Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 198

**When Time Tried to Heal Me But I Refused to Listen by Kael Niro Senn**
**Chapter 198: Only Each Other**

Harold’s anxiety was not merely rooted in the possibility that Curtis might deny Michael a place within the Lincoln family. No, what truly gnawed at him was the unsettling realization that Curtis had only restrained his darker impulses for all these years due to Harold’s presence, due to the authority he still wielded.

What would happen when Harold’s time on this earth came to an end? What horrors could unfold if Curtis, with his cold-blooded nature and chilling capabilities, decided to eliminate Michael?

“You have no idea what Curtis is capable of,” Harold warned, lowering his voice as he fixed a piercing gaze on Denton. “Do you know how your father’s ex-wife—Curtis’s very own mother—met her end? It was Curtis. He took her life with his bare hands. If he could do that to the woman who gave him life… what makes you think that just because you’re not vying for the Lincoln legacy, he would spare you once I am gone?”

Denton stood frozen, the weight of Harold’s words crashing down on him. His eyes darted around, searching Harold’s face for any sign of exaggeration or deceit, but all he found was a stark truth that shook him to his core.

Curtis… killed his own mother?

“I… I don’t understand,” Denton stammered, his voice quaking with disbelief.

He craved answers, a deeper understanding of the monster lurking within his own family.

Meanwhile, just outside the door, Curtis stood rigid, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins in his hands stood out like cords. His expression was one of icy resolve, sharp and predatory, as if he were a hunter waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

For years, he had tolerated Michael’s presence, allowing him to exist quietly on the periphery of the family. He had chosen to look the other way, but now, with Harold’s mistrust laid bare, Curtis felt a simmering rage. If Harold had been guarding against him all this time, if this was the extent of Harold’s faith in him, then he had no room to complain about what was to come next.

In his anger, his palm split open where his own fingernails had dug in too deeply, crimson droplets spilling silently onto the floor.

By the time Ernest rushed in, having caught wind of the tension, Curtis was already gone. He had turned his back on the study, leaving without a word.

Ernest’s eyes fell to the small trail of blood left behind, a haunting reminder of Curtis’s turmoil.

He sighed heavily, a deep ache settling in his heart as he shook his head.

Curtis had returned today still clinging to a thread of familial loyalty, but now, after everything that had transpired, that thread might have finally snapped.

—

Back at the hotel, Adriana lay in a deep slumber, completely exhausted, her body sinking into the mattress as she drifted through dreams.

When she finally stirred, a creeping sense of panic washed over her. Curtis was nowhere to be found.

With a jolt, she sat up, her heart racing as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, ready to search for him.

Just then, the door to their hotel room creaked open, and there stood Curtis, his figure silhouetted against the dim light of the hallway.

He appeared worn, utterly drained, as if the very essence of life had ebbed away from him. Leaning against the doorframe, he bore a heavy weight that seemed to hang in the air.

The room was cloaked in shadows, the darkness amplifying the tension between them.

Adriana stood barefoot, rooted to the spot as she took in his appearance—his tie hanging loosely around his neck, his eyes rimmed with red, betraying a night of torment.

Her heart ached at the sight, and without a second thought, she rushed toward him, enveloping him in her arms. “Where did you go…? I had a nightmare…” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

In her dream, their marriage had crumbled, and the thought of losing him had been unbearable.

“Don’t be scared. I’m here,” Curtis murmured back, drawing her close, his embrace firm yet trembling.

He had envisioned the day when he could provide Adriana with a safe and loving home.

He had promised himself he would be a good father. Despite having no role models, despite the uncertainty, he had poured over books and videos, desperate to learn what it meant to be a good dad.

But that child… he had not protected them.

He felt like a failure. In this world, he had always been unwanted as a son. As a father, he had been powerless to save the fragile life that could have changed everything.

“Curtis, thank you for coming into my life. Because of you, I found the strength to rise from a place I thought I would never escape. If you hadn’t shown up, I don’t know if I would still be here.” Adriana leaned her head against his shoulder, her voice a soothing balm, laced with emotion. “I only have you, too…”

In that moment, they became each other’s lifeline, their salvation intertwined.

Later that night, Curtis received a call. Denton had rejected the idea of formally joining the Lincoln family and had chosen instead to return to Haldoria—alone.

He hadn’t informed Juliet or Michael. He had simply walked away.

Harold, not one to back down easily, had already dispatched people to Haldoria to retrieve him. It was clear he was determined to draw Denton back into the Lincoln fold.

With a heavy sigh, Curtis rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on him, yet he remained silent. He ended the call without a word.

Adriana lay asleep, her breathing steady and peaceful, cradled in his arms.

As he looked down at her, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, feeling a flicker of warmth in his chest.

He wasn’t fighting for power, not truly. But if he didn’t fight for their future, he would never be able to provide Adriana with the safe and stable life she deserved. Shadows loomed around them—vultures circling, wolves watching—waiting for the day he would falter, the day he might abandon her, or the moment he would lose the ability to protect her.