Chapter 439: The Abacus Beads Popped in My Face

Chapter 439: Chapter 439: The Abacus Beads Popped in My Face

Arabella Donovan knew that in matters like this, an outsider’s words were useless. Only by investigating, seeing, and experiencing it for herself—by truly waking up—could she save herself.

So she simply sighed. "I’ve told you everything I know. You’ll have to determine what’s real for yourself. All I can do is advise you that seeing isn’t always believing, and what you hear isn’t always the truth. Only you can know if your life is good or bad, because you’re the one living it. No matter how rosy a picture others paint, they can’t live your life for you. It’s never wrong to think twice before you act. Besides, you’re not on your own anymore."

Faye Collins felt as if she’d been jolted awake. That’s right, she wasn’t alone anymore. She had a daughter. Even if not for herself, she had to pull herself together for her daughter’s sake.

Arabella Donovan had just finished speaking about Faye Collins’s situation when Milton Lambert, who had stepped aside to make a call, returned with his phone.

He had barely sat down before he poured himself a glass of mineral water. He then stood up and addressed Arabella Donovan, "Miss Donovan, I’m truly grateful for the help you’ve given my family today. Our circumstances here are limited, so please allow me to toast you with water instead of wine. In the future, if you ever need anything, my entire family will do everything in our power to repay you. No questions asked."

Milton Lambert grandly drank the water after he finished speaking, causing an uproar among the others.

Serena Taylor and Faye Collins had both just received readings from Arabella Donovan. Faye, in particular, was holding off on making a final judgment about her supposed blind date. As Arabella had said, some things you had to experience for yourself; anyone else’s words were just empty noise.

So, she was particularly interested in the outcome of Milton Lambert’s call. Even knowing it was a bit impolite to ask so abruptly, she ventured, "Lambert, you just... called your wife and parents?"

Fortunately, Milton Lambert had no intention of hiding anything. "My dad’s had a bit of a cold lately. The old man’s stubborn and hates hospitals, so he just took some over-the-counter cold medicine we keep at home. He wouldn’t even let my mom tell me about it. My wife and I have a plan. She’s going to take him for a check-up at the hospital tomorrow and let me know how it goes."

Milton Lambert had originally planned to book a flight home immediately. Even though it was just a minor cold, his father was getting on in years. If it dragged on, it could lead to complications. Even if they weren’t life-threatening, the old man would still have to suffer a great deal.

But at the critical moment, his father himself got on the phone and told him to stay put and finish his work before coming home.

He also told Milton to get on good terms with the Donovan family’s Miss Donovan, and to cozy up to her. It would be even better if he could persuade her to part with a treasured item or two to protect his granddaughter and ensure she grew up safe and sound.

Milton Lambert was speechless. ’...Dad, I can hear the clicking of your abacus from thousands of miles away! Your scheming is practically smacking me in the face!’

’And aren’t you exposing yourself? You talk a big game about your unfilial son, acting like we’re mortal enemies, but in private, you’ve been secretly keeping tabs on me. You’re not just following the shows I write, you’re even watching the reality show I’m on!’

At this thought, Milton Lambert couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from turning up in a grin that threatened to split his face.

Seeing his reaction, Faye Collins understood everything. What Arabella Donovan had said was all true. In that case, her blind date... was he really...?

A bone-chilling cold shot up Faye Collins’s spine. It wasn’t just because the man she was being pressured to accept was a two-faced predator in gentleman’s clothing. It was also because a sudden question popped into her head: ’Does my relative know about this? Do... do my parents know?’

In contrast to Faye Collins’s dawning horror, Serena Taylor breathed a huge sigh of relief. Thankfully, her family didn’t have so much drama. They were all healthy, and her only trouble was a career slump, which now had a clear path forward.

In that moment, her gratitude for Arabella Donovan deepened.

Of the four regular cast members on the show, three had now had their fortunes told by Arabella Donovan. The only one left, Dylan Dawson, was starting to look like the odd one out.

The powerful Mr. Dawson, who had been busy trying to curry favor with his son by putting food on his plate only to be rejected and shunted aside like a wronged little bride, looked up and met everyone’s curious gazes.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

"Mr. Dawson, would you like to have Arabella read your fortune as well?"

The speaker was Milton Lambert. He’d heard rumors about the Dawson family’s affairs and was, aside from Hector Donovan, the most curious person there.

Dylan Dawson instinctively waved his hand in refusal. "No, no, that’s not necessary. I don’t have anything that needs to be read."

Hearing this, Arabella Donovan shot him a meaningful glance.

’Are you sure about that? Of all the guests here, your family’s problems are the most explosive and the most serious. You really don’t want a friendly tip from me? It could at least clear up the misunderstanding between you and your son. Otherwise, when some outsider tears your family apart and brings disaster upon your children, you’ll be crying your eyes out.’

"Really?" Hector Donovan’s eyes flashed. He’d been waiting all night for this. How could he possibly let such a perfect opportunity slip away?

"Mr. Dawson, I see your relationship with your son seems a bit... Are you sure you don’t want to... give it a try?"

It had to be said: his son was truly the Achilles’ heel of this doting, overbearing CEO.

Dylan Dawson, who had been so firm in his belief that he didn’t need a reading, instantly began to waver. He finally turned to ask for his son’s opinion. "Leo, do you think Daddy needs a reading?"

The young master, Tristan Dawson, decisively rolled his eyes at him, clearly wanting nothing to do with him.

Dylan Dawson’s expression instantly crumpled into a pouty, dejected look. But when he stood up again to face Arabella Donovan, he had already reverted to his usual dapper, elite persona.

"Fine. I’ll give you a chance to do a reading for me. If you can actually change my son’s opinion of me, I’ll give you ten million. No, twenty million!"

Dylan Dawson’s words sent the set into an uproar. After all, that was twenty million, not two thousand.

The director, watching from behind the monitors, was so envious his eyes could have bled. ’That’s twenty million! Twenty million! If only he’d give that to me,’ he thought. ’I wouldn’t have to worry about the rest of the filming budget at all.’

At that moment, Arabella Donovan, the object of everyone’s envy, rubbed her forehead with a headache. She delivered a mercilessly sharp critique: "You really are a fool with too much money."

’No wonder people can trick you so easily with just a few words. You lose your family, your son, your money, and even your life.’

Hector Donovan couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. ’Damn.’ He’d known the guy’s future was probably a bit miserable, but this... wasn’t this a little too tragic?

The buzz in the room over the twenty million was so loud that Dylan Dawson couldn’t quite hear what Arabella Donovan had said. He asked uncertainly, "What was that? You think twenty million is too little? The price is negotiable. As long as you can help, you can name your price. But if you dare try to swindle me..."

As Dylan Dawson spoke, a terrifying, cold light flashed in his eyes, enough to make anyone flinch.

Tristan Dawson, sitting beside him, shot him a look of disgust. He silently picked up his stool and scooted it a little farther away, creating more distance between them as if he were afraid of being associated with him.

The domineering aura Dylan Dawson had just managed to build up instantly deflated. He pleaded obsequiously, "Leo, don’t sit so far from Daddy. Come a little closer, please? Just a little closer?"

The rest of the cast: "..."