Reborn Young Miss: Phoenix Burning Red-Chapter 323: Ruination (1)
Alistair remained busy dealing with the problems at Han Corporation, while his new wife continued to film her latest film with Sofia Yun. Adrienne was aware that Ayla planned to use the Han family’s influence to challenge Sofia’s position and keep herself afloat in the showbiz industry. Ayla was confident that she could still make a comeback once she got rid of the child on her belly.
Meanwhile, Lewis Jiang couldn’t stop the continuous decline of their company. With Adrienne abandoning Jiang Corporation, causing the Jiang family to lose a massive chunk of shares to others, everything went out of control. His father was gravely sick, while his mother, who was always careful of her appearance, saw her hair turn gray overnight. However, it didn’t take long before the death of Old Master Jiang reached the public.
The stock price of the company continued to fall over the next few days. Everyone guessed that the Jiang Corporation was about to sink, and in the aftermath of the old man’s death, the Jiang brothers were powerless. Despite having Kristoff on their side, they couldn’t start any contingency plans to mitigate the problem.
Even if they manage to buy back the lost shares, the end of the company cannot be changed anymore. They realized too late the hostile takeover that took place months ago, and they couldn’t avoid going bankrupt soon.
When Adrienne received the news of her grandfather’s death, she didn’t feel anything but emptiness. She didn’t feel any sympathy or grief for her grandfather. She already made herself clear, and she regretted nothing. The difficulties the Jiang family was facing had nothing to do with her anymore. However, there was no denying that she singlehandedly ruined the legacy her grandfather started.
Although Adrienne acted as if none of it were her concern, Lennox knew it wasn’t the case. He found his wife in a daze, staring blankly at her laptop. Lennox just got home and didn’t see his wife upon his arrival. The rain was falling hard outside and he returned late. He thought Adrienne had already retired for the night and wasn’t waiting for him, only to find her alone in her study.
"Addie? You are still here?" He called her out.
Adrienne gave him a weak smile and stood from her seat. She didn’t regret what she had done and thought things would be different if her grandfather didn’t turn a blind eye on her father’s misdeeds.
"I was just finishing up some work," she lied. Lennox didn’t question her and instead walked up to her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. She leaned into him, taking comfort in his embrace.
Lennox could see the exhaustion in her eyes, and his heart ached for her. Adrienne might have got her revenge, but there was no way it didn’t come with a price. Until Jiang family was completely destroyed, he knew that Adrienne wouldn’t be at peace.
"It’s not your fault, Addie. There’s nothing to feel guilty about. They should have seen it coming." Lennox murmured. "Until the end, your father pins all the blame on you. He would never understand that it was all his doing."
Adrienne didn’t respond, and Lennox didn’t push her. He knew that Adrienne needed time to process everything that had happened, and he was willing to give her that time. He just wanted her to know that he was there for her, no matter what.
As they stood there in silence, the rain continued to pour outside, tapping against the windows like a thousand tiny fingers. Lennox held Adrienne close, his fingers tracing soothing patterns along her back, trying to ease the tension that had built up in her body.
"Do you want to attend his funeral?" Lennox asked, but Adrienne shook her head.
"There’s no need for that. I doubt the rest of the Jiang family would like me to be there." She sighed against his chest.
"It’s not your fault, Addie. You did what you had to do. Remember, you had your reasons for leaving."
After a while, Adrienne pulled back, looking up at Lennox with tired eyes. "I need to get some rest," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lennox nodded, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I’ll be here if you need me," he said.
Lennox had no idea what his wife was thinking at that moment, but he hoped Adrienne wouldn’t blame herself for her grandfather’s sudden passing. The old man had been enduring some chronic illness for sometime.
Adrienne gave him another weak smile before turning and walking out of the room. Lennox watched her go, his heart heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. He knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but he was determined to stand by Adrienne. Her revenge wasn’t fully done yet, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy.
The rain continued to pour non stop in Chiangshi for another three days and Adrienne’s mood continued to match the gloomy weather. She spent most of her time in her study, trying to distract herself by working.
However, Adrienne couldn’t shake off the feeling of emptiness that had settled in her chest. She had always known that there would be consequences to her actions, but she never imagined that it would come with such a price. She was aware that her grandfather was gravely sick when she visited him at the hospital, but she hadn’t expected he would pass away after a week after their meeting.
Adrienne then chose to focus on Scarlett’s upcoming recital, ensuring that the young girl would be prepared for her special day. Her young sister-in-law was too nervous as the recital approached, and Adrienne knew that she needed her help. Watching Scarlett play the piano was the only thing that could distract her.
On the day of the recital, Adrienne was backstage with Scarlett, helping her get ready. She could see the fear in Scarlett’s eyes as she went over the piece in her head, her fingers nervously tapping against her thighs.
