Chapter 143: Ruination
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Kris kept talking despite Adrien’s demand, her voice growing tighter as she struggled to hold herself together. "They wanted to make him look like some boy-crazed gay slut pretending to be an innocent goody two shoes," she whispered. "That’s why the video was going to be made. To ruin his new reputation forever. To make everyone think he was secretly asking for it."
Adrien stood motionless at first, just staring at Kris, as if the ground had just dropped away beneath him. But then something inside him snapped, a deep, raw feeling, something fierce—and he changed instantly, and it was terrifying.
His body stiffened, shoulders rising as though they were constricting around an overwhelming rush of emotion. His jaw clenched so tightly that it twitched, struggling to contain the force within him. He took a slow breath, his chest rising, but it never settled. It trembled inside him, making him feel like a coiled predator trying not to burst.
His expression, usually filled with mockery or amusement, darkened into something chilling and deadly. The warmth was gone, and so was the carefree charm that usually served as his shield. There was nothing playful about him now. Nothing human in his gaze. It was pure anger—quiet, controlled, and so intensely powerful that Kris instinctively took a step back.
She’d seen Adrien annoyed, even furious during basketball practice, but this? This was something else. This was dangerous.
"Where," he said, his voice low and strained, as if the words were being dragged through his teeth, "the hell is Noah now?"
Kris swallowed hard, gripping her drink like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. "I’m not... I’m not completely sure," she stammered, avoiding his gaze. "B–but I think—no, I’m almost certain—they’re taking him to Patrick’s family workshop. It’s small and...um, hardly ever used. The one on E–east Curneil Road."
Adrien didn’t blink, his gaze sharp enough to pierce through her.
Kris kept talking, her voice shaky. "You need to act fast, Adrien. Please. I can’t—I couldn’t live with the guilt if I didn’t tell someone and something happened to her. I know I’ve messed up sometimes, but I would never be a part of... of rape."
Adrien let out a slow, furious breath.
He wasted no time.