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

’Oh ho, so many familiar faces today.’

Just as Arabella Donovan had that thought, the others also noticed Ms. Kerr and her son approaching.

"Ms. Kerr, you’re here as well."

Mrs. Sherwood knew Ms. Kerr, so she was a little surprised to see the mother and son. After all, Ms. Kerr was well known for disliking these sorts of social functions.

"Yes. We had a bit of a mishap on the way, so we arrived late. We nearly missed Miss Donovan and Master Donovan."

The Kerr mother and son had indeed only just arrived. The moment they walked in, they heard about what had happened with Eloise Donovan.

Only then did it dawn on them what Mrs. Lynch had meant that day when she said, "my child."

The two of them had wandered around inside for ages without finding them and thought they had already left. Unexpectedly, they ran into them on their way out.

"I’ve been busy with company matters these past two days and haven’t had a chance to pay you a proper visit to express my gratitude, which is terribly impolite of me. I just heard someone say they saw Master Donovan and Miss Donovan here, so I thought I’d come try my luck. I’m so glad we didn’t miss you."

As Ms. Kerr spoke, she gently pushed her son forward. "Master Donovan, this is my son. If it hadn’t been for your warning that day, he might now be..."

Ms. Kerr didn’t want to think about the other possibilities of what could have happened that day, and Kieran Kerr thoughtfully stepped forward to cut the topic short.

"My mom told me everything that happened. Thank you for saving my life, Master Donovan. If there’s ever anything you need from my mother and me, just say the word. We won’t hesitate."

Ms. Kerr quickly chimed in, "What Kieran says goes for me as well."

"You’re both too kind. You’ve already paid your due for that day’s events. Those two jewelry sets are beautiful; my sister and I love them."

’But how can inanimate objects compare to a person’s life?’ the mother and son thought almost in unison.

But the two of them didn’t argue the point with Arabella Donovan. They simply made a mental note of this debt of gratitude, admiring her for not trying to claim more credit.

This reminded Arabella of what happened with Ivan Yates. After his ordeal, the Yates family had been terrified that the emotional trauma would cause him to die old and alone. She wondered if Ms. Kerr had similar concerns.

With this in mind, Arabella couldn’t help but give Kieran Kerr a couple of extra glances.

The Kerr mother and son already had their attention fixed on her. Seeing her look, their hearts sank. "Master Donovan, is... is something wrong with Kieran again?"

"It’s nothing. I was just taking a peek at his romantic fate. No need to rush it. By a conservative estimate, his destined partner won’t appear for another two or three years. And she should be somewhere right under your nose, so stop looking all over the world for her."

As soon as she said this, Kieran Kerr’s already sullen face turned as red as a hot coal fresh from the furnace.

After getting back that day, he had looked up news reports on the matter himself.

He learned that the "girlfriend" scamming him from behind a screen was most likely not some shy, adorable girl, but a burly man weighing over two hundred pounds. That very night, Kieran Kerr had a nightmare. He dreamed he was being crushed by a massive, fleshy man, pinned down for the entire night as if by a mountain—a classic case of sleep paralysis.

The lingering fear was still palpable when he woke up the next day. He was so depressed he didn’t want to speak for the rest of the day.

"Aside from that, there is nothing to worry about. Mr. Kerr, your own destiny is quite strong and doesn’t require much interference. Now that you have overcome this tribulation, so long as you continue to perform good deeds and treat others with kindness, you will attract good fortune, avoid calamity, and enjoy boundless prosperity."

Kieran Kerr nodded eagerly. He thought about how his mother often donated to the Hope Project to accumulate good karma in the name of his late father.

’Perhaps that was why Heaven guided Master Donovan to my mother, saving my life through some unseen force. It just goes to show that doing good deeds really works!’

Hearing Arabella Donovan’s words, Ms. Kerr was already mentally calculating how much money to allocate to the Hope Project this quarter to build more schools in remote, mountainous regions.

Now certain his ordeal was truly over, the weight on Kieran Kerr’s heart finally lifted. He then at last noticed Hector Donovan, who was standing beside Arabella and her sister.

After staring at the vaguely familiar man for a good while, Kieran Kerr finally called out, as if to confirm, "Best... Best Actor Donovan?"

Hector Donovan, accustomed to being the center of attention and having never been so thoroughly ignored, felt his eyelid twitch. "Kerr."

"It really is you! I never expected to see you here." Kieran Kerr, ever the tactful businessman, proactively shook Hector Donovan’s hand. "And you are... to the two Miss Donovans?"

"They’re my sisters."

"So you’re Master Donovan and Miss Donovan’s brother!" Kieran Kerr shook Hector’s hand with even greater enthusiasm. "This must be fate! As it happens, we’ve just launched several new products for our men’s line this season. I wonder if we might have the honor of asking Best Actor Donovan to film a promotional ad for us?"

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Kieran Kerr’s proposal was really a gesture meant for Arabella Donovan.

The corner of Hector Donovan’s mouth twitched. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Arabella ask from the side, "Hector, are you going to film a jewelry ad?"

"Uh..."

"That’s wonderful! I’ve always thought jewelry from the House of Aethel Jade looks so distinguished on you, Hector. They complement each other perfectly. It’s a gorgeous look. Can you send me the ad when it’s done so I can see it?"

Hector Donovan, who had been hesitant a moment before, couldn’t hold out against his sister’s sparkling eyes and promptly caved.

"Of course. I’d be delighted." ’The gods can be my witness,’ he thought, ’it’s not that I’m a pushover, it’s that riding on her coattails is just too sweet!’

Having successfully offered this olive branch, Kieran Kerr was also quite satisfied. "A pleasure doing business with you."

"A pleasure doing business with you."

Melanie Yates and the others could only watch, stunned, as Hector Donovan effortlessly scored a new ad deal thanks to a few words from Arabella, all without lifting a finger. It took them a moment to process what had just happened.

It wasn’t until Hector Donovan had personally driven Arabella and her sister away that Mrs. Sherwood sidled up to Ms. Kerr to ask what that was all about.

Ms. Kerr had already heard the rumors about Eloise Donovan and the Lynch Family inside. Knowing about Mrs. Sherwood’s close friendship with the late second Mrs. Lynch, she was more than happy to put in a good word for Arabella and her sister.

So she recounted everything in great detail: how she had run into Arabella and her sister at the mall in the company of one of Mrs. Lynch’s sisters; how Arabella had read her face and determined that Kieran was in trouble; and how she had given meticulous instructions that led to the rescue of Kieran, who had been far away in another country.

Mrs. Sherwood was utterly stunned. "That’s just too..."

Ms. Kerr let out a long sigh. "I didn’t believe it at first, either. But it concerned Kieran, so I couldn’t afford not to be cautious. Looking back, thank goodness I did trust her. If something had really happened to Kieran, I don’t think I could have gone on living."

"Mom!"

Ms. Kerr took her son’s outstretched hand and shook her head, saying nothing more.

"She’s telling the truth. Eloise Donovan’s sister really does have some incredible abilities."

Normally, it wouldn’t have been Melanie Yates’s place to interrupt a conversation between her elders. This was especially true since these two women were powerful figures; offending either of them, even accidentally, could bring trouble to her family.

But when she thought of her own brother, who was currently languishing at home, so bored he was doing nothing but binge-watching dramas and playing video games—basically growing mold—Melanie Yates felt obligated to speak up and vouch for Arabella Donovan.