Ms. Escape Marrying to Run Fighting to Rise novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Matthew Is Rude

Matthew deliberately avoided Adriana’s eyes.

He shot Mia a warning glare, then disappeared into the study.

No matter how desperately Adriana pleaded or struggle, he ignored her. He was punishing her. He believed she brought those cookies to provoke Natasha.

Mia smirked. All three of them–Mia, Camelia, and Rufus–laughed.

Their laughter was sharp and vicious, like demons.

“Come sit, Anna.” Natasha smiled sweetly, waving her over.

But Adriana couldn’t move.

Her legs felt like lead. Her mind was drowning in memories of what those three had done to her.

“Natasha, isn’t this Adriana? Our campus queen …” Rufus sneered. The words dripped with sarcasm.

Natasha’s face lit up. “Oh? You’re classmates? Great, get along then.”

Adriana stood frozen, one thought screaming in her head: Run.

“Natasha … “Adriana’s voice trembled. “I … I just remembered something at home. I have to leave. I’m so sorry…”

She spun around, bolting for the door like her life depended on it–until her legs gave out after a few steps, sending her crashing to the floor.

“Let’s walk our classmate out,” Mia said, taking the lead, stepping closer with each word.

Adriana wanted to run. She really wanted to.

But she couldn’t stand. Her body locked up, frozen from the inside out.

It wasn’t just them she feared–it was everything she’d lived through.

“What’s wrong? Can’t get up, huh?” Rufus grabbed the back of her collar and yanked her up like a rag doll. “Our campus queen isn’t gonna piss herself again, is she”

Adriana lowered her head, her deaf left ear ringing in pain. Her face was tight, her skin burning. She tried to escape.

However, she couldn’t.

“Matthew is getting married. To my sister. Now tell me how should we handle you trying to hook up with my brother–in–law?” Rufus grinned, throwing his arm around her shoulder, dragging her toward the door.

Adriana knew Rufus. He never needed a reason to torment her.

He pursued her on the first day of orientation during her freshman year. Back then, Adriana didn’t realize she’d caught the attention of a monster.

She rejected him. Publicly. That was the start of her nightmare.

Thereafter, Rufus used her rejection as an excuse to humiliate her–stripped her, took naked photos, and burned her with cigarettes. He had Mia and Camelia beat her as well.

They locked her in a wooden crate.

They even forced her to sleep in a public restroom….

And when she resisted? They had plenty of ways to make her drop out and plenty of ways to go after the kids at the orphanage.

She was the only kid from the orphanage who made it to college. She was their hope.

She couldn’t afford to get expelled.

So even if they forced her to swallow nails, she had to choke them down.

“Say something!” Camelia kicked Adriana to the ground annoyed. “What’s with the silent act? Matthew doesn’t want you anymore, got that? And if you don’t behave, we can shut down that crappy orphanage of yours anytime!”

Adriana lay on the grass, brushing dirt off her sleeves. She still had to wear this outfit tonight when she met Curtis …

She wanted to make a good impression.

That was probably out the window now.

“What, deaf and mute now too?” Camelia slapped her hard across the face.

The housemaid walked by, saw it all–and kept walking like nothing happened.

Everyone here had silently agreed: these princes and princesses could do whatever they wanted to Adriana.

Still, Adriana said nothing. She never begged. She just sat there, stubborn, taking the hits.

Once, Rufus asked her, “What do you think about while sitting there getting beat?”

“She fell in herself … ” Camelia said nervously, trying to play it off.

Adriana crawled out of the pond, staring at Matthew.

Yet, he said nothing.

“Sorry, I’ll head home now…” Adriana said breathlessly desperate to escape.

“Adriana …” Matthew called her name, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He almost stepped forward–but stopped himself, remembering Natasha. “I’ll have the driver take you.”

Adriana glanced back one last time and smiled. “No, thanks…”

She swore that this would be the last time she ever looked at him with love.

Watching her leave soaked and humiliated, Matthew fel like a rock was wedged in his chest. For some reason, he had a bad feeling he would regret it.

At the Clarke Residence.

Adriana didn’t have time to change.

Luckily, Matthew’s place wasn’t far from Curtis’s.

She made it there in 15 minutes.

She first met Curtis at Haldoria’s most exclusive club. That day, Matthew was entertaining some tycoons. from Harborton. Curtis was one of them.

She delivered Matthew’s jacket—that’s when Curtis saw her for the first time.

Judging by what his friends said, Adriana’s face hit all of Curtis’s buttons.

Right in front of Matthew, Curtis asked for her number. Matthew didn’t object.

Curtis was clearly an important client.

Later, Curtis invited her to dinner. She refused. So he straight up offered a contractual marriage, but she was so scared and blocked him.

Now, Curtis was her only lifeline.

She wanted to borrow Curtis’s power, grow her own wings, and make her own money–enough to feed those abandoned kids at the orphanage.