FULL NOVELXO Chapter The Back 404
Chapter 404
Chapter 404
The guests present all took in the scene before them. It was well known that Brian had always despised Ariana, but this time, he appeared visibly anxious about her in front of everyone.
Ariana seemed unsurprised by the reactions of the guests around them. She withdrew her hand and said, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Lodge."
Brian quickly realized that Ariana had just used him.
Due to Lodge Co.'s stance toward Torrey Co., many had assumed that there was tension between the Lodges and Torreys. As a result, few corporate partners had been willing to initiate business dealings with the Torreys.
Now that they have seen Brian and Ariana on better terms, many would likely approach the Torrey family.
"Ariana, did you just exploit me?" Brian had never realized just how cunning Ariana could be. He had always assumed she was clueless, but it was clear that he was the foolish one now.
"Didn't you say it yourself, Mr. Lodge? Mutual exploitation isn't a bad thing for either of us." Ariana shrugged nonchalantly.
Brian had used her like this before. This time, it's just that the tables have turned.
Ariana said, "Don't think I don't know what you're planning, Mr. Lodge. I know I'm the last of my family, but
that doesn't mean it will be easy to take advantage of my inheritance."
Brian's expression darkened when he saw that Ariana had misunderstood him. He scoffed, "I'm taking advantage of your inheritance?"
She really had an active imagination!
Belinda did have that intention, but he certainly didn't.
Emily, who was standing by a side, couldn't help but interject when she saw Brian's frustration, "Ms. Torrey, I'm afraid you have misunderstood. Mr. Lodge isn't-"
"What isn't he doing? He isn't after my inheritance? That's hard to believe," Ariana said.
The guests at the gala today were all wealthy, powerful, and highly influential figures in Gleaston. They had even brought in the media.
Wasn't this all just a publicity stunt to hype up the relationship between her and Brian?
Ariana was all too familiar with these tricks, but she hadn't expected Brian to resort to such underhanded tactics. "Listen, Ariana. I would never do that!" With that, Brian took a step closer to Ariana.
Brian had spent the past few days thinking about his feelings for Ariana, and she saw the strange look he had for her in his eyes.
She instinctively stepped back and said with a frown, "Brian, I'm not here to mess with you. I came here today to play along with your act for the sake of the Torrey family, not because I have feelings for you." "But I have feelings for you," Brian admitted,
That one sentence made Ariana freeze.
"Don't you already know that there's nothing between Evelyn and me?" Brian asked. "The child she carried back then belonged to my friend."
Chapter 404
Ariana frowned. "So what? What does that have to do with me?"
Brian clenched his jaw when he saw how indifferent she was to his explanation. He swallowed his
frustration and said, "I rejected Evelyn because I want to pursue you."
Ariana looked at Brian and could tell he wasn't lying, but she couldn't help but see glimpses of the Brian from her past life in the man standing before her now.
It no longer mattered if Brian truly liked her or was just pretending to. What mattered was that now, she only loved herself.
"Are you done?" Ariana asked.
Brian was momentarily stunned by the sudden calmness she showed.
Ariana said, "I used to like you a lot, but well... not anymore.
Gwen and Igor were already expelled from the family, and Ariana was the Torreys' heiress. She had her own career
as well.
Why should she let a man hold her back?
Ariana put some distance between them and said, "Thank you for the hospitality, Mr. Lodge. But the show and I should say my goodbyes to you."
With Brian still in shock, Ariana turned and walked away from the Lodge family's gala gracefully. The crowd was stunned.
is over,
Ariana, on the other hand, felt nothing but relief. From now on, she would be the head of Torrey Co., the heiress of the Torrey family, and the CEO of Warto Group.
The only thing she would never be was Brian's wife.