Free Web NovelChapter 69: Chapter 69: Were We That Close Before?
Seeing that Eloise Donovan’s expression had softened, Gregory Sherwood breathed a small sigh of relief and continued.
"Miss Donovan was right that day. We were the ones who requested the divination. Master Donovan was only telling us what she knew and didn’t deserve my groundless accusations. As for me, one shouldn’t speak without doing their own research. I shouldn’t have acted on emotion and jumped to conclusions, wrongfully accusing someone."
Eloise Donovan, however, just raised an eyebrow and challenged him, "So, what if your investigation had cleared Cassandra Lynch?"
Gregory Sherwood was surprisingly frank. "Then I would have brought the complete investigation file here for you both to review. Then I would have asked you both to apologize for your inappropriate comments that day and admit that you had fabricated slanderous rumors."
"But the truth you uncovered was the exact opposite."
"Exactly. Which is why I’m the one apologizing to you both."
Arabella Donovan was delighted. ’This guy is actually kind of interesting,’ she thought. ’He’s so stiff and formal, like one of those old-fashioned masters from a historical drama.’
’But it also proves he doesn’t just blindly defend his own. At his core, he sides with reason, not with personal ties.’
Eloise Donovan finally broke into a smile. "Seeing as you’re being so honest, I’ll forgive you. We can consider the matter closed. As for my sister, that’s up to her. I can’t, nor do I have the right to, forgive you on her behalf."
The moment Eloise Donovan finished speaking, Arabella Donovan immediately waved her hand. "You don’t have to apologize to me; I never took it to heart. My sister already got even for me that day, so let’s just call it settled. We’re square."
’Most importantly, Fourth Sister was right that day. Whether he believes it or not doesn’t matter; it’s not like *we’re* the ones being cheated on, so it’s no loss to us. Speaking of which, I was so focused on Cassandra Lynch before that I didn’t even notice the green light above this guy’s head has faded quite a bit.’
’It’s faded, but it’s still there.’
’I wonder if it will only disappear once Fourth Sister confirms her relationship with him and they switch their identities back, or if it will only vanish when he completely breaks off his engagement to Cassandra Lynch.’
Hearing her sister’s thought about the ’green light of cuckoldry’ again, Eloise Donovan couldn’t help but glance at his forehead.
Gregory Sherwood: "..." ’Why does my forehead suddenly feel... chilly?’
"Ahem. You both are very generous, but I can’t be so shameless as to pretend nothing happened. I was wondering if you two ladies would grant me the opportunity to treat you to a meal as a token of my apology."
Arabella Donovan’s brow furrowed in sudden recognition.
’This line sounds awfully familiar! Didn’t Mr. Rhodes say the same thing before?’
Hector Donovan, who had just changed out of a waiter’s uniform and rushed over: "..." ’This pig!!! Get the hell away from her!!!’
Caspian Rhodes, who had just escaped Zane Lynch’s pestering and was striding over: "..." ’Let’s not dredge up the past. Otherwise, your second brother is seriously going to want to murder me!’
"A dinner invitation won’t be necessary. The women in our family don’t casually go out to eat with people—especially not strange men!" Hector Donovan practically spat out the last three words, looking like he wanted to send all the pigs lusting after his family’s prized cabbages to the slaughterhouse.
Arabella Donovan was startled to see Hector Donovan. "Second Brother, what are you doing here?"
"Ahem... It was getting late and you two still weren’t back, so I got worried and came to pick you up myself."
"Oh~" Arabella Donovan blinked. "But, Second Brother, it looked like you just came out from inside the venue."
Hector Donovan froze for a second, but he recovered quickly. "I called you both several times but you didn’t answer, so I went inside to look for you."
"Is... that so?" Arabella Donovan instinctively glanced at Eloise Donovan.
Eloise Donovan caught Hector Donovan’s subtle cue, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "That’s right. Second Brother called me. I was busy a moment ago and couldn’t pick up."
Arabella Donovan nodded, not asking any more questions.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Sherwood—still surprised and gratified that her son had actually taken the initiative to ask Eloise Donovan out—looked at this person who had just barged in, her expression puzzled. "And you are?"
"This is my second brother, Hector Donovan."
"Ah, so he’s your brother."
Hector Donovan’s attitude toward Mrs. Sherwood, an elder, was polite enough, but his hostility toward Gregory Sherwood was palpable.
"Mr. Sherwood, you wish to invite my two sisters to dinner?"
"I was merely hoping to express my apologies."
"They’ve accepted your apology, so the dinner is unnecessary. After all, Mr. Sherwood, you are still an engaged man. I’d rather my sisters not get dragged into any unwarranted trouble over someone who isn’t worth their time."
The two men faced off, neither willing to back down. The tension was so thick, it felt like a fight could break out at any second.
Meanwhile, the two women at the center of it all were just standing aside, silently enjoying the show, when a slightly resentful voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
"Your second brother is the famous superstar Hector Donovan?!"
Arabella Donovan and Eloise Donovan jumped. They spun around to find Melanie Yates standing silently behind them.
"Where did you pop up from?"
"I just walked over. Where else would I pop up from?"
It turned out that right after talking to Arabella and Eloise, Melanie Yates had eagerly run off to pick a fight with Cassandra Lynch.
But how could a hot-headed girl like her be any match for a master manipulator like Cassandra Lynch, a true "green tea" with a blackened heart? freёweɓnovel.com
She was defeated within a few sentences. Cassandra Lynch had twisted the situation, accusing *her* of kicking someone while they were down. Melanie Yates had gotten so furious that she stormed out for some fresh air.
"If I’d stayed in there a second longer, I think I would’ve suffocated. Are all those men completely stupid? Cassandra Lynch just puts on her little act and fake-cries a couple of times, and they get all hyped up, ready to lay down their lives for her. It’s absolutely moronic!"
"Are you talking about yourself?" Arabella Donovan gave her an innocent look. "If I recall, weren’t you just like them not too long ago?"
Melanie Yates was speechless. After a moment, she shot Arabella Donovan a glare and changed the subject.
"Why didn’t you tell me your second brother was the superstar Hector Donovan?"
"Were we that close?"
Melanie Yates: "..." ’This conversation is going nowhere, isn’t it?’
Eloise Donovan had been coolly observing Arabella’s takedown. Just as Melanie Yates looked about ready to explode, she leisurely asked, "Are you that interested in my second brother?"
"It’s not that I’m *that* interested." Melanie Yates huffed, suddenly getting a little bashful. "I just... suddenly realized everyone in your family is ridiculously good-looking."
"Pfft..." Arabella Donovan shot her a teasing glance. "Your brother isn’t exactly hard on the eyes, you know."
"That’s different!" Melanie Yates used to think her own brother was handsome, but lately, it was like her rose-colored glasses had shattered. The more she looked at him, the more he resembled a goofy-looking husky, and she couldn’t recapture even a shred of the admiration she once felt.
"You’re so focused on my second brother... don’t tell me your affections have shifted?"
Arabella’s comment finally jogged Eloise’s memory. ’Right,’ she remembered, ’this girl has a crush on our third brother!’
"No way!" Melanie Yates pouted, muttering under her breath, "He’s handsome, sure, but he’s not my type."
"Oh, right. You like my third brother’s type."
"A! RA! BEL! LA!" With her secret crush exposed, Melanie Yates found it utterly impossible to continue the conversation.
Just as she was about to lunge over and throttle her, a familiar voice called out from a short distance away.
"Miss Donovan? Master Donovan?"
