novelraw Chapter 396 - 397: The Angry Johnson Family Members
Chapter 396 - 397: The Angry Johnson Family Members
Chapter 396: Chapter 397: The Angry Johnson Family Members
"Are you sure your father is innocent?" Adrian Desmond asked casually.
His words, however, struck a raw nerve, and Sienna Johnson’s tightly wound composure snapped. Sienna’s face filled with anger. She glared at Adrian, then said to the driver, "Stop the car!"
"We haven’t arrived home yet," the driver responded.
The car slowly pulled over to the side of the road. Sienna got out and strode away without looking back.
"Where are you going?" Adrian called out, not knowing what had happened to make Sienna so furious.
"Sienna..." He also got out of the car and hurried after her. The woman ahead was walking quickly, and Adrian watched her with growing concern. He shouted from behind, "You’re pregnant! Slow down!"
Sienna didn’t respond.
"Sienna, what’s wrong?" Adrian caught up and grabbed her hand.
Sienna overreacted, yanking her hand away. "Don’t touch me!"
"Are you angry? Why?" Adrian looked at his hand, then frowned at the enraged woman.
Still, she said nothing.
"Sienna, we agreed we’d talk things out, not keep them bottled up. Why are you angry? Are you angry with me, or with Master Leland and Sabrina Johnson?"
No answer.
"If you’re angry with me, what did I do wrong to make you this upset?"
"Fine, I’ll tell you!" Sienna finally burst out, glaring at him. "I’m angry because you believed Sabrina Johnson’s lies too! I’m angry because you don’t believe my father either!"
Silence.
"Adrian, you’re my husband, the father of my child, and my father’s son-in-law! How could you believe Sabrina Johnson? How could you be like those ignorant people and slander my father!"
Adrian explained, "I’ve never met your father, and I don’t know what kind of person he is. I’m just maintaining a necessary skepticism."
"Adrian, others can disbelieve, but you can’t!"
Adrian relented, coaxing her, "Don’t be angry anymore. I was wrong. I believe your father; he didn’t do those things. It’s all Sabrina Johnson’s slander against him, okay?"
"Of course, he didn’t!" Sienna stated firmly.
"Alright, alright. Can we go home now? I can hear our son’s stomach growling from hunger."
"What do you mean his stomach is growling?"
Just as Sienna finished speaking, her own stomach let out a loud GURGLE. The embarrassing sound was unmistakably clear. Sienna’s face turned red, and when she heard Adrian chuckle, her ears burned too.
"Adrian, how dare you laugh?"
"Sorry..." he trailed off, then couldn’t help but burst out, "HA HA HA..."
"You’re still laughing?" Sienna hit and kicked him, but Adrian let her vent. Finally, she collapsed into his arms and whispered, "Adrian, I don’t care what others think, but you have to believe my father. My father is innocent!"
"Sienna, I believe you," Adrian said, holding her. "I believe every word you say."
He didn’t know Dexter Johnson and wasn’t sure if Dexter had done those things, but he believed Sienna. And because he believed Sienna, he believed Dexter Johnson.
"I must clear my father’s name!" Sienna declared.
"Mm-hm!"
"Adrian, I’m so glad you’re here. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to handle all this. Today, if it weren’t for you, Master Leland would have definitely bullied me."
Adrian’s presence had given her the courage and confidence, which was why she dared to declare war on Master Leland.
"Why would you be afraid of him?" Adrian said. "He’s just an old man. Who knows, he might close his eyes tonight and not wake up tomorrow."
"Exactly! Who does Master Leland think he is?" Sienna chimed in. "Our Sixth Master is the true ’Master’!"
"Let’s not talk about those tiresome people anymore," Adrian said. "Your stomach is growling even louder. Let’s go get something to eat."
"So embarrassing!" Her stomach was still rumbling. Face crimson, Sienna covered it with both hands, too mortified to look at anyone, while Adrian continued to laugh heartily.
Sienna had originally planned to get something to eat on the way, but then she received a call from Kathryn. Kathryn told her that Madam had heard about what happened in the courtroom and had fainted from anger. Sienna lost all thought of food and had the driver rush her to the Johnson family home.
As she was about to dash out of the car, Adrian cautioned, "Slow down!"
The Johnson family house, built in the traditional style of the Ming and Qing dynasties, had a high threshold. Sienna, walking too quickly, tripped on it and nearly fell. Adrian caught her just in time, his heart leaping into his throat from fright.
"You’re pregnant; you need to be more careful," he admonished gently.
"Sister! Brother-in-law!" Samara cried out when she saw Sienna. It was as if she’d found her pillar of support. She hugged Sienna and burst into tears.
"Samara, don’t cry. Grandma will be fine." Sienna had no time to comfort Samara. She entrusted Samara to Adrian and hurried to see Madam.
Adrian looked at his young sister-in-law, who strongly resembled his wife. He felt a degree of fondness for her. He patted her head, saying, "Don’t cry. If Curly sees you, he’ll laugh at you."
Samara wiped her eyes, but the tears kept falling. "Brother-in-law, my father isn’t that kind of person."
"I know," Adrian replied softly.
"But they all believed Sabrina Johnson’s lies!"
"Brother-in-law, why is Sabrina Johnson so wicked? When she lived with our family, we all treated her so well, especially Mom; Mom doted on her the most... Dad also loved her dearly. How could she say such things?"
Samara was old enough now to understand that those words were malicious.
"Samara," Adrian said, "there are some truly bad people in this world. No matter how well you treat them, if their interests are harmed, they’ll turn around and bite you without hesitation."
"So, you must keep your eyes wide open and see people for who they truly are. Don’t be deceived by bad people."
Samara nodded, though she only half-understood.
"Your sister will protect you," Adrian assured her.
"My sister has enough on her plate already. I don’t want to add to her burdens. I’ll protect myself, and I’ll protect Curly too."
"Mm-hm." Adrian looked at Samara, his gaze softening considerably. This Johnson family, one after another, they were all so worrisome. Fortunately, Sienna’s younger sister, despite her youth, was quite clear-headed.
As soon as Sienna entered her grandmother’s bedroom, she heard sounds of weeping.
Kathryn was comforting Madam. "Madam, please don’t be sad. Isn’t there a saying that ’the innocent will eventually be cleared’? Those who know Dexter, who know what kind of man he is, would absolutely never doubt him..."
"Madam, the doctor said you mustn’t get agitated. Please try not to be angry..."
"Grandma!" Sienna strode into the room and saw the devastation. Many of Madam’s favorite ornaments lay smashed on the floor, a testament to how furious she had been.
"Sienna!" Madam cried out, her voice strained. "How could that Sabrina Johnson slander your father like this! What on earth did your father ever do to her for her to be so vicious, to pour such filth on him...?" Madam, usually such a composed woman, had completely lost her composure.