novelraw Chapter 361 - 362: Listening to My Wife Talk About the Past
Chapter 361 - 362: Listening to My Wife Talk About the Past
Chapter 361: Chapter 362: Listening to My Wife Talk About the Past
"That year, I was only thirteen... I had just arrived at the Johnson family... Before, I attended a very ordinary public middle school. After arriving at the Johnsons’, I went to the bilingual elite school where Sabrina Johnson studied, and the tuition fee for half a semester was more than one hundred thousand..."
"It was so much money... I felt terrible. I said I didn’t want to go to the elite school and wanted to go to a normal high school. Madam Johnson was very angry and said I lacked ambition... Anyway, she said many unkind things."
Sienna had never told anyone these things before because there was no one she felt she could open up to. But now, she was willing to tell the man beside her.
Leaning on Adrian Desmond’s shoulder, Sienna recounted, "...On my first day there, I was almost blinded by the sheer display of wealth. The school entrance was filled with luxury cars. Princes and princesses emerged, holding their heads high. It was more extravagant than you can imagine. At that time, the Taiwanese drama ’Meteor Garden’ was popular, and I really thought I was watching a TV show.
"Once I got into the classroom, I found that the female students wore diamond watches, not to mention designer bags and jewelry... That day, I felt like such a country bumpkin..." Saying this, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly, then gently shook her head.
Sienna looked beautiful when she laughed, and Adrian couldn’t resist kissing her. "Were you ugly as a child?"
Sienna looked at him, somewhat puzzled by his question. "Who said I was ugly? I’ve been pretty since I was little. When I was young, a perverted man wanted to adopt me. All the procedures were completed, but then his pedophilia was exposed, and I narrowly escaped..."
Fate truly is a marvel, one thing linked to another. Sienna didn’t even dare to imagine what her destiny would have been if she had really been adopted by that sleazy man.
At this thought, Sienna shuddered involuntarily. Adrian held her in his arms and said regretfully, "I wish I had met you sooner..."
After a moment, Adrian added, "But, even if I had known you earlier, I probably couldn’t have helped with your studies. I had my own hands full back then..."
"Let’s not talk about it; it’s all in the past..." Sienna said openly.
"What happened after you were accused of stealing?"
"...Someone stuffed a Bvlgari diamond bracelet belonging to Rowena Field into my backpack... Later, as you can probably guess, I denied stealing anything, of course. But they claimed to have caught me red-handed. The diamond bracelet was found in my bag, and two other girls testified against me, saying they saw me steal. I was speechless, unable to defend myself..."
"Later, the matter was escalated to the Academic Affairs Office. They demanded I admit my mistake and apologize publicly. But I hadn’t done anything wrong, so naturally, I refused to admit it. The director of the Academic Affairs Office then made me hold a sign and kneel in the corridor... The sign read: ’I AM A THIEF!’"
"Adrian, I’ve never been so humiliated in my entire life..."
"I felt awful, so incredibly wronged. I wanted to cry, but I held back with all my might, holding that sign, my back ramrod straight..."
Adrian held her tighter.
"Later, my adoptive father came. ... At that time, he and I were practically strangers. Pauline Briggs didn’t like me, and I felt that my adoptive father, who was always busy with work, didn’t particularly like me either..."
Affection is something that builds over time.
"Back then, I didn’t really hate Madam Johnson for treating her adopted daughter better than me because, in my heart, my adoptive parents were more important to me than my biological parents.
"Compared to the pampered Sabrina Johnson, I was more like the ugly duckling... People always prefer swans; no one likes an ugly duckling."
"When my adoptive father heard what had happened, he asked me only one thing: ’Sienna, tell your father honestly, did you steal anything?’"
"At that time, the evidence was conclusive, and no one believed me. I replied, disheartened, ’If I told you, would you believe me?’"
"My adoptive father said, ’I believe every single word you say!’"
"I told my adoptive father I didn’t steal!"
"My adoptive father called the police right away. He had detectives from Criminal Investigation test the bracelet for fingerprints in front of all my classmates. There were many people’s fingerprints on it, but none were mine."
"My adoptive father... he was a good person... But good people often don’t live long."
Thinking of Dexter Johnson, who had been unjustly accused and died, Sienna hated Sabrina Johnson and Frederick Stewart even more.
She felt useless; she had let them get away with it for too long.
"They will pay for it someday!" Adrian vowed.
"Yes!" Sienna affirmed.
「At the Eastminster Group」
Sienna saw that the stock price of Frederick Pharmaceuticals had fallen to one dollar and fifty cents. Holders of those scattered shares were panicking; the more they panicked, the less rational they became. Every day, people were frantically selling off large amounts of Frederick Pharmaceuticals stock, and even some major shareholders couldn’t hold out any longer.
Sienna was itching to buy in now, but Adrian had told her to keep waiting, saying the stock price would continue to drop...
The thought that in the not-too-distant future, she would become the second-largest shareholder, second only to the Stewart family, delighted her.
After taking over Frederick Pharmaceuticals, the next step would be to dismantle the Stewart family’s backing...
"Miss..." Lucas Robertson entered Sienna’s office. Sienna looked at the haggard man, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"Lucas, what’s wrong with you?"
"Why ask when you already know?"
Kiki and Samuel Palmer had gone to the beach for a trip. They were supposed to be back after a week, but they were having so much fun that they still hadn’t returned. It seemed Lucas Robertson was having a hard time.
"You’re reaping what you sowed," Sienna said unsympathetically.
"If you really like her, then pursue her wholeheartedly. Even if you don’t win her over, at least you won’t regret being true to your feelings."
Lucas Robertson sneered. "I checked Samuel Palmer’s background. I didn’t expect that Samuel was brought in by Adrian, and it was Adrian who had him approach Kiki. I want to know what Adrian intends to do to Kiki. I called Adrian, but he ignored me. Could you please ask him for me what exactly he’s planning?"
"Oh?" Sienna hadn’t expected this twist.
Lucas Robertson handed a file folder to Sienna, saying, "This is the evidence you wanted."
"Thank you."
"Please ask him as soon as possible. Kiki is naive; I don’t want her to be deceived and taken advantage of," Lucas Robertson urged, his anxiety palpable.
"I understand."
Lucas Robertson glanced at Sienna and walked out.
Sienna truly hadn’t expected Samuel Palmer to be someone Adrian brought in. What did Adrian want with Kiki?
Could it be that because Kiki helped her escape, Adrian held a grudge and wanted to retaliate against Kiki? But Adrian should remember how Kiki had poured her heart and soul into caring for his own daughter.
Adrian, what on earth are you thinking?