The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 2057

Arabella almost let the whole affair slip her mind, but there was still time. "I'll let him know I'm headed to the auction first, then the dinner party."

"I'll swing by to pick you up later," Jack said, and then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he added, "Oh, right. To keep then from catching wind of Stinger, I've cooked up a little distraction. It won't hold them off forever. Sooner or later they'll catch on. We need to squeeze all the intel we can out of Stinger, and fast."

"Got it," Arabella replied before hanging up and slipping into some casual wear.

At half-past five, Jack rolled up in his car to fetch her.

They made their way to a desolate stretch on the outskirts of town, where an enormous abandoned factory stood. It was, without a doubt, the location for the auction Jack had mentioned.

From the outside, the factory looked eerily silent, as if it could be haunted.

The weather was foul that day, and even in the early evening, the sky was ominously dark, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Just then, Arabella's phone rang.

It was her college buddy, Barry.

"Bella, have you heard from Joyce? I texted her a bunch last night, called her like crazy, and she hasn't gotten back to me all day."

Jack gestured at his watch, indicating they were running out of time. It was already six o'clock.

Arabella gave a slight nod, signaling him to go ahead.