Vinson immediately turned and ran toward Arielle. However, in the next second, he saw Arielle helping Henrick up from the ground. Henrick had not hit Arielle. Carter was lying to him. Damn it! Vinson spun around to glare at Carter. Holding back a grin, Carter stepped forward and asked, “Are you still in denial about your feelings for her?”
“It’s different,” Vinson replied. What he felt for Arielle was gratitude and admiration, not love between a man and a woman. Carter shrugged before falling silent. Vinson could lie to everyone, but he could not lie to himself. Love was something that would spill from an individual’s eyes even if they covered their mouth. He was waiting for the day when realization would strike Vinson hard.
Meanwhile, Arielle was helping Henrick up with effort as she said, “Dad, come up quickly. It’s bad to dwell in misery. We can rebuild the building if it’s gone, but you might not recover if you ruin your health.” Henrick grabbed Arielle’s wrist and questioned, “What’s going on? What happened? It was still fine when I left. How did it collapse?” A startled expression emerged on Arielle’s face, and she stammered, “I-I don’t know. Dad, I’m scared!” It was then he realized Arielle was just a young woman. There was no way she would know why there was an explosion in the building.
It was already a miracle that she survived. Right then, Henrick came back to his senses and sighed in relief, glad that Arielle was not dead. As long as Arielle was alive and capable of marrying into the Nightshire family, losing one building was nothing. Arielle was the best cash cow he could get. Instantly, Henrick’s expression softened, and he patted Arielle’s trembling shoulders as if he was a good father. “Everything’s fine now, Sannie. Don’t be scared. It’s all right about the tower, as long as you’re unhurt.” A mocking look flitted past Arielle’s eyes.
Right then, Cindy arrived. When she saw the Southall Group’s building reduced to shambles, she froze. This is my building—one of my assets! Why is it ruined? When Cindy turned toward Arielle, the fury in her eyes would have bored holes into Arielle if it could. At that very moment, all of her rationality fled her mind. She stormed toward Henrick and pulled him toward her. “Dear, have you not realized that Arielle is nothing but a jinx? Her return resulted in the collapse of the building. You have to get rid of her! Or maybe you should make her compensate the victims of this incident. I’m sure many have died in there. If everyone demands compensation, our family will go bankrupt!”
Henrick’s lips moved, but he said nothing as his heart ached. Hearing his silence, Cindy continued, “Dear, don’t you believe in God anymore? She must be a demon! Think about it. How many misfortunes have our family borne upon her return? We were doing so well before! Now, we’re on our way to become beggars.” Henrick was wavering in his determination. She’s right. Ever since Arielle came back, it has been chaotic in the family. Are Cindy’s words true? Is Arielle really a jinx? A cash cow that only brings misfortune isn’t someone good to keep around.
When Henrick returned his gaze to the collapsed building, his heart ached. How many have died in there, and how much would I have to spend to compensate them? Arielle has yet to bring in any money, but she’s already spending all of what I have. “Dear!” Cindy raised her volume. “She’s nothing but a useless bringer of misfortune. What’s there to hesitate after she brought down the entire building with her ill luck?”
