Chapter 1100
No.1
Victoria stumbled backward, her face stinging.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
She touched her lip, staring at Eleanor in disbelief. “Mother… you hit me? Again?”
Eleanor had never raised a hand to her before today.
Now she had been slapped twice.
“How can you show no remorse after such a shameful act?” Eleanor cried out. “How can you still blame Isabella? What happened to the daughter I raised?”
The woman before her felt like a stranger.
“All of you blame me,” Victoria rasped, her voice breaking. “But I never wanted this to happen!”
“It was Isabella! She set everything up! She planted cameras in this room! She never intended to marry Alexander! This whole wedding was a trap! I’m telling the truth!”
No.2
Isabella’s gaze turned icy. “It’s easy to check who installed the cameras. But even if I did, did I force you into bed with Alexander? Did I tell you to plot against me and steal what’s mine?”
“Y-You…!” Victoria stammered, turning desperately toward Alexander who knelt nearby.
“Alexander, speak! Think carefully. In the past month, did Isabella ever truly love you? Was her intention to marry you even real?”
All eyes focused on Alexander.
Kneeling, Alexander felt utterly humiliated and defeated. The moment he saw Isabella in her wedding dress, an absurd thought crossed his mind—he genuinely wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, to make her his real wife! Then Victoria showed up. He couldn't control his urges. Everything spiraled when Victoria hugged and kissed him. She kept professing her love, her pain.
“Just one more time. You’ll be married for at least a month after this. I won’t disturb you until then,” she had whispered.
He fell for it. He genuinely pitied her, wanted to comfort her. This one mistake ruined everything—his wedding, their reputations. What could he say now? What was left?
Alexander had never knelt before. Yet there he was, on the floor, punched by his father Victor. Publicly shamed in front of everyone. Including Isabella.
Seeing his silence, Margaret rushed forward and slapped him. “What are you doing? Speak! Apologize to Isabella! Beg for her forgiveness!”
No.3
“No need. Forgiveness doesn’t exist in my life. Not now, not ever. From this moment, I want nothing to do with them.” Isabella’s words were icy, final. She turned to leave. Her retreating figure was mesmerizing, yet cold and proud.
Realizing their ticket to wealth was walking away, Margaret shoved Alexander urgently. He instinctively stood, grabbing Isabella’s wrist. “Isabella, let me explain! What can I do to earn your forgiveness? Tell me. I’ll do anything to make this wedding happen. Anything.”
He spoke with desperate sincerity. Part of him truly didn’t want to let her go. He felt if he did, he’d never get her back. Also, it was better to pin the blame on Victoria. Their reputations were already tarnished. If Isabella forgave him, the public might move on. If she refused, they’d hate him, boycott him. He had to win her back, continue the ceremony.
Beside him, Victoria’s heart shattered. The man she loved was begging another woman right in front of her. He didn’t care about her feelings at all! She’d been slapped twice, yet he didn’t defend her. He didn’t want to confess their love. All he wanted was Isabella!
It drove her insane. She could no longer hold back. “Alexander, why are you begging her? Don’t you believe me either? Why would there be hidden cameras here? Why would she suddenly agree to marry you? It was all—”
“Enough!” Alexander cut her off furiously.
Lately, Isabella’s temper had softened. She’d given up many opportunities for him. So what if this was all Isabella’s plan? If Victoria hadn’t sought him out, hadn’t seduced him, why would he have done this on his wedding day? Victoria was useless. A constant disappointment. Alexander reached a conclusion. A final decision.
Alexander spun toward Victoria. “Apologize. Now. To Isabella.”
“Apologize? Alexander? Are you serious? You want me to apologize to her?” Victoria’s face drained of all color. She could fake remorse and play the victim on any other occasion. But not this one.
No.4
This was Isabella’s doing. These were clearly her traps, her schemes. And now she was supposed to apologize?
Alexander used to loathe Isabella just as much as she did. Why was he suddenly demanding this?
His gaze was unyielding. “Yes. When you make a mistake, you apologize. We shouldn’t be together. Let’s end it, right here, right now, in front of Isabella.”
This was the only way to salvage the wedding. The only way to control the damage.
He turned back to Isabella. “It’s true. Victoria and I made a terrible mistake. I am deeply sorry. If you’re concerned about your assets, we can sign a prenuptial agreement immediately.”
Madam Whitmore elbowed him sharply. “Don’t be a fool, Alexander! What are you saying? Isabella will forgive you once you’ve shown true remorse. We’re about to be family. Families don’t keep score like this. You’ll only make things more difficult. Isn’t that right, Isabella?” She offered Isabella a strained, hopeful smile.
Isabella’s expression remained cold. “Haven’t I been clear? I said I will never forgive you! I want nothing more to do with any of you. Ever!”
Victoria felt pure hatred burn through her. She wanted to lunge at Isabella and silence her forever. Alexander and his mother were already begging. Why was she still so arrogantly stubborn? Did she get off on torturing everyone? What more did she possibly want?
Flustered, Madam Whitmore turned to Eleanor. “Eleanor, please, talk some sense into your daughter. There’s no need to destroy our families’ bond over this. What good will it do? Think of the media frenzy. The headlines will be brutal.”
No.5
Eleanor and Richard Montgomery were seething. They couldn’t accept that their seemingly pure daughter was actually this deceitful and vile. Yet, they had to consider the bigger picture. If the wedding was truly called off, the fallout would be catastrophic. The family’s reputation was on the line.
Eleanor grasped Isabella’s hand, her voice pleading. “Isabella, your sister is absolutely at fault here. You can punish her any way you see fit. But there are too many reporters here today. Please, reconsider. Take back what you said.”
“You must understand you represent the entire Montgomery family,” Richard added sternly. He shot a disgusted glance at Victoria. “If the alliance with the Whitmores is broken, the consequences will be severe. And yes, Victoria made a colossal error. We will deal with her ourselves. You can oversee her punishment. But she is still family. If the world shames her, they shame all of us. Only your public forgiveness can limit the damage.”
Victoria listened in stunned disbelief. They weren’t concerned for her. They were worried about the stain she would leave on the family name. They were handing her over to Isabella for punishment. Isabella had already engineered her complete humiliation. Was she now to be Isabella’s plaything? To be tormented and degraded at her whim?
Victoria was utterly powerless.
Eleanor was now clutching Isabella’s arm, her desperation palpable. “Isabella, I’m begging you. Please. Remember I’m your mother. Remember I saved your life. Please, let this go. Let the wedding continue. Just tell everyone you forgive her. Please.”
Isabella was the last thread holding the Montgomerys and Whitmores together. Victoria was already a lost cause. If Isabella refused to forgive, the familial bond would shatter, incurring immense costs. Furthermore, without Isabella’s public declaration of forgiveness, Victoria would be torn apart by the court of public opinion. Her career would be over.
Eleanor was using the life debt as her final bargaining chip.
Isabella frowned, watching her mother debase herself for the sake of damage control. Correction: mostly for Victoria’s sake. Ultimately, even though Eleanor was heartbroken, it was because Victoria faced global scorn.
No.6
A stark contrast to five years ago, when Isabella was publicly vilified. Back then, Eleanor had remained completely silent.
Isabella remained silent as Theodore Montgomery stepped forward. “You must drop this, Isabella. For the good of the family. We can witness the prenup signing right now. Alexander will never dare to harm you again.”
He continued gravely, “Think about what happens if our alliance with the Whitmores collapses. If you ruin Alexander, the Whitmores will cut off our supply of their premium materials.”
The Whitmore family produced the finest construction materials in the industry. Prestige Builders, the Montgomery family's globally renowned development corporation, relied entirely on these superior supplies to maintain its reputation for excellence. Losing this partnership would be catastrophic. The Whitmores held all the power.
Isabella’s eyes narrowed. She was about to respond when…
“So this is how the Montgomerys and Whitmores handle their disputes. By blackmailing the victim.”
A cool, authoritative voice cut through the tension. Everyone turned. Nathaniel Blackwood stood in the hallway entrance. Impeccable in a custom-tailored suit, without a single crease. His polished shoes gleamed. He carried himself like royalty.
The crowd’s pulse quickened. He had heard everything.
Theodore moved quickly to explain. “You misunderstand, Mr. Blackwood. We are merely trying to avoid a public scandal.”
No.7
“Precisely,” Margaret Whitmore added, her tone placating. “As elders, we only want the best for our children. Isabella and Alexander have a long history together. We wish to see them happy.”
A small figure peeked out from behind Nathaniel. Oliver Blackwood’s wide, innocent eyes scanned the room. “But if it was your wedding day,” the boy asked, his voice clear and curious, “and your fiancé cheated with someone else, and tried to take all your money and maybe even hurt you… would you just let it go? Could you?”
His question hung in the air. It struck a chord, particularly with the women present. They glanced at their own partners, imagining the betrayal. The answer was a resounding no. They would never let it go. They would want vengeance.
Nathaniel’s voice was ice cold and definitive. “As an outside observer, I find this unacceptable. If the Whitmore family severs ties with the Montgomerys over this, the Blackwood Group will supply Prestige Builders with our materials. Indefinitely.”
A shockwave went through the room. Blackwood materials were legendary, reserved for international projects and elite clients. They had never supplied a local company. Was he openly taking Isabella’s side?
Alexander’s face darkened with fury. This was his wedding, his family’s business. Nathaniel had no right to interfere.
Theodore Montgomery slammed his cane on the floor. “Enough!” he declared, his voice ringing with finality. “This ends now. The wedding is canceled. No one will pressure Isabella further. The Whitmores will deal with Alexander’s discipline.”
He paused, his furious gaze landing on Victoria. “As for you… Pack your things. You are on a flight to Africa today. You will not return until this disgrace is forgotten.”
Africa?