Semua Bab A Bride’s Revenge: No Longer the Backup: Bab 161 - Bab 170

Ariana handed over a contract she had prepared in advance to Gwen. Seeing that Ariana had already arranged everything, Gwen's expression darkened.Ariana, however, remained unfazed and continued, "Ms. Lambert, I've already reviewed the contract thoroughly. All you need to do is sign it. Within seven days, I expect that pair of Aurora Pearls to be delivered to me. Seven days should be enough time for you to retrieve them, right?""Of course…" Gwen replied, though she couldn't stop the faint trembling in her heart.It was 80 million dollars! Where was she supposed to find that amount of money? Even after years of skimming from the Torreys and the company, it hadn't added up to 80 million!But for the sake of her son, Gwen gritted her teeth and signed the contract. As Ariana took the signed contract, a satisfied smile spread across her face."Ari, I've signed the contract, so you can trust me. Please, rescue your brother first. What am I supposed to do if something happens to him w

Ariana wasn't so narcissistic to think that Brian's actions were an act of love.She glanced at the time on her watch and said casually, "By the way, tonight is my brother's birthday banquet. A lot of prominent figures will be attending. If Mr. Lodge refuses to release him, I suppose we'll just have to tell everyone that his future brother-in-law was invited to the Lodges for a drink and hasn't been allowed to leave. What do you think of that excuse, Emily?"Emily's expression darkened instantly. Brian's status and Igor's were worlds apart. The idea of Brian "inviting" Igor for tea was laughable—and humiliating. If such a rumor spread, it would undoubtedly tarnish the Lodge family's reputation.Yet, considering Gwen's shamelessness, Emily couldn't completely rule out the possibility. That mother-son duo was capable of anything."Ms. Torrey, please… Follow me this way," Emily said while gesturing for Ariana to follow her upstairs.The surrounding employees watched in shock as Arian

Brian's face was uncomfortably close to hers. In the past, Ariana would have blushed at such an intimate moment. But this time. She merely pushed him away, frowning as she said, "Mr. Lodge, this is a workplace. Please show some respect.""You're asking me to show respect?" Brian chuckled, amused by her audacity. He leaned closer to Ariana and said, "Who was it that used to come looking for me three times a day, bending over backward to please me? Back then, did you know what it meant to show respect? Hmm?"As he inched closer, Ariana sidestepped him and replied calmly, "I was young and naive then, Mr. Lodge. Please don't hold it against me."She glanced around and added, "And this is the ladies' restroom. Even if you want to discuss something, isn't this an inappropriate place to do so?"Hearing this, Brian fixed his gaze on Ariana for a moment. His eyes now carry a hint of scrutiny."Mr. Lodge?" Ariana prompted. "Follow me to my office," he ordered, regaining his usual compos

"Ariana, this is all your fault!" Igor could rage all he wanted– it wouldn't make a difference. With Brian backing her up, Ariana could do whatever she wanted in Gleaston.Soon, Gwen received Igor's call. When she arrived, she found Igor standing miserably in the alley outside the Lodge residence."My son! How did you end up like this?" The moment she approached Igor, she was hit by the awful stench coming from him.Igor snapped, "It's all because of Ariana! Who knows what kind of spell she's cast on Brian? He had me locked up in the basement overnight! Mom, you must stand up for me and teach Ariana a lesson!"Igor was completely unaware of his precarious position. Feeling a bit uneasy, Gwen said, "That girl is not as easy to push around as she used to be. Calm down. Go take a shower and change into clean clothes. We still have your birthday celebration tonight." "Birthday? What's the point of celebrating now?" Igor fumed.Gwen tried to reassure him. "Listen to me. I've spen

Evelyn noticed the faint displeasure in Brian's expression. She lowered her voice and said gently, "You've accompanied me to events like this so many times before. Why is it different now?" Brian pressed his lips together, unsure of how to respond.In the past, whenever the Torrey family hosted events, he would attend with Evelyn without hesitation, never sparing a thought for Ariana's feelings. But tonight, something was different. For some reason, the thought of public scrutiny falling on Ariana bothered him.Evelyn looked up at him. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears. "Could it really be true, what they're saying? Have you started to care about Ariana?" Brian sighed. "Evelyn, you know that's not what I mean." "Then don't worry about it so much. From what I can see, Ms. Torrey doesn't mind it at all," Evelyn said softly.Her words prompted Brian to glance toward Ariana. Sure enough, Ariana seemed utterly indifferent to the fact that he was attending with Evelyn.Brian fe