The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1784

"Hey, they’re all on the house!" Sean was clearly on edge.

"No need. Getting an island from you is a big deal as it is. Thanks for not fleecing me and leaving me in the woods for the beasts to tear me apart."

"Sis." Sean was dying to ask if it wasn't too late to get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness.

In the chilly air, Steward was continuously wiping sweat from his brow, "Ms. Collins, you've got it all wrong. Sean's been digging into that clinic fire all along. Some folks are sly as foxes, hiding their tails. Just as we were closing in on some clues, you went and rescued that kid from the cage. Truth is, if you hadn't stepped in, Sean would've ordered us to save the kid. We were just waiting for the key suspect to show, and the very next second, we'd have made our move!"

"So, I screwed up your plan?" Arabella quipped, clearly amused.

Steward was a nervous wreck, thinking, man, Ms. Collins can be intimidating. He glanced at Sean, mentally tossing the ball into his court as if to say, "I've lost my voice, man. Your turn."

Sean, panicking, didn't know what to say and snapped at Steward, "What are you talking about? We're the ones who scared her! Besides, she was investigating the fire too, doing her part in secret. She's the unsung hero of the family!"

Turning to Arabella after that, Sean tried to appease her with a desperate charm, "It's all my fault. Hey, you've got those boxing gloves in hand - take a swing at me."

Arabella couldn't help but suppress a smile, pretending to stay silent.

If only his sis would agree to hit him, that'd be fine. But what if she stayed quiet like this? He was tempted to wire another five million dollars to David and beg for advice on how to soothe his sister's anger.

"I wasn't there to investigate the clinic fire," Arabella finally threw him a lifeline.

Sean grabbed the chance, "Then what were you doing there?"

What else could it be if she was spotted in a place as chaotic as the Demon Ring?

"I went to get a medicinal herb, I just happened to see you with someone."