True Heiress Returns to Her Unemployed Rich Family (Arabella) novel Chapter 633

"Mom, there's no way Arabella would pull something like that," Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If she didn't want to help, she could've just said no. But she agreed to come all the way here—she wouldn't turn around and sabotage Harper."

"What do you know about it?" Freya shot back, frustration tightening her voice.

Edward's expression soured. Lately, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off in their family—things just didn't add up anymore.

"Hey," Arabella said gently, catching Edward's eye. "It's alright."

Coming here, she'd already braced herself for just about anything. Whatever was coming, she was ready.

"Arabella, I'm sorry..." Edward's voice was thick with guilt.

Sometimes he wondered if it was a mistake ever telling her he'd been tracked down and brought back into the fold.

Arabella turned her attention to Freya. "Look, setting everything else aside—I came today to treat Harper. If you don't want me to, I'll walk out that door right now, and let's not do this again. If you do want my help, then let's get started. Now."

"Well..." Freya hesitated, her eyes darting toward Calvin.

Calvin shifted uncomfortably. He didn't have a clue what the right call was.

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched Arabella's lips. "Then what was the point of calling me here in the first place?"

Weren't they the ones who asked her to come help Harper?

But the way these two were acting... it was weird. Suspicious, even.

As the thought crossed her mind, Arabella studied Freya and Calvin a little more closely. She'd assumed they were just being difficult, but now she wasn't so sure.

The room grew tense, the air thick with something unspoken.

"Mom, what's going on?" Edward cut in, sensing the shift.

Freya's face tightened. She threw Edward a warning look. "We're doing what's best for your sister, that's what's going on."

"Right. Let's just... focus on Harper for now," Calvin agreed hastily.

No turning back now—they just had to keep things under control a little longer.

"Fine," Arabella replied coolly. She didn't let her suspicion show, but she was definitely filing their behavior away for later.

Might as well play along and see what they were really up to.

Honestly, she was a little curious how far they'd go.

Steadying herself, Arabella approached Harper's bedside, all professionalism.

"My treatment plan involves neurosurgery. I'll need to open the cranial cavity, and then..." She walked them through the procedure step by step, her description graphic enough to make anyone uneasy.

She sighed. "You'll have a permanent scar across your scalp. Hair won't grow there anymore. So right here... and here..."

Arabella traced a line over Harper's head with her finger. "This whole section—no more hair. Say goodbye to updos or braids. And across the forehead, there might be a visible scar too. The kind even full-coverage makeup won't hide.

"Also, since it's major surgery, there could be some... cognitive impact. But honestly, given your current state, it might not even be noticeable.

"And one more thing—"

"Stop!" Freya burst out before Arabella could finish.

Calvin had heard enough too. "At that point, you might as well not treat her at all!"

If that was the outcome, even if Harper got better, her life would be wrecked.

And did they really think Harper could live with that?

"Wait, hear me out," Arabella said, almost kindly. "If I treat her, her mental state stabilizes. She could live a normal life."

"And you think she won't relapse the moment she sees what it's done to her?" Freya's voice climbed, sharp with tension.

Even Harper—who was sitting right there—would never accept that.

"Well... that depends on her resilience," Arabella said with a casual shrug.