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
"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
"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
Everyone in Gleaston knew how hopelessly in love Ariana Torrey was with Brian Lodge. She loved him to the extent of abandoning all of her pride and principles.On the day they were supposed to get married, Brian left Ariana behind and drove their bridal car to the airport to pick up Evelyn Granger, the person he truly loved, with just a word from the latter.The wedding Ariana had hoped for after waiting for at least three years turned into a nightmare that would scar her forever.Ariana was abducted by Brian's enemy on the day of their wedding. These men tormented Ariana for three whole days to humiliate Brian.In the end, Ariana was stripped naked and tied onto a pole on the deck. The abductors live streamed what they did to Ariana live since they thought this was the perfect way to get back at Brian.Ariana shuddered as the sea breeze swept through her.She had cried and begged the abductors to let her go. Her pride was constantly trampled over by these men.Meanwhile, Brian
After Ariana walked away, several people scoffed. "What's she throwing a tantrum for? She would still go into the pool obediently to pick up the rings if Mr. Lodge threatened to not proceed with the engagement.""Exactly. Everyone knows the person Mr. Lodge loves is Ms. Granger. Ariana Torrey? She's just a shameless lady who keeps throwing herself at Mr. Lodge when he doesn't even like her. If it weren't because Mrs. Lodge Senior liked her, would Mr. Lodge even spare her a glance?"…People were whispering and pointing at Ariana discreetly.Meanwhile, Ariana, who was soaked through, had headed back inside the banquet hall.Her stepmother, Gwen Lambert, hurried over and caught up with her. "Ariana Torrey, where have you been? How did you end up looking like this? It's your engagement party today! Hurry and go somewhere you can dry your dress."Also, we can't have you dressed so conservatively! Men like it more if a lady is a little sexy."Gwen yanked at the collar of Ariana's gow
Ariana had just finished saying that when Brian's secretary, Emily Weston, suddenly came running to him.Brian had always maintained his composure no matter what kind of issue he ran into. He did not react much even when Ariana asked to break off the engagement just now.Yet, Brian's eyes bulged, and he had an anxious look on his face at the moment. Ariana could tell that the news of Evelyn committing self-harm had just reached him.When she saw that he was about to leave, Ariana moved to block Brian's path."Mr. Lodge, we're not done talking yet.""Get out of the way."There was a hint of anger in Brian's cold voice.He saw the woman before him as a mere tool to appease Belinda and other members of the Lodge family. Brian did not harbor any special feelings for her.He could marry Ariana. However, he would not let her off if something bad were to happen to Evelyn today.Ariana had no intention of stepping aside. She asked, "You seem to be in a hurry, Mr. Lodge. Are you leavin
In the room next door, Selena had finished three bottles of liquor and was singing a song at the top of her voice.Ariana noticed something strange with the news online as she scrolled through them. She tugged at Selena's sleeve. "When have I ever said that Brian Lodge has sexual dysfunction?""Ha! I wrote that! Since it's a news article, it needs to be shocking to catch the readers' attention."Ariana's expression hardened. "Have you thought about the consequences, though?"Selena's cheeks were flushed. She held the microphone and shouted, "Consequences? What consequences would there be? It's not like Brian Lodge is going to hold a knife to my neck and force me to take down all the news on the Internet?"Bang!Suddenly, someone kicked the door open. The song that was playing in the room came to an abrupt stop.Ariana's heart missed a beat when she saw a stony-faced Brian standing at the door. She knew he would come looking for her, but Ariana never expected him to show up so qu
The next morning, Brian came downstairs and saw that a maid was packing some things up. He frowned. "What are you doing?""Mr. Lodge, these are Ms. Torrey's belongings. She called yesterday and said that she would not be visiting anymore. So, she asked us to pack her things and have them delivered to her."An image of Ariana came to his mind as Brian looked at the suitcase in front of him. Usually, Ariana would have finished preparing breakfast at this hour and would be waiting for him to come downstairs expectantly.She would pull the chair out for him and try to bring up some random topics to initiate the conversation. Curiously, Brian felt as though something was missing when he did not see Ariana here today.When he realized he was thinking of her, Brian said frigidly, "Hurry and pack them all up, then. Don't leave them lying around in the house.""...Understood, Mr. Lodge."Brian sat at the dining table and found that there was nothing on the table. He asked in a displeased
"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
"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
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
"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.
"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
"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
"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
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
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.