Sweet Revenge With My Billionaire Vampire-Chapter 143: Goodmorning, Uncles.

Before Enzo could respond, the loud, sudden creak of iron doors swinging open echoed from up ahead, halting the conversation. Both of their heads snapped forward, and they saw Mike stepping aside, motioning for them to enter the room. "You all go in and wait. The people you’re here for will be brought in shortly."

Enzo gave a small nod of thanks, while Adeline gave the warden a parting glance before stepping into the wide visitation hall.

The room was muted and cold, the floor tiled, and the walls painted in bland, grey tones. Several round metal tables were spaced evenly throughout, each surrounded by five chairs bolted to the floor.

Adeline, Enzo, Svetlana, and the girls remained standing even after the doors closed behind them.

Less than two minutes passed before another heavy door groaned open at the far end of the room, and all eyes shifted in unison.

Alfonso, Richard, and Evans stepped inside, each in the same drab beige uniform, accompanied by two guards.

Their eyes flicked across the room with confusion, none of them expecting to see so many familiar faces waiting. When Alfonso’s gaze landed on Svetlana, his entire posture shifted, and he smiled.

She broke instantly, her hands flying to her mouth as tears spilled freely down her cheeks. She rushed toward him, arms outstretched, sobbing as she collided with him in a hug that nearly knocked the air out of her. Her daughters followed behind her, all of them engulfing him in a messy, desperate hug. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Adeline and Enzo stood back, watching. She didn’t say a word, and neither did he.

After the emotional reunion passed, Alfonso led his wife and daughters to one of the nearby tables. They all sat down together, speaking in hushed voices.

Richard and Evans, meanwhile, made their way to another empty table, taking their seats beside one another. They waited for Adeline and Enzo, who slowly approached.

Enzo dropped into his seat across from them and leaned back, stretching his long legs and folding his arms across his chest. He didn’t say hello or offer them even a little nod.

Adeline, however, was a different story. She slid into her seat beside Enzo, one leg elegantly crossing over the other. Her back was straight, her head high, and her smile was as radiant as it was mocking.

"Good morning, uncles," she said sweetly. "How are you both doing?"

Richard offered a small, genuine smile—though there was weariness behind it. "We’re... doing okay," he said slowly. "And you? How have you been? I hope the company is doing well."

Adeline nodded. "I’m fine, Uncle Richard. And yes, the company is doing well. I’ve learned everything there is to—"

"Stop with the useless chit-chat, and cut to the damn chase." Evans growled, interrupting her mid-sentence.

Just breathing the same air as her made him feel sick. The last person he wanted to see in this state was her, the very reminder of how badly he had failed.

He hated her. But his hatred for Enzo ran even deeper. Evans couldn’t even look at him without his blood boiling. If Enzo hadn’t interfered—if he hadn’t shown up, hadn’t protected Adeline, and exposed them—then he wouldn’t be sitting in this damn chair. He’d be living the life, splitting his mother’s riches with the rest of the family.

Evans’ eyes were locked on Adeline, his stare bitter and his thoughts racing with hatred.

Just then, Enzo snickered, and Evans blinked, dragged from his thoughts. His eyes snapped over just in time to see Enzo throw his head back, his palm pressing against his forehead as the snicker broke into full-blown laughter.

"Oh, come on, uncle," he said between laughs. "You should really calm down. Your eyes alone look like they’re about to murder her."

Evans’ jaw tightened as a vein throbbed along the side of his forehead, his fists tightly balled beneath the table. But he didn’t respond. His chest rose and fell with controlled breaths until, at last, he exhaled through his nose, dragging his glare away from Enzo and back to Adeline.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice quieter now, as though exhausted by his own hatred. "Why did you come to see us? Svetlana, I understand, but you two... Are you both here to laugh?"

Without looking at Enzo, Adeline lifted a hand, gesturing lazily at him. "We came to inform you both that we’ll be getting married. In exactly two weeks from now."

Richard’s brows lifted in mild surprise, and without thinking, he said, "Congratulations."

Adeline blinked, briefly stunned by the response.

His voice sounded sincere. No sarcasm or bitterness. Just a simple, honest reaction. And that was what sent Evans over the edge. His lips curled into a disgusted sneer as he cut his eyes at his brother. As if things weren’t bad enough.

He was forced to meet the two people he loathed the most. To top it off, he had just learned that she’d be getting married soon, meaning she would finally be gaining access to her inheritance—the very thing he’d convinced himself should’ve been theirs. The reason he ended up here.

Adding insult to injury, his brother sat here, wholeheartedly congratulating her, as if he had forgotten everything that happened.

Unable to stand another second of it, he pushed up from his chair and stalked away from the table without a word. His steps carried him across the room toward where Alfonso sat with Svetlana and their daughters.

Adeline let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her body relaxing slightly as she watched him go. But then, she felt something warm pressing gently against the back of her hand resting on the table.

She turned to find Richard’s hand resting gently on hers. Her hand twitched, ready to pull away from his touch, but something about the look in his eyes made her pause.

"I never wanted to do what we did, Adeline," he said quietly, his eyes never leaving hers. "But at the end of the day, I did. And I don’t have an excuse."

Adeline stared at him, uncertain how to respond. She hadn’t known he’d been reluctant. She assumed all three of them were equally complicit.

"You have every right to hate me. I just..." His gaze flicked down to their hands, then slowly lifted back to hers. "I’m sorry, Adeline. I know an apology can’t fix what I did. I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. But I’m sorry. I truly am."