A Beauty With Multiple Masks

“I hadn’t intended to tell her the news either. I knew it would only break her heart. However, she’d caught wind about it somehow, and she’s now insisting that I go and get her. Since you’re not occupied with anything here and haven’t seen your grandmother for years, I suggest you come along with me,” stated Henrick firmly. Knowing she did not really have the option of saying no, Arielle readily agreed, “Sure! Just give me a moment to get dressed.” “All right. I’ll wait for you downstairs. You might want to pack another set of clothes to bring along. The place is rather far away, and we’re most likely staying overnight there.” “Got it.” Arielle nodded and watched as Henrick left her room. Once she was certain he had gone far enough, she reopened the firewall’s page. It indicated that nobody had hacked into her computer throughout that day. Looks like whoever it is seems to have no problem keeping his cool, or… has he forgotten about me? After some thought, she figured the former possibility was more likely. Following that, she added another layer of security to the firewall and connected the settings to her phone before starting to pack her things. By the time she arrived downstairs, Henrick was already quite fed up with waiting. He frowned at her, asking snappishly, “What took you so long?” Arielle unzipped her backpack and smiled as she showed him the contents. “I packed more stuff since we’re spending the night there.” With a glance, Henrick saw a messy assortment of girlish objects in the bag. It really did look like a bag packed by a young girl to bring for a vacation. If it had been Shandie, he would definitely have reprimanded her, but it was Arielle.His expression softened the instant he saw the chaotic jumble of stuff in her bag. In a way, the more childish and girlish she acted, the more relieved he felt, as it would mean she was easier to control as well. For a moment, he seriously wondered if his wariness toward the girl was completely unfounded. After all, no matter how smart she was, it did not change the fact that she was only a girl who had grown up in the countryside and lost her memory. Averting his gaze, he stated, “Let’s go, then. We have to arrive before it gets dark or it’ll be too hard to drive.” “Yes, Dad.” Arielle did not waste another minute but entered the car at once. The car was filled with an unusual silence as they drove toward their destination. Ding! Arielle’s cell phone chimed suddenly. Tapping into the notification, she saw a brief message from Vinson: Taking off soon. After a moment’s thought, she replied just as briefly: Have a safe journey. Right after she sent it, Henrick asked from her left, “Who was that?” “Vinson. He’s traveling to Epea for a business trip,” she answered honestly. Upon hearing that, Henrick immediately furrowed his brows. “Vinson’s going on a business trip? Why didn’t he bring you along, then? Did he even invite you?” Arielle shook her head. “No. Something urgent popped up, so he left in a hurry.”. “In the future, always follow your husband if he’s going away for business trips,” Henrick gritted out disapprovingly. “He’s young, rich, and important. Do you have any idea how many women are trying to climb their way into his bed? And the myriad of methods they would use to succeed in doing that? Besides, he’s just an ordinary man. There’s no way he would be able to resist that sort of temptation. You’ve got to watch out for yourself, okay?” Despite feeling rather uncomfortable at his words, Arielle suppressed her displeasure and smiled at him. “Sure, Dad.”