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Chapter 217
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 218
"Well, well, so this is the daughter of the Torrey family? You're quite the beauty," the middle-aged woman jeered.Her hands wandered over Ariana's body. The sickening touch churned Ariana's stomach. She shoved the woman's hand away with disgust and snapped, "Stay away from me!"Before she could finish her sentence, a loud slap echoed through the cell. The woman had struck Ariana across the face, making her ears ring painfully."Do you still think you're some high-and-mighty rich lady? Wake up! You've offended the wrong people. They've got plenty of ways to make sure you rot in here for the rest of your life!" the middle-aged woman snorted.Another inmate sauntered over, her voice laced with malice. "Better confess now and save yourself the trouble."Ariana, however, suddenly burst out laughing.The other inmates froze. They had never seen someone get hit and laugh about it."You're all without a future," Ariana smirked. "You should be the ones worried about crossing me."She t
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At Lodge Co., it was already 9:00 pm, but no one in the meeting room dared to leave.Brian's expression remained grim when he returned to the meeting. He seemed distracted and lost in thought. And everyone could tell that his mind wasn't on the discussion.After a long while, even Emily had enough. She whispered, "Mr. Lodge, it's 9:00 pm."Brian snapped back to reality and glanced at his watch."Let's end the meeting," he said coldly.Noticing his absent-mindedness, Emily hesitated. "Mr. Lodge, about the proposal just now…""We'll revisit it later," he said before leaving the room.The people in the meeting room exchanged nervous glances. Revisit it later? Then was their meeting earlier for naught?Brian's demeanor was unnerving. He had never seemed this intimidating before.Inside the lift, Brian asked nonchalantly, "How's Ariana's interrogation going?""There's no news yet. I can call to follow up," Emily offered."No need. I'll check myself." Brian dismissed her."What?"
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The leader was about to hit Ariana when a shout came from nearby. "Stop!"The leader froze. She turned and saw Brian, dressed impeccably in a suit, walking toward them with a stormy expression.Mick hurriedly opened the cell door, allowing Brian to enter.It was a chilling sight. The floor was smeared with blood, and strands of hair were scattered everywhere. Ariana lay in the corner, half-conscious. Her clothes were partially torn, her entire body battered, and her right hand had turned a shade of black and blue. The blood on her arm was especially horrifying.Brian's gaze sharply, and he paled at the scene.Mick was equally stunned, his face turning red with anger at the female inmates. "Who told you to go this far?""Wasn't it you who said… It was fine as long as she didn't die?" the leader stammered.Brian's expression darkened. "Wow, impressive work. I can't believe you would use your power for this.""No! It's a misunderstanding!" Mick stammered.But Brian wasn't interes
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Brian, what do you mean? Are you doubting Evelyn?"Brennen frowned. "We've known each other since we were kids. You know Evelyn's character—she wouldn't lie."Brian shot Brennen a cold glance and said, "I'll ask you again, Evelyn."Brennen seemed ready to argue further, but Evelyn gently pulled on his arm. Looking at Brian, she said softly, "Brian, I really don't know who broke into my house. But… The only person I can think of is Ms. Torrey. After all, Maddie and Lila upset her earlier today, and William stood up for her. Or maybe, it was William? Who knows?"Evelyn deliberately brought up William. Everyone in Gleaston knew about the long-standing rivalry between William and Brian. The two were sworn enemies.She expected Brian to react with the same displeasure he had shown in the past whenever William's involvement with Ariana was mentioned. But instead, his expression turned colder. "So, you're saying you didn't actually see who trashed your house?"Evelyn froze. His calm, pr
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In Gleaston, Evelyn had always enjoyed a level of protection due to her status as "Brian Lodge's most beloved woman". No one would dare to bully her.But lately, Evelyn's actions had become increasingly puzzling to Brian.A staged suicide attempt, her scheming against Ariana at Glea College, summoning Brennan back to Gleaston, and even her secret attempts to approach Victor. Brian was aware of it all.One by one, these actions didn't align with the Evelyn he once knew—the Evelyn who would never resort to such underhanded tactics. "Mr. Lodge, perhaps you shouldn't dwell on the past. Ms. Granger was very worried when she heard you were at the hospital," Emily interjected cautiously. "She was worried. She was worried about how much I cared about Ariana," Brian replied coldly.The lights above the operating room door remained red, and Brian sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, waiting silently. When he was cradling Ariana and rushed her out of the police station earlier, he rea
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At the hospital, Brian waited for what felt like an eternity before the light above the operating room finally turned green.The lead surgeon and several nurses emerged, wheeling Ariana on a gurney. Seeing her lying there, Brian immediately moved toward her. But a quick-handed nurse stepped in front of him and said, "I'm sorry, sir. The patient needs rest, and she specifically said she doesn't want to see you."Those words hit Brian like a hammer. His heart sank.Just then, Emily received a call from the police station and approached Brian. "Mr. Lodge, our people just arrived at the police station, but the female prisoners are already dead.""How did they die?""It was Victor."Brian let out a cold laugh. Of course. Victor Smith. Ariana must have been closer to him than he thought. Victor rarely acted personally unless it was for someone truly important to him."Forget it. I'll deal with her later. Right now, her recovery is the priority.""But, Mr. Lodge, It's already late.
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Richie had immediately dressed and rushed to the City Hospital as soon as he heard Brian was there. The Lodge family was the hospital's largest investor and provided the hospital with the medical infrastructure. He couldn't afford to offend them.The nurse turned pale with fear after realizing the man before her was Brian."If you have anything to say, take it outside. Don't disturb her rest," Brian said coldly."Of course, Mr. Lodge. Right this way," Richie said, stepping aside deferentially.Brian walked out of the room and the nurse quickly clamped her mouth shut, saying nothing more.Once outside the room, Richie began speaking in a fawning tone. "Mr. Lodge, allow me to introduce Dr. Cooper, the lead physician. He's exceptionally talented. He's young and highly accomplished…" "Get to the point," Brian interrupted curtly. "I want to know the extent of her injuries." Richie immediately turned to Dr. Cooper, who adjusted his glasses before speaking."Ms. Torrey's injuries ar
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By this time, Emily had sent all the material for the next day's meeting to Brian's phone. Brian had no choice but to return to his seat and begin reviewing the documents on his phone.Suddenly, Ariana began to cry out as if trapped in a nightmare. "Don't hit me! Stop! Stop hitting me!" Brian immediately got up and walked to her bedside. He wasn't good at comforting people, but he instinctively took her hand in his. His voice softened as he said, "I'm here. I'm right here. No one will dare hurt you." Hearing his words, Ariana seemed to calm down. Watching her, a flicker of heartache flashed through him. After all, she was just a young woman. What has happened today must have terrified her.As he leaned closer, intending to brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead, Ariana suddenly raised both arms in her sleep. Brian froze, startled.Then she mumbled clearly, "Damn it! Who do you think you are? I'll kill you, you bastard!" "Brian Lodge, you son of a b*tch!" "Brian Lodge
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 345
"What? This..." The principal looked troubled. This had never happened before!Brian's voice dropped. "Is there a problem?""No… Of course not." How could the principal dare to say otherwise? He wouldn't risk offending the college's financial backer.Since Brian had spoken, the principal had no choice but to quietly instruct the invigilator to escort Ariana to a separate exam room.Ariana frowned. What nonsense was this?When they reached the adjacent exam room, the invigilator gestured for Ariana to sit.Standing outside the classroom window was none other than Brian."Ariana, read the questions and tell me the answers. I'll write them down for you." The invigilator was unexpectedly kind, probably because she had never seen a student receive such special treatment and get an entire exam room just for her."Miss, I can take the exam in the original classroom," Ariana replied."This is the principal's decision. Your hand is injured and it would affect your ability to graduate,"
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Upon hearing that a guest would be inspecting the exam, the students around the room tensed up.Since when were guests allowed to observe exams?A few students who had been preparing to cheat quickly stashed away their notes since they would face immediate expulsion if they were caught cheating at Glea College."Why wasn't there any prior notice about this? Who is coming today?""Who knows? The school has been in chaos recently."A group of girls in the back row whispered among themselves, but a sharp glare from the invigilator silenced them.Ariana paid no mind to them and was focused entirely on her exam.Suddenly, gasps and murmurs from the female students rippled through the room.Ariana was startled by the commotion and instinctively looked up, only to see Brian standing at the door.His gaze swept across the classroom as if searching for someone.The principal assured him, "Our examination process is fair and impartial. There is no room for cheating here."Brian's eyes
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Brian's face fell.Emily stepped forward and hesitantly asked, "Mr. Lodge… Ms. Torrey… left.""I'm not blind. I can see." Brian found the warning tape in front of him annoying at that moment. His tone sharpened. "Take all of this down. It's an eyesore."Emily pouted to herself. Didn't Brian order them to put these up? Why was he now acting like it irritated him?"Oh, right. Have you investigated where Ariana has been staying recently?" Brian asked."Mr. Lodge, didn't you say you wouldn't concern yourself with anything related to Ms. Torrey? So, I…" Emily trailed off. Brian glared at her. "Just because I didn't ask doesn't mean you don't need to know. No matter what, Ariana was once my fiancée, and her matters are tied to Lodge Co.'s reputation! From now on, you should report everything about her to me!""…Yes, Mr. Lodge." Emily had no choice but to comply.With final exams approaching, Julia was quickly expelled from the university and wasn't allowed to take her graduation exa
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At Glea College, Ariana walked to the restroom and looked at the slap mark on her face. She clicked her tongue and muttered, "Did she hit me this hard? Serves her right to be expelled."Julia's expulsion was a done deal.If taking a slap meant getting Julia expelled, then it was worth it in Ariana's eyes.After checking the injury on her face, Ariana turned and exited the women's restroom, only to bump into Brian.Her eyes widened. How could she run into Brian right outside the women's restroom?Ariana wanted to pretend she hadn't seen him, but Brian wasn't going to let her escape."Why didn't you tell me when you were being bullied?" His words made Ariana stop in her tracks.Outside, a bright yellow warning tape was stretched across the hallway, along with a "Do Not Disturb" sign.Ariana turned back and laughed. "Wow, what a coincidence, Mr. Lodge. I didn't even see you just now.""It's not a coincidence. I was waiting for you." Brian had instructed Emily to clear the entire
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"Alright, I agree." Brian suddenly agreed to Evelyn's request.The latter froze.Brian continued, "I won't force you to drop out. You can stay and finish your exams. However, Julia can no longer stay at the school. And you will have no opportunity to study abroad in the future. You can stay in Gleaston if you don't regret it. I won't interfere with your life anymore.""Brian…" Evelyn murmured.Brian had never looked at her this way. For a moment, Evelyn realized she was drifting further away from him."Emily, lead Ms. Granger out," Brian called Evelyn by her last name, which showed how distant they had grown."Yes, Mr. Lodge." Emily stepped forward and took the knife from Evelyn's hand.Evelyn never intended to end her life and was merely using the same old trick of feigning suicide to make Brian yield to her every whim."This way please, Ms. Granger," Emily said coldly.Men despised manipulative tactics because they brought them unnecessary trouble and were a waste of time.
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Halfway through Evelyn's speech, a familiar conversation started to play from Brian's computer."Ah! Eve, what are you doing?" Julia screamed in the recording.Evelyn's voice came through the speaker. "That injury of yours looks serious, but let's face it—it's just a minor scrape. We have no choice but to make it look worse so we can convince the dean to make Ariana drop out of school."Julia, I know I'm asking too much of you, but I'm sure you'll understand because we're friends. Am I right?"Evelyn's expression fell when she heard the sounds from the footage. Then, she heard the footage of her conversation with Christopher last evening."Evelyn—our dear president of the student council—I've made the library look into the security footage regarding the trouble Ariana started today, and we confirmed that she had struck first."I've ordered Mr. Stewart to get Ariana to drop out of school. You have nothing to worry about now.""Right. Thank you for upholding justice, Mr. Gail."
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Brian felt irritated at Emily's question."If the problem has gone away, what's the point of clearing her name?"Brian carelessly tossed the document on the table. At the same time, Evelyn entered his office.She put on a faint smile when she noticed his foul mood. She began, "Are you not satisfied with Emily's work again? What's bothering you?"She had hurried over to his office from campus after she got the word that he wished to meet.Yet, she felt uneasy when she saw he was in a bad mood.Soon, he went straight to the point. "What's going on with all the rumors about Ariana on campus? Were you behind it?"He sounded accusatory. In the past, he had never spoken to her in that tone."Brian, are you confronting me over Ariana?" Sounding disappointed, she added, "You've never talked to me in this way."A frown crept onto his forehead. She continued, "We grew up together. Do you not trust me? I'm not the type to pull such an underhanded tactic. Even Brennan trusts me, so wh
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Christopher promised Ariana in all seriousness. She nodded. "I believe you didn't do all of that on purpose. As for my college withdrawal…""What is that all about?" Christopher immediately played dumb. "Nothing like that has ever happened. I'll call Mr. Stewart right away to clear things up."It doesn't matter what your grades are—you can always study and improve yourself. I won't allow our college to expel a student due to baseless rumors! We'd never do that!"She smirked as she listened to Christopher's righteous statements. Derek did not have the authority to expel anyone, as he was just the head of faculty. He wouldn't want any of his students to drop out, except under the orders of the dean.Anyway, Ariana did not call Christopher out. She played along. "All that matters is I get my name cleared. Thanks, Mr. Gail.""Don't mention it! Ms. Torrey, you'll have to buckle up for the exam, though. The questions will be harder this year."Although Christopher coveted a perfect
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Yet, Julia didn't stop kicking up a fuss. Seeing that, Tim slapped his daughter to silence her.How could she throw a tantrum during this important occasion?Tim himself was just an insignificant board member at Glea College, who had to walk on eggshells around the other board members. One could say that Julia had gained admission solely because Tim paid her way in.How could he face the other board members after they heard the outrageous claims and threats made by Julia?"Dad!""Get lost! Right now!" Tim raged. "Scoot back home if you don't want to study! You can't abuse your power in school! Have you forgotten how I raised you?"At the same time, Tim kept hinting at Julia to stop making a scene, but Julia was too furious to think straight. She believed it was Ariana who had set up a trap for her."Dad, it's all Ariana's fault! She set me up!" Julia rambled on, but none of the men present believed in her accusations.Tim was choking on his anger. "Ariana is giving us a tour
