Mrs. Donovan gasped, grinding her teeth. "That's a separate issue. Since she's done something like this, there's no need for us to associate with her anymore."
Although Arabella Donovan was puzzled by her mother's sudden and resolute change in attitude, she felt a sense of relief. She turned to look at Justin Donovan, who had narrowly avoided disaster.
'Come to think of it, Claire Bishop and my brother were only alone for less than ten minutes that night. If there were no cameras in the room, and she relentlessly insisted the baby was his, then contacted the media to pressure the Donovan Family, would my brother have had to get the hotel's hallway surveillance footage just to prove his innocence? When that happened, how many wild stories would the netizens, who love nothing more than a good drama, have cooked up?'
'Heartbreaking: He Publicly Admitted This Just to Prove His Innocence!'
'SHOCKING! The heir to the Donovan Group has been single for years, and this is the reason why!'
'A man and a woman, ten minutes alone in a room, and a life is at stake. Who is really lying? Click to find out...'
Mr. and Mrs. Donovan: "PFFT..."
The slandered Mr. Donovan: "..." 'Oh, for heaven's sake, just give it a rest!'
Claire Bishop's appearance made Arabella Donovan realize the importance of the library in her mind again. After lunch, she made an excuse to go upstairs and look something up.
What she didn't know, however, was that the moment she went upstairs, the others gathered together.
Justin Donovan looked at his parents' unusually serious expressions and didn't beat around the bush. He got straight to the point, "I heard everything."
Mr. Donovan raised an eyebrow. "How much did you hear?"
"Everything."
Mrs. Donovan realized Justin was referring to the words they had heard in the living room. "The video..."
"It was a bluff."
It was unexpected, yet it made sense. The couple was silent for a moment before returning to the main topic.
"We have to investigate this Claire Bishop matter thoroughly." Mr. Donovan was still bothered by what Arabella Donovan had said about his would-be killer and the family's ruin.
Mrs. Donovan, on the other hand, was more concerned about something else. "And Serena's situation..."
Justin Donovan knew what his mother was worried about and was quick to state his position. "Serena is my biological sister. No matter what happens, I will do everything in my power to protect her."
Mr. Donovan glanced at his ever-steady eldest son and nodded in satisfaction. He made a decision, "Don't tell Serena about this for now, lest she overthink it. Also, be more observant over the next few days. See if it's just us who can hear her, or if others can too, and whether there are any distance limitations."
The three of them reached a consensus on the matter, and Justin Donovan quickly took action, beginning to investigate the things Arabella Donovan had revealed.
Claire Bishop had been living abroad for the past few years, so investigating her would take some time.
But Arabella Donovan had also mentioned that Claire Bishop had an inside contact at Third Hospital who helped her falsify the examination reports.
Justin Donovan started there and quickly found a lead.
The next morning, Arabella Donovan had just come downstairs when she received a gift from her older brother.
"What's this?"
"A welcome gift."
Arabella Donovan looked at the familiar card in Justin Donovan's hand, growing more confused. "Didn't you already give me one yesterday?"
"That one was for living expenses. This is an allowance."
"..."
'A separate allowance on top of living expenses? And if I remember correctly, didn't yesterday's card have a seven-figure balance? Listening to my brother's tone, this new one probably has even more.'
'Is this how rich people show affection? So simple and unadorned? This is inhumanly extravagant.'
Arabella Donovan was both flattered and surprised. "That's not necessary. The card from yesterday is more than enough. I'm just one person; I can't spend that much."
Despite her words, Justin Donovan was unusually insistent. His expression was stern as he remained silent, not taking the card back.
The two of them were at a stalemate. In the end, Mrs. Donovan came over, took the card, and stuffed it directly into Arabella Donovan's pocket.
"If your brother gives it to you, you take it. Every child in our family gets one, so don't be embarrassed. Besides, we're going out shopping today, so you can use this card."
Justin Donovan let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. "Mmm. Call me if it's not enough."
Their unconcealed acceptance and affection sparked a completely new feeling in Arabella Donovan's heart. It was strange, yet not unpleasant.
Arabella Donovan had lived in the Sacred Temple on the mountain since she was four. Although she wasn't completely cut off from the world, her resources were ultimately limited.
She hadn't brought much with her when she came down the mountain. And although Mrs. Donovan had already sent many things to the house before her arrival, she still wanted to personally take her out to help her adapt more quickly to her new life and integrate into society.
Mrs. Donovan took Arabella Donovan to a nearby high-end shopping mall with five floors, each home to various types of luxury stores.
Arabella Donovan followed Mrs. Donovan from the first floor to the third, buying clothes, jewelry, shoes, and bags. At first, she found it novel, but in the end, all she felt was numbness.
They finally made it to noon. Mrs. Donovan called a temporary truce on the shopping and, thoroughly satisfied, led Arabella Donovan into a Western restaurant on the fourth floor.
They had just finished ordering when a sarcastic, passive-aggressive female voice suddenly came from the next table. "I was wondering why you looked so familiar. Turns out it's Miss Donovan. Is the Donovan Family going bankrupt? Forcing their one and only precious daughter to work as a waitress in this shabby little restaurant?"
"Oh, dear, look at my memory. The Donovan Family has already found their real biological daughter. This fake heiress must have been kicked out, scurrying away with her tail between her legs, right?"
'The Donovan Family again, and the whole real-and-fake-heiress thing... The target is pretty obvious.'
Arabella Donovan, who had been listless from the intense shopping spree, instantly perked up and turned her head toward the voice.
Before she could think much of it, she heard Mrs. Donovan, who was sitting across from her, call out in a daze, "Eloise..."
'Confirmed! This must be my fourth older sister, the one who moved out before I ever got to meet her.'
Mrs. Donovan: "..."
A short distance away, Eloise Donovan, whose expression had turned cold from the taunts, thought: "???" 'What was that voice?'
Melanie Yates seized the opportunity to viciously mock her sworn enemy and felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
But when she saw that Eloise Donovan had almost no reaction, still maintaining that cold, arrogant demeanor of an untouchable ice queen, the wicked fire in her heart flared up again.
"I heard the Donovan Family's real young miss was found in a remote Sacred Temple on a mountain in Yarrow Province. She never even went to school, just some uncultured, uneducated country bumpkin. To be replaced as the young miss of the Donovan Family by a thing like that... you must be furious, right?"
"But what can you do, even if you are furious? She's the true, blood-related kin of the Donovan Family. Even if she were an idiot, she would still be protected by everyone in the family. Look at you, on the other hand. So what if you're outstanding? Aren't you still just a low-level waitress, bowing and scraping to serve people tea and water for a living?"
The "idiot" and "uneducated bumpkin" in question: "..." 'We've never even met, yet you're going to all this trouble for me. I'm truly sorry.'
"Melanie Yates, don't you go too far!" Eloise Donovan, who had merely put on a cold face when she was being mocked earlier, finally couldn't hold it in any longer and exploded.
"If you have a problem, direct it at me. It has nothing to do with her. It's my fault and my parents' fault that her life turned out this way, but that doesn't mean you can freely gossip about and mock her suffering."