Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 23

23 It’s a Criminal Case

Matthew spoke quietly, his voice calm and measured. He was careful not to let anyone from the Jones family catch on to his connection with Adriana. Inside, however, he couldn’t help but see her as selfish—she wasn’t just fighting for the scholarship but seemed determined to drive a wedge between him and Natasha as well.

“There’s no point trying to reason with her anymore,” Felicia snapped sharply, her eyes locked on Adriana with unmistakable disdain. “She clearly doesn’t understand her position. I’ll say this once—take the easy way out now, or don’t come complaining when things get messy.”

Adriana met her glare with a steely look. “And what exactly do you think you’re going to do?”

Matthew’s voice turned icy. “You’re digging your own grave.” Without waiting for a response, he pivoted and started to walk away.

Felicia let out a frustrated huff. “You’ll get what’s coming to you,” she warned, stomping after him. Muttering under her breath as she caught up, she said, “You can’t just walk away from this. Natasha and Rufus are your responsibility too.”

Matthew’s face darkened further. “I’ll handle Natasha. But Rufus? He’s the one who created this mess. You all let him spiral out of control. Whatever happens now, it’s on him.”

Felicia’s jaw twitched, but she pressed on stubbornly. “Still, he’s family. Your future brother-in-law. You can’t pretend like he doesn’t matter.”

“If I hadn’t stepped in four years ago, he’d already be behind bars,” Matthew snapped, turning away in frustration.

Felicia remained standing there, clenching her jaw tightly. That woman, Adriana, had stirred up far too much trouble. Sooner or later, she’d have to be dealt with.

The next morning, early and sharp, Matthew arrived at the police station accompanied by a team of lawyers. His assistant hurried over to him, voice tinged with panic.

“Mr. Langford, the Lincolns have sent their top legal team for Adriana. Rufus’s situation looks grim. These are the best attorneys Harborton has to offer,” he said, clearly uneasy. “Also, there’s strong evidence against Rufus. On top of that, he might be charged with drug use. It doesn’t seem like he’s getting out of this one.”

Matthew’s expression darkened, storm clouds gathering behind his eyes.

Why was Curtis always stepping in to help Adriana?

His assistant hesitated before adding, “And Natasha… The surveillance footage and that livestream caught everything. She was the one who had Adriana locked up. It’s going to be tough to defend her now.”

Matthew exhaled slowly, pulling out his phone to call Curtis.

Usually, the Langfords and Lincolns avoided crossing paths. But Curtis’s sudden intervention on Adriana’s behalf felt off—it suggested something deeper was at play.

Curtis wasn’t one to break rules recklessly; he was clever, always careful not to give anyone a reason to question him.

Sending top lawyers for a mere assistant and backing Adriana out of nowhere—this was clearly more than just kindness.

“So, it’s Mr. Harold behind this…” Matthew muttered, swallowing his frustration.

“I trust you can see what’s right and wrong,” Curtis said plainly. “With the evidence already laid out, it’s better not to protect someone like Rufus. That guy’s a walking scandal. If he doesn’t learn his lesson now, he’ll keep causing problems even after you and Natasha get married.”

Matthew said nothing, but the furrow in his brow spoke volumes.

Rufus was a liability. Maybe some time behind bars would straighten him out.

“Alright then. Rest well, Mr. Lincoln. We’ll talk next time you’re in town,” Matthew said, ending the call. He then turned to his assistant with a sharp look. “Take the lawyers and tell Rufus there’s no way out of this. If he wants to keep his sister out of trouble, he’d better admit to the illegal detention himself.”

At this point, Matthew’s priority was protecting Natasha. Rufus could handle his own mess.

The assistant nodded and left with the legal team.

Matthew rubbed his temple, then faced the PR team. “Remove every negative post about Natasha from the internet.”

“We’ve tried,” one of them replied cautiously. “But too many people saw Adriana’s livestream. Ms. Jones acted without thinking this time.” The implication was clear—it was Natasha’s fault. “Unless… Adriana is willing to release something that clears her name…”