The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1605

"Serena, time for lunch," Betty said cheerfully as she set the lunch tray down, arranging the dishes one by one on the dining table.

Serena latched onto her words like a lifeline. "Where are Mom and Dad? What have they been up to all morning?"

Betty jumped when Serena grabbed her hand.

"After I brought your breakfast, I got caught up helping clear away branches. The gardener decided every tree in the estate needed pruning." Betty paused, glancing at the clock. "I didn't get back to the main house until almost noon, and I saw your folks coming in from a stroll in the garden. They plopped down on the couch and started sending voice messages on WhatsApp to."

Betty hesitated, afraid to continue.

"To who?" Serena pressed, her voice tinged with urgency. "Come on, spill it. No secrets."

Swallowing hard, Betty confessed, "They were checking in on Ms. Bella. Asking if she'd had lunch yet, telling her not to work too hard, and offering to have the chef make something special to be delivered right to her door. They seemed really concerned about Ms. Bella."

Serena felt a jolt of shock and disbelief. "Did you see them sending these messages with your own eyes?"

"Yes, I heard the 'ping' as they sent them. Ms. Bella even replied." Betty couldn't grasp why Serena's face was etched with such defeat and despondency. "Serena, are you feeling better today? Did the fever go down after the medicine?"

It struck Serena that the only person who seemed to care about her was Betty, someone who was completely unrelated to her.

A sardonic smile played on Serena's lips, a mix of bitterness and defiance. "You actually saw them messaging on their phones, right?"

Betty was confused by the repeated question. "I saw it with my own eyes. They chatted for like twenty minutes. Serena, what's wrong?"