Chapter 167: The Ultimate Double Standard
Chapter 167: Chapter 167: The Ultimate Double Standard
Preston was also amused by her husband’s sudden, forceful gesture.
"That’s more like it. Arabella, hurry up and take it. There are very, very few people in all of Imperia who can get the better of your grand-uncle, and you’re probably the first one to make him willingly hand over his bank card."
"The second, the second," Dennis Donovan said with a chuckle, seizing the chance to profess his love for his wife. "The first was you."
Arabella Donovan was speechless. ’Another dose of PDA,’ she thought.
Preston was also at a loss for words. ’This shameless old man!’
"It’s alright, Grandpa, I have my own money."
In the few months since she’d returned to the Donovan family, on top of her regular allowance, her parents and older siblings were always looking for excuses to deposit money into her account. Plus, after she had done readings for Zane Lynch’s company, the Yates family, and the Kerr mother and son, they had all paid her a hefty thank-you fee.
All told, the balance on her card was already in the low eight figures.
Arabella Donovan didn’t have many material desires, and since all her living expenses were covered at home, she had very few expenditures. If she didn’t spend it recklessly, this money could probably last her a lifetime.
"I don’t care how much you have on hand; that’s your own money. This is a token of your grand-uncle’s affection. I was the one who invited you for a visit, so it wouldn’t be right for you to come all this way to have fun and have to spend your own money."
Preston chimed in, "The cost of living in Imperia is high. You should hold on to it, just in case."
"Right, right, right! Tomorrow, you can take your Grandma Preston out. Go for a walk, do some shopping, get some spa treatments, see a movie... Don’t you worry, there’s enough money in there to buy a whole shopping mall, no problem."
Arabella Donovan: "???" ’Just listen to yourself,’ she thought. ’Is that something a normal person would say?’
Aurora Donovan, who had been trailing behind Arabella like an invisible man, could only watch as his little sister was handed another, even more loaded bank card before she had even recovered from the shock of the first one.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words. He subconsciously turned to look at Dennis Donovan. Their eyes met, but the smile on the old man’s face instantly vanished. Dennis’s gaze grew dark as he looked at him. Forget about getting a card of his own; he didn’t even get a pleasant look.
Aurora Donovan was speechless. ’Alright, then. Looks like I was worried for nothing. My little sister is plenty capable. She doesn’t need me to protect her when she has so many powerful supporters. I guess I can go back to school tomorrow with my mind at ease.’
"Alright, alright, it’s getting late. Stop going back and forth over this. It’s just a card. Arabella, just take it. Your grand-uncle and I are going to go rest."
Since the matriarch herself had spoken, Arabella couldn’t very well refuse any longer.
Dennis Donovan’s expression finally softened when he saw her accept the card. He then introduced the butler to the siblings. "This is our household butler, Miles Donovan. From now on, if you’re missing anything or want anything at all, just go to him."
The moment Dennis Donovan finished speaking, a round-faced man in his early fifties with a beaming smile stepped forward. He bowed respectfully and said, "Young Miss, I am Miles Donovan, the butler of the estate. I live in the room just inside the back courtyard. If there is anything you can’t resolve in the future, Young Miss, please feel free to come find me."
As Arabella listened to them, her mind began to wander.
’Miles Donovan? Wasn’t Grand-uncle’s butler supposed to be named Gregory Donovan? And speaking of which, that caregiver, Miss Quillan, doesn’t seem to be around this time either. Could it be that because Grandma Preston was found ahead of schedule, they were all kicked out?’
Arabella considered it for a moment and decided it was a real possibility.
’That makes sense. That Miss Quillan only got in here by posing as a descendant of Grandma Preston’s. Now that the genuine article has appeared, it’s only natural that the impostors have nowhere left to hide. This is for the best...’
In Arabella’s opinion, the turmoil in Dennis Donovan’s household had begun with Audrey Quillan’s arrival. The old couple had weathered so many storms and had only just been reunited. They deserved to live in peace, and their lives couldn’t be disrupted by those vicious predators with hidden agendas.
Hearing Arabella’s inner thoughts, a flicker passed through the old couple’s eyes. Dennis Donovan and his wife exchanged a subtle glance, then immediately instructed the butler and a few trusted aides to show the two siblings to their rooms to rest.
No sooner had the siblings left than Preston’s expression turned grim. "Have you dealt with all your messy affairs? We can’t have any of those clueless fools causing trouble for our precious granddaughter."
In truth, there was no shortage of people coveting the inheritances of both Dennis and his wife. However, the troublemakers on Preston’s side had already been sent to prison for her earlier kidnapping. Now, only Dennis’s faction remained.
How could Dennis Donovan not hear the worry and dissatisfaction in Preston’s voice? He hurriedly apologized, "It’s my fault. Before I found you, I couldn’t muster the energy for anything. It’s not that I was unaware of what those people were planning; I just couldn’t be bothered to make the effort to deal with them."
"But things are different now. You’re back by my side, and Arabella said we can live to be a hundred and grow old together. Even if it weren’t for our little lucky star, I’d do it for you. I will never again let those clowns wander around and bother you and Arabella."
Despite many days of sweet nothings after their reunion, Guinevere Preston was still not quite used to his overly direct and mushy expressions of affection. She shot him a glare, a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. "Just make sure you know what you’re doing. We invited Arabella here. If she suffers even the slightest grievance on your turf, then you’ll have wasted the last several decades of your life."
"Yes, yes, of course, my dear, you’re right! Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control."
Since Dennis Donovan had said as much, Guinevere Preston didn’t press the issue.
A massive cold front hit Brynn the day after Arabella arrived. Although Guinevere Preston’s health had improved significantly, it was still recommended that she not go out, to be on the safe side with her recovery.
Arabella spent the next few days indoors with Guinevere Preston, passing the time drinking tea, listening to music, playing cards, and playing chess.
Having grown accustomed to a hermit’s life on the mountain, Arabella didn’t mind it at all. But Guinevere Preston couldn’t bear to see it. ’What’s a young woman like her doing cooped up at home with an old lady like me every day?’ she thought, and promptly shooed Arabella out of the house to go have some fun.
As it happened, her older cousin on her mother’s side was off for the weekend and asked if she wanted to hang out. He offered to be her personal tour guide.
Arabella remembered she still hadn’t gotten a wedding present for Dennis Donovan and his wife, so she readily agreed. Grabbing all her bank cards, she eagerly set off to meet her cousin.
The two had agreed to meet at Jennings Plaza—the very same mall that had nearly been bombed. The shopping center wasn’t far from Dennis Donovan’s residence, and Arabella got there in just ten minutes by car.
Eugene Jennings, on the other hand, lived farther away and got held up in traffic. By the time he arrived, Arabella had already been waiting at the entrance for half an hour.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn’t expect that road over there to be even more packed than usual for a weekend. I’m late. Have you been waiting long?"
"Not at all, I just got here myself. Let’s head inside."
"Right, right, it’s freezing out here. Let’s get inside." Eugene Jennings said, pulling Arabella toward the entrance. But just as they reached the door, a security guard stopped them.
"What? We need a membership?"