Before the officer could finish his sentence, the police chief cut him off. "Shut up! Do you even know who's inside that car?""No matter who they are, they should still follow the law!" the officer insisted."Follow the law? Did they even commit a crime? They just drove into a restricted area. No one got hurt, so what's the big deal? Why are you making such a scene?" The chief was frustrated. He quickly stepped forward, waving off the surrounding officers before walking to the side of the car.The car window slowly rolled down.The police chief soon found himself staring directly at Victor.When the chief recognized who it was, his eyelid twitched, and his smile stiffened.The memory of Victor handling those female prisoners at the station was still fresh in his mind. Even now, he felt a lingering fear."Can we leave now?" Victor hummed.The chief swallowed hard and stammered, "Of… Of course.""Good." Victor rolled the window back up.Snapping back to his senses, the chief q
Ariana was still shaken from everything that had happened. Brian blocked her as she reached her apartment and was about to unlock the door.The hallway was empty, and his sudden appearance startled her. "What are you doing here?""You caused such a huge mess today, and you still have the nerve to ask me that?" Brian caged her against the wall. Ariana had no way of breaking free. She gave up and said indifferently, "I wasn't the one who caused the mess. And besides, it didn't affect your company in any way. Let's not forget that you and I are no longer engaged. Even if my reputation is in shambles, it has nothing to do with you."Her nonchalant attitude only made Brian angrier. "I've told you many times to stay away from Victor and that you shouldn't mess with him. Did you even listen to a word I said?"Ariana couldn't understand why Brian was so furious. To her, he was the one she should avoid at all costs, even more than Victor. "Mr. Lodge, we should keep our distance. My busine
Emily had been hiding in the emergency stairwell the entire time. Only when Ariana entered her apartment did she finally step out. She cautiously approached Brian and asked, "Mr. Lodge, Ms. Torrey…"Before she could finish, Brian turned his anger on her. "Why didn't you inform me that Ariana moved?""I…" Emily was at a loss for words.Didn't Brian order that no one was to report anything about Ariana to him?But faced with an enraged Brian, she had no choice but to lower her head and take the blame. "This was my negligence, Mr. Lodge. I'm sorry.""If this happens again, you can say goodbye to your job." Brian sneered."…Yes, Mr. Lodge." Emily nodded. "But Mr. Lodge, you ordered the principal to change tomorrow's exam questions. What if Ms. Torrey can't graduate because of this?""She only has herself to blame. She shouldn't have taken any shortcuts." Brian took a deep breath. "She'll come to me if she truly wants to graduate.""…Understood." Emily didn't dare say another word.
After all, the woman before Sandra was the future Mrs. Lodge.Sandra chirped, "Of course! One thing though—I don't get why you are unwilling to move into the Lodge residence just yet. Isn't that great? I heard their place is as huge as a palace, and their gardens are larger than my house! Why are you so stubborn?"Fiona blushed shyly. "Well… Actually… I'm a little scared."She did not lay it out, but her roommates understood what she meant by that.Shocked, they bombarded her with questions."Is that for real? Has Mr. Lodge never been intimate with you?""Impossible! I heard that your cousin had offered him her body to pursue him.""Once he gets a taste of it, he'll be addicted to it. How does he manage to keep his hand off his fiancée?"The girls huddled up, trying to get more information.However, Fiona's face fell at the mention of Ariana. Seeing that, Sandra commented, "Ariana doesn't come from a reputable family, unlike Fifi. Mr. Lodge probably cherishes Fifi so much that
Fiona nearly believed in the fantasy after the girls hyped her up.She had forgotten about her current status, as if she'd soon become Brian's fiancée.But soon, Fiona was reminded of the fact that Brian had offended Evelyn for Ariana's sake. The reality made her nervous.Had Brian really caught feelings for Ariana?Fiona wouldn't have said a thing if Brian was into Evelyn, but why Ariana?Ariana was a daughter of the Torrey family that was in decline. The Torreys could barely manage to save themselves, and they were no better than Fiona, who was from the countryside.Since Ariana could overtake Evelyn and snatch Brian, by the same logic, she could wrestle the title of Mrs. Lodge from Ariana.…The next morning, Ariana woke up early and went to Glea College. All the students arrived early as it was exam day.Right after she stepped into the exam hall, all eyes were on her—full of disdain, judgment, and distaste.Everyone heard that Ariana had gotten a special exam hall to her
Everyone seemed to view Ariana as their enemy."I will distribute the papers now, and the exam starts in five minutes. Please follow the rules," the proctor sounded stern.Since Brian had instructed not to provide a special exam hall for Ariana, she had no choice but to sit for the exam in the common hall, writing with her left hand. After applying the medicine Victor gave her yesterday, her hand felt more relaxed and faster than before. It was no longer sore.Ariana did not once look up during the exam, while the other students looked troubled. They heard that the exam questions had been changed. At first, they thought the exams had been made easier, only to find out it was the opposite.Most students had no idea where to start. Only a few seemed to breeze through the exam. Even Evelyn in the back row started to look distressed.These questions were hard to interpret. Textbook knowledge was of no use. What helped was real-life experience.Besides, many questions required stude
Emily was stunned to hear Brian's instructions. She thought Brian knew about Ariana cheating on the exam.This time, Brian had requested the professor to change the questions, which meant Ariana could not cheat successfully. In this case, Ariana would not score well for sure. What was the point of asking, then?Still, Emily dialed Christohper's landline under Brian's instructions. Christopher picked up soon.Emily began, "Hi, Mr. Gail, Mr. Lodge would like to take a look at Ms. Torrey's exam papers from today. Please fax a copy of it to us.""For sure! I'll tell the proctor to do so!"After the call, Christopher wondered why Brian was interested in Ariana's papers. He had initially gotten Evelyn's papers ready for Brian.In no time, Brian received the fax of a copy of Ariana's exam paper.Brian glanced at the answers on the exam paper. Ariana had provided clear and logical answers. Each answer was perfect.Not only that, she had her own way of arriving at the solution, but tech
At the same time, the members of the Glea College student union started to falter."Eve, are we seriously going to search for Ariana's exam papers? We'll be expelled if someone catches us!"These people did not have the guts to actually hurt Ariana. All they ever did was badmouth Ariana. After all, there were rumors about an unusual relationship between Ariana and William on campus, and people had witnessed Victor picking Ariana up from campus."Just do as I say. I will back you up if anything happens," Evelyn offered to take responsibility if anything happened. With Brian's protection, she knew she would never get expelled no matter what happened.The other two girls dropped their fear, and together, they sneaked into the exam marker's office.The office was empty at this hour. Since the student union had a copy of the keys to the office, they managed to get in quietly.Exam papers from today filled the table. Evelyn quickly located her exam papers. Right when she was thinking
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
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
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
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
"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
"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
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
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
"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