All Chapters of AWAKENED ADRIAN LACANSTER : Chapter 681
- Chapter 690
697 chapters
CHAPTER 681
The Rhein Group security team had already spent the last hour "interrogating" these people in the back of a black van. They were broken, terrified, and ready to save their own skins. The woman began to shake, her fake eyelashes peeling away as hot tears of real terror streamed down her face."Yes! Yes, I'll talk!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the silent hall. "It was him! Marcus Thorne! They paid me to monitor Adrian’s movements. I’m not a nursing mother, I don’t even have a child! It was all an act, a setup to make him look like a monster! Please, don't hurt me!"A collective, sharp gasp went through the room. The socialites and billionaires who had just been calling for Adrian’s arrest looked down at their shoes in shame. Adrian moved to the next person, a man who had posed as a gardener. Before Adrian could even open his mouth, the man spilled everything."Ten thousand dollars!" the man cried out. "He paid us over ten thousand dollars each! We were supposed to find dirt
CHAPTER 682
As the heavy doors closed behind the criminals, the hall became quiet, a heavy silence. Every person in that room was terrified. They had cheered for Marcus. They had insulted the President of the Rhein Group to his face. They waited for the axe to fall."All kneel before the President of the Rhein Group!" Julia announced, her voice ringing with authority. She was the first to drop, her head bowed low in reverence.It was like a wave. Every single person... world-renowned doctors, celebrities, the executives who had betrayed Lilith, and even Richard Novida dropped to their knees. They bowed their heads deeply, their foreheads almost touching the plush carpet, showing a level of respect usually reserved for royalty.Adrian stepped up to the podium. He looked out over the sea of bowed heads, the power in the room having shifted entirely into his hands."Rise," Adrian commanded.Slowly, the crowd stood, though none of them dared to make eye contact."I know I am not what you expected," A
CHAPTER 683
The gala continued, dignitaries, celebrities, and billionaires queued in a perfect, trembling line, stepping forward one by one to greet the new power couple of the industry. They shook Lilith’s hand with newfound respect, whispering congratulations, while their eyes darted toward Adrian with a mixture of terror and desperation.Everyone wanted a piece of the President. Cameras flashed like a lightning storm, but the Rhein Group guards were a wall of iron. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their dark sunglasses reflecting the glitter of the room, restricting access to any guest who tried to get too close to Adrian for a selfie or a business card.Through the crowd of elite snobs, a familiar figure emerged. Vanessa, still in her butler’s uniform, walked toward them. She looked at Adrian as if he were a creature from another planet, something magnificent and slightly frightening. As she approached, the guards stepped forward to block her path, their hands resting on their holsters.Adria
CHAPTER 684
Adrian’s face went stone-cold. He didn't offer a hand to shake. "I am not the one you should be apologizing to, Richard."Adrian turned his eyes toward Lilith. She stood with her chin held high, her eyes fixed on her father. For her entire life, Richard had never apologized to her. He was a man who believed his word was law, and his way was the only way.Richard turned to his daughter. "Lilith," he started, his voice cracking. "I’m so sorry for undermining your competence. You are a great leader, better than I ever was. Even when things were crumblin,g and your own father doubted you, you stood for what you believed was right. I underestimated you."He looked at the floor, unable to meet her gaze. "Even when I retire, I won't come back to Global Corp. I am convinced that you are all this company needs."Hearing those words, the very words she had craved since she was a child, almost moved Lilith to tears. But she held them back, maintaining her poise. "You see, Father? All you had to
CHAPTER 685
"I have been around, Master Adrian," Richard replied, his golden suit shimmering as he took a slow step forward. "I have stayed under the radar. Clearly, you have not. I have been watching you from the corners of the world.""Why did you decide to come out of hiding now?" Adrian asked.Richard’s expression turned grim. "I went into hiding for my own safety, and I intended to stay that way. I thought you were doing the same, hiding behind the mop, playing the janitor. It was a perfect mask. But then you decided to announce yourself to the entire world tonight. Do you realize what you have done? You have turned yourself into a public target. Every predator on this planet now has your coordinates."Adrian let out a short, dry laugh. "Let them come. Anybody who tries to cross me is just signing their own death warrant.""Your father had the same bravado, Adrian. Do you see where it got him? He died in a cage, stripped of his dignity."Adrian’s jaw tightened, and his fists clenched at his
CHAPTER 686
Richard reached into his pocket and handed Adrian a thick, matte-black business card with nothing but a gold embossed symbol on it. Without another word, he turned, got into his golden car, and his convoy roared to life, disappearing into the night like a fever dream.While the highway was silent, the local city prison was in a state of quiet chaos. Marcus Thorne sat in a cold holding cell, his broken nose bandaged and his expensive suit stained with blood. He was allowed one phone call."Hello? It’s me, Marcus," he hissed into the receiver."What happened?" a distorted voice answered on the other end. "You’re all over the news. They’re calling you a fraud. The stock is in the dirt.""Listen to me!" Marcus snarled, his voice cracking with desperation. "I need you to get me out of here immediately. Use your connections. Clear the path.""What? That’s impossible, Marcus. The Rhein Group is personally invested in your case. The President himself watched you get arrested. No one will touc
CHAPTER 687
"Are you not supposed to be rotting behind bars?" Adrian growled into the receiver.Marcus let out a shrill, hysterical laugh that echoed with the sound of a man who had finally snapped. "No chain can hold me, Adrian! Not even you can stop me! You thought you were going to get rid of me just like that? You’re wrong! You will pay for the disgrace you brought to me! I will wipe your family and the Novida name off the face of the earth! You are, and will always be, a peasant to me.""If you lay hands on anyone," Adrian said, his voice dropping to a low, lethal vibration, "I will find you. And I will kill you. Slowly."Marcus laughed again. "You still don’t get it. You can't beat me. I will take you out one by one, starting with Lilith’s father. He’s the first sacrifice."Lilith grabbed Adrian’s arm, her eyes wide with terror. "What is he saying? Adrian, put it on speaker! Put it on speaker now!"Adrian hit the button. Marcus’s voice filled the tarmac. "Nothing much... just that there mig
CHAPTER 687
"I need your help," Adrian said, his face a mask of iron determination. "I’m stopping that plane. Create a tornado with your staff and blow out the fire. Now!"Lyra didn't hesitate. She leaped into the sky, her feet barely touching the air as she rose like a bird. She began to spin her staff with impossible speed, creating a massive, swirling vortex of wind. The tornado roared upward, wrapping around the flaming engines. The vacuum of the wind choked the oxygen from the flames, snuffed out the fire in seconds.Inside the cabin, Richard looked out the window. Through the smoke, he saw what looked like a golden angel floating in the sky.Lyra landed back on the ground, breathing hard. "The fire is out, Adrian, but the plane is still falling! The engines are completely dead. It’s a dead weight now. How do we land it safely?""I'll handle it," Adrian said."What? How?" Lilith gasped."Watch," Adrian replied.Adrian began to run. He moved with a speed that blurred the world around him. As
CHAPTER 688
The sun was beginning to go down, casting long, amber shadows across the city streets as Vanessa walked out of the towering Rhein Group headquarters. Her head was still spinning. Just twenty-four hours ago, she had been a butler serving appetizers; today, she had her own office, a professional wardrobe, and a salary that felt like a dream.The employees had treated her with a strange, careful kindness. Some were genuinely helpful, while others clearly saw her as the "President’s favorite." Regardless of the reason, the respect was a breath of fresh air.As she stepped onto the curb, a sleek, black luxury sedan a personal gift from Adrian, was already waiting. The driver, a tall man with a sharp suit and a professional demeanor, opened the door for her."Good evening, ma'am. I hope your first day was productive," the driver said."It was incredible," Vanessa sighed, leaning back into the soft leather seats. "Thank you."The car glided into the flow of traffic, moving away from the cit
CHAPTER 689
She fought with everything she had, kicking and scratching, but the men were professionals. One of them grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out onto the cold concrete. As she opened her mouth to scream again, a thick cloth was pressed firmly over her nose and mouth. The sweet, chemical smell of chloroform filled her lungs. Within seconds, her vision blurred, her limbs turned to lead, and the world went black.When Vanessa finally groaned and blinked her eyes open, the first thing she felt was a throbbing pain in her head. She tried to move her hands, but they were pulled tight behind her back, bound to a heavy wooden chair with thick rope. Her ankles were tied to the chair legs, and a rough cloth gag was tied across her mouth, muffling her breath.She looked around frantically. She was in a hollowed-out, uncompleted building. The walls were bare concrete, and the only light came from a single, flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling."Mmmph! Mmmph!" she screamed, but it only cam