Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 57: Chapter 57

The next afternoon, Arielle arrived at Vanna's villa as promised.
Vanna had been staying home with Eve the whole time.
Eve was in poor condition, and Vanna barely left her side. Eve was desperately lacking a sense of security.
Last night, Eve was plagued by nightmares and had restless sleep, waking up multiple times.
Perhaps it was the sudden change of environment, she hadn't fully adjusted yet and was still haunted by her past.
It would take time for her to heal, little by little.
Arielle sat down, took out a note from her bag, and handed it to Vanna. "I need you to send someone to protect those written here," she said, her tone serious.
Puzzled, Vanna took the note and unfolded it.
The note contained an address and two names.
"Protect these two? That's it?" Vanna asked, a bit unsure.
She thought to herself, 'Seriously? I expected her conditions to be much harder to meet. That's it?
'That's hardly a condition. It's just a piece of cake for me.'
Arielle looked Vanna in the eye, her voice grave. "I need them unharmed, not a single scratch. Because of who I am, they could be in real danger. So you must, absolutely must, keep them safe."
The address written on the note was Cloud Town, the place where she had grown up.
After her adoptive parents died, she was orphaned once again. It was only because Kara Ballard's family shared what little food they had with her that she just managed to survive.
After Kara passed away, her daughter, Cassandra Ballard, and son, Phil Ballard, took over this responsibility.
Cassandra was now twenty, while her little brother Phil was only eight, the same age as Eve.
Cassandra always stood protectively in front of Phil and Arielle, never letting anyone bully them. She worked long hours at the factory, and every payday, she'd treat them to a special meal with meat, which was a rare luxury for them.
Despite his young age, Phil would follow Arielle everywhere. Puffing out his chest, he'd declare, "I'm the man of the house now, I've got to protect both my sisters!"
Those were truly happy days.
The three of them were as close as real siblings, sharing simple joys every single day.
Though they often went hungry and lacked warm clothes, that place was filled with warmth and the most precious bonds.
Cassandra's father was a hopeless gambler who gambled away everything.
In her previous life, Cassandra and Phil had been sold by him to pay off gambling debts. After Arielle redeemed them from the human traffickers, she settled them in a house.
Arielle got Cassandra a steady job, and Phil was finally able to attend school, just as he'd always wanted.
After Arielle was imprisoned, the siblings fell into Meredith's clutches.
Right after Arielle got out of prison, Meredith deliberately told her this just to twist the knife.
Their fate was inevitable. Meredith would show them no mercy.
Based on what happened in her old life, they would be sold off in just two days.
She said, "The day after tomorrow, they'll be sold to human traffickers. I need you to step in, buy them back, and make sure they're safe and properly settled.
"I'll transfer the money they need to you, I just can't show my face right now.
"If they refuse to go with you, show them this figurine. That will make them believe you."
As she spoke, Arielle pulled out a small wooden figurine from inside her coat, with the character "Phil" carefully carved on it.
Phil had carved these, one for each of the three of them.
Since he couldn't afford to buy a good luck charm, he carved this little wooden figure himself, declaring with childish pride that his name would watch over her and keep her safe.
Vanna took the wooden figurine and examined it carefully. It looked utterly ordinary.
Vanna was starting to get the picture.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Vanna assured her. She glanced upstairs and lowered her voice. "Eve seems to be awake. Why don't you come up and check on her with me?"
Before Arielle could respond, Vanna took her by the hand and led her upstairs.
Eve lay in bed, her eyes wide open, scanning the room as if trying to figure out whether she was truly safe.
"Sweetie, you're awake. Let Mommy help you get dressed." Vanna stepped forward and gently kissed her daughter on the cheek.
Vanna no longer wore her usual heavy makeup. With her light, elegant look, she exuded a gentle maternal glow.
Startled to see someone else in the room, Eve instinctively ducked under the covers.
Vanna gently patted her daughter and said softly, "Don't be afraid, Eve. This is Arielle, she saved you from those bad people. She's our savior, so you must remember her. She's family now."
Arielle's beautiful eyes flickered with emotion.
She thought, 'I never thought I'd hear that word from Vanna.
'She actually considers me family!
'Does she mean it? It doesn't matter!'
Arielle brushed aside Vanna's words and forced a smile at Eve.
She thought, 'Maybe I haven't smiled in so long that I've forgotten how. This forced grin must look awful.'
Eve slowly peeked out, her big eyes fixed on Arielle. After a long pause, she finally whispered timidly, 'Arielle...'
"Good girl, Eve." Arielle took a few gentle steps forward.
A child's world was simple. They were naturally warm to those who treated them kindly.
It took less than an hour for Eve to warm up to Arielle, and soon they were playing together like old friends.
Vanna had specially arranged for a psychological counselor to help Eve recover from her trauma. She knew the healing process would take time.
As she walked Arielle out, Vanna asked in a low voice, "Do you know who the culprit is behind Eve's kidnapping?"
Arielle didn't hide anything. She nodded. "I know who it is, but there's nothing you can do to her right now."
Vanna suddenly grabbed Arielle's hand. She hadn't dared to hope for any answers, but hearing that Arielle actually knew who had kidnapped Eve sent a jolt of excitement through her.
"Tell me, who was it?" Vanna demanded, her voice trembling.
Arielle glanced back at Eve playing with building blocks, then tore her gaze away and locked eyes with Vanna.
"It was William Boone, but..." Arielle began, only to be abruptly cut off.
"What?" Vanna demanded, cutting Arielle off before she could finish, staring at her in utter disbelief.
Vanna seethed, "William, that bastard! How could he?"
Vanna staggered back several steps, the revelation hitting her like a physical blow, this was simply unbearable.
She had thought of everyone, except him.
'She's his own flesh and blood!' Vanna thought, stunned.
Arielle cut through her spiraling thoughts. "Let me finish.
"He kidnapped Eve back then and sent you that video of her being stabbed and thrown into the sea, all to force her back to the Boone family. William knew you'd never agree, so he staged the whole scene. As for what happened after that..."
Vanna shook her head, trying to process it all. "Wait, so that bastard kidnapped my daughter and told me she was dead?
"That bastard! I'll skin him alive!"
In her mind, Vanna was already tearing William to pieces.
Vanna didn't interrupt, just motioned for Arielle to go on. "He treated Eve very well and made sure she had everything she could want, but her presence stirred up resentment in Melinda."
"That woman?" Vanna's voice turned icy, she'd already guessed the answer.
"It must be that bitch Melinda!" Vanna spat out venomously.
Arielle nodded, her expression grave. "That's right, it was Melinda who secretly imprisoned Eve without William knowing. Even now, William is still pulling every string he can to find her. So, Ivanna, you must not tell anyone that Eve is back. Not a soul."
Vanna's mind was in turmoil as she tried to piece everything together.
First, William kidnapped her daughter. Then, Melinda imprisoned her, and finally sold her into the black market.
Vanna spat, "Those two bastards! I swear I'll make you pay with your lives!"
Once she'd calmed down a bit, Arielle finally spoke up, her tone cautious. "So, are you still planning to go after them for revenge?"
"What else can I do? Just stand there and watch my enemies walk free?"
Arielle fixed her with a steady gaze. "What exactly do you have to take them on?"