Chapter 194: So Many Brothers
Arabella stared fixedly at the man they called Mr. Donovan for a long moment. Suddenly, she turned to Brandon Jennings and asked, "Brandon, besides my brothers at home and my two cousins, when did I get another brother? I don’t remember this at all."
The moment Brandon Jennings heard her, he knew what she was up to and played along. "I’m not sure either. Are they relatives from the Ninth Master’s side of the family?"
Arabella acted as if a lightbulb had gone off and turned to ask Herman, "Herman, are they relatives on Grandpa’s side?"
"They were. But not anymore."
Arabella didn’t ask why. She simply nodded calmly. "Oh. Well, in that case, sir, perhaps we should be less familiar. My grandfather doesn’t like it when I go around acknowledging random relatives."
At Arabella’s words, the elder Mr. Donovan’s face turned green.
Victor Donovan was so furious his hands began to shake. He pointed at Arabella, unable to utter a single word for a long moment.
’What can I say? Blood really is thicker than water. That father and son even look identical when they’re mad.’
Brandon Jennings and Caspian Rhodes: "..." ’So she *does* know she’s about to make their heads explode.’
After hearing Arabella’s explanation, the surrounding onlookers began to realize something was amiss.
"Are that father and son really relatives of the Ninth Master? It doesn’t seem like they’re very welcome."
"They are indeed relatives, and quite closely related, too. It’s a shame, really. They severed ties with Master Donovan a few years ago. Now, they’re more like enemies than family."
"Surely... it can’t be that bad? They’re still family, no matter what..."
"Why not? You all must not know. Years ago, the Ninth Master’s relatives were always trying to palm off their children on him. They claimed it was to give him someone to rely on in his old age, but who couldn’t see through their little plot? They saw an old man with no immediate family and wanted to gobble up his inheritance."
The woman who spoke was clearly a seasoned gossiper, and she quickly spilled everything she knew.
"Because of that, the Ninth Master took out an ad in the paper and disowned all of his close blood relatives. And this Mr. Donovan here—I’m not sure if he’s the adoptive or biological father of that younger Mr. Donovan—was one of them."
"Wow, he even put it in the papers? Then it must be true. If they’re already disowned, why were those two acting so familiar, calling themselves her brother and elder? They have no shame!"
"It’s not the first time they’ve been shameless. A few years ago, after the Ninth Master publicly disowned them, they brazenly pretended it never happened. They went around behind his back, using their connection to the Ninth Master to get their hands on all sorts of things. There’s hardly anyone in Brynn’s high society who doesn’t know about their disgusting behavior."
The woman rolled her eyes expressively as she spoke. "The moment they came over to this young lady, I knew exactly what they were up to. They saw she’s in the Ninth Master’s good graces, right? They’re green with envy and greedy, but there’s nothing they can do about it. So they have to pull the seniority card and try to cozy up to her, hoping to squeeze out a few more benefits for themselves. I know their type! It’s like they say: a tree without bark is doomed to die, but a person without shame can conquer the world!"
Listening to the woman’s blunt and spot-on roast, Arabella almost burst into applause to cheer her on.
She glanced over and saw that Victor Donovan and his father’s faces were ashen, their hands trembling. Arabella was genuinely worried they’d get so worked up they’d pass out and then try to pin the blame on her.
But in the end, after trembling with rage for a moment as if they had Parkinson’s, they turned and fled, just like Timothy Donovan had earlier.
Arabella: "..."
’That’s it?! That’s all they’ve got?! I thought his stupidity was just a fluke, but I never imagined it was genetic. This whole family looks like they’re sharing one brain cell. No wonder in the original plot, they died without ever figuring out who was behind it.’
If Chester Donovan survived to the end by being a sycophant who knew how to read the room, then Victor Donovan’s family simply lucked their way into the finals by being manipulated, used for their bloodline by someone with an agenda.
When Arabella had read the story, she’d always assumed the schemer chose this family because they were Dennis Donovan’s closest blood relatives. Even though Dennis Donovan despised them, in terms of lineage, they were indeed the most legitimate and likely candidates to inherit his estate after his death.
But now, it seemed the mastermind probably just thought the family was stupid. With a little prodding, they could be forged into a useful, easily controlled weapon. They were almost *too* perfect for the job.
Take today, for instance. A moment ago, the elder Mr. Donovan thought he was using an illegitimate son to test the waters, but he had no idea his entire family was nothing more than the insignificant pebble someone else was using for the very same purpose.
Thinking about her own performance, Arabella couldn’t help but puff out her chest with pride.
’I must have come off as super arrogant and bossy just now. After today, my reputation as the Ninth Master’s haughty, domineering, and insufferable granddaughter will spread all over Brynn. Then no one will dare to bother me again. Plan: success! ✓’
Brandon Jennings and Caspian Rhodes: "..." ’Well... things might not turn out quite the way you’re expecting,’ they both thought. ’At least from their perspective, Arabella’s actions just now were hardly arrogant or bossy. She was more like a kitten—if you poke her, she’ll give you a little scratch. It was incredibly... cute.’
Arabella was oblivious to their thoughts. After the incident, many people at the auction now had a better idea of who she was, and she noticed more and more gazes sizing her up from the shadows. However, most were still uncertain just how much Dennis Donovan doted on her, so they chose to simply observe from a distance rather than approach her. The only person unaffected by all this was...
"Mr. Rhodes!" Arabella’s eyes lit up at the unexpected sight of a familiar face in a foreign city. "What are you doing here? Are you on the hunt for some treasures?"
Caspian Rhodes met her sparkling gaze, and the corners of his own lips couldn’t help but curve upward.
"I happened to be in Brynn on business with Kerr. He mentioned there was a rather large auction, so I thought I’d come check it out. I never expected to run into you here."
In reality, he had been right beside Kieran Kerr when Arabella called him that day.
After learning the full story, he also found out that Kieran Kerr was planning to send Arabella an invitation to the auction as an apology. So, he made sure to get an invitation from Kieran as well, making a special trip just for this "chance" encounter.
"What brings you here, Serena? Are you here with... a friend?"
Unaware of the real reason, Arabella believed it was a genuine coincidence. She pulled Brandon Jennings forward by the hand. "I’m here with my cousin to broaden my horizons. This is my cousin, Brandon Jennings. Brandon, this is Mr. Caspian Rhodes."
Brandon Jennings’s eyebrow twitched. His first impression of Caspian Rhodes was not a good one. ’The world has so many countries, countries have so many provinces, provinces have so many cities, and cities have so many places... how could they possibly bump into each other so coincidentally?’
’This guy is up to no good!’
Caspian Rhodes, who keenly sensed the other man’s hostility: "..." ’First her actual brothers, then her other cousins, and now this one,’ he thought. ’Where does this girl get... so many brothers!’