452-454

Chapter 452: Adam the Great Man 

At Peggy's apartment. 

Linda stepped out of the bedroom, her face dark as a storm cloud after grilling Peggy about some “safety stuff.”  

But Peggy was way too cool about it—like, suspiciously calm. 

So Linda couldn’t really push it. She just stormed out and threw Adam some serious side-eye.  

“Ms. Watson, I had Lisa book us dinner. Wanna join us later?” Adam asked with a friendly grin.  

“Nah, not hungry,” Linda shot back, wrinkling her nose. “David, let’s get outta here!” 

“Actually, I’m kinda starving,” David piped up, trying to play peacemaker. He and Adam were hitting it off, and he thought Adam and Peggy were a match made in heaven. No point in letting Linda and Adam stay at odds—it’d just make life awkward for him and Peggy. “Why don’t we all eat? Hate to waste good food, you know?” 

Linda was steaming, but one look from David softened her up, and she stayed, grumbling. Middle-aged love’s not like those wild teenage flings—you figure out how to roll with it.  

Especially with Peggy around, Linda didn’t want to embarrass David in front of the “kids.” 

“So, Lisa’s that assistant you got for Peggy? Invite her to dinner too,” Linda said, half-resigned, half-curious about this girl who was sorta stepping into her shoes. 

“Sure,” Adam nodded, no fuss, and rang up Lisa. 

Then it got quiet again. Peggy didn’t even glance at them—she was back at her desk, deep in her own world.  

Linda, still brooding over her chat with Peggy, clammed up, her face all business. 

“Adam, I hear you’re a writer?” David jumped in to break the silence. 

“Part-time,” Adam said, appreciating the vibe. “Started writing after high school to stack some cash. But my real dream’s always been to save lives as a doctor. Right now, I’m interning at New York Medical Center.” 

“New York Medical Center?” David’s eyes widened. “That’s where they took all the victims from that train wreck today, right? It’s all over the news.” 

“Yeah,” Adam nodded. “We’d already been on for, like, ten-plus hours. I was driving over to Peggy’s at dawn when…” 

“You come over every night?” Linda cut in, jaw dropping. “Peggy’s still young—how could you?!”  

Clearly, she’d gotten some spicy details from Peggy during their “safety talk” and was freaking out about Adam’s late-night visits. 

“No, no, hold up!” Adam scrambled to explain. “Interns are slammed—I can’t swing by every day. Just Sundays, usually. But these past few days, Peggy and I have been teaming up on a research paper, so I’ve been pulling all-nighters to make it work.” 

“A research paper?” Linda’s frown eased a little. 

Adam laid out the whole deal with the Duncan-Adler formula. 

“Oh, got it,” Linda said, her mood lifting. So Peggy was holding her own—made things feel more even. 

“So, you were headed here at dawn, then got the train derailment call?” David grinned, steering things back. 

“Yup,” Adam confirmed. “Hospital rang us all back in, pronto. We were swamped with crash victims ‘til 9 a.m., no chance to eat or anything.” 

“Man, being a doctor sounds rough,” David said, shaking his head. 

“For real,” Adam agreed. “I’ve got stamina, so I’m good. But my coworkers? After forty hours straight, they’re wiped—crashing in the break room, blood and grime still on ‘em. Some just flop on stretchers in the hall and pass out.” 

“Then why do it?” Linda asked, puzzled. “You’re rolling in cash, your books are killer—why not just kick back as a big-shot writer?” 

Adam’s lip twitched. She was painting him like some loaded playboy.  

“Doctors save people,” he said, dead serious. “Today, I pulled nine critical cases and six tough ones through. That rush beats making my first billion, hands down. It’s what drives me—like Peggy’s obsessed with math.” 

(System pinged later: +0.019 + 0.0056 = 0.12 years (43.8 days) added, only 0.8 days used—net gain of 43 days! Total win! ) 

David: “…” Linda: “…”  

David was starting to think Adam was flexing a bit, even if he liked the guy. Linda, though, was torn—impressed by how Adam and Peggy were so alike in their passions, but floored by that “first billion” line. 

“Your first billion? How much money do you even have?” she blurted. 

“Heh,” Adam chuckled, playing it humble. “After a while, it’s just digits. Doesn’t mean much. I don’t even keep count.” 

David’s mouth twitched. Oh yeah, total flex. But fair enough—guy’s trying to impress Peggy’s mom. 

“Writing pays that well?” Linda asked, still stunned. 

“It’s alright,” Adam shrugged. “The first billion was mostly books, yeah, but after that, it’s just money making money—investments, you know, playing the long game.” 

Linda hesitated, glancing at David. He was launching his own business and could use some cash to get it off the ground. But she’d just warned Peggy to keep money out of her thing with Adam… 

David caught her look and gave a small shake of his head, firm. He was doing this solo—no handouts. He loved the grind and didn’t want strings. Plus, he adored Linda and cared about Peggy too much to muddy things with cash. 

Adam clocked their little exchange but played it off like he didn’t. 

“I’m into books too,” David said, switching gears with a smile. “Big Jane Austen fan.” 

“Pride and Prejudice lady, right?” Adam nodded. “Her stuff’s legendary—over a hundred years strong, huge influence.” 

“Yep,” David grinned. “But honestly, I like Emma more than Pride and Prejudice.” 

“Emma…” Adam paused, glancing at Linda Watson with a weird look on his face.  

Chapter 453: The Proposal 

Peggy’s Apartment 

As David rambled on excitedly about the novel Emma, Adam’s face took on an odd look. He was sensitive about that name—and the surname too—thanks to his memories of the actress Emma Watson. A funny thought crossed his mind: if David and Linda got married and had a girl, would they name her Emma Watson? With how much Peggy resembled that Emma Watson, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine them as half-sisters or something. But then he remembered it was already 1998—the real Emma Watson, the magical princess, must’ve been born in England by now. He chuckled to himself and let the idea go. Normally, kids take their dad’s last name anyway, so if David and Linda had a daughter, she’d probably be Emma Grossman. 

Knock, knock, knock. 

The sound snapped Adam out of his chat with David about the book’s plot. He stood up, peeked through the peephole, and saw Lisa with a female bodyguard holding a big food box. Only then did he open the door—better safe than sorry, right? You never know when someone might burst in with a machine gun, security or not. 

Lisa and the bodyguard quickly set the table, pulling out fancy dishes from the box one by one. Champagne and red wine? Oh, they were fancy fancy. Once everything was ready, Lisa waved the bodyguard off and glanced at Adam. 

“David, Linda, let’s eat!” Adam called out with a grin. 

In the U.S., once you’re tight with someone, it’s all first names—no “Mr.” or “Mrs.” nonsense, no matter the age gap. David had already told Adam to drop the formalities, and Adam just assumed Linda was cool with it too… 

“Peggy!” Linda shot Adam a glare 😒 but turned to call her daughter. She froze mid-step. Lisa had already leaned in, whispered something to Peggy, and here came Peggy, strolling over like it was no big deal. 

At the table, Lisa pulled out a chair for Peggy, waited for her to sit, then tied a white napkin around her neck like she was royalty. She poured a tiny splash of red wine into Peggy’s glass and started tackling the seafood, expertly picking out the meat and placing it on Peggy’s plate. Peggy dug in like it was the most natural thing in the world—and honestly, it probably was. This wasn’t their first rodeo. 

Linda, Peggy’s actual mom, stood there, a mess of emotions swirling inside her. She finally got what Peggy meant by “Lisa does it better.” This kind of pampering? Even she couldn’t pull that off. Ugh, damn rich people! she thought. They’re out here ruining the sacred bond between mother and child! Because, let’s be real—if Linda were in Peggy’s shoes, she’d want this life too… 

The meal was delicious, but it left a sour taste in Linda’s mouth. Especially when she talked to Lisa about Peggy’s care and realized Lisa didn’t even need her pointers. That stung. 

“Let’s go,” Linda muttered after dinner, feeling deflated. She and David were in the thick of their romance, so even though Peggy’s place had two bedrooms, they’d already booked a hotel room for the night. 

“Mind if I talk to Peggy alone for a sec?” David asked out of nowhere. 

“Of course not,” Linda replied, blinking in surprise. 

Adam caught David’s eye, a hunch forming, and nodded. “Linda, let’s head to Lisa’s place. She lives right across the hall.” 

The three of them stepped out. Adam shot Lisa a look 👀, and she nodded back. She’d hang by the door and keep an ear out. David seemed solid, but you can’t slack on safety. 

Lisa’s Apartment 

“So, you rented this place just so Lisa could look after Peggy?” Linda asked, poking around the apartment. 

“Nope,” Adam said, shaking his head. “I bought it.” 

Linda froze. Freaking ugly capitalism, she thought, always tempting people into this decadent nonsense! 

“Adam,” she said after a beat, her tone serious, “what’s the deal with you and Peggy?” 

“Uh…” Adam hesitated. “More than friends, but not quite lovers?” 

Linda’s face darkened 😠. Don’t think I’m too old to know what that means, buddy! 

“We’re both too young!” Adam blurted, seeing her temper flare. “Peggy’s swamped with research, I’ve got residency training—neither of us has time for anything else for, like, five or six years.” 

Linda went quiet. That was the exact same thing she’d figured out after grilling Peggy. 

“Don’t hurt her,” she said finally, her voice softer but firm. 

“I won’t,” Adam promised, dead serious. “Never.” 

“Anything else I should know?” Linda’s expression eased up. She was trying to have a real talk with him now. Sure, she had her gripes, but Peggy picked this guy, and he was pretty flawless—except for a few red flags she couldn’t shake. 

“Well,” Adam started, thinking it over, “I also bought the apartment downstairs for bodyguards…” He laid out his plans and why he’d made them. 

“No way,” Linda gasped. “Is college that dangerous? We never ran into anything like that!” 

“It’s because Peggy’s a public figure,” Adam explained. “She sticks to her routine—home, school, back again—doesn’t party, and you were always with her, so it makes sense you didn’t see trouble. But it’s not a big cost, and better safe than sorry, you know?” 

Linda just stared, speechless. After a long pause, she gave a wry smile. “You handle it.” 

Everything she could think of—or couldn’t—Adam had already covered. What else was there to say? 

“Boss,” Lisa popped in, “Mr. Grossman and Peggy are done. They’re asking for you guys.” 

“Got it,” Adam said, catching Lisa’s glance and guessing what was up. He motioned for Linda to go first, then followed with Lisa behind him. 

Back at Peggy’s place, Linda pushed the door open. The lights were dimmed, casting a soft glow. David stood there, facing the entrance, his eyes brimming with love. Linda stopped dead, her heart pounding like crazy. 

David took a few steps forward—no sliding tackles here, folks—dropped to one knee in front of her, and gazed up with total devotion. Slowly, he pulled a ring box from his pocket and popped out the classic line: 

“Linda Jane Watson, will you marry me?” 

“OMG!” Linda clapped her hands over her mouth, barely holding in a squeal 😱. 

“I already got your dad’s permission,” David said, his voice warm and steady, “and just now, Peggy gave me her blessing. Linda, will you be Mrs. Grossman?” 

In the U.S., traditional guys don’t mess around—they get the father-in-law’s okay before popping the question. Take Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory: he checked with Amy’s dad first, and if the guy had said no, Sheldon would’ve bailed on the whole plan. (Though, let’s be honest, Amy’s dad would’ve been toast—stuck with a controlling wife and a ticked-off daughter, no safe haven left.) 

David went the extra mile. He’d cleared it with Peggy’s grandpa and asked Peggy, Linda’s daughter, for her blessing. Clearly, this busy startup guy didn’t just drop everything to visit his girlfriend’s kid for no reason. He had a mission: get Peggy’s approval, then propose to Linda. 

Chapter 454: Peggy's Heart 

At Peggy's apartment. 

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Linda was all about that "say it three times if it’s important" rule.  

David slid the diamond ring onto Linda’s left ring finger, got up, and pulled her into a big hug—straight out of a rom-com playbook. 

applause 

Peggy, being the daughter, didn’t bat an eye, so Adam stepped up to clap and cheer them on.  

"Uh, guys?" Adam had to stop clapping and let out a loud fake cough to break the moment. ‘Cause if they kept going, it was either gonna get weird or turn into something not exactly kid-friendly. 

David snapped out of it first and let go of his fiancée.  

Linda bolted straight to Peggy and threw her arms around her. She was all about hugs right then—needed someone to hold. 

Peggy patted her back a couple times, rested her head on Linda’s shoulder, and gave a small "whatever makes you happy" smile.  

"Congrats, man," Adam said, nodding at David. 

"Thanks," David replied, his bushy brows and big eyes lighting up with a huge grin. 

"I’m engaged, y’all!" Linda finally let Peggy go after a while, holding up her hand and flashing that ring like crazy, totally pumped. "Isn’t it gorgeous?" 

"Gorgeous!" Adam and Peggy both nodded.  

"Look, I’m just getting my business off the ground, so it’s not huge, and it’s not Tiffany’s or anything…" David said, sounding a little guilty he couldn’t give her something flashier. 

"Nah, nah, nah!" Linda shook her head hard. "This is the biggest, prettiest ring I’ve ever seen!" Then they locked eyes, all mushy and lovestruck.  

"Man, David, if you’d met me sooner, this would’ve gone way differently," Adam thought to himself. "I’d have hooked you up with a bigger, shinier ring for the same price!" 

You know that "diamonds are forever" line? Total nonsense. Plastic bags outlast diamonds any day.  

If David had asked his advice before buying, Adam would’ve told him to pull a Leonard move. Step one: hit up a hardware store for a big diamond drill bit. Step two: yank the diamond off, take it to a jeweler to set in a ring, and grab a Tiffany’s box. Boom—suddenly it’s a "Tiffany’s" giant-carat ring, looking pricey as hell. Just never admit it’s from a drill bit, like Leonard didn’t. Then your fiancée’s rocking a ring that screams "I bled my bank account dry for this!"  

Yup! Adam didn’t buy for a second that Leonard’s ring for Penny was real Tiffany’s, even though Leonard denied it three times, cool as a cucumber. But Adam trusted Sheldon more—guy’s too straight-up to lie. Leonard, the tech nerd, would totally do this. He’s not fooled by ads; to him, a diamond’s a diamond, store-bought or drill-bit-sourced. Why spend ten times more? Plus, Leonard’s broke—no way he’s splurging on a huge rock. Save that cash for Comic-Con and action figures instead—way more fun. 🦸‍♂️ Adam was actually on board with it. Back before he time-traveled, the diamond hype was already fading.  

A few minutes later. 

Linda and David took off. Classic TV line: "Get a room, you two!" Then Adam pulled Peggy into the bedroom.  

Late night. 

Adam didn’t smoke or drink in his past life, and now, as a doctor, he’s even more against smoking. Peggy tried a few cigarettes back when she was in her "rebel" phase, but Adam set her straight. Now she’s all about science—dropped Missy and smoking altogether. So, no cigarette stink in the bedroom.  

"You okay? Something bugging you?" Adam asked, eyes closed. 

"How’d you know?" Peggy replied. 

"Heh," Adam chuckled. "I’m just an intern, but the top docs say I’m already good as a new cardio attending. We mess with hearts all day—‘heart stuff’ is our thing. Plus, I’m holding yours right now~"  

Peggy ignored his cheesy flirting, not even tossing him a playful wink. She just frowned. "Adam, do you believe in love?" 

Linda’s upcoming remarriage clearly had her rattled, even if she played it off like she didn’t care. Adam could see right through her.  

"Not really," he said, dropping the charm. "Love at first sight? That’s just hormones. I’m more into the slow stuff—friendship, family, love all mixed up over time." 

"Same," Peggy said, voice flat. "Mom was probably over the moon when she got engaged to Dad, but how’d that end? Love’s got a shelf life. After the honeymoon phase, it’s kaput—just a pointless loop with someone new, over and over."  

"Hey, don’t be such a downer," Adam said. "It’s not always like that." 

"Oh yeah? How long do you think Mom and David will last?" Peggy smirked. 

"…" Adam went quiet. Who could tell? Months? Years? Maybe forever? With anyone else, he’d toss out a random guess, but not Peggy. She’s too sharp—bullshitting her would be an insult. 

"What matters is your mom’s happy now," he said with a smile. "Right?" 

"I guess," Peggy mumbled, sounding a bit down. "She put her life on hold for me for, like, six or seven years. Otherwise, she’d have remarried fast, like Dad did—new wife in less than a year."  

"You seen your dad lately?" Adam asked, perking up since Peggy was actually up for a midnight heart-to-heart. Usually, she’d crash first, leaving him wired and wanting to talk—or more. Their dynamic was flipped—normally the guy’s out cold while the girl’s chatty. But with Adam’s… stamina, he just grinned and dealt with it, not sure if it was a win or a loss.  

"Nope," Peggy shook her head. "Since college, I’ve been with Mom. He invites me for Christmas, but I can’t be bothered." 

"You hate him?" Adam asked. 

"Nah," she said, cool and detached. "Their marriage falling apart was kinda my fault. Mom put way too much into me."  

Adam ran his fingers through her hair, feeling for her. She used to take all the blame, nearly lost herself over it. He was the one who pulled her back. Even now, she’s got that guilt buried deep—nobody but Adam, who knows her heart inside out, can tell.