布莱克公爵得意地笑着向周氏夫妇推荐阿德里安."阿德里安这小子聪明绝顶,在新能源领域有着独到的见解,他和你的儿子绝对是最佳搭档!绝配!"
周氏夫妇审视的目光,充满了商人特有的精明,如同审视货物一般,让阿德里安感到无比的不自在.我故意端着酒杯,佯装踉跄,挡在阿德里安面前,不让他看到那些不悦的目光.布莱克公爵
眉头微微一皱,但此刻还有更重要的事情,他示意助理道:"周先生,周太太,听说你们两位都喜欢收藏古董,特意拿来这个给你们欣赏."
助理递上一个长长的紫檀木盒子.打开盒子,里面是一把保存完好的古董小提琴,琴身散发着柔和的光泽.小提琴的琴颈上刻着一个小小的"兰"字.
阿德里安的脸色瞬间变得惨白如纸,他几乎是扑上去一把抓住小提琴,从助理手里一把夺了回来,紧紧地抱在怀里,声音嘶哑而尖锐."不!这把不行!"他身子微微颤抖,眼眶瞬间泛红.
我从未见过他如此失控,仿佛这是他最后的珍宝.布莱克公爵的笑容僵住,随后脸色阴沉."阿德里安!你竟敢如此放肆!把小提琴送给周先生!"
"爸!"阿德里安走到我们面前,脸色也铁青,声音微微颤抖,带着压抑的愤怒."这把琴不能送人!这是爷爷留给阿德里安的唯一东西..."
"啪!"一记耳光重重地打在了阿德里安的脸上.力道之大,他半边脸瞬间肿了起来.黑公爵勃然大怒."阿德里安!这轮不到你说话!你们这是在忤逆我!"
他强行转向脸色铁青的周氏夫妇,笑着道歉."周先生,周太太,对不起,我儿子太失礼了,你们别介意."然后他命令阿德里安:"阿德里安!给周叔叔和周婶道歉!把小提琴交出来!"
阿德里安咬着下唇,鲜血直流,坚定地说:"不行."他把小提琴抱得更紧了.
周太太冷笑一声:"看来你儿子另有所图,对我们周家不屑一顾.联姻的事,就不用再提了."说完,周氏夫妇一拂袖而去.
黑公爵的脸色阴沉得仿佛要滴水.他的目光终于真正落在我身上,冰冷而锐利."莉莉安,你真是让我失望透顶."
The banquet ended hastily. Adrian and I were roughly taken by the bodyguards to an abandoned greenhouse deep in the Black family's mansion. It was cold, damp, and filled with the musty smell of old earth. I was no stranger to this kind of environment.
But Adrian... He just silently walked to the corner, sat down with his knees hugged, and the red and swollen fingerprint on his face was shocking in the dim light. I sat down beside him. In the darkness, his breathing was a bit heavy.
"Second - brother... He was taken away alone. What will happen to him?" My voice was especially clear in the silence. Adrian's body seemed to stiffen for a moment.
After a long time, so long that the air seemed to have solidified, he finally replied in a hoarse voice, squeezing the words out between his teeth. "What can happen? It's just... another 'punishment'."
He let out a short and cold laugh, full of deep - seated hatred and self - mockery. "Since childhood... Adrian and I... have always been like this."
"We've long known that he doesn't need children with independent thoughts. He only needs perfect and controllable tools. Adrián likes physics? Fine, but it must be applied research that can bring huge benefits to the Black family."
"So, when he found out that I was obsessed with ancient - book restoration, he flew into a rage and said it was something only useless people did and a disgrace to the heir of the Black family." He paused, and his voice was as cold as ice. "Adrián was locked in the underground laboratory for a whole week because he secretly studied theoretical physics, which he thought was 'useless'."
"The first rare ancient book I restored was torn to pieces page by page in front of my eyes and thrown into the shredder... Do you know why Adrián is so desperate to study new energy? Because... it was the last project mother wanted to do before she died. He wants to complete it..." Adrian's voice choked for a moment. "We... hate this man, Duke Black, to the core."
My heart sank little by little, into the cold abyss. It turned out that beneath that aloof aura was a soul that had already been lacerated by chains.