Chapter 1159
No.1
"Excellent!" Uncle Lawrence exclaimed. "I adore this name!"
The three men nodded in agreement with Lawrence Chamberlain's statement.
Eternal Champions was a worldwide game that required team formations. The top-ranked player would earn the coveted title 'Eternal Sovereign'.
The game interface clearly displayed the current highest-ranked player as Takashi Yamamoto from Westhaven, though he was offline at that moment.
Competitive gaming was their specialty, and they vastly outperformed players from Westchester. Only one Westchester player had made it into Eternal Champions' global top ten, while five hailed from Westhaven.
Isabella Montgomery opened Takashi Yamamoto's profile and clicked a specific button: [Challenge]
The 'challenge' feature was a unique aspect of Eternal Champions, permitting players to challenge anyone provided they staked a cash deposit. If the challenger lost, the money was forfeited.
Isabella deposited one hundred million.
Instantly, Eternal Champions' global chat flooded with reactions to the challenge.
No.2
[OMG! Someone just staked one hundred million to challenge Takashi Yamamoto!]
[This is only the second challenge against Takashi Yamamoto in five years!]
[The last challenger was 'kill', but that user vanished. Probably dead by now.]
[This is a new player! So audacious! What makes them think they can challenge the Eternal Sovereign?]
[That's one hundred million. Incredibly bold!]
The four elderly men seated behind Isabella simply smiled. They knew their Isabella always possessed such daring.
Besides, Takashi Yamamoto stood no chance of winning that money. Isabella could obliterate him effortlessly!
Unfortunately, Takashi Yamamoto remained offline that night. As the hour grew late, Isabella turned to them. "You should all get some rest. I'll update you when I hear back."
"Absolutely not! I came prepared to pull an all-nighter! I even brought my supplements!" Silas Granger produced an ordinary-looking pill and swallowed it.
No.3
"We already settled this," Isabella sighed. "It's very late."
"Settled? We have more urgent matters. Didn't I have Maxwell speak to you recently? What's your answer?" Lawrence Chamberlain pressed.
Isabella was taken aback. "Huh?"
"See? You didn't even notice William checks on you constantly!" Silas Granger said indignantly.
Isabella felt a jolt of alarm. They were here to pressure her into marrying Frederick Ashford!
"That... Ah! I'm exhausted, I really need to sleep..."
She stood to leave, but the four men blocked her path and firmly reseated her.
Reginald Thornton spoke gravely. "Isabella, we've learned about your developments with Nathaniel Blackwood since your return. Nathaniel is undoubtedly a good man, worthy of you, but his family is far too chaotic."
"Precisely. Consider the situation with the child. He isn't accepted by the rest of the Blackwood family. Marrying Nathaniel would make you a stepmother. Furthermore, Nathaniel's parents won't make things easy for you. It will be difficult."
No.4
"You'll be dragged into their toxic dynamics. You won't have time to realize your full potential! Such a waste, don't you agree?"
"Additionally, a mysterious force is monitoring the Blackwoods. Even we haven't been able to identify them. Being with Nathaniel won't be simple."
The four men spoke in rapid succession.
Isabella frowned. "A mysterious force? How do you know about that?"
"Because we care about you. We exhausted all resources investigating the Blackwoods. Beyond their business rivals and internal family conflicts, a mysterious force was involved five years ago with unknown motives. This same force delivered Christopher to Nathaniel," Silas Granger explained.
Isabella's eyes darkened. "Mysterious force? Didn't Christopher come from a surrogate mother?"
Nathaniel himself said Christopher was from a surrogate. What did a mysterious force have to do with it?
Lawrence let out a heavy sigh. “How can someone so brilliant be so blind about this? Do you honestly believe that child came from a surrogate? If that were true, why would his own grandparents despise him so deeply?”
Isabella’s pulse quickened. So Christopher wasn’t born from a surrogate after all?
No.5
Had Nathaniel been hiding the truth from her?
The way Lawrence spoke suggested Christopher’s birth was shrouded in secrets.
“That surrogate story was just a cover fabricated by the Blackwoods,” Alistair explained. “Five years ago, an unknown force orchestrated Nathaniel’s encounter with a mysterious woman. That same winter, Christopher was delivered to the hospital where Sebastian was being treated. The timing was too perfect to be coincidence. But what does it matter if the child was given to the Blackwoods? The mother could have been anyone. A family of their status would never accept her.”
“Nathaniel’s parents assumed Christopher’s mother was some common woman. Perhaps a prostitute or a gold digger trying to trap their son. That’s why they resented the boy. They refused to acknowledge him as family.”
Everything suddenly made sense to Isabella. Now she understood why Nathaniel always hesitated and avoided eye contact whenever she asked about Christopher’s mother. He had been keeping secrets. No wonder the Blackwoods treated Christopher with such contempt and rejection.
Was this the real reason behind everything?
“A man as powerful as Nathaniel was set up?” Isabella’s voice held disbelief.
“Exactly! This is why William is the better choice! He’s a good man who has always been faithful to you!” Reginald insisted enthusiastically.
Silas nodded in agreement, immediately switching to matchmaker mode. “He’s right! Men like William are rare treasures these days! You won’t find another even if you search with a spotlight! Isabella, you must choose carefully!”
No.6
“What choice is there? It has to be William! Nathaniel’s family is too complicated, and there’s some mysterious force involved! Too dangerous!” Lawrence declared, slamming his hand on the table for emphasis.
Among the four elders, Alistair remained silent, watching Isabella intently. He trusted that a smart woman like her would make the right decision.
However…
A beautiful smile curved Isabella’s lips. “Exactly! William is too good for me. I would only end up hurting him. Someone like me belongs with a man like Nathaniel.”
Her smile widened as she spoke Nathaniel’s name. A deep sense of relief shone in her eyes.
The four elderly men stared at her in stunned silence. Had they heard correctly? Did she just choose Nathaniel?
“Isabella, are you feeling unwell?” Lawrence reached out to check her forehead.
Given her ruthless reputation in the gaming world, how could Isabella accept a man who had slept with another woman? They knew her carefree nature well—she had always prioritized her freedom above all else. She wanted to live without constraints after achieving her revenge. Choosing Nathaniel would mean stepping into endless complications!
“I’m perfectly fine! My mind has never been clearer!” Isabella argued. “I was hesitant before because I didn’t want to hurt Nathaniel. But now I know he was set up, just like I was forced into that situation with another man. We’re perfectly matched, don’t you think?”
No.7
The four men recoiled in shock.
“Isabella! What kind of logic is that?!”
“How can you call this a perfect match? This is like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse!”
“If you choose Nathaniel, you’ll be dragged into his family’s mess! Do you really have time for that drama?”
“And what about this mysterious force? Nathaniel has been searching for answers for five years with no success. No one knows their motives. You could get hurt!”
“Visible threats are manageable. Hidden enemies are the real danger. You cannot take this gamble! Don’t act recklessly!”
The four elderly men attempted to dissuade Isabella from her chosen path.
Isabella remained resolute, offering only a faint smile. “I appreciate your concern. But I am not foolish. I can protect myself. And if I cannot, I have all of you. I also have Maxwell and his team.”
Her words made her choice clear. She had chosen Nathaniel.