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

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Got the ’Nice Guy’ Card

What?!

The entire Donovan family whipped their heads around to stare at the top of Grant’s head.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew, catching everyone off guard and exposing a certain someone’s huge, long-hidden secret.

A few tenacious strands of hair on his sparse scalp fluttered in the wind, revealing a small, perfectly bald spot in the center of his head. It was so shiny it could reflect light, gleaming under the sun like a lightbulb.

Perhaps sensing the shift in atmosphere, Grant subconsciously reached up to touch the top of his head. His hand met a familiar smoothness.

"..."

An awkward silence fell, chilling the air in the hospital.

Grant stood stunned for a long moment before snapping out of it. With a trembling hand, he forced a dry laugh. "Looks like today really isn’t a good day for this..."

"Actually, it wouldn’t be impossible for me to do a reading for you."

It took Grant a moment to process what Arabella Donovan had said. A look of delight washed over his face, and he completely forgot about his missing toupee. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

Arabella glanced again at the black smoke coalescing into dark clouds above his head, and at the faint purple light peeking through from behind them.

"What would you like to know?"

"Naturally, I want to know if the show I’m working on will finish filming smoothly, get released, and how it will be received."

Arabella choked, falling silent once more.

’Oh god, how am I supposed to tell him his show is about to be doomed because his male lead is on the verge of a major scandal!’

The Donovans: "Pfft..."

The strange silence made Grant’s heart pound with anxiety, but he clung to a sliver of hope. "Do I need to write a character or something?"

"No need." Arabella chose her words carefully, speaking in a profound tone. "The situation you’re asking about is a bit complicated, but you don’t have to be too nervous. I’ll give you an eight-character phrase."

"...Which eight characters?"

"Dark clouds gather overhead, yet auspicious energy rises from the east."

Everyone: "???"

It wasn’t just Grant; everyone present was completely baffled by the eight-character phrase.

Grant mulled it over for a long time but couldn’t figure out what this contradictory phrase meant. He had no choice but to ask Arabella for help again.

"...Master, could you be a little more specific?"

But Arabella didn’t say another word, only giving him a look that told him to figure it out for himself.

Grant: "..." ’Alright, fine. ’Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed,’ is that it? I get it, I get it!’

As the group was about to walk out of the hospital entrance, Arabella suddenly stopped. "Mom, Dad, Second Brother, you guys go on ahead with Grant. I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back."

Hector Donovan was a little worried. "Do you want me to go with you?" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"No, no, I saw the sign for the restroom when we were coming upstairs. It’s not far." Arabella said as she ran back inside, clearly in a hurry.

Seeing this, the others didn’t insist and decided to wait for her by the entrance.

Arabella found the restroom as quickly as she could, relieved herself, and was about to leave when she ran into a familiar face right outside the door.

"Mr. Rhodes?"

"Miss Donovan." Caspian Rhodes looked surprised to see Arabella. "What a coincidence. What are you doing here? Are you not feeling well?"

"No, no. A senior from my second brother’s film crew had an accident and was hospitalized. My brother and I came to visit him."

"I see."

"What about you, Mr. Rhodes? Are you sick?"

"Not at all. The hospital is a family asset... one of them."

Arabella hadn’t expected such an answer and paused for a second. "Doesn’t your family own an entertainment company?"

Caspian Rhodes knew from her question that she had misunderstood. He smiled. "That’s my cousin’s business. His family doesn’t own an entertainment company either. He’s just interested in the industry, so he used the money his family gave him to invest in and open one."

It took Arabella a few seconds to digest what Caspian had said before she nodded.

’I get it, I get it. Rich people love to invest. A crafty rabbit has three burrows—they have businesses everywhere.’

Caspian Rhodes: "..." ’That’s not how you use that idiom.’

Arabella looked at the man before her, suddenly recalling the speculation from Sheldon Webb and the others not long ago. "Mr. Rhodes, can I ask you a question?"

Caspian was a little surprised. He had only met Arabella a few times, and with her brother’s intentional interference, they could hardly be considered well-acquainted.

’Is this girl this unguarded with everyone?’

"Of course. I’m about the same age as your second brother. If you don’t mind, you can just call me Rhodes."

Arabella was unaware of Caspian’s inner thoughts. She didn’t call him "Rhodes" as he suggested, instead opting for a more appropriate form of address. "Mr. Rhodes, was it you who helped get Jacqueline Jennings arrested?"

Even though he was somewhat prepared, Caspian was still caught off guard by Arabella’s direct question. "Why do you ask?"

"Grant and the others were guessing."

"And what do you think?"

Arabella stared at Caspian for a good while, then pursed her lips. "I think it was you."

"Why?"

"A gut feeling." Arabella couldn’t explain it either. When Sheldon Webb and the others were discussing it before, she hadn’t thought much of it.

But now, standing in front of him, she suddenly had a very strong intuition telling her, yes, it was definitely him.

"So, was it?"

"It was."

"Why?" This time, it was Arabella’s turn to ask.

"Perhaps because I felt bad about it?"

"Felt bad about it?"

"If I hadn’t invited you to dinner that night, and then taken it upon myself to agree to Jacqueline Jennings sharing our table, you and your brother wouldn’t have gotten into a conflict with her, much less suffered this unwarranted disaster for offending her."

Arabella never imagined Caspian saw it that way. While he wasn’t technically wrong if you traced it all back, but still...

"That’s not your fault, Mr. Rhodes. She already had her sights on my brother. Even if we hadn’t gone to that restaurant that night, she would have found a way to go after him sooner or later. Besides, everyone agreed to her suggestion to share the table. You were just going along with us, Mr. Rhodes. How could any of the blame fall on you?"

Hearing the consolation in Arabella’s voice, Caspian smiled faintly. "That may be so, but if you dig into it, I still bear a share of the responsibility. After all, I was the one who forced her to apologize to you. If she truly wanted revenge for that day, she shouldn’t have left me out. In the end, she was just bullying the weak and fearing the strong, piling the resentment she felt for me onto the two of you. So, strictly speaking, I’m the one who got you involved."

"Thankfully, you’re both okay. Otherwise, I’m afraid I would have felt guilty for the rest of my life. It’s good enough that you don’t blame me. All I did was lend a hand to make sure a wicked person got what she deserved. It was the least I could do."

Listening to Caspian’s explanation, in which he took no credit, Arabella felt more and more certain that her judgment of him was correct.

’Mr. Rhodes really is a good person.’

Caspian Rhodes: "..." ’Uh-oh. I think I might have laid it on a bit thick and got myself friend-zoned.’