Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 73

**Chaos at the Family Dinner**

“Where do you think you’re running off to? You Lincolns aren’t escaping this mess either,” Irene barked, her finger jabbing accusingly at Harold. “Hmph! If you lot hadn’t stirred the pot, Jeremy would never have dragged this whole nest of rats back into our lives!”

Danielle felt her jaw tighten, her patience wearing thin. “Ms. Walton, I must insist you watch your—”

Vivian, unable to contain herself any longer, spat on the ground, her voice rising to a piercing shriek that cut through the tension like a knife. Once a pop singer, her tone was sharper than any dolphin’s whistle. “You make me sick! Just shut your mouth! Every time you speak, I feel like I’m going to be sick! Ugh!”

Danielle’s face flushed with fury, her eyes narrowing. “You’re insane!”

“Damn right I am! My sister died because of you Bartons, and that drove me mad! Listen closely, you little tramp: Nicole is back. If you even think about pulling any tricks, I swear I’ll skin you alive, rip out your tendons, and drink your blood!”

With a sudden burst of aggression, Irene lunged toward Danielle, her fingers reaching for her hair, forcing Danielle to scream and scramble behind Chandler for safety.

Harold and Jeremy stood frozen, paralyzed by the chaos unfolding before them. They knew better than to intervene; every time they opened their mouths, Irene only seemed to escalate.

“Who brought her here?” Harold muttered, his voice barely a whisper, laced with disbelief.

Jeremy rubbed his temples, a headache forming. “I have no idea.”

Adriana stood off to the side, her eyes wide in shock as she took in the scene. So this is what Curtis meant by “watch the show”?

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Curtis said, raising an eyebrow at Adriana, his gaze daring her to agree with him.

Jeremy and Harold were clearly overwhelmed, their expressions a mix of dread and regret. They were probably wishing the ground would swallow them whole, with no time to spare for the swirling rumors surrounding Adriana and Matthew.

Adriana’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Curtis is far more cunning than I ever imagined.

Danielle had chosen the wrong person to provoke today.

“Who is she? She’s incredible,” Adriana remarked, her eyes shining with fascination. Irene’s fierce intensity and raw energy captivated her.

Irene’s wildness… Adriana couldn’t help but wish she possessed that kind of fearless spirit.

Curtis, noticing the spark in Adriana’s eyes, quickly covered them with his hand. “Don’t pick up any bad habits,” he warned playfully.

Adriana chuckled, a lightness returning momentarily. “I wish I could, but I just don’t have it in me.”

Curtis looked down at her, a warm smile spreading across his face. “You don’t need to go crazy. I’ll take care of that for you.”

Adriana paused, her gaze locked onto Curtis. Why does he always say things that lead to misunderstandings?

Nearby, Matthew’s fists clenched tightly, his eyes blazing with an uncontrollable rage as he glared at Adriana.

All he wanted was to rush over, sweep her away, and hide her from the world—never allowing her to smile at anyone but him.

Natasha caught a glimpse of Matthew’s intense fixation on Adriana, and jealousy bubbled within her.

Originally, she and Matthew had schemed to come here to further drive a wedge between Harold and Adriana. But now, with Irene’s unexpected arrival, Matthew’s past grievances against Adriana seemed to vanish into thin air.

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