The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Chapter 129

Arabella sat rigidly beneath the stage, completely at a loss as to how things had spiraled so disastrously out of control. It seemed that every time she made a move against Vivienne, things took a turn for the worst.

Elijah had suddenly been branded as a kidnapper and a fraud.

And she, as his apprentice… What would become of her?

She watched the angry crowd, trembling in fear of being swept away in their rage.

She tried to stay unnoticed, hoping to slip away in the chaos, but was confronted by a group of high school girls.

They hurled insults at her with scathing words.

“Arabella! Where do you think you’re going?! No wonder Elijah chose you as his apprentice; you’re both nothing more than scum!”

“Yeah, pretending to be all high and mighty because you’re Elijah’s apprentice, ordering us around like we’re your servants. You’re useless!”

In the blink of an eye, punches and kicks began to rain down on her. Once a brawl started, it was hard to stop it, especially when the crowd felt justified in their anger.

Each punch and kick was seen as a righteous act.

The mob’s fury was eventually subdued by the arrival of the police, who took Elijah away on charges of kidnapping and illegal confinement.

Once the chaos in the auditorium had subsided, the sound of soft sobbing could be heard from a corner.

Arabella’s long hair had been hacked off haphazardly, and her school uniform was torn to shreds, revealing her undergarments. Bruises covered her from head to toe, and her face was so swollen that it was hard to recognize her once beautiful features.

But no one paid her any attention or offered her any assistance. Once Elijah’s crimes were exposed, everyone remembered her past deeds.

She had claimed that Beatrice favored her because Vivienne lacked talent, which led to Vivienne’s jealousy and Percival’s

that

Vivienne lacked talent?

the renowned

more money with a single perfume

she need to be jealous or seek

had been

the apprenticeship, she and

who constantly tried to tamish her sister’s

doing this to me?! What

was willing to come to her aid, Arabella angrily got to her feet, accusing everyone. ‘It was all Elijah’s doing! I’ve only

one paid any attention to her, their faces were indifferent, lacking even

cold treatment, she fled

she stood, everything was clean and orderly; even the bottles. and jars on her perfume table were still neatly arranged; not a single one

news, she hadn’t said a word. She just watched coldly as Elijah was beaten into a pulp by the angry

truth, she could have used her

hadn’t fully figured out Elijah’s background yet and didn’t want to expose her own strength so quickly. Also, she

started investigating the potion issue, neglecting the siblings,

all the perfumes that Elijah had launched on the market

siblings’

crowd still in the auditorium.

everyone

to her perfume table

to her, especially the perfume enthusiasts, who were thrilled to witness

sitting in the jury

stunned when the chaos ensued. They hadn’t expected a simple perfume competition

had just

Chapter 129

Riley, which made them feel sick

he have the audacity to accept

their attention was entirely focused on the new perfume that Vivienne had just