novelxo Chapter 341-350
Chapter 341
“I’m telling you, in a few days, I’ll swing by your place too! You’re going to take me out to dinner, and I’ll eat even better than him. Then I’ll snap some photos to rub it in his face and show him that I’m living even better! Oh, by the way, the college entrance exam results are about to come out. I’ve got to say this now; you can’t consider other universities. Even if you want to check out other schools, you’ve got to remember me!”
Arabella, smiling, said, “Sure thing.”
Grandpa Beck rattled on for a bit more, then hung up the phone..
Serena; being helped into the room, placed a diamond bracelet into Martha’s hand and said, “I can’t wire money to Lily and Holly right now, and you can’t make it obvious. Find some people you trust and let them transfer some cash to Holly and Lily’s accounts.”
If it weren’t for their help today, her image would have been completely ruined!
“Remember, don’t leave any trace.”
“Rest assured, Miss.” Martha put away the bracelet, knowing that it was worth a hundred grand. She couldn’t help but ask, “So you mean, fifty grand each?” “Five grand is for you; the rest is split between them. You fell and hurt yourself while helping me today. If it weren’t for you speaking up for me and making up a boyfriend on the spot, my mom looked like she was going to eat me alive!”
The more Serena thought about it, the more pissed she was. “She promised to treat me like her own, but when there was a conflict of interest with her own daughter, she didn’t hesitate to back her own! In her eyes, I’m just an outsider!”
“Miss, the madam has already been very tolerant.”
“And my brother, he bought a gift for Arabella, but nothing for me!” Serena was livid. Nobody took her seriously. Why on earth did Arabella have to come back? Why did she have to come back and cause her trouble?
“Actually, Serena, the boyfriend I made up for you, you could consider continuing to play boy friend–girlfriend with Mr. Cooper. That way, your parents wouldn’t be suspicious! And our plan can proceed smoothly.”
That’s exactly what Serena was thinking. Although Martin wasn’t her ideal guy, even if he was a bit annoying, at least he could act as a shield. If anything comes up in the future, she could get him to do it!
After a while, Serena took out her phone and messaged him.
He immediately called back, excited, “Serena, have you finally accepted my pursuit? You’re willing to be my girlfriend? Fantastic!!”
“It’s just a trial, not officially dating.”
“Already giving me a chance–that’s enough to make me happy! Serena, can I come see you now? I have a lot to tell you!” Martin has liked her for six years, and he couldn’t wait to pamper her.
Seizing the opportunity, Serena hinted, “There’s a movie tonight; I heard it’s good.”
“What’s the name? I’ll fly back immediately to take you.”
Serena could hear him ordering plane tickets on the side; she couldn’t help but ask, “You’re abroad?”
“I accompanied my sister to Dawnstar for shopping and checked out our subsidiary here. Serena, do you like Dawnstar? When you’re free, I can show you the lavender fields here; they’re beautiful!”
“We’ll see.” Serena told him the movie name and hung up.
By dinner time, Edith and Martha had upstairs to call the two young ladies for dinner. They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with dissatisfaction and disgust, quickly looking away.
“Sir, Madam, and the five young masters have been with Serena for 18 years; this deep bond can’t be replaced by a bit of blood.”
As Martha went upstairs, her eyes fixed straight ahead and her tone arrogant.
Edith didn’t look at her; she looked ahead and coldly sneered, “Your injuries don’t hurt anymore? I thought this fall would knock some sense into you; I didn’t expect you to be even more stupid! If you can’t say something smart, shut up. Don’t show off your ‘intelligence‘ here.”
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“You!” Martha barked, a sneer on her face. “What did that girl give you to defend her like this?”
“In this house, as long as you’re a maid, you should address her as Ms. Bella! Do you think you have the right to refer to her as ‘that girl‘?”
Even if Arabella didn’t give her a penny, she’d still stand up for her. Not for anything else, just because she liked Arabella’s personality and the way she carried herself, unlike Serena, who was all pretense and just plain annoying.
“Serena used to treat you really well,” Martha reminded her while striding down the corridor, her gaze fixed ahead, a smile playing on her lips.
“And Ms. Bella has been really good to you too; how have you repaid her?”
Edith walked side by side with her down the corridor, then turned a corner to stand in front of Arabella’s room, whispering, “The master and madam made it clear.. Anyone who messes with Ms. Bella, anyone who has designs on Mr. McMillan, you know what the consequences will be.”
After saying that, she knocked on the door and respectfully announced, “Ms. Bella, it’s dinner time.”
“Heh, some people pick the wrong side, thinking they’re so clever!” Martha mocked before knocking on the door in a humble manner, “Serena, dinner’s ready.” Both doors opened at the same time.
Arabella stepped out just as Serena appeared.
Serena hesitated, reminded of the day’s unpleasantness, her resentment flaring up. “Disappointed, aren’t you?”
Arabella was about to walk past her when she heard this. She chuckled and said, “You really need to get out more. Haven’t you heard of this thing called Overwatch in Summerfield?”
“Overwatch?” Serena blinked. She had indeed heard of it. It wasn’t your average surveillance. It was minuscule, smaller than a grain of rice, but it could see every inch of Summerfield, down to each car’s plate number and every person’s movement.
It was said that it was only used by the highest level of government. Some said it was for improving the quality of life and safety in major cities; others said it was a trial run in Summerfield before it went nationwide to catch criminals:
Some even said that a certain part of Summerfield was where the top leaders‘ families lived, hence the need for such security. Because of its wide coverage, as long as someone wasn’t hidden inside a building, their every move on the street was visible! Arabella pulled out her phone and zoomed in on the surveillance feed. “So you were the one who opened the bottle caps?”
Serena and Martha looked at the screen to see Martha by the back of a truck, unscrewing two bottle caps, and then pretending to trip when she entered the house, They hadn’t expected such detailed surveillance to exist!
“Is this you?” Arabella smiled and said, “If your vision is poor and you can’t recognize yourself, I can take this downstairs for everyone to help confirm. Martha immediately fell to her knees in fear and said, “Ms. Bella, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have wronged you.
“What’s the point of admitting your mistake now? If this gets into the hands of the police, it’s intentional harm. If I had fallen because of it, you’d be looking at at least three years in prison, maybe more if the circumstances were serious. And the entire Collins family would hold you responsible!”
Martha trembled with fear. “Ms. Bella, what do you want me to do? As long as you don’t tell the madam, I’ll do anything!!
“That depends on my mood.” Arabella put her phone away and said, “If I catch you pulling any stunts behind my back or bullying Edith, I might just have to hand this over to the police, my parents, or maybe even post it online.”
Edith, who was standing at the side, straightened her back, and her gaze hardened at the mention of her name.
“Ms. Bella, I apologize for all the mistakes I’ve made in the past. I promise I won’t repeat them! Please delete that video.”
“Delete?” Arabella laughed coldly, saying, “I’ve already made a backup.
Martha’s fear intensified at the news.
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Arabella didn’t even bat an eye at Martha’s obvious shock. She waved her phone in the air and turned to Serena, saying, “You think you can get off scot–free if your minion tries to hurt me? You think our parents will believe you or me?”
Serena bit her lip, blown away that Arabella knew so much and even had surveillance footage. How did she pull that off?
“Edith, let’s bounce.”
Martha watched them leave, feeling like a deflated balloon
“Martha, are you okay?” Serena quickly reached out to steady her.
“There was no surveillance there, right? Could it be, like Arabella said, that she has some all–seeing tech? Is Overwatch that wicked and able to capture everything. so clearly?”
Martha felt screwed. She’d been careless, thinking there were no cameras there. She had no clue about something like Overwatch!
“We’ve got to get her to delete that video! We can’t let it go viral!” Serena feared she would be dragged into it.
“But Arabella isn’t exactly a pushover! She said she has a backup!”
Wasn’t she just using this to blackmail them? That’s so low!,
“Martha, you don’t know; that thing can’t capture what’s inside buildings. We could take action there.”
Martha didn’t expect Serena to suddenly become so cunning, even coming up with this plan. “Alright, as long as we can delete it, we can breathe easy.”
“Ms. Bella, you’re so freaking smart!” As Edith followed Arabella downstairs, she couldn’t help but ask, “If you have the evidence, why not confront Serena? She must be related to this!”
Martha must be acting on Serena’s orders!
“This evidence only proves Martha’s involvement. If she insists it was her idea and it has nothing to do with Serena, plus Serena’s good at playing the victim, maybe even cry a river in front of our parents.”
Then, at most, it would just be a servant getting fired!
There’s a good chance Serena wouldn’t be kicked out; at most, she’d get a slap on the wrist.
“With this thing in my hand, it’s like a leash. I can use it to warn them; if they’re feeling brave or restless, they’ll definitely try to pressure me to delete it.”
Then they’ll slip up, and she can catch Serena in a big mistake!
Only then can she convince their parents to give up on her for good.
“Ms. Bella, you’re so freaking smart!” Edith caught on and admired Arabella to the point of prostration: “You think things through so thoroughly.”
“Enough.” Arabella signaled for her to stop talking as they entered the dining room:
Edith quickly shut up.
During dinner, Serena didn’t dare look at Arabella, kept her head down, and almost spilled the soup a few times.
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Martha kept her head down, not daring to look at Arabella, silently tending to Serena.
“How are your grandparents holding up lately?” Hans asked after serving Arabella some food, shifting his focus to his parents.
He’s been either busy with the company or rushing home to keep his sister company. It’s been a week since he got back, but he hadn’t checked on his grandparents yet.
“Your Grandma woke up once on the day of the award ceremony but then fell into a coma again,” Louisa said with a heavy heart. “God knows when she’ll pull through.”
“What caused it?” Arabella asked coolly.
She heard their health wasn’t great, just like her other grandparents, who were getting on in years, but she never asked for specifics.
“Your grandparents both love to stay active. A month ago, they went mountain climbing. Grandma took a tumble, and Grandpa fell down a dozen steps trying to catch her. They both blacked out and were in a deep coma by the time they were rushed to the hospital.”
Louisa could still picture the scene as if it had just happened.
“The CT scan showed that Grandma had a fractured skull and brain bruise, along with multiple broken bones. Grandpa’s condition was even worse. He broke several bones while protecting her. Fluid accumulated in his feft chest cavity, and there was intracranial hemorrhage. Both their lives were at risk.”
Louisa still felt a chill, remembering, “Grandpa went into shock during the examination, and Grandma suffered acute respiratory failure. It scared the living daylights
out of us.”
They were both in critical condition with internal bleeding that couldn’t be operated on, so they were transferred to the ICU.
“They’ve been in the ICU until now. Grandma has woken up twice, but Greandpa hasn’t woken up at all.”
Louisa’s mood darkened as she spoke: “They have a whole host of complications. The doctors say the intracranial hemorrhage has caused extensive damage to their central nervous system. They both have trouble coughing and expectorating, so the doctors performed a tracheotomy to help them breathe.”
Their condition sounded dire–a step away from the grave.
Kenneth also spoke gravely: “The entire ICU team has been tackling all sorts of issues, from respiratory failure, shock, respiratory tract infection, anemia, and electrolyte imbalance. Each day brings a new set of challenges. We don’t know when they’ll recover, but we’re holding out hope.”
“Are they at Hope Hospital?” Arabella asked.
“No.”
Although Hope Hospital was the best public hospital in Summerfield, known especially for treating heart diseases, private hospitals provided more attentive care. “How are your other grandparents doing?” Hans asked solemnly.
“Their condition hasn’t improved either. Your uncle has contacted top experts abroad. They’ve already left the country for treatment.
Hearing that his other grandparents‘ condition wasn’t any better than his grandparents, Hans sank deeper into gloom.
“Let’s not talk about this during dinner.” Worried about the somber mood, Kenneth served Arabella a piece of pork loin. “Eat up, Bella. You’ve been back for almost a month, right?”
“Yes.” Arabella obediently took the food her father served her.
“Are your college entrance exam results out soon?“.
“We can check the day after tomorrow.”
“Great! Do you have any universities you want to apply to?” Kenneth asked with a smile, “Just so you know, I’ll support you no matter where you want to go! Of course, I won’t force you if you don’t want to go to college. Your happiness is what matters most.”
“Thanks, dad.”
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Serena on the side was green with envy!
Hans turned to the girl next to him, his voice gentle: “You nervous?”
Arabella: “What?”
It’s just college entrance exam results; what’s there to be nervous about?
If Hans knew what she was capable of, he wouldn’t have asked such a question.
But to keep him from worrying, she obediently answered, “I’m good.”
Hans didn’t see any nervousness or anxiety in her eyes. Was she confident in her results?
“I’m leaving for abroad in two days. After work tomorrow, I’ll take you to see Grandma and Grandpa, okay?”
This was the last deadline he could push! His work at Dawnstar was always pressing. Tomorrow was his last day with his sister, and thinking about it, he felt a bit reluctant.
Though Kenneth and Louisa also wished the elders could see their granddaughter, they have been in a coma, which was why they didn’t arrange for them to meet Arabella.
A cunning glint passed through Serena’s eyes. If Grandma and Grandpa didn’t wake up, then there was no point in Arabella going. Without their approval, she’d have made a wasted trip!
But if Grandma and Grandpa suddenly woke up and saw Arabella which caused them too much excitement, their bodies might not be able to handle it. If anything happened, then Arabella would be the scapegoat!
The Collins family would never accept someone who caused their grandparents‘ deaths!
She just couldn’t miss this drama!
So she gently said, “Dad, mom, brother, I also want to visit Grandma and Grandpa.”
“Should we all go together?” Kenneth thought. If the entire family went, perhaps the elders would suddenly wake up upon hearing their voices.
“Bella, I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon.” Hans lightly patted Arabella’s head. “Let’s eat first, or the food will get cold.”
“Okay.” Arabella thought, Someone’s about to get jealous again; she’s always being ignored these days.
Thankfully, they owned a hospital, so Grandma and Grandpa could receive proper treatment. If they were an average family, it would cost them two thousand dollars a day, and by the end of the month, they would be bankrupt.
Caden once said he had seen through human nature. He had witnessed countless life–and–death moments in the ER. Some family members wanted to pull the plug on their loved ones as soon as they were admitted to the ICU, giving up on treatment.
Some did it because they had no money, others because they were impatient.
In general, human nature was laid bare here, causing one to sigh.
“Bella, what are you thinking about?” Hans added another bowl of soup for her. He noticed she was calm earlier, but now she was deep in thought. Was she worrying about her college entrance exam results?
She was still a child, unable to completely hide her feelings.
Thinking of this, Hans gently said, “Don’t worry, whether it’s your college entrance exam results or anything else, I’m here for you.”
As for Summerfield University, who would dare refuse a member of the Collins family?
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Early the next morning, Hans saw Arabella finish breakfast and immediately approached her, saying, “Arabella, let me drop you off at work.”
“No need; Romeo will pick me up.”
That guy again?
Hans had barely spent any time at home; he hadn’t even had the chance to drop off his sister!
That guy was all over it, keen as mustard, always rushing to pick up and drop off his sister!
He heard that the pink diamond necklace Arabella had her heart set on was also snatched up by that guy, who gave it to Arabella first!
Their parents said that the guy was into Arabella; he was generous and considerate.
But to Hans, Arabella was still young, still in school; that bloke’s attention was a bit too much, too frequent; if he ever stepped out of line, he wouldn’t let him off the hook!
At that moment, Romeo was waiting outside the front door, tall and slim with handsome features. Seeing Hans and Arabella coming together, he stood up straight and walked towards them.
“Bro.”
Out of respect, Romeo also referred to Hans as ‘bro‘, just like Arabella.
But Hans’s gaze turned cold. “Arabella is my sister; it’s natural for her to call me bro. There’s no need for you to be polite, Mr. McMillan; just call me Mr. Collins.”
Romeo sensed hostility from Hans’s gaze; this hostility was clearly because he thought he had stolen his sister.
“You’re Bella’s brother, so naturally, you’re my brother.”
“You’re quite chummy, aren’t you?”
As their gazes clashed in the air, Arabella calmly said, “I’m going to be late; can we hurry up?”
“It seems your brother has something to say; you go wait in the car.”
Romeo opened the car door for Arabella, protecting her with his hand as she bent down to get in After she was seated, he leaned over to fasten her seatbelt. He seemed to have done this countless times. Hans didn’t expect their private interactions to be so intimate and natural; he suddenly clenched his fist.
He also wanted to drop off and pick up his sister like this, but he never had the chance!
“You guys have a good chat.” Before the car door closed, Arabella glanced at Romeo, then at Hans, as if reminding them.
Romeo whispered, “Don’t worry, if your brother is upset, I’m willing to let him punch me a couple of times.”
Hans: What???
What was Romeo saying?
Was he the type to resort to violence?
He was badmouthing him in front of his sister!
At this point, his fist clenched even tighter!
After Romeo closed the car door, he came over to Hans and said, “Please enlighten me, bro.”
Hearing Romeo still call him ‘bro‘ made him furious, but Hans noticed his sister’s gaze from inside the car. He held back his urge to punch him and patiently asked, “When did you and Arabella start dating?”
“I noticed her before she returned to the Collins family, but we started dating after she came back to the Collins family.”
“You guys knew each other before?”
“She saved my grandfather’s life at the hospital, and her medical skills were impressive; it left a deep impression on me.”
Hans had heard about this from his mom; his sister had saved Romeo’s grandfather twice, and Romeo’s grandfather was so fond of her that he even gave her the crown necklace that symbolized the status of granddaughter–in–law!
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“What do your folks think about us dating?” Hans asked, pretty chill about it.
“My parents are off globe–trotting, they haven’t come back yet.”
Ever since they handed the conglomerate over to Romeo, they were over the moon and scared that Romeo would back out. They hopped on a plane ASAP and went abroad Normally, they were the ones who contacted the McMillan family Even Phillip didn’t have a fixed way to contact them.
“My Grandma is still in a coma”
The only one left to make decisions in the McMillan family was Phillip.
“Don’t sweat it, Bella is a great girl, and I’ll cherish her for life. You don’t have to worry about me being a fickle fellow. I’m not going to change my heart in the future. If I ever do Bella wrong, I’m ready to pay with my life.”
Seeing that Romeo was a straight shooter, Hans didn’t push him further. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. If you treat Bella right, we, the Collins family, will do the same to you. But you dare to do Bella wrong, to be fickle, or to make her sad, it’s not just me; the whole Collins family will come after you!”
“Okay, you got my word” Romeo bumped fists with him.
Arabella watched this scene from afar inside the car. She knew this was a man–to–man promise. They must have reached an agreement, most probably concerning
her.
It wasn’t hard to guess what the agreement was about.
“My sister is still young and in school. You’ve got to treat her like a child. Don’t do anything that might scare her.” Hans was worried that Romeo would do something inappropriate.
But Romeo thought Hans probably didn’t know how wild his sister was. She was the boss of the Mafia Flame in the triangular zone, with mad skills in using guns. Her agility might even surprise Hans if he saw it.
“TII keep that in mind.”
“This afternoon I’m taking Bella to visit our grandparents. Shell ride with me! You don’t need to pick her up!”
Ever since he returned, Bella had only ridden in his car once, which was after the design contest.
Ever since then, Bella had been monopolized by Romeo. Today was finally his turn!
“Sure.”
It’s only natural for brother to be close to his sister.
Hans asked again, “What do you think of Serena?”
The one who used to be engaged to Romeo was Serena Collins. She was a pampered heiress, well–known in high society.
“I have no thoughts about her.” This was Romeo’s honest answer.
Hans thought so too. If there were any, Romeo would have shown his attentiveness toward Serena before Bella came back.
But Romeo and Serena didn’t see each other that often growing up. Everyone knew he was really into his work and didn’t care much about romance.
Bella seemed to be the first girl he openly admitted to liking, and the first one he would personally pick up and spend quality time with.
Hans knew well about his deep friendship with David Collins. He also knew that David was not one to be easily fooled. If he had bad character, David wouldn’t have maintained a long–standing friendship with him.
Thinking about this, Hans turned to look at Romeo and said seriously, “I hope I’m not misjudging you.”
“Rest assured, I won’t let you down.” Romeo replied.
As he saw Hans walking towards his car, Romeo respectfully said, “Take care.”
After Hans left, Romeo got into the car and gently stroked Arabella’s hair, saying, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“What did my brother say to you?” Arabella asked.
“Not much.” Romeo looked at her gently and said, “He asked me to treat you well.”
Arabella had guessed as much.
“He’s taking you to see your grandparents this afternoon?” Although Romeo couldn’t go, he still wanted to prepare a gift to express his feelings.
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“There is no need to be so formal.” Arabella hadn’t expected him to prepare gifts for Grandpa and Grandma. Come to think of it, since they met, she hadn’t given him a gift yet. It’s high time she thought about what to give him.
“I heard that the university entrance exam results are out tomorrow.” Romeo looked at her with concern. “Are you nervous?”
Arabella was confused. Why was his question the same as her brother’s?
“I’m fine.”
“Do you have a university preference?” Romeo asked gently. “Any university you like, you can get in.”
Arabella gave a faint smile. “Even if my scores aren’t good enough?”
“Among all universities, it’s all about whether you like them or not. Scores aren’t that important.”
Did he mean to pull some strings for her?
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.“/Arabella didn’t have a specific university in mind, but remembering what Grandpa Murphy said, she might choose where he was. Though the old man did love to nag.
A while later, Romeo dropped her off at the company door..
Just as Arabella entered the gate, Dean rushed over to report; “Ms. Bennett, your brother is here!”
“Brother?”
“There’s an emergency meeting in ten minutes. All deputy–level and above employees are to attend, including you.”
“Where is he now?”
“He’s already waiting in the conference room!”
Arabella handed the things in her hands to Dean to take to her office while she headed to the conference room. Many employees were ahead of her, rushing off, huddled in groups of three or five, discussing.
“I didn’t expect Mr. Collins to personally visit our company!”
“I just bumped into him downstairs. So handsome! His face is good–looking no matter how you look at it!”
“I wonder what kind of girl is worthy of him.”
“Mr. Collins has such a strong presence; I think only someone like Ms. Bennett can handle him, Ms. Bennett.”
They walked into the elevator, about to press the close door button, but found Arabella was about to step in. They quickly shut their mouths and greeted Arabella.
“It’s okay; carry on.” Arabella knew there’d be some gossip among the staff. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the.close door button.
Most of the staff held their breath due to her presence, too scared to speak.
“Why did you stop talking?” Arabella wanted to hear their chit–chat.
“Ms. Bennett.” One female employee gathered the courage to ask, “Do you think Mr. Collins is handsome?”
Asking if her brother was handsome?
Arabella answered without hesitation, “Not bad.”
“Is he your ideal type?” The female employee continued, “If Mr. Collins pursued you, would you accept him? Would you be with him?”
Arabella was shocked.
“No.”
How could she possibly be with her own brother?
“Huh? Why not?” The other employees were puzzled and asked, “There aren’t many young, handsome, and rich men like Mr. Collins in the world, right?”
“Yes, there are.” Arabella answered without hesitation.
“Huh? There are? Who?” Several employees didn’t know who she was talking about when she asked, “Ms. Bennett, do you have a boyfriend?”
“Ms. Bennett is still so young; what are you guys thinking?”
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“Absolutely right! Even if Ms. Bennett really has a boyfriend, he must be a top–notch guy!”
“Ms. Bennett, do you know why Mr. Collins suddenly came for a visit? Is there something important going on? He’s not planning to make cuts, is he?”
“Ah? No way, I’m scared stiff of layoffs.”
The elevator doors dinged open, and several employees hurriedly followed Arabella, asking anxiously, “Ms. Bennett, is Mr. Collins really going to make cuts? I heard he laid off thousands at the M Country branch last month!
“Oh my, I feel like I could be next.” One of the employees mustered up the courage to grab Arabella’s clothes, saying anxiously, “Ms. Bennett, if Mr. Collins fires me, you’ve got to have my back!”
“And mine too!”
“What if it’s me getting the chop?” Arabella teased them with a smirk.
“What?” The employees were all stunned. “If Mr. Collins dares to fire you, we’ll go on strike!”
Arabella was somewhat surprised and asked with a smirk, “Really?”
“Of course! Without you, the company cannot have this achievement, and so do us!”
“Ms. Bennett, if you get fired, wherever you go, we’ll follow!”
“I’m not joking or brown–nosing. We all see how capable you are. If Mr. Collins fires you, it just shows he’s blind!”
“The future of the company depends on you!”
“Yes, exactly!”
Arabella’s lips curled into a smile, not expecting to be held in such high esteem by these employees.
She knocked on the conference room door, and a familiar voice came from inside.
““Come in.”
Several employees followed Arabella in, and upon seeing Hans, they all greeted him, “Good morning, Mr. Collins!”
Arabella also followed with her greetings.
“Come sit by me.” Hans patted the seat next to him, looking warmly at Arabella.
Seeing this, everyone thought they were seeing things. Why was Mr. Collins being so friendly to Ms. Bennett? Surely he wouldn’t fire her, right?
Arabella sat beside Hans, who said, “I’m just here to check in. Everyone, relax!”
He cast his gaze over everyone, but it felt as if he was speaking directly to Arabella.
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there weren’t layoffs!
After a while, once everyone was present, Hans first asked about the company’s recent situation. Several managers mentioned Arabella.
“Mr. Collins, I don’t know if you’ve heard about the recent issues at the company. If it weren’t for Ms. Bennett, we would have been toast!”
“If it wasn’t for Ms. Bennett lowering herself to accompany me to the design competition, I wouldn’t have won the championship, and the company wouldn’t have gotten ahead. In essence, Ms. Bennett is our hero!”
The one speaking was Molly, who had recently been promoted to design department manager. She looked at Hans and said very seriously, “Since Mr. Collins is here, I request that headquarters reward Ms. Bennett!”
“Absolutely!”
“I agree! Ms. Bennett has done so much for the company; she deserves a reward.”
Hans scanned everyone in the room and asked, “If you all agree, then what should we reward her with?”
“I think what working people crave most are high pay and vacations! I heard Ms. Bennett has already raised our salaries; I hope she can get paid vacation too!”
“This is a good suggestion; we all agree!”
Everyone present expressed their approval.
Hans didn’t expect his sister to have such influence in the company. He softened his expression. “I heard her college entrance exam results will be released soon.”
“Ah? Ms. Bennett is really still in high school, huh?”
“Once the college entrance exam results come out, will Ms. Bennett choose to go to college and not come to the company anymore?”
“No way, Ms. Bennett, we can’t bear to lose you.”
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Everyone was giving off a vibe of reluctance. Everyone knew that this girl had become the heart of the company. No one dared imagine what would happen if she
left.
“If Ms. Bennett goes off to college, then I’m quitting my job. I’ll set up a little stall near Ms. Bennett’s school and make pancakes for her!”
“Well, I’ll sell coffee then. Girls her age probably love coffee, right?”
“And I’ll set up a delivery station, especially for sending Ms Bennett her packages. She must love online shopping, right?”
Julian, standing behind Hans, was almost stunned by their words.
Was Arabella’s status in the employees‘ hearts really that high? Even more popular than Mr. Collins.
“Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you guys, Arabella said softly.
“No matter whether I go to college or not, I will always lead this company.”
Hans was here today to say this: “When she goes to school, Dean will handle daily operations while major decisions will still be made remotely by Ms. Bennett.”
Julian promptly handed over a stack of documents.
Hans held them in his hand and said to everyone in the company, “These are blank documents signed by me. Any decisions made by Ms. Bennett in the future, I’ve already agreed to in advance.”
Everyone was stunned.
Did Mr. Collins really trust Ms. Bennett that much?
Although Ms. Bennett was very capable, no one had ever made Mr. Collins sign in advance, let alone sign so many.
Everyone understood the risks involved.
“Ms. Bennett is very outstanding; her salary will be further increased, and as for the concerns about leave, even if she goes to college, her salary will still be paid.”
Everyone cheered!
Mr. Collin’s was really too good to Ms. Bennett!
So good that everyone felt envious.
“The meeting is over.”
Arabella was thinking, was this special treatment really okay?
After the meeting, people started to chit–chat.
“Do you think Mr. Collins has a crush on Ms. Bennett? He seems to treat her very differently!”
“I have that feeling too. When Mr. Collins looks at Ms. Bennett, his eyes are filled with gentleness and indulgence. It’s not the look of a boss on an employee!”
“I noticed that too! Mr. Collins seems to soften only when he’s facing Ms. Bennett.
“Could Mr. Collins really like Ms. Bennett?,”
“I think they’re a good match!”
“Yeah, beauty and geek, they’re both attractive and capable!”
Hans followed Arabella into her office, and Dean quickly said, “Mr. Collins, Julian, please have a seat; I’ll make you some coffee!”
Hans looked around the environment and gently said to Arabella, “When you go to college, I’ll have this place redecorated. Julian, get in touch with the renovation company in advance, let them come and take measurements, and make a design.”
“Yes.” Julian immediately noted down this task on his tablet, marking it as a priority.
“There’s no need; I think the office environment is fine,” Arabella said.
However, Hans said, “How can my sister use items that others have used before? Do you have a favorite color?”
“Maybe black, white, or gray.”
“I thought you would choose lighter colors. Like light pink, light blue, mint green, and so on.”