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Chapter 226
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 227
Inside the takeout container sat a bowl of creamy chicken noodle soup, paired with a side of buttered toast and a small serving of coleslaw. The meal looked plain and entirely unappetizing.Ariana glanced at it and said, "I don't want to eat this." "What do you want, then?" Feigning a thoughtful tone, Ariana said, "I remember there's a 24-hour bun shop 100 meters to the left of the hospital. I really like their buns. Could you go grab some for me, Mr. Lodge?" Brian clenched his jaw, visibly reining in his temper. "Wait here," he replied curtly before leaving the room.As soon as he was gone, Ariana picked up the chicken noodle soup and began eating it spoonful by spoonful.Mmm, not bad at all.Outside the hospital, Brian walked down the quiet streets. It was late at night, and most of the lights in the surrounding buildings were off, leaving only the streetlights illuminating his path.Following Ariana's directions, he turned left at the hospital and walked 100 meters, but n
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If Brian and Ariana had actually gotten married, would they end up like this couple decades from now?The shop owner handed him the neatly packed buns and smiled. "I hope your girlfriend has a speedy recovery!" Brian returned a faint smile before scanning a QR code to pay. When the owners checked the amount, they froze. He had paid ten thousand dollars! By the time they rushed outside, Brian was already getting into a taxi.In the hospital room, Ariana had finished the chicken noodle soup. When Brian walked in and turned on the light, he noticed the empty bowl on the table. Without a word, he placed the bag of buns on the bedside tray. Seeing the amount of buns, Ariana raised her brows. "Why so many?" "I didn't know which flavor you liked, so I got two of each," he said nonchalantly, as he began tidying up the remnants of her meal. "You took so long. I'm already full." Ariana said."Oh," Brian replied flatly.Ariana frowned. "You're not angry?""I know you were messing wit
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The next morning, Brian had arranged for the housekeeper and driver to escort Ariana back to the Lodge residence while he headed to the office for a meeting. Despite sitting through the meeting, his mind was elsewhere, replaying the scene of Ariana lying in bed the night before, deliberately cursing him in her sleep. The realization that she had been faking it amused him, and unconsciously, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The room fell silent as everyone in the meeting stared at him in shock. What was wrong with Brian?"Ahem!" Emily coughed twice, subtly reminding Brian to maintain his composure. Noticing the eyes on him, Brian quickly composed himself. He straightened and said coldly, "Alright. Proceed with negotiations with this proposal." "Mr. Lodge, there's one more thing." A department manager spoke up. "We've started excavation on the land at South Gleaston. Just yesterday, we received news that a natural spring was discovered there. "This conflicts wit
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Seeing that Brian had uncovered the news, Ariana feigned an innocent expression and said, "Mr. Lodge, I don't understand what you're implying. How could I possibly predict the government's plans? There's no way I could have known about this in advance." "You didn't know? Then what's this?" Brian tossed another newspaper onto the table in front of her and said "Natural spring discovered in South Gleaston! You didn't know about this either?""Really?" Ariana replied, acting surprised. "No way! I just randomly bought a piece of land. Am I going to be rich now?" "Ariana Torrey!" Brian's expression darkened even further. Ariana, however, remained completely nonchalant, lounging in bed without moving an inch.Finally, his patience wore thin and he said in a low voice, "Lodge Co. will take this land. I'll have the contract sent to you—just sign it." "Sorry, but I never said I'd agree." Seeing her unwillingness to cooperate, Brian's tone grew colder. "You can't possibly be unawar
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When Ariana said William had taken that plot of land, Brian abruptly stood up. "What did you just say?""Mr. Lodge, I'm just a woman. What do I know about investing? Besides, I didn't buy it. Mr. Kingsman did. You already know I had no real power in the Torrey family back then. Where would I have gotten five billion? If you really want that land, you should talk to Mr. Kingsman. Maybe he'll be willing to sell it to you."Ariana put on an innocent look, but Brian heard no trace of goodwill in her words."Ariana, are you kidding me? You were the one who wanted that land. Now you're just handing it over?""Mr. Lodge, that's not entirely accurate. Mr. Kingsman was the one who paid for it at the time. Now he's taking it back. What can I say? I have to let him have it."She let out a sigh and continued, "To tell you the truth, I do regret it. Had I known this land would turn out so valuable, I would've bought it myself. Now look, I'm left with nothing.""You..."Brian didn't know what
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"Such a serious incident calls for expulsion!""I'm in favor of expulsion too."...The teachers raised their hands one after the other.Meanwhile, Maddie was waiting anxiously for news. She was sweating all over from nervousness.In the classroom, Maddie clung to Evelyn's arm and asked, "Evelyn, do you think they'll actually expel me? Will they really kick me out?"Lila tried to calm her. "Maddie, don't freak out. You just accidentally stepped on her hand. They can't expel you for that. Besides, Evelyn must have already talked to Mr. Lodge for you. I'm sure they'll just let it drop."As she finished speaking, Lila glanced at Evelyn, who had remained silent. "Evelyn, isn't that right?"Evelyn forced an awkward smile. She had never asked Brian for help with Maddie.Yesterday, she was rushed to the hospital, only to be questioned by Brian. She hadn't even managed to settle her own problems, let alone fix someone else's.Still, stepping on Ariana's hand didn't sound like a big d
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All the students assumed William had come about Evelyn's study abroad opportunity. Instead, William singled Maddie out. "Maddie Hicks."Maddie's entire body went stiff. "Yes..."She stood nervously, not knowing what William was here for.Just then, one of his bodyguards handed William a freshly printed notice. Without even looking at it, he tossed it to Maddie. "You're expelled."The paper fell straight to the floor in front of Maddie.She blurted out, "That's impossible!"She hurriedly picked it up and tore open the envelope. Inside was indeed an official notice of expulsion.Seeing this, she froze, unable to believe her eyes.Expelled...Why?Maddie turned desperately to Evelyn.Evelyn's face had also gone pale.Everyone knew Maddie was Evelyn's close friend. For William to walk in and toss an expulsion notice at her in front of the entire class was like giving Evelyn a public slap in the face."Mr. Kingsman, there must be some misunderstanding. This has to be a mistake!
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Noticing William's gaze, the group immediately fell silent.William turned to leave, but Evelyn sprang up. "Mr. Kingsman, I have something I'd like to discuss with you in private."She intended to stand up for her friend in front of everyone. However, before she could finish, William said indifferently, "By the way, Ms. Granger, you can forget about studying abroad. That spot has gone to someone else. But I think, with your family connections and finances, going abroad on your own shouldn't be a problem."Evelyn's face turned stark white.Lila was equally stunned. "That's impossible! Evelyn has the best grades in the entire class. How could she not get the study-abroad slot?""That's right. She has the top grades. They already said she'd be the one going, didn't they?"Her classmates looked at each other, confused. Everyone knew Evelyn had ties to Brian. Why would the slot go to someone else?"Mr. Kingsman, what do you mean by that?" Evelyn asked, pretending to stay calm.She h
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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
