Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 44

**When Time Tried to Heal Me But I Refused to Listen by Kael Niro Senn 44**

“You think this is merely a trivial issue, don’t you?” Adriana’s voice quivered, laden with a potent mix of frustration and deep-seated pain as she faced Matthew. Her eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, reflected the turmoil within her. “My left ear is irrevocably deaf, my pinky is crushed beyond any hope of repair, and this has fundamentally changed my entire existence. I nearly lost an eye in that incident… and they recorded every moment of it. Do you even have the guts to watch it?”

Her voice trembled under the weight of her experiences, each word a testament to her struggle. “I am determined to see this through to the bitter end…”

“Adriana! Do you genuinely think Curtis will want you forever?” Natasha’s voice sliced through the atmosphere, sharp and accusatory, like a blade aimed at Adriana’s heart.

“Ms. Jones, you are overthinking this,” Curtis interjected, his tone flat, a stark contrast to the emotional tempest swirling around them. “Even if we were to part ways someday, the heights she has reached are places that individuals like you will never attain in your lifetime.”

His conviction was unyielding, a fortress of support for Adriana, as he endeavored to equip her with every resource necessary to stand tall, fierce, and unapologetically independent.

Natasha’s expression soured further, her features contorting into a mask of disdain. She shot a venomous glare at Curtis, her voice dripping with contempt. “I am the eldest daughter of the Jones family, and my future husband is Matthew. Without you, what is she?”

In the depths of her mind, she sneered, Just an orphan, a mere stepping stone meant to be trampled upon.

Curtis’s gaze shifted to Matthew, his words sharp and cutting. “I must not comprehend Mr. Langford’s taste: a woman who trades marriage for business advantages, yet somehow believes she stands above everyone else.”

He turned back to Natasha, his tone icy as a winter’s breath. “If you were a nobody without a family name, you wouldn’t even measure up to a single strand of Adriana’s hair.”

Some individuals thrive on wielding their advantages to crush those who lack them, and Curtis was no stranger to this ruthless game.

“Curtis, don’t push your luck,” Matthew replied stiffly, feeling the tension escalate like a brewing storm. Natasha was his childhood love; he felt the need to maintain his dignity in front of her.

“This is ‘pushing my luck’?” Curtis didn’t even flinch, his resolve unwavering. “You know as well as I do that she married William, the head of Gloria Sheonia, to fatten the Joneses’ coffers. And you also know he had a wife before her—your ‘first love’ chased that position as a mistress to secure those benefits.” He offered Natasha no mercy, his eyes flashing with indignation.

Matthew’s expression darkened, frustration simmering just beneath the surface, ready to boil over.

Natasha had long manipulated his guilt for not protecting her back in the day. If he were to discover that she had pursued William, the disappointment would be profound, a wound that would cut deeper than any physical injury.

Panic flickered across Natasha’s features, a tempest of emotions swirling within her.

She clutched Matthew’s arm tightly, her voice trembling like a fragile leaf in the wind. “Matthew… the engagement… my family forced it upon me.”

“That’s utterly ridiculous.” Curtis intertwined his fingers with Adriana’s, casting a sidelong glance at his aide. “The campus assault—handle it with an iron fist. Whoever is responsible, we will pursue them relentlessly.”

That was a clear message directed at Matthew, a warning wrapped in resolve.

Mia would be held accountable for her actions.

And Curtis wanted Matthew to grasp that this was his decision, not Adriana’s. Harassing his wife would yield no favorable results.

Mia broke down in tears, her voice a desperate plea that echoed through the charged atmosphere. “Matthew… please, save me. I can’t bear the thought of going to prison!”

Matthew’s head throbbed, his expression turning to stone, a mask of determination.

He had no intention of letting Mia serve time, but with Curtis as the opponent, the cost would be exorbitant, a price too steep to contemplate.

Rubbing his brow in frustration, he turned to Curtis. “Mr. Lincoln, do we truly need to make this adversarial?”

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