Chapter 468: Chapter 468: This Goose Is Not That Swallow
Jessica Lockhart felt the same way. In that instant, she truly wished she didn’t have such a moronic brother. She wished he wasn’t part of the Lockhart family!
But wishing was one thing; she couldn’t actually ignore her brother, let alone kick him out of the house.
"Are you an idiot? No, an idiot would be a hundred times smarter than you. You believe whatever she says? She claims she doesn’t like her boyfriend, and you just buy it? Then who does she like? You? So why hasn’t she asked you to be her boyfriend? Is your family not as impressive as her boyfriend’s, or is your brain just not as good as his?"
"Wow!" Arabella Donovan listened to Jessica Lockhart’s scathing critique and thought she was truly worthy of her reputation as a powerhouse who could run a company. Every sentence hit its mark, sharp and to the point.
But Jessica wasn’t done yet; she continued her tirade.
"A family alliance? No feelings? They won’t get married? Whether they get married or not is their business. Who are you, an unofficial outsider, to stick your nose in it? What happens when they do get married? She’ll tell you she was forced, that their marriage is in name only, that they aren’t a real couple. And then what? Are you going to crawl under their bed to check if they’re sleeping together? To verify if they’re a ’real’ couple? When they’re getting it on, are you going to save a spot for yourself on the bed or something?"
Logan Lockhart’s face went from pale to flushed and back again. He couldn’t even think of a rebuttal and finally just begged in a low voice, "Sis, can you please not be so harsh?"
"You think my words are harsh? Then stop doing such disgusting things!" Jessica pointed at her brother, her face a mask of utter frustration. "Do you actually feel moved by your own story? Think you’re enduring humiliation for true love, giving everything without asking for anything in return? Let me tell you, ninety-nine percent of ’the other man’ think the exact same way."
"The only difference is, they’re smarter than you. They think that way to make their act more convincing, all to squeeze more money out of their sugar daddy. And you? You’re actually ’deeply in love’ and even throwing your own money at her! Don’t tell me that when they get married, you’re going to be the one paying for their hotel rooms so they can be together like a pair of lovebirds. You’re such a willing cuckold, I can’t even be bothered to lecture you!"
"Sis, you’re taking this too far! How could I be the other man? Guinevere and I, we’re..."
"You’re what? If you’re not the other man, then what are you? Don’t tell me you actually think you’re in the running for the main spot?"
Logan Lockhart choked on his words. He felt an arrow pierce his chest, then another, and another—a thousand daggers to the heart.
Arabella Donovan witnessed the entire KO as Jessica Lockhart verbally dismantled her brother, leaving him with no way to fight back. She desperately wanted to give Jessica a round of applause right then and there.
’Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! So sharp, so spot-on! But she’s still overestimating her brother. He doesn’t even qualify as the other man. At best, he’s just cannon fodder, a stepping stone to be used and forgotten. Who cares if a stepping stone lives or dies?’
"Pfft..."
Eloise Donovan couldn’t hold back a laugh again, and the sound successfully drew Logan Lockhart’s attention.
He couldn’t win against his sister, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t handle these outsiders.
"How do you two know about this?"
Eloise Donovan’s brows furrowed slightly. She subconsciously wanted to reveal her identity and give Logan Lockhart a detailed account of how Guinevere Rhodes had brazenly paraded Ian Jennings around in front of them and even several elders during the Rhodes Family’s ancestral rites, as if declaring her sovereignty.
But before she could speak, Arabella saw her intention and cut her off.
’Sis, don’t say anything yet! Guinevere Rhodes and Mr. Rhodes don’t have a great relationship. She’s definitely bad-mouthed Mr. Rhodes to this lovesick idiot. She’s probably played the victim, too, telling him how poorly Mr. Rhodes treats her family. If you reveal who you are, this lovesick fool will lump you in with Mr. Rhodes’s camp. He’ll assume we’re deliberately slandering Guinevere to drive a wedge between them.’
Eloise Donovan froze and immediately shut her mouth. Although the logic seemed a bit of a stretch, who could predict the thought process of a lovesick fool?
The guy already knew Guinevere had an official boyfriend, yet he still believed her pack of lies and willingly served as her backup. What wouldn’t his bewitched, lovesick brain be capable of?
Seeing Arabella and Eloise remain silent, Logan Lockhart’s brow furrowed again. "Why aren’t you talking?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Arabella took a step forward, her chin lifted, and said with complete confidence, "I divined it, of course."
"Divined it?" Logan Lockhart looked Arabella up and down. "What nonsense are you spouting? Someone like you, so young and already going down the wrong path, learning to put on a mystic act and swindle people. Sooner or later, you’ll..."
"What did you just say?" Eloise flared up when she saw him about to curse her own sister.
Jessica Lockhart was angry too. Regardless of how today’s mess turned out, she should be grateful to the young woman for telling her that the little bitch had a boyfriend and was still stringing her brother along as a willing backup.
"What are you yelling about? So what if she’s putting on an act and swindling people? Was anything she just said wrong? Your own brain is fried. You’re the idiot being a backup, being the other man. What right do you have to yell at anyone?"
Logan Lockhart choked again. He couldn’t argue with his sister, and he was powerless against Arabella and her group. The look he gave them was like that of an emperor gazing upon a seductive consort and a treacherous minister who were leading the dynasty to ruin.
Arabella was amused by his glare. She raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "Not only do I know that the girl of your dreams is Miss Guinevere Rhodes, but I also know that you two first crossed paths because of a game called *Fantasy Cultivation*."
Logan Lockhart froze, his eyes widening in astonishment. "You..."
"In that game, your screen name was Zhangtai Yushu, and hers was Haiyan Heqing. You met online during your sophomore year of high school and bonded as in-game partners so you could grind dungeons together. But back then, your relationship was limited to just being online friends who ran dungeons."
"It wasn’t until your sophomore year of college, when your family went through a major crisis, that you were hit hard and fell into a deep depression. She was the one who stayed by your side, encouraging you, consoling you, and helping you through that long and difficult time."
Jessica Lockhart’s eyes narrowed. She knew better than anyone what had happened at that point in time.
"Is what she’s saying... true?"
"It’s true." Logan Lockhart had never mentioned any of this to anyone, not even his own sister. The way he looked at Arabella now was incredibly complex.
"Because of that experience, you came to see her as the most important person in your life besides your family. But... if you hold her in such high regard, you should logically know her quite well. It seems, however, that’s not the case."
Logan Lockhart had a vague idea of what Arabella was about to say, and his expression shifted. "What are you trying to say?"
"In all the time you’ve spent talking with her since you reconnected, did you never once suspect... that this Guinevere isn’t the person you remember?"