Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
“My phone.” Sean wasn’t back to his usual sharp self, but there was something pressing on his mind that he had to sort out immediately, to avoid complications.
Steward was taken aback but quickly handed over the phone.
“Call Timothy Bynes.”
“What??” Steward was shocked that the first person Sean wanted to talk to after waking up was an unrelated outsider.
He thought Sean would ask about Ms. Bella’s whereabouts.
“What’s with the ‘what’? You gone deaf?”
That was the Sean he knew.
After Steward dialed and handed over the phone, he switched on the speakerphone; it was well past three in the morning, and if he spoke directly to Mr. Bynes, he’d probably get chewed out. But Sean was a different story.
Who would dare to give Sean a piece of their mind?Timothy had been plagued by nightmares since Mirabella’s scare. Ever since he saw the girl jumping from balcony to balcony at the club that night, he feared for her safety.
The phone vibrated ceaselessly on the nightstand, and it took him a moment to pick up.
“It’s me.”
Sean’s voice came through, clear on the other end.
Timothy was groggy and confused – what could Sean possibly want at this hour?
“You claimed the girl from Light Fleet as your girlfriend last time? I want you two to split, pronto. Tell her you’re terminally ill or you’ve just been hit by a bus and it’s all over – whatever it takes, break it off now.”
Before Timothy could even respond, he heard the call end with a beep.
His mind swarmed with a million questions, utterly baffled. He glanced at the call log – it had definitely been Sean.
Last time Sean hunted down Mirabella, he lied and called her his girlfriend, begging Sean to cut her some slack.
But why was he suddenly so invested in Mirabella’s affairs, considering he was grinding his teeth in rage over her last time?
And now he wanted them to break up?
“The Collins family has a marriage pact with the McMillian family, and only someone like Romeo is worthy of my sister,” Sean declared.
The other guys in town couldn’t hold a candle to his sister!
“Make arrangements, I’m heading home.”
“What?” Steward gaped in shock at Sean’s words, “Sean, you’ve just had surgery, the doctor said you need to be observed for at least two days.”
“My sister must be heartbroken; having me around could at least be of some comfort.”
Steward struggled to picture Sean as the comforting type. He was more likely to infuriate people than offer solace.
Would Ms. Bella even want his comfort?
Chances were, seeing him would only fan the flames.
“Aren’t you going to get ready?” Sean shot him a chilly glare, noting that his subordinate was getting less and less responsive.
Steward hurriedly suggested, “I’ll get the doctor to check if you can be discharged.””Since when is my health decided by others? If I say I’m fine, then I’m fine. Why have you become such a fusspot?”
Steward wanted to cry out in frustration: Sean, I’m just worried about your health.
But at that moment, Sean was eager to get home. Everyone had thought that Romeo and Serena were the perfect match, and now with his sister back home, given her fiery nature, she would never go after Romeo. That left her vulnerable to be duped by someone like Timothy.
His sister couldn’t just end up with anyone.
If she was to be with someone, they had to be the cream of high society!
He hadn’t interacted with Romeo much before, but the man’s looks, demeanor, background, and capabilities were clear to see, far better than Timothy’s.
“Get this thing off my head so my sister won’t worry,” Sean said, not wanting to be bandaged up when he saw her. He wanted to make the best impression.
But Steward thought: Sean’s impression on Ms. Bella couldn’t get any worse. With a bandage on his head, at least she might feel a bit of sympathy?
Yet he dared not voice this thought.
He knew Sean’s rush to get home was because nobody gave him his sister’s number, and with New Year’s just around the corner, she would surely return home.
Sean wanted to wait for her there.
Reflections Villa.Eunice went to check on Kenneth, and upon returning to the bedroom, she said to Louisa, “Kenneth’s asleep. Bard had the doctor add some sleeping pills to his medicine to ensure he gets a good rest.
Your medicine should be ready now; it’s not too hot. I’ll help you take it.”
She sat by the bed and noticed Louisa’s eyes were red with tears still at the corners.
“Still thinking about all that?” Eunice lifted the bowl to give her a sip, “That girl did a lot of despicable things, but at least we’ve unmasked her and cut our losses. We did gain something; we know who her real parents are, and there’s more to that fire from years ago.”
Eunice passed Louisa a couple of tissues to dry her tears, then continued to help her take her medicine. “With her gone, we can focus all our time and love on Bella. We don’t have to worry about fairness or favoritism anymore.”
“I just called Romeo. He said he and Bella are on their way back home,” Louisa’s voice was choked and hoarse.
“That’s wonderful. With New Year’s approaching, it’s time for them to return. Hans and his family are coming back too; the house will be even livelier. We can prepare whatever surprises we want for Bella without worrying about the feelings of that girl. We can do as we please.”
Eunice knew that once upon a time, Kenneth and Louisa had tried to play fair, but no matter what they did, that ungrateful brat was never satisfied, always feeling like they were playing favorites.
But now, they could let go of those worries.
“Let me do it.” Louisa, feeling a bit embarrassed to have her sister-in-law feed her medication all the time, took the cup and downed the medicine in one gulp before asking, “Has the word been spread?”
Eunice nodded, “Yep, it’s out there. As long as Erik doesn’t show up, his darling daughter will go another day without food, and her injuries will go another day without treatment. If he has any ounce of decency, he’ll show up within a couple of days.”
“What if he doesn’t care about this daughter? Why didn’t he take her with him today? If he doesn’t care, then what’s the use of spreading the word? Will it even lure him out?” Louisa’s worry was palpable.
They had never realized Erik was such a cunning snake, and if it wasn’t for Bella catching his slimy tail, they might still be in the dark about this seemingly gentle and honest man’s frightening true nature!
“If they didn’t care about their daughter, they wouldn’t have lived under an alias in our house for over a decade, watching her grow up. Just for that, he’ll show up sooner or later. And when he does, we’ll make sure he gets a taste of his own medicine. for three days and nights if necessary,” Eunice thought, determined to get justice for Bella.
Just then, a servant timidly knocked on the bedroom door, “Ma’am, the person in the basement is asking to see you. She’s been knocking for half an hour, and we really didn’t know what to do but to ask you.”
Louisa replied coldly, “No.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the servant quickly responded, “I’ll deliver the message right away.””And for the next few days, no one is to pay her any mind. Don’t bother with food or medicine; she won’t die from being ignored for a couple of days.”
The servant was taken aback by Louisa’s stern command but bowed and retreated.
“Her knees were on broken glass, and even though the winter clothes are thick, her skin must be hurt.
Now, it’s up to her dear father to act. If he’s too late, and she’s injured, he can’t blame us.”
Eunice’s voice was calm and detached as she finished, picked up her cup, and stood up, “You should rest too, stop worrying about it. What’s done is done; we need to look ahead. Mom and Dad are arriving tomorrow, and they’d be worried sick if they saw you looking so down.”
Louisa, reminded of her parents, couldn’t help but worry, “If Mom and Dad knew about all the horrible things that girl did, it would break their hearts.”
She feared their old hearts couldn’t take the shock.
After all, even she had fainted from the stress, let alone her elderly parents.
“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Eunice said plainly. “It’s better to know sooner rather than later.
We’ll just have to invite the family doctor over tomorrow before breaking the news to them. Now, stop fretting and get some rest.”
There were still so many things that demanded their energy.
Louisa nodded, looking out into the dark night, her mood as heavy as the skies above.
Meanwhile, Mirabella’s flight hit some turbulence, jostling the plane.
She slowly opened her eyes to find herself reclining in the plush comfort of an airplane’s bed. This was a bedroom within the sky, and there was Romeo, crashed on the solo armchair by the bedside, fast asleep.
No sooner had she stirred than Romeo’s eyes flickered open. “Awake? Bad dream?” he asked, voice tinged with concern.
“No, just a bit thirsty,” she replied.
Without missing a beat, Romeo poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. “Your mom called just before we boarded. She wanted to chat with you, but I told her you were sleeping. Told her we’d be flying home and you’d see her tomorrow.”
Mom? Home?
Mirabella glanced at him, noting how naturally the words rolled off his tongue now. She took the water and sipped.
“Your brother Hans called too, checking in on you. I reassured him you’re fine. Compared to what you’ve been through, this is just a breeze,” Romeo said as he took the empty glass from her, setting it aside. He sat down next to her, tenderly stroking her hair and added, “He also mentioned that Erik skipped town, left his own daughter behind without a second thought.”
“He must think that after all these years, even if the family is furious with Serena, they wouldn’t actually take her life. At worst, they’d kick her out, but they wouldn’t kill her.”
Mirabella’s voice was calm as she dissected Erik’s mindset, “But with Martha gone, he’ll definitely make a move. It’s just a question of who his next target will be. The Collins family is big, and keeping all of them safe around the clock is a tall order.”Dozens of servants with plans to visit family or travel for the holidays, or those staying at the Collins estate.