Chapter 1245
No.1
Now she was committed to daily meetings?
She couldn’t refuse, though. Not with Oliver’s happy face seared into her memory.
“Don’t worry,” she said, her tone clipped. “I’ll keep my word. I’ll message you the time and place for our meetings. Wait for my instructions.”
What she really meant was she did not want them showing up unannounced. Their relationship was on unstable ground. She didn’t want anyone else knowing about it yet.
Nathaniel saw right through her. His eyes darkened.
After a while, Isabella zipped up the suitcase. She headed for the garage without looking back.
She could feel two pairs of eyes burning into her. But she didn’t dare turn around.
She knew if she looked back, she would miss them too much to leave.
As she got on her motorcycle, she caught their reflection in the rearview mirror.
No.2
A tall, imposing man and a small boy.
Nathaniel stood with one hand in his pocket, the picture of elegant perfection. Yet the air around him was heavy and tense.
Oliver watched her with wide, watery eyes. His little cheeks were puffed out, looking like he might burst into tears at any second.
A painful squeeze clenched Isabella’s heart. She felt suffocated.
She wanted to run back to them. To forget about everything else.
But her rationality held her firmly in place.
No. She couldn’t go back.
Not yet.
She needed time. Time to see Nathaniel’s true feelings regarding Sophia.
No.3
After what Alexander had put her through, she craved a relationship that was pure. Simple. Free of complications.
Besides, she would still see them every day. It wasn’t a real separation.
Before she could fix the mess with her own family, Nathaniel needed to resolve his past with Sophia. If he truly loved her…
Isabella could only hope that was the case.
Nathaniel watched the motorcycle vanish down the winding road.
He turned to face Oliver, who was pouting with clear displeasure.
"You would have been finished, Daddy, if I hadn't stepped in. You need to fix everything with that woman. I won't call you Daddy again until you do."
"Don't worry." Nathaniel ruffled his son's hair, his voice firm. His mind was set. Everything he felt for Sophia was just guilt.
Dominic returned just then, carrying a stack of files. "Mr. Blackwood, our investigation confirms everything Ms. Sophia stated. She currently lives with her parents in Willowbrook. Their conditions are... difficult."
No.4
Because Sophia had a child out of wedlock, the villagers had shunned her. They hurled insults and looked down on her. No one would marry her. No one offered her family any help. She used her wages from The Grand Mariner to support her parents. Their life was a constant struggle.
Dominic continued. "I've collected her blood sample. We'll have the drug composition analyzed shortly. I also obtained strands of her hair. Should I send it for DNA testing?"
Nathaniel scanned the documents and gave a single nod. Even with the evidence, a DNA test was essential. "Have Sebastian handle this personally."
This matter was too important. There was no room for error.
"Yes, Sir." Dominic nodded and prepared to leave.
Nathaniel stopped him, a new thought occurring. "Her living and working conditions need immediate improvement."
The report mentioned Sophia lived in a dilapidated tile house. It was so old it threatened to collapse at any moment.
Dominic understood the unspoken order. He left to make the arrangements.
Oliver's pout deepened. "I don't like how nice you're being to this Auntie!"
No.5
"Ollie, it's not about being nice. It's about repaying a debt. I can only fix things once the debt is cleared." His voice was rough, thick with emotion.
Oliver grunted in acknowledgment, still mumbling under his breath. "I still don't like it..."
Nathaniel frowned. Children had sharp instincts. If Sophia was truly his mother, why did Oliver feel nothing for her? Was it because he had spent too much time with Isabella?
He didn't linger on the thought.
Maxwell, watching from the shadows, was equally puzzled. The investigations by Isabella's uncles had pointed to a secret plot against Nathaniel. How did it lead back to this seemingly helpless woman?
And if Sophia was the woman from that night, why had all the data and video footage vanished? Their best technicians couldn't recover a single trace.
How could a weak, harmless woman possess that kind of power?
He called Silas to report his findings.
He was met with Silas's cheerful response. "So you're saying Nathaniel's first love has returned?"
No.6
"Yes, but something feels off about it..."
"What's off? It doesn't matter if something's off! Nathaniel was never right for Isabella anyway! Now that his old flame is back, things will work out. This gives William a real chance! Maxwell, I'm warning you: Don't tell Isabella things she doesn't need to know. Just do your job." Silas's tone was stern, leaving no room for argument.
Maxwell still felt he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle, but it eluded him. He reconsidered. Nathaniel was a businessman with countless enemies and a complicated family. William was a researcher from a respectable, scholarly family with a clean reputation.
"Understood. Don't worry. I also believe Boss Montgomery needs a gentle, uncomplicated man," Maxwell replied.
Meanwhile, Isabella sped away from Rosewood Manor on her motorcycle.
She called Maxwell as she rode. "Prepare five billion. Any news from the doctors you contacted?"
"Don't worry, Boss Montgomery. They've already responded. They will visit Benjamin today," Maxwell informed her.
Isabella felt a wave of relief. She continued her ride.
After a long distance, she spotted two familiar figures waiting at a bus stop.
No.7
They were Eleanor and Richard.
With the Montgomery family bankrupt, they no longer owned any vehicles. Public transportation was their only option now. They had taken the bus to see Isabella.
The bus stop was a thirty-minute walk from Rosewood Manor.
Eleanor and Richard felt a deep sense of shame and discomfort when they spotted Isabella. This level of poverty was entirely new to them; they had never experienced such hardship in their entire lives.
They never imagined Isabella would witness them at their absolute lowest point…
Isabella’s grip on the bicycle handles tightened. She paused for a brief second. Then, she pedaled away swiftly. She did not even glance in their direction, treating them like complete strangers.
Did she feel sorry for them? Not in the slightest.
During Isabella’s first year of middle school, Richard had slapped her. The reason was trivial—she had accidentally dropped ice cream on Victoria in the car. As punishment, he forced her to take public transit for an entire month.
They attended the most exclusive private school in Westchester. Every student came from an immensely wealthy family. Luxury vehicles were the norm. Some even arrived in rare, limited-edition cars. Victoria was chauffeured in a custom white sedan.