Chapter 178: So Much Information?
Special Assistant Ford and the others were taken aback. It was common for stores to take kickbacks, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be investigated if someone insisted.
Especially since the one who spoke up was with Arabella Donovan. Did this indirectly represent Miss Donovan’s intentions?
"I understand. Rest assured, Miss Donovan, we will investigate this matter thoroughly."
Arabella Donovan: "???" ’What did I say? How did you understand anything from that?!’
Beatrice Donovan glanced at Special Assistant Ford, who believed he’d grasped Arabella Donovan’s true intentions, and then at the utterly bewildered Arabella, who had no idea how the matter had been so inexplicably resolved. She couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
As they left the jewelry store, Arabella Donovan finally had a moment to notice the two female customers who had spoken up for her, one of whom was an old classmate of her elder cousin.
"Thank you so much for your help just now. Things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly if you hadn’t stepped in."
Arabella Donovan was referring to how Chloe Ulrich and her friend had helped incite the other customers, putting pressure on Special Assistant Ford.
Chloe Ulrich waved her hand dismissively. "You’re being too polite. Even without us, given Special Assistant Ford’s attitude toward you, I’m sure this would have been handled just fine."
It was clear that Chloe Ulrich had a carefree and unpretentious personality. As she spoke, she didn’t notice the sudden gravity in the expression of the person across from her.
’Huh, this woman has a rosy, love-struck look on her face. It’s a sign that her Red Simurgh Star is active. But...’
Eugene Jennings and Beatrice Donovan’s ears perked up, their interest immediately piqued.
’But her Star of Heavenly Happiness is colliding with her Star of Solitude, and her Red Simurgh Star is in the same house as a dark influence. I can faintly see a black aura around her. Her romantic luck is about to turn into a romantic disaster, which is proof that her current boyfriend is a terrible match.’
Eugene Jennings’s eyelids twitched violently, and his heart leaped into his throat.
’Hmm, let me take a closer look.’
Arabella Donovan stared at Chloe Ulrich for a long moment. Eugene Jennings and Beatrice Donovan held their breath as well. Then, they heard her exclaim, "Oh dear."
’This woman’s impotent boyfriend and her half-sister are setting up a honey trap for her. In the next day or two, they plan to ask her out, get her drunk, drug her, and take intimate photos of her in bed with another man. They’ll blackmail her for a huge sum of money and then release the photos to completely ruin her reputation.’
Eugene Jennings: "!!!"
’An impotent boyfriend, a half-sister, and a honey trap... That’s a lot to take in.’
Beatrice Donovan, however, narrowed her eyes dangerously. ’Drugging and blackmail... That’s administering a dangerous substance and extortion. They won’t get away with either. That boyfriend and sister are practically begging for a prison sentence!’
This woman had just helped her, yet the people closest to her were as vicious as wolves and tigers. It truly made one sympathize with her.
Arabella Donovan grabbed Chloe Ulrich’s hand and said with the utmost seriousness, "A girl has to protect herself when she’s out."
Chloe Ulrich: "???"
"Don’t just accept drinks from anyone. And I mean anyone."
"This... You... I..." Chloe Ulrich gestured from Arabella Donovan to herself, momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Eugene Jennings reacted quickly, jumping in. "Oh, my cousin here grew up in a Sacred Temple and inherited the true arts of a secluded master. She’s the one who saved me when I had that accident a while back. If she’s saying this, she must have her reasons."
Chloe Ulrich and Brandon Jennings were old classmates, and the Jennings brothers were inseparable business partners with her own brother. She had heard about Eugene Jennings’s incident from him before.
She had even called Brandon Jennings back then to ask after Eugene, and she’d been relieved to hear he had made a full recovery.
She never thought there was this side to the story.
After a brief moment of surprise, Chloe Ulrich took it in stride and laughed. "Oh, so that’s what this is about. I guess I’ll have to be extra careful then."
Her tone was clearly dismissive. Eugene Jennings’s brow furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to say more, Arabella Donovan beat him to it.
"Are you seeing anyone?"
Chloe Ulrich froze but still answered honestly, "I am."
"Have you ever been to his place?"
"Er, no, I haven’t."
Arabella Donovan’s expression was knowing. "Well, if you have some free time soon, you should drop by his place. You might find a surprise."
’Though for her boyfriend, it’ll probably be more of a shock.’
"Oh, and if you do decide to go, remember not to tell your boyfriend beforehand. Bring some people with you. Whatever you do, don’t go alone."
Chloe Ulrich’s brow furrowed. She felt there was a hidden meaning in Arabella Donovan’s words. A suspicion began to form in her mind, but the thought of it made her deeply uncomfortable.
Emotionally, she was unwilling to cast suspicion on the perfect boyfriend she’d been dating for half a year. But knowing the Jennings brothers, she also knew they weren’t the type to make baseless accusations.
Besides, she had only just met Arabella Donovan. Everything that had just happened in the store proved she was a good person with a strong moral compass who stood up for the weak. Chloe Ulrich simply couldn’t see any reason why she would try to sow discord between her and her boyfriend.
"I... I understand. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading off. You all have fun."
Chloe Ulrich clearly looked dazed, likely unable to immediately accept the idea that something was wrong with her boyfriend.
Her best friend, however, seemed to have a much better grasp of what Arabella Donovan was implying.
"I’ve been telling you there’s something off about that guy. There’s no such thing as a perfect man in this world, only a perfect persona. Even a guy like your brother has his little flaws, like being picky and a total neat freak! The first time I met your boyfriend, I thought he was fake. Everything he does has this artificial feeling, like he’s wearing a mask."
"But you’re so love-struck, you believe anything he says. Aren’t you usually so sharp? How do you get so dumb every time romance is involved?"
Chloe Ulrich was left defenseless by her friend’s verbal assault, but she still managed a weak retort. "I still can’t... just based on a stranger’s word... Ali doesn’t seem like the type to two-time me, to date two women at once..."
"You!" Her friend pointed at Chloe Ulrich, exasperated, before rolling her eyes and giving in. "Fine. You won’t be satisfied until you’ve reached The Siltflow River, is that it? You refuse to give up until you see it for yourself. Tomorrow, you’re coming with me to that man’s apartment. I’m dying to see what kind of ’surprise’ we’ll find. And you better keep your mouth shut. Don’t you dare leak our plan to him."
"Okaaaay..."
After that, the two walked off, and their voices faded until they were inaudible.
Arabella Donovan watched them go and sighed with genuine feeling.
’Now that’s what I call a modern-day ride-or-die bestie! Which makes me think of my poor cousin-in-law’s trashy best friend. Some best friends will take a bullet for you, while others want to be the ones to put two in your back. I love it. I just love it.’
Eugene Jennings and Beatrice Donovan: "..." ’Wait, be clear. Do you love the one doing the stabbing or the one getting stabbed? Don’t say things that can be so easily misunderstood.’
’Though he really isn’t dating two women at the same time. The truth is far more explosive than they can imagine. Hope they don’t get too shocked. Amen!’