"Where is your wife? Aren’t you worried that she’ll notice you’re gone?"
Adam sighed, then pulled lanie closer until she was lying half on top of him, and wrapped his arms around her like he didn’t want to let go. He dipped his head, inhaling her scent deeply, as if grounding himself in it. A mont later, his hand slid down and gave her backside a sharp, possessive pinch.
"I am sleeping with my wife," he murmured against her skin. "Would you like to refresh your mory, sweet lon?"
Without waiting for an answer, Adam rolled over and leaned down, his lips brushing her chest as he nibbled gently over the creamy fresh
lanie let out a squeal at the sudden attack but then quickly suppressed it, "Adam. I’m not joking. Where’s lody? You should go back to the room in case she wakes up and starts asking questions. You’ve already been here for almost an hour..."
Adam didn’t move away. Instead, he shook his head and gave her another teasing bite before responding, almost with a pout, "Sweet lon.. you are quite heartless. We’ve been separated for so long. I’ve finally had you and now you’re actually telling to go lie in bed with the woman who’s trying to replace you? The sa woman who’s been playing dress-up with your face?"
lanie’s expression softened as she cupped his face in her hands, feeling her eyes tear up, as she rembered the feeling when she thought that he did know the difference between her and lody... She hugged him close so that his head was almost crushed against her breasts and said, "It’s because I trust you that I can say that. But also because there’s a reason I’ve returned as lody."
"lon. I think this might be the sweetest way of dying...unable to breathe because crushed by sweet lons..." Adam said as his lips moved against her breasts...
lanie realized what she had done and hurriedly, let go, causing Adam to lift his head up with a teasing grin... But in the next second his expression faded and he looked at her face "And I want to know what this is. Tell what all happened. As for lody, she won’t be waking up before morning. I gave her sleeping pills. A strong enough dose to keep her out for a while."
lanie looked up at him, surprise flashing across her face, but then she smiled. A breath escaped her lips like relief. "Actually... I was supposed to return to the Thomas household yesterday. The plan was to return, and cause a scene so that lody would be forced to reveal herself and then we could swap back our places...But—"
"You were attacked at the airport," Adam finished for her.
lanie blinked at him, taken aback. "How did you know that?"
"My n were tailing lody. We’ve been keeping a close watch. She paid soone to intercept you. The attack was planned."
lanie’s shoulders sagged. She nodded slowly, her fingers tightening around his forearm. "Yes. But that’s not the part that scares . The only person who knew I was supposed to return was Marianne. Dr. Jung had specifically told her not to ntion anything to anyone. He was clear about that. Then why? Why would she tell lody, unless..."
She trailed off, the weight of the thought hanging in the air.
Adam’s jaw clenched as he sat back slightly, still holding her but now watching her more closely. "Unless Marianne let her know on purpose."
lanie nodded again, her voice growing quieter. "Do you think she told lody because she wants to get closer to her? Because she’s starting to believe her lies?"
Adam shook his head slowly, as he rembered Marianne taking lody away for a conversation. "No. I don’t think Marianne Thomas was ever fooled by lody. Maybe in the beginning she was confused and believed that she was lanie, like I did, because lody did put on a convincing act- but I’m almost certain she’s figured it out by now. And more than that..." He hesitated for a beat. "I think she’s choosing to support lody anyway."
lanie stiffened. Her throat tightened at the implication. "You an... she knows I’m the real lanie, but she’s still siding with her?"
Adam nodded grimly. "Exactly. From what I have found out, Marianne is used to cover for lody. Constantly. Even when she was a young kid. lody would throw tantrums, lie, manipulate, and sohow, it was always soone else’s fault. Marianne is used to smooth it over, twist the narrative, or just pretend nothing happened."
lanie blinked at that, trying to piece it together. "You think she’s doing it again? Out of... habit?"
Adam gave a slow nod. "Exactly. She’s not blind, lon. But sotis, people protect the wrong ones because it’s easier than admitting they raised a monster. Marianne’s probably clinging to the version of lody she wants to believe in. Not the one who exists now."
"She doesn’t look that muddled. It’s almost like there are two versions of her.. One who cares for lanie and the other who does not care enough to reveal lody’s deception..."
But Adam did not hear the rest of lanie’w words as he sat up straight. lanie looked at him with a frown and asked,"Adam? What is it?"
"lon. That ti, when you had the accident... I was planning to read Grandma’s diary. But never got around to it due to everything that happened. Marianne and all her quirks. Her patterns, her moods,etc. Who woudl know them better than your grandmother. We were looking for a reason that she would kidnap you. What if it really did have sothing to do with Marianne?"
lanie nodded and Adam hugged her close,"Tomorroy morning, I will go and check the information from the diary. Maybe we will have more lead then."
lanie nodded at this and even though she wanted to talk more, the sheer relief of being with Adam again, made her close her eyes. Without aning to, she rubbed her face against his chest and fell asleep.
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