The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 2065

Arabella looked grievously hurt, her body weak and fragile.

"Bella's been poisoned. Her antidote is upstairs—I need to take her now and I'll fill you in later," Romeo said urgently, scooping the girl into his arms and rushing up the stairs to lay her on the bed in her spacious bedroom.

Arabella's room was large, complete with a walk-in closet and various sections for different uses.

One area featured a wall of cabinets where she stored an assortment of medicines.

"Start from the left, first shelf, third compartment. There's a small clear bottle with white pills. Crush half of one into some water," Arabella instructed weakly.

Romeo swiftly did as told.

"Now, first shelf, seventh compartment on the bottom left, there's a white bottle with light green capsules. Take two out and mix the powder into the water."

He followed her instructions to the letter.

After a few more medicines were combined, Romeo brought the medicated warm water to Arabella, who unexpectedly coughed up another mouthful of blood.

With a pang of distress, he wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and gently fed her the concoction, dampening her lips in the process. He tenderly cleaned them with a soft touch.

"Find me a clean set of clothes. After I rest, I'll change myself."

He went to the closet and picked out a comfortable set of loungewear for her.

"I need to rest for a bit. You should go out."

Romeo obediently stepped outside, understanding that Arabella needed time to recover her strength.

"How is she? Is Bella doing better?" Louisa fretted from outside the door. Seeing Romeo emerge, she quickly asked, "Should we take her to the hospital? Is it serious?"

"Bella wants to confront her personally? Then we'll wait." Louisa agreed, deciding to let her daughter have her moment of retribution before stepping in—if they acted too soon, there might not be an opponent left for Bella to face.

Gritting her teeth, Louisa resolved, "We'll deal with her later!"

When President Barton arrived, he checked Arabella's pulse and was relieved to find her condition stabilizing.

After taking her blood for tests, he discovered, "This poison is incredibly potent. How did Arabella manage to hold on for so long and still instruct others on how to prepare the antidote?"

Such resilience went beyond the ordinary—Arabella was no normal girl.

"Was the poison that strong?" Louisa asked, her heart aching even more.

"If an average person were poisoned like this, they wouldn't last long or be nearly as coherent. The pain she experienced is akin to undergoing a cesarean section without anesthesia—twice the agony."