Free Web NovelChapter 53: Chapter 53: Don’t Believe Rumors, Don’t Spread Rumors
"What does their family’s drama have to do with me?" Arabella Donovan suddenly lost her appetite for the melon seeds in her hand.
Her friend rattled on, explaining the whole situation while cracking melon seeds.
"Remember when you were on set and read Young’s fortune from two characters? You predicted he’d get into a conflict with someone over money. Well, someone there recorded it. Right after Young’s scandal blew up, they posted the video online. It’s generating a lot of buzz."
Her friend took the juice Arabella Donovan offered, wetting her throat before continuing, "Even though the audio and visuals in the video were distorted, the person who leaked it specifically outed you as Best Actor Donovan’s little sister. So, everyone knows it’s you. Haven’t you noticed all the extra paparazzi-for-hire hanging around the studio lately?"
The smile on Arabella Donovan’s face stiffened, and her eyes widened in alarm. "They’re here to take pictures of me?"
"Most of them are. The rest are from the neighboring film set, coming over to see what all the fuss is about."
Arabella Donovan’s face soured. "I’m not a monkey in a zoo. Why is everyone coming to gawk at me?"
Her friend burst out laughing. After a moment, she leaned in and asked conspiratorially, "Can you really take on eighty burly men all by yourself?"
Arabella Donovan: "???"
"Wait, where on earth did that rumor come from?!!!"
Arabella Donovan soon found out how that rumor had started.
One day, driven by curiosity, she decided to investigate. Banking on the fact that the staff from the neighboring set and the paparazzi-for-hire didn’t know what she looked like, she slipped unnoticed into the massive crowd of onlookers.
And this is what she overheard:
"Are you here to get pictures of Best Actor Donovan’s sister?"
"What a coincidence. You’re here for her too?"
"Did you hear? An insider source revealed that Best Actor Donovan’s sister is incredible. She grew up in a Sacred Temple, so she’s a master of everything—fortune-telling, character analysis, feng shui, you name it. They say a lot of big shots in the industry have gone to her for readings. That Ken Young, the one who’s been all over the news, was one of them. Her predictions are scarily accurate."
"That’s ancient history. Let me tell you the latest scoop. According to a reliable source, Best Actor Donovan’s sister doesn’t just tell fortunes. She also trained in martial arts under an old master since she was a kid. Even though she looks petite, she can single-handedly take down several burly bodyguards. She’s a total badass."
Then, Arabella Donovan watched with her own eyes as this "latest news" was passed along through a few more people and transformed into...
"Did you hear? Best Actor Donovan’s sister is even more built than he is. She can take on all Eighteen Arhats by herself..."
"Did you hear? Best Actor Donovan’s sister is ripped. She can take on eighty muscle-bound hulks with one hand!"
"Did you hear? Best Actor Donovan’s sister is built like a brick house, with a waist as thick as a bucket. She can fly, tunnel through the earth, and do anything. All one hundred and eight heroes of Liangshan combined wouldn’t be a match for her."
"Did you hear? Best Actor Donovan’s sister..."
Arabella Donovan: "..."
’Enough! Who the hell is this "insider source"?! And for the love of God, stop believing and spreading rumors!!!’
Feeling deeply traumatized, Arabella Donovan decisively skipped work and went with Eloise Donovan to pick out outfits for the upcoming banquet.
As the two sisters walked arm-in-arm into a high-end boutique, they had no idea what had already been set in motion. The very night Eloise Donovan had called Zane Lynch, telling him that she and Arabella Donovan accepted his invitation to Mrs. Lynch’s private banquet, Zane had taken everything he’d discovered, avoided Cassandra Lynch, and knocked on his parents’ bedroom door.
Upon learning the truth, Mr. and Mrs. Lynch were shocked beyond belief. Mrs. Lynch, who had been very close with Eloise Donovan’s birth mother, broke down in tears.
She was furious at Cassandra Lynch’s cold-heartedness, but also filled with remorse for failing to protect her brother’s child, for letting his true flesh and blood live as a stranger for so long.
After her fit of weeping, Mrs. Lynch was desperate to meet this long-lost child. freёwebnoѵel.com
Zane Lynch was afraid his mother’s emotional state would frighten Eloise Donovan. He was even more worried that her extreme reaction would be noticed by Cassandra Lynch, which would give the whole game away.
He had to plead and swear that his uncle and aunt’s biological daughter had truly been living well all these years without any hardship. Only after promising they could all meet openly in just a few days did he manage to calm Mrs. Lynch down.
But from that night forward, Eloise Donovan had one more person keeping a close watch on her.
And so, the moment the two sisters stepped out of their hotel, Mrs. Lynch was already calling her own sister, who was also in on the secret, to orchestrate a "chance encounter."
"That’s the child... Yes, it must be. Look how much she resembles Rona." Mrs. Lynch’s eyes reddened as she spoke. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Mrs. Rhodes quickly comforted her. "There, there. The most important thing is that she’s safe and sound. You need to control yourself. You’re about to meet her, don’t frighten the girl."
"Right, right... I can’t scare her. I can’t scare the child..."
Realizing she would soon be meeting and speaking with Eloise Donovan, Mrs. Lynch took several deep breaths, struggling to suppress her overwhelming emotions.
This was Arabella Donovan’s first time attending this kind of event, and having no experience, her only job was to stand aside and watch as her older sister picked out clothes for her, embarking on a wild shopping spree.
This left her feeling rather bored, which was why she noticed the two women furtively trying to approach them long before Eloise Donovan did.
’Why are those two women over there staring at my sister? Could they be from the Lynch Family, or maybe someone who knew my sister’s mother?’
Eloise Donovan paused in her search through the clothes, finally noticing two women with somewhat similar features who had been following them.
One of them was clearly trying to restrain herself, but her excitement was still palpable whenever her gaze swept over Eloise.
Eloise Donovan pursed her lips, trying her best to act as if nothing was amiss. As she went to hang up a dress, she intentionally let her hand "slip."
"Oh, be careful!" As expected, the woman with the permed hair hurried forward, catching the slipping hanger just before the dress hit the floor.
And so, their first meeting took place in this slightly comical fashion.
"Thank you..." Eloise Donovan was the first to recover, reaching out to take the dress from Mrs. Lynch’s hand.
Mrs. Lynch seemed to snap out of a dream. "You’re welcome, you’re welcome."
But even as she said it, seeing Eloise Donovan this close was like seeing Rona Sullivan again, twenty years in the past.
Even though Mrs. Lynch kept telling herself not to lose her composure, she couldn’t help but feel dazed.
Eloise Donovan noticed her odd behavior and subconsciously touched her own face. "Is there something on my face?"
"No... nothing," Mrs. Lynch said, hastily averting her gaze. "My apologies, it’s just that you look so familiar. I feel as if I’ve seen you somewhere before."
Eloise Donovan froze for a second. Before she could process it, the thought she was about to have was already running through Arabella Donovan’s mind.
’Why does that line sound so familiar? Wait a minute, could this woman be Zane Lynch’s mother? Her excuse to start a conversation is exactly the same as her son’s!’
