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Chapter 278
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 279
"Give it back!"Ariana instinctively stood up, reaching for the paper in Victor's hand. But Victor, holding a wine glass in one hand, had already turned around and sat on the couch. He casually flipped through her paper.With her limited mobility, Ariana would have to approach Victor directly to retrieve her work. In the end, she simply sat down on the couch and ignored him.Victor, however, seemed to be genuinely engrossed in her essay. The corners of his lips occasionally curled into a faint smile.Seeing his amused expression, Ariana felt increasingly certain that Victor was mocking her lack of insight. She said, "I just scribbled down my ideas. Is it really that funny?""Who coached you on the essay? Your professor?" Victor asked, a trace of curiosity in his tone as he looked at Ariana."No one. I just came up with it on my own. It's totally random!" Ariana replied hastily, feeling a bit flustered under his scrutiny. Unable to sit still, she got up and approached Victor,
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After enrolling in Glea College, Ariana devoted all her energy to Brian and completely neglected her studies.She didn't even know how skilled she was in her major. All she remembered was that Evelyn was exceptional, which was why Brian liked her. But mimicking Evelyn had left her feeling like she was nothing at all.Victor didn't miss the look of self-mockery in Ariana's eyes.He said calmly, "Your handwriting has improved by a lot now. Stay in touch regularly, and that should suffice. You'll stay here tonight. You don't need to go back.""Wait!" Ariana suddenly asked, "What do you mean by that? Are you saying I should spend the night here?"She looked at Victor in disbelief."Is there a problem?" Victor's tone was indifferent. Glancing at his watch, he added, "Ms. Torrey, you should check the time. No one is in the mood to drive you home right now.""I can head back on my own," Ariana retorted."No one is allowed to call a cab from my place."Ariana frowned. "What kind of ru
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It was late at night, but the light in the study was still on.Unable to sleep, Simon left his room and noticed a light streaming under the study door.He walked over and knocked before opening the door.Inside, Victor was lying on the couch, papers scattered across the floor. He held one sheet in his hand, occasionally chuckling as he read it."This is new. Why are you sleeping here?" Simon asked as he walked in with two glasses of whiskey. He handed one to Victor and kept the other for himself.Victor took a small sip. "I gave my room to someone else.""To someone else? Who? Hunter?" Simon was curious.Victor remained silent.Simon probed, "Was it... Ariana?""Yes." Victor hummed.Simon was stunned. "You gave it to Ariana?" Simon was suspicious. "Don't you have OCD? You don't even let me set foot in your room!"Victor didn't respond to Simon. It was true that he hated people touching his things. But Ariana didn't seem dirty."Honestly, that girl is amusing. She reminds
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Simon placed his half-finished glass of whiskey on the table and stood up. "Goodnight and sweet dreams."He left the study and closed the door behind him on the way out.Victor stared at the half-finished glass of whiskey on the desk. After a brief silence, he picked it up and downed the rest in one go.It was nearing midnight. Isaac had finally finished all his tasks for the evening. He glanced at Brian, who was glancing at his phone, and hesitated before asking, "You've been out of it all night. What's going on?"Brian snapped back to reality and placed his phone down with a hint of irritation.Isaac knew Brian was always focused on work. So, he quickly deduced that this had something to do with Ariana. "It's about Ms. Torrey again, right?"Brian didn't respond, but his silence confirmed Isaac's guess.So, it was about Ariana. The Brian he knew had never been like this before."Let me take another guess. You're upset because Ms. Torrey hasn't texted you all day, right?" Isaac
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Brian fell silent at Isaac's words.Isaac continued, "Admit it, Brian. You've fallen for Ms. Torrey, but you don't even realize it. That's why you're so distracted right now.""That's enough," Brian interrupted coldly and stood up. "Don't bring this up again."With that, he turned to Emily, who was waiting at the door. "Emily, get the car. We're leaving.""Yes, Mr. Lodge." Emily led Brian toward the exit. Behind him, Isaac shook his head helplessly at Brian's retreating figure.Once outside, Brian got into the car.Emily asked, "Mr. Lodge, are we heading straight home, or...""To Ariana's apartment," Brian replied.Emily was taken aback. "To Ms. Torrey's apartment? But it's already so late, isn't it..."...A bit inappropriate? Emily didn't dare to finish her sentence.Brian hesitated before asking, "Do you think I like Ariana?""I..." Emily hesitated, unsure how to respond. Shouldn't Brian know his own feelings better?"Answer me," Brian demanded coldly.Emily had no c
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It was the middle of the night, and Ariana was startled awake by a nightmare.In her dream, she was once again tied up on that ship, surrounded by the salty sea breeze, and held down by kidnappers who repeatedly violated her.When Ariana opened her eyes, her body was drenched in cold sweat. The lingering feeling was unbearable as if the nightmare had happened to her all over again.After realizing it was just a dream, Ariana sighed and tiredly rubbed her temples.Suddenly, the room's light flicked on.Ariana quickly sat up, alarmed. "Who's there?"Victor stood at the door.Seeing who it was, Ariana let out a sigh of relief. "What are you doing standing outside someone's room in the middle of the night? You scared me to death.""Were you always this timid? Then why were you screaming just now?" Victor snorted."Screaming? What did I say?" Ariana was perplexed."I could hear it from the room next door. Someone kept shouting, 'Help me.'" Victor explained.Ariana's heart sank. H
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As he spoke, Victor took the wine glass away from Ariana."This wine is strong. One glass should be enough. You might get a headache tomorrow." Victor hummed."Don't say that. I already feel a little dizzy." Ariana leaned back on the couch, "It'd taste better if it were mixed with fruit juice. But… Wait, didn't Dr. Finch say I shouldn't drink because of my injury?""A small amount can help with sleep," Victor reasoned."That's true." Ariana never understood what was so appealing about alcohol. But as the effects of the wine started to kick in, she suddenly blurted out, "Tell me, did you approach me with ulterior motives?"Victor noticed the dazed look in Ariana's eyes and immediately realized she was drunk. Her alcohol tolerance was far worse than he expected.Suddenly, Ariana stood up and reached for the glass in Victor's hand.Victor was caught off guard and allowed her to grab it.She poured herself another glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. This time, she let out a sm
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"You tricked me into drinking! Dad said girls shouldn't drink too much! You're definitely not a good person!" Ariana sobbed.Victor rubbed his temples. He admitted that telling her to drink alcohol to help her sleep was a complete failure.In the end, Victor agreed with her accusations. "Fine, I'm not a good person. What are you going to do about it?"Ariana sniffled. "You… You have to apologize to me."Victor fell silent."And no forcing me onto your side! I'm not going to die that quickly!" Ariana continued.Victor quietly watched as Ariana rambled on.Seeing her cry even harder, he eventually gave in. "Alright, I'm sorry.""You're not being sincere!" Ariana accused."What would make it sincere?" Victor sighed."Write a contract! You have to promise never to bully me, Ariana Torrey, or drag me into your stupid schemes!" Ariana huffed."Should I add some compensation while I'm at it?" Victor asked sarcastically."Yes!" Ariana nodded."You're not even drunk, are you?" Vict
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"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
