《The Underestimated Ex》全部章節：第 71 章 - 第 80 章

“What do you mean you’re not in a relationship with Vivienne?” Antony’s voice held the edge of curiosity, his face narrowing slightly in confusion at Adrian’s words. Adrian didn’t care about anything else except proving himself. After all, he wasn’t going to be in a relationship with Vivienne, and he’d be gone once everything was settled—once he finally made Lyra realize her mistake. Then he’d be satisfied enough to leave the whole of Vereluxe City for his real home and claim his glory, Adrian thought. If he kept playing along as if he and Vivienne were truly together, he wouldn’t be able to prove his point. Everyone already thought Vivienne was the one feeding and clothing him after Lyra dumped him. But Adrian was ready to change that story they thought they knew about him, and the best way was to cut ties with Vivienne if necessary. “I’m not some scum who relies on women’s money to survive. Vivienne and I don’t have any relat

“Sir, what do we do? They must have really think you’re with me,” he added again, his tone no different from that of a man afraid of messing things up. Adrian would often tell Steve not to call him master, so sometimes Steve would use sir instead—yet Adrian would still ask him not to. But Steve never yielded. They’d been more like best friends, even back when Steve was still in his family’s house, so they were used to each other. But unlike Adrian, Steve never forgot his place. He always remembered that he was just a servant, addressing Adrian with respect—sir, master, boss, and sometimes, when he felt playful, other titles. Adrian had no choice but to accept it as Steve’s own humorous way of speaking. The only exception was in Vereluxe City, where Adrian’s identity needed to remain hidden; then Steve would avoid referring to him directly, or wait until they were in private. “Don’t worry yourself about it. If the

“Ahh! Funny jerk, what do you even want to buy? Do you think this place is a local store where you can pick anything for fifty dollars? Huh?” Damian, not ready to back down, continued to press.For Adrian to piss Lyra off and still speak so rudely to him—he wouldn’t stand and watch him walk away from that.He didn’t want Lyra to see him as a weak man, unable to handle situations.Although, somewhere deep inside, he still carried a trace of fear toward Adrian—ever since his friend Daniel had been knocked down in the arena during what was supposed to be a friendly visual game. Their greed to humiliate Adrian had led them to push for a real physical fight. The StreetSigil had been completely damaged from Adrian’s actions, and Daniel was still undergoing daily medication, far from fully recovered.So Damian knew he had to tread carefully—even if he refused to believe Adrian hadn’t cheated. He had no proof, and no clue who Adrian truly was. The question lingered inside both him and Daniel:

“Hello, Dr. Foster,” Vivienne’s voice came through the phone, solemn and soft.Before calling Adrian, her mind had run over many possibilities. But all she could do was steady her heartbeat and be prepared, even if Adrian dismissed her—because she had a request to ask.On Adrian’s end, there was silence for a while before he finally replied.“What is it, Vivienne?” he said in a cool tone.It was as though he was hoping for something important—else he didn’t want to engage in any conversation with her. He needed to be strict with his decision to distance himself at this point, because if he took things lightly, she wouldn’t understand why he needed the space.But now, it seemed not only Vivienne would be his problem. Even Steve was now being assumed as his boss, and that was even more serious. For now, he could only try to get Vivienne to stop reeling him in.“I know—um…” Vivienne stammered, realizing she’d not practiced the words she wanted to use in her head. Unsure of what to say,

Alex’s countenance changed in an instant, like quenching burning wood with a sudden splash of water. Confusion and frustration mingled in his brow as his eyes fixed on Adrian.Yet something about Adrian’s calm demeanor made him hesitate.Sam let out a small, dismissive sound — a shrug wrapped in a sigh — his irritation clear at Adrian’s interruption.From Alex’s expression, Sam could tell he was trying to weigh Adrian’s words, to resonate with them perhaps. There was a demand for clarity in his gaze, though it was wrapped in restraint.“What do you mean?” Alex’s tone was tight now, like a rope pulled just shy of snapping. He was trying to suppress his anger.Alex had his temper — especially when someone implied, even faintly, that his trusted friend Sam might wish him harm. That was all he could pull from Adrian’s words. But before judgment, he wanted an explanation. A part of him prayed Adrian wouldn’t say something to truly provoke