All Chapters of AWAKENED ADRIAN LACANSTER : Chapter 341
- Chapter 350
357 chapters
CHAPTER 341
Malvin stood outside the Aldridge mansion gate, dressed in a neatly pressed shirt and dark trousers, trying to look harmless and respectable.But under his sleeves… under his skin… a new, dangerous confidence.The guard recognized him instantly and opened the gates.Malvin stepped inside.“Malvin?” Sarah blinked, confused. “What are you doing here?”He gave a soft smile.“I heard what happened,” he said. “I wanted to check on Elena. Is she… is she alright?”Sarah’s face softened, though wariness lingered.“She’s inside, although she is still shaken.”Malvin followed her into the living room.Elena sat curled on the couch beneath a blanket, scrolling through her new phone, pale and exhausted.“Malvin!” she turned to him. “You came?”“I had to,” he said warmly. “You gave us all a scare.”She rolled her eyes, her mom must have told everyone what happened.Sophia watched from another corner of the room, arms folded.Sarah suddenly frowned.“Malvin… your hand.”She stepped closer, noticing
CHAPTER 342
Adrian let out a small laugh.Moments later, the entrance curtains parted.Malvin entered first, pulling out his chair with overly dramatic courtesy. He looked tense but utterly confident, the Blood Vine coursing through his veins giving him a false sense of power.Then, Sophia.She was wearing a simple, elegant black dress. Adrian watched without expression as the waiter guided them to a nearby table.Sophia lifted her head, and their eyes locked across the softly lit room.The air snapped with tension.Sophia saw Adrian’s smile as he looked at Lilith.Seeing him here, looking relaxed and intimately connected to the woman she blamed for her destroyed marriage, felt like a public betrayal.Sophia rose abruptly from her chair. Malvin watched, a wicked light in his eyes, knowing exactly what she was about to do.She walked directly toward their table.She stopped in front of Adrian and Lilith, her composure cracking. Her voice was sharp, and it cut through the low murmur of the restaur
CHAPTER 343
The champagne had done its work.Within minutes of draining the glass, the soft lighting of The Obsidian Lounge began to spin slowly around Sophia. The sound of the dinner conversation turned into a dull noise. Sophia's head began to feel impossibly heavy.“Malvin,” she mumbled, gripping the edge of the table. “Malvin... I feel weird. The light... It’s too much.”She leaned heavily toward him, her focus blurring. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but the exhaustion was immense.Malvin’s grin widened.“Nonsense, darling,” Malvin said smoothly, standing up and pulling her chair back. His voice was overly loud, overly reassuring. “You’ve just had a long day. You need rest. Let’s get you somewhere quiet. I’ll take you back to my place.”He slipped his arm around her back, supporting her, but his hand gripped her waist possessively, pulling her tightly against him. He paused, making sure Adrian could see him, and shot a triumphant, wicked smirk across the room before attempting to gu
CHAPTER 344
Malvin knew he had to act fast before Adrian could fully process the situation. He tried to reclaim his prize.“She’s my date! This is just family drama!” he yelled, trying to pull Sophia’s limp body past Adrian.But at that exact moment, the tension in the room snapped for good.The massive, carved-wood doors of The Obsidian Lounge flew inward, striking the marble wall.Three figures entered.They moved in unison, gliding rather than walking. They were cloaked head-to-toe in simple, deep-purple robes, their faces hidden in the shadow cast by their hoods. Their presence was suffocating.They were the Cult of the Shadowed Hand.Ignoring the stunned customers and the staff, they walked directly toward Malvin. They were like vengeful spirits, their eyes fixed solely on the man who had dared to trespass in their tombs.Malvin froze. The triumph on his face was replaced by sheer terror. He dropped Sophia's arm, causing her to sway dangerously.Adrian caught Sophia instantly, steadying her
CHAPTER 345
Sophia’s breathing came fast and shallow, her chest rising and falling in panicked waves.Anger twisted her face, but her body betrayed her.Her knees buckled.She would have crashed onto the marble floor if Adrian hadn’t caught her.“Sophia—”“Don’t touch me!” she rasped, but her voice was too weak, too thin. The drug still crawled through her bloodstream like poison.Her eyelids fluttered dangerously.Adrian didn’t argue.He lifted her into his arms.Behind them, Lilith’s heels clicked sharply across the floor as she approached, her expression carved from ice.“So now you’re taking her home?” Lilith asked with a bitter laugh. “Unbelievable. This woman is always in the way.”She folded her arms, glaring.“And I’m sure she’s even pretending. She loves the attention.”Adrian didn’t react.He didn’t even look at Lilith as he adjusted Sophia’s weight in his arms.“Lilith,” he said calmly, “go home. I’ll call you later. She needs care.”Lilith’s jaw tightened, and her nostrils flared.“Ca
CHAPTER 346
For a long, tense moment, the only sound was Sophia’s ragged breathing.She knew she had no other choice.Finally… she whispered stiffly. “…Please take me home.”Adrian set his whiskey down and stood.“That’s better.”He lifted her in his arms again. Sophia instinctively buried her face in his chest, hiding from the eyes downstairs.But as he carried her out of the room, down the hallway, and toward the stairs.She heard the whispers and she could feel the stares Some customers froze while they were eating.The beauty CEO was being carried like a helpless doll in Adrian’s arms.Sophia felt humiliation burn her entire body.She squeezed her eyes shut and clung to him, her pride shattering piece by piece.Adrian held her securely, stepping into the night air.Adrian placed Sophia carefully into the passenger seat.Sophia avoided his eyes.Her humiliation was a weight on her chest. .He walked around the car, slid into the driver’s side, and started the engine.The drive began in silenc
CHAPTER 347
Adrian stepped outside the Aldridge mansion, the cold night brushing against his skin as he answered the vibrating phone.“Adrian…”Valentina’s voice came through the line. Soft. Elegant. Urgent.“My father would like to see you. Please. It is urgent.”Adrian exhaled. “Alright. I’ll be there tomorrow.”He ended the call.The night swallowed him as he walked back to his car.THE NEXT MORNING.The estate of Don Maurizio Ventresca, the Shadow King of the Western Mafia, was a fortress of opulence and danger.Adrian’s car rolled past dozens of men in black suits stationed at every corner.Their expressions were carved from stone.The gate closed behind him with a deep metallic thud.Adrian stepped out of the car.Valentina was already waiting at the door.She looked breathtaking as always, with long dark hair flowing over her shoulders and a fitted emerald dress that matched her eyes.“Come,” she said softly.She led him into the grand dining hall.The table was already set with golden pla
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Adrian held the Don’s gaze for a long moment.The room fell silent except for the soft crackle of candles along the walls.Lucien’s voice echoed uninvited in Adrian’s mind:"Sophia is the marked one… that’s why fate keeps circling her back to you."That prophecy had stuck in his mind since he said it.No library, no ancient archive has given him answers.Maybe tonight…Among warlords, mages, assassins, and monsters…He would finally find the truth.Adrian rose from his chair.“I’ll go,” he said quietly.Valentina inhaled sharply, relieved.She did not want her father to go to the summit at all.But since Adrian was going to watch his back, she was more than certain that he would remain untouched.The Don tapped his cane with a small nod. “Thank you my son.”Adrian turned toward the tall windows, watching the sunlight spill across the marble floor.“If Lucien spoke the truth,” he murmured, almost to himself, “then answers won’t be found in the normal world.”He looked back at them.“So
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The guard straightened instantly as Gaius approached, his voice suddenly nervous.“This man claims to be here for Don Ventresca, sir,” the guard said quickly. “But he’s not on the list.”Gaius stopped in front of Adrian, towering over him.He looked Adrian up and down with slow, deliberate disdain.Recognition flickered in his eyes.Then he burst into laughter.A deep, harsh laugh that made the other guards smirk.“Well, well,” Gaius drawled. “Adrian Lancaster. The famous little doctor.”His lip curled mockingly.“The one who follows the Triad Princess around like a loyal puppy.”Several guards laughed under their breath.Gaius leaned closer, his breath hot with arrogance.“Tell me,” he said, voice dripping poison, “is Don Ventresca truly so desperate he’s using Lilith’s sloppy seconds as his shadow?”Adrian’s expression didn’t move.Gaius chuckled again, pleased with himself.“Moretti doesn’t need protection,” he said. “He needs a coffin. Go home, Doctor. Crawl back to your girlfrien
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The first man swung a metal baton toward Adrian’s head.Adrian leaned aside a single inch.The baton sliced empty air.Adrian caught the man’s wrist.Twist.CRACK.The guard screamed as Adrian shoved him into two others, knocking them down.Another guard charged from behind with a taser.Adrian pivoted, grabbed the guard’s arm, and slammed him into the opera house pillar—BOOM.The decorative lantern above them swung wildly from the impact.Three more lunged at once.Adrian ducked under the first punch, slid across the polished marble, and swept his leg under the nearest guard.The man flipped upside down and crashed onto a velvet rope barrier, tangling himself hopelessly.The second man pulled a knife.Adrian kicked a dropped baton across the floor.It skidded and slammed into the man’s shin.The guard screamed and collapsed.The third guard tried to tackle Adrian, but Adrian simply side-stepped, grabbed the back of his collar, and hurled him straight into a stone.The entire structu