The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1823

The remnants of Serena's presence in the bedroom had been discarded, piece by piece, until now there was hardly anything left.

The servants hadn't expected Louisa to order the removal of even that lamp.

They dared not disobey, so they quickly took it down and replaced it with an old one from the storage room until they could get a new one.

Louisa's gaze drifted towards the master bedroom, now completely purged of any trace of Serena.

Later, Hans arrived at the gates of Reflections Villa in his assistant's car. He couldn't help but notice the nearby trash bins overflowing with items associated with Serena.

Recalling the tumultuous events at the abandoned construction site, he could imagine his parents' anger and disappointment.

He had planned to catch a flight back home the very day the security footage was exposed, but urgent matters abroad had forced him to stay. Now, three days later, he was finally here.

The lights at Reflections Villa had dimmed, signaling that most had retired for the night.

The security guard at the gate hurried to open it for him, "Welcome back, Mr. Collins."

"Yeah," Hans nodded in acknowledgment, "Thanks for staying up."

"No trouble at all," the guard said with a smile, bowing slightly as he welcomed Hans inside.

Hans noticed the servants packing up plants and flowers to be thrown out, all once favorites of Serena.

"Mr. Collins."

"Good evening, Mr. Collins."

"Mr. Collins, welcome back."

Hans nodded to each greeting, "Has Bella gone to bed?"