Reborn Young Miss: Phoenix Burning Red-Chapter 322: Karma Is a B*tch (2)

Adrienne received a summons from her grandfather, Old Master Jiang. The news of him collapsing after hearing the sudden crisis that befell their company following Camilla’s arrest reached her. She let out a small laugh when Irina delivered her the news, but she accepted the summons anyway.

The old man was confined to a private hospital, and not many knew about his condition. The stocks of Jiang Corporation continued to decline as news of Camilla and Cayden’s misdeeds spread. Old Master Jiang couldn’t believe what he heard, and his wife was too ashamed to make a public appearance after what happened.

Adrienne discreetly arrived at the hospital and took the secret path to the private room where her grandfather was confined. She was being accompanied by Leigh this time as she sent Irina and Kalista on an important errand.

Her grandmother was standing in the hallway, speaking to a doctor, when Adrienne arrived. Both of them immediately stopped their conversation as soon as they spotted her. The old woman was confused, and the doctor made an excuse and hurriedly left.

"Madam Jiang," Adrienne said, giving her grandmother a curt nod.

Her grandmother remained silent, but the deep frown on her face told Adrienne that the old woman was upset with her. Adrienne scoffed inwardly. This old woman was a hypocrite. She looked down on Camilla and Elizabeth when she was no better than them. She must have forgotten where she came from before Adrienne’s grandfather married him.

"Go inside. He’s waiting for you." Her grandmother said this before turning her back and leaving Adrienne without another word.

Leigh’s expression hardened. It wasn’t the first time she witnessed the Jiang family members mistreating their mistress, but she couldn’t understand their misplaced hatred for Adrienne. Things wouldn’t have turned out badly for the Jiang family if only they had treated Adrienne better in the past.

"Don’t mind her. Some dogs only know how to bark, not to bite." Adrienne said nonchalantly before entering the room alone, leaving Leigh stationed outside.

Adrienne quietly closed the door behind her as she stepped into the room. She didn’t feel guilty for the situation that they were in. She wouldn’t have to see him like this if only things were different.

She sat on the chair beside his bed and studied his face. He looked frail and tired, but his eyes twinkled as soon as he saw her. The old man was always a proud and stubborn one, but he was also smart and cunning. He built the Jiang Corporation from the ground up and turned it into a multi-billion-dollar empire. But now, everything was falling apart, and he was powerless to stop it.

"Adrienne," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I’ve been keeping up with the news. It’s a shame what happened to Camilla and Cayden." She paused and met his gaze. "Are you going to blame me for this like my father did?"

Her grandfather laughed, but his eyes remained empty. His breathing was uneven, and it seemed he was slowly withering away.

"Your father was always too quick to blame others for his shortcomings," he said, his voice filled with exhaustion. "He was never fit to take over the company, but I had no choice. I thought he would learn from me, but he only cared about his greed."

Adrienne nodded, understanding the bitterness in her grandfather’s words. Her father was a disappointment, and she knew that her grandfather regretted giving him the reins to the company. None of his sons were fit to run the company.

"But you, Adrienne," her grandfather said, his eyes brightening slightly. "You have always been different. You have the strength and intelligence to take over the company and return it to its former glory."

Adrienne raised an eyebrow. "You’re not getting sentimental on me, are you, Grandfather?"

Her grandfather was a smart person. Too bad he was too sentimental and greedy. He also put his reputation over the welfare of his family members. He’d also tried to push her to marry Alistair months ago, and Adrienne hadn’t forgotten their last conversation.

He chuckled weakly. "No, no. I’ve always known you had the potential. That’s why I brought you in and groomed you to take over after your father. But I never expected things to turn out like this. You took after your mother. You were kind and selfless. Too bad we’ve also taken it from you."

There was a moment of silence as they both thought about their situation. The Jiang Corporation was in shambles, and the future was uncertain. The Han family wouldn’t dare to intervene as they were also in a tight spot. Prosecutor Ji canceled the nuptial between his son and Elise, leaving her exposed and demeaned by the public.

Adrienne heard that the entire Jiang family refused to leave their houses and hadn’t said anything except for the last statement issued by her grandfather, condemning Camilla and Cayden for harming Rosemary Zhao. However, it was too late to change anything.

"I have no plans on saving the company," Adrienne said straightforwardly. "I sold the shares as soon as I heard Mom would sue Aunt Camilla and Cayden. I’m merely cutting losses."

"But there’s still a chance," her grandfather said, breaking the silence. "You can turn this around, Adrienne. You can fix what your father and Camilla have destroyed."

Adrienne looked back at her grandfather. Was this his last attempt to convince her to save the Jiang family? By using his dying wish? However, it was impossible to appeal for her to change her mind now. She and Lennox needed to get rid of anyone who could pose a threat to their family, regardless of who they were.

"Adrienne," her grandfather said weakly, reaching out a hand. "Please... "

She shook her head. Adrienne had no intention to stop now. Even Kristoff Fu couldn’t stop the investors from leaving the company, and now it was on the brink of bankruptcy. Her father had spent a hefty amount to hire him, but it was for nothing.

"I’m sorry, Grandfather. It’s too late for that now. I appreciate your faith in me, but I have other priorities now. My family comes first." Adrienne stood up, her tone final. "I wish you all the best, but I cannot help you with this."

Her grandfather’s face fell, and Adrienne could see the disappointment in his eyes. She knew he had hoped she would step up and take over the company, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

She had no interest in saving the company, even if it meant she was being unfilial to their family.

"You shouldn’t be asking the person responsible for this tragedy to revert everything in place.

Don’t you think it’s quite foolish, Grandfather?" Adrienne smiled with sarcasm this time. Her eyes gleamed with mockery.

The old man before her stared at her with wide eyes.

"You..." He wondered if he was hearing things because of the drug injected into him or if he was being delirious.

"What do you mean, Addie?"

"Do you still not get it, Grandfather? I know you know what my father and Camilla had done to my mother, yet you chose to turn a blind eye to what they did? Do you really think I’ll let it go easily? You let them harm my mother because her influence and popularity overshadowed my father’s performance. Since you thought my mother had already fulfilled her role, you thought it didn’t matter if my father discarded her."

Her tone was now filled with contempt. She hated the entire Jiang family and hated that she shared half of her blood with them.

Her grandfather’s eyes widened, filled with fear and regret. "Adrienne, please. I didn’t know what they did until it was too late. I’m sorry. I should have protected your mother but was too blinded by power and success. Please forgive me."

Adrienne’s expression softened slightly at the sight of her grandfather’s remorse, but it was short-lived as memories of her mother’s pain and suffering flooded her mind. She hated that they would sacrifice her mother’s life for their reputation.

"Forgiveness won’t change what they did to my mother. Had my father also told you how he and Camilla tried to get rid of my elder brother, the stillbirth child they claimed my mother delivered? And it certainly won’t save the Jiang Corporation now. I will not be associated with the likes of my father and Camilla. You should know better than anyone what they did to my mother."

Her grandfather’s face paled, and he struggled to speak. "No, I didn’t know. I didn’t know the extent of what your father and Camilla were planning."

Adrienne’s eyes narrowed. "You knew enough to keep quiet about it. You knew enough to let my mother suffer in silence while you protected the Jiang family’s reputation. You’re just as guilty as they are."

She turned to leave, not wanting to waste any more time with her grandfather. She was done with the Jiang family and their lies and greed. She would focus on her own family now, on her own future.

"Adrienne," her grandfather said weakly as she reached the door. "I’m sorry."

Adrienne paused and looked back at him, her expression cold.

"Sorry doesn’t change anything, Grandfather."

With that, she left the room, leaving her grandfather behind with his thoughts and regrets. She knew she had made the right decision, even if it meant turning her back on her family. She had her own family now, and she would protect them no matter what.