Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 113

**TITLE: When Time Tried to Heal Me But I Refused to Listen by Kael Niro Senn 113**
**CONTENT: Chapter 113 He Doesn’t Have Time for You**

Matthew shook his head, a deep frown creasing his brow. He couldn’t help but think that Adriana was blissfully unaware of the perilous situation she had put herself in by standing between the Bartons and the Lincolns. It was a dangerous game, and she seemed to be playing it with reckless abandon.

“I don’t care if I’m being used,” Adriana asserted, her tone flat and devoid of emotion, as if she had already shut the door on this conversation. She was clearly finished with this line of discussion, and Matthew could feel the finality in her voice.

“Adriana, what do I have to do to make you believe me?” Matthew’s voice cracked slightly, laced with frustration and a deep-seated emotion that he struggled to contain. “Do you want me to rip my heart out and hand it to you?” His desperation was palpable, a raw nerve exposed.

It baffled him how he had found himself drawn to someone like her. It was maddening, really, the way she could both infuriate him and captivate him all at once.

“You only ever give me worthless stuff,” Adriana shot back, her gaze piercing through him. It was true; every time he had tried to lift her spirits in the past, it had been with hollow gestures and meaningless gifts.

Yet, when it came to Natasha, he had never hesitated to splurge. The contrast gnawed at him, leaving him in a state of confusion and self-doubt.

Matthew froze, the weight of her words sinking in. Did that mean his heart was just as worthless in her eyes?

“I actually care about you,” he insisted, his voice steadying as he tried to maintain his composure. “Curtis only sees you as a means to an end.” He leaned closer, desperation creeping into his tone. “Do you really need to hit rock bottom before you understand that?”

Silence hung between them like a thick fog, suffocating and uncomfortable.

“Come out here,” he urged again, his voice rising slightly, unwilling to continue shouting through the gate that separated them.

But she remained unmoving, a statue behind the barrier.

“Remember that girl you asked me to help four years ago? She just finished her SATs and wants us to go with her to pick her college major,” Matthew said, grasping for any thread of connection that might sway her. He was pulling out his last card, hoping the weight of their shared history would mean something to her. Curtis could never compete with that.

Adriana hesitated, caught in a moment of indecision. Bonnie’s doll handbook had one unwavering rule—never meet another man secretly behind her sugar daddy’s back. It was a rule that had been ingrained in her, a warning against the chaos that would ensue.

But the thought of celebrating the girl’s accomplishment was tempting. She quickly typed a message to Curtis, “Matthew helped a girl four years ago, and now she’s done with her SAT. Can I go see her with him?”

The silence that followed was heavy, and her heart sank a little. He probably didn’t even have time to respond, lost in his own world.

“Curtis doesn’t have time for you,” Matthew said, a mocking smile creeping onto his face. His jealousy was unmistakable, an undercurrent of emotion that he couldn’t hide.

“Just give me the address. I’ll go alone. I’m not riding with you,” Adriana retorted, her voice firm and resolute.

Matthew felt a surge of anger tighten his chest. He had never taken her marriage to Curtis seriously; to him, it felt like a flimsy facade that would crumble sooner or later. She was merely testing his limits, pushing him away, and it was infuriating.

“Fine. Just unblock me. I’ll send you the location,” he said, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

Overcome with emotion, tears streamed down Cynthia’s cheeks, and in a moment of unsteadiness, she stumbled right into Curtis’ waiting arms. A caregiver nearby captured the moment with a quick snap, and from that angle, it looked like a tender embrace.

Cynthia clung to him, her sobs echoing in the quiet space. “Curtis, I finally stood up…”

He helped her regain her balance, his voice soft and encouraging. “You’re doing wonderfully. Once you get a bit stronger, I’ll bring Belinda to see you.”

Cynthia nodded, her eyes shining with determination. “Curtis, you said that when I could stand again, you’d marry me…”

Curtis glanced down at the ring on his hand, a long silence stretching between them. “I already…”

“I know,” Cynthia interjected, her voice steady but tinged with sadness. “Nicole came back, right? Mr. Harold must be pushing you to marry her. It’s alright. I made mistakes before. I shouldn’t have had those feelings. I was older, and your grandpa was right to be upset. He was right not to let you marry me.”

Meanwhile, at the Westhaven Restaurant, Adriana followed the GPS, her heart racing as she arrived at the location where Matthew was waiting. As she stepped into the private room, she quickly realized the girl hadn’t shown up yet.

It dawned on her that Matthew had orchestrated this meeting, perhaps to have her all to himself. She chose a seat as far from him as possible, her eyes glued to her phone, refusing to engage in conversation.

Matthew’s patience was wearing thin. Watching her avoid him felt like a punch to the gut, and he frowned, irritation bubbling to the surface. “Do you think I’m going to bite? Sit closer,” he urged, his voice tinged with frustration.

The atmosphere was thick with unspoken words, and tension crackled in the air between them.