The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1825

"So you're a grown man and still mooching off your own family?"

Hans thought, "Always having your sister send you stuff, aren't you ashamed?"

"It's my sister's way of showing she cares. Besides, I'll be giving her a credit card soon so she can shop to her heart's content."

"You haven't been taking advantage of her, have you?" Hans eyed him with a mix of skepticism and distrust.

He thought, "If you weren't, why did David say you upset her?"

"It was just a bit of a misunderstanding. It's a long story, but now we're getting along great. The surgery I had was done by her. If you lay a hand on me, you're going to have to answer to her!" Sean played the sister card to defend himself.

At that, Hans's concern flickered, "You got hurt? When did that happen?"

"Not too long ago." Sean dodged the details, smirking instead, "These stitches were sewn by our sis. She told me to take it easy for a while, so even if you want to hit me, Hans, you'll have to wait until I'm all healed up."

Hans unclenched his fist, "I'll talk to her tomorrow. If you really did bully her, I wouldn't mind adding a few more scars to your collection."

"Hey, Hans? You're leaving just like that? You haven't even told me if you like my pajamas. Got a minute? I have a few other pairs I could model for you."

Hans turned back, his aura chilling.

"Goodnight, Hans." Sean quickly shut the door.

Hans made his way to his room, pulling out his phone as he walked, dialing a number, "Come over tomorrow."

The next morning.

Arabella woke to find Serena's old room getting a fresh coat of paint, and even the flowers in the garden were being replaced with new varieties.

"Last night." Hans approached her, his gaze tender, "I didn't want to wake you, so I didn't come to see you right away. I've reviewed the security footage of the abandoned construction site. You've been through a lot these past months."

He patted her head, a look of remorse in his eyes, "I should have been there for you. Let's have breakfast, and then we can talk."

Arabella nodded, joining him in the kitchen.

"Did Sean bully you?" Hans served her some oatmeal, placing it in front of her, "You don't have to cover for him. I'll take care of it."

"Our situation is complicated." Arabella gave a wry smile, summarizing the events as succinctly as possible.

But she left out the parts about Sean threatening to skin her and leave her at that Mountain, or his exorbitant demands for the price of his island, which only worsened her opinion of him.

"So you and Sean are sort of like friends after a fight?" To Hans, it sounded like they had simply been investigating the truth behind a hospital fire and stumbled upon each other while following leads. There were some misunderstandings, along with Arabella trying to purchase Sean's island, but Sean kept hiking up the price, leaving a bad impression.