Being compared to Adrienne was an insult for Ayla, but she could only grit her teeth and pretend ignorance of it. She had thought that after entering showbiz, people would be more drawn to her than Adrienne. However, Ayla soon realized that Adrienne’s popularity overshadowed her own, leaving her feeling insignificant and overlooked. Despite her efforts to stand out, Ayla couldn’t escape the constant comparisons between them.
Adrienne didn’t pay attention to her and didn’t even bother to greet her, despite seeing Ayla. After greeting so important guests, Adrienne was starting to get bored. Before she could ask her uncle to allow her to step out, they heard a clear voice calling out her na excitedly.
"Addie! We’re here!"
Adrienne looked up to see that it was Valerie Xia. She was with her childhood friends, Katherine, Stephanie, and Diana. Adrienne excused herself from her grandfather and Uncle Reese and joined the group.
They all hugged and exchanged excited greetings, catching up on each other’s lives. Adrienne was relieved to see familiar faces and felt a sense of comfort in their presence. She knew that the rest of the evening would be much more enjoyable with them by her side.
When others saw this, they couldn’t help but think Adrienne Jiang wasn’t to be underestimated. While it’s true that she rarely attends social functions like this, the fact that she befriended these notable young misses from other influential families spoke volus about her own standing and charisma.
Valerie seized Adrienne and smiled. "You look exceptionally good today."
"You aren’t bad yourself, Val. I’m surprised you attended, though." Adrienne replied, knowing that Valerie hated attending such parties unless it was needed.
Valerie chuckled, her eyes scanning the room. "Well, when I heard that Kat and the others were going to be here, I couldn’t resist. Plus, I knew you’d be here too."
Diana offered a wine glass to Adrienne, but the latter politely declined it. Since Marion Gu’s party, Adrienne hadn’t touched any alcohol. She had learned her lesson the hard way and was determined to stay sober. Instead, she opted for a glass of sparkling water, grateful for the chance to socialize without the haze of alcohol clouding her judgnt.
"Do you know? Alistair Han seems to be seeking a bride these days. I wonder who caught his eye. He’s the most eligible bachelor in Chiangshi after all, and it’s about ti for him to consider settling down." Diana said.
Stephanie gave Adrienne a knowing look but didn’t say anything. Perhaps she had heard about Alistair’s interest in Adrienne and how he’d been in touch with the Jiang family recently.
"Who knows." Adrienne shrugged. "Marriage for a person like him must have been like any business transaction. It’s only beneficial when the other party can offer sothing in return."
Stephanie raised an eyebrow, contemplating Adrienne’s words. "Well, Alistair is known for his strategic thinking. It wouldn’t be surprising if he approached marriage with a similar mindset," she comnted.
Adrienne nodded in agreent, thinking that Alistair’s reputation as a shrewd businessman extended to his personal life as well. He must have thought he’d be able to get acquainted with the Zhao family by marrying her, but Adrienne was set to avoid that path in this life.
"My mother insisted that I attend this banquet for that reason." Diana frowned. "But I don’t want to marry him at all. I just want to et soone with whom I would really love to spend my life. Don’t you feel the sa, Addie?"
Adrienne was taken aback but pondered Diana’s words. When she thought about marrying soone, she couldn’t help but think that only Lennox Qin could understand him way better than any man in this banquet hall.
Valerie snickered next to Adrienne once she noticed the slight daze on the latter. If Myrtle hadn’t ntioned it to her, she would still be oblivious that Adrienne was already in a relationship.
"Of course, Addie knew. She already has soone in her heart."
It was Diana’s turn to be surprised. She had always seen Adrienne as the independent and career-driven type, never suspecting that she had secretly harbored feelings for soone. Intrigued, Diana leaned in closer and asked, "Who is it, Addie? Do we know him?"
"Is that true?" Stephanie smiled in amusent. "No wonder you won’t give anyone a chance to date you. Do we know who he is? How long have you been together?"
Adrienne blushed, trying to hide her smile. "Well, it’s not official yet, but we’ve been seeing each other for a few years now. And no, you don’t know him. He’s soone I t outside of our circle."
She had no doubt that these young ladies had heard about Lennox Qin, but she would rather not disclose the details of their relationship to anyone just yet. Just thinking about Lennox made her miss him more. The connection they shared was unlike anything she had experienced before, and she couldn’t wait to see where their relationship would go.
"Well, I know soone who cannot wait to beco Alistair’s wife." Valerie pointed out, looking at Ayla Jiang, who kept stealing glances at Alistair Han.
Adrienne smiled behind the rim of her glass, thinking about how things had remained the sa in this lifeti. She wondered if Ayla would succeed in having Alistair in the end, just like in the past.
"My cousin, Ayla, has been holding a torch to him for as long as I can rember." She comnted.
"Too bad that Alistair never once gave her a glance. He’s always been oblivious to her feelings," Valerie added with a sympathetic sigh. "But who knows, maybe this ti things will be different."
Adrienne doubted it. In this life, she was set to make Ayla’s life miserable, just like what the latter did to her. She smiled coldly. No matter what, she won’t marry Alistair and won’t give Ayla a chance to be happy. Those two were bound to be disappointed in the end.
In this life, Adrienne won’t take the sa path as the foolish Adrienne had in the past.
Marry Alistair Han? No fucking way. She would rather die than live a miserable life by his side all over again!
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