Chapter 182: I’m Terrifyingly Strong in This Aspect
In Arabella Donovan’s view, the gifts she bought were far less valuable than the ones her family and Liam Lowe’s family had given her.
But to Guinevere Preston, these gifts were a testament to Arabella Donovan’s rare and precious thoughtfulness.
The fact that she could meticulously remember each family member’s favorite colors and styles, consider every aspect of their daily lives and work, and thoughtfully select suitable gifts for them—that was what made these presents truly precious.
"You bought so many gifts for your friends and family, but why didn’t you get anything for yourself? Didn’t you like any of it?"
Arabella Donovan paused for a moment, then smiled. "These are presents for everyone, not souvenirs. Of course there isn’t one for me."
’All that jewelry back home is just sitting in the safe collecting dust. I only wore it once for my birthday party. The rest of the time, I just have to worry about burglars.’
Guinevere Preston: Uh...
’Besides, this stuff is only good for gifts or collections, or maybe to wear to a banquet. Who walks around flaunting so much gold and jewelry every day? Are you afraid people *won’t* try to rob you?’
Guinevere Preston: "..." Her words... actually made a surprising amount of sense.
While the two of them were still discussing what to do with all the jewelry, Dennis Donovan came bursting in from outside.
"Who dares to bully my precious granddaughter? They must have a death wish!"
Guinevere Preston froze for a moment, her expression sinking. "Bullying? What’s going on?"
Arabella Donovan froze, then shot a mournful, accusing look at Herman, who was standing behind Dennis Donovan.
’What happened to keeping it a secret? You sold me out the second you walked out the door!’
Despite her thoughts, Arabella Donovan knew it was the man’s duty to report the day’s events to Dennis Donovan, so she couldn’t blame him. She gave an awkward smile. "It was nothing, really. I already got my revenge. Those few people were looking pretty grim when they left. If you don’t believe me, ask him!"
Arabella Donovan wasn’t wrong. When Zack Prescott and his wife were taken away, not only did they look furious, but they were also shouting and struggling nonstop.
Mr. Sterling looked sick with worry because he had offended his boss and was afraid of the repercussions, while his little mistress was distraught over gaining and then losing a huge sum of 600,000, unable to cope with the emotional roller coaster.
Arabella Donovan thought her subtle turn of phrase was rather masterful, but she never expected Dennis Donovan to completely ignore the script.
"What? Several people? They ganged up on you! This is completely outrageous. Howard, go and investigate these bastards’ backgrounds right now. How dare they bully my granddaughter? I’ll make sure they can never show their faces in Brynn again."
"Yes, I’ll get right on it."
Dennis Donovan felt he sounded incredibly powerful and cool, but Arabella Donovan was cringing so hard she wanted to die of secondhand embarrassment.
’Is he auditioning for a role as a tyrant CEO in some web novel? My secondhand embarrassment is going to kill me.’
Dennis Donovan: "..."
Guinevere Preston couldn’t help but laugh out loud. When she looked up, she met her husband’s mournful glare and quickly suppressed her smile, pulling Arabella Donovan aside. "Are you really okay? How did they bully you? Did they get physical? Are you hurt?"
"I’m really fine. They did get physical, but you of all people should know—them not getting physical would have been one thing, but once they do, doesn’t that just play to my strengths?" Arabella Donovan patted her chest confidently. "Putting everything else aside, in this department, I’m terrifyingly good!"
Recalling Arabella Donovan’s previous feat of tossing people around with her bare hands in Lewis Village, both Dennis Donovan and his wife instantly realized their worrying was indeed a bit redundant.
"Ahem... What were you two talking about just now?"
’Could that change of subject *be* any more awkward?’
Dennis Donovan looked embarrassed, but Guinevere Preston laughed. "We were talking about Serena’s haul from her outing today. Look at all this jewelry—they’re all gifts Serena bought for me and her family."
"Gifts?"
Guinevere Preston had an excellent memory and quickly repeated what Arabella Donovan had said earlier.
Her intention was to praise Arabella Donovan for being so thoughtful and considerate, but Dennis Donovan’s focus, as usual, was slightly askew.
"So many people got gifts. Where’s mine?"
Arabella Donovan’s expression froze, and she started screaming internally like a rubber chicken.
’Oh, crap. I forgot to get my granduncle a gift.’
She... forgot? Dennis Donovan froze, a dark cloud materializing over his head. Silent and speechless, he looked just like a lonely old widower, abandoned by the younger generation.
Guinevere Preston found the situation both exasperating and hilarious. ’This old man is acting more childish the older he gets,’ she thought, but said aloud, "What do you mean there’s no gift? Serena gave us two pairs of gold bracelets—one with a dragon and phoenix, the other with mandarin ducks. A dragon needs a phoenix, and a duck needs a mate. Do you think they can be auspicious all alone? You can’t even see that? All those extra years of experience over her, and for what?"
The moment Dennis Donovan heard his wife’s words, he instantly perked up. "Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right. These bracelets have a wonderful meaning. You can tell the child chose them with great care."
Arabella Donovan breathed a sigh of relief and shot Guinevere Preston a grateful look.
’Thank goodness Preston is so quick on her feet. I messed up. When I was shopping, I was only thinking about how girls like pretty jewelry and that there aren’t many styles for men, so I completely overlooked my granduncle. If I’d thought of it, I would’ve just gotten him a big gold chain like the one my dad wears.’
Hearing this, Dennis Donovan subconsciously glanced at the glittering gold chain in question. The more he looked at it, the more it reminded him of the leash on the neighbor’s Golden Retriever.
"..." ’Thanks, but that won’t be necessary.’
Guinevere Preston, who saw the whole play of emotions on Dennis Donovan’s face, knew exactly what he was thinking and almost burst out laughing again.
"Don’t mind him. The older he gets, the more ridiculous he becomes. If you don’t like jewelry, go out tomorrow and look at some other things. A young lady like you should be dressing up all pretty and going out to have fun with your friends. What’s the point of always staying at home?"
Arabella Donovan felt a pang of awkwardness; Guinevere Preston’s tone sounded exactly like a long-suffering parent trying to coax their internet-addicted kid to go outside for some fresh air.
"Isn’t it nice for me to stay home and keep you company? I can go out and have fun anytime, but this visit won’t last forever. I have to go back to Stroven City, and then you won’t be able to see me."
Arabella Donovan hugged Guinevere Preston’s arm, acting cute. Guinevere Preston was pleased, but her mind remained clear. "Oh, you. What’s so difficult about that? Just keep living here. Your grandparents’ house is so big, you think we don’t have room for you?"
Arabella Donovan: "..." ’That... makes so much sense I don’t even know how to respond.’
Dennis Donovan listened to their conversation, glanced at the pile of jewelry boxes, and suddenly realized something. "You bought all this, but you didn’t use the card I gave you?"
Arabella Donovan froze, and Guinevere Preston’s gaze snapped over as well.
"Well... these are gifts for other people, aren’t they? How could I use your money? If I used your money to buy these things, it would be like taking credit for your generosity."
But Dennis Donovan was not persuaded by her reasoning. He snorted. "I see you just don’t think of this old man as your elder! We’re supposed to be family! You call me ’Grandpa’ to my face, but in your heart, you don’t see me as your grandpa at all!"