The Million-Dollar Heart (Percival and Vivienne)
Chapter 208

Initially, Paul was wooing Arabella with the purpose of marrying her and gaining the support of the Brooks family.

She was sure that the allure of such a profitable alliance would make Paul happy to be the fall guy.

After all, she planned to use her intention to go to college as an excuse to abort the child.

Once she married Paul, they would have their own children, and with the help of the Brooks, she was confident that Paul would eventually let go of his reservations.

And as for Percival, she had to throw all hopes for him out the window. She was so fond of him, yet he treated her like garbage.

Once she married into the prestigious Ellington family and helped Paul seize the position of family head, she would make Percival kneel before her and beg for forgiveness.

Seeing that Paul accepted the situation, Judith finally relaxed a bit. "What are your plans moving forward?" She asked, "Now that the cat's out of the bag, you still owe Arabella an explanation."

"Arabella is a minor." Paul said after a moment. "We're planning to host a small ceremony for now. I'll tell my parents about this and let them arrange everything. Once Arabella's of legal age, we'll get a marriage license."

Judith nodded. "Very well. But make sure it's done quickly. Only when news of your marriage spreads can we salvage Arabella's reputation."

"I better get going." Paul said, not wanting to linger any longer. He turned to leave, but Scott stopped him.

"Wait!" Scott was exuding the energy of an angry and protective father. "Arabella is my daughter. I don't want her to suffer after marrying into your family. I want all your past indiscretions cleaned up. And the women you've been with, they better be out of the picture."

Paul's face changed, but he clenched his teeth and agreed.

Arabella quickly stood up to send him off, hoping to smooth things over with Paul.

But Paul simply gave her a cold look, pursed his lips, and left without saying a word.

When he first heard that Arabella wanted to marry him, he was over the moon. But what she said next left him feeling like he'd taken a plunge into an icy lake.

She wanted him to be the fall guy for her pregnancy?!

He hadn't expected that Arabella, who usually seemed so pure and likable, would have such a messy private life. She was pregnant and couldn't replace the father of the child, so she turned to him. Arabella's offer was too enticing to refuse, despite his initial desire to do so.

Richard Ellington was so biased that, without the support of the Brooks family, Paul had no chance of contending for the position of Ellington family head.

After much hesitation, he decided to swallow his pride and play the part of the fool.

The only silver lining was that Arabella had some decency and promised to abort the child.

Otherwise, if she were to give birth, he'd have to live with some strange man's bastard child, calling him father. He feared he might one day lose his temper and harm the child.

He was so furious that as soon as he got in the car, he called up one of his flings for a 'deep conversation.'

Why should Scott have any say in his matters?

He couldn't even handle his own daughter, yet he had the audacity to tell him what to do with his women?! Was he crazy?

Arabella was already tainted, and if he didn't play around with a few more women, he'd feel like he was at a loss.

As Arabella watched Paul's car disappear into the distance, she knew he wasn't happy, but she didn't care. She'd achieved her goal.

As long as Paul claimed her unborn child, what did it matter if she was pregnant without a ring on her finger?

Paul might not be as good as Percival, but he was still a renowned gentleman of Rivenwood. People would only envy her.

"Cousin, why was your fiancé so cold towards you today?" Ashley asked Arabella carefully.

"Probably some work issues." Arabella nonchalantly replied. She was growing to dislike Ashley more and more. If it weren't for Ashley's constant surveillance, she would have gotten rid of her bastard child a long time ago.

"Really?" Ashley chuckled. "You used to spend so much time with Tristan that I thought you two were an item. I really didn't see this coming." Arabella's face darkened.

Truth be told, if Tristan hadn't been crippled, he would have been the perfect candidate. He was obedient and could be easily manipulated.

She wouldn't have to put up with Paul's anger and contempt.

But Calista had said that Tristan couldn't fully recover. He was destined to be impaired for the rest of his life. If she married him, she'd become the laughing stock of the town.

Even if Paul was a simpleton, Tristan, being the adopted son of the Brooks family was far less prestigious than Paul, being the young master of the Ellington family.

"Tristan and I share a sibling-like bond." Arabella replied with a forced smile.

"Is that so?" Ashley still looked amused. She stood up and made an announcement to everyone. "I'm going to visit Calista at the Pendleton Hospital to see how she's treating Tristan." "That's a good idea." Judith agreed, adding, "Calista put her research on hold to come to Havenwood. Make sure to take good care of her."

Upon hearing Calista's name, Judith unconsciously showed an expression of admiration, which sparked jealousy in Arabella. "Grandma really likes Calista." She muttered. Before leaving, Ashley gave Arabella a mocking glance, seemingly trying to point out how their grandma would never admire someone who was pregnant out of wedlock?

Every respectable family in Rivenwood spoke highly of Calista. They all wish their sons could marry her.

Calista's reputation and achievements in the medical field were enviable, even by many men.

Moreover, her numerous research projects have gained national support. Marrying her would mean scaling countless social ladders.

Take Ashley's grandmother for example, didn't she want her cousin Ronald Brooks to marry Calista?

However, Calista's standards were sky-high. She didn't even bat an eye at the young men in Rivenwood. Even a prime bachelor like Ronald couldn't catch her fancy, as her heart was wholly dedicated to medical research.

Fortunately, her cousin Ronald didn't harbor any feelings for Calista.

Even so, many individuals would flock to her research institute daily, hoping to curry favor with her. Unfortunately, due to the confidential nature of her research, they couldn't even step foot inside. Wasn't she jealous?

Yes, she was.

But jealousy was futile. Calista was simply too formidable and strong.

Ashley had a servant prepare a selection of imported fruits, each specifically chosen to Calista's preference.

Once ready, she took them to the Pendleton Hospital.

The Pendleton family had private hospitals scattered across the country. Once Calista arrived in Havenwood, She didn't go where the Brooks family was.

Instead, she directly called for Tristan to be sent to the Pendleton Hospital. After examining Tristan, she immediately started performing surgery on him.

Tristan's injuries were severe. He was beaten to the point where nearly every bone in his body was fractured. If it hadn't been for the Brooks family's willingness to spare no expense, he might have been bedridden for the rest of his life. He would have been as immobile as a pile of mud.