The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1948

On the other side of town, Dora and June had just helped Serena out of the bath. They dressed her in comfortable clothes and wheeled her over to the vanity.

Looking at her reflection, Serena's eyes traced the swollen redness of her cheeks, a harsh reminder of the recent confrontations. Memories of Eunice dousing her with iced tea, Louisa's stinging slap, and Sean having someone do the same flooded back to her. Just thinking about it made her ears buzz with pain, and a wave of sadness washed over her.

"Serena, let me take care of your skin," Dora offered with a smile, picking up a bottle of toner. "These skincare products were personally picked out by Mr. Cooper himself. I recognize this brand—it's top of the line."

"Serena, you are really lucky," June chimed in softly as she brushed Serena’s hair. "Mr. Cooper treats you so well."

Serena's eyes landed on the skincare brand's logo, her voice empty as she said, "Actually, the best brand is UO. It's not sold in stores. Only a select few can get their hands on it. I've used it before. It was quite good."

Dora was taken aback, feeling a bit out of the loop. All this time she thought Martin had bought the best and most expensive, not realizing Serena had experienced even better.

Serena's gaze drifted to the clock on the wall; it was almost midnight, and Martin still hadn't returned.

Since Martin had been called away by a family phone call, she had been eating lunch and dinner alone. The usually bustling New Year was eerily quiet as if the whole world had left her behind.

All day long, not a single message or call from Martin.

She knew he cared for her, and it wasn't like him to leave her hanging. It had to be the pressure from the Cooper family.

Noticing the dimness in Serena's eyes, Dora suggested with understanding, "Mr. Cooper must be tied up with something. But look, it's almost midnight. Why don't we stay up with you and ring in the New Year?"