The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 167

"From the looks of it," Eleanor sneered, "if you don't get this five hundred million, you're refusing to leave the Lowell family?"

"Obviously," Jocelyn replied smoothly.

Eleanor let out a sharp laugh.

"And here I thought your refusal to leave was because you were so madly in love with Adrian and couldn't bear to part with him. Turns out, the only thing you couldn't bear to part with was a payday."

"So what if it is?" Jocelyn challenged.

"Nothing," Eleanor said, a smug look crossing her face.

Without taking her eyes off Jocelyn, Eleanor called out to the space behind her.

"Adrian. You can come out now."

Adrian stepped out from behind an ornate decorative screen.

His face was completely devoid of color, an ugly storm brewing in his eyes.

Jocelyn glanced at him, her expression shifting not even a fraction of an inch.

Did this sly old fox really think she was an idiot?

Jocelyn hadn't been entirely sure if this was a trap at first. But the moment Eleanor started aggressively pushing her to name a price, Jocelyn knew exactly what was happening.

Fine.

She had nothing better to do anyway. She was more than happy to play along.

"Adrian, you heard her with your own two ears," Eleanor said triumphantly. "Are you still going to be stubbornly blind when it comes to her?"

Adrian didn't respond to his grandmother. He walked straight up to Jocelyn, looming over her.

"Is it true?"

Jocelyn tilted her head up to meet his furious glare. "It's true. So, are you going to write me a check for five hundred million?"

Adrian's rage finally boiled over. "In your dreams!"

Jocelyn gave him a sweet, empty smile.

"Then we have no deal."

Completely ignoring the murderous look on Adrian's face, Jocelyn turned her attention back to Eleanor.

"If you want me out of the Lowell family, you need to offer me an incentive big enough to make it worth my while. Otherwise, why on earth would I leave?"

"A woman marries for support, for security, or for intimacy. I’ve had none of that with you."

Jocelyn let out a mocking scoff. "I got absolutely none of those. Now you want to kick me to the curb. I'm taking at least one of them with me."

"What, did you think I was just going to let three years of my life and my youth go down the drain for nothing?"

"Did you think I was just going to swallow three years of humiliation and utter disrespect from your family and walk away empty-handed?"

"Adrian, I'll return the exact words you just said back to you."

Even though Jocelyn was sitting completely still, the fierce, untouchable pride radiating from her made it impossible for anyone to look down on her.

Her soft lips parted, and she threw his exact insult back in his face.

"In your dreams."

Adrian stood frozen in place, staring blankly at her retreating back as she walked out the door. Every fiber of his being wanted to chase after her.

He was filled with rage and frustration, yet he couldn't bring himself to lash out at her.

When she had turned to leave, the absolute coldness and finality in her eyes made something click inside his brain.

This woman... was truly intending to leave him forever.