Reborn Young Miss: Phoenix Burning Red-Chapter 298: My Cousin Surely Works Fast (3)

"To answer your question, I do not know." She continued, "I’m aware Ayla became his mistress because I refused to sleep on the same bed with him and chose to distance myself from him. Ayla could give him temporary comfort and companionship that I couldn’t provide then. However, I don’t doubt that Alistair’s obsession with me wouldn’t make it possible for him to take Ayla as his wife."

"I do not understand his obsession with you, Addie," Lennox said with displeasure.

Addie sighed, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and frustration. "I wish I could understand it myself, Lennox. It’s as if he sees something in me that no one else does, which captivates him beyond reason." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

She paused for a moment, contemplating her next words. "But regardless of his obsession, I won’t allow him to take control of my life anymore."

She then leaned forward, resting his elbow on her crossed leg, and cupped her chin.

"Don’t you feel any obsession towards me, Len?" She asked curiously.

Lennox pondered momentarily and stared at the almost empty wine glass in his hand. The emcee’s voice filled the room, but he ignored it.

"I do feel a strong attachment towards you, Addie," Lennox admitted, his eyes never leaving hers. "But it’s not an obsession. It’s a deep love that grows stronger every day. It didn’t matter whether you confessed your past to me, Addie. I would still uphold what I told you before. You leave me and break my heart, but I won’t stop you from leaving. However, my sweet Addie, you should know by now that you’ve ruined me. I cannot love another woman as much as I love you."

Adrienne’s lips curled into a smile, and she leaned in closer to him. Her hand rested on his thigh, sending a jolt of electricity through Lennox’s body.

"You make me feel alive, Len. With you, I don’t feel like a prisoner of my past. I feel free to be myself and to love without fear. When I think about it, I thought I was doing well, distancing myself from everyone to protect myself, but I was wrong. Keeping you at arm’s length was just a way of denying myself happiness. It also proved that I was still a prisoner of my past and that the Jiang family and Alistair still have it in their clutches."

Lennox placed his hand on top of hers, entwining their fingers together. His gaze was intense and filled with love and gentleness.

"Addie, my love for you is without limits. I’ll do anything to protect you from the pain of the past and the dangers of the present. You are my everything." He lifted their entwined hands and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of applause as Alistair and Ayla made their way to the stage. Lennox and Adrienne joined in, clapping along with the crowd.

As Alistair took the microphone, he glanced over at Adrienne. His eyes were filled with longing and desire, but there was also a hint of anger and jealousy. Adrienne could feel his gaze on her, but she refused to meet it. Instead, she leaned closer to her husband.

Alistair cleared his throat and began his speech. "I want to thank everyone for coming tonight to celebrate this special occasion with us," he said, his voice steady and confident.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, their excitement filling the room. Ayla stood by his side, beaming with pride as she listened to her future husband’s words.

Alistair didn’t stay on the stage for too long and went down. He immediately made his way to confront Adrienne, much to her surprise.

"Mr. Han, congratulations on your impending nuptials. I guess you aren’t the most eligible bachelor in Chiangshi anymore." Lennox said with a sly smile.

Alistair glared at him but didn’t say a single word in response. He knew Lennox was mocking him for allowing Ayla Jiang to trick him into marriage when everyone knew he fancied Adrienne Jiang.

"Miss Jiang, can I have a word with you?" He ignored Lennox and spoke to Adrienne instead.

Adrienne raised a brow, but only Lennox could feel the slight tremble on her body. Lennox wondered if Adrienne had lived her past life filled with fear and if Alistair’s request had triggered any painful memories for her. However, Adrienne composed herself quickly and shook her head.

"Mr. Han, you’ll soon become my brother-in-law. What can I do for you?" She asked politely, trying to hide any trace of discomfort. Lennox couldn’t help but admire Adrienne’s ability to maintain her composure in such a tense situation.

Alistair cleared his throat and glanced at Lennox, who stood silently by their side before finally speaking up.

"I want to clear up some misunderstandings between us. Allow me to explain, Adrienne."

Lennox had enough of hearing Alistair’s arrogance. No husband wants to see their wife disrespected, especially by someone like Alistair.

He stepped forward and said, "I’m sorry, but my wife isn’t going anywhere alone with you, Mr. Han. If you have something to tell Addie, you can say it in my presence. After all, we’ll be family soon, right?"

Alistair felt like he was struck by lightning upon hearing what Lennox said. His face turned pale as he realized the implications of Lennox’s words. The realization that Lennox and Adrienne were already married hit him like a ton of bricks, leaving him speechless and humiliated.

So many guests gathered near them, wanting to congratulate Alistair. Still, they never expected to hear such explosive news that Lennox Qin had already married the aloof and mysterious Adrienne Jiang.

Adrienne could feel the tension in the air and placed her hand on Lennox’s arm, calming him down. She turned to Alistair and spoke in a calm but firm tone.

Adrienne could see the anger and disappointment etched on Alistair’s face, but she didn’t care. She had no intention of letting him control her life or manipulate her with his words and lies.

"Lennox is right, Mr. Han. There’s nothing you can say to me that he can’t hear. And as for the misunderstandings, I think it’s best to leave them in the past, where they belong." She said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Alistair gritted his teeth in frustration and anger. He couldn’t believe that the love of his life was already married to someone else—to Lennox Qin, of all people. His pride and ego were crushed, and he couldn’t stand it.

He turned his back to them and walked away, his mind clouded with thoughts of revenge and getting back what he believed was rightfully his.

Lennox wrapped his arm around Adrienne protectively, pulling her close to his side.

"Are you okay, Addie?" He asked concern etched on his face.

Adrienne smiled reassuringly, knowing that she was safe with him.

"I’m fine, Len. I have you, and that’s all that matters." She leaned in and kissed him gently, feeling grateful for the love and protection he provided her.

The guests, who initially wanted to greet Alistair, congratulated Lennox and Adrienne instead. Ayla’s face contorted with anger as she realized that Adrienne had once again taken the spotlight away from her.

Meanwhile, Lewis cursed Adrienne repeatedly in his heart. He thought that if his relationship with Adrienne was good, he would have a chance to take advantage of the fact that Lennox Qin was now his son-in-law.

As they walked away from the party, hand in hand, Lennox couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that Alistair Han wouldn’t give up easily, and he needed to protect his wife at all costs, even if it meant risking everything he had.