Chapter 1249
No.1
Outside, Isabella secured her helmet and mounted her motorcycle. Her grand return wasn't meant for tonight. Staying would only invite more abuse for being 'the adopted one.' Only Grandpa Theodore ever showed her genuine kindness.
She returned for vengeance, not their scorn. Her official homecoming would be a spectacle. A celebration where they'd have no choice but to welcome her.
The powerful bike roared to life, carrying her from Westchester's heart toward the secluded villa district. The road grew quieter.
Her phone buzzed. Pulling over, she answered.
Heavy breathing came first. "Miss Montgomery! You've returned! Why didn't you inform us? We could have arranged proper transport. The boss has prepared a five-star suite—"
"Unnecessary," Isabella cut him off. "This is a private matter. I won't be staying long."
"But—"
"Contact you when it's settled. If you're idle, assist me with a task. Investigate every guest at The Ritz-Carlton on Valentine's Day, five years ago. Focus on all men present on the top floor that night."
That hotel. That night in 2015. It ruined her. She lost everything. She would find the man responsible. And make him pay.
No.2
"Understood, Miss Montgomery. I'll begin immediately," Maxwell Carter replied.
Call ended, Isabella revved the engine and sped off. Her mind was consumed with strategy, completely unaware of the dark van tailing her from a distance.
The villa sat just 800 meters outside Westchester's boundary, isolated and private. Usually, no outsiders came here.
It happened in a flash.
A deafening engine roar erupted behind her.
BAM!
The van slammed violently into her bike.
The impact launched her into the air. She crashed hard near the edge of a steep, treacherous slope.
Dazed and wounded, Isabella squeezed her eyes shut, scrambling for purchase on the loose gravel. It was useless. She tumbled down the sharp incline, rocks tearing at her clothes and skin. No trees broke her fall.
No.3
Below, her motorcycle lay shattered and smoking.
The van's driver jumped out, peering down the dangerous drop. His phone was already at his ear as he scanned the area where she vanished.
"Miss Kensington. Isabella went over the cliff. She fell."
"Find her! Now! I want her body! Dead or alive!"
Pain radiated from every part of Isabella's body at the bottom of the ravine. She needed a moment. Just a moment to breathe.
But noise from above shattered that hope. They were coming for her.
Anger flared, hot and sharp, cutting through the agony. She forced her mind to focus, scanning her surroundings with desperate urgency.
There. A cave, almost completely hidden by thick brush.
She dragged herself toward it, every movement pure torture. Inside the cool, dark silence, she collapsed against the rough wall, exhaling shakily.
No.4
The quiet was suddenly broken.
A soft, boyish voice called out, "Mommy? Mommy!"
Before Isabella could process it, a small, warm, mud-caked body crashed into her arms.
She looked down.
A small, round face stared up at her. Wide, watery doe eyes blinked.
Their gazes locked.
A strange warmth flooded Isabella's veins.
It felt like reuniting with someone precious after lifetimes apart.
Oliver clung to her desperately. His small hands gripped her shirt.
No.5
"I was chasing a kitten," he mumbled into her shoulder. "Then I found you, Mommy. The kitten ran away, but I found you instead!"
Isabella stiffened. Gently, she pried his fingers loose.
"I'm not your mother," she said softly. "Where are your parents? Let me take you to them."
His cheerful expression shattered. Pain twisted his features.
A heart-wrenching sob escaped him.
"Waa... My chest hurts..."
Guilt stabbed her. She released his collar instantly.
Before she could speak, he launched himself back into her arms.
"Hurts... Need hug... Mommy, hug me..." He burrowed deeper into her embrace.
No.6
Isabella froze. What kind of parents abandon such a vulnerable child?
A sinister rustle cut through her thoughts.
A snake, thick as her wrist, slithered from the shadows. Its target was Oliver's ankle.
Jet-black scales. Gleaming, venomous fangs.
A king cobra. One bite meant certain death.
"Look out!"
She snatched Oliver with one hand. Her other shot out, seizing the reptile mid-strike.
The sudden movement provoked it. The cobra twisted, sinking its fangs deep into her forearm.
White-hot pain lanced up her arm. She gritted her teeth against it.
No.7
Covering Oliver's eyes, she swung the snake violently. She smashed it against the cave wall.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The sound echoed harshly. The snake went limp, lifeless.
She hurled the carcass into the darkness.
The toxin worked fast. Her limbs grew heavy. Her vision blurred.
She slumped against the cold cave wall, strength draining away.
Her hand fell from Oliver's eyes.
"Mommy! Mommy! Don't scare Ollie!" His tiny voice was frantic with terror. "Please! Stay here! Ollie will get Daddy!"
He scrambled to his feet and bolted from the cave.