Chapter 496
“Right?” Florence’s smile widened.
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Jonathan’s eyes held a soft amusement. “Well, whether it’s true or not, we’ll know soon enough. Come on, let’s head upstairs.”
“Alright,” Florence agreed, and the two made their way back to their room.
Meanwhile, in Arabella’s room…
After a hot shower, Arabella stepped out of the bathroom dressed in comfortable loungewear. She towel–dried her hair as she walked slowly toward the bed and sat down.
Almost without realizing it, her thoughts drifted back to Matthew buying her those shoes.
“He always comes off so distant,” she murmured to herself, “but he can be surprisingly considerate… gentle, even.
“I can’t just accept his gift without giving something back. And after how he helped me out at the event today, I really should do something for him, too.
“Maybe I’ll get him a present–as both a thank–you and a return gesture.
“But what would even be right for him?”
Her mind wandered, tangled in quiet reflection, though she hadn’t quite noticed it yet.
Over at the Clarks‘ house, the atmosphere in the living room was thick and uneasy. Four people sat facing each other, the silence heavy between them.
“Will someone please say something?” Freya finally broke in, her voice tense. “We need to figure this out. Harper must be scared out of his mind in there.”
Whatever else was going on, getting him out had to come first.
“We’re worried too,” Sarah replied, agitation creeping into her tone. “Dylan’s never been through anything like this before.”
Zack let out a weary sigh. “I just never expected Arabella to have someone like that backing her up. No wonder she’s been so confident ever since she left the Macdonalds.”
So she had connections now. She wasn’t that quiet, withdrawn girl anymore.
“Is that really true, though?” Freya still couldn’t wrap her head around it. She’d seen it with her own eyes–that girl showing up with that Ethan guy, trying to squeeze money out of Edward.
“We all saw what happened,” Sarah said darkly. “It’s not made up. And our kids are still in custody–that’s not fake either.”
Did they think she was lying?
“That’s not what I meant,” Freya backtracked quickly. “It’s just… hard to believe. How is this even possible?”
“Who knows,” Sarah muttered. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
1/3
Chapter 496 Family Tensions
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Back when all this started, they were told Arabella came from a struggling family–parents without steady jobs, siblings barely getting by. Now, out of nowhere, there was this Ethan with clear influence. Anyone would be confused.
“Freya,” Calvin spoke up slowly, “is it possible the background check your husband ran back then was… incomplete?”
He’d been turning it over in his mind, and that seemed like the only explanation.
“That report was thorough,” Freya insisted. “If you don’t believe me, look into it yourself.” She trusted the findings completely.
“Just doesn’t add up,” Calvin said, shaking his head.
“What’s the point of rehashing all this now?” Zack cut in, irritation sharp in his voice. “Let’s just focus on how to get them out.”
“And how exactly do we do that?” Freya shot back, frustrated. “It’s not like they’re facing major charges. If they cooperate, show remorse, maybe play up the whole ‘first–time offender‘ angle, the sentence could be light. We could push for medical release–get them into a hospital instead of a cell. That’s still better than where they are now.”
The room fell quiet for a long moment.
Finally, Sarah nodded. “I guess that’s our only move.”
“Then start making arrangements,” Freya said.
“Fine,” Zack agreed reluctantly. “I’ll handle it when I get back.”
He then turned to Calvin, a hint of bitterness in his tone. “You were quick to slip away in all the chaos.”
“You wanted me to stick around and get arrested too?” Calvin frowned. “Me being in there wouldn’t have helped you one bit.”
Zack didn’t reply. He knew Calvin had a point. But watching him walk free while his own son got taken in–it made his blood boil.
“Let’s not go there right now, Zack,” Freya intervened. “The more of us out here, the better. If Harold had been detained too, we’d have one less person to help and another one to bail out. Things would be even worse.”
Zack snorted. “We finally get someone in the door, and not only do we miss out on the investment, but this whole mess happens. If I’d known, I would’ve gone myself.”
“You?” Calvin retorted. “If you weren’t so worried about crossing Matthew, you wouldn’t have sent me in the first place. Don’t act like you had it all under control.”
He hadn’t had the guts to go himself. Instead, he sent his son, who ended up causing more problems than he solved.
And now that things went south, somehow it was Calvin’s fault? That made no sense.
Zack’s expression darkened. “I sent you because I trusted you to handle it. Not to make things worse!”
“Your son’s the one who messed things up,” Calvin fired back, his own temper rising.
If either of them had listened to him just once, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
“Don’t act like Harper wasn’t the one who started it all,” Zack snapped.
“They were both out of their depth,” Calvin said coldly.
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9:54 am P P P P
Chapter 496 Family Tensions
One acted without thinking, and the other was no better.
“Enough!” Freya broke in sharply. “What’s the point of you two going at each other? Will that bring them back?”
Sarah nodded in agreement. “She’s right. Getting the kids out is what matters now. We can deal with the rest later.”
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.