Reborn Young Miss: Phoenix Burning Red-Chapter 55: One Step Forward (2)
Adrienne didn’t need to do much aside from accompanying and consoling Samantha. Gavin and the lawyer he brought with him dealt with the police involved in Samantha’s mother’s case. Since the video the girl recorded proved that her mother was mentally unstable, it would make it easier for Lennox to become her guardian.
"Do you think Mom would hate me for doing this?" Samantha suddenly asked. Her hands unconsciously gripped her pants and shivered as the cold air from the air conditioner hit her exposed arm.
Adrienne’s hand stopped midair as she cleaned the small cut on the girl’s lips. She could only do this much, but later she would ask Gavin to take them to the hospital. She draped her coat over Samantha’s shoulder to protect her from the cold.
"Is this another excuse you came up with for your mother? Would it change anything? Instead of worrying about her, why don’t you think of what you would do from now on?"
Samantha flinched and lowered her head in embarrassment. Sometimes she wished she could be as decisive and confident as Adrienne.
"It was her who wronged you, and yet why do you feel the guilt instead? Even if you were born as a boy, she would treat you the same because there’s no way your father would marry her. Only time could tell whether she would repent for what she’d done to you." Adrienne continued what she was doing before Samantha questioned her. Though it pained her to see the girl hurt to this extent, she had no choice but to let the girl decide for herself and her future.
"Will I still be able to see you after this?" Samantha asked helplessly. "Addie, I’m scared. What if my brother hates me too?"
Adrienne gently brushed off a few locks of hair away from the girl’s face and tucked it behind her ear. She might not allow herself to get emotionally attached to Lennox, but it was too late for her to distance herself from Samantha.
"Who said we won’t see each other again? I’m going to be your sister-in-law. I’ll be living with you and your brother once we marry. It may take some time, though, as I need to graduate from high school first and make some preparations before it happens." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
Samantha’s face lit up. She couldn’t wait to live with Adrienne someday. As long as Adrienne was there, she knew no one would dare to bully her. However, Samantha knew she could not forever rely on Adrienne’s help. She would need to learn to stand up on her feet, and maybe someday she could repay the gratitude she felt for Adrienne.
The next scenes were a blur for Samantha. She could barely remember what the doctor asked her when Adrienne and Gavin brought her to the hospital for a check-up. The wounds and bruises that Adrienne and Myrtle had tended before had been replaced with new ones.
Samantha could sense Adrienne and Gavin’s displeasure when they saw her darkening bruises that covered her entire legs as she changed into a hospital gown for further lab tests.
"Did your mother try to kill you? These injuries could potentially kill you. It’s a good thing we can take you away before it actually happens." Gavin commented while Adrienne shook her head in dismay.
While Samantha was being examined, Gavin handed over the new reports he had gathered to Adrienne. Since Samantha’s custody was already taken care of, Adrienne would need to move on and find the rest of the children.
"These are the updated profiles of the other children you asked for. Since it’s certain Samantha’s custody would end up with Nox, we will transfer the first payment to your account soon. If you need anything else, you just tell me."
Adrienne leaned against the wall behind her as they waited in the hallway. There weren’t many people on the floor they were on, as nurses stationed at the reception desk were the only ones nearby. She opened one of these folders and gave it a quick look. It turned out the file belonged to the youngest of the Qin siblings.
Noah Qin was just four years old and had just started attending daycare. His mother died at childbirth, and because she grew up in an orphanage with no known relatives, he was cared for and raised by his mother’s best friend, Beatrice Qiu. Beatrice Qiu was a twenty-seven-year-old salary woman aiming to sit for a civil exam in six months. It was outstanding how she could support and care for Noah despite her hectic schedule.
"I suppose I need to meet this amazing woman soon. There aren’t many people willing to step forward and care for a child that doesn’t belong to them."
"I’m sure you’ll be able to convince her to give up Noah’s custody to Nox since she doesn’t have any legal rights to keep him in the first place," Gavin commented.
"That’s not true, Mr. Si." Adrienne shook her head. "Do you know that there are bonds that are way stronger than blood relations? You don’t need to be blood-related with someone to love and protect one with all your heart. I’m sure Miss Qiu and Noah’s relationship is special."
She and Dylan didn’t share an ounce of blood, but she treated him like her child. Adrienne couldn’t help but remember him after reading Noah Qin’s profile. It was too early to tell whether Dylan Han would be born in this lifetime, but Adrienne could only hope things would be better for him.
"Miss Jiang?"
Adrienne blinked and faced Gavin confusedly. "What is it again?"
Just thinking about Dylan was enough to make Adrienne sad. That child did nothing wrong in her previous life. It was cruel for Camilla and her children to force him to accompany her to the afterlife.
"I asked if you require someone to bring you to Jinling City. I can arrange for someone to accompany you there. Lennox insisted you shouldn’t go on your own from now on."
