Chapter 1006

No.1

She raised her leg again. The sharp tip of her shoe pressed down onto his head. She began to apply pressure.

Splash!

Benjamin’s face was shoved into a basin of murky, soapy water.

Isabella pressed down harder with her boot. “Clean out those disgusting, delusional thoughts!” she mocked. “Ask yourself this—if Victoria truly cared about you, why did she never push you to be better? Why did she let everyone in this family look down on you?”

He thrashed, desperate for air, but her strength was absolute. Water flooded his nose and throat each time he gasped. Only when his struggles grew weak did she finally release him.

Yanking his head back by the hair, Isabella snarled, “Benjamin Kensington, stop being a fool. That’s my only advice. Cross me like this again, and blood won’t save you. Family or not.”

She released him and walked away.

He slumped against the cabinet, heaving and choking. Unbelievable. How did that timid, quiet adopted girl become this? Who breaks ribs with a single, careless kick?

‘She’s pure evil. Trying to turn me against Victoria after all the pain she’s caused. I will make her pay,’ he vowed silently.

No.2

Across the villa, Isabella entered her private bathroom. She was scrubbing off her makeup, rinsing the metallic taste from her mouth, when a man entered and handed her an ice pack. “A DNA test would settle this,” he stated flatly.

“Julian, do you think Victoria is acting blindly? She owns every hospital and clinic in Westchester. The results would be falsified before the sample even reached the lab.” She studied her swollen lip in the mirror. “And what if they learn the truth? They’d still choose her over me.”

Julian’s expression tightened.

“Though,” she added, a cold smile touching her lips as she pressed the ice to her mouth, “I do look forward to the day the truth shreds their perfect world apart.”

His frown deepened. He hadn’t expected to find someone whose bitterness rivaled, perhaps even surpassed, his own.

“There’s a more pressing issue.” He passed her a phone.

The screen displayed a Twitter feed exploding with headlines: [Who is Isabella Montgomery’s Sugar Daddy?], [Victoria Kensington: Deepfake Nudes Scandal], [Victoria Kensington’s Opportunities Stolen!].

The top trending topic: [Victoria Kensington’s Chanel audition was sabotaged by explicit deepfakes displayed on screen, costing her the role.]

The comments were a torrent of hate:

No.3

[What a scheming witch! Our Vicky is pure class! She’d never!]

[The timing is so obvious. Dirty tricks to steal the spotlight.]

[She’s pure evil.]

[Who is she sleeping with? A nobody doesn’t land a role like this.]

[Chanel should be ashamed. Boycott Chanel!]

[Boycott Chanel! Boycott Isabella Montgomery!]

[Isabella Montgomery, get out. You’re not wanted.]

The vitriol was endless.

Isabella just scoffed, rolling her eyes. “This is nothing.”

No.4

Nothing? The entire internet was calling for her head. Her calm was unnerving.

“This is your first public battle, Isabella,” Julian warned. “You need to win it.”

“Making headlines is a victory in itself, isn’t it?” She strolled to the wine cellar, pouring a generous glass of burgundy. She offered one to Julian, who declined.

His gaze darkened. The past five years had carved cynicism into her soul. “Take this seriously,” he insisted. “It’s not a game.”

At that moment, Chanel’s executives were in emergency session. The online fury made hiring Isabella impossible.

She simply reclined on the sofa, taking a slow sip. “Relax. Do you think I’d make a move without a backup plan?”

Her fingers began flying across her phone screen.

Her private Instagram account flooded with hateful comments.

[You’re pure evil! How could you do this to Victoria Kensington? Why not Photoshop your own pictures too?]

No.5

[What a disgusting witch. I hope you and your family rot in hell!]

[Who do you think you are, auditioning for Chanel? How many men did you sleep with to afford that? Watch out for STDs!]

Isabelle scrolled through the messages, a cold smirk forming on her lips as she typed:

[Sleep with men for money? Try sleeping on a bed of cash!]

She attached three photos: a towering stack of property deeds, a collection of luxury car keys, and a sweeping aerial view of Westchester’s Gold Avenue.

The images instantly went viral across the platform. Gold Avenue in Westchester was legendary—a two-kilometer stretch home to the world’s most exclusive luxury brands. The stack of deeds represented ownership of multiple properties on that very street. And the car keys? Each one belonged to a supercar worth millions.

[Holy crap, she’s a billionaire!]

[No way this is real. She’s just some adopted orphan—how could she afford all this?]

[I verified it. It’s legit. Isabella Montgomery owns a quarter of the properties on Gold Avenue. Even the powerful Blackwood family only owns half!]

No.6

[So maybe she’s sleeping with someone from the Blackwoods. But no way would a family like that take in an adopted girl. Who else is funding her?]

[Even if she’s loaded, she definitely paid for that finalist spot and the ambassador role. She’s buying her way to fame!]

[Exactly. She’s got nothing but cash.]

[She’s purchasing clout, and Chanel is playing along? Money really can buy anything, huh?]

The narrative swiftly twisted.

[Isabella Montgomery uses wealth to buy fame and bully Victoria Kensington!]

Isabella wasn’t surprised. She had anticipated this. She typed another reply:

[Whether I bought my fame or not, you’ll all find out tomorrow night!]

‘Find out tomorrow night’? How could a fraud be so confident?

No.7

…

At the Blackwood Estate…

Oliver Blackwood had been quietly browsing on his tablet when he suddenly shot up, bursting with excitement. “Mommy is so cool! I’ve never seen anyone this awesome! I’m totally her biggest fan!”

“You’re a boy,” Nathaniel stated flatly, moving Oliver aside as he opened his laptop.

Oliver pouted, confused. “Daddy, so many people are bullying your wife. How can you just sit there and work? You’re so cold!”

“Quiet. I’m handling Mommy’s situation,” Nathaniel murmured, his tone mysterious yet compelling.

That could be fixed.

With a few deft keystrokes, the headline instantly changed to: