleven thousand, even finding a stable job to support herself wasn’t easy. In no time could she have the money to repay him, bringing it up would only be humiliating herself again.

Enduring her body’s myriad of pains, Bertha silently got out of the car.

Adam watched Bertha’s tense body, recalled her muffled groan in the alley, and her limping left leg illuminated under the flashlight, furrowing his brows drastically. He strode forward to continue supporting her, but faced with Bertha’s resistant attitude, he dropped his hand, inwardly cursing himself as a fool, and first used his fingerprint to open the elevator.

They took the VIP elevator straight to the ward, but Bertha was surprised to find not only Adam’s doctor inside when she opened the ward door but also a beautiful familiar face from earlier today.

Zoe Thatcher.

Bertha instantly recognized her.

But her next realization was one of sorrow.

Across from her, Zoe Thatcher, upon seeing Bertha, obviously paused for a moment, but quickly adjusted her demeanor, ignoring Bertha as she greeted Adam, "I just heard from Dr. Wright that you were in your room, are you feeling unwell?"

Having said that, Zoe looked at the man who had clearly returned from outside, gazing at him with some worry.

Adam hadn’t expected Zoe to appear in his room at this time, furrowing his brows to express words of dismissal, when suddenly hearing a heavier breath from the woman behind him, he changed his mind, "I’m fine, you should head back early."

"But the doctor..."

"I’ll have Ray Leighton escort you." Zoe was somewhat unwilling, but more worried about Adam’s health, yet before she could finish, Adam interrupted her.

Zoe wasn’t someone who couldn’t take a hint, her gaze fell on Bertha Swift momentarily, then quickly retracted, sensibly responded with a hum, and followed the bewildered Ray, who had just been tasked with finding their boss amidst the chaos, out of the ward.

Once Zoe and Ray departed, Adam looked displeased at his attending physician, "Where’s Dr. Geraldine?"

"She’ll be here shortly." Dr. Wright glanced at Bertha behind Adam, "How should I address this lady, or is it the same as last time..."

"Too much nonsense," Adam didn’t want Bertha to know he had sought a doctor to help her recuperate, hence he brusquely interrupted Dr. Wright.

But to Bertha, this attitude suggested that the man didn’t want others to know who she was, in his eyes she was a woman bought for thirty thousand, no need for introductions.

A faint self-mockery flickered in her eyes, she tried her best to play her role, remaining silent.

Even if somewhat slow-witted, Adam’s attending physician sensed something amiss between the two, awkwardly chuckled, "Dr. Geraldine should be here soon, I’ll urge her."

Saying this, Dr. Wright took out his phone to further urge, when he heard the man at the door, as solid as a cold statue, speak, "Call a chiropractor as well."

"Ah, chiropractor?" Dr. Wright froze momentarily, promptly replied, "I’m a chiropractor myself."

Adam, "..."

Adam had clearly forgotten that detail, intending to ask Dr. Wright to bring in a female chiropractor, but realizing Bertha was in earshot, he feared she might mock him internally for having lingering feelings if he said it aloud. He clenched his teeth and responded with an um, then pointed at Bertha, "Have a look at her left ankle."

Uncertain why his face turned colder after declaring himself a chiropractor, Dr. Wright, unable to ignore the patient there, cleared his throat, "This... Miss, this way please?"

Oblivious to her surname, Dr. Wright awkwardly addressed Bertha as this miss.

Bertha pursed her lips, "My surname is Swift."

"Oh, Miss Swift, this way please." Dr. Wright breathed a sigh of relief.

Bertha faintly assented and followed the doctor’s instructions, sitting down, lifting her trousers, revealing her slim white ankle, and just a glance from Adam led to regret!