The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 403

When Adrian entered the room, Caleb Preston was speaking with Eleanor.

Audrey stood by his side.

Uncharacteristically, she didn't rush over to greet him when he walked in; her eyes merely followed his movements.

Adrian caught the tail end of Caleb's sentence.

"Given how things have developed, it's highly unlikely Claire's situation can be turned around. I even went to see that Evans woman. Unfortunately, no matter what terms I offered, she refused to accept them. She is dead set on sending Claire to prison."

"Since the victim won't budge, there's really nothing more we can do."

He sounded so convincing.

Eleanor swallowed the lie whole, her heart swelling with gratitude.

"I'm so sorry you had to witness our family's embarrassment. I know I have a lot of nerve asking for your help again, but I'm truly at my wit's end. No matter what, please keep trying to figure something out for Claire. Even if she's sentenced, see if we can get her probation."

"You don't need to worry about that," Caleb assured her. "I've always adored Claire, treating her like my own daughter. I won't give up until the very last second. I'll keep pulling strings."

Eleanor teared up with gratitude.

"My dear in-law, we've relied on you so much lately."

"Don't say that," Caleb replied smoothly. "We're family."

They were putting on quite the performance of family unity.

Only then did Eleanor turn her attention to Adrian.

Naturally, she opened with a reprimand.

"Where have you been off to this time? Have you completely given up on helping your sister?"

Faced with her habitual scolding, Adrian didn't get angry. He chose to remain silent.

Seeing his apathy, Eleanor's temper instantly flared.

"Let me tell you something! Your sister is the apple of my eye. If anything bad happens to her, I will never forgive you!"

Audrey opened her mouth as if to speak, but hesitated and swallowed her words.

Rumor had it that Claire was taken in because someone leaked the dashcam footage proving they switched drivers.

But Audrey had given that video to her father.

How could her dad...

Adrian felt a suffocating tightness in his chest for a few seconds.

The apple of her eye.

Yes, he wanted the Lowell empire.

But he had never once plotted against his own sister to get it.

For Eleanor to strip him bare in front of outsiders and hurl such baseless accusations was like slapping him brutally across the face.

His pride, his dignity, his reputation—all trampled into the dirt.

For a man so fiercely proud, who never allowed anyone to look down on him, his patience had finally reached its absolute limit.

Only Adrian knew how agonizing it was to keep his mouth shut in that moment.

Audrey's heart ached for him.

"Grandma, Adrian would never think like that. He loves Claire too. It's just that this incident involves a fatality, so it's incredibly complicated."

"Besides, if this isn't handled properly, the public will tear us apart, and it could severely damage the Lowell family's reputation. Adrian has to think about the bigger picture, so he's forced to act cautiously."

Caleb chuckled, playing the peacemaker.

"I noticed Adrian has lost some weight over the past couple of days. He must be wearing himself out over Claire's situation. It breaks my heart just looking at him."

Eleanor realized she had let her temper get the better of her and felt a pang of regret.