The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella)

Chapter 14 Arabella had thought that she had enough stock to last her for at least half a year. During this time, she wouldn't have to worry about designing new pieces, allowing her to focus on her pharmaceutical research and other side hustles. However, to her surprise, her parents went ahead and bought out all her stock, some of which were even her early designs that seemed a bit outdated now.

“Miss Arabella, your name is somewhat similar to our brand’s founder. I'm wondering if you are familiar with our boss?” Jaime asked.

“Nope.” Arabella’s answer was clear-cut. Upon hearing this, Jaime understood that the rest of the people in the room were still unaware of the boss’ true identity.

“You're one lucky gal, having parents who adore you so much. Look at these clothes, they're classic pieces from our brand's founder, Queen Abby. They're perfect for someone of your stature!” Jaime said.

“Arabella, check out this casual outfit. | bet it would look great on you.” Kenneth pointed out a piece displayed on the rack.

‘Queen Abby's designs really do stand out. Look at this skirt.” Louisa held up the skirt against Arabella, “I can already imagine how beautiful you'd look in it.” “Arabella, what do you think about these?” Kenneth showed Arabella a pair of shoes like it was his prized possession.

“Arabella, how about this one-shoulder bag?” Louisa picked up a bag, “It looks like it was custom-made for you, I'm sure it would look great on you.” Arabella’s eyes were bright as stars, her demeanor elegant, as she listened to their comments. She was naturally beautiful. Her eyes were sparkling clear, a mixture of cold and sweet temperament, creating an indescribable charm.

Serena, on the other hand, was turning pale, her shock was beyond words. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! What on earth was going on? Why were her parents treating this girl like their own daughter, even gifting her all these limited edition QY clothes? Seeing them dote on Arabella, she began to feel a sense of panic that made her uneasy. What had happened during the month she was at school? “These are all in your size. If you don't like them, Dad can have them make another batch!” Kenneth looked at Arabella affectionately.

“No need.” Arabella’s eyes sparkled, her voice soft and gentle, “I think they're all pretty good.” Jaime could tell from the boss’ tone that she wasn't exactly thrilled about the clothes. Couldn't blame her, these were all her early works, meant to tide her over for a year or so. Who would have guessed they would come full circle back to her? “How much for all these clothes?” Suddenly, Arabella’s gaze fell on Jaime.

Caught off guard, Jaime quickly responded, “These are all classic pieces by our brand's founder, Queen Abby. The cheapest item is around three hundred thousand. As everyone knows, our founder, who's both smart and beautiful, most of her works are usually priced between five hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand, with the real gems starting from a million.” Clearly, Kenneth had ordered all items priced over a million for his daughter. At first glance, they were all top-tier designs. The difference between the gems and regular pieces was the amount of time the boss spent on the design.

Jaime had once witnessed the boss whipping up hundreds of designs in one night. The gem pieces might take a few minutes more than the regular ones.

“So, how much in total?” Arabella raised an eyebrow, giving Jaime a meaningful look.

Jaime, not catching on, felt a bit uneasy, “Mr. Collins paid a total of thirty-eight million eight hundred and eighty thousand to QY.” Arabella didn’t expect to make so much money from her parents on the first day of acknowledging them, so she was a bit uneasy, “That's quite expensive.” “Not at all!” Jaime quickly explained, “QY doesn’t care about quantity, but quality. Each piece is a hot seller! You'll be the belle of the ball wearing these!” “Indeed, not cheap. Arabella emphasized, applying a bit of pressure with her gaze.

Seeing the founder’s gaze and hearing her words, Jaime got the hint, “It is a bit pricey. How about a 10% discount 12 considering Mr. Collins made such a large order at once?” *10%?” Arabella repeated his words.

“20%?” Hesitant, Jaime changed his offer upon seeing the founder's seemingly dissatisfied expression, “Or, 30% off? Can't go any lower!” Any lower would seriously devalue the brand! Everyone was dumbfounded. Who knew she could haggle with a top-notch brand? And that much? Kenneth and Louisa never thought their daughter would be such a haggling pro, talk about being considerate! ‘Just make it twenty-seven million, and forget the change!” Jaime decided, “I'll refund the difference back to Mr. Collins’ account right away.” Kenneth thought his daughter was worried about him spending so much, and quickly said, “No need for a refund. Bella, Dad can afford it! Don't feel pressured.” “That won't do.” Arabella firmly said, “Even with money, we can't just throw it around. How about we return half of the clothes?” That way, she could sell them to other people and earn their money.

“No way.” Kenneth quickly objected, “How about this, Jaime, refund the money to my daughter’s account. She's the one who haggled, so it should go to her! Bella, give him your account, consider it pocket money from mom and dad.” So much pocket money. Jaime felt out of his depth. Everyone else was envious.

Serena couldn't believe her parents’ generosity, casually giving away so much money without batting an eye. They'd never done this for her! As she took a step back, Martha quickly came to her aid, whispering, “Miss, maintain your composure.” Even though the truth was harsh, things hadn't gotten to the worst point yet.

Serena watched as her parents, with an intimacy and warmth she'd never seen before, treated the girl in front of them with such care. They'd even forgotten about her! That girl always had an aloof vibe about her. Even though she toned it down a bit in front of her parents, her inherent coldness and wilfulness were like a wild wolf that couldn't be tamed. She could tell at a glance that she wasn't a good kid.

How could there be a wolf in a flock of sheep? This place was clearly not her cup of tea! She was totally out of sync with everything here! “Dad, Mom, who is she?” Serena tried to keep her cool, smiling as she asked.

It was then that Kenneth and Louisa noticed their adopted daughter.

Louisa was the first to give an order, “Take these things to Ms. Bennett's dressing room.” The title “Ms. Bennett” made Serena feel uneasy again.

She was clearly the sixth child in their family. How came there was suddenly an extra person?