Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196 Loyalty Has Sides

Chapter 196 Loyalty Has Sides

If he had known earlier, Curtis would’ve found Adriana sooner.

Maybe then, she wouldn’t have fallen for Matthew.

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“But the Lincoln Group … I don’t want to let it go either. I built this empire from the ground up, why should I just hand it over to someone else?” Curtis lifted a hand and gently rubbed Adriana’s cheek. “So, babe … let’s give it our best shot. Denton’s still under the legal age for marriage. If we have a baby first, we beat him to it, right?”

Adriana’s face turned bright red, and she buried it in Curtis’s neck.

How could he talk about something like that so seriously, so suddenly?

“O–Okay…” she stammered, her voice muffled.

Alright then, time to have a baby, fast.

Just then, Curtis’s phone rang. He picked it up and answered with a calm, “Hello?”

“Mr. Lincoln … Mr. Harold has been keeping things quiet. He blocked the news from getting out and brought Denton back to the Lincoln estate. Just like you suspected, he’s making his

move.”

Curtis’s eyes instantly darkened.

He had given Harold one last chance, and Harold had thrown it away.

Back at the Lincoln Estate, Denton had returned with Juliet and Michael.

He was 19 now, and to be honest, he could count the number of cities he’d been to on one hand.

Aside from a few trips for school competitions, He had never once left that remote little fishing village in Haldoria.

For as long as he could remember, Denton had carried the weight of his family on his back.

Michael’s leg was disabled, and he couldn’t lift heavy things, even if he wanted to help. So from the time Denton was ten, he had been hauling seafood down at the docks for a local vendor. The owner was a kind man who took pity on the kid and made sure to slip him some money each day.

Juliet, meanwhile, had never been one to work. The only reason she got with Michael in the first place was because, back when he first left the Lincolns, he still had some valuables. Just

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Chapter 196 Loyalty Has Sides

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one of his watches had sold for a small fortune. In those early years, they lived large, spending without thinking. But once the money dried up, they were stuck with nothing but

bad habits.

Denton had grown up with nothing, and everything he had, he earned himself.

He truly never imagined that one day, he’d turn out to be the grandson of a wealthy family.

Even more shocking? That his useless, disabled father was the son of the richest man in Harborton.

“Big, huh? Can you guess how much this place is worth?” Juliet said excitedly, watching Denton stare, stunned, at the grandeur of the Lincoln Estate. She leaned in, whispering, “Your dad said this house is worth over ten billion on today’s market.”

The Lincoln Estate sat in the heart of Harborton’s most exclusive district, where every inch of land was astronomically expensive. And now that it had been declared a cultural landmark, its value couldn’t even be measured in money anymore.

“Imagine if your grandpa left this place to you someday… “Juliet was still busy daydreaming out loud.

“Mom.” Denton cut her off. “Dad gave up his right to inherit when he left the family. He signed the papers.”

Juliet immediately turned to glare at Michael. “What were you thinking back then? Even if the Lincolns were in debt, this house alone would’ve made up for it…

Why the hell had he signed away the inheritance?

“You don’t get it. Back then, when the Lincolns were in trouble, this house was auctioned off. The Bartons bought it, and then gave it back to the Lincolns. Technically, it still belongs to the Bartons. Jeremy always figured Nicole would marry into the family, so the house would end up her wedding gift,” Michael said quietly.

The ties between the Bartons and the Lincolns ran deep and messy. That’s also why Danielle and Nicole acted so entitled all the time.

“In that case, Dad, we definitely shouldn’t have come back now that the Lincolns are rising again.” Denton’s tone turned firm, almost disappointed. “We shouldn’t be trying to take something that was never ours to begin with.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! How is it not ours? We’re Lincolns, and we belong to the Lincoln family!” Michael snapped, clearly irritated,

Denton was about to respond when Ernest walked out. “This must be Mr. Denton. Right this way, please,” the butler said politely.

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Chapter 196 Loyalty Has Sides

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Then, turning to Michael, he added in a lower voice, “Mr. Lincoln didn’t inform the rest of the family about Mr. Denton’s return. The fewer people who know, the better, just in case word gets back to Mr. Curtis.”

His tone was calm, but deliberate, he was testing Denton’s attitude.

He had watched Curtis grow up. And while he couldn’t openly disobey Harold’s orders, his loyalty clearly leaned toward Curtis.

If Denton had returned just to chase the inheritance, Ernest felt he needed to find a way to quietly warn Curtis.

“Mr. Lincoln brought me back without telling Curtis?” Denton asked, a bad feeling creeping into his chest.

It was starting to click. Harold had likely brought him back to officially acknowledge him as part of the family.

And he hadn’t told Curtis … probably because Curtis would’ve objected.

Denton turned angrily toward Michael. “Dad, you said Grandpa wasn’t well and just wanted to see me. Why didn’t you mention we were hiding this from Curtis?”

Michael gave a nervous cough and shot the butler a look, silently telling him to drop it. Then he turned to Denton, fumbling for words. “We just didn’t want Curtis to overreact, that’s all.”

Denton frowned, clearly upset, but didn’t say anything else.

Ernest raised his hand slightly, motioning for Denton to follow.

“Mr. Michael, Mrs. Lincoln, you must be tired. Why don’t you rest over there for now?” he said, blocking them politely when they tried to come along.

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