I Slept With a Stranger to Forget Him

Chapter 2 My Brother Thought I Drugged Him

On the afternoon of the second day after Christmas, Vivian brought her usual bouquet of white balloon flowers to the cemetery.

Evelyn Vale smiled brightly from the photograph on the otherwise bare headstone.

After setting the flowers down, Vivian crouched beside the grave and began muttering under her breath.

"Mom... why did you save Adrian? It's the anniversary of your death, and he doesn't even have time to visit you. Though I suppose I understand. He's getting married in ten days to the Lancaster heiress."

Her eyes reddened instantly.

"Yes. The same woman who got drunk, sped through the streets in stilettos, and killed you." A bitter laugh escaped her. "The man you saved is about to marry the woman who killed you. Isn't that ironic?"

The wind grew colder by the minute. Leaning against the headstone, Vivian cried until she lost track of time, only jolting from her grief when the sharp click of polished dress shoes on stone approached behind her.

"Evelyn, I came to see you. Sorry I'm late. Work ran long."

Vivian did not turn around, merely waiting for him to leave. Instead, Adrian removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

"If you don't wear a coat, Evelyn will worry."

Vivian closed her eyes and sighed inwardly before finally turning to him, her gaze distant.

"Go home first, Adrian. I want to stay with Mom a little longer."

Adrian said nothing. He only stepped back a few yards and remained there in silence, waiting.

Vivian remained by the grave a while longer, but eventually the cold became too much to bear. When she finally stood to leave, Adrian grabbed her without warning and forced her into the car.

"Drive. Home."

The privacy partition slid shut, sealing them into the cramped back seat. The sharp scent of alcohol filled the air at once, and Vivian frowned.

He looked overheated. His shirt hung half open, exposing the hard lines of his torso, while stray drops of water glistened across his sharply defined abs.

Her brows drew together. "Adrian, could you put your shirt back on properly?"

He turned toward her, and the moment their eyes met, Vivian's breath caught at the violent, feverish hunger blazing in his bloodshot eyes.

Her voice trembled. "What's wrong with you?"

Before she could react, he lunged and pinned her beneath him.

"I'm hot."

"Then open the window. Ah! What are you doing?"

Vivian grabbed frantically at her pants. The unnatural flush spreading across his face made her heart drop in an instant.

"No! Adrian, wake up!"

She tried to hold his hands back, but her strength was nothing against a man who trained year-round. Within moments, he had both her wrists pinned above her head.

"Fiona... stop moving."

Vivian went utterly still. All the color drained from her face.

She had already decided to let him go, yet hearing him murmur another woman's name in that dazed voice still drove a blade straight through her chest.

It felt as though countless needles pierced her heart at once, until even the pain itself turned numb.

She watched lust overtake his expression as he yanked open his pants with practiced ease, spread her thighs, and pressed himself against her. Closing her eyes, she swung hard.

"Look at me properly. I'm not Fiona!"

The sharp slap snapped Adrian back to himself, and panic flashed across his face.

"I'm sorry, I……"

"It's fine."

Vivian cut him off through gritted teeth. She shoved him away, straightened her clothes, and pressed herself against the car door.

Her obvious retreat made Adrian's face darken. Then his gaze fell on the empty water bottle beside them. Contempt flooded his expression at once.

"Vivian... have you really sunk this low?"

She turned to him in shock. "What?"

His lip curled. "I rejected you, so you drugged me?"

Vivian turned to him, her mind going blank for a split second. “What did you just say?”