Disheartened upon seeing Shandieâs corpse, tears slid down Henrickâs face uncontrollably.
Witnessing the man grieving over his deceased daughter, the bystanders inevitably felt distressed.
It was almost like he really was a father crying over his daughterâs death.
The housekeepers crowded around Henrick and offered their condolences, but only Arielle understood
what he truly felt.
He had spent immense effort and money to nurture Shandie, and she was quite pretty when dressed
up appropriately. With her appeal, she could undoubtedly marry into a wealthy family in Jadeborough.
Her sudden death was solely a blow to his master plan.
Hence, he was not grieving for the loss of a daughter but a useful pawn.
Arielle did not further contemplate Henrickâs feelings. She merely stared intensely at the dagger in
Shandieâs hand.
Suddenly, she found something wrong.
She stealthily took out her phone and snapped some pictures of the scene.
Only then did she walk toward Henrick and feign sorrow. âDad, Iâm as saddened as you are. However,
now is not the time to mourn because I think Shandieâs death might not be as simple as it seems.
We should contact the police first.â
As Shandie and Arielle did not see eye to eye, unfavorable rumors would arise from the formerâs death.
To prevent troublesome gossips, she had to prove her innocence.
However, Henrick immediately refused, âWhy should we contact the police? Look at her! Itâs obvious
that she cut her wrist. Do you want the outsiders to gossip about us?â
His words were indeed true. Besides, the injuries on Shandieâs back were his work. Thus, if the police
were to investigate, he would be the first suspect.
Even if he could prove his innocence, rumors would still spread among the public
As he was concerned about his reputation, he would never agree to the risky measure.
Disappointed, Arielle mentally shook her head. She had anticipated his refusal, which was why she
discreetly took the photos earlier.
As Henrick was adamant in his stance, she did not bother mentioning the police again. Instead, she
suggested, âStill, we should hold a funeral for Shandie. However, regarding Aunt Cindyâ¦â
Henrick stood up and assured in a pained tone, âTâll appoint someone to fetch her. Also, weâll announce
to the public that Shandie passed away from an illness. You donât need to worry about this matter
anymore. If the news gets out, it will impede your marriage into the Nightshire family. Right now, you
should head back to your room and take a rest. Iâll handle this matter.â
âAll right.â Arielle nodded docilely as she secretly scorned
him, Heâs still thinking about my marriage to the Nightshire family at such a moment? What an unbelieva
Before leaving, she stole a glance at Shandieâs corpse. Upon confirming she had not overlooked any
details, she turned and walked back to her room as she gestured for Larissa to follow her.
Right after they entered her room, Arielle immediately questioned, âWhen I arrived, you were already
there. Do you know what happened? Who was the first to discover the corpse?â
With Arielleâs help, Larissaâs child had received treatment abroad and convalesced after some time. As
such, she had now devoted herself wholeheartedly to Arielle.
She answered truthfully, âIâm in charge of the cleaning of this household. The first person to discover
the corpse was a housekeeper working with me today. As you and Mr. Southall occasionally come back
late, we usually start mopping the floor around five in the morning, avoiding accidents from occurring
due to the slippery floor.â