Chapter 224: You’re Stupid, But You Won’t Admit It
"Take a left out the door. There’s a hospital three kilometers away."
Victor Donovan froze, his expression darkening. "What do you mean by that? Are you cursing me to get sick?"
Arabella Donovan rolled her eyes, unable to take it anymore. "I’m saying that hospital is famous for its neurology department. If someone’s brain isn’t working right, they should get it treated. Don’t be in denial. It’ll be too late once things get worse."
"You... you dare say I’m crazy? You ill-mannered brat! Is this how your family raised you?"
Arabella’s expression changed. She didn’t mind being insulted, but bringing her family into it? This guy had just crossed a line.
"It seems some people aren’t just in denial, they also love to shut others up while deluding themselves. Oh well. There’s no point arguing with an idiot. I might catch what he has."
"You... you actually..." Victor Donovan clutched his chest, looking like he was about to have a heart attack. The sight made Arabella’s own heart pound—she was terrified that even from this distance, if he dropped dead from anger, she’d be the one they’d try to extort.
Timothy Donovan was also fuming, but he hadn’t forgotten how Arabella had stood up to them last night. Trying to pull rank as an elder relative wouldn’t work on her. So, he turned his anger on the manager and the waitress standing nearby.
"What is going on here? How did they get in without waiting in line?"
Arabella glanced at him, frowning. "And how would you know we didn’t wait in line?"
"What a joke! I just got in here after waiting in line myself. If you two had been downstairs just now, how could I have possibly not seen you?"
It turned out that after the auction last night, Victor Donovan’s family had been hit with severe sanctions by Dennis Donovan.
Not only were their accounts containing company dividends frozen, but Victor Donovan’s job was also affected, and he was effectively benched.
Realizing they had truly screwed up this time, the panicked family subconsciously sought help from the powerful figure who had leaked the information and instructed them to bid on the Southward District land.
Unfortunately, they had failed their task the previous night. The powerful figure was furious and couldn’t care less if their family lived or died.
With no other choice, Victor Donovan’s family settled for the next best thing: they sought out someone close to that powerful figure, hoping they could put in a good word for them and bail them out.
To that end, after finding out this person was particularly fond of the food at Delicacy Pavilion, they had Timothy come here to wait in line first thing in the morning, without even eating breakfast.
Timothy Donovan had been starving all morning. He had been standing in the crowded downstairs area for a solid four or five hours, leaving him exhausted and miserable.
And of all times, he ran into the very person he hated most in the world, who, to make matters worse, had seemingly gotten a private room without even waiting in line. All of it grated on his already frayed nerves, making his head buzz with anger. He felt like he could snap at any second.
"Well..." The manager glanced at Arabella Donovan and decided to tell the truth. "Miss Donovan is our owner’s honored guest. She enjoys a one-of-a-kind VIP status in this establishment, which includes her own private room. She does not need to wait in line."
The moment he said this, the Donovan father and son were both stunned, then reacted as if they had heard the world’s greatest joke.
"A one-of-a-kind VIP status? Her own private room? Do you hear yourself? Everyone in Brynn knows Delicacy Pavilion doesn’t take reservations, doesn’t do takeout, and even the emperor himself would have to wait in line."
Timothy Donovan, red-faced and fuming, pointed at Arabella. "And now you’re telling me this woman is your esteemed VIP, who has her own room and doesn’t have to wait? Is this bitch messing with me, or are you all in on it together?"
"Sir, everything you just said is true. It is a fact that our restaurant does not accept reservations and that customers must come in person to wait in line. It is also a fact that Miss Donovan is the sole exception and does not need to wait. This is because..."
"Dad, little brother, what’s going on? Mr. Vaughn just messaged that he’s almost here. You two..." The manager was cut off by the sudden appearance of Mr. Donovan.
He glanced at Arabella and her companion in surprise, asking the exact same question as his father and brother. "What are you two doing here?"
Arabella rolled her eyes, already sick of dealing with this family. All she wanted was to eat a meal in peace. Why were people so determined to ruin her day?
But Timothy Donovan wasn’t about to let her off the hook. He said sarcastically, "What kind of question is that? We’re at a restaurant, so obviously she’s here to eat. But she’s far more distinguished than law-abiding customers like us. She doesn’t even have to wait in line to eat and even gets her own private room."
"I wonder if she has some kind of sordid relationship with the owner, for him to give her such special treatment and ignore the rules he’s kept for so many years."
"Sir, please watch your words!" The manager’s expression changed instantly when he heard this. His earlier desire to peacefully resolve the situation vanished.
He could see it clearly now—this man had a grudge against Arabella Donovan and was deliberately causing trouble for them!
Caspian Rhodes’s face darkened as well. He was already calculating how to make this family pay for their words. ’Causing this much trouble over a simple meal... He’d just have to make sure they were never allowed to set foot in a restaurant again.’
But Arabella was so angry at his words, she actually laughed.
’Other customers, maybe, but you three have the nerve to call yourselves "law-abiding"? One of you embezzled company funds—stealing right from the hand that feeds you. Another runs a loan-sharking operation with his crooked friends, setting debt traps to swindle people. And the last one was part of a bullying clique in his youth that drove someone to their death. Each one of you is more of a criminal than the last!’
’And you have the gall to call yourselves law-abiding? If you’re "law-abiding," then there are no real criminals left in the world!’
Caspian Rhodes’s thoughts reeled. ’What?!’
Beatrice Donovan, who happened to be nearby to follow up on a case, also froze. ’What?!’
At that moment, Timothy Donovan was oblivious to the disaster he had brought upon himself. Thinking he had caught Arabella red-handed, he said smugly, "What’s the matter? Can’t handle the heat after what you’ve done?"
"You!"
Mr. Donovan glanced at Arabella and her companion, then at the manager and waitress beside them, and said meaningfully, "Perhaps it wasn’t the owner’s decision. Maybe these two took it upon themselves to secretly break the rules for an acquaintance?"
Timothy Donovan paused at his words, then quickly caught on. "That’s right, it must be! You must have bribed these two to sneak you in while it was crowded downstairs. If you know what’s good for you, get on your knees and beg us to let you go. Otherwise, we’ll make you pay!"
Arabella: "..." ’He still won’t admit he’s an idiot. Every time someone goads him, he’s the first to stick his neck out. He deserves to have that big head of his serve as nothing more than a decoration.’
"What arrogance! I’d like to see who has the power to threaten Delicacy Pavilion’s honored guest inside our own restaurant."