2024-09-17 07:44:27The slap was heavier than Adrian had anticipated, and his head whipped sideways as Evelyn's hand connected with his cheek.
The shock hit him first, followed by a wave of shame. She glared angrily at him, satisfied with the force she'd used. “Pathetic," Evelyn spat, her eyes cold and full of disgust. Her sharp features contorted into a sneer as she stood only feet away. The designer heels clicked with each movement she made closer, her presence looming over him. "Do you even know how long my car's been sitting there, filthy? What kind of useless man can't even wash a car? Adrian kept his head down, his fists curling at the sides. His gaze briefly moved to the sleek black car-the one he hadn't had time to clean. He'd been busy, taking care of his mother, making sure she had everything she needed. But he knew Evelyn didn't care about that. Never did. "I was going to clean it, Evelyn," he said in a low voice, trying to keep himself from lashing out. "I just-” "Shut up!" Her sharp voice cut through the air, her finger jabbing toward him accusingly. "You and that wretched mother of yours should be thanking us every single day for letting you stay here. We took you in when we should have thrown you both out on the street! Adrian flinched. He hated it when she talked of his mother that way, constant insults and constantly telling them they weren't meant to be there. Of course, what was he to do? He didn't want to make things worse, not when his mother needed him. "Don't talk about my mother like that," he said. His voice was low but firm, knowing full well it wouldn't stop her, but he had to say something. Evelyn's eyes blazed with malice. "What was that?" her voice echoed loudly as she closed the space between them further. "Standing up for yourself, Adrian? Cute." Without giving him even a chance to speak, she raised her hand again and slapped him harder than before. Adrian stepped back, and his cheek began to sting. "Don't you ever talk back to me," Evelyn hissed, "you're nothing but a piece of thrash. You should feel lucky we let you stay under this roof." Footsteps cut through the tension. It was Jane, his wife. Jane's eyes darted from her sister to Adrian and back again, her face unreadable. "What's going on?" she asked flatly. "Your useless husband, that's what's going on" Evelyn snapped. "He can't even do the one thing I asked of him. My car is still dirty, and he's standing here making excuses. Honestly, why did you marry him? He's nothing but a cockroach. Adrian waited, his chest tight with hope. Maybe, just maybe, Jane would say something, anything to come to his defense. But instead, Jane let out a sigh; her shoulders sank as she said, "Adrian, just do what she says. Don't make things harder than they need to be." And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, humiliated and alone. Evelyn snarled, "See? Even your wife knows you're worthless." She enjoyed every bit of his misery as she folded her arms. "Now, get on your knees and apologize.” “What?” “You heard me, on your knees!” She repeated her commanded. Adrian's jaw tightened as his whole body tensed up, overwhelmed by anger, shame, and defeat. He knew there was no winning this, not today. Slowly, he sank to his knees, the cold concrete greeting him. "I'm sorry, Evelyn," he mumbled, barely audible. "Louder you piece of shit!" she insisted, her eyes filled with malice. "I'm sorry!" he shouted, louder now, and hating every word that left his lips. Evelyn wasn't done. She kicked him in the chest and sent him sprawling onto his back. "Useless," she smiled wickedly. "Get my car washed. I don't want to ask a second time because next time, it will be worse.” She warned. Adrian remained on the ground. He waited until she had walked away before he slowly pulled himself to his feet. He could still feel the pain from her hot slaps on his cheek. Feeling completely humiliated, he moved towards her car to get it washed. As Adrian scrubbed the car, his mind drifted back to how he ended up here in the first place. How had his life spiraled into this daily humiliation?
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The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 2
He could never have envisioned this life five years ago. He had been a regular guy then, holding a simple job, trying to make ends meet for his mother. His life was not glamorous, but it was honest. Everything changed that night at the charity gala. It had been a hot summer evening, and Adrian had been working at a charity gala hosted by the prestigious Sinclair family, one of the richest families in the city of NewOak. He was there to serve drinks, clear tables, and fade into the background as every other hired hand did. Rich and wealthy people like the Sinclairs never noticed people like him, and it was quite all right with Adrian. He just wanted to do his job and leave. Everything was going fine. people clinked their glasses together accompanied with laughter. That was until Gregory Sinclair, Jane's father collapsed. The whole moment seemed unreal to him. Just a moment earlier, Gregory was merrily entertaining a bunch of posh guests, and the very next minute, he lay on the
The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 3
Adrian!" Ethan, his brother-in law, called loudly again.He quickly made his way to Ethan's room and he could hear the clinking glasses and low chatter. Ethan would always do this. He would spend his days partying and ulping down alcohol. His father Gregory had grown tired of his carefree behaviour and wished he had been gifted with a more sensible son, not this buffoon. Adrian took a deep breath before stepping into the room. There was a high chance he could get an undeserved beating. He found Ethan sitting on a leather sofa with his friend Dave, both of them half-drunk The smell of alcohol hung in the air, and a whiskey bottle could be seen on the table, almost empty. "There you are," Ethan said with a lazy grin. "We need you to drive us somewhere." Adrian frowned. "I can't, Ethan. I have to drive Mr. Gregory somewhere later today. It's important." Ethan's grin was gone in an instant, replaced by a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What did you just say?" Adrian took a pr
The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 4
Adrian nodded, still in shock of what had just happened. “Now get out of the car.” Ethan ordered, leaving Adrian on the side of the road before him and Dave drove off.By the time Adrian returned to the mansion, he was still shaking, his hands quivering.The image of that man's body—inside his head—wouldn't go away, and Ethan's cold command echoed in his ears. He had to say something—to someone—but who would believe him? A nobody in this family, a lowly pawn used whenever it suited them? How could Ethan just walk away from what he had done? The thought chilled him to the bone. Adrian pushed the heavy oak door of the Sinclair mansion open and was immediately met by Evelyn. She stood in the foyer, arms crossed across her chest, her foot tapping impatiently upon the marble floor. "Where's Ethan? Why didn't you bring him back with the car? "I—he took the car," Adrian said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I…I don't know where he went after that." You could hear the
The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 5
"They are saying Ethan ran someone over and never stopped," Evelyn turned to her father. "What?!” Gregory was in disbelief. His foolish son had finally gotten himself into serious trouble. “Make sure you don't say anything until the lawyer arrives” Evelyn said firmly to Ethan as he was taken away. Immediately he was out of the house, she turned her attention to Adrian. “Didn’t you drive them, Adrian?” an accusatory look was drawn all over her face. “Yes I did but--” Adrian was interrupted by a phone call. It was Dr. Harris, the doctor in-charge of his mother’s case. "Hello?” he answered anxiously. He had recently taken his mother for some more tests and was waiting for the results. "I am calling about your mother's condition. We need to talk, immediately." The doctor’s tone implied that it was something serious. "I-I'll be right there," Adrian stuttered, hanging up the phone. He glanced at Evelyn’s piercing stare, sensing no room for explanations now. “I have to
The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 6
“What?.....how do you know my mother needs surgery?” the shock was evident on his face. Evelyn took a step towards him. “How I know doesn't matter. What matters is that I can help you….that is if you do what I say” “I'll be back in an hour. I want your answer by then” she said coldly before leaving his room. Adrian paced back and forth. What was he to do? if he agreed to do what Evelyn asked, he could save his mother. But at what cost? If he admitted to the crime, he would be punished dearly. The thought of having to spend years behind bars made him shiver. If he chose not do it, there was no guarantee that Evelyn wouldn’t still try to pin it on him. The air suddenly felt thick and choking as Adrian tried to make a decision. An hour later, Evelyn returned. Her face was cold and confident, her eyes locking onto his as if she knew exactly what he was going to say. Adrian's heart sank realizing what he had to do. She'd already won, and they both knew it. "Well?"
The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 7
Adrian sat in the courtroom, his hands cuffed and his body tense. Today was the day that he would know his fate. Everyone’s gaze was focused on him. He hardly heard the murmurs of the people around him or the rustling of paper from the legal teams. All he could concentrate on was the gnawing feeling in his chest. Evelyn didn’t even bother to get him a lawyer, and he had to make do with a public defender. The judge, an older man with a stoic face sat on the high table in front of the room and read over the case details. “Mr. Adrian, you stand accused of vehicular assault and obstruction of justice. How do you plead?” Adrian swallowed hard. His eyes glanced to the back of the courtroom where Evelyn sat, her face looking cold and detached. She had done this to him, yet she sat there not looking affected at all. "I. I plead guilty," Adrian managed to speak. There was a collective shift in the room, a low murmur of voices as the judge nodded and scribbled down something. Guilty. It
The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 8
“My name is Javier.” The man said as he helped Adrian up. Javier would come to be one of his trusted friends in prison. The coming weeks were difficult for Adrian as he tried to adapt to prison life. Each day seemed like hell, but he consoled himself that he was at least able to save his mother. But he hadn’t heard anything about his mother since he got into prison. No one from the Sinclair family had bothered to visit him, not even if his wife Jane. He was finally relieved when one of the guards called his name and informed him that he had a visitor. On getting to the visiting room, he saw that it was Jane. Of course, no matter how angry she was at him, she would definitely not leave him there without visiting. His wife must still love him. So he thought. He sat across her as she looked at him with a blank expression on her face. “Jane…I knew you’d come to see me.” Jane’s gaze swept over him. She could tell that prison life was already taking a toll on him, and part
The Return of Adrian Scott Chapter 9
Chapter 9 Adrian dropped the phone as his hands trembled. He couldn’t believe his ears. His mother, his whole world was gone. Everything he had done was all for nothing. Evelyn had lied to him. This couldn’t be true. His mother couldn’t be gone. He picked back the prison phone and dialed Evelyn. “What happened to my mother!” his voice sounded violent. “You should mind the tone you use with me.” Evelyn said coldly on the other end of the line. “You lied to me. I went to prison for nothing!” “You went to prison for a crime you admitted to commiting. How is that my fault?” she laughed over the phone causing Adrian to wonder how a person could be so heartless. “Did you really think I’d spend my money on that mother of yours? You are really a bigger fool than I thought. I hope you enjoy your vacation in prison.” With that she ended the call leaving Adrian in tears. He would go on to spend 7 years in prison, but that night was the worst night of his life. His chest felt tight and h
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CHAPTER 34
Adrian's head banged with a sharp headache as he woke up. His body felt heavy as he sluggishly sat up on the bed. His eyes widened suddenly when he realized that he was naked. He turned and was shocked to see a woman lying beside him. It was Jane. She was still asleep, the sheets barely covering her body. “What the hell?” he exclaimed as he tried to wake her up. “Jane, wake up!” he shouted angrily. Jane stirred as she slowly opened her eyes. She frowned with confusion when she saw Adrian in front of her. Her face turned red as she quickly realized she was naked as well. She quickly pulled up the sheets to cover herself. “Adrian? What's going on? Why am I here?” “That’s what I should be asking you!” Adrian snapped. “What did you do? What the hell happened last night?” Jane looked horrified. “I didn’t do anything! You’re the one who told me to come here!” Adrian’s jaw tightened. “I never told you to come here.” It was at that point Adrian realized that it mu
CHAPTER 33
Lana stepped into Adrian's office with some questions on her mind. Since the incident with the shooting, Adrian had become more familiar with her. She felt this was an opportunity for her to find out more about his issues with the Sinclairs. “Excuse me sir? Do you mind if I ask you something personal?” she said, breaking the silence. Adrian turned his chair to face her. “You can just call me Adrian when we're alone. What's your question” “Why did you make that deal with Mr. Richardson? You didn’t really need it. Was it just to ruin the Sinclairs’ deal?” she asked, searching his eyes. Adrian gave a faint smile but didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tapped his fingers on his tablet “You think I’d waste my time just to mess with Evelyn?” Lana raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you? You knew how much the Sinclair family needed that deal. You swooped in at the last minute and took it. It wasn’t about business. it was personal.” His smile faded, and his expression turned cold.
CHAPTER 32
Evelyn’s grip tightened on her tablet as she stared angrily at the news article. The Dave case had brought more negative attention to the family. She clenched her as she scrolled the article. Ever since Adrian had returned, it had been one issue or the other. A sharp knock snapped her out of her thoughts. Her personal assistant walked into the office. “Ma’am, your meeting with Mr. Richardson is in an hour.” She informed her softy. Evelyn took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “Alright. Tell the driver to get ready,” She instructed, trying to hide her frustration. Sinclair Industries had been trying to get into the renewable energy sector. Initially she had planned to strike a deal with the Delaney family, but with Adrian taking over as CEO, the deal couldn’t happen. He would have no business with the Sinclairs. She decided to deal with the Richardson family instead. They were not as wealth as the Delaney family but they were bigger than the Sinclair family. Evelyn had spent
CHAPTER 31
About an hour later, Dave’s phone rang. He answered and heard Adrian’s voice on the other end of the line. “What do you want?” he said sharply. “I know you threatened that man to commit suicide.” Adrian said calmly. Dave froze. “You don’t have any proof. Stop making crazy accusations” he tried to sound confident. Adrian chuckled darkly. “Really? I have a recording of you threatening him on the phone.” Dave swallowed hard. There was a long silence before he finally spoke. “You’re bluffing.” Adrian opened a recording and played it. Dave’s eyes widened in shock, his fingers trembling. How did Adrian have a recording of his phone call? Beads of sweat ran down his head. Just then officers barged into the room. “Dave Sethwood, you’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder.” “It seems the police has arrived. Enjoy your time in prison.” Adrian smirked before ending the call. Dave’s face twisted with anger. “What? This is ridiculous! I have nothing to do with it!” As the office
CHAPTER 30
Adrian and Javier took the man to the police station. His appearance matched the person the police had seen on CCTV footage around the area the shooting took place. Detective Grey, the detective in charge began the questioning. “Who sent you? Why did you try to kill Adrian Delaney?” The man refused to answer any of the questions he was asked. He demanded to make a phone call. Dave paced around his room nervously. “You what?” he hissed. “How could you get caught?” The man lowered his voice. “It wasn’t my fault. I was set up.” Dave’s eyes widened. “Set up? How?” “I received a text claiming to be you asking to meet up.” “You have to help me or else I'll confess to everything.” The man threatened. Dave stopped pacing, his grip tightening on his phone. “You listen to me,” he said through gritted teeth. “You won’t say anything. I’ll send my lawyer, and he’ll take care of it. You’ll be out soon.” The man hesitated, fear evident in his voice. “You better not leave me hanging
CHAPTER 29
Adrian had stepped out to make a call, leaving Brianne and Lana alone in the room. “So,” Brianne started, crossing her arms. “Why did you do it?” Lana frowned, pretending to be ignorant. “Do what?” she asked. “You know what I mean,” Brianne said. “Why did you save Adrian? You could have let someone else take care of him and rid us of the problem.” Lana stiffened. “It wasn’t like that. I couldn’t let him die so easily.” Brianne’s eyes narrowed. “Couldn’t let him die? You told me you hated him. What are you playing at?” Adrian stepped out of the hospital room, the door clicking softly behind him. The faint hum of the hospital corridor filled the silence as Lana turned her head to the sound of approaching heels. Brianne strolled in, her expression sharp and questioning, as if she had been waiting for this exact moment. Lana exhaled sharply, her tone cold. “He needs to suffer. Just like my father suffered. Dying quickly would be too merciful for someone like him.” Brianne studies h
CHAPTER 28
The hospital light cast a glow over Adrian has he sat on a chair beside Lana’s bed, his head in his hands. The events of the previous night kept replaying in his head. His hands were still faintly stained with Lana’s blood. He hadn’t left the hospital since Lana was rushed in. he had refused to. A nurse passed by, trying to give him a reassuring smile that did little to put him at ease. He never wanted anyone to get hurt in his revenge plan. If he suspected correctly, this must have been Dave’s doing. Hours later, he was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of the rustling bed. He turned to see Lana slowly opening her eyes. Her face was a bit pale but she was awake. “Lana,” he said softly. The sound of relief evident in his voice as he helped her sit up. She blinked at him, a bit disoriented. She winced a bit still feeling the pain from the bullet wound. Her gaze settled on Adrian. “What…what happened?” Adrian managed a small smile. “Thankfully, the bullet went straight
CHAPTER 27
They spent the whole day working on the proposal, and by time it was ready, it was already late at night. “We’re finally done.” Adrian gave a soft smile towards Lana. They both went down to the ground floor and Adrian moved towards his car. “Have a goodnight” Adrian said as he inserted his car key into his car “Goodnight sir.” She replied softly. Adrian noticed she was walking home alone. “Would you like a ride?” he offered. “No. Thank you. I prefer to walk. I’ll get on the bus.” She replied politely, declining his offer. Adrian closed his car door. “Well. If you’re not going to take my offer. Then I’ll walk with you to the busstop.” Lana paused for a moment. Not sure how to respond. “Oh. You don’t have to.” “I insist.” Adrian said with a charming smile. The night air was crisp and quiet as they walked side by side, the sound of moving cars filling the silence. Adrian glanced at Lana. She looked like she was in thought, her hands folded tightly. “You know” Adrian start
CHAPTER 26
“Sit,” she said with an icy tone. Lana obeyed, sitting promptly in the chair opposite her. “I must say” Brianne began, her voice laced with disappointment. “I am unimpressed with your progress. I offered you the chance to get revenge for your father but so far you have given me nothing” Lana’s hands clenched in her laps. “I’ve been trying-” “You’re not trying enough” Brianne cut her off sharply. “I don’t care if you have to seduce him to get information, just do what needs to be done!” “Yes, ma'am,” Lana replied softly. [The Sinclair Mansion] Dave’s attention was drawn to his buzzing phone, Tyler’s name on the screen. “Hey Tyler, what’s up?” Dave greeted casually. “I wasn’t sure whether to tell you this, but I saw Jane at the company yesterday. It seems she came to see Adrian.” Dave’s expression hardened “Are you sure?” “I’m positive.” Tyler replied. “Alright.” He said before ending the call. Dave clenched his fists, evidently furious. He had asked Jane wh
