CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: VICTIM-BLAMING?

Ryan angrily said, "This woman is too obsessed with Adrian. She’s been chasing him for ten years, and Adrian’s spoken less than ten sentences to her. Her mental state doesn’t seem normal, Talia, she might be doing this out of jealousy because you took Adrian away."

Melinda Lynch’s chest rose and fell violently with anger, "She’s a lunatic! If anything happens to my son, I won’t let her go!"

Mrs. Jennings looked displeased, casting her eyes towards Melinda Lynch, "Melinda, Adrian is still in there being rescued, what do you mean if anything happens? How can a mother talk like this? Are you cursing Adrian?"

Melinda’s eyes were red, "Mom... I didn’t mean that..."

As she spoke, tears began to flow uncontrollably.

Ian Jennings looked at her reproachfully, "Stop crying. Our son is still being rescued inside. Crying at a time like this is so unlucky."

Talia had no heart to listen to their arguments.

To Talia, every second felt extremely long, every moment was torment.

Self-blame, regret, tension, fear, all kinds of emotions tightly enveloped her. Talia felt her chest suffocate, her heart ache, and even breathing became difficult, feeling akin to the suffocation of a drowning person nearing death.

...

Time passed second by second.

The sun gradually set.

After a long and torturous wait, the rescue room door finally opened.

Melinda Lynch was the first to rush to the doctor for information.

"Doctor, how is my son?"

The others also quickly gathered around.

Talia’s hands trembled with nervousness, sweat pouring from her palms, filled with both expectation and fear.

The doctor removed his mask and showed a relaxed smile on his tired face, "The patient is out of danger."

Upon hearing this, everyone let out a breath of relief.

Talia’s nerves that had been tense all afternoon finally relaxed a little.

Adrian Jennings was transferred from the rescue room to the ICU. The doctor said that to prevent post-operative infection, he needs to be observed for a few more days in the ICU.

With the weight off his mind, the old Mr. Jennings began to sort out today’s events.

He stared at Ian Jennings with a stern gaze, "How did that woman slip into the manor? The manor security is so strict, according to reason, she couldn’t have come in without an invitation. Have we found out yet?"

Ian Jennings remembered the numerous calls he received that afternoon, feeling too anxious to pick up the phone then.

"I’ll ask how the investigation is going."

After making a phone call, Ian Jennings said, "She entered as Julian Grant’s female companion. Surveillance showed she wore a mask, claiming a cold. Julian Grant personally brought her in, and the guards at the door couldn’t really ask her to remove the mask."

"The Grant Family?" the old Mr. Jennings knitted his brows.

Ian replied, "The Grant Family explained that Julian Grant has been abroad for years, only returning to the country this year. He didn’t know about the woman’s pursuit of Adrian."

The old Mr. Jennings gazed coldly, "It seems flawless, but things surely aren’t so simple. Keep investigating."

"Yes."

Shawn Rhodes, filled with wrath, had held back his anger while Adrian was in critical condition. Now, with Adrian out of danger, he could no longer restrain himself.

Shawn raise his voice, "What’s going on with Adrian’s admirer? Our child hasn’t provoked her, and yet there’s kidnapping and stabbing involved—it’s absolutely lawless!"

After a moment of silence, the old Mr. Jennings turned to Talia, with sharp eyes.

"Talia, what happened on the rooftop? How did Adrian get hurt?"

Talia lowered her head, "It’s all my fault."

Melinda Lynch suddenly looked at her, "Talia, what do you mean by that?"

Talia explained everything exactly as it happened.

Mrs. Jennings reproached, "So Adrian took the blow for you?"

Talia pressed her lips tightly, "Yes."

Mrs. Jennings said unhappily, "Talia, you’ve been too impulsive. We’ve already called the police, there are bodyguards in the manor, couldn’t you wait a moment longer? If you hadn’t acted impulsively, Adrian wouldn’t have gotten hurt for no reason."

"I’m sorry, Mrs. Jennings, it’s all my fault." Talia said with difficulty, lowering her head even more.

Mrs. Jennings pressed on, "You’ve caused such a disaster before even entering the family."

Shawn Rhodes’ face darkened, "Mrs. Jennings, what do you mean by that? Clearly it’s your family’s Adrian who provoked these romantic issues, my daughter is the victim, and you’re pinning the blame on her?"

Shawn Rhodes said coldly, "Easy for you to say, just wait a moment. That woman kidnapped my younger daughter and had a knife at her throat, threatening she would kill Jasmine if Talia didn’t go. You talk so easily standing up without fear."

"Bodyguards?" Shawn Rhodes laughed sarcastically.

"Since you mentioned bodyguards, let me ask you, are the Jennings’ bodyguards just for show? In broad daylight, a woman could easily kidnap Jasmine, were your guards there to rescue or to collect the bodies? Jasmine is Talia’s younger sister, in such circumstances her urgency to save is actually seen as wrong?"

Shawn Rhodes was truly angry, not only was the engagement ceremony a mess, but his younger daughter had been kidnapped, his elder daughter was almost killed trying to rescue, they were victims, yet they were being blamed. This is absurd!

Not giving them a chance to speak, Shawn Rhodes continued to question Mrs. Jennings, "You blame Talia for being impulsive, if today your son was the one kidnapped, with a knife at his throat, would you remain so calm?"

"Don’t say Adrian took a blow for Talia; are you implying that the knife should have gone into my daughter instead?"

"It’s truly strange, the perpetrator is clearly at fault, yet you blame my daughter, she is also a victim. Does the Jennings Family believe in ’victim blaming’?"

The old Mr. Jennings coughed twice, "Cough cough."

"Shawn, calm down, it’s not Talia’s fault." The old man glanced sharply at Mrs. Jennings, "What are you saying? How can you be so unreasonable!"

Mrs. Jennings was so incensed hearing this, her chest heaving violently, "Fine, fine, you’re blaming me now, I won’t argue with you all!"

After speaking, she turned and left.

"Shawn, don’t be too upset, it’s indeed our oversight that such a thing happened." The old Mr. Jennings was still quite reasonable.

Shawn Rhodes calmed down, then coldly said, "Since Adrian is fine, I’ll head home. My daughter Jasmine has been frightened, I need to check on her."

The old Mr. Jennings nodded, instructing Ian, "Ian, go see Shawn off."

Talia wanted to go check on Adrian Jennings, but Shawn Rhodes said coldly, "Talia, come home with me, lest Adrian’s condition changes and they blame you again."

This statement changed the expressions of the Jennings family members. Mrs. Jennings’ earlier words had indeed disheartened The Rhodes Family, leaving them speechless.

Talia turned and looked, with a troubled expression, "Dad..."