Reborn Young Miss: Phoenix Burning Red-Chapter 296: My Cousin Surely Works Fast (1)

The news of Alistair Han’s engagement to Ayla Jiang spread like wildfire the following week. People kept talking about how Alistair Han had directed his attention to Ayla Jiang after being ruthlessly rejected by Adrienne Jiang. With Adrienne Jiang being seen frequently in public with Lennox Qin, it only established their relationship without publicly acknowledging it.

Adrienne scoffed as they watched the news about Alistair and Ayla as she ate breakfast with her husband. On the other hand, Lennox raised a brow as he listened to the details of the impending marriage between the two.

"How come Ayla didn’t make a scene when you married Alistair in your previous life?" he asked Adrienne.

"It wasn’t that easy for her back then, Len. Ayla was at the peak of her career, and getting involved with a married one was the least she was allowed to do. She wasn’t that foolish to put her career at stake, but it was different now."

"What’s the difference?" Lennox asked. Since his wife confessed about the events of her previous life, he couldn’t help but wonder what else had transpired without her knowledge and how he lived his life back then without knowing her.

"I stalled the progress of her career. The Ayla Jiang in my past life was a fast-rising superstar around this time, but I didn’t allow it to happen this time." Adrienne admitted. She ensured Ayla wouldn’t get an upper hand against her this time.

"But is she really pregnant?" Her husband asked curiously. Lennox had a gist of what Ayla was planning, her eyes narrowing as she thought of the possibilities.

"Ayla did something drastic to ensure she would have leverage over Alistair."

Lennox leaned forward in his chair. "What do you mean?"

Adrienne sighed. "Ayla may have taken extreme measures to ensure that Alistair would marry her. And if that’s the case, who knows what else she can do to maintain her hold over him?"

Lennox’s eyes widened. "You think she’s dangerous?"

Adrienne shrugged. "I don’t know. All I know is that Ayla has always been ambitious, and she always gets what she wants. She must have sought Old Madam Han’s cooperation to force Alistair to marry her."

Lennox nodded thoughtfully. "So, what’s your next move?"

Adrienne smiled. "I’ll wait and watch. Let Ayla think that she has won for now. But we’ll be ready when the time comes."

Lennox grinned. "I like the way you think, but be careful, Addie. She might try to pull something that could put you at risk."

Adrienne raised an eyebrow. "I know, Len. I will need all the help we can get if we take down Ayla and Alistair at the same time. They both ruined me in the past. I like to see how they would deal with each other now that Ayla and I’s positions have changed."

In her past life, Ayla resented her because she thought Adrienne stole Alistair from her when she married him. Ayla had no idea how miserable Adrienne was during her marriage to him.

With Uncle Shark’s help, Adrienne could keep an eye on Ayla and secure evidence that could ruin not only Ayla’s entire career but also her relationship with Alistair and the Han family. Adrienne could already imagine how Alistair would react once he found out that the child in Ayla’s womb wasn’t his but another man’s.

Adrienne knew that revealing this truth would cause a storm of chaos within the Han family, but she would let Ayla continue to deceive everyone. She would allow Ayla to make a fool out of the Han family because once her treachery was found, there was no turning back. The damage would be irreparable, and the consequences would be devastating. Ayla’s actions would forever shatter the trust and bond built between her and the Han family, leaving them broken and torn apart.

Adrienne kept a low profile as the days passed and monitored Ayla’s movements closely. Clearly, Ayla was enjoying her newfound status as the future Mrs. Han, flaunting her engagement ring and posing for photos with Alistair. But Adrienne knew that Ayla was playing a dangerous game and was determined not to let her win.

On the third day of their stay in Jinling City, Lennox came home to find Adrienne poring over a stack of papers.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

Adrienne looked up and smiled.

"Just some research on Jiang Corporation. I’ve been digging through their financial records and found something interesting.

Lennox raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"The company is on the verge of bankruptcy," Adrienne said. "It looks like my father has been using his own money to prop it up, but it’s not enough. They’ll go under if he doesn’t find an investor soon."

Lennox nodded slowly. "And that’s where you come in, right?"

Adrienne grinned. "Exactly. I’ll offer to invest in her company under an alias, but I’ll do it on my terms. I’ll have access to all her finances, and I’ll be able to keep a close eye on them."

Lennox smiled. "That’s a good idea, Addie. But what if he refuses? Didn’t they hire a new CEO on their side? Your father won’t hand over the company that easily to you despite naming you as his successor before."

Adrienne shrugged. Indeed, she heard that the board approved her suggestion to outsource and hire a CEO, but her father took the initiative to find one. He must have wanted to ensure that everything was under his control, regardless of who occupied the seat as CEO. However, Lewis also didn’t try to groom Adrienne as his successor and refused to give her a position in the company.

"It doesn’t matter. We’ll make an offer he can’t refuse. My father is ambitious, but he’s also desperate. He’ll do anything to keep the company afloat."

A knock on the door stopped their discussion. Irina entered and handed an invitation to Adrienne.

"Madam, an invitation is addressed to you. Should I decline the invitation in your stead?" Irina asked her mistress.

Adrienne gave the envelope a good look before reading its contents. The invitation was from Ayla, who invited Adrienne to her engagement party.

"My cousin surely works fast," Adrienne chuckled. "She must have wanted to brag that she managed to steal Alistair from me, not knowing she dug a grave for herself to lie on." Adrienne contemplated for a moment before responding to Irina, "There is no need to decline on my behalf. I’ll attend the party and show Ayla how unbothered I am by her actions."

"Leave the preparations to us, Madam," Irina said before excusing herself.

"You are coming with me, right?" Adrienne asked her husband.

"Of course! Do you think I’ll allow you to be alone in the same room Alistair is in?" Lennox’s face hardened. "I won’t allow him to hurt you again, Addie. "

Adrienne smiled, grateful for Lennox’s words. She thought she was lucky that she managed to meet Lennox in this lifetime. Had she known he was the patient in the hospital room across from her mother’s, she should have tried to get to know him.

Alas, her chances were wasted, and Adrienne didn’t manage to meet him in her past life. However, she also knew that her previous self wouldn’t be able to catch Lennox’s attention, for she was too shy and reserved. But now, with a newfound confidence, Adrienne was determined to protect herself and not let anyone hurt her again. She knew that with Lennox by her side, she had the strength to stand up for herself and create a brighter future.

"Are you still worried about your siblings?" Adrienne asked, changing their focus to a more pressing matter. She knew that Lennox had been concerned about his younger siblings, as he would need to stay for two weeks in Jinling, missing their first day of school.

"I promised Noah and Scarlett to accompany them to their new school, but it seems I won’t be able to fulfill it." Lennox sighed, thinking his younger siblings would be disappointed in him.

"I don’t mind going in your stead. I can ask Myrtle to reschedule my meetings on Monday so I can have enough time to drive back to Chiangshi." She suggested.

Adrienne noticed that Lennox had changed so much since their first meeting. The Lennox Qin she met in the past only cared about his inheritance and himself, but now she is relieved that he genuinely cares about his siblings. Adrienne admired Lennox’s newfound sense of responsibility and selflessness. She knew his younger siblings would be lucky to have him as their guardian, even if he couldn’t fulfill their every wish.

Lennox looked at Adrienne with gratitude, realizing that she was willing to go out of her way to help him. He couldn’t help but feel relieved knowing that his siblings would still have someone there for their first day of school.

"Thanks, Addie. I’m sure they’ll appreciate having you there. I’ll be at ease knowing you are with them."