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.

riveted to me. "You know, in the eyes of a businessman, there's no deal that can't be done. Only a price that's not ripe enough. With the

to admit this, I had to say that he had a

an agreement was reached, there was nothing to

smile and joked, "Well, Neal is just a kid, after all. Maybe

and his arms laid casually on his knee with the newspaper in hand. "I bet he'll let you

let him snoop around the house. Let's come up with a way to put it to the

no rush."

expression froze

Then, he casually tossed the paper onto the table before sitting up straight again and facing me more

indeed very ill."

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

this was much

than being in

face to face with patients' thin, bony bodies. Nonetheless, it was still a pitiful

there any hope at all?"