Return of the Crowned Heiress novel Chapter 244

Was Felicia trying to seduce Mr. Russell?

The thought struck Arnold like a lightning bolt, and his expression immediately darkened as a storm of emotions flashed past—anger, disbelief, and frustration. By the end of it, his teeth were clenched, and his hands were balled into fists at his sides.

"Damn it!" he hissed under his breath.

Mike watched Arnold's increasingly erratic demeanor with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "One more thing," Mike added, his tone dropping to a serious warning. "Stay away from Felicia. Don't cause any trouble for her."

"Why?" Stephan shot back. "She's my fiancée."

He emphasized the word "fiancée" with a deliberate force, his jaw tightening as he spoke.

Mike nearly laughed out loud, a derisive snort escaping before he could stop it. "Oh, she's your fiancée now? Funny how that works. Back when your grandfather broke his back arranging your engagement, you were nowhere to be found. You skipped the ceremony entirely, didn't you?

"You've got no claim on her. Stop dragging her name through the mud. She's not your fiancée anymore—she's got nothing to do with you."

Arnold didn't argue or lose his temper this time. Instead, he stood unnervingly still, his voice calm but laced with determination. "She will be."

Mike blinked, stunned by the confidence in his nephew's tone.

After a long pause, Mike sighed and rubbed his temples. "This is why I shouldn't have come. Maybe I should've let Stephan deal with you…"

But they were family, and no matter how much Arnold tried his patience, Mike couldn't leave him to face the consequences alone. He adjusted his stance, his tone turning stern. "I'm serious. That warning came directly from Stephan himself. Stay away from Felicia, or you're going to end up in a world of hurt."

Arnold flinched, his stomach sinking. Stephan warned him? He couldn't help but think, "Isn't Mr. Russell known for being indifferent to women? Could it be… that he actually has his eye on Felicia?"

A thousand thoughts raced through Arnold's mind in an instant, colliding and spiraling until he finally spat out the only thing he could muster, "No way in hell!"

Mike sighed deeply, muttering, "Just end it all already. I'm too tired for this."

…

Later that evening, the first thing Arnold did when he got home was to see Matthew.

"Grandpa," he greeted, stepping into the study.

A heavy silence fell over the study.

The next thing Arnold knew, Matthew had grabbed his color palette and hurled it at him.

"You fool! Do you think the Lawsons need another public scandal? Wasn't the first fiasco humiliating enough for you?"

Arnold dodged just in time, and the color palette missed, smashing into a nearby wall instead. The colors splattered everywhere, staining his clothes and leaving him half-covered in coloured streaks.

"Grandpa…" Arnold said, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and pleading.

He had a sinking feeling that if he didn't act soon, Felicia would slip further and further out of his reach.

Matthew took a deep breath, calming himself before finally speaking, "I'll handle it."

His voice was low and deliberate, each word carrying weight. "But this time, Arnold, you'd better not let me down."