"What on earth was Serena doing in the basement?" Darren couldn’t help but ask.
"Probably heard some noise, or caught one of the staff gossiping. You know how curious she is. Wanted to check it out for herself. Bard already gave those chatterboxes a good talking-to."
Eunice gently rubbed Darren’s back, careful not to rile him further.
Darren finally eased up a bit, no longer as stiff as he had been moments ago.
"No wonder the poor girl had nightmares last night," Darren mumbled with newfound clarity. "She’s never been exposed to anything like that, and those folks locked up in the basement must’ve scared her witless."
He remembered how Serena had curled up in a corner of the study the previous night, crying pitifully. She must have been terrified!
"I should talk to her grandma, have her comfort Serena. Help her forget all this sooner rather than later."
As Darren spoke, a light bulb went off in his head.
"Why not have her and Rose head back home first? The holidays are just around the corner. They can go ahead, and we’ll join them at Reflections Villa for a reunion once your mom and I are back in fighting shape."
Eunice looked at him, speechless. Was he sure he’s all better now?
Who was it that nearly had a heart attack just a while ago??
"You’ve got a whole mess of trouble locked up in that basement; just make sure Rose doesn’t see," Darren expressed his concern.
Even though Rose had already seen the extent of his siblings’ cruelty in the hospital—the ruthless killing of so many people—such bloody and brutal scenes were best avoided, especially for a teenager like Rose.
If Darren knew that Rose was the leader and had seen such horrific scenes hundreds of times, he’d probably worry his heart out even more.
Eunice had only learned of Rose’s capabilities through stories Bard had told her. The way Rose had orchestrated things to expose Calvin and Arlen and others made her realize the girl was extraordinary.
And when her husband revealed that Rose was Mr. Bryant, Eunice saw her in a whole new light.
"That settles it then. Let’s have them go back to the States. This way, Romeo and Martin can get back to business there. They can get a head start on work and enjoy the holidays together without having to revolve around the girls, putting off their responsibilities."
Darren thought it was an excellent plan and nodded in agreement, ready to discuss it with his better half.
Eunice glanced at Bard, a tad worried. If Serena was involved in all this, sending her back would be like freeing the tiger back into the wild.
Bard, sensing her thoughts, reassured her.
"Right now, she’s all tears and no talk. If it really is her, and she clams up, denying everything, we’ve got no evidence. We’d have to let her go either way, right?"
They couldn’t very well lock up a girl they’d cherished for eighteen years and subject her to a barrage of interrogations, could they?
Besides, Serena’s life had always been sheltered, untainted. Given her strength, courage, and connections, it seemed unlikely she’d be involved in any foul play.
Just then, Bard’s phone buzzed. After taking the call, he turned to Eunice and said:
"Rose’s start-up, the Ar-Bl-Clear Group, has just topped the charts, surpassing all the major brands. Their skincare line is now ranked number one."
Perhaps it was due to the smear campaign that had inadvertently catapulted the Ar-Bl-Clear Group into the limelight, but now the brand was comfortably sitting at the top of the charts.
"Really?" Eunice was genuinely thrilled for Rosemary. That girl had put in so much effort; she deserved every bit of success!
"KT’s online flagship store got hammered with negative reviews, and all their products were pulled from the shelves. Before long, the store was shuttered, and the KT folks involved are now in police custody."


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