DreameNovelChapter 12 Arabella felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she realized she was being watched. The last thing she wanted was for people to find out she was associated with this broke, out-of-touch woman.
Luna, with her persistent grin, waved at Orion and Lysander. "Hey there, guys! Since you're Bella's brothers, that makes you like my sons too, right? We're all family here!" Orion and Lysander exchanged awkward glances at her words, their faces a picture of discomfort. Arabella quickly interjected, "Stop saying that! We have nothing to do with you! What do you really want?" Did this woman even realize the nonsense she was spewing? Luna, still smiling sheepishly, replied, "Well, Bella, it's just that your little brother is starting school, and we're a bit short on cash. Could you help out? Or maybe..." She glanced at the twins. "Your brothers adore you so much, they must like your little brother too, so maybe they could chip in too?" Lysander tried to hold back a retort. The nerve of this woman! Orion, not wanting to make a scene, said, "Bella, let's go. She's just trying to take advantage. Don't pay her any mind." Arabella nodded, ready to leave, but was stopped by Luna. "Bella, you can't just ignore your brother. He's your flesh and blood. Even if that witch Miranda won't help, you should!" As Luna uttered that derogatory term, Orion and Lysander's expressions darkened slightly.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtArabella shoved Luna aside and whispered fiercely, "I barely know you or your son! Stop bothering me! My parents already gave you money. Don't expect anything more from me!" With Luna pushed away, Arabella rushed to the car as if escaping a nightmare. Luna tried to follow, but the car sped off.
Inside the car, a heavy silence settled. Orion and Lysander were visibly upset.
Arabella, tears brimming, softly apologized, "Orion, Lysander, I'm sorry. I didn't know she'd show up here. To me, you're the only family I have." The brothers' expressions softened a bit.
Their anger wasn't just about the embarrassment Luna caused; it was also about her insulting Miranda.
No matter their feelings toward Miranda, she was still a Hawke, their own sister. Who was she cussing out her? They had blood ties after all.
"What does that have to do with you? You're lucky you didn't end up in a family like that. Having a mom like hers would be a nightmare, always mooching off you. It's like those horrible relatives you see on TV. Cutting ties was the best thing you could do," Lysander said, frowning.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmOrion ruffled Arabella's hair, comforting, "Exactly. She's got nothing going for her, no class or dignity. Miranda turned out to be a gold digger, but with a mother like that, it's no surprise. You reap what you sow." Arabella whispered, "Miranda's been through enough. What the Hawke family owns was supposed to be hers. Lysander replied coldly, "It was never hers. It's yours, and no one can take it away." Arabella nodded, feigning innocence while a smug smile played at her lips when they weren't looking. "Miranda," she thought to herself, "you country bumpkin, what do you have to compete with me?" But Arabella was oblivious to the subtle discomfort brewing in her brothers' hearts due to Luna's talk of blood ties and a "real" brother. Though it wasn't enough to sway their sibling bond.
At Zephra Hospital, a nurse sighed, "She's got a heartbeat, but she's still in a persistent vegetative state. The chances of her waking up are slim. Her parents have been advised to prepare for the worst."
The girl lying in the hospital bed was Cathy, the one Arabella had pushed down the stairse the incident that led to Miranda taking the fall for two years. To keep things quiet, the Hawke family had compensated Cathy's family heavily.
"Where are her parents?" Miranda asked.
"They were around often at first but now only visit occasionally," the nurse replied before leaving. Miranda approached Cathy's bedside, gently touching her forehead and tracing down to her chin and chest. Modern medicine couldn't bring her back, but Miranda believed she could, though it would require seffort
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