I Read Their Tragic Fates, and My Family Reads My Mind?

"Eloise, are you in a hurry for something?"

"No... not at all."

Arabella Donovan looked at her with pleading eyes. "Then can we go back a little later?"

"Of course. I was just worried you’d be bored."

"I’m not bored at all! The little desserts here are delicious." As if to prove her point, Arabella Donovan lowered her head and took a bite of another small cake.

Eloise Donovan: "..."

While eating, Arabella Donovan was busy plotting in her head.

’I don’t know what the Lynch family is planning, but since they’ve seen my sister today, I can’t believe they wouldn’t think about getting a DNA test. I have to stall for time and create an opportunity for them to get what they need.’

Startled by Arabella Donovan’s earlier outburst, Eloise Donovan, who had thought she’d missed something important, discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’Speaking of which, what do you need for a DNA sample again? Blood? No, I can’t let my sister get hurt for no reason. Besides blood, what else is there? Hair? That could work. But how can I get a strand of my sister’s hair without arousing suspicion?’

Hearing Arabella Donovan muttering in her mind about not letting her get hurt, Eloise Donovan couldn’t help but smile.

Seeing her sister keep glancing at her hair, she sighed helplessly and said with feigned frustration, "Serena, I think my hair clip is stuck. Can you help me with it?"

’A perfect opportunity!!!’

Arabella Donovan was ecstatic, but she put on a pained expression. "Let me see. Oh no, Sister, your hair seems to be tangled in the clip. This might hurt a little, but I’ll get it out for you."

Eloise Donovan’s lips twitched. ’Darling, your acting is... really something else,’ she thought. ’But it’s fine. I’ll spoil you rotten.’ 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"...Okay. Be gentle."

"Mhm."

Using the perfectly legitimate excuse of removing the hair clip, Arabella Donovan plucked two of Eloise Donovan’s hairs and wrapped them around it.

Then, using the excuse that "this clip seems to get tangled in hair easily," she pocketed the clip for "safekeeping."

’Next, I need to figure out how to drop this clip somewhere the Lynch family will see it, so they can find it and take it.’

Arabella Donovan scanned her surroundings, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

’I’ve got it! Mr. Rhodes is nearby!’

Caspian Rhodes, who had already learned her entire plan from her mental mutterings: "..."

’Isn’t this the part where I’m supposed to scream, "Stay away from me!!!"?’

Although Caspian Rhodes had a bad feeling about being dragged into this, he was still curious to see what Arabella Donovan would do next. In the end, he chose to remain impassive and see how things played out.

Then, he discovered that he had overestimated both Arabella Donovan’s thought process and her acting skills.

He watched as she suddenly stood up, using the excuse of having had too much juice and needing the restroom, and nonchalantly walked past him with Eloise Donovan on her arm.

As she passed him, she raised her hand and tossed the hair clip right in front of him.

Caspian Rhodes: "..."

Eloise Donovan: "..."

The two witnesses were utterly shocked. Only the culprit behind this sudden event thought she had done a fantastic job, turning to glance expectantly in Caspian Rhodes’s direction.

At that moment, Caspian Rhodes finally understood how Eloise Donovan had felt earlier. Feigning surprise as if he had just noticed the hair clip, he stepped forward and picked it up.

’Success!’

Arabella Donovan was thrilled, more convinced than ever that she was a little genius. She quickly pulled Eloise Donovan toward the restroom, afraid that Caspian Rhodes would realize what had happened and chase after them to return the clip.

Caspian Rhodes watched them go, feeling both helpless and amused. ’If not for those of us in the know tacitly covering for her,’ he thought, ’only a fool would fall for a scheme like this.’

Just then, Zane Lynch walked over, looking puzzled. "Bro, what are you spacing out for?"

Then he noticed the hair clip in his hand, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Whose hair clip is this? It looks kind of familiar. Ah, is it... is it..."

"It belongs to that Miss Donovan."

"It really is hers! No wonder it looked so familiar. But wait, that’s not right. Why do you have her hair clip?"

"They dropped it by accident when they walked past just now."

"I see." Zane Lynch very naturally took the clip from Caspian Rhodes’s hand. When he saw the two strands of hair tangled in it, inspiration struck. "This clip belongs to our family’s missing daughter... so the hair on it must be hers too... Does this mean I can take this to Second Uncle and Second Aunt for a DNA test?!"

Zane Lynch felt like a genius with off-the-charts luck. It was like someone had handed him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.

But he never expected to turn his head and be met with his cousin’s utterly indescribable expression.

"Wh-what’s wrong?"

"You should eat more walnuts."

"Huh?"

"They’re good for your brain."

Zane Lynch: ???

With her main tasks completed, Arabella Donovan no longer insisted on making Eloise Donovan stay. The two of them said their goodbyes to the hosts and prepared to leave, but they ran into the Sherwoods, mother and son, near the main gate.

Mrs. Sherwood’s eyes lit up when she saw Eloise Donovan. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t seem to know how to begin.

In the end, it was Gregory Sherwood who broke the silence first. "Are you two heading home?"

"Yes."

Eloise Donovan still remembered the so-called engagement. She had no intention of getting involved with the man before her, and even less desire to fight with Cassandra Lynch over anyone, so her attitude toward Gregory Sherwood was a bit cold.

Mrs. Sherwood naturally noticed this as well and glanced questioningly at Gregory Sherwood.

Gregory Sherwood didn’t even have to think to guess the reason. He pursed his lips in embarrassment. "About last time... I was in the wrong. My attitude toward you both was not very good. I’m very sorry, and I hope you can give me a chance to make it up to you."

As soon as he said this, everyone present was stunned.

Mrs. Sherwood couldn’t help but gasp. "Last time?"

Her gaze toward her son seemed to say, ’You’ve met before? When did this happen? How did I not know anything about it!’

Eloise Donovan and her sister were also surprised. Gregory Sherwood’s fervent defense of Cassandra Lynch that day was still fresh in their minds. It had only been a few days, so why the sudden change in attitude?

’Could it be because he found out my sister might be the second Mrs. Lynch’s biological daughter? His fiancée might be about to change, so his love-addled brain just cured itself?’

The phrase "cured itself" had a rather cynical implication in this context, and Eloise Donovan’s expression darkened.

Although Gregory Sherwood didn’t know what the two sisters were thinking, one look at Eloise Donovan’s face gave him an inexplicable sense of crisis.

"After I went back that day, I had someone look into Cassandra Lynch’s social circle over the past two years, as well as her bank statements for the last few months. I did find some things, and I realize now that I misunderstood... Master Donovan. For my rude remarks that day, I believe I owe you both an apology."

Eloise Donovan looked surprised, but Arabella Donovan understood in an instant.

’Wow, so he realized Cassandra Lynch was cheating on him left and right, and now he’s pulling a Melanie Yates and turning on his former idol?’