Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 21

Would it all have been worth it in the end?

Adriana found herself trapped inside a storage room so dark that it swallowed every hint of light, leaving her alone with her thoughts as she waited for the police to arrive. Before even stepping foot into Nera Club, she had started a livestream, ensuring that everyone watching would know exactly where she was and what was happening. The guards had seized her phone, but the viewers had seen it happen—someone was bound to alert the authorities. She had clearly mentioned Nera Club during the stream, making it impossible to hide her location.

Suddenly, the door crashed open with a loud bang. Rufus stumbled in, reeking of alcohol, his movements unsteady but his anger unmistakable. Natasha had sent him—she preferred to keep her hands clean, but her brother had been drinking upstairs and was more than willing to carry out her dirty work.

“You think you can mess with my sister and get away with it?” Rufus yelled, his voice thick with rage. “You really believe Matthew would want you? Forget it. He’s marrying Natasha! Even if I kill you right now, it won’t matter to him!” He stormed forward, grabbing the front of her shirt, sneering down at her. “You think I wouldn’t dare touch you just because you’ve been with Matthew for a few years?”

Rufus’s fury escalated as he began yanking at her clothes. “You’re finished…” he growled, cursing incessantly, his voice shaking with bitter hatred.

In that cramped, suffocating darkness, Adriana didn’t resist. She allowed him to do as he pleased. Fear had finally loosened its grip on her. This time, she was prepared to fight until the very end, and men like Rufus no longer seemed terrifying—only pathetic.

He shoved her to the floor among piles of discarded junk, slapped her harshly across the face, and tore at her clothing. Blood trickled from her mouth, and her nose was bleeding as well. The sharp sting radiated across her battered face, and her eyes began to swell shut.

“If you weren’t even a little decent-looking, I wouldn’t waste a second glance on you,” Rufus spat, his bitterness fueled by the memory of her rejecting him years ago.

As he started pulling down his pants, Adriana landed on a heap of junk. Seeing what he intended to do, she let out a cold, bitter laugh. “Wow… that’s not very impressive,” she taunted, mocking him.

His fragile ego shattered at her words. Enraged, Rufus yanked her hair and slammed her head against the wall with a sickening thud.

Bang!

Just as darkness threatened to claim her, the door was kicked open.

Outside, chaos erupted. Voices shouted back and forth, the sound of a heated argument echoing through the hall. Adriana could barely make out the police officers clashing with the club’s manager.

“You have no right to search this place! The chief and I have an agreement,” the manager insisted.

“We received a report. Don’t interfere,” one officer warned.

“If you try to stop us, we’ll arrest you too!” another threatened.

Adriana’s heart leapt. Thank goodness she had stopped by the station earlier to speak with Officer Richardson. That small step might have made all the difference.

“Bastard!” she heard someone curse.

She had expected the police to be her rescuers, but the person who tackled Rufus was none other than Curtis.

Am I dreaming? she wondered, disbelief mixing with relief.

“Adriana… stay with me!” Curtis urged.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify