Chapter 90: Chapter 90: A Gathering of New and Old Loves
"The Palace of Children? So this has something to do with my daughter?" Liam Lowe was the first to realize something was wrong, his expression changing slightly.
Lucy Ingram froze as well, her eyes widening in disbelief. "It’s about Joyce? What’s wrong with Joyce? Is she...?"
"Miss Ingram, please don’t worry just yet. I just saw something a little unsettling on Mr. Lowe’s face. Your daughter is perfectly fine for now."
But being fine for now didn’t mean she would stay that way.
Lucy Ingram understood Arabella Donovan’s unspoken meaning, and her expression didn’t improve much.
"Serena, be honest with me. What’s wrong with Joyce?"
Arabella Donovan met Lucy Ingram’s anxious, terrified gaze, her own expression turning serious. "Mr. Lowe’s Palace of Children is a bit dim, but it’s not very obvious overall. This means your daughter might indeed be facing a small problem. Right now, it isn’t too serious, and there’s still a chance to remedy it. It’s just..."
"Just what?" This sudden turn made the couple even more nervous.
"It’s just that I’ve never met your daughter in person. Judging solely from both of your faces, I can only see that your child is facing a trial. If it’s not handled properly, I’m afraid it could affect her destiny. I can’t see any more details than that."
Hearing that it would affect her destiny, the couple grew even more anxious.
"I’ll call Joyce right now and have her come over."
"But shouldn’t she be in class right now?"
"How could class be more important than this? Have her ask for leave."
Lucy Ingram’s attitude was unyielding, forcing Liam Lowe to relent. ’When our daughter gets a call telling her to skip class and rush to the hospital for a fortune-telling,’ he thought, ’isn’t she going to think we’ve completely lost our minds?’
Arabella Donovan was also stunned by their swift and decisive actions. Seeing Liam Lowe already pulling out his phone to make the call, she quickly stopped him.
"It doesn’t have to be that complicated. Do you have a photo of her from the last couple of days? The more recent, the better. And one without makeup."
Hearing that a photo would suffice, Lucy Ingram immediately pulled out her phone and found a picture of her and her daughter from their shopping trip the day before.
In the photo, Lucy Ingram wore light makeup, while Joyce Lowe wore none. The mother and daughter looked so alike they could have been sisters, like two blossoms on the same stem.
It was just that Joyce Lowe was younger. Compared to Lucy Ingram’s bright and poised beauty, she had more of a shy and reserved air.
Arabella Donovan stared at Joyce Lowe’s photo for a long while, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "From the photo, Miss Lowe has delicate features. Like Mr. Lowe, she has a widow’s peak, which means she is very attractive to the opposite sex and has strong romantic luck."
At this, Lucy Ingram was immediately reminded of her husband’s almost supernatural romantic luck. Even after more than ten years of marriage, an endless stream of shameless women still threw themselves at him. It was an absolute nuisance.
Liam Lowe saw his wife’s expression and knew exactly what she was thinking, and he silently protested his innocence.
’I’ve all but tattooed the four words "Married, Do Not Disturb" on my forehead! I only dare to hire male assistants. Who knows where all these women keep popping up from?’
Arabella Donovan, unaware that her casual remark had nearly sparked another family war, lowered her head and continued her analysis. "People with good romantic luck are naturally more eye-catching, but this isn’t entirely a good thing, especially since Miss Lowe also has a small, faint mole on the bridge of her nose."
"Is there any significance to that mole?"
"From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, this spot on the bridge of the nose can indicate issues with one’s ’heart fire’ and digestive system. And a mole here often signifies a rocky love life, a turbulent marriage, and a tendency to... encounter scumbags."
Arabella Donovan paused deliberately here, continuing only after she saw the couple’s expressions change. "Miss Lowe has a mole on the bridge of her nose, and dark circles under her eyes are faintly spreading to the base of her nose, near the mole. This is an omen. It suggests that someone has already targeted her, is plotting in the shadows, and secretly approaching her."
"And once Miss Lowe comes into contact with this person and gets into a romantic entanglement, those dark circles could completely take over the bridge of her nose, enveloping the mole. At that point, I’m afraid it will be harmful to Miss Lowe’s health."
Arabella Donovan had intended to describe Caleb Croft as a harmful suitor deliberately approaching Joyce Lowe, but she unintentionally hit the mark, causing Lucy Ingram and her husband to immediately think of Shannon Zeller from five years ago.
The same deliberate approach, the same emotional turmoil, the same harm to one’s health...
The thought that her only daughter might follow in Shannon Zeller’s footsteps—tricked in body and heart by some scumbag from god-knows-where, and even lose her life—made Lucy Ingram’s scalp tingle, pushing her to the brink of an explosion.
Liam Lowe’s face was also dark. He had been at the scene back when Shannon Zeller died, taking her unborn child with her. The shock had hit him much harder than it had Lucy Ingram.
The thought that someone might be treating his daughter the same way Shannon Zeller had been treated made it difficult for Liam Lowe to suppress the violent anger in his heart. He wished he could storm the school right now, drag out that gutter rat, tie him up personally, and throw him into the moat to feed the fish!
"We’ll get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Thank you so much for today. Once we have this sorted out, we’ll bring Joyce to thank you in person."
Arabella Donovan knew the couple’s minds were already with their daughter, so she didn’t say anything more.
"Miss Ingram, you’re treating me like a stranger. You and my aunt are as close as sisters, and Miss Lowe is very good friends with my two younger siblings. We’re all one family; we don’t need to stand on ceremony. Even a stranger would give a word of warning in a situation like this, let alone people we know so well."
"You’re right, you’re right. We’re family. We won’t forget this." Lucy Ingram took a deep breath, then turned to Lillian Donovan. "You rest up here at the hospital. I’ll come see you again in a couple of days."
"Go on, go on. I have plenty of people looking after me here; you don’t need to worry about me. What’s happening with Joyce and Liam is more important. You two hurry along."
’Of course, it’d be even better if they came back after they’re done to chat and fill me in on the progress.’
Lucy Ingram, unaware of Lillian Donovan’s inner thoughts, said a quick goodbye to everyone and hastily pulled Liam Lowe away.
Liam Lowe had wanted to ask Caspian Rhodes if he wanted to leave with them, but the other man clearly looked like he was planning to stay a while longer. After a moment’s thought, he swallowed his words, simply giving him a brief nod before following his wife out.
No sooner had Liam Lowe and his wife left than Julian Croft arrived after getting off work.
When he came in, the atmosphere in the room was a bit strange. Julian Croft hadn’t come alone. Following behind him was a plainly dressed, average-looking middle-aged woman.
"Lillian, Mom and Dad heard you fainted and were hospitalized, so they had my older sister make you some chicken soup to help you recover. Are you hungry? Would you like some to tide you over?"
Lillian Donovan almost lost her composure and told the adulterous pair to get the hell out.
Arabella Donovan, who had been silently trying to fade into the background, couldn’t help but sigh internally.
’What is this, some kind of epic love-triangle showdown? The old love and the new flame all in one room? How am I supposed to subtly remind my aunt to "cherish life, stay away from scumbags"?’
Lillian Donovan: ’...’ ’Thanks, I’m already well aware.’
