The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella)

Chapter 1464

"I'm heading out. Thanks for the kind hospitality tonight. It's chilly outside, you guys should head in."

"Ah, sure, sure."

They watched him leave before slowly heading back into the house.

An hour later.

After her bath, Arabella was catching up with Romeo on Whatwhen she was startled by a rapid knocking on her door.

"Miss. Collins, are you asleep? Mrs. Griffith needs you."

Opening the door, Arabella was met with a hushed voice, "She looks a bit under the weather, seems like it's got something to do

with the fright Serena had."

Serena??

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"What happened to her?"

"They say Serena cbolting out of the basement so scared she lost a shoe, pale as a ghost. | don't know the details, just bits

and pieces from the other staff."

Arabella knew the basement held sunsavory characters; surely one of the grisly sights down there had spooked Serena. She

followed the servant's lead to the study.

Inside the study.

Eunice sat with an austere expression, gazing down at the figure huddled in the corner.

Serena was curled up, shaking uncontrollably.

After closing the door, Arabella turned to Eunice, "Aunt Eunice, what happened?"

Eunice looked at Serena, her face etched with gravity and silence, before finally speaking, "The man's dead."

That was unexpected.

Two days ago, someone on the dark web had put a hefty bounty on her head.

Eunice had traced the IP address to its source, dragged the perpetrator to the basement, and gave him a beating within an inch of

his life.

At that time, the man refused to divulge who was behind it all until Arabella had offered him a deal: reveal the truth and she'd help

fake his death so he could start fresh under a new identity.

As he seemed to waver, Arabella gave him two days to think it over. But now, on the final day, he was dead.

"How did he die?" Arabella inquired, "When did it happen?"

"Half an hour ago, asphyxiation," Eunice explained, her gaze shifting back to Serena with a complex emotion, "Serena saw him

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last."

"It wasn't my fault. The staff toldhe wanted to see me. When | got there, he said | wasn't the one he wanted to see. But he said

he'd made up his mind, that he wouldn't spill the beans. Said it didn't matter who came, and that he'd rather end it himself than

suffer at our hands. Then, suddenly, he went silent. When | looked again, he wasn't moving. | didn't know what happened.”

Serena was beside herself with fear, speaking incoherently, "He was already so terrifying, covered in blood, and the basement was

so dark and dreadful."

She was clearly terrified!

Arabella saw her hugging her knees, sitting on the floor, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. She should be really aghast at it.

"What did the servant say?" Arabella asked Eunice.

"The servant said that guy wanted to see Miss. Collins, and she thought he wanted to see Serena, so she asked Serena over. She

wasn't there to see what happened next, just waiting outside. Not long after, she saw Serena running out of the basement. When |

checked, he was already dead."