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

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Force-fed a Mouthful of Dog Food

Arabella Donovan wasn’t in the group chat and looked at everyone in surprise. "Dad, Mom, did something happen?"

Mrs. Donovan chuckled dryly. "It’s from your fifth aunt. She said your second cousin’s wife stumbled upon something interesting when she was picking up her child today, so she recorded it and sent it over. Your aunt then forwarded it to me. I just watched it, and it’s quite amusing."

"What’s so amusing?" Arabella Donovan leaned over curiously, only to immediately spot Zane Lynch in the video. He had a black eye, was holding a bouquet of roses, and smiling goofily.

"Isn’t that... Fourth Sister’s cousin from the Lynch family?"

Mrs. Donovan feigned surprise. "It is him! I was just thinking how familiar he looked!"

’Wooohooo! So Lynch finally got a clue and decided to chase after his woman? Still, this flashy entrance and cringey method... you can tell he has zero dating experience. He must have just looked all this up online.’

’This might work if you were trying to woo some inexperienced young woman, but you’re trying to win back your ex-girlfriend—an ex who’s already had your child! Pulling all these flashy stunts just makes you look like a playboy with a long list of conquests, doesn’t it? He totally deserved getting hit.’

Everyone had a moment of realization. Now they understood why Zane Lynch had been beaten up.

’Still, given their past misunderstandings, getting hit isn’t a total loss for him. A smart person would be figuring out how to play the victim and make her feel sorry for him. But with his IQ, that thought probably won’t cross his mind anytime soon.’

Everyone: PFFT...

Could this be the legendary case of "the outsider sees the whole game"? This young lady was so sharp and articulate when it came to other people’s love lives, but when it was her own, she was frighteningly dense. In a way, they found that very reassuring.

Arabella Donovan was still sighing over how a man with such low EQ could have a wife, when her phone suddenly started ringing.

All eyes in the room immediately turned to her. Arabella pulled out her phone and was surprised to see the call was from Dennis Donovan.

"Grand-uncle, is something wrong? Why are you calling so late? Do you want me to go to Brynn for a while and keep Grandma Preston company?"

The ears of every Donovan in the room instantly perked up. Arabella glanced at her family, then said hesitantly into the phone, "I suppose I could, but if I go by myself, I won’t know my way around. I’d probably be a lot of trouble for you all."

The moment Arabella finished speaking, even without the phone on speaker, those sitting near her could faintly hear a hearty laugh from the other end of the line.

"Um, okay. I’ll talk it over with my parents and give you an answer later."

"That was your grand-uncle?"

Arabella had just hung up when Mrs. Donovan, who was sitting beside her, couldn’t resist asking.

"Yes. Grand-uncle said Grandma Preston is still not quite used to living in Brynn, and she doesn’t have any younger family members there to keep her from getting bored. He asked if I could go stay with them for a while, take her out and about, and then come back after the wedding."

Dennis Donovan had always been a whirlwind of a man—decisive and true to his word. When he said they were going to get their marriage license and have a wedding, he meant it. Whatever other couples had, he was determined that he and Guinevere would have too.

He had only been back for a few days, and almost everything was already taken care of. The only exception was the wedding. Considering the scale and the guest list, he had reluctantly scheduled it for a month away, and even that was considered an extremely tight timeline.

So, when Dennis Donovan asked Arabella to go keep Guinevere Preston company and return after the wedding, he was really asking her to stay in Brynn for a month.

Since this would be her first time traveling so far from home, not to mention for an extended stay, it was only right for Arabella to discuss it with her family elders first. That was why she hadn’t immediately agreed on the phone.

Mrs. Donovan was a little surprised to hear all this, but she respected her daughter’s wishes. "So what are you thinking? Do you want to go?"

"I don’t have much going on lately anyway. It would be a perfect chance to visit Brynn and experience the culture of the capital."

Mrs. Donovan wanted to remind her daughter that while Imperia was certainly a dazzling city, the more glamorous the place, the more trouble one could find.

But on second thought, with Dennis Donovan looking out for her, that wouldn’t be an issue. Besides...

"If you really want to go, you could stop by and see your eldest uncle. Your aunt was just telling me the other day how much she misses you. She wanted to invite you over to their house."

Arabella’s eyes lit up. "Yes, yes! I’ll get my older cousins to take me out to have some fun!"

"Wonderful, wonderful. I’ll call your aunt in a bit to let her know. But will you be lonely going by yourself? How about I have one of your brothers go with you?"

If it were Eloise Donovan, she wouldn’t worry. The two girls were the same age, but Eloise had been traveling all over the place with them since she was a child. Forget other provinces, she’d already been abroad several times.

Her own little one, on the other hand, had grown up on a mountain and had hardly ever left it, let alone traveled to another region. Mrs. Donovan truly wasn’t comfortable with her going so far away all by herself.

"That’s not necessary. My brothers all have their own things to do, and I’m an adult now, not a little kid. Besides, Grand-uncle already promised he’ll have someone pick me up from the airport and see me all the way. Nothing will go wrong. I can do it alone."

Seeing her determination, Mrs. Donovan didn’t argue the point any further.

After getting her parents’ blessing, Arabella quickly called Dennis Donovan back.

Dennis Donovan was overjoyed that she had agreed and immediately booked her a flight for the very next morning.

Arabella was up at the crack of dawn the next day. After breakfast, she pushed her suitcase to the airport, yawning. The moment she stepped out of the car, however, her suitcase was whisked away.

"Third Brother, what are you doing here?" Arabella looked up. The person grabbing her suitcase was none other than her third brother, the research fanatic.

"I’ve been working on a new project, and Brynn University invited me over for an academic exchange," he explained. "Mom mentioned you were also heading to Brynn, so she had me come along with you."

"What a coincidence."

"Just that much of a coincidence."

Arabella blinked, but ultimately decided not to question the truth of Aurora Donovan’s statement.

Although they had set out in the morning, the two cities were far apart and their journey involved a layover. By the time they arrived in Brynn, it was already afternoon.

Arabella woke up from a nap just as the plane was touching down.

She had expected Dennis Donovan to send someone to pick them up, but to her surprise, she spotted a familiar figure the moment she stepped out of the airport.

"Grand-uncle, why did you come in person?" Arabella studied Dennis Donovan. His face was flushed with color and he seemed to be in exceptionally high spirits. It was true what they said: happy occasions lift the spirit.

"Where’s Grandma? Didn’t she come with you?"

At the mention of his beloved, Dennis Donovan broke into a ridiculously sappy grin.

"She’s waiting for us at home. Her health isn’t fully back to normal yet, and it’s windy out at this hour, so I wouldn’t let her come out."

Arabella: "..." ’Great, I’m already third-wheeling.’

"Besides," he added, "there’s something I need your help with, and it wouldn’t have been convenient to bring her along."