The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 402

Michelle suddenly froze.

"What... what do you mean by that?"

Adrian exhaled a slow plume of smoke.

"Exactly what I said."

Michelle scrambled to the door, cracking it open a fraction to check the hallway. Only after making sure no one was eavesdropping did she relax.

"Adrian! You can't just spout nonsense like that! If anyone hears you, the two of us are finished!"

Adrian's gaze turned somber.

Michelle continued, "Even if you think it, you can't say it out loud. We've endured this for years. We were so close—once you marry Audrey, you'll finally be in charge. We can't let it all fall apart now."

"But with Claire in this mess, I doubt the wedding will happen anytime soon."

"Ugh, it's like a curse! I thought once that woman left the Lowell family, everything would be smooth sailing. Who knew we wouldn't have a single day of peace since she walked out? It's just one disaster after another."

Adrian rolled the cigarette between his fingers, his expression shifting in the dim light.

"Good. Then there's no need for this wedding anyway."

Michelle gasped in shock.

"What crazy talk is this? If you don't get married, what happens to our partnership with the Prestons? He poured millions of dollars into your product R&D and tech facilities."

"And Grandma's cosmetic surgery hospital—it only made such great progress because of his connections."

"More importantly, there's Audrey. She gave you a son, after all. You don't want to marry her now? How are you going to fix all these messes?"

She was right.

That was exactly Caleb's cunning brilliance.

He knew their interests were too deeply entangled, and Adrian had already claimed Audrey and fathered a child with her.

Married or not, Adrian was trapped.

A knock came at the door.

Michelle went to answer it, deeply annoyed.

"What is it?"

Adrian's eyes darkened with cold resolve, his thin lips pressed into a harsh, unfeeling line.

"If you've had enough of holding back, then stop holding back."

Michelle stared at him, stunned.

"What does that mean?"

But Adrian simply said, "Let's go. I should go pay my respects to my future father-in-law."

With a long stride, he left the room.

Michelle stood rooted to the spot, a sudden wave of unease washing over her.

This was her own son, yet for some reason, he terrified her right now.

She saw him every day, so why did he suddenly feel like a complete stranger?

He seemed like an entirely different person.

A person who was done being controlled, ready to seize absolute power on his own terms.