apter 238 Nothing Comes for Free\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 238 Nothing Comes for Free\u00a0<\/p>\n
77\u00a0<\/p>\n
+10 Free Coins\u00a0<\/p>\n
But ever since the announcement of Curtis\u2019s departure from the Lincoln Group, Adriana ha developed a hardened edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was like a hedgehog with its quills permanently raised, ready to strike at a moment\u2019s notice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you still here for dinner? You already took someone else\u2019s place. Isn\u2019t that enough? Now you want his meal too? You\u2019re not broke anymore, right? Who exactly are you trying to fool by acting pitiful?\u201d Adriana snapped as Denton sat stubbornly at the table, slamming her fork onto the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Denton kept his head down, focusing intently on moving food around his plate, wisely choosing not to engage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s next? You going to treat him like family, too?\u201d Adriana muttered, her frustration bubbling up, more for Curtis\u2019s sake than her own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell \u2026 if he\u2019s got decent character, maybe handing over the Lincoln Group isn\u2019t all bad. Could mean a quieter life for me,\u201d Curtis murmured, the words a soft attempt to placate her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana fell silent, poking her food.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She knew, with a clarity that stung, that a storybook brotherly bond between Curtis and Denton was a fantasy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even if things seemed calm now, the moment Denton\u2019s wings grew stronger and his ambitions solidified, friction was inevitable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If even she could see it, how could Curtis not?\u00a0<\/p>\n
He just wanted to hold on to something\u2013some scrap of family affection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A father who was a walking disaster. A mother who\u2019d lost her mind. A grandfather whose old age had turned unpredictable and cruel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone in his life had drained him of the very concept of family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He just wanted something to anchor himself to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone he could pour that fragile longing for family into.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long pause, Adriana let out a tiny breath and, in a show of reluctant compromise,\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
16:24 Sat, Dec 27 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 238 Nothing Comes for Free\u00a0<\/p>\n
reached over to refill Denton\u2019s stew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Please\u2026 just don\u2019t let him down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
+10 Free Coins\u00a0<\/p>\n
Denton looked up, startled. A grateful, almost disbelieving smile broke through his guarded expression. He immediately buried his face in it, shoveling spoonfuls into his mouth. \u201cCurtis, the food is great!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Curtis gave an exasperated little laugh and kept eating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana watched him. He must trust Denton a great deal\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still growing. Get some meat in you,\u201d she muttered, pushing a dish toward him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Denton nodded eagerly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was a starved soul, too, wasn\u2019t he? With parents who were present yet absent, leaving him fundamentally alone. Another casualty of this family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And thinking that, Adriana found herself easing up on him. It wasn\u2019t like he\u2019d had a choice in\u00a0<\/p>\n
any\u00a0<\/p>\n
of this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After Curtis withdrew from the Lincoln Group, life suddenly slowed for him. Adriana didn\u2019t dare ask what his next step was. She didn\u2019t want to poke at a wound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Early the next morning, Curtis personally drove her to university before heading off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While a part of her cherished having him so present, driving her to and from class, she knew a man like Curtis was born to stand at the summit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t the type to settle into obscurity. This sudden \u201cidleness\u201d was likely a mirage, a forced pause while those who\u2019d relished his fall worked to ensure he stayed down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana \u2026 \u201cA voice pulled her from her thoughts as she walked distractedly toward her lecture hall. It was Matthew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you really planning to spend your whole life with the Curtis Lincoln you see now? He\u2019s any serious lost all ambition. He wastes his days doing nothing. His so\u2013called \u2018ventures\u2018 lack commitment. He\u2019ll become a burden to you.\u201d Matthew\u2019s expression was one of genuine, if condescending, concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Langford,\u201d she said, her voice cold. \u201cDon\u2019t you have a company to run? Did you come all the way here just to criticize my husband? If you\u2019re so driven, perhaps focus on your own\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
16:24 Sat, Dec 27 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 238 Nothing Comes for Free\u00a0<\/p>\n
affairs instead of obsessing over others.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
:\u00a0<\/p>\n
+10 Free Coins\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew took a long breath, struggling to steady himself. \u201cAdriana \u2026 I came because things are getting serious. Do you know how many companies Curtis registered under his own name? Every single one of them hit roadblocks. He\u2019s at rock bottom, and no one wants to see a former titan rise again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adriana\u2019s heart tightened. She knew it wouldn\u2019t be easy but she hadn\u2019t realized it was this\u00a0<\/p>\n
bad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana, if no one steps in to support him now, it will be nearly impossible for him to recover. Everyone is waiting for him to fail.\u201d His gaze was intense. \u201cIf you want \u2026 I can help him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She studied his face. \u201cYou? Offering to help my husband out of the goodness of your heart? Since when?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His Adam\u2019s apple moved. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know nothing comes for free, Mr. Langford, and I\u2019m not interested in deals with hidden strings,\u201d Adriana said, brushing past him. \u201cGoodbye.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew watched her go, his hands clenching into futile fists at his sides.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He knew he and Adriana would never return to what they once were. But he still couldn\u2019t let\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ainsworth Group, CEO\u2019s Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After dropping Adriana at school, Curtis headed straight for Ainsworth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He came up through the private elevator, which meant almost no one saw him enter the building.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Lincoln.\u201d Ronan stepped inside, respectful. \u201cShould we make your identity as Ainsworth\u2019s chairman public?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Curtis leaned back in his chair, a sharp, calculating glint in his eyes. \u201cWhere would be the fun in that? I\u2019m rather enjoying this front\u2013row seat, watching to see exactly who\u2019s eager to kick a man when he\u2019s down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ronan\u2019s spine went rigid. He coughed lightly. \u201cMr. Lincoln \u2026 about your new company \u2026 it hasn\u2019t been progressing smoothly, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\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 238 apter 238 Nothing Comes […]<\/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-24148","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\/24148","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=24148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24148\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}