Evil and disgusting disease

At the same time:

Adriana bit her lip, but not long after her laughter roared through her office.

Seriously?

Did she think it would be this easy?

Both choices had a hidden fact Briana would never expect, and the poor woman could not take back her decisions anymore.

Now it left for Adriana to wonder how Briana would convince her to not take part in her mother's upcoming trial?

Would she try to kill her again?

Threaten her with Noah?

Not that she could...

What could she do? Briana was a little ant compared to her regarding connections and career.

What could Briana do?

"Or will she reveal my 'dark' past?" She asked herself.

A past that she fabricated but... sure, whatever helps her sleep at night.

They filled Adriana with amusement as excitement rushed over her, and adrenaline pumped through her blood. She was ready for more action. Now, she could just sit back and watch Briana do anything in her hands to get her lips shut tight.

But of course.... that won't be easy.

Hours passed, and Adriana waited patiently.

She did anything to distract herself and keep her anticipation to herself. To her disappointment, there was no news of Briana wanting to contact her, and that made her even more excited! What scheme could she have possibly mastered?

What could she expect coming her way?

Huh!

That's when she received an email.

The flight details of two people.

Her lips curled upwards. It seems she won't have to go to New York and watch the mouse get caught in her trap. No, the mouse came to sit in her trap willingly, how amusing!

.....

"Hi!" Adriana was dressed in an off-shoulder plain pastel blue dress with ruffled sleeves. It was also backless, so she had let her hair down. The only style to her hair was the 7 small braids with flower beads attached to them, scattered in random areas of her hair.

The seventy-something-year-old woman sitting in a hospital bed recognized her voice right away, and an enormous smile converted her lips.

"Dear, you visit me again!"

She was blind and could not see because of a temporary effect of the treatment she was receiving. Even so the familiarity of the voice caused her to stretch her arms and wait for a warm hug.

Adriana did just that for the poor woman.

"Have you missed me?" She asked, removing her arms from the elder woman and taking a seat on the empty share beside her bed.

"I did, it's been so long. I asked about you, but no one knew!"

"Yes, I was caught up with work I'm sorry Grandma."

Adriana didn't smile but made sure her voice sounded like she was flashing the woman a grand smile.

Ah, how exquisite would Briana's crumbled face look like once she realizes the 'angel caregiver' of her grandmother had been her all along. Oh, and this was just one of many 'kind' acts she had done to Briana.

Wouldn't it drive the woman crazy as she receives threats from her left and right as she acts kind and innocent on another side?

Truly sad it must be, to have such a granddaughter.

She almost pitied the older woman.

Keyword being 'almost.'

Adriana would not shoot at someone who was innocent, and she would not have unrelated people get caught in the crossfire. But this woman was not innocent at all, she too had done things that had caused the situation to play out the way it did.

Adriana was just repaying her 'kind' gestures with greater 'kindness'.

"Miss Lorance." She called out suddenly, taking the older woman by surprise. (She preferred to be called by her maiden name.)

"Why do you call me by my name? I have told you I'm comfortable with 'grandma' don't be a shy child."

"I'm afraid I'm not comfortable." Adriana spat out flatly.

"What... I'm sorry I didn't mean to put you in an uncomfortable situation. I know you-"

"No, it's not because of that, Miss Lorance. It's just... I don't know how to tell you this."

"Please say it."

"I had to quit my job, I won't be able to come and visit you any longer. I'm truly sorry!"

"What? Did someone mistreat you here? I will handle the situation and you can stay by my side at ease." She covered Adriana's palm with her cold ones.

Adriana rolled her eyes.

"No! I could never let you do that. I accepted full responsibility for the incident!"

"What? What is talking about? Is there an incident? Don't tell me that nurse tried to frame you again and make you look bad?" The older woman was fully prepared to fight for her. She was obviously already wrapped around Adriana's finger, without even realizing it.

"That and there is another reason, Miss Lorance."

"Explain, I will take care of everything, no worries."

"Well, I caught wind of some news. Apparently, a well-known lady in high society was imprisoned for grooming a guy half her age. They had cheated on both of their spouses! Can you believe it? Not only that, but I heard she has lost all there is to her name, properties, money, and all lost to gambling and other things." She explained.

"How horrible!" The woman replied.

Adriana smiled.

"Yes, I had not recognized the lady earlier, but when I did, I remembered meeting her once. She.... she had attempted to kill me once."

Miss Laurance gasped, tightening her hold on Adriana's hand.

Adriana closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Fake ones, of course.

The elder woman gently wiped them from her face.

"News of it is circling around I have to testify against her! It's my chance to get justice! I must leave for New York immediately and I had decided to...to quit and ask for anything the director of the hospital could pay me. I'm really sorry but I'm afraid after quitting they won't take me back. I must take responsibility for leaving you here, and that is not getting hired ever again." Adriana took her hand back and covered her face, her voice breaking.

Sobs filled the room soon after with the sound of the woman trying to console her.

"Shh, it's okay. I will wait for you, no I will send some guards to take you there and bring you safely. Soon I will recover my sight and I will reward you for all your help."

"But I don't wish for any rewards. I just came here to apologize for having to leave your side grandma." Adriana finally referred to her the way the woman wanted.

Oh, the beautiful art of manipulation.

Her eyesight? Adriana debated on whether she should let that happen. After all, it was her who planted the poison in the woman's body. With Sanders's help, of course, but it was done and only she had the cure currently.

It had attacked her vision because Adriana wanted it to be like so.

"Could you give me the name of the woman, dear? Don't worry, I will make sure you get your justice. You deserve every bit of happiness and you can trust I will keep you at harm's away."

Adriana sobbed and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, I could never ask for a better mother figure."

"Shh, there there now." The woman held her in her arms as if she were a child of her own.

"Lina Brooklyn."

Those words echoed in the older woman's head as she tried to swallow them.

The daughter-in-law she had disciplined so harshly! It was her!

"Are you sure? What did you say her name was?"

"Lina Brooklyn grandma," Adriana repeated, her voice cracking up.

Realizing her daughter-in-law had ruined her 'poor' son was enough to shake up the old hag.

Oh dear, whatever could Adriana possibly do to ease her worries?

Sarcasm intended.

.....

Walking out of the ward, Adriana wiped her tears away, and her lips twitched.

Her smooth skin was now stained with dry tears, great!

She tilted her neck as a cracking sound came from her neck. Gosh, her neck was all stiff from all the hugging and fake affection. The acting was truly exhausting!

She thought about the faults of the older woman.

The way they had mistreated her. Of course, Mrs. Preston was not the only one pushing her into giving birth, and neither was she alone in all the rumors that had caused Adriana insecurities and hurt.

She had days where she would cry herself in the shower, to hide the tears from her Noah so that she wouldn't tell him about how many times they framed, gaslighted, and insulted her.

The old hag happened to not mind her own business and paid off her doctor to alter her pills. That way she got pregnant.

She would have not gotten pregnant and could have been successful in her counterattack to Briana if only the older woman had minded her own business.

Not that she regrets her children. She was grateful because they are the greatest gift she could receive. But the woman had no right to step into her personal and life and have the audacity to meet up with her and shower her with insults, telling her that the children in her womb did not belong to her husband.

What made her angrier is the fact that the older woman did not act according to Briana's orders. She did it all on her own accord and had so much against her because she was not 'perfect' enough as a wife. Apparently, being a career woman and reaching for her dreams was against the mentality of the woman.

And she felt "Personally" offended by Adriana's "weird" actions.

Yes, it made Adriana's blood boil. How could someone be so horrible just because they refuse to move on from a mentality so poor and misogynistic despite being a woman herself?

No wonder her child ended up being such a disgusting man. And heck, he probably infected his wife and daughter with the same evil too!

Or was this simply a family thing? It seems all the Brooklyn's are hideous and disgusting beings. She had dug up everything she could about them, and not a soul seemed worthy of her mercy.

She would surely bring them all to their knees, every single one of them.