The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 260

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft, silvery glow over the quiet night.

Julian stood hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable and profoundly deep. His dark eyes looked like twin stars fallen from the night sky.

Even standing completely still in the dark, his tall, commanding presence radiated an undeniable, quiet power.

Liam sauntered over, hands still casually tucked in his pockets.

"Why do you always make me play the hero? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose? Now she thinks I'm the one saving her."

Julian's gaze remained fixed on the spot where Jocelyn had disappeared into her building.

"She already feels like she owes me a massive debt for the necklace incident. If I offered the money, she never would have accepted it."

That was exactly why he had to use Liam as a proxy. Framing it as a business investment was the only way to solve her immediate crisis without triggering her pride.

"Yeah, well, playing it this way means she's never going to know it was you looking out for her."

Julian finally pulled his eyes away from the building.

"I never needed her to be grateful to me."

Liam swallowed the weird, uncomfortable twinge in his chest.

"So, why push her to enter the competition?"

Julian was silent for a few seconds before answering, his voice slow and deliberate.

"The International AI Robotics Competition is the most prestigious event in the world for her field."

"She buried her talent for three years while she was trapped in the Lowell family. Hardly anyone remembers who she is anymore. If she goes in there and absolutely dominates the competition, it'll put her right back on the map. It'll be the perfect launchpad for the rest of her career."

Liam let out a soft, knowing chuckle.

"Come on. You and I both know this isn't just about her career. You want Adrian to have a front-row seat to watch the woman he treated like garbage become the undisputed tech genius he's been desperately trying to recruit. You want to make her his ultimate, untouchable regret."

Julian's voice was quiet, echoing softly in the cool night air.

"It's simply time for her to reclaim her rightful place."

By the time Adrian stormed into The Sovereign Club, Lana's injuries had already been patched up.

Her lip was split and bruised.

It was glaringly obvious someone had hit her.

Adrian took one look at her face, and whatever pity he felt was entirely overshadowed by his own bruised ego.

Adrian sat down heavily next to her and pulled her stiffly into his arms.

"You need to quit working here. Didn't you say you wanted to open a flower shop? I'll have Todd find a premium location for you and take care of the lease. Just run the shop."

Lana stiffened in his embrace.

"Are you... offering to be my sugar daddy?"

He absentmindedly brushed a thumb near her busted lip.

"I know you want to be independent, but this is a shady environment. If you stay, something like this is bound to happen again. It's better if you just leave. That way, I can have some peace of mind."

She didn't ask what he meant by "peace of mind."

She already knew the translation.

For Adrian, "peace of mind" meant protecting his own fragile reputation.

The client assaulting her tonight wasn't a tragedy to him; it was an insult to his ego.

He was buying her a shop solely to ensure he never looked weak or compromised again.

Quietly, deliberately, Lana pulled herself out of his arms.