Adrienne and Lennox went to Jinling while waiting for the press conference to take place. Adrienne had business in Jinling since Purple Cloud had recently opened one branch in that city. She was busy reading the sales report for the past two weeks at the store when Myrtle entered her office, looking conflicted. Adrienne imdiately knew sothing was off about her best friend.
"What’s going on, Myrtle?" She asked, not wasting ti.
Myrtle rubbed her temple and sighed.
"Alistair is outside and demanding to see you. He must have learned from his connections that you own Purple Cloud and are here. Addie, he seems really angry. I think you should be prepared for a confrontation." Myrtle’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke, concern evident in her eyes.
Adrienne nodded in understanding, knowing all too well the trouble Alistair could bring. She had no doubt that his sudden visit was about Ayla’s miscarriage and the accusation that she was the one responsible for it.
"Let him in, Myrtle."
"But Addie..." Myrtle hesitated. She didn’t want to leave Adrienne alone with her stepbrother, as she knew Alistair’s obsession with her.
"Bring Irina with you and give my husband a call, explaining the situation to him. I cannot avoid Alistair forever, you know. Ayla must have insisted to him that I pushed her, causing her to miscarry."
Myrtle hesitated but agreed in the end. She left Adrienne’s office, and it didn’t take long for Alistair to arrive, with Irina following him shortly.
"What a surprise, Mr. Han." Adrienne was greeted with coldness flashing in her eyes. "What brings you here? If your wife heard you paid a visit, Ayla would be upset."
"I do not care what she thinks of , Adrienne. You should have known I was forced to marry her." Alistair’s voice carried a hint of bitterness as he spoke. It was no secret that he was seeking to marry Adrienne, but Ayla managed to seduce him and force him to marry her using her pregnancy.
"But that’s not why I’m here. I’ve co to discuss the accusations Ayla made against you. She claid that you pushed her, causing her to miscarry."
"Why would I do such a heinous thing, Mr. Han?" Adrienne remained calm and composed, her eyes never leaving Alistair’s face. "Ayla’s accusations are nothing but lies. I would never harm her or anyone else in such a way. I have no reason to."
Alistair stepped closer to Adrienne, his eyes boring into hers. "You always had a way with words, Adrienne. But I know you better than anyone else. You have always been envious of my wife. You were never satisfied with what you had and always wanted more. You wanted everything that belonged to her, including ."
Adrienne’s eyes narrowed, her patience wearing thin. "You are delusional, Alistair. Your obsession with has blinded you. I never wanted you, and I never will. As for Ayla, I have no reason to be jealous of her. She is nothing to ."
Alistair’s eyes swept around the room, and he chuckled. "Why bother running such a place, Adrienne? Is Lennox Qin too poor to sustain the luxurious lifestyle you are used to? If it was , I would never allow you to work at all. You should be at ho, tending to your husband’s needs."
Adrienne’s fists clenched, her anger boiling inside her. "You have no right to talk about my husband or my business. I am not here to entertain your jealousy and delusions. Leave, Alistair. I have nothing more to say to you."
"Did I hit a nerve?" Alistair continued to press, "Would you not desire a man who would treat you like the gem you are? Who would protect you and work hard to provide for your needs so you wouldn’t need to do so yourself?"
Adrienne gave him a humorless laugh. She had no doubt that this was also Alistair’s position when she married him in her past life. She realized how foolish she was to depend on a man like him for everything.
"I would desire a man who knows I don’t need to be protected and sheltered all the ti. I’m not a precious jewel being kept in secrecy and only to be seen at social functions and galas. I would like to be with soone who won’t put a leash on my neck and put in a cage."
Alistair’s expression turned sour at her response. "You are just as stubborn and independent as ever, Adrienne. But mark my words: you will regret not choosing in the end. Lennox Qin is not the man for you. He is not enough for soone like you."
Adrienne stood up from her seat, her eyes blazing. "You know nothing about Lennox. He is more than enough for , and he loves and supports for who I am. As for regret, I regret nothing in my life. Every decision I have made has led to where I am today, and I am proud of who I am. I see no reason why I need to explain my choices to you when you are nothing to ! You may have your delusions, Mr. Han, but I will not be a part of them."
Alistair’s face turned red with anger. "I don’t understand. Why do you detest like this, Adrienne? Why did you live like this and choose to be with Lennox Qin instead? What does he have that I’m lacking?"
Adrienne took a deep breath, her patience wearing thin. "What he has that you lack, Mr. Han, is love and respect. He loves for who I am, and he respects my choices and decisions. He doesn’t try to control or put in a cage. He supports and encourages to be the best version of myself. Can you say the sa about yourself?"
When the man before him remained silent, she continued.
"Lennox has sothing you will never have. He has my heart. He loves for who I am, flaws and all. He doesn’t try to control or change to fit his ideal. He supports my dreams and encourages to be the best version of myself. He is my partner, my equal, and my best friend. You will never have that with , Alistair, because you never truly saw for who I am. You only saw what you wanted to see. That’s sothing you could never understand because you’re too busy trying to control everything and everyone around you. You’re too busy forcing people to love you instead of earning their love."
Alistair gritted his teeth, his anger boiling inside him. "You are making a mistake, Adrienne. You will regret this. You are a self-absorbed woman who always wants more. You are never satisfied with what you have. And you will see, Lennox Qin will never be enough for you. You will co to , crawling on your knees, begging for my forgiveness."
Adrienne shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "I will never beg for your forgiveness, Mr. Han. And I will never co crawling back to you. I never wanted to be with you. Was it really hard to comprehend? I’m perfectly happy with my life and choices. You are the one who needs to move on and find happiness elsewhere. I wish you all the best, but our paths will never cross again."
These were the words Adrienne wanted to tell Alistair for a long ti.
"As for Ayla miscarrying your unborn child, I have no reason to hurt it, but can you say the sa thing to your wife? How do you know she’s not crying wolf? Now, if you have nothing else to say, please leave. You aren’t welco here. "
Her words hung heavy in the air, and surely Alistair wasn’t an idiot who couldn’t understand what she was trying to imply.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Lennox stord in, his eyes blazing with fury. He quickly assessed the situation and moved towards his wife.
"Darling, I heard that you have so unwanted company today. I ca to see if I could convince you to ditch your work for a mont and have a date with instead." He looked at his wife lovingly, taking her hand and pressing a light kiss.
Lennox then glanced at Alistair, whose face was contorted with anger. "Mr. Han, what are you doing here? I thought I clarified that my wife is off-limits to you."
Alistair scowled, his eyes darting between Lennox and Adrienne. "I just wanted to talk to Adrienne, but it seems she’s made her choice. Fine, I’ll leave you two alone. But mark my words, Lennox Qin, one day, you’ll regret crossing ."
With that, Alistair stord out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Lennox turned to his wife, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay, darling? I heard everything from outside."
Adrienne nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "I’m okay, Len. I just needed to get that off my chest. Thank you for coming to my rescue."
Lennox wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist and pulled her close. "I’ll always be here for you, Adrienne. You don’t have to deal with Alistair or anyone else alone." He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and Adrienne felt all her worries lt away.
At that mont, she knew she had made the right choice by choosing Lennox. He was the man she loved, respected, and trusted. He was her partner, her equal, and her best friend. And she knew that with him by her side, she didn’t have to be afraid of Alistair.
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