My Pretty Sweetheart (Arianna)

"Alone?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Yes." Evan nodded and continued, "They even purposefully avoided Miss Aurelia."

"I see..." The human heart couldn't stand up against speculation after all.

I'd spent the past few days rejoicing at the choice Neal had made at the Marshall family, yet it had all changed in less than three days. I supposed resisting temptation was still difficult for a child. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Perhaps Neal had always recalled the cruelty he had suffered at the hands of his foster parents and had found a way to take his revenge on them.

Hendrix played it cool. Dusting off his newspaper and dismissing Evan with a flourish, he answered, "We got it. You can go now."

As I watched Evan disappear in the doorway, I pursed my lips in thought for a moment and turned my head to Hendrix. "You don't seem surprised at all?"

"Should I have switched on the dramatics?" Hendrix's face still had that blank expression on it. It was evident that he was reading a dull financial newspaper. However, with a smile on the corner of his lips, one would've thought he was reading an entertainment magazine. "If I were him, I wouldn't pass up the chance to snoop either."

"But Neal already turned it down." I shrugged as I replied with uncertainty, just to see what Hendrix thought of the relationship between the two.

a businessman, there's no deal that can't be done. Only a price that's not ripe enough. With the right chips,

as I hated to admit this, I had to

right. As long as an agreement was reached,

kid, after all. Maybe it won't be as terrible as we thought now that

make a bet then." Hendrix shifted his posture. His legs folded and his arms laid casually on

do it then. We can't let him snoop around

no rush." Hendricks

expression froze for

to him. Then, he casually tossed the paper onto the table before sitting up straight again and facing me more formally. After regulating his composure, he said solemnly, "The results are in.

indeed very ill."

paused in silence for a moment and gave me a serious look. "My word stands. I'll

said this was

being in the hospital

need to come face to face with patients' thin, bony

hope at all?" I