"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 sester 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 erged, holding their heads high. It was more extravagant than you can imagine. At that ti, the Taiwanese drama ’teor 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 ntion 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, sowhat 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 . 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 t you sooner..."
After a mont, 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?"
"...Soone 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 claid to have caught red-handed. The diamond bracelet was found in my bag, and two other girls testified against , saying they saw 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 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 ca. ... At that ti, he and I were practically strangers. Pauline Briggs didn’t like , and I felt that my adoptive father, who was always busy with work, didn’t particularly like either..."
Affection is sothing that builds over ti.
"Back then, I didn’t really hate Madam Johnson for treating her adopted daughter better than because, in my heart, my adoptive parents were more important to 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 only one thing: ’Sienna, tell your father honestly, did you steal anything?’"
"At that ti, the evidence was conclusive, and no one believed . I replied, disheartened, ’If I told you, would you believe ?’"
"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 soday!" Adrian vowed.
"Yes!" Sienna affird.
「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 beca. Every day, people were frantically selling off large amounts of Frederick Pharmaceuticals stock, and even so 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 beco 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 Palr 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 seed Lucas Robertson was having a hard ti.
"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 Palr’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 . Could you please ask him for 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 Palr to be soone 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 rember how Kiki had poured her heart and soul into caring for his own daughter.
Adrian, what on earth are you thinking?
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