Chapter 177: Chapter 177



Adrian was swept away by a storm of emotions. He had spent years in the business world, mastering the art of maintaining a calm exterior. Yet, in that moment, the shock he felt was impossible to disguise.

Lyla, noticing his reaction, finally felt a flicker of satisfaction—revenge had never tasted so sweet. “Adrian, even a cornered animal will fight back. Now you’re going to be a father. Do something good for your child—let go of your uncle.”

The absurdity of her demand struck even Adrian’s assistant. Joelle? Pregnant? Impossible! Lyla had to be spinning another web of deceit.

“Mr. Miller?” the assistant ventured, attempting to pull Adrian from the whirlwind of his thoughts.

Adrian’s face darkened as his mind raced. After a brief pause, he broke the silence with a bitter laugh. “Lyla, you’re always scheming, aren’t you? Now that I think about it, you’ve been sowing discord for years, turning molehills into mountains with just a few well-placed words.”

Lyla snorted, unfazed by his accusation. “Do you think I’d say something like this if I wasn’t sure?”

She wasn’t foolish—she knew the stakes were high. Lying about something this serious could cost her dearly. But her intelligence only went so far. If she thought she could manipulate him with this, she was sorely mistaken. “Even if Joelle is pregnant, it changes nothing,” Adrian replied, his tone cool and measured. “I was considering letting Uncle Quincy go before you mentioned Joelle. But now, there’s nothing left to discuss.”

“You…” Lyla’s composure shattered. The calm, elegant facade she usually wore crumbled under the weight of her fury. “Adrian, just wait and see!”

As Lyla stormed out, Adrian’s assistant approached cautiously. “Mr. Miller, should I look into what she said?” What was the point of investigating now? Even if they uncovered the truth, would it change anything?

“Have you booked the flight?”

Going overseas to speak with Joelle personally was preferable to wasting time and effort trying to find out. “Yes, sir. The flight is at 8:00 AM tomorrow,” the assistant replied.

Adrian didn’t respond. Instead, he winced as a sharp pain lanced through his abdomen—the stitches on his wound had torn open again.

“Mr. Miller!” The assistant noticed Adrian’s worsening condition.

“I’m fine,” Adrian muttered, though his voice was strained. “Get the doctor. I need to be stitched up again.” The director of the hospital, Kendal Perry, personally attended to stitching up Adrian’s wound.

“Mr. Miller, avoid any strenuous activity for now. If the wound reopens, it could cause serious complications.”

“Understood.”

As Kendal finished treating the wound, he looked up and said, “Mr. Miller, there’s been a development in Miss Lloyd’s treatment.”

Adrian, who had been lost in his thoughts, snapped to attention. “What kind of progress?”

“A research institute abroad that specializes in rare diseases has made a significant breakthrough in treating flocculent tumors.”

Adrian’s gaze sharpened. “Are you certain?”

The director nodded. “I believe if you take Miss Lloyd to consult with their specialists, it could be highly beneficial. One of my old classmates is a researcher there.”

For the past two years, Kendal had been personally overseeing Rebecca’s treatment. Adrian had come to trust his judgment implicitly.

“In that case, I’ll leave the arrangements to you.” Kendal said, “We should take Miss Lloyd abroad as soon as possible. I’ve already made preliminary arrangements with the institute. Mr. Miller, her condition is critical and cannot be delayed.”

“I see.” Adrian turned to his assistant. “Book a flight for Rebecca. Dr. Perry, I’d like you to accompany her.” Kendal looked up, slightly surprised. “Mr. Miller, aren’t you coming with us?”

Adrian replied, “I have personal matters to attend to. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

Kendal wanted to press further, but seeing Adrian’s resolve, he simply nodded and left to finish his work. Later that evening, Adrian received a call from Amara.

“Adrian, this is the perfect opportunity to send Quincy to prison for good. Make sure he never sees the light of day again!”

Adrian winced as the wound on his abdomen throbbed, still bleeding slightly. The pain was manageable, and he decided there was no need to burden Amara with it. Yet, her lack of concern for him stung deeply.

“Okay, I understand,” he replied.

Suddenly, Irene grabbed the phone from Amara. “Adrian, can’t you give Quincy another chance?”

She had already lost one son, and the thought of her remaining son spending his life behind bars was unbearable. She had done everything in her power to protect the Miller family. How had it all gone so wrong?

Before Adrian could respond, Amara’s voice cut through. “How long will you continue to indulge them? If you had handed over your son to the police back then, we wouldn’t be in this mess now.”

“I opposed your marriage into the Miller family from the start. Look at the chaos you’ve brought! My eldest son is gone, and now you’re determined to drive my second son to his death as well! What next? Will you force me into my grave too?”

“Don’t you dare speak to me like that!” Amara shot back. “I live for justice, Irene. Even if you were my own sister, I wouldn’t show mercy. This time, no one can save Quincy. If you truly care about this family, you should recognize who deserves your loyalty!”

Irene broke down, sobbing on the other end of the line. “How did it come to this? Oh, God, why?”

Adrian, overwhelmed by the escalating argument, hung up the phone. So this was what family meant? He’d rather have none at all.

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