Chapter 8 A Venomous Snake

Shandie's mood improved greatly after knowing that she was the winner of the Socialite Coffee Competition. After tidying up her appearance, she went downstairs with Cindy again. Once they reached downstairs, Shandie started looking all around for Vinson but the man was nowhere to be seen. Just then, she saw another socialite whom she was on friendly terms with and asked, “Did you see Mr. Nightshire?” “Mr. Nightshire has left long ago.” “Did he say anything before he left?” Shandie pressed on. The socialite gave it some thought and replied, “He kept talking to your sister. There were bodyguards around him and I couldn't hear their conversation, but they did not look too happy.” “Did not look happy?” Shandie's face lit up and continued asking, “What do you mean by that?” “I'm not sure. In the end, Mr. Nightshire just walked away after saying something. Your sister chased after him, wanting to continue the conversation, but was stopped by his bodyguards.” “That means she and Mr. Nightshire are not that close after all,” Shandie analyzed. The socialite nodded and replied, “Well, of course, that's the case. No matter how pretty your sister is, she's still a country bumpkin. Given the status of the Nightshire family, how is it possible for a girl from the countryside to have any connections with them? Shannie, don't be discouraged yeah? You're definitely the only one in the whole of Jadeborough who is good enough for Mr. Nightshire!” Happy to hear that, Shandie raised her brows and said, “I like you very much! I'll tell my dad to give your family more businesses.” “That's wonderful! Thanks Shannie...” While the two women were chatting away, Shandie suddenly heard a few other socialites mocking her from a distance away. “I can't believe Shandie even has the cheek to come downstairs! She even fainted after seeing how gorgeous her sister was... “ “Exactly! If I were her, I would hide at home for at least three years and only come out when everyone forgets about the incident!” Fuming, Shandie was just about to argue with that group of women before she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Nope! I shouldn't do that. She knew that those people were opportunists who would sway towards whichever side would benefit them. They were not worth her energy at all. If she argued with them, it would only hurt her image as a socialite. Jadeborough would be holding a judging session for all the socialites in the city soon and every single action of theirs would be taken into account. Currently, Shandie's priority was to deal with Arielle. As long as she got Arielle out of her way, there would be absolutely no one else who could steal her limelight. Those people would also naturally stop gossiping about her. Just then, a plan began to form in Shandie's mind. She needed to get rid of Arielle as soon as possible. She should not listen to her mom and wait any longer. Who knew what Arielle would be up to if she delayed it further? At night, after all the guests had left, the housekeepers tidied up the hall and went to bed. Arielle's room had already been prepared for her. Henrick had allocated a room with an attached balcony to her. Such treatment also showed how much Henrick valued her. Of course, Arielle was well aware that she was not what Henrick valued, but rather, the benefits that she could potentially bring to him. At the same time, Arielle also noticed that one of the housekeepers had been spying on her since the second half of the function. As such, even though Arielle had already washed up and was preparing to go to bed, she intended to continue staying alert. After all, there was a possibility that anyone in the mansion could be plotting something against her. Meanwhile, Shandie was tossing and turning restlessly while trying to think of a way to deal with Arielle. Suddenly, an idea stuck her. “Janet, please come to my room for a while.” Janet reached Shandie's room soon after receiving her call. “Ms. Shandie, how can I help you?” The nanny asked once she entered the room. After receiving that bangle from Cindy that was worth a million, Janet had pledged her loyalty to the mother-daughter pair. To her, Shandie was the only heiress of the house she would serve. “Did you notice any unusual behavior from that b*tch?” Shandie asked. Janet shook her head and replied, “After the banquet, Ms. Moore and Mr. Southall went into the study for a chat. When she came out, she was holding an ATM card. That should be her allowance given to her by Mr. Southall. She returned to her room to rest right after that. Other than asking for a glass of water, everything else seems normal.” Shandie was overwhelmed with jealousy after hearing the nanny's words. Her mom was the only one who had been giving her allowance all along. She knew that Henrick was very petty by nature and was shocked that he had given Arielle an ATM card on the first day she returned! That reinforced Shandie's decision to get rid of Arielle as soon as possible. “Janet, there's something I need you to get for me. Place it in her room after you get it.” “What is that?” “A venomous snake!” Shandie had already thought it all out. Their manor was situated on a hilltop. Even if a snake crawled into Arielle's room in the middle of the night and bit her to death, the incident would most likely be classified as an accident. There was no way others would find out that it was her who did it! “V-venomous snake? You want her to die from a snake bite?” Janet's hands were trembling in fear when she asked that. Even though she had actively participated in some of the mother-daughter pair's evil deeds, she had not caused anyone's death before. “Is there a problem? Are you not willing to do it?” “No, no. I will follow your instructions... I'm absolutely loyal to you and Mrs. Southall,” the nanny explained and continued, “However, I remembered that Mrs. Southall had told us to stay low for the time being...” “Enough! I'm not listening to all those. My mom's a coward. She doesn't know that the longer we delay dealing with her, the more trouble she will bring us. The right way to do it is to strike first! If you're not willing to do it, there are others who would. However, Janet, if I'm not wrong, your youngest son is a gambling addict and in order to cover his losses, you've taken quite a few items from this house, am I right?” Janet let out an incredulous gasp and looked at Shandie when she heard that. She could hardly believe that Shandie was even resorting to blackmailing at such a young age! Janet was well aware that the items which she had taken from the manor were all of high value. If she were caught, she would definitely be sentenced to jail for a long time... Just then, Shandie spoke again, “But of course, Janet, since you have watched me grow up, I will not be so ruthless. As long as you do according to what I say, I will make sure no one else knows your secret. Besides, if you need money next time, you can just ask from me directly. So, Janet, what is your choice? Are you doing it?” Janet closed her eyes slowly. Do I really have a choice? Arielle fell asleep eventually later into the night. However, she remained cautious so that she could be alerted to possible danger and wake up immediately when necessary. In the middle of her sleep, she suddenly heard noises coming from the window. Arielle awoke at once but she remained motionless and continued laying in her bed. She could hear footsteps on her balcony. However, after a few seconds, the footsteps gradually became distant and eventually could no longer be heard. She knew that someone had been on her balcony! However, the trespasser did not enter her room and Arielle was not sure what they had done. After staying in her bed for a while more and making sure that the trespasser wasn't returning, Arielle switched on the phone given to her by Henrick and used the light from the screen to illuminate her surroundings. Indeed, the trespasser had already left. However, she wondered what they could possibly have done for just such a short while. To spy on me? No, it can't be that simple!