Jack grilled Stinger all night to no avail.
The next morning, Arabella was having breakfast when her grandparents across the table spoke up.
"Bella, your aunt and uncle mentioned that you caught someone who was sabotaging their company from the shadows? Goes by the name 'Stinger', right?" Bernard suddenly asked.
Arabella hadn't expected her aunt and uncle to spill the beans to her grandparents. It seemed they were at their wits' end and wanted her grandparents to step in and demand the culprit from her.
With that in mind, Arabella calmly replied, "Yes, I have him."
"I hear he's a nasty piece of work. He poisoned your aunt and uncle's restaurants. Now, a bunch of folks ended up in the hospital, and their families are knocking on their door for an explanation. Your aunt and uncle didn't dare make public that you caught Stinger, but they need to give those people an answer. So, they want to question Stinger about why he did it," Bernard explained.
"Bella, why did you catch Stinger in the first place?" Cornelia asked, puzzled.
"He hired a hitman," Arabella said nonchalantly, "to kill me."
"What? That's news to me," Cornelia exclaimed in shock. "Why didn't you tell us before? When did this happen? Kenneth and Louisa didn't say a word."
"Was it that Murphy girl, what's her name, Yolanda?" Bernard suddenly remembered. "Not long ago, she kidnapped your friend and Edith, trying to force you out in the open. Is she in cahoots with Stinger?"
"To be precise, Stinger funded her, giving her the means to hire a hitman. The hitman's contact also came from him, and to ensure my demise, Stinger gave her a poison called 'Seven Orifices Hemorrhage.'"
"Outrageous!" Bernard slammed the table, seething with anger. "What kind of vendetta does Stinger have against you to go this far?"
"I'm still trying to find that out," Arabella explained. "No luck yet."
And that was one of the reasons she had taken Stinger into custody.
"It seems Bella's questions are even more pressing than what Lucas need." Cornelia said to Bernard, "Let's have Lucas wait a bit longer, let Bella get to the bottom of this."
"That Murphy lass couldn't have the resources on her own. Her family's bankrupt, and she's left without parents, alone and vulnerable. It must be Stinger's support that allowed her to target Bella. This Stinger, wanting to kill Bella and causing such distress in Lucas' businesses, who is he exactly."
Before Bernard could finish, his phone began to vibrate. He answered, "Beverly, my dear."
Arabella continued her breakfast in silence, not joining the conversation.
Hearing Beverly on the other end putting pressure on her grandfather, Arabella cut in, "Grandpa, let me speak to her."
"Bella will talk to you, just a second," Bernard handed the phone to Arabella.
Arabella switched to speaker and said bluntly, "To be frank, Stinger is also linked to the fire incident at the health clinic years ago. Aunt Beverly, are you in such a hurry because there's a secret you can't afford to let me uncover?" Reаd at Dramanovеls.com She remained patient, her tone gentle as if speaking to a child.