True Heiress Returns to Her Unemployed Rich Family (Arabella) novel Chapter 637

Seeing the two of them about to leave, Harper instinctively took a step forward. "Hey, wait!"

Arabella turned and shot her a look so cold it could freeze hell over.

Harper stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide with a fresh wave of fear.

Oh my God.

That look from Arabella was absolutely terrifying.

Before she could stop it, the memory of Arabella pointing the scalpel at her came rushing back. In that moment, she had genuinely believed Arabella was capable of killing her right then and there.

A violent shiver ran through her. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the tile floor.

"Harper! Honey, what's wrong?" Freya rushed over, her voice laced with panic.

"I'll get a nurse!" Calvin said, already turning toward the door.

Arabella simply looked away and strode out of the room without a backward glance.

Edward let out a weary sigh. "Harper," he said, his tone heavy, "you need to start making better choices. Stop gambling with your life."

Harper heard his words as if from a distance. She nodded vaguely, her body still trembling uncontrollably.

"Harper, talk to me! You're scaring me!" Freya crouched down, gently shaking her daughter's shoulder.

"Mom," Harper whispered, her face ashen, "I really think... she was about to kill me just now." The mere thought sent another chill down her spine.

Freya pulled her into a hug, patting her back. "No, no, sweetie. She was here to treat you. That's all.

"See? You're better now. You're back to your senses. Everything's okay."

Harper went still for a second, processing the words. Then, her face crumpled, and she burst into loud, ugly sobs. "Mom... Dylan left me! He doesn't want me anymore... Waaah..."

"Hush now. Dylan's in prison, for God's sake. You need to let him go," Freya said, her voice a mix of frustration and pity.

The crying stopped abruptly. Harper blinked, a blank expression on her face as the fog in her mind slowly cleared. The full memory of everything that had happened returned.

"You're right," she muttered, her voice hollow. "We pissed Arabella off. So she's not just going to let this slide. She was trying to kill me."

"No, she's Aletta. We hired her to treat you," Freya corrected bitterly. "Who would've thought that stubborn girl actually had real skills? It's just a damn shame she's so cold-hearted. She wouldn't even fork over a few million to save Edward's firm."

They'd had the whole plan mapped out, but they never expected to hit a wall right at this step.

"Mom, how on earth can she be Aletta?" Harper asked, still reeling. Waking up to this bombshell was a lot to process.

"How should I know?" Freya snapped, her frustration boiling over. "She's been this hotshot doctor since she was with the Macdonalds, but she hid it from us all along. It's true what they say—you can't warm a snake on your chest."

After all the years they'd provided for her, this was the thanks they got.

"Mom, if she won't pay up, what are we supposed to do?" Harper's mind was clear now, and she understood perfectly well the dire situation their family was in.

Without the backing of the Johnstons, the Clark family was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. They were going nowhere fast.

"Tch. She's just being stubborn. I don't believe for a second she won't feel it when Edward's company goes under," Freya snorted, her eyes turning hard and nasty.

"But didn't she say she'd just start another one?" Harper frowned, remembering Arabella's words clearly.

Edward managed a relieved smile. "Absolutely."

"Then let's go." It was time to face whatever came next.

"Arabella." Lucas approached them, his brow furrowed with concern. "What happened in there? You were gone a while. I thought I heard raised voices?"

"It's nothing. It's handled," Arabella said, clearly not wanting to elaborate.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Lucas pressed, not entirely convinced.

Arabella raised an eyebrow. "What else would it be?"

Seeing her composed demeanor, Lucas finally relented. "Okay, if you say so."

"We've got things to take care of, so we'll head out now," Arabella said, eager to get to Macdonald Capital and assess the damage.

"Of course. Let's catch up over dinner soon," Lucas said, stepping aside.

"Yeah, I'll call you," Arabella agreed, slipping into the passenger seat.

Edward gave Lucas a nod. "Later, man. Take care."

"You too," Lucas replied.

He watched their car pull out of the parking lot, a knot of unease in his stomach.

He could tell something was wrong. Arabella just didn't want to bring him into it.