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Chapter 24
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 25
Among the crowd, Brian scoffed.Was Ariana trying to grab his attention with this? How laughable."200 million dollars," he said firmly.Did she really think he wouldn't be able to deal with her?"250 million dollars.""300 million!"As the bidding escalated into absurd territory, Evelyn frowned. "Brian, this land isn't worth that much."Brian frowned as well.Beside him, Emily said lowly, "Mr. Lodge, the price has exceeded our estimated value."Hearing this, Brian smiled coldly.Ariana did not have much money to begin with. She was clearly only bidding to be contrary.Fine, then. He would teach her a lesson tonight, even if it meant taking a loss.Coldly, he called out, "320 million dollars!"William watched in satisfaction as Brian took the bait.According to his estimation, Brian had already taken a loss of 50 million dollars at this point.He hadn't expected Ariana to be so cunning, goading Brian into taking the bait. He had underestimated her.Just as he was abou
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 26
"Stop right there, Ariana Torrey!"During the intermission, Ariana excused herself to go to the bathroom when she heard Brian's voice sound from behind her. "Mr. Lodge? Did you need something?" She turned back, her voice distant, as if they were but mere acquaintances."Aren't you something else, Ariana? You knew that my company had its eye on that piece of land in South Gleaston, and you went and doubled the price, even at a loss, to buy it. What's your game? Are you really opposing me, or are you just trying to get my attention?" Brian snapped."You've got the wrong idea, Mr. Lodge. I just really liked the location. It's got nothing to do with you," Ariana said sincerely. However, Brian did not believe a word of it.Just then, Evelyn rushed over to cut into their conversation. "Ms. Torrey, you were too impulsive. That piece of land will lose you a small fortune!"Then, glancing at Brian, she continued, "I know that Brian bringing me here tonight might have embarrassed you, but
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 27
"Looks like you know your ex very well, Ms. Torrey," William said dryly.That was an understatement.Ariana reflected on the final years of her past life. She had spent a humiliating three years kissing up to Brian at all costs, almost worshiping him.Every look he gave her convinced her that he was seeing her differently. Every word he said to her made her feel like he was finally warming up to her.She'd done everything for him—from securing sponsorships for his company to taking care of Belinda on his behalf. She'd cooked for him and kept his house for him.She knew all of his preferences, down to the amount of time he usually spent in the shower and the toilet. She had obsessed over the smallest details."Just wait and see, Mr. Kingsman," she said. "You'll be the ultimate victor tonight."She downed the champagne in front of her.The auction had already started by then. Eventually, the auctioneer got to the plot in Goldfront Bay. "Goldfront Bay land parcel, six acres on the
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 28
"Congratulations on securing Goldfront Bay," Evelyn said with a smile, completely oblivious to Brian's darkening expression. "Lodge Co. will definitely make a fortune with that land."Meanwhile, Ariana made no effort to conceal her pleased smirk as she clinked her champagne glass with William's.Brian's eye twitched at the sight."What should we do now, Mr. Lodge?" Emily hadn't expected William to back out of the bidding so easily. Just a few days ago, he had been determined to get that piece of land.Why did he give up so easily?"What else can we do?" Brian snapped.They could only accept the loss.Brian rose from his seat, his usual smile replaced with a stormy expression.Something was off.This definitely had something to do with Ariana!"Brian!" Evelyn wanted to leave with him. Panicked, she grabbed his arm, but Brian reflexively shook her hand off and said, "Go home, Evelyn."Surprised, Evelyn paused. By the time she snapped out of it, Brian had already left.He'd
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 29
"You've got it wrong. This money isn't from the Torrey family," Ariana said.William frowned. "No?""It's the money that my father left me before he died."In her last life, Gwen had coveted her inheritance, which was why she had schemed tirelessly to gain control of the Torrey family. The reason why she had pushed her to marry Brian was also because she wanted to get her hands on the 500 million dollars.Somehow, she found out that Belinda liked Ariana and wanted her to marry Brian, so she spoke with Belinda behind Ariana's back and convinced her to ask Ariana to use the money to resolve Torrey Co.'s financial crisis.In the end, no crisis had been resolved as Gwen had run off with the money.This time, Ariana would turn the tables. Not just her inheritance—Gwen would never get anything related to the Torrey family at all."Mr. Kingsman, please hold off on investing in Torrey Co. for a few days.""If I don't invest in your company, it's going to collapse," William said in surp
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 30
"You deliberately announced that you're breaking off our engagement at the engagement party. Then, you got the press to release that ridiculous article. Now, you're flirting openly with William Kingsman and provoking me at the auction. Didn't you do all this just to get my attention? Well, now you have it," Brian said, reaching out a hand to tilt Ariana's chin higher.Just as he leaned his face closer, Ariana laughed. "Do you think this is fair to Evelyn, Mr. Lodge?"Brian froze when he heard Evelyn's name.Seeing this, Ariana pulled herself from his grip and wound her arms around Brian's neck instead, giving him a seductive look. "You're right. I've done all this just to get your attention. But honestly, the sofa is too cramped. Why don't we move to my room?"Now that Ariana had revealed her true colors, Brian immediately shoved her aside with a look of disgust. "Stop using these cheap tricks on me, Ariana!" he said coldly."You enjoy my cheap tricks though." Ariana leaned agains
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 31
Ariana's expression was dark. She started, "This isn't—"Gwen cut her off. "Ariana would never fall for someone else when she's so in love with you, Mr. Lodge! There must be a misunderstanding here!""It does seem that way," Brian said sarcastically as he picked up the things that had fallen to the floor. There were merchandise items along with the photos."I'm sure you can tell how much Ariana likes you, Mr. Lodge. Mrs. Lodge Senior also adores her, so the engagement…""Calling off the engagement is a done deal, Ms. Lambert. Mr. Lodge and I will end things on a nice note, and he'll stop attacking our family because of our past relationship. Isn't that right, Mr. Lodge?" Ariana gave Brian an opportunity to resolve this mess without things getting ugly.Brian held onto a bolster and asked, "When did I ever say anything about calling off the engagement?""You—" Ariana started."Also, who told you it's a done deal?" He sneered. "Are you trying to use reverse psychology on me so I'l
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 32
The following day, Torrey Co. announced that it would be temporarily halting operations. This made the shareholders panic—halting operations generally meant that something was seriously wrong with the company's cash flow! It was highly likely there would be a breach of several contracts if the problem wasn't immediately dealt with.Everyone sat in the conference room and waited for Gwen to arrive and make a decision. She'd been managing the company, after all.Soon, John arrived. Gwen was behind him. When everyone saw her, they hurriedly asked, "What should we do now that operations have been halted, Mrs. Torrey? Everything will be over if we continue like this!"Gwen wasn't sure what to do when she saw how panicked everyone was. She'd come to the company to destroy the evidence of her embezzlement because she was afraid of Ariana checking the accounts. Who would've expected something like this to happen?It was all Ariana's fault! She'd pissed Brian off, resulting in problems with
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 404
The guests present all took in the scene before them. It was well known that Brian had always despised Ariana, but this time, he appeared visibly anxious about her in front of everyone.Ariana seemed unsurprised by the reactions of the guests around them. She withdrew her hand and said, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Lodge."Brian quickly realized that Ariana had just used him.Due to Lodge Co.'s stance toward Torrey Co., many had assumed that there was tension between the Lodges and Torreys. As a result, few corporate partners had been willing to initiate business dealings with the Torreys.Now that they have seen Brian and Ariana on better terms, many would likely approach the Torrey family."Ariana, did you just exploit me?" Brian had never realized just how cunning Ariana could be. He had always assumed she was clueless, but it was clear that he was the foolish one now."Didn't you say it yourself, Mr. Lodge? Mutual exploitation isn't a bad thing for either of us." Ariana shru
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 403
Ariana didn't refuse. After all, spending more time with Brian in public would be beneficial for the Torrey family."Mr. Lodge, I never expected that just one word from Mrs. Lodge Senior would be enough for you to put your pride aside and come see me," Ariana remarked.Her words dripped with mockery, and there were even some traces of disdain toward Brian. It was the same attitude that he'd used to have toward her.Alas, their roles were reversed."Ariana, do you really think it's a good thing that Grandma has taken an interest in you?" Brian asked.Belinda's intentions were clear to anyone with a sharp eye, and Brian knew that Ariana could tell as well.His eyes roamed over Ariana. Tonight, she was meticulously and elegantly styled in a long, gold-embellished gown. She was the very image of grandeur.When he looked at Ariana from the side, he frowned. Her appearance at the moment overlapped with the image of Susan in his mind.Suddenly, Brian halted in his tracks and firmly
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 402
Hushed whispers filled the surrounding area. Everyone wanted to know why Ariana had been invited to the Lodge family's gala.Inside the Royal Hotel, Emily knocked on the door of the second-floor break room. "Mr. Lodge, all the guests have arrived. We should head down now.""Got it," Brian replied and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The moment he closed his eyes, he could hear Ariana's words from the day before echoing in his mind.If it weren't for Belinda's insistence on hosting this gala, he wouldn't have wanted to see Ariana at all.…Meanwhile, downstairs in the banquet hall, all eyes were on Ariana the moment she appeared.It wasn't because of how extravagantly she was dressed, but rather the fact that she was now the sole heir of the Torrey family. Whoever married Ariana would stand to inherit everything she owned.If anything were to happen to Ariana, all of the Torrey family's assets would go to her husband, so every man in attendance had their eyes locked on her."Arian
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 401
Brian knew exactly what Belinda's words meant. In the past, his engagement with Ariana had been purely due to her suitable family background. But now, marrying her would mean gaining control over the entire Torrey family. At that moment, the things that Ariana said to him earlier today played back in his mind. His sense of pride flared once again. "Grandma, you don't need to concern yourself with this matter. We have already annulled our engagement, and there is no way I'll propose to her again." With that, he turned around and headed upstairs. Belinda was well aware of Brian's character. Her expression darkened. Since he was unwilling to let go of his pride, then she would make the necessary arrangements for him.The next day, the news of Gwen's imprisonment and Igor's expulsion from the Torrey family spread like wildfire within the high society. As the sole heir of the family, Ariana successfully assumed full control of the Torrey family. As the turmoil at school also began
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 400
"Ms. Piper, please follow me.""No! Mr. Lodge, I know you're a kind man. For old time's sake, please save Aunt Gwen!""I believe I already told you not to show up at my home again."Brian's eyes were cold. A single glance was enough to send a chill down Fiona's spine.Evelyn had already spoken to him a few days ago, informing him about the rumors circulating at school about him and Fiona. He was no stranger to the games women played, but he was simply too lazy to deal with it. After all, Fiona had nothing to do with him. Anyone in the right mind would recognize the vast gap in their social standing, and there was no chance they would be together. Those rumors were merely stories that Fiona had fabricated. He absolutely despised scheming women like her. Fiona still didn't know that Brian was already aware of her deeds. She cried, "But Aunt Gwen's imprisonment is also related to the Torrey family. Are you really not going to do anything about it?"Ms. Weston, what did I say earl
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 399
"Then let me make it clear to you, you aren't the heir of the Torrey family, and you aren't my father's son. From a legal standpoint, you and your mother have nothing to do with our family. You'd better accept the fact, Mr. Igor."Ariana's voice was full of mockery. In her past life, she had foolishly handed over the company Carson left behind to Gwen and Igor. But in the end, the company went bankrupt in less than three years. Worse yet, Gwen had even fled with Igor and John.This time, she swore she would never give Gwen and Igor the slightest chance to entangle themselves with Torrey Co. "Take him away." Ariana's voice was cold.The bodyguard swiftly grabbed Igor and dragged him toward the front gate. Still wearing his slippers, Igor was ruthlessly dragged out of the Torrey residence, unable to resist."Pack up all of Igor and Gwen's things and toss them out.""Yes, Ms. Torrey."To prevent Igor from making a fuss, Ariana deliberately stationed him at the security post by the e
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 398
It was already evening, and Igor had been waiting at home for Arian's call, but it never came. It wasn't until he saw a car from Torrey Co. pull up outside the gate that he immediately rushed out. The moment he saw Ariana get out of the car, he immediately snapped, "Why didn't you answer my call? Do you even know what has happened at home? Hurry up and come with me to the police station to bail my mom out!" Igor spoke in a commanding tone as he grabbed Ariana's hand and dragged her in the direction of the police station. But to his surprise, she pushed him away. Caught off guard by her move, Igor stared at her in disbelief. He sneered, "Ariana! Have you lost your mind? How dare you push me?" Igor had always had his way and never expected that Ariana would dare push him away.Just as he was about to grab Ariana again, Miranda stepped forward. With a simple move, she easily restrained Igor, rendering him unable to resist. "Ms. Ziegler! Have you lost your mind too? How dare you
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 397
Looking over the money and goods in his possession, Jeremy nodded in satisfaction. He left the Torrey residence with his group of lackeys.Gwen's legs finally gave out and she collapsed onto the floor. She had only borrowed money from the loan sharks just once. She couldn't believe that it would lead her to become completely penniless.Meanwhile, Ariana, who was still at the office, received a call from Jeremy."Ms. Torrey, it has been done. All that's left is to wait for the goods to be exchanged into cash.""I understand. Thank you for your hard work.""You're welcome. We were just following Mr. Smith's orders."Ariana smiled lightly. It was indeed all thanks to Victor's efforts. Without Victor's help, she wouldn't have been able to reclaim all of Gwen's and Igor's wealth and assets so easily. This was the wealth and assets that rightfully belonged to her father.Ariana lifted her head to look at Miranda after she disconnected the call. "It's done. Start the next phase," she s
A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 396
"Ms. Lambert, this is all so sudden. Did something happen?" Ariana asked.No matter how terrible the circumstance she was in, Gwen would never tell Ariana that she had borrowed money from loan sharks. It was part of the Torreys' principles to never come into contact with them.If word about this got out, Gwen would never be able to live it down. Ariana might even use it against her to kick her out of the family.Ariana knew from the beginning that Gwen would never come clean to her about the loan sharks. She just smiled and said, "I'll send a contract to you. Once you put your signature on it, the contract will immediately go into effect. I'll have someone in the finance department transfer the money to you. "However, Ms. Lambert, please be informed this also means that you and Igor will give up the right to all of the inheritance my father left behind."Being face to face with the terrifying loan sharks, Gwen couldn't even spare a moment to think about the consequences of signin
