Chapter 447: Not an Ally, but an Enemy

Chapter 447: Chapter 447: Not an Ally, but an Enemy

"A relative?" Hector Donovan turned to exchange a look with Arabella Donovan, his expression one of surprise.

If her unreliable, good-for-nothing father had shown up, he would have stated his identity outright instead of using such an ambiguous term.

’Just who is this relative...?’

"Okay, thank you. We’ll bring the child over right away."

When Arabella and Hector brought the little girl over, they were met by a handsome young man in his late twenties. He was well-dressed, but his hair was a mess and his face was haggard, giving him a travel-worn appearance.

"Zora! Zora, are you okay? Do you remember me? I’m... your uncle. I’m your uncle!"

The man reached out to take the child but stopped, worried he might frighten her after the terrible shock she’d just endured. His outstretched hand froze in mid-air before he slowly drew it back, trying to jog her memory first.

’Uncle? Wouldn’t that make him the late Mrs. Coleman’s brother?’

Hector turned to Arabella, a questioning look on his face. She simply nodded.

Hearing his voice, Chloe Coleman let go of Arabella’s neck and turned her head. Her eyes widened as she stared at the man with curiosity.

Seeing this, Arabella asked her softly, "Zora, take a good look. Is this man your uncle?"

Chloe stared at the man before her for a long moment. It seemed she had finally unearthed a memory from the sealed-off corners of her past, and her eyes instantly turned red.

"Uncle... It’s Uncle..."

As she spoke, she reached her arms out to him, and the man rushed to take her.

The moment he embraced her, the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and burst into tears. "Uncle, Zora missed you so much!"

Fat teardrops fell onto the collar of his expensive suit, scalding his skin and searing his heart.

"Uncle missed you too. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry I’m late, letting our Zora suffer so much. I failed you. I didn’t take good care of you and let those vicious scoundrels bully you! Don’t be afraid. I’m here now. From now on, no one can ever bully our Zora again."

Their reunion was certainly touching, but it was hardly the time for idle chatter.

Vaughn Kensington soon remembered Arabella and Hector’s presence. He hastily wiped the tears from his and the child’s faces before turning to formally introduce himself.

"Hello. I’m Zora’s uncle, Vaughn Kensington. I watched your show on my way here. Thank you for taking care of Zora for the past two days. If it weren’t for you both, Zora... she might have..."

Arabella barely heard anything he said after that. Her mind was just filled with one giant exclamation point after another.

’Vaughn Kensington? This man is Vaughn Kensington? The heir to Fenwick Industries, Guinevere Rhodes’s loyal sycophant? This man is Zora’s... biological uncle?!’

Hector was stunned. ’Guinevere Rhodes’s sycophant? Shit, this guy isn’t an ally—he’s the enemy!’

Realizing this, Hector immediately surged forward to stand protectively in front of his sister.

Both Arabella and Vaughn were startled. Vaughn was confused. ’The man’s attitude just now wasn’t particularly friendly, but there was no hostility either. Why has he suddenly become so defensive? Did we have some kind of run-in before this that I’m not aware of?’

Arabella, on the other hand, was simply baffled. ’What is my second brother doing? Why did he suddenly jump in front of me with such a grim look on his face? Does he have some problem with this Mr. Kensington?’

But despite her confusion, what Arabella cared about more right now was the connection between Vaughn Kensington and Guinevere Rhodes.

’In the original story, Guinevere Rhodes didn’t meet Vaughn Kensington until after the power struggle within the Rhodes Family officially kicked off. At the time, Guinevere and her brother had set their sights on a real estate investment firm under the family’s umbrella that had excellent prospects. They were vying with another powerful younger-generation family member for the right to inherit the company’s shares.

’To better select a suitable heir, Mr. Rhodes gave them a challenge: to secure the Alvane beltway development project, each relying on their own abilities.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Guinevere’s rival was already an expert in real estate. Having worked at the company for years, he had also accumulated a vast network of contacts in the field. This was a stark contrast to Guinevere and her brother, who typically only knew how to indulge in pleasure and whose supposed skills were all for show.

Logically, there was no way the two of them could ever hope to compare to him. But Guinevere was the female lead, wasn’t she? The protagonist’s plot armor, gifted by the author, allowed her to meet the key person who could turn the tables—the very same Mr. Vaughn Kensington standing before them.

’According to the plot, during a tea party with some high-society ladies, Guinevere happened to overhear a shocking scandal about a stepmother who had recently schemed to get rid of her stepdaughter. The victim of this scandal, the stepdaughter who was disposed of, just so happened to be the biological niece of the very business partner she was desperate to win over: Fenwick Industries heir, Vaughn Kensington. So, she told him what she knew and earned his support and goodwill.’

Once she had straightened out the timeline, the way Arabella looked at Vaughn and his niece changed completely.

’My poor little Zora... In the end, your death was just a tool for the female lead to get on your uncle’s good side, a stepping stone to bring them together and make him fall in love with her.’

This was followed by Vaughn Kensington acting like he was brain-dead. To help Guinevere secure her inheritance, he repeatedly used his company’s influence to build her up. In the end, he even fell for her empty promises, going so far as to embezzle a huge sum of company assets just to support her in tackling an impossible project.

As a result, the project was a disaster. His company’s financial chain snapped, and on top of bankruptcy, he was implicated in a series of crimes, including tax evasion.

’A golden boy, an heir meticulously groomed by his family and parents, was driven to jump from a rooftop, reduced to a messy pulp. He was sucked dry by the female lead, not even a complete corpse left behind. How could the word "tragic" even begin to cover it?’

Hearing this, Hector temporarily lowered his guard. His gaze toward Vaughn now held a trace of pity, the kind one reserves for a fool.

Vaughn Kensington was speechless. ’...What is happening? What’s wrong with this guy? A second ago he was glaring at me like I was his mortal enemy, and now he’s staring at me with this... cloyingly tender expression. Don’t tell me he has some kind of weird fetish!’

It was a good thing Hector couldn’t hear his thoughts, or he would have snatched the teacup from the table and smashed it over Vaughn’s head.

Neither of the two men in the standoff noticed Arabella. But when she saw the shift in Hector’s expression, a flicker of light crossed her eyes.

’What’s with Second Brother today? One moment he seems incredibly hostile toward this Mr. Kensington, and the next, his attitude completely changes. It’s not just that he’s visibly softened; he actually seems to pity him. It’s almost as if... he knows what’s going to happen to the man in the future. Don’t tell me... he can hear my thoughts?’