Chapter 227: This Is Too Coincidental
At this familiar sigh, the two people standing on either side of Arabella Donovan straightened up in unison, their ears perking up.
As mentioned before, Victor Donovan and his son were merely targets thrust into the spotlight. A major figure was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Vincent Vaughn wasn’t that major figure, but he was that person’s sharpest knife.
Don’t let his youth fool you. Each of his deeds was more criminal than the last.
Timothy Donovan and that other Mr. Donovan merely set traps for people. Whether orchestrating their debts or isolating and bullying them, they could only be considered indirect aggressors.
This Mr. Vaughn was different. He actually had blood on his hands—and not just from one person.
The color drained from Beatrice Donovan’s face. She almost couldn’t stop herself from stepping forward to slap the cuffs on him right then and there.
The reason Vincent Vaughn was called that man’s sharpest knife was because all the unspeakable dirty work passed through his hands.
Furthermore, he had a partner—a mysterious kingpin from a small, unstable border country, much like Smaragdia. The two were in cahoots, and in just a few years, they had managed to commit half the crimes in the penal code.
’Huh, why does this description seem so familiar? His partner abroad... his last name wouldn’t happen to be Jacobs, would it?’
’Jacobs? Is there some significance to that name?’
The two of them, having missed the first round of gossip, had no idea what kind of horrifying, earth-shattering secrets were sealed within that name.
Arabella Donovan, however, reacted instantly. She quickly reviewed the plot points related to those two. She then discovered that the mysterious partner’s first appearance was when Vincent Vaughn asked for his help transporting a shipment. The man agreed and made a request of his own: for Vincent Vaughn to help him find someone in the country.
This part of the plot wasn’t very detailed, nor did it specify the name or gender of the person he was looking for. Nevertheless, Arabella Donovan immediately thought of the one and only Miss Bishop, who had nearly duped her older brother.
If it really was them, that would explain how Jasper Jacobs, whose businesses were all overseas, could so quickly and accurately pinpoint Claire Bishop’s whereabouts. It would also explain how he had the power to target their family with such precision—to go after her older and second-older brothers!
’But, isn’t this a bit... too much of a coincidence?’
’Regardless, this guy is bad news. He’s hurt a lot of people. I should find a chance to report him later, though I don’t know if it’ll do any good.’
Beatrice Donovan was speechless. ’No need to go to all that trouble,’ she thought. ’Once I’ve gathered enough evidence, I’ll have them all arrested!’
However, now that she knew what this man was capable of, Arabella Donovan didn’t want Raphael Foster and the others to provoke a mad dog like him on her account.
So she took the initiative and said, "Mr. Foster, it’s dinner time. We’re hungry, and your other guests are waiting to eat. Let’s not waste any more time on trivial matters like this."
The moment Raphael Foster heard her tone, he knew she was letting it go. He breathed a sigh of relief, though he couldn’t help but feel a bit apologetic.
"Alright. I’ll show you to your room."
Arabella Donovan’s party swept into the private room, leaving Vincent Vaughn, Timothy Donovan, and his father standing in the hallway, staring at each other in dismay.
"Mr. Vaughn, what do we do...?"
As Vincent Vaughn watched the door to the private room swing shut, the smile vanished from his face. His gaze darkened as he stared at the father and son, sending a chill down their spines.
"What are you gaping at? Are you waiting for them to throw you out?"
Victor Donovan snapped out of his stupor and hurriedly bowed. "Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right. This way, Mr. Vaughn. Our table is over there."
Vincent Vaughn shot him a cool glance, then looked back toward the private room as if he’d sensed something. Finally, under the nervous watch of the Donovans, he turned and walked away.
Inside the private room, the atmosphere instantly lightened.
Unlike their last meeting, Raphael Foster—having now found his older brother and sister-in-law’s biological son—was so grateful that he was ready to treat Arabella Donovan like royalty.
"You so rarely visit, and I let you run into such a mess. That’s my fault. You and your friends take a look at the menu and order whatever you like. It’s on me today, as an apology. I’ll even go cook for you myself in a bit. I guarantee you’ll have the best meal this restaurant has to offer."
"If you’re willing to cook for us personally, Mr. Foster, then we’re really in for a treat. But there’s no need to pay for us. It wasn’t your fault to begin with. If anything, I’m the one who brought trouble to your doorstep."
"Nonsense. It’s settled. Hurry up and order before you starve."
Unable to refuse, the two of them each ordered a few dishes.
Beatrice Donovan and Samuel Foster were staying as well, so Arabella, worried there wouldn’t be enough food, asked for their input and added a few more dishes.
Raphael Foster took the menus and left with the maître d’ and a waitress. Arabella breathed a sigh of relief as well.
Recalling what Beatrice Donovan had said earlier, she asked with some curiosity, "Beatrice, you mentioned you were here for a case. Is it wrapped up now?"
"Almost. I just need to go back and consolidate the information, and we should basically have a resolution."
"Ooh..." Arabella recalled that Beatrice had also mentioned needing Samuel Foster’s cooperation for the case. Tying that to the confirmation of Samuel’s identity, she figured the case must be about him being lost at the hospital all those years ago.
Her rational mind told her not to pry, but the restless curiosity in her heart betrayed her, shining right through her big, expressive eyes.
Samuel Foster saw it and couldn’t help but smile.
"Speaking of which, I have you to thank for that, Miss Donovan. If it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I never would have found my real family."
As it turned out, on the day Arabella Donovan had informed the three Fosters about the surviving twin—the child of Master Foster’s eldest son and daughter-in-law—they were ecstatic. She had told them that the person was very likely Samuel Fulton, an artist currently signed with Zane Lynch’s agency.
After getting the old couple’s permission, Raphael Foster dropped everything. He took the DNA samples his older brother and sister-in-law had saved years ago in the hopes of finding their lost child and rushed to Brynn with all possible speed.
Once in Brynn, he didn’t try any clever schemes. He went straight to Samuel Fulton and told him frankly that, based on his investigation, there was a high probability that Samuel was the long-lost child of the Foster family. He then asked if Samuel would be willing to take a DNA test with him.
Had this happened six months earlier, Samuel Fulton would have certainly dismissed Raphael Foster as a scammer. But as fate would have it, just six months ago, his adoptive father had been diagnosed with uremia. Unwilling to be a burden, his father refused treatment and was forced to reveal the truth: Samuel was an abandoned infant his father had found near a hospital. They had no biological relation.
So, after listening to Raphael Foster’s explanation, Samuel Fulton was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement.
To ensure the accuracy of the DNA test, they had seven or eight tests done at different facilities in Jarden. After returning to Brynn, they had several more done. Without exception, every result confirmed it: Samuel Fulton was indeed the long-lost child of the Foster family.