I Choose Him, Your Worst Enemy novel Chapter 184

And not only Avessa.

He had once tried to control Adriel as well.

Whether wife or child, everything in this house was meant to be under his control.

Before the age of five, Adriel feared him deeply.

Later, Carl noticed something was wrong and took him away under the pretense of heir training.

Under Carl and Lila's guidance, Adriel was raised properly.

They had shaped him into who he was now.

That was what brought them both the most comfort.

Now, pushed by Adriel's words, Dominic snapped.

He grabbed a vase from the table and hurled it violently.

It shattered at Adriel's feet with a loud crash.

Adriel had already anticipated the movement and shifted slightly.

Avessa, however, was not so fortunate.

The shards flew toward her instead, slicing into her lower leg.

Soon, blood quickly seeped through her skin.

She let out a soft, suppressed sound of pain but did not dare cry out.

Glancing at Dominic's rage, she only crouched down and began picking up the glass with her bare hands.

Adriel's eyes darkened as he watched her humble and defeated posture.

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Mom," he said calmly, "I feel like having soup."

He came up with a simple excuse to get her out of the room.

If she stayed here any longer, she would just become Dominic's punching bag.

Avessa immediately smiled, as if relieved. "Alright, alright."

She then happily walked toward the kitchen.

Dominic tried to stop her, but Adriel's voice cut in coldly. "Don't forget that she's your legal wife. Show her some basic respect. If you can't even do that, I don't mind moving her in with me."

Previously, Adriel had also suggested that Avessa move in with Joanne's household.

Avessa had gone, but Dominic somehow managed to bring her back home. No one knew exactly what methods he used. Not only that, but he also found out about Joanne's relationship with Eli.

After that, Joanne was forced to break up with Eli.

And in all of this, Avessa had also played a part—under Dominic's instructions, she had contributed more than a few blows to that already fractured relationship.

Since then, the mother and daughter had been estranged.

Even now, Joanne refused to come back to visit Dominic and Avessa.

Dominic let out a cold snort. "You said it yourself. She's my wife. What happens between husband and wife isn't something a son gets to interfere with. Go ahead then. Try and see if she'll leave with you."

He was certain of it. No matter how many chances Avessa was given, as long as he didn't allow it, she would never dare to leave.

That confidence was something he had never lacked.

Adriel's fists tightened at his sides, his gaze turning ice-cold as he met his father's mocking eyes.

He knew that much was true. He couldn't control his parents.

Not because he didn't try, but because he had already tried and failed.

Some people could never be saved.

And Avessa was exactly that kind of person.

Adriel slowly withdrew his gaze. "For the last time," he said flatly, "my matters are not your concern. Who I like and who I choose to be with is my decision. I love Wynette, and that will never change.

"Either you accept her as your daughter-in-law and welcome her properly..." He paused, lips curling into a cold smile.

"Or I don't mind marrying into her family instead. As long as I can be with her, becoming a live-in son-in-law isn't a problem."

He said it plainly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He held his ground, meeting his father's gaze with a cold, unwavering stare.

In the end, Dominic broke first.

His eyes flickered, and then, almost reluctantly, he looked away—slowly retreating under that pressure.

Seeing that, Adriel merely pulled back his gaze with open contempt.

"I mean what I said," he said flatly. "Don't push your luck."

After he said that, he stood up, turned, and walked out without a second glance.

Outside the Gallagher residence, Blaze was already waiting by the car, leaning against the door with a cigarette between his fingers.

He was waiting for his boss.

Every time Adriel came back here, he would leave carrying that same suffocating cold aura and suppressed rage.

And every time, he would never stay longer than half an hour.

Blaze had long gotten used to it, so he would stand outside and wait for the storm to pass.

And just as expected, he hadn't even finished his cigarette when Adriel walked out.

Blaze flicked it away and crushed the ember under his shoe.

He opened the car door for Adriel to get in.

The engine started immediately.

Just as they pulled off, his phone lit up.

It was a message from Wynette. He opened it, and the moment he saw those words—"Love you"—something in his tightly coiled expression softened.

"Go to the airport," he said, asking Blaze to change the route.

His brows softened, and he suddenly couldn't wait another second to see Wynette.

Right now. Immediately.