Chapter 278 A Threat
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Matthew gazed out the car window, his eyes slightly narrowed. He had just been distracted by thoughts of Arabella…
Forcing himself to focus, he picked up the file beside him, but his mind refused to settle.
Feeling oddly restless, he lowered the window, allowing the cool outside air to rush in. Only then did he feel a semblance of calm
return.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Arabella were headed in the opposite direction.
“After lunch, if you’re not busy, would you come with me to pick out a gift?” Ethan asked Arabella.
“Sure, I’m free this afternoon,” Arabella agreed.
“Thank goodness. I’d be completely lost without your help,” Ethan said with a light laugh.
Arabella raised an eyebrow. “How did you manage for Naomi’s birthdays before?”
“Oh, she usually just told me what she wanted,” he admitted, so he never had to guess.
“I see,” Arabella said, glancing at her watch. “Then I’ll call Alfred and see if he wants to join us.”
“Right, he did say he wanted your input too,” Ethan recalled.
As she spoke, Arabella was already dialing. “Alfred, Ethan and I are going shopping for a gift this afternoon. If you have time, you should come. If not, we can do it another day.”
“I’ll be there,” Alfred confirmed.
“Great. I’ll text you the location once we’re there. Just meet us when you’re done,” Arabella said.
“I’ll wrap things up and head over soon,” Alfred replied.
“No rush. Ethan and I are grabbing a bite first. Have you eaten? Want to join us?”
“Already ate. You two go ahead. See you in a bit.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Arabella said, “Let’s go eat. Alfred will meet us later.”
“Mm–hmm.”
Ethan drove them to the upscale Pearl Mall first.
“We’ll eat on the ground floor, then go shopping once Alfred arrives.”
“Sounds perfect.”
After parking, the two walked toward the restaurant entrance.
1/3
12:19 pm
Chapter 278 A Threat
At the mall’s grand main entrance, another couple happened to be walking out.
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“Babe, isn’t that Arabella with her deadbeat brother?” Harper tugged at Dylan’s arm, pointing toward Arabella and Ethan.
Dylan looked over, and seeing it was indeed Arabella, his eyes instantly darkened with rage.
“She still has the nerve to show her face around here?” Dylan growled through clenched teeth.
Harper clung to his arm, her voice dripping with contempt. “They’re so used to pretending to be high–class, they’ve started believing their own act. You have no idea–last time I saw her, she totally humiliated me…”
She launched into a heavily embellished version of their previous encounter, then pouted pitifully. “Babe, when you weren’t around, she made my life miserable.”
“Hmph, don’t worry. I’ll settle the score for you today,” Dylan said, a malicious edge to his tone.
Now that he’d run into her, he could get payback for his broken hand too.
“You’re the best, babe,” Harper cooed, tightening her grip on his arm and pressing closer.
Noticing Harper’s deliberately sweet and submissive act, Dylan’s gaze darkened further.
“Just wait. I’ll make sure you feel avenged,” Dylan said, pinching her cheek with a sly grin.
Harper nodded eagerly. “Yes, teach her a proper lesson!”
Dylan glanced toward Arabella again, but she and Ethan had already disappeared into the restaurant.
Hmph. Arabella, just you wait.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “Hello…”
Once seated at the restaurant, Arabella took a moment to look around.
The entire restaurant was decorated in a soft lavender palette, creating a light, ethereal atmosphere. The floral arrangements even featured delicate butterfly accents–it was beautifully whimsical.
“The vibe is so dreamy,” Arabella remarked.
“I had a feeling you’d like it,” Ethan said with an affectionate smile. He’d chosen this place precisely for that reason.
Arabella nodded in sincere appreciation. “It’s really lovely.”
Ethan handed her the menu. “Take a look. Order anything you want–it’s on me.”
Arabella scanned the menu and ordered a filet mignon and a garden salad. “That should do it.”
“That’s not enough. Are you trying to save me money?” Ethan said disapprovingly before adding a mushroom risotto, grilled asparagus, and a chocolate lava cake to the order.
“Ethan, that’s way too much. I won’t finish it all,” Arabella protested.
2/3
2:19 pm
Chapter 278 A Threat
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‘You need your energy. Shopping takes stamina,” Ethan insisted, then ordered a ribeye and fries for himself before telling the server. “That will be all for now.”
‘Of course, sir. Your meals will be out shortly,” the server replied before leaving.
Arabella sighed playfully. “Ethan, if I keep eating like this, I’ll end up gaining twenty pounds.”
‘Twenty pounds? You’re practically skin and bones. Mom worries constantly, saying you went through so much all those years. Now that you’re home, we’re making up for lost time,” Ethan argued, not believing for a second she was anywhere near >verweight.
‘But the scale doesn’t lie,” Arabella countered. Even if she wasn’t heavy now, this kind of eating would catch up to her.
‘Nonsense. My sister is perfect just as she is,” Ethan stated protectively. “And if anyone dares to say otherwise, they’ll have to answer to me.”
Arabella couldn’t help but laugh at his fervor. “Isn’t that just willful denial? Even if no one says it out loud, it doesn’t mean the calories aren’t real.”