True Heiress Returns to Her Unemployed Rich Family (Arabella) novel Chapter 624

"No," Arabella corrected herself quickly. "They've known each other since they were kids. We just met recently."

"What are you mumbling about over there? You look kinda torn," Alfred said, curiosity clear in his tone.

Arabella let out a short sigh. "It just doesn't make sense to me. It's not some major arranged commitment. There's no way something like that could hold Matthew back, right?"

"Absolutely not," Alfred agreed without hesitation.

This was Matthew they were talking about. Nobody told him what to do.

Before, with Robert's health hanging in the balance, Matthew might have had to tread carefully. But now that Robert was doing better, Matthew didn't have much to worry about. He could pretty much do whatever he wanted.

"Arabella." Alfred turned toward her, his expression growing more serious. "If the Stewarts really don't call off the engagement... would you actually marry Matthew?"

"Huh?" For a second, Arabella's mind went completely blank.

She'd never even considered that question before.

Hearing it now, she didn't know how to respond.

Would she?

"Why the silence?" Alfred frowned slightly. "Are you falling for him or something?"

"No, I'm not," Arabella denied right away.

But Alfred wasn't buying it. "If you're not, then why the pause?"

Any hesitation meant she was at least considering it.

"Come on, you caught me off guard, that's all. I've never really thought about it before," Arabella explained, shaking her head. "From the moment I came back, Matthew was already at Grandpa's trying to break things off. So in my mind, the engagement between the Hamiltons and the Stewarts was always going to end eventually."

Alfred shot her a look, then turned his gaze back to the road without saying another word.

"Alfred, about the whole Tylin situation... Matthew keeps suspecting it's me. He doesn't have proof, so today he tried to feel me out over lunch," Arabella said, steering the conversation elsewhere.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "How did he even start suspecting you in the first place?"

"He's way too observant..." Arabella gave Alfred a quick rundown of the times Matthew had picked up on little things before.

Alfred smirked. "The guy doesn't miss a trick."

Most people wouldn't connect the dots like that, but Matthew was already putting pieces together.

"Yeah." Arabella sighed softly. "It totally threw me, and honestly, it's kind of a headache."

"But it's fine. Even if he does find out, it doesn't really change anything," Alfred said, trying to reassure her.

Arabella made a face. "I know. But all of that... it's stuff I did back when I was with the Macdonalds, on my own time. I've always kept that side of my life under wraps. I'm used to living like that, and I don't really want things to change."

She liked her life the way it was.

But if word got out, her identity would eventually become public knowledge. She just found the whole idea annoying.

Once she settled into her chair, Arabella dialed Colton.

"What's up? Is the miracle doctor treating me to a nice lunch?" Colton's voice came through, sounding pretty pleased with himself.

But Arabella got straight to the point. "Matthew's got his eye on you."

"Huh?" Colton was taken aback. "What did I do? I thought our partnership was going fine?"

"It's not about the partnership," Arabella said. "He's suspicious about who you really are."

Colton caught on. "Mr. Stewart still doesn't think I'm Tylin."

"It's more than that," Arabella continued. "When you dropped off those documents earlier, Mr. Stewart overheard your voice. He spent lunch trying to get me to slip up."

"Yikes." Colton let out a low whistle. "Good thing I never showed my face. Otherwise, he would've nailed me right then and there."

"Tell me about it," Arabella replied, sounding exasperated. "It's too bad. You were so careful, and he still found a thread to pull."

Colton paused for a second. "Hold on. You just said you had lunch with Mr. Stewart? How did that happen?"

"Just coincidence," Arabella said breezily. She didn't feel like getting into the details—it was too much to explain—so she kept it simple.

"Real coincidence, or the kind someone engineers?" Colton's tone was skeptical.

Arabella rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her. "Isn't your focus a little off right now?"