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."