Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 174

**When Time Tried to Heal Me But I Refused to Listen by Kael Niro Senn**

**Chapter 174: He Stayed**

“Curtis, thank you,” Adriana murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, laden with emotion. “Thank you for trusting me.”

As she reclined back against the pillow, Curtis’s hand brushed through her hair with a tenderness that belied the turmoil churning within him. “Thank me?” he echoed, his tone dipping into a deeper register, carrying the weight of unspoken fears and doubts.

“You really think we’re still strangers?” she pressed, her eyes wide as if searching for reassurance in his gaze.

Adriana blinked rapidly, feeling a lump form in her throat, the tension tightening her chest. “Belinda’s just a kid,” she continued, her voice faltering. “Maybe this’ll scare her straight. If she really ends up in prison, I’ll feel terrible.”

Curtis’s jaw clenched, the muscles taut as he fought against the rising tide of anger and hurt. “We’ll deal with it later,” he stated flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Yet beneath his stoic façade, the truth gnawed at him. Belinda’s betrayal stung like a sharp blade, cutting deeper than he wished to admit. Trust was a rare commodity for him, something he guarded fiercely. And Belinda had been one of the few he thought he could rely on. Watching her grow up had been bittersweet, and now, here she was, stabbing him where it hurt most.

Adriana’s delicate hand found his, her fingers trembling as they intertwined with his. Though she said nothing, he could feel her empathy wrapping around him like a warm blanket. She understood the weight of his pain.

Suddenly, the stillness of the room shattered as the phone on the table vibrated violently against the wood surface, a sharp buzz that demanded attention.

Curtis frowned, his eyes narrowing as he picked it up, glancing at the screen. An unknown number from Haldoria flashed back at him. Not many people had that line; it was reserved for family, for those who truly mattered.

He answered, a single word escaping his lips, “Yeah?”

“Curtis.” The voice on the other end was rough, tinged with bitterness. It was Michael. Just hearing it made Curtis’s skin crawl, a visceral reaction that he couldn’t suppress. “Your grandfather said to call you. He told me I can’t come back to the Lincolns unless you agree.”

A slow, simmering rage began to bubble within Curtis.

His grip tightened around the phone, knuckles whitening. So that was the game. Harold had given his number to Michael, setting him up for this confrontation.

Curtis could feel his temper rising, sharp and unyielding.

“Is that right?” he replied, his voice flat as ice, devoid of warmth. “Then you can forget it. Because as long as I’m breathing, you’re not coming back.”

Michael’s tone hardened, a challenge lacing his words. “I’m calling out of respect, Curtis. I’m still your father. Whether you like it or not, everything tied to the Lincolns belongs to me before it ever belongs to you.”

A sardonic smile curled on Curtis’s lips, his laughter short and sharp, echoing through the tense air. “When you walked away, the Lincolns were drowning in billions of debt. How about you pay that off first before you start talking about what’s yours?”

Michael’s voice snapped in fury, but Curtis cut him off, hanging up before he could finish.

Adriana stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. “What was that?” she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

Curtis set the phone down, forcing his expression to return to calmness, though the storm inside him raged on. “Nothing. Just some scammer pretending to be my dad.”

Adriana let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Seriously? That’s insane. They didn’t even bother to check that your father’s been dead for years.”

Curtis managed a faint smile, though he remained silent, the anger still simmering just beneath the surface. But as he looked at Adriana—so fragile yet so vibrantly alive—the heat of his rage dulled. Michael had always been a shadow, darkening everything he touched. Yet here, in this quiet room, with Adriana lying before him, the weight of that darkness felt a little lighter.

Adriana spent three long days in the hospital, and finally, Curtis brought her home.

He put his job on hold, shifting to remote work so he could keep a watchful eye over her.

During those tense days, the police contacted Adriana regarding Belinda’s case.

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