50 The Reversal\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe it was because she was too clear headed\u2013ton clear headed to know that Curtis would never fall in love with her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She and Curtis had met far too late\u00a0<\/p>\n
if only they\u2019d known each other earlier, before she ever met Matthew\u2026 How different things might have been.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d Belinda tooked at Adriana with open doubt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana nodded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Curtis Belinda lowered her head. \u201cHe\u2019s never let any woman get close to him before. Not even my mom\u2026 and yet, he actually hugged you last night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stopped talking, her voice trailing off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana froze for a moment. Curtis never let women get close to him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was just an accident. I was having an anxiety episode. Hugging someone can help ease that. It\u2019s\u2026 just a way to calm down.\u201d She said it to comfort Belinda, but also to remind herself\u2013Don\u2019t think too much. Don\u2019t let your mind wander where it shouldn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana, I don\u2019t actually hate you that much,\u201d Belinda muttered in her usual prideful tone. \u201cNow that you have Curtis, even if he doesn\u2019t love you, you\u2019re still his legal wife. So if anyone at school bullies you again, just slap them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana smiled, amused by the girl\u2019s fiery energy. \u201cThen let\u2019s make a deal. From now on, neither of us will let anyone bully us again. If someone picks on me, I\u2019ll fight back\u2013and if I can\u2019t, I\u2019ll call you. If someone bullies you, you fight back\u2013and if you can\u2019t, you call me. Deal?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Belinda\u2019s eyes brightened for a moment, but she glanced at Adriana with mock disdain. \u201cYou? With those skinny arms and legs? You can\u2019t even fight a fly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m stronger than I look. I worked as a mover one summer,\u201d Adriana said seriously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Belinda\u2019s stare softened slightly. She stayed quiet for a while before looking down. \u201cDon\u2019t tell Curtis about what happened today.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana nodded and was about to turn away when Belinda added, almost under her breath, \u201cAnd\u2026 thank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Adriana could reply, Belinda turned red, embarrassed, and ran off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana smiled faintly, standing there for a moment before getting into the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the car stopped at the university gates, she immediately noticed the crowd\u2013students packed on both sides, whispering, phones in hand, all focused on something ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment she stepped out, a group of reporters swarmed her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana, is it true that Matthew, CEO of the Langford Group, kept you as his mistress for four years?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana, as a student, do you have anything to say about being financially supported by him?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana, were you knowingly the third party in Matthew and Natasha\u2019s relationship?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
The barrage of questions hit like explosions, each one pounding in her skull.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So the reporters had already found out today was the seniors\u2018 return\u2013to\u2013campus day\u2013and had been waiting here all along\u00a0<\/p>\n
Across the street, a Maybach pulled up Matthew and Natasha got out together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Natasha held tightly onto Matthew\u2019s arm, her chin high, every move deliberate\u2013a public display of ownership.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She wanted the media to see clearly: she was the rightful one. Adriana was nothing more than a shameful mistress, a kept woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Natasha\u2019s eyes met Adriana\u2019s, full of mockery. Around Adriana, she always acted superior, as if the heavens themselves stood\u00a0<\/p>\n
behind her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana, we should talk,\u201d Matthew said, frowning. He wanted to speak to her privately\u2013he hadn\u2019t wanted things to go this far.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But his sister, Mia, was the Langford family\u2019s face. He couldn\u2019t allow her to go to prison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Langford, I used to care about your reputation. But clearly, you never thought of me as a human being.\u201d Adriana\u2019s voice trembled slightly, though her smile was cold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d spared his pride\u2013yet he\u2019d chosen to crush her underfoot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust now, you asked if I was the third party. Tell me, are you serious? Didn\u2019t your outlet also report on Natasha\u2019s grand international wedding? Her husband\u2019s not Matthew, is he?\u201d She turned sharply to the reporter who had spoken earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The reporter froze, speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana continued, her tone steady, \u201cThere was never a \u2018kept woman\u2018 in our relationship. But if he insists on calling those four years of our relationship \u2018being kept,\u2018 then fine\u2013let\u2019s say I was the one keeping him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted her chin to meet Matthew\u2019s gaze. \u201cIn those four years, I remember every single transfer between us\u2013every reason, every amount, every receipt. And as for that secondary card of yours, you have the records. You know exactly how much I have ever spent from you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s throat bobbed, and he hesitated, unable to speak.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana really hadn\u2019t spent much of his money\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Compared to other men in their circle who lavished money on their mistresses, what he had given Adriana over four years was practically nothing\u2013not even enough to buy a single designer bag.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Mr. Langford, do you have any idea how much I spent on you?\u201d Adriana pressed on, her voice calm yet cutting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s breath hitched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn those four years we were together, you lived with me whenever you weren\u2019t working. Every meal was made from fresh ingredients because you refused anything cheap. So, I worked three jobs every month\u2013after sending money back to the orphanage, the rest went to feed you.\u201d She reached into her bag and pulled out a small, worn notebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
When Time Tried to Heal Me But I Refused to Listen by Kael Niro Senn 50 50 The Reversal\u00a0 Maybe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-comeback-queens-crown-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23962\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}