Chapter 196: This Thing’s Become a Spirit
’Am I seeing things? Did the position of that stone change?’
Brandon Jennings and Caspian Rhodes exchanged a look. No, she wasn’t seeing things. The stone’s position had definitely changed!
Although they too found it utterly incredible, it had happened right under their noses, leaving them no choice but to believe it.
Arabella Donovan stared intently at the stone and stealthily moved back in front of the display case. This time, it didn’t move.
’Could it be that I really was seeing things?’
Arabella Donovan thought for a moment, then suddenly took two quick steps to the right. The three of them then watched as the stone, as if afraid of being left behind, shifted about two centimeters to the right. It hit the edge of the tray with a THUD, then became completely still, as if nothing had happened.
The three of them: "..."
The silence was deafening. After a long moment, Arabella Donovan’s startled cry once again echoed in the two men’s minds.
’Mystery solved! This stone has come to life!’
Brandon Jennings, Caspian Rhodes: Pfft...
Although that did seem to be the case, for some reason, hearing her dramatic proclamation made the situation feel oddly comical, and much of their own tension dissipated.
Arabella Donovan stared at it for a while longer, even getting the urge to reach out and tap on it.
Unfortunately, all the exhibits in the hall were locked inside glass cases, and this stone was no exception. She could only give up the idea.
Realizing that the possibly-sentient stone posed no danger, Arabella Donovan suddenly felt playful. She started walking this way and that, leading the stone to follow her around in circles.
The two men who witnessed it all were speechless. ’Weren’t you nervous just a second ago? And now you’re playing with it?’
Fortunately, after playing for a bit, Arabella Donovan suddenly stopped and stared at the stone, lost in thought.
She recalled a previous discussion with her master about the strange things she had been encountering, the inexplicable changes in her eyes, and her growing accumulation of Merit. Her master had told her that this Merit could be converted to protect her family and friends, saving them from misfortune and persecution. He had also mentioned that as her Merit increased, her luck bonus in various situations would also grow larger.
Most importantly, her wealth would also steadily increase.
Simply put, money would grow legs and run to her.
Brandon Jennings: "!!!"
Caspian Rhodes: "!!!"
’What kind of ridiculous cheat code is that? Money just actively throws itself at a person? That’s basically hacking!’
’Wait a minute, that description sounds a lot like...’
Brandon Jennings and Caspian Rhodes simultaneously turned to look at the rough stone.
Meanwhile, Arabella Donovan had clearly confirmed the meaning of her master’s words. Her gaze, fixed on the large, dusty gray stone, was exceptionally bright.
’I’m rich, I’m rich! There must be some kind of unknown treasure inside this thing!’
With this in mind, Arabella Donovan cleared her throat and said enthusiastically, "It seems I have quite an affinity with this stone."
The two men shared a silent thought. ’You mean you have an affinity with the *money*, don’t you!’
"If you like it, bid on it. Write down the lot number first."
"Mhm!"
Strangely enough, after Arabella Donovan said that and noted down the stone’s auction order, the thing seemed to know it wouldn’t be abandoned and never moved again.
This made the three of them breathe a collective sigh of relief. Given the commotion just now, they were genuinely afraid that the disturbance would be noticed by others. Having the stone snatched away would be a small matter; the three of them being captured as freaks would be a real disaster!
By the time they finished with the stone, there were only about ten minutes left before the auction began. Just as they were about to head into the auction hall to wait, they ran into some acquaintances.
"Brandon, we finally found you."
"Qingting? And Uncle, what are you two doing here?"
"I heard you and your cousin wanted to come check out the excitement. How could my dad and I not come?"
Brandon Jennings understood immediately. The father and son were here for his little cousin.
"This must be Brandon’s cousin from his aunt’s side, right? Such delicate features. You can tell she’s a good kid."
"Uncle, you’re too kind. My cousin and your son are good friends, and I’m also an old schoolmate of Miss Ulrich’s. If you don’t mind, you can just call me Serena, like my cousin does."
"Excellent, excellent, a good kid indeed. It’s our first time meeting, and I didn’t bring a gift. Here’s a card with two million in it. The password is six X’s. Just consider it a little meeting gift from your uncle."
Before Arabella Donovan could even register what was happening, another card was pressed into her hand.
"Wait, this is..." Just as Arabella Donovan was about to refuse, Brandon Jennings reacted first. He pulled her aside and muttered through clenched teeth, in a voice only they could hear, "Hush money."
Hush money? Arabella Donovan’s eyes darted, and she instantly understood.
’Right. The head of the family was cuckolded, the eldest daughter was almost completely deceived by a gay man pretending to be straight, and the youngest daughter isn’t even his biological child. Even though they’re the victims, it would be incredibly humiliating for them if any of this got out. It makes sense that they’d offer some hush money to stop the gossip mill. If I refuse, they’ll probably just get more anxious.’
Hearing the Ulrich family gossip for the first time, Caspian Rhodes was stunned. ’This girl really is a magnet for drama.’
Having quickly figured out the reasoning, Arabella Donovan ultimately accepted the card. "It’s a token of your sincerity, Uncle, so I’ll accept it. Please rest assured. I may be young, but I know what’s appropriate. I know what should be said and what shouldn’t."
Mr. Ulrich finally breathed a sigh of relief, his smile becoming more sincere. "With you saying that, I have nothing to worry about. If it weren’t for you, Miss Ulrich would have suffered a terrible loss, and our family..."
Mr. Ulrich paused, his face for the first time showing a hint of the pain and vulnerability of being betrayed by a loved one.
Arabella Donovan blinked and politely changed the subject. "Where’s Miss Ulrich? Didn’t she come with you?"
"Ah, her."
Hearing Arabella Donovan mention Chloe Ulrich, a smile returned to the faces of the father and son. "She can’t sit still. She’s gone off to settle some scores."
Arabella Donovan: "???"
’That phrasing... Don’t tell me Miss Ulrich went to personally deal with that scumbag? Or did she go after that ungrateful younger sister and her idiotic, love-struck biological mother? Oh, man, I’m dying for the gossip, but I already accepted hush money. Would it be inappropriate to ask now?’
A glint flashed in Brandon Jennings’s eyes. He decided he would go have a chat with his good friend later.
It was for no other reason than simple concern. He just wanted to know if their family was aware of Yara Ulrich’s true identity and if his old classmate had managed to escape the schemes of her ungrateful half-sister.
The arrival of the Ulrich family once again drew the gazes of everyone in the exhibition hall to Arabella Donovan. And the appearance of the next two people gave the crowd an even deeper understanding of her social circle.
"Miss Donovan, we’ve finally found you."