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Chapter 194
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 195
"What are you thinking about?" William suddenly tapped Ariana on the head with the book in his hand.In an instant, Ariana snapped out of her thoughts about her past life."Why did you hit me?" Ariana rubbed her forehead.William replied, "That's because I have something to talk to you about."He pushed a document in his hand toward Ariana and said, "Take a look for yourself."Ariana checked the document and saw that it was an approval letter for land development in the South Gleaston suburbs.Seeing this, Ariana immediately exclaimed, "Yes!"William frowned at her reaction and asked, "It's just an approval letter. Why are you so excited?""You don't understand. I'm about to make a fortune."Seeing Ariana's confident expression, William scoffed. "You think you're getting rich from an approval letter? At most, you'll get some government subsidies. That's not much money. Besides, the South Gleaston suburbs are just barren land. You won't make much profit even with this approval.
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Ariana refrained from calling William insane. She turned to leave William's office without saying anything more.Time flew by quickly at Glea College, and before they knew it, night had fallen. Ariana and Selena walked out of the academic building.They didn't have any classes in the afternoon, but Ariana hung around because she wanted to spend more time in the school library.Selena had never seen Ariana study so diligently before. Ever since Ariana jumped into the pool at that engagement party, she seemed to have come to her senses.Not only did she stop chasing after Brian, but she also suddenly seemed to develop a real passion for studying.Selena said, "Ari, you don't really need to study so hard. You're set for life with your family wealth.""That's not the point," Ariana replied. "Money comes and goes. What's yours today might not be tomorrow. But knowledge stays with you forever. No one can take it away."As she spoke, Ariana glanced at her watch. "It's about time.""Wh
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This almost felt like a standard operating procedure.After a few rounds of drinks, Isaac patted Brian on the shoulder and said, "I'm heading to the restroom. Be right back!"Isaac, slightly tipsy, wandered off, while Brian said nothing.Nearby, a clueless woman leaned in close. "Mr. Lodge…"The seductive look on her face instantly froze under Brian's sharp glance. She dared not come any closer."Sir… I can't drink…"Not far away, a woman's distressed voice caught Brian's attention.He turned to see one of the businessmen, Liam Dalton, wrapping his arm tightly around a woman and forcing her to drink. The liquor spilled down the woman's smooth neck, soaking through the thin fabric of her clothing. Her chest was nearly exposed.It wasn't until then Brian recognized that woman. It was Fiona.Seeing Fiona flustered and helpless, Brian stepped forward and grabbed Liam's hand.Liam, mistakenly thinking that Brian was interested in Fiona, immediately tried to please him by releasing
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Brian's gaze turned icy when he saw Ariana's hand resting on the male escort's shoulder. His eyes sent chills down her spine.The male escort, intimidated by Brian's cold glare, leaned closer to Ariana and asked nervously, "Babe, who is that?""Don't you know who he is?" Ariana raised an eyebrow and replied casually, "He's Brian Lodge, the CEO of Lodge Group and my fiancé."The male escort froze upon realizing the man in front of him was Brian Lodge.The other male escorts in the private room immediately sensed trouble—they had been trying to entertain Brian Lodge's fiancée!Ariana, unfazed, said nonchalantly to the escorts, "Be good. Leave now while you still can."The male escorts stood rooted in place, too stunned to process her words.The next second, Brian barked at them with great restraint, "Get out!"Hearing that, the male escorts scrambled for the door and fled in a panic.Selena, worried that Brian might actually lose his temper, wanted to say something in defense of
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Ariana's fingers came in contact with Brian's muscles which were almost burning to the touch.She immediately tried to pull her hand back, but Brian didn't give her the chance. Instead, he tightened his grip even more."Answer me."Brian propped one hand on the couch, his entire body mere inches from Ariana."Whose abs are better to the touch? Theirs, or mine?"Ariana's hand was soft and delicate in his grasp as if it might snap if he applied a little more force.Perhaps it was the alcohol, but a sudden urge surged through Brian—an urge to pin Ariana beneath him and make her beg for mercy. He wanted to see the feisty, sharp-tongued woman—who had repeatedly provoked him—lying under him, eyes red, crying, and pleading.The thought sent a rush of heat through Brian's body.Feeling the heat radiating from his body, Ariana immediately yanked her hand back. Her face darkened as she raised her hand and slapped Brian hard."You pervert!"The slap wasn't particularly forceful, but i
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Selena looked at Ariana seriously and said, "Ari, both William and Victor and better than Brian."Ariana's lips twitched.The news didn't make sense in the first place.Putting aside William, Victor had been loyal to Evelyn in her past life. There were once rumors that he came to Gleaston just for Evelyn.And what did that have to do with Ariana?Besides, Evelyn had once charmed both William and her childhood sweetheart Brennan with her good looks. Brennan and Victor had sacrificed the most for Evelyn in her past life.Ariana did not play any role in that complicated relationship. She was nothing but a pawn. If this were a novel, she couldn't even be considered the second female lead.Right when Selena was selecting the best candidate for Ariana's fiancé. Ariana suddenly received a message from Victor. It had been a while since he reached out.She checked out the chat. Victor had sent her a document that put a smile on her face.Meanwhile, Selena yelled, "Ari! Ari! Did you hea
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"Oops, sorry! I got so caught up in a book I was reading! That's why I was a few minutes late."Under everyone's astonished gazes, Ariana hopped into Victor's car without hesitation.Evelyn, who had just gotten out from Block A, frowned at the whispering crowd that had formed around that luxury car."Did you know? Ariana Torrey—Brian Lodge's fiancée—has gotten into Victor Smith's car!""They must have a special relationship for a guy like Victor to wait for her at the entrance!"The onlookers gossiped.The car hadn't taken off. Evelyn could vaguely see Ariana and Victor chatting and laughing in the car, to her anger. She clenched her fist.As expected, Ariana's promise of introducing her to Victor was just a plan to turn her into a joke!At this thought, Evelyn immediately texted Brennan and urged him to make a move soon. She wanted Brian to see Ariana's true colors!At the same time, Victor's gaze landed on the books in Ariana's arms as they sat in his car. He suddenly chortl
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In truth, Ariana had given Gwen the 90 million dollars, which meant that Gwen would need to pay back the capital, another 90 million dollars, and the high interest.Ariana was definitely winning.But she did so not because she needed the money. She wanted a reason to put Gwen behind bars, as she didn't want to see Gwen around her."Anyway, thank you, Mr. Smith…" Ariana reached out to grab the contract, but he easily raised his arm, and the contract was immediately out of her reach due to their height difference."I'm not helping you for free. Where's the stuff I want?"She pulled out a contract and handed it to him. "Here's one of the land parcels owned by the Torreys in the city, but unlike Evelyn, I'm not rich. I can't give it to you for free.""I thought we agreed on one billion dollars? Not one cent less."Her smile froze when he made that remark. She always thought he was bluffing.In the past life, he had bought a parcel of land from the Grangers with one billion dollars.
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 210
"Um, Ms. Torrey and her peers got into a minor conflict. She went to the hospital to treat a hand injury…" Christopher muddled through.He continued prodding, "Mr. Lodge, Ms. Torrey can't always be taking time off school. The college is a place for studying. Do you think…"All Christopher wanted was to get onto Brian's good side. After all, Ariana must have offended Brian for him to call off the engagement.Anyone in their social circle was keenly aware of the situation. As the college dean, Christopher felt the need to express her stance.With one word from Brian, he could immediately expel Ariana from Glea College."Don't you even care when one of your students was hurt on campus?" Brian's voice was as cold as winter.The remark caught Christopher off guard. He could not wrap his head around Brian's anger. Ariana was the one who offended Brian. Wasn't it normal for everyone to be throwing stones at her?Still, Christopher obliged and said, "That's true. Mr. Lodge, you're right
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"That works. See you, Mr. Kingsman!" Ariana gave him a grateful nod before leaving campus.Meanwhile, Belinda was throwing a fit at the Lodge residence."Ridiculous! Who gave you the permission to carry it out?" Belinda slammed her fist on the table. Never had she expected Brian to host a press conference to call off his engagement to Ariana when she wasn't paying attention.Brian sat on the couch without a word. Emily chimed in, "Mrs. Lodge Senior, what happened was—""Shut up!" Belinda snapped at Emily. "I made you work for Brian so you could keep an eye on him! But look at you! You're letting him do as he wishes. How could he not discuss such a serious decision with me? "Brian, do you still see me as your grandmother?""Grandma, I've never liked Ariana. She was the one who suggested calling off our engagement. All I did was to grant her wish," Brian revealed in an icy tone.Belinda nearly choked from the anger. Emily hurriedly held her. "Mrs. Lodge Senior, calm down…"It
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William did not even once look at Evelyn. The words got caught in her throat. She realized that William was not going to be nice to her.If she continued explaining, she would only humiliate herself.William reached out and took Ariana's waist. A frown crept onto his brows when he saw the awful bruises on her skin. "This is serious. You need to go to the hospital."Maddie didn't want to be implicated, and she shot Evelyn a look, asking for help. "I-I didn't step hard on her hand at all!"Evelyn chimed in, "Maddie accidentally stepped on Ms. Torrey's hand. We will pay for her medical fees.""This is not a problem of medical fees," William sneered. "I will obtain the security footage of the library. If you have intentionally hurt Ariana, I shall make a police report. The college will penalize Maddie according to the police's assessment.""Mr. Kingsman, I didn't do it on purpose! I—" The color drained from Maddie's face when she realized the gravity of the situation.Her family had
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"Look who I've bumped into—Ariana Torrey, who's just been dumped by Brian Lodge!" Lila deliberately raised her voice, attracting everyone's attention in the otherwise silent library.Ariana did not want any drama. She bent over, ready to pick up her books, but Maddie stepped hard on her hands with her high heels. As if that weren't enough, Maddie smugly ground her heel down with a cruel twist of her ankle.A searing pain shot through Ariana's body. She struggled to get up—not that Maddie would let her.Lila smirked. "You've flaunted your status as the future Mrs. Lodge on campus. Now that the engagement has been called off, why aren't you showing off as Ariana Torrey instead?""She is a nobody now. Everyone knows the Torreys are on the brink of bankruptcy. Their family business is on the verge of failing. She's reached her end after Brian Lodge called off all their business partnerships and their engagement. I bet she can't even pay her tuition fees." Maddie put on a mocking smirk.
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"If that's what you think, suit yourself." She said nonchalantly, "You've always seen me as a gold digger. Mr. Lodge, you described me as a vain and greedy social climber. Of course, I'll go to a richer man. Mr. Smith is a much more compatible candidate than you."At least Mr. Smith loves me and doesn't flirt with other women. And he doesn't have any children out of wedlock."Brian had never clarified the rumor that spread in Gleaston about Evelyn going through an abortion for him. Everyone in their social circle merely assumed that Evelyn was pregnant with Brian's child.In Ariana's past life, she was mocked as the baby-making machine of the Lodge family. She was nothing but a joke compared to Brian's beloved Evelyn."Who told you I had a child with Evelyn? Ariana, you—"Emily immediately went up to stop Brian. "Mr. Lodge, Ms. Torrey is only saying that out of anger. Please stay calm.""I don't care whether or not you and Evelyn shared a child. You love her; that's the truth. If
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"Go on.""I have no clue about any illegal activities you're involved in.""And?""Shouldn't you offer me a safe exit, now that you've dragged me into this mess?""Are you saying I have to vindicate you after I'm sent to prison?""I'm not guilty in the first place!""So, what are you talking about?""You—"Ariana was baffled. Victor was playing dumb and betting on her to not overtly mention the money laundering.The moment she let slip, she would become an accomplice of his, and she wouldn't be able to defend herself if she got arrested.Amused at her flushed face, Victor quipped, "Just now, you claimed you were unafraid of me. What's with the sudden fear? "The higher the risks you take, the higher the returns. Fear will only make you a pawn in the game, and people take advantage of that. It's been a dog-eat-dog world since the beginning of time."Ms. Torrey, you need to grow stronger than Brian Lodge if you wish to call off the engagement. Else, you'll get married and be
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"Ms. Torrey, please enjoy." Victor gestured at the dishes before them.Staring at the T-bone steak with blood seeping out of the meat, Ariana lost her appetite."Mr. Smith, I'm not hungry." Technically, she would never eat dinner. Apart from the few times she had to attend social events, she usually did not take dinner.Victor sat from across her and placed his slender fingers on the table. He gently swirled the contents in the wine glass, saying, "Do you know what happened to the last guy who tried to read my mind?"She remained silent.He went on, "I hate it when people try to read me. I despise those who think they're smart. You should feel thankful that I decided to work with you instead of getting rid of you.""Well, I'm beyond grateful to you." Ariana couldn't even force a smile. She had tried to get Victor to work with Evelyn, but he pulled her into this mess instead.She wondered what Victor saw in her. Although Evelyn was the only daughter of the Granger family, Evelyn
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Brian had not gone home after leaving the nightclub, as he struggled to face Ariana. He must have had too much to drink, or he wouldn't have allowed Ariana to touch his abs! How dumb was that?"Mr. Lodge, are you going back?"Emily pushed the office door open at the wrong time, which earned her a glare from Brian.She quickly changed her tune. "Got it. I'll book the hotel room for another night.""Wait a minute!" He stopped Emily.She went up to him. "Mr. Lodge, anything else?""How's Ariana doing today?""Oh, Ms. Torrey?" Emily gave it some thought and answered, "She left the house early in the morning. Nothing special.""Did she not ask about me?""Not at all, but she told the staff not to prepare dinner because she'll be home late."Brian's expression immediately fell. How could she not come home for dinner? Had she forgotten her promise to him in no time?He reflexively took out his phone to check in with her, but scenes from the nightclub flashed across his mind. Inst
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 202
In truth, Ariana had given Gwen the 90 million dollars, which meant that Gwen would need to pay back the capital, another 90 million dollars, and the high interest.Ariana was definitely winning.But she did so not because she needed the money. She wanted a reason to put Gwen behind bars, as she didn't want to see Gwen around her."Anyway, thank you, Mr. Smith…" Ariana reached out to grab the contract, but he easily raised his arm, and the contract was immediately out of her reach due to their height difference."I'm not helping you for free. Where's the stuff I want?"She pulled out a contract and handed it to him. "Here's one of the land parcels owned by the Torreys in the city, but unlike Evelyn, I'm not rich. I can't give it to you for free.""I thought we agreed on one billion dollars? Not one cent less."Her smile froze when he made that remark. She always thought he was bluffing.In the past life, he had bought a parcel of land from the Grangers with one billion dollars.
