Chapter 309: Thrash First, Ask Questions Later
Ron Cole was briefly taken aback, but he quickly registered what Arabella Donovan had just said and was amused.
"Yes, yes, you’re right. To think that at my age, I haven’t thought things through as clearly as a child. I’ve wasted my years."
"No, no, please don’t say that. It’s just that those involved can’t see things as clearly as an outsider."
"Serena is right. Nothing has even happened yet, and you’re already bolstering their morale while undermining our own. Is that what I taught you?"
"You’re right, Elder Donovan," Ron Cole agreed good-naturedly. He then turned to Arabella Donovan. "Serena, since you call me Mr. Cole, then I’ll take the liberty of asking you for a favor."
"Mr. Cole, you’re being too formal. Please, just tell me what’s on your mind."
"This matter is of great importance. It will definitely have to be reported up the chain of command."
"I know. I’m prepared for that, so you don’t have to worry."
"Other than that, I’d like to understand from you what might happen next, so we can be better prepared to respond."
This was precisely Arabella Donovan’s original goal, so she briefly explained to Ron Cole what she knew about the upcoming future events, not forgetting to add a reminder.
"Because of your intervention, some people who might have originally been pulled into that world have escaped their fate. This might also cause future events to deviate. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’ll do my best to keep an eye on this matter, and if anything else comes up that requires attention, I’ll contact you immediately."
Though anxious, Ron Cole’s emotions were relatively stable. "Alright, thank you for your hard work. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, either. Now that we know about this, we won’t just stand by and do nothing."
"Mr. Cole is right. We old folks are still around. There’s no reason to let a young person like you shoulder this burden alone. Don’t be afraid, your grand-uncle is here."
"I feel much more relieved hearing you say that." Arabella Donovan let out a long breath and pulled out the files of several key individuals from the group she had noted before. "These people need to be monitored closely, especially this one..."
Arabella Donovan tapped the file of the female reporter. "Her ability is a bit special. If necessary, you can send someone to test her."
Ron Cole and the others all gathered around at once, picking up the files Arabella Donovan had singled out and beginning to discuss them animatedly.
"There’s one more person who isn’t in the files I gave you, but... because of my intervention, I’m not sure if he’ll still get dragged into this. Still, just in case, I hope you can keep an eye on him."
"Who is it?"
"His name is Terence Lewis." Arabella Donovan briefly explained his situation.
As for her own connection to him, she didn’t need to go into detail. She believed that if the people in front of her really wanted to know, they could find out everything within an hour.
She had done her part; now it was time to ask for something in return.
"Mr. Cole, may I make a bold request?"
"Go ahead."
"I’d like to ask you to arrange for some people to protect my parents and my siblings. You all saw what happened today. It seems my family has been having a run of bad luck, attracting all sorts of bizarre troublemakers since last year."
Arabella Donovan’s eyes lowered, a clear trace of lingering fear in them. "I can’t be sure if an accident like today’s will happen again, or if it will happen to my family members."
Ron Cole and the others, however, were thinking that they should indeed assign more people to protect Arabella Donovan’s family. After all, Arabella was now a key person under their protection. There was no guarantee her secret would stay safe forever, and some people with malicious intentions might find out about her extraordinary nature.
If they couldn’t get to her directly, there was no telling if those people would target her family instead. Sending people to protect her family’s safety was perfectly reasonable.
"That’s a small matter. I’ll arrange it as soon as I get back."
"Thank you, Mr. Cole. Especially for my third brother. He’s a member of the Brynn Research Institute and is currently working on a rather important research project. I have a feeling his project will be a success, and that it will have a huge impact on society."
"Oh? Is that so?" Ron Cole’s curiosity was successfully piqued by Arabella Donovan’s words.
But Arabella Donovan knew to quit while she was ahead and didn’t continue to boast about her third brother or his research project.
’Talk about a stroke of luck. I was just worrying about how to naturally get the higher-ups to notice my third brother and assign more people to protect him, and then this car accident happened. It even handed me the perfect opportunity to make a request. If I don’t seize this, wouldn’t I be wasting such a golden opportunity?’
Dennis Donovan’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’The Donovan family’s third boy? Has something else happened that I don’t know about?’
’Once these people find out my third brother’s project is researching a miracle anti-cancer drug, won’t they practically worship him? That’s an age-old problem that has stumped countless geniuses. And the amazing part is, in the future, my third brother actually pulls it off!’
Dennis Donovan: "?!?" ’What the hell!’
Unaware of the schemes running through Arabella Donovan’s mind, and considering she had also received a major fright today, Ron Cole and the others didn’t keep her for long and personally saw her out of the room.
The Donovan family, along with Caspian Rhodes, were waiting outside. The moment they saw Arabella, they stood up and hurried over.
"Serena, are you okay?"
"I’m fine." Arabella reassuringly patted Mrs. Donovan’s hand, but her gaze drifted around unconsciously.
’In the original plot, my third brother was framed for plagiarism by Julian Spencer. Then the female lead stole all his research results, allowing Julian Spencer to build his success on my brother’s back and reach the pinnacle of his life. He gained both fame and fortune, becoming a "great philanthropist" and hero revered by all.’
’Meanwhile, he, the true savior who developed the anti-cancer drug, was forced to bear the infamy, his name tarnished for eternity, becoming a mere stepping stone for another’s rise. If he hadn’t already died in that explosion, he probably would have faced a terrible prison sentence and suffered endless humiliation inside.’
What?! The faces of the Donovan family members changed in unison. Mrs. Donovan even swayed, nearly falling over.
Startled, Arabella and Mr. Donovan quickly steadied her.
"Mom, are you okay?"
As if waking from a dream, Mrs. Donovan forced a smile. "I’m fine, I’m fine. I just stood up too fast and got a little dizzy. It’ll pass in a moment."
"Then sit down for a bit, Mom. Can someone help get a cup of water?"
The moment Arabella finished speaking, several people nearby immediately went to get water.
Everyone’s attention shifted to Mrs. Donovan, so no one noticed that on the other side, Dennis Donovan had unconsciously tightened his grip on his cane. The veins on the back of his hand bulged, looking as if he might strike someone at any moment.
No one knew better than him how important the anti-cancer drug Arabella mentioned was to patients, and even to the country. For such a high-caliber talent to die a premature death because of a despicable scumbag like that—what an immense loss it would be for the nation!
’Julian Spencer, is it? I’ll have someone thoroughly investigate him as soon as I get back. And regardless of whether he’s started his dirty work yet, I’ll have him beaten to a pulp first!’