NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Elysian (1)
Adrienne stared at the card, but made no effort to accept it. She was being given an express train ticket straight down to hell. However, since she had already been there in her previous life, how could she be oblivious to what awaited her if she used this card? If she hadn't known what the nurse was giving her, Adrienne would have felt touched by her concern.
"Miss Jiang?" Nurse Nova asked nervously, and only now was Adrienne able to see past this woman's facade. Behind those smiles and concerned gestures was hiding a wicked and poisonous heart. She was obviously up to no good, but Adrienne failed to put the pieces together.
Was she nervous about sending someone's daughter into ruins, or was she trembling in excitement to receive the compensation for it? Adrienne had no doubt it was the latter because the smile that lit up the nurse's face after she took the card in her previous life was still clear in her memory.
"What is this?" She asked, feigning innocence as she finally took the card and gave it a good look. The black, sleek card had the word "Elysian" printed in elegant cursive and gold ink. It had no phone number or other information aside from the name. The card was thick and heavy. It looked luxurious in her hand.
Adrienne stared at it with eyes that barely hid her contempt and disgust. Not many people knew this place as Elysian was a gentleman's club that caters to the wealthiest bachelors and married men. Men lounged on the couches while playing poker with women draped over their laps. Most were drugged, while other women were too broken to care about what was happening to them. Many prominent and influential men came to this establishment to have affairs or meet others under the guise of being entertained by women.
As they were exclusive, it was an elite club that few could easily enter. Not even her brother, Cayden Jiang, could secure its membership. Adrienne wasn't surprised that her foolish brother would like to enter Elysian, hoping to gain valuable connections that could help him replace her as the successor of the Jiang family. Adrienne wouldn't be surprised if someone told her that Cayden knew his younger sister's plot against her.
Her stomach recoiled at the thought that she had once considered selling her body to keep her mother alive out of desperation. She would never wish for anyone to be in the same position as she was before. Adrienne almost lost her chastity when she went to that place. She never knew what she was signing up for when she went to Elysian.
If Alistair hadn't come and intervened back then, she would have been abused by a man who had bad blood with her father. He'd been furious when he saw her, dragging her with him out of that place before bringing her to his place, only for her to receive more scolding. Thankfully, he didn't tell anyone what transpired back then.
"I think it's a gentleman's club or something. One of my acquaintances is related to the owner. I heard that it pays well." The nurse explained. "With your current looks, it would be easy for you to attract a patron. Don't get me wrong. I don't advise you to go there unless you don't have any choice, but there's no shame in doing what you think is right for your mother."
Adrienne didn't respond and only stared back at the nurse with an unreadable expression. This woman had the audacity to poison her mother with drugs and was heartless enough to send her to the pit of vipers. From what she knew, Nurse Nova had a daughter the same age as Adrienne, but how could she say such malicious words to her? Did she have no conscience at all?
Many people could forget morality when they succumb to their greed, whether for money, love, or career, and this woman was no exception. Camilla and Elise must have offered her a hefty amount of money she couldn't easily decline. She was one of the senior nurses in this hospital, and no one would suspect that she was sabotaging her patient's recovery.
The foolish Adrienne of the past didn't know that this was a scheme plotted by her dearest half-sister, Elise. No one would ever suspect that it was the work of her innocent fairy-like sister. Who gave them the right to destroy someone's life like this?
"Thank you for your concern." She told the nurse, smiling with malicious intent in her eyes. Adrienne would never let her off easily. Since she was bold enough to harm her mother and attempted to ruin her chastity by sending her to such a nefarious place, Adrienne would surely make her pay for it, no matter the consequences.
"This child… What are you saying? Do you think I would like to send you to such a place? If you weren't in need of money, I wouldn't have mentioned this to you at all." Nurse Nova commented before slipping out of the room, unable to finish her prior task. The older woman was pleased that while she failed to inject the drug into Rosemary Zhao, she was able to deliver the card to that foolish young miss of the Jiang family.
Once she was gone, Adrienne couldn't stop her entire body from trembling. Her eyes shone with tears, but she refused to shed them. These people didn't deserve her tears or her pity. If she had remained clueless, she would have taken the same path in her previous life. This incident only fueled her desire to destroy them until nothing remained.
Now that she was clear of everyone's intention towards her and her mother, Adrienne knew the ball was in her court now, and she needed to act quickly before they realized that she'd become a different person. If she were to agree with the proposition presented to her by Lennox Qin, then she would gain the most benefit compared to the other options she had.