After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 21: A Love-Struck Simp
’How could Adrian Sutton be with someone who carries himself with such an air of distinction?’
’And his inexplicable appearance at a banquet he has no business being at is truly strange.’
’Knowing her parents, anyone from a family without a shred of status or standing would never be invited to one of their banquets.’
’So how did Adrian Sutton, a "Rhonian Drifter," manage to get in? What is going on here?’
’And what if Gavin Sinclair shows up later and sees Adrian here? Who knows what kind of scene he might cause.’
With that thought, Claire Mercer decided to find Adrian Sutton.
"Wait here a moment. I’ll be right back."
With that, Claire Mercer rose and walked toward Adrian Sutton.
Meanwhile, Adrian Sutton had been scanning the banquet hall for Claire Mercer from the moment he entered. He looked around for a while but couldn’t spot her.
Just as he was starting to wonder if she hadn’t arrived yet, he spotted her in a corner.
Their gazes met across the room, and his heart instantly leaped.
A flicker of joy finally surfaced in his cool eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled into an unconscious smile.
Silas Rowan, of course, didn’t miss this subtle shift in his expression.
"Found her?"
Adrian Sutton nodded. "Yeah."
"The woman you had to see even with a face swollen like a pig’s—I’m dying to see what kind of goddess has you this head over heels."
His cousin, older by a single day, was usually stern and unsmiling. He was especially cold toward women, almost inhumanly so.
In the business world, he was a veritable god of death, his methods decisive and ruthless, striking fear into the hearts of his rivals.
He had never seen him look so pathetic, like some lovesick puppy experiencing his first crush.
Adrian Sutton just shot back, "You wouldn’t understand."
’I *want* Claire to see my face all swollen up like this.’
For the past few days, he had been studying the romance manual Hughes had recommended.
The manual said that to win someone’s heart, sometimes it’s essential to play the victim, feign weakness, and act pitiful.
’Who says only women can play these little games? Men can do it too.’
’My Claire is so kind. When she sees me like this, she’s bound to feel sorry for me. And then she’ll start to despise Gavin Sinclair.’
’Isn’t that how it always plays out in romance novels?’
Silas Rowan, oblivious to Adrian’s inner machinations, scoffed contemptuously.
"Oh, right. You’re the expert. If you’re such an expert, why are you still playing this whole ’secret admirer’ game?"
"If you’ve got the guts, just confess already. All this skulking around like a rat in the gutter."
Adrian Sutton shot him an irritated glare.
"I’m afraid of scaring her. Besides, now isn’t the right time to confess."
’She was just heartbroken by Gavin Sinclair. She must be completely disillusioned with men right now.’
’Even though my feelings for her are true, she won’t be quick to trust in love again.’
’So I want to take it slow, to open her heart again step by step, and then find my way inside.’
"And another thing—keep your mouth shut about my connection to you."
Silas Rowan was baffled. "Why? Is our relationship so shameful that it can’t see the light of day?"
Adrian Sutton said, "Her ex hurt her. Now she despises people from wealthy families." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
After he got back last night, he couldn’t resist messaging Claire Mercer.
He was worried Gavin Sinclair might bother her again.
They chatted for a bit, and Claire Mercer mentioned that she would never get involved with anyone from a wealthy family again.
Whether for dating or marriage, she said she wanted to stay far, far away from people in that world.
"So, she hates rich people, and your plan is to pretend to be poor?"
"I didn’t originally plan to pretend to be poor. She just jumped to conclusions about me, so I decided to roll with it."
As they were talking, Adrian Sutton saw Claire Mercer rise to her feet. It looked like she was heading right for him.
A wave of excitement and nervousness washed over him.
Seeing his cousin’s state, Silas Rowan found it almost too cringey to watch.
Still, he was now genuinely curious. Just what kind of woman could capture his cousin’s heart?
To make an ice-cold, untouchable man act like a pure-hearted boy in the throes of his first love, utterly captivated by her.
Soon enough, Claire Mercer wove through the crowd and stopped in front of Adrian Sutton.
’She really came to find me!’
’This was the girl I’ve loved for ten years, and today, she’s finally walking toward me of her own accord.’
A wide grin immediately split across Adrian Sutton’s face, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
"Miss Mercer..."
He gazed at her, making no attempt to hide the stunned admiration in his eyes.
In truth, Adrian Sutton wasn’t the only one captivated by her.
Many of the men in attendance couldn’t help but turn their heads as she passed.
"This is... the young mistress of the Mercer Family, Miss Claire Mercer," Adrian Sutton introduced for Silas Rowan’s benefit.
Silas Rowan knew this was the one his cousin had been looking for.
He turned his head slightly, discreetly sizing up Claire Mercer.
The woman before him was tall and willowy. Her long, fair, and perfectly straight legs alone were enough to put many of the other women in the room to shame.
A floor-length, silver-white evening gown that seemed to be studded with starlight accentuated her exquisite figure.
It also complemented her already smooth, fair skin, making it look even more flawless and delicate.
She had a classic oval face, its contours highlighting her delicate, perfect features. Her eyes held a gentle look, but with an underlying hint of spirited confidence.
Her clear, bright eyes seemed to hold the stars themselves, sparkling with a lively light as they moved.
There were plenty of beautiful women in the room, but on most of them, one could spot the subtle traces of cosmetic surgery.
But Claire Mercer was different. Her beauty was natural, graceful, and poised—a rare, classic beauty rooted in her bone structure, without the slightest hint of any artificial enhancement.
She radiated an elegant and captivating aura, like the most dazzling star in the night sky.
Now Silas Rowan finally understood why Adrian Sutton was so utterly smitten.
This woman, from her figure and looks to the very aura she exuded, had everything it took to drive a man wild.
"Hello, I’m Silas Rowan."
Silas Rowan politely extended his hand toward Claire Mercer.
Claire Mercer shook it, and the two exchanged formal greetings.
"I have a few questions for Adrian Sutton."
Silas Rowan glanced sideways at Adrian Sutton.
His cousin’s eyes were practically glued to the woman, a foolish, love-struck grin plastered on his face.
Silas Rowan closed his eyes. It was truly an embarrassing sight.
"Please, Miss Mercer, be my guest."
It was no wonder Adrian Sutton was staring, utterly mesmerized.
It was the first time he’d seen her dressed so stunningly. His Claire was so beautiful tonight he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Claire, however, felt a bit uncomfortable under his intense gaze.
She had rarely attended banquets in the past, and after marrying Gavin Sinclair, she hadn’t appeared at a public event even once.
Her usual wardrobe consisted of simple, casual jeans and T-shirts; she rarely dressed up in such a glamorous and formal way.
Feeling the weight of everyone’s stares, she felt a growing sense of unease.
But she had always been beautiful and aware of it.
Even if her parents disapproved of her and her husband didn’t love her, she remained confident.
She tuned out the blatant stares, pulled Adrian Sutton aside, and asked in a low voice.
"How did you sneak in?"
Her hand was on his arm, and the tingling sensation sent his heart soaring.
He managed to get his expression back to normal and replied, "I came with Silas Rowan."
Claire Mercer asked, "Is Silas Rowan the eldest young master of the Rowan Family everyone’s talking about?"
Adrian Sutton nodded. "He is."
"But you’re a Rhonian Drifter. How would you know the eldest young master of the Rowan Family?"
