Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 76

**Chapter 76: Explain This Pregnancy Thing**

Matthew was not the kind of man who could afford to be reckless. His father had sown chaos across the landscape of his family, fathering several children out of wedlock. If Matthew didn’t navigate the treacherous waters of his life with sharpness and a ruthless edge, he risked losing everything he held dear. This reality weighed heavily on him, and it was this very burden that fueled his envy toward Curtis.

Curtis, with his fiery temperament, was a man who could unleash his anger without a second thought. He had the audacity to marry Adriana on a mere whim, a decision that seemed to come from the heart rather than a calculated mind. But Matthew… he couldn’t afford such indulgence. The stakes were too high for him.

“What’s this? Adriana doesn’t get a cash envelope? Your grandchildren are the true Lincolns—they carry the bloodline that can’t be altered. Can’t say the same for anyone else,” Curtis quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he seized the moment to demand money.

Harold’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, his face contorting with anger as he pointed an accusatory finger at Curtis. The tension in the room thickened. In a swift motion, he snatched an envelope from his assistant and flung it toward Adriana, his expression grim. “Consider yourself lucky, kid. Take care of the baby. We won’t treat you poorly.”

With that, Harold strode toward the door, exuding an air of pride and authority that seemed almost palpable.

Adriana couldn’t help but think, *Wow, with a physique like that, Harold could easily live to be a hundred…* Yet, the thought lingered in her mind—why did Curtis insist that Harold was in poor health and needed to marry soon? Why was Harold’s eventual demise stipulated as the end date for their contract?

What if Harold defied the odds and lived to be a hundred?

“Curtis…” Adriana hesitated, her eyes fixed on the envelope that lay before her, uncertainty gnawing at her. She wasn’t really pregnant, after all.

“Just take it,” Curtis urged, tilting his chin toward her, an unspoken command that she couldn’t ignore.

Reluctantly, Adriana slipped the envelope into her bag. It didn’t seem thick—probably just a few hundred dollars. That made it a bit easier to accept without feeling a twinge of guilt.

“Go apologize to your Grandpa quickly. He’s not in great health—you might just give him a heart attack!” Jeremy exclaimed, exasperation lacing his voice as he tugged Curtis toward the door. “You’re harder to manage than your dad. Just go make your apologies.”

“Jeremy, you don’t get it—Grandpa is like this. If you don’t push back, he won’t understand,” Curtis protested, his voice rising slightly.

As Jeremy dragged Curtis off to make amends with Harold, Danielle finally reached her breaking point. She slammed her utensils onto the table, startling Adriana, who flinched at the sudden noise.

“Don’t kid yourself into thinking he’s doing all this for you—he’s doing it for Cynthia. You’re just a pawn in this game,” Danielle hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes blazing with intensity.

Adriana chose silence, resting her wrist on the table and absentmindedly polishing the emerald bracelet with a napkin, her mind racing.

That simple gesture sent Danielle into a frenzy.

She shot to her feet, glaring daggers at Adriana. “How long do you think you can bask in this? You think you deserve all this attention?”

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