The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 2105

"Seriously? He's that impatient?" Serena scoffed as she uncapped her pen with a flourish and signed on the dotted line. She tossed the agreement to her bodyguard and strode towards the grand entrance of the estate.

"Sorry, Ms. Lott, the property now belongs to Mr. Cooper. You're not permitted inside," the bodyguard blocked her path, his tone firm.

That stopped Serena in her tracks, irritation flaring within her. "What, so I can't even live here anymore?"

"That's correct."

"And my stuff?"

"Here's your ID card," the bodyguard handed over an ID card. "Other than this, everything inside was purchased by Mr. Cooper and has nothing to do with you."

Serena’s heart sank. Was this their way of kicking her out with nothing?

"I still have a cell phone in there," she said, trying to push past.

Suddenly, a wall of bodyguards, at least a dozen strong, emerged and barred her way.

"I'm sorry, but except for your ID card, you can't take anything else," the lead bodyguard said, his face as expressionless as a statue.

"That phone inside was the only thing my dad left me! Are you really going to claim that too? Isn't that like stealing?" Serena was fuming now, but the line of impassive faces before her made it clear they didn't see her as the lady of the house anymore.

Just yesterday, she was the belle of the ball, and now she had hit rock bottom. The swift change of fortune was overwhelming.

"That phone means a lot to me." She pleaded at the doorstep, trying to reason with them, but the bodyguards might as well have been robots for all the responses she got, just standing there, emotionless, guarding the entrance.

Finally, realizing she was getting nowhere, Serena's last hope was to call Martin.

What she never expected was to find that Martin had blocked her number!

In disbelief, she dialed again and again, the reality slowly dawning on her with each rejected call. She stood there, stunned, as the truth hit her like a cold slap in the face.

After Arabella had saved Diana, Martin intercepted her.

"Arabella, I really can't thank you enough. I know it sounds cliché, but I truly mean it from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, really! I owe you big time!"

Arabella nodded and made to leave.

"I've broken things off with Serena. Once my mother and sister wake up, they'll see the news of the annulment."

Hearing Martin's words, Arabella lifted her gaze slightly and said, "Congratulations on escaping the abyss."

Martin gave a wry smile. "I was naive before. The Collins family, with so many of you, couldn't warm her heart in eighteen years, and I thought I could."

"You're no longer on my blacklist. If you ever need anything, just call me." With that, Arabella walked away, leaving Martin in her wake.

Martin hadn't expected such a response from her. He was touched and, at the same time, realized how blind he had been. Arabella was so exceptional, and yet he had foolishly believed Serena to be the innocent and pitiable one.