I Read Their Tragic Fates, and My Family Reads My Mind? Chapter 5: Sold and Still Counting the Money

"Ouch... Mom, what’s wrong?" Lost in her book and the unfolding drama, Arabella Donovan suddenly felt a sharp pain in her hand. She looked up to find that her mother had grabbed it at so point.

"Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry. Here, let rub it for you."

"I’m fine, I’m fine. It doesn’t really hurt."

Arabella Donovan suspected nothing. She just assud her mother had lost her composure out of anger because Eloise Donovan was being given a hard ti, and so she missed the coldness hidden beneath Mrs. Donovan’s pained expression.

No one knew better than her that those casually spoken words were all true. It was just that the real Arabella Donovan had been luckier, having t a kind old master who couldn’t bear to see her suffer and took her to a mountain temple. Otherwise...

In that mont, along with heartache and lingering fear, an infinite hatred for the culprits swelled within Mrs. Donovan.

’At this point in the story, that Miss Lynch’s biological father should have been released from prison a year ago. It’s just like they say, birds of a feather flock together. That Holly Wagner and her husband must be true soulmates. When he got caught, he made sure to tell his wife to run. When she got caught, even on death’s door, she was still trying to tell her husband where their biological daughter was.’

’So, Miss Lynch found out the truth a year ago and started secretly keeping tabs on my fourth sister.’

Hearing this, Eloise Donovan broke out in goosebumps. She didn’t have to guess why that Miss Lynch was keeping an eye on her.

’Huh? This lanie Yates actually has a crush on my third brother? She even secretly stuffed a love letter for him into my fourth sister’s locker.’

"PFFT..." Mrs. Donovan choked on her juice, startling Arabella so badly that she nearly jumped up to grab a napkin for her.

Eloise Donovan, who was standing nearby, was just as startled. In a rare loss of composure, her eyes widened in disbelief. "You have a crush on my third brother?"

lanie Yates, who had been on a relentless tirade ever since being called out, suddenly faltered. Her earlier arrogance and aggression vanished, replaced by a strange coyness. "So what if I do?"

Then, as if she rembered sothing, her expression darkened. "You already knew, didn’t you? What’s with the act?"

Eloise Donovan was in a daze. ’It’s actually true!’

’Huh? My fourth sister knew? No, that’s not right. Didn’t Cassandra Lynch have soone steal the love letter lanie Yates wrote to my third brother and throw it away? After that, she kept deliberately bringing it up in front of lanie to drive a wedge between them. Otherwise, lanie wouldn’t be so hostile toward my fourth sister.’

Eloise Donovan’s heart pounded like a drum, and her hand at her side clenched unconsciously.

’Cassandra Lynch... is that the girl’s na? Is it because her existence represents both guilt and hope to the Lynch family? But that na... that na was supposed to be mine!’

anwhile, Caspian Rhodes, who had been forced to overhear an earful of the wealthy family’s private drama, had a slight change in expression. ’Cassandra Lynch? Is it a coincidence, or...’

The man across from him noticed the change in his expression and his heart skipped a beat, worried he had said sothing wrong again.

"Did you write a love letter to my third brother?"

"I... You..."

"Soone tampered with my locker. I only found out a couple of days ago that you’d put sothing inside, but I never saw it in there."

lanie Yates was stunned. "You an to say... you weren’t the one who threw away my love letter to your third brother?"

"Why would I throw away your love letter for no reason?"

"How would I know? Maybe you were just jealous."

Eloise Donovan frowned, baffled. "Why on earth would I be jealous that a girl is pursuing my brother? It’s not like I’m so kind of freak."

lanie Yates faltered but stubbornly retorted, "How am I supposed to know if you’re telling the truth?"

"Actually, I’m curious about sothing..."

"What?"

"What is it exactly that you like about my brother?"

lanie Yates: "..."

Eloise’s question was so blunt that it left lanie Yates completely dumbfounded. She stamred for a long while, unable to articulate a proper answer.

But on the other side, the impatient Arabella Donovan, who had been eavesdropping, was the first to provide an answer.

’It’s his face, of course. She’s into our third brother’s looks.’

Mrs. Donovan and Eloise: "???" ’She’s that shallow?’

’lanie Yates is completely obsessed with looks. On the first day of school, she happened to see my third brother dropping my fourth sister off. She saw him from a distance, standing tall and elegant under the dappled shadows of the trees. With the autumn wind rustling and the shadows dancing... the whole vibe was just perfect. How could her heart not flutter?’

Eloise: ’Well, then!’

lanie Yates had no idea her whole story was being laid bare. After dawdling for ages, she was still too embarrassed to tell the truth. "Why should I have to tell you what I like about him? Stop changing the subject! If you didn’t throw my love letter away, then who did?"

"You should be asking yourself that."

"Ask ?"

Now that she knew the truth, Eloise’s mind worked fast. "Who told you I threw away the love letter you put in my locker?"

lanie Yates faltered, taking a mont to process. "You an... No, impossible! It couldn’t have been her!"

"Who?"

"Why should I tell you just because you asked? In any case, it definitely couldn’t have been her. I bet it was one of your friends!"

Despite her words, lanie Yates couldn’t et Eloise’s eyes as she yelled, which showed she wasn’t entirely free of doubt.

’How can this girl be so dense? She’s been sold down the river and she’s still helping them count the cash.’

Mrs. Donovan and Eloise: "..." ’You’re not even older than her. How can you have the nerve to call her "little girl" in such a patronizing tone?’

Still, both of them could sense the frustrated disappointnt in Arabella’s tone. They figured lanie Yates was likely just being used and wasn’t a bad person at heart.

"Excuse , may I cut in? It’s hard to say who’s right and who’s wrong here, but I’d say this young lady’s judgnt of character certainly isn’t as good as my sister’s."

Arabella Donovan’s sudden appearance startled everyone. lanie Yates’s expression changed dramatically, and she snapped, flustered and exasperated, "Who do you think you are? Don’t you know it’s rude to eavesdrop on people?"

"?" Arabella Donovan flashed a wide grin, showing off her pearly whites. "Why, I’m none other than that ’uncultured country bumpkin from so backwater town’ you were just talking about."

lanie Yates: "..."

Is there anything more embarrassing than getting caught bad-mouthing soone by the person themselves?

Of course there is: not only getting caught red-handed, but also being called out on it to your face.

"You... You..." lanie Yates’s face flushed beet red. After sputtering for a while without forming a coherent sentence, she awkwardly shut her mouth and sat back down.

Eloise glanced at Mrs. Donovan, who was hiding behind a potted plant in the adjacent booth, then stared at Arabella for a long mont before tentatively calling her na. "Arabella?"

"That’s . Hi, Fourth Sister! Mom and I just finished shopping and ca here to eat. The pastries at this place are delicious! Sis, can you ask later if I can buy so to go, or maybe get us a few extra plates? Please, please~"

Eloise could easily tell that Arabella’s request was just a pretext, and her expression softened.

"Eat as many as you like. I’ll bring so over to you myself in a little while."

"Thanks, Fourth Sister!"

’My fourth sister is so gentle, sweet-tempered, and beautiful. Co to think of it, the reason Cassandra Lynch is so anxious about her is probably because Fourth Sister looks almost exactly like Mrs. Lynch did when she was young. It’s a good thing the two families live in different cities, so far apart. If anyone from the Lynch family had ever laid eyes on her, this secret wouldn’t have lasted nearly this long.’