Chapter 457: Chapter 457: Screwed Over Again
It was no wonder Arabella Donovan’s mind was racing. Every time some juicy gossip was about to drop, Caspian Rhodes would appear at the most coincidental times, almost as if he knew in advance where to find it.
’Come to think of it, the reason I managed to connect with Lynch in the first place was also because of Mr. Rhodes. Back then, I was just an amateur mystic, but he seemed to have complete faith in me already...’
There were many other similar coincidences. Arabella Donovan hadn’t given them much thought before, but with this latest incident serving as a warning, she began to trace her steps back, piece by piece. She soon discovered that the greatest number of coincidences involved Caspian Rhodes!
Most importantly, when he had personally driven her home not long ago, every single word he’d said had hit right on the mark, addressing all her curiosities as if he knew exactly what she was wondering and what she wanted to hear.
Previously, Arabella Donovan might have thought he was just incredibly perceptive, but now, she could only conclude that he had come with a premeditated plan.
Arabella Donovan thought for a moment, then suddenly realized something. She turned to look at the people behind her and was met with the inexplicably solemn expressions of her family.
Arabella Donovan was at a loss for words. ’Mr. Rhodes, I’m so sorry. It seems I’ve accidentally gotten you into trouble again!’
’Wait, why did I think "again"?’
In any case, this confession session, with the bizarre participation of an outsider like Caspian Rhodes, finally came to a peaceful conclusion.
Because the show had been abruptly shut down, the original three-day trip was cut short. They had only been filming for less than two days before they had to head back.
Arabella Donovan and her brother had been delayed by the sudden arrival of the Donovan family, so they decided to just stick to the original itinerary and stay for the extra day.
As for the other guests, aside from Jude Underwood, who probably wasn’t going anywhere, half of them had left on the night of the incident.
"Mr. Dawson and his son left right after you did. They booked plane tickets home immediately," Milton Lambert said, leaning closer to Arabella Donovan and lowering his voice. "The two of them left after taking a private call. I was nearby at the time and listened closely for a bit. It seemed to be about that woman you mentioned."
Arabella Donovan raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. "That woman? You mean his best friend’s... wife?"
"That’s the one! The woman probably saw what you said to Mr. Dawson that night, realized the cat was out of the bag, and tried to make a run for it with her daughter and the money. But she was caught on the spot by the people Mr. Dawson had sent to watch her. So there you have it. No investigation needed; she basically confessed on her own. From what I overheard, it sounded like Mr. Dawson was in a hurry to take his son back home and settle the score with that mother and daughter."
Milton Lambert said with a slight sigh of lament, "To be deceived for so long, and so miserably too... Even his only son was almost turned against him by an outsider. I doubt Mr. Dawson will let this go easily."
It was just a shame he wasn’t particularly close with Mr. Dawson, so this was probably all the gossip he was going to get. He wouldn’t get to enjoy the full story.
As a seasoned purveyor of gossip herself, Arabella Donovan immediately picked up on Milton Lambert’s unspoken sentiment. She gave him a complicated look, as if to say, ’I never took you for such a gossip.’
A shiver went down Milton Lambert’s spine. Fearing he’d make an unreliable impression on her, he quickly tried to save face. "It’s not like I was intentionally prying into his private affairs! It was a complete coincidence. We just happened to be standing close by, so I couldn’t help but overhear."
Arabella Donovan was silent.’Do I look like I believe you?’
"Did Mr. Tate leave too?"
"Yes," Faye Collins replied. She and Mr. Tate worked at the same company and knew each other fairly well. The production team had also arranged for them to stay at the same hotel for the show, so she naturally knew a bit more about his family’s situation.
"He originally wanted to stay and say goodbye to you, Miss Donovan, but he got a call last night. His wife had suddenly fainted for some unknown reason. He was so panicked he didn’t even have time to book a flight and just drove off with his child right away."
Arabella Donovan wasn’t surprised by this news. When she’d read Mr. Tate’s fortune that night, she had noticed a subtle shift in his Children’s Palace, where she could faintly make out a few signs.
Simply put, his wife was pregnant with their second child. He was going to be a father again!
"His wife is fine. In all likelihood, it’s a case of double happiness."
If Arabella Donovan’s reading was correct, his wife was most likely pregnant with twins. Adding the child they already had, his family would soon have three little ones...
She just hoped that Mr. Tate could get through this rough patch in his career and set sail again soon. Otherwise, raising that many children would not be easy.
Faye Collins was stunned to hear Arabella Donovan’s words, then she, too, breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Mr. Tate’s situation reminded Arabella Donovan of Milton Lambert, who also had someone in his family in trouble. "Lambert, aren’t you in a hurry to get home?"
Not only was he not in a hurry to go back, but another person had even arrived.
"Is this... Mrs. Lambert?"
Milton Lambert’s wife was a beautiful woman with a wonderful air about her. She wore a simple white dress and had a neat bob, a gentle expression, and delicate features. She looked just like one of the graceful, elegant beauties from a classical poet’s painting of a southern water town.
Seeing Arabella Donovan mention her, Mrs. Lambert came forward, holding her daughter’s hand, and greeted her proactively.
"Hello, Miss Donovan. I’m Milton’s wife, and Qiuqiu’s mother. Thank you so much for taking care of my husband and child these past few days. I’m especially grateful for the words you shared with my husband that night."
Mrs. Lambert glanced helplessly at her husband and sighed. "My husband and my father-in-law have a long-standing grudge. It was never anything major, just a difference of opinion that could have been resolved if they’d just talked it out. What kind of feud can truly last overnight between a father and son? But they’re both as stubborn as mules, and neither was willing to be the first to back down and offer an out. No one could persuade them. Over time, things just froze like that, and they’ve been in a stalemate for over a decade."
Mrs. Lambert thought about all the effort she and her mother-in-law had expended over the years trying to mediate between them, and she felt utterly exhausted just thinking about it.
"Thank goodness he came on this show, and thank goodness he met you. After your guidance that night, their father-son relationship is finally starting to see the clouds part and the ice melt. I came here this time on behalf of my mother-in-law to thank you for the help you’ve given to both of them, and to our entire family."
"You’re too kind, Mrs. Lambert. As you said, what feud can truly last between a father and son? At the end of the day, Lambert and his father just had a few misunderstandings between them. Deep down, they still care about each other. Otherwise, even if I had talked until I was blue in the face, Lambert wouldn’t have listened."
While that was true, the words Arabella Donovan had spoken that day were still crucial in breaking the father-son stalemate.
Mrs. Lambert wanted to offer more words of gratitude, hoping to both express her thanks and grow closer to Arabella Donovan.
Unexpectedly, Arabella Donovan just gave her a faint smile, as if she had seen right through to her true intentions, and turned her gaze to the little girl beside her.
"You came all this way, Mrs. Lambert. It couldn’t have been just to thank me, could it?"