The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella and Romeo) novel Chapter 1832

Down in the basement of Reflections Villa, Hans and Sean stood before a bank of monitors, their gazes fixed on the grace of their little sister as she wielded a scalpel with an expertise that belied her years. Once again, they marveled at her medical prowess and steely nerves.

Most girls would've been petrified at the sight of such a scene.

But there she was, calm and methodical, looking for all the world like a seasoned veteran who'd spent decades in an operating room.

The most surprising part? She was every bit as confident as she was beautiful, as intelligent as she was capable.

Their very own sister—such a girl was a real gem in the Collins family. It seemed the heavens had been overly generous to them.

They waited in silence at the monitors, not wanting to interrupt her dissection, only appearing once she had finished.

"Our own sister, a genuine prodigy. Is there anything you can't do?" Sean said, ruffling Arabella's hair affectionately as she emerged from the room. "You tired? I'll brew you some coffee."

"Well done," Hans said, surprised at how quickly she had completed the task. Her slight smile hinted at promising leads.

"Hans, Sean, let's discuss this upstairs," Arabella suggested, wary of prying ears.

She instructed two servants to stand guard outside the room where Erik’s body lay.

The servants were uneasy, not only because guarding a dead body wasn't exactly comforting, but also because they worried about the body decomposing.

"I've applied preservatives. There's no need to worry about decay for a week," Arabella assured them. "Don't let anyone in except for us."

"I won't save her," Arabella cut in, likely anticipating the reason for the call.

Martin's voice became more urgent,"Arabella, I know Serena has done unforgivable things, hurt you. I have no right to ask this of you, no right to even call you, but the doctors are helpless."

He choked up then.

"They say Serena's wound is badly infected; the bacteria have entered her bloodstream, causing sepsis. Her organs are failing. Can't you help? Please, save her. I'm begging you. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."

He'd give everything he owned—his savings, shares, resources—whatever it took, as long as he had it, he'd hand it over.

"What I want, I can get myself. Besides, with the support of my family and Romeo, there's nothing I can’t access in this world," replied Arabella, her tone dripping with conviction. "To me, you have no value. You've clearly asked the wrong person. I have no interest in helping you—Serena’s fate is irrelevant to me."