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Chapter 33
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 34
Gwen's expression darkened. Ariana said, "It's not that easy being the Torrey family's matriarch, Ms. Lambert. If you don't have any ideas on how to resolve this issue with the cash flow, you're better off running away right now. Don't say I didn't remind you."Gwen was finding it harder and harder to put up a nice front. She'd worked herself to the bone for the Torrey family and had outlived Carson, yet Torrey Co. was now facing a crisis. How could she possibly pay off the Torrey family's debts before she benefited from it? It was not going to happen!"I know you're sensible and kind, Ariana. You wouldn't make me pay off the debts alone, would you? Think of it as me begging you—please apologize to Mr. Lodge. Torrey Co. will be fine once he relents and lets us off the hook!" she said.Ariana smiled at Gwen's pleading. She said, "It's not impossible for me to head over there.""I knew you were the best, Ariana! You won't leave the company to die!""Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
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An hour later, Ariana arrived at Lodge Co. She wore a white camisole underneath a denim jacket, and she paired it with a pair of denim shorts.The employees there couldn't help staring at her. Their eyes were almost popping out of their sockets.Ariana kept her shades on as she approached the front desk. She said, "I want to see Mr. Lodge."When the employee saw a gorgeous woman with long legs, she put her guard up and asked, "I'm sorry, miss, but do you have an appointment?"Ariana took off her shades when she realized the employee didn't recognize her. "I'm Ariana Torrey."The employee was stunned. "M-Ms. Torrey?""Can I head upstairs now?""Y-Yes! Of course!" The employee hurriedly led Ariana to the elevator."Did you guys see that? That was Ms. Torrey!""Why is she dressed like that?""She's gorgeous! Why haven't I ever noticed how pretty she is?""She must be doing this to make Mr. Lodge happy. We all know she imitates Ms. Granger's outfits to a T. I bet this is somethi
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"A-Ariana…" Fiona stood up, frightened when she saw Ariana. She was about to back away when Brian grabbed her wrist."Where are you going?" he asked leisurely. "You're not done with my shoes. Get on your knees and continue wiping until I tell you to stop.""…Yes, Mr. Lodge." Fiona got back on her knees and continued wiping Brian's shoes.He leaned back in his seat and looked at Ariana. "Plenty of people can do the things that you don't want to, Ariana. In fact… They might do it better than you can.""I'm not here to let you nauseate me, Mr. Lodge," Ariana said coldly.Brian looked unfazed. "I can act like nothing happened as long as you kneel before Eve and apologize to her. The engagement party will go on as usual, and I'll give the Torrey family a huge investment."He snorted when Ariana didn't speak. "It's just getting on your knees and apologizing—your knees should be used to this treatment, right? It's not like you haven't done it in the past. Can't you do it now?"He got u
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Brian frowned at Ariana's words. Once she was gone, Fiona hurried forward to berate Ariana. "Ariana doesn't know what's good for her, Mr. Lodge. I'll apologize to you on her behalf…""Fuck off!" he suddenly roared, making her pale in fright.She didn't dare offend him and ran off in tears. Emily entered the office, looking grim as she said, "Ms. Torrey has left, Mr. Lodge."Brian's expression was so hideous that she didn't dare say anymore. After a long silence, he asked, "Did I treat her badly in the past?""…Do you want to hear the truth, sir?"He shot her a look. She lowered her head, not daring to speak. He snarled, "She deserved it! She was the one who wanted to be my lapdog!""Y-Yes, sir. You're right," Emily said."She'd done it willingly. Why is she coming to me and putting on such an aggrieved act now?""Yes, sir. Ms. Torrey brought this upon herself."Brian's mood improved when he heard Emily agreeing with him.Just then, Isaac entered the office, looking excited. "
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"Why do you ask? Are you interested in her?" Brian asked in return.Isaac hurriedly denied it. "I wouldn't dare! Ariana is head over heels for you—I'm unworthy of her. I heard something, though. It seems she's been spending a lot of time with William Kingsman, your rival. They've been meeting each other in secret since the auction!"Brian frowned at that. Then, he sneered. This explained why Ariana dared to act so arrogantly before him—she'd latched onto William. To think she'd had the nerve to tell him they were only acquaintances! Did she think he was an idiot?"You know who Vance Hubbord is, right? He's lusted after Ariana for ages. He's quite the bootlicker—he heard today is Evelyn's birthday and is joining the party. He even asked me to ask you whether you and Ariana are really going to call it quits. If you are, then he wants to shoot his shot with her," Isaac said.He coughed awkwardly before continuing, "I know I shouldn't stick my nose into this, but you know what a bastar
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Selena looked pissed. She wouldn't have come to this dumb birthday celebration if not for her parents forcing her. She didn't want to be around a group of disgusting people who only said disgusting things!"Everyone knows you and Ariana are best friends, Selena, so there's no point in you standing up for her. Why don't you call her and tell her to come over? Tell her it's Ms. Granger's birthday and that Mr. Lodge is about to kiss her. I bet she'll immediately come running!" someone said.Everyone laughed at that. Selena's expression turned steely with rage. "How dare you!""Not going to make the call, are you? I'll do it, then!" One of the scions lunged forward and snatched Selena's phone.She paled. "Give that back to me!"Isaac's expression turned ugly at this turn of events. He said, "That's enough, Tom! Return the phone to Selena!""The call's connected!" The drunk scions were too far gone to realize what they were doing.Ariana's lazy, aloof voice rang out on the other end
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This wasn't the upper crust's first time making a fool out of Ariana. To them, she was a lapdog who deserved to be fooled.Isaac saw that Selena looked like she was about to cry. He turned to glance at Brian and saw the latter leaning against the couch, drinking his whiskey like nothing had happened. He didn't seem to want to interfere in the matter."Brian!" Isaac approached him and lowered his voice. "This is going too far, and we should stop before the damage is done. What are you going to do when Ariana arrives? Are you going to sit back and watch as she becomes the laughingstock of Gleaston?""Why should I stop her when she's willing to suffer through the humiliation?" Brian asked coldly.Isaac wasn't happy to hear that. "Evelyn is supposed to be the star of this party. Do you think it's going to bode well for her if you allow them to continue with this debacle?"Evelyn placed a hand on Brian's arm and said, "He's right, Brian… How about you call Ms. Torrey and tell her not t
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Ariana held out a hand and asked, "Where's the phone?"Tom held up a hand to show that he had Selena's phone. "It's here. I heard about you offending Ms. Granger, Ariana. I'll return it to you if you get on your knees and apologize to her.""I don't want the phone anymore, Ari! Let's go!" Selena stepped forward to take Ariana away, but the latter had no intention of leaving.She took a step toward Tom, enveloping him in her fragrance. It was alluring and dazed him. That was when Ariana lifted a leg and kicked him in the groin.He howled in pain as he fell to the floor and curled up. The phone fell out of his hand.Ariana swiftly caught it before giving him a cold look. She returned the phone to Selena and turned back to Tom, saying, "I don't remember the Slater family being all that powerful—your family's company isn't even publicly listed, is it?"How did you make your way into this social circle? I remember when my father was still around a few years ago, your family wasn't eve
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A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup Chapter 210
"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
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"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
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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
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"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.
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"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
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"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
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"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
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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
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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.
