Chapter 1026
No.1
Her words reminded everyone of the contract on the table.
Gregory spoke up next. “Since you respect your grandfather so much, why not transfer the mine’s shares to him? He can distribute them fairly.”
Isabella was the reason his daughter was punished. She owed them this much.
Eleanor quickly agreed. “We raised you all these years. Fed you. Sheltered you. Without us, you’d be nothing. If you have any conscience, you know what’s right.”
Isabella ignored them completely.
She turned directly to William. “What do you think, Grandfather? Do you agree with them?”
“Hah! A pack of vultures!” William swept the teacups off the table in fury. “For five years, none of you cared about Isabella. Now that she’s back with wealth, you circle like sharks? Have you no shame?”
He glared specifically at Gregory. “You insisted on adopting her just to increase your shares. Did you put Sophia up to pushing her off that cliff in Africa? How dare you ask for her diamond mine! If I were you, I wouldn’t even speak!”
Gregory shrank back, muttering under his breath. “If I had that kind of courage, I wouldn’t be the useless gambler I am today.”
No.2
He had always been overlooked in the family. Powerless. Voiceless.
“It better not have been you! Attempted murder is unforgivable!” William growled.
“All of you, get out! Don’t even think about touching Isabella’s mine. She earned it with her life. It belongs to her and her alone!”
“Any person who dares speak of the diamond mine will forfeit their family shares!” William Kensington’s voice thundered through the room.
Victoria Kensington’s nails dug deep into her palms. An entire diamond mine, handed over to Isabella Montgomery? Just for her?
How utterly absurd!
The old man had clearly lost his mind.
Of course, Victoria swallowed those words. She forced a calm expression while fury boiled beneath her skin.
Then William added, “Isabella, now that you’re back, sign these documents. I’m transferring the fifteen percent family shares that were always meant to be yours.”
No.3
Reginald Thornton stepped forward, holding out the prepared paperwork.
Isabella hadn’t expected this. Not after being granted the diamond mine. A rare warmth flickered in her usually icy gaze.
Before she could pick up the pen, her adoptive father Frederick Montgomery protested loudly. “Father, have you gone mad? She already has a diamond mine worth billions! Why give her more? She doesn’t need it!”
Victoria quickly chimed in. “He’s right. Isabella is already overwhelmed. Managing Gray Diamond Empire, her modeling career… Adding family business responsibilities would be too much.”
Currently, William held thirty percent. Eleanor and Frederick each had twenty. Penelope and Gregory held ten. Benjamin had five. Sophia had five. Victoria possessed fifteen.
That left fifteen percent unclaimed.
Since Benjamin had willingly given his five percent to Victoria, she now held twenty. She had been coveting the remaining fifteen. With it, she would control thirty-five percent—more than William himself. She would become the majority shareholder and chair of the board.
She couldn’t let Isabella take it.
But William was firm. “Isabella has always been a Montgomery. She deserves these shares. As for the mine—she earned it with her own blood. If any of you are willing to risk your lives for one, you may keep yours too.”
No.4
He turned to Isabella. “Sign it. Ignore them.”
Isabella nodded. She took the pen and signed her name. If she refused, these shares would end up with Victoria. She would never allow that.
The room burned with hostile stares. Especially Victoria’s. She looked ready to explode.
She had waited five years for those shares. And now Isabella stole them. The woman already owned a diamond mine! Why did she need more?
“Everyone out,” William commanded. “I wish to speak with Isabella alone.”
They left, seething with resentment.
Once they were gone, William gestured for Isabella to approach. “Come. Sit with me.”
She moved closer and sat beside him. “Grandfather, regarding the mine…”
Even if he asked, she would never hand it over to the Montgomery family.
No.5
William patted her hand gently. “You did the right thing. You were never truly one of them. I can protect you now, but when I’m gone, they will turn on you.”
“You must safeguard your own fortune. You have no real family. Wealth is your only true ally.”
Isabella felt a pang of emotion. But confusion remained. “Why are you so kind to me?” she asked.
Everyone else despised her. Only William treated her like his own granddaughter. It made no sense.
A shadow crossed William’s eyes, there and gone in a flash. “You will understand in time.” He squeezed her hand. “For now, do not ask. It is not yet the moment.”
This only deepened Isabella’s bewilderment. What was he hiding? Why would he show such devotion to an adopted child? What secret lay behind his kindness?
In the Montgomery Manor gardens…
Victoria sat beneath a blooming jacaranda tree. Her blood still boiled from the recent events.
It would have been acceptable if William had transferred a small portion of shares to Isabella. But fifteen percent? Isabella now held the same stake as Victoria, the supposed true heiress of the Montgomery legacy.
No.6
To make it worse, netizens were glorifying Isabella, turning her into an icon. Others began questioning the earlier interview Victoria and Sophia had given. Speculations arose, branding Victoria as ‘fraudulent’ and ‘inauthentic’. Her ‘Top Supermodel’ title was on the verge of collapse.
Her agent, Isadora, stood nearby with a concerned expression. “Guci had finalized you for their seasonal cover. But they just called. They need more time to decide between you and Isabella.”
“What?” Victoria gasped, stunned.
Guci was no ordinary brand. It was the pinnacle of luxury fashion, adored by elites and coveted by the masses. An international powerhouse like Guci only featured established supermodels and A-list celebrities. Yet they were considering a newcomer like Isabella?
Watching Isabella and Grandpa sitting together in the nearby lounge, Victoria clenched her jaw.
“Victoria, securing the Guci ambassador contract is critical now. Losing it to Isabella would be disastrous,” Isadora warned.
Moreover, Isabella’s online popularity now rivaled her own. How could Victoria possibly win?
Popularity… Rivalry…
An idea sparked. Her eyes lit up as she turned to Isadora. “Call Guci management. Suggest they hire two models instead of one.”
No.7
“Victoria, you mean…” Isadora processed the thought, then understood. “Brilliant! No wonder you dominate the industry. I’ll contact them immediately.”
If Guci chose Isabella over Victoria for the Summer cover, Victoria’s reputation would shatter.
A collaboration would eliminate that risk. Victoria could leverage Isabella’s fame to boost her own. As the seasoned model, her shots would outshine any amateur’s. The world would see Victoria’s superiority.
Isabella was just a wealthy upstart. Victoria would seize this dual shoot opportunity.
Alexander approached just as Isadora hurried away. “What’s going on?” he asked, noticing the rush.
“Nothing serious, just…” A sly smile touched her lips. “I learned Isabella’s manager was pushing for the Guci Summer shoot. But Guci had already chosen me. I asked Isadora to request bringing Isabella along.”
“What? After how she treated you? You’d share this with her?” Alexander objected, displeased.
Victoria took his arm. “Alexander, darling, she’s still my sister. I wronged her five years ago. I want to make amends. Her career is just beginning. As her sister, I should help.”