CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53: ADRIAN JENNINGS’S ADMIRER

Adrian Jennings chased after, but was blocked by a man who appeared out of nowhere.

The man collided head-on with Adrian Jennings, spilling red wine all over him.

Adrian paid no heed, his expression tense as he tried to pursue.

But the man blocked his way, repeatedly apologizing, "Sorry, Mr. Jennings, I didn’t mean it, how about I take your clothes to the dry cleaners?"

"It’s fine." Adrian stepped to the side, trying to get around the man.

The man simultaneously stepped to the right, "Mr. Jennings, I’m really sorry, please don’t be mad."

Adrian became angry and shouted, "Get lost!"

The man rubbed his nose and stepped aside.

Adrian chased to the elevator entrance and saw the numbers above changing incessantly, his heart sinking to the bottom.

The elevator was already on the ninth floor.

Even if he took the adjacent elevator now, it would be too late.

Suddenly, he turned his head sharply in the direction he had just come from.

Where was the shadow of that stranger now?

Adrian’s expression turned grim.

That man did it on purpose!

At this moment.

In an unnoticed corner outside the side gate of the manor, there was a nondescript black Audi.

The man who had just collided with Adrian opened the driver’s door and sat inside, "Miss Hughes, it’s all done."

Selina Hughes leaned in the back seat with her eyes closed, "Let’s go."

The man glanced at Selina Hughes in the back seat through the rearview mirror while driving, "Not waiting for Miss Coleman?"

Selina scoffed, "If we wait for that stupid woman, none of us would be able to leave today."

Talia rushed straight to the rooftop terrace after exiting the elevator.

Opening the iron door to the terrace and stepping out, Talia immediately saw Jasmine.

Jasmine was tied to a chair, right by the edge of the terrace.

Her mouth was taped shut, her hands and feet bound.

The masked figure beside her still held a knife to Jasmine’s throat.

With her mouth sealed, Jasmine couldn’t make a sound, only looked at her with tears in her eyes, appearing very pitiful.

Seeing her sister like this, Talia’s heart ached badly.

She was just an innocent child.

This morning, Jasmine was still acting willfully with her, how did just a few hours pass and now she was on the brink of life and death?

Talia steadied her nerves and said to that person, "Release my sister, I’ll do whatever you want."

"Come over, and swap with your sister," without the voice changer, the masked person spoke in her own voice.

It turned out to be a woman.

A stranger at that.

"Alright." Talia didn’t have time to be surprised, and agreed without hesitation.

She stepped towards the person.

When she was about two meters away from the person.

"Talia! Don’t go!"

Behind her, Adrian Jennings who had caught up shouted.

Talia paused and turned her head to look.

Adrian rushed to Talia’s side in a few strides, pulling her into his arms, his voice trembling with fear, "Don’t go, it’s dangerous."

Jessica Coleman looked at the scene before her, tears flowing uncontrollably, her heart aching as if it couldn’t breathe.

Her smile was infinitely bitter, her eyes full of pain, "Such enviable love."

"Adrian, you don’t care about my life, but you care so much about her." Jessica Coleman took off her hood.

She cried and then laughed, her laughter almost hysterical, "Hahahahaha, good! Very good!"

"Why! Why can you receive his love?" Jessica Coleman’s eyes flashed with ruthless light, and she quickly rushed towards Talia Rhodes, thrusting the knife in her hand.

They were only a few steps apart, with Talia having her back to Jessica Coleman, unable to see her actions.

Due to the proximity, Jessica Coleman’s move was swift; Adrian Jennings was holding Talia Rhodes and was momentarily distracted, needing to push Talia away to defend against Jessica Coleman.

But it was already too late.

Even if he had practiced some martial arts, he couldn’t push Talia away in the blink of a moment and then strike.

The moment the knife stabbed, Adrian Jennings widened his eyes suddenly.

He could only turn sideways, as he held Talia, taking the stab meant for her.

At the moment the knife pierced in, Adrian muffled a groan.

"No!" Jessica Coleman’s scream tore through the sky.

She retreated two steps, unable to believe what she saw.

"Why——" Jessica Coleman roared, "Adrian Jennings! Why do you care about her so much? For her, you’d even give up your life?"

The strong smell of blood engulfed her nostrils, as Talia Rhodes belatedly realized.

She took a step back, leaving Adrian’s embrace, as her gaze shifted downward, seeing the knife lodged in his waist.

In an instant, all the color drained from Talia’s face.

"Brother Adrian!" she cried out, tears bursting out.

At this moment, a group of people poured through the rooftop door, quickly approaching them.

Well-trained bodyguards subdued Jessica Coleman.

Talia hugged Adrian Jennings, in tears.]

"Sorry, Brother Adrian, I’m sorry..." Talia sobbed intermittently, "It’s all my fault... I shouldn’t have come up alone to find her..."

She originally intended to pretend to comply with the masked person, swap herself for Jasmine, and after Jasmine was safe, look for an opportunity to subdue her.

She wasn’t acting impulsively, she had her plan.

But she didn’t expect Adrian would arrive so swiftly, unwilling for her to risk herself.

She also didn’t expect Adrian to risk his life to shield her from the knife!

How could this be?

It’s all her fault; she shouldn’t have acted on her own.

Adrian had already mentioned mobilizing all the manor’s bodyguards; she just needed to trust him, waiting for him to arrange the rescue of Jasmine.

She shouldn’t have, shouldn’t have run up to the terrace on her own.

The bodyguard team and Adrian Jennings were only a few minutes apart, yet it caused such a situation.

Talia felt immense regret in her heart, wishing she were the one stabbed instead.

...

In the hospital.

Adrian Jennings was undergoing emergency treatment.

In the hallway outside the resuscitation room, a large group of people stood, each anxious and worried.

Talia had cried her eyes dry, now standing by the wall with a vacant, dazed look.

Madam Jennings and Melinda Lynch had cried their eyes red.

Jasmine was safe and sound, and Lillian Young had taken her home first.

With things turning out this way, the engagement ceremony was naturally canceled.

The atmosphere in the hallway was heavy and oppressive.

"How could this happen, who is that woman? Why would she kidnap Jasmine, and why would she want Talia to swap with Jasmine?" Shawn Rhodes was gloomy, "Is she an enemy of the Jennings Family?"

Ian Jennings was at a loss, "No, I don’t know her either."

"I know." It was Adrian’s good friend, Andrew Donovan, speaking, "She’s Adrian’s pursuer."

Melinda Lynch looked over, confused, "Pursuer?"

"Yes." Andrew Donovan replied, "Just now when she was being taken away by the police, I saw her face. Her name is Jessica Coleman; she’s a high school classmate of Adrian’s and mine. She started pursuing Adrian back in high school, and it’s been about ten years now."

Talia suddenly returned to her senses, dumbfoundedly saying, "Brother Adrian’s pursuer? She... why would she do this?"