Chapter 127
No.1
Before he could process what he’d seen, she emerged with a thick ledger in hand.
She scanned the area quickly, then slipped away into the darkness.
Nathaniel’s eyes darkened.
She’d risked everything tonight just to steal a ledger?
Why did she need the Blackthorn Syndicate’s records?
The question burned in his mind.
He retreated swiftly, returning to the estate before she did.
He slid back into bed just moments before she re-entered the room.
Isabella paused inside the doorway, listening.
Both Nathaniel and Oliver were still asleep.
Relief washed over her.
No.2
She hadn’t been discovered.
She shed her dark clothing, then carried the ledger into the ensuite bathroom.
Inside were transaction records from five years earlier—the syndicate’s complete order history.
If she could find entries from around July of that year, she might identify the man Victoria had hired.
The man who’d ruined her.
And when she found him, she would make him pay.
Page by page, she began her search.
The ledger contained records spanning January through December from five years ago. Some entries detailed debt collection. Others involved revenge missions. A few were labeled as 'teaching lessons'. Several concerned information gathering. The Walkers clearly had diverse criminal operations.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached the July entries. A cold dread settled in her stomach. Her eyes scanned the page anxiously until they locked on one specific line:
February 13th. Client: Gabriella Martinez. Hired: Vincent Moreau. Target: Isabella Montgomery. Commission: $50,000.
Isabella's breath hitched. Vincent Moreau?
No.3
That was the man who had violated her?
She immediately accessed a global database on her phone. Her fingers flew across the screen with urgent precision. Within moments, a profile appeared.
The photo showed a coarse-faced man with dull, leathery skin and rotting yellow teeth.
Nausea twisted Isabella's stomach. This disgusting creature was the one Tiffany had hired? Her own sister had paid fifty thousand dollars for this subhuman filth to destroy her?
The paper crumpled in her white-knuckled grip. Her nails dug crescent moons into her palms.
She had expected some lowlife scum, but seeing his actual face made her physically ill. This repulsive monster had stolen her innocence? This vile animal had shattered her entire life?
She had trusted Victoria completely. Treated her like a real sister. Never once imagined harming her. Yet all along, Victoria had been plotting this unspeakable betrayal.
Isabella wanted to storm into Victoria's room and beat her to a pulp right now. But she forced herself to breathe. Not yet. The timing wasn't right. She needed to wait just one more month. Then she would destroy Victoria completely.
Taking several steadying breaths, she locked the ledger in her secure case. She stormed out of the room. The mansion stood silent, all staff asleep.
She grabbed a bottle of bourbon from the kitchen. The gaming room welcomed her with its familiar hum. She booted up the system and took a long swallow of whiskey. Since she couldn't unleash her rage physically, the digital world would suffer her wrath instead.
Her headphones muffled the outside world. Her fingers flew across the keyboard. The mouse clicked rapidly under her control. Her expression remained frozen in icy fury.
No.4
Nathaniel watched silently from the doorway. He observed her violent keyboard strikes. He saw the aggressive mouse movements. He noted the frequent, deep drinks of alcohol. Even from behind, her rage radiated like heat from a furnace.
What could have provoked such fury?
He had never seen Isabella in this state before. He considered entering, but decided against it. He simply stood guard, allowing her this catharsis.
Isabella played for hours, her anger fueling a bloody rampage through the game. She slaughtered everything in her path. Chaos erupted in the global chat.
Holy shit! Boss is insane tonight!
Teach me your ways!
I've never seen sniping like this! Best player in the country!
These moves... they remind me of Kill. The legend from five years ago.
Can't be. This is a new account. Probably not Kill...
Kill hasn't logged in for over four years! That player dominated everyone!
This Boss player is just as terrifying! Another pentakill! Unbelievable!
No.5
Players watched her character in awe.
Meanwhile...
Benjamin was also online, playing his own match. He kept seeing global notifications flash across his screen.
Congratulations to Boss for achieving 5 consecutive kills!
Congratulations to Boss for solo killing the Dragon!
[Congratulations to Boss for 10 consecutive victories!]
Benjamin frowned, his expression skeptical as he swiftly exited his current match to enter spectator mode. He observed a female sniper moving fluidly across the map, seamlessly transitioning between eliminating enemy soldiers and hunting monsters. The sniper even engaged other players without apparent provocation.
Snipers were typically the most fragile class, vulnerable to instant elimination. Yet this player utilized immunization boosts with flawless timing, evading every incoming attack. She consistently turned perilous situations into decisive victories, systematically eliminating all opposition.
Absolutely remarkable! Who could have imagined such lethal prowess from a vulnerable sniper class? The player records indicated a female gamer. A woman with this level of refined skill?
Benjamin immediately sent a direct message. "Hello. Interested in signing with Elite Gaming? Name your price."
He desperately wanted to recruit her, but received no response. The moment her match concluded, she immediately queued for another, as if driven by an insatiable bloodlust.
No.6
Many players had stopped participating altogether, choosing instead to spectate her matches. The Eternal Champions forum erupted into chaos, with the player ID 'Boss' rapidly becoming everyone's new obsession. Isabella played relentlessly through the night while drinking, unaware the liquor contained 80% alcohol content. After finishing the bottle, her eyelids grew heavy until she finally collapsed asleep at the desk.
Only then did Nathaniel—who had been observing from the doorway—enter the room. He powered down the computer and gathered Isabella into his arms.
Completely intoxicated, her body went limp as clay, boneless and pliant. Even unconscious, her brows remained slightly furrowed, troubled by some unseen distress. Nathaniel settled her onto the bed and gently drew the covers over her.
He sat on the edge of the mattress, watching her with concerned eyes. What was he to do with this little wildcat?
Isabella slept restlessly, haunted by dreams of that night five years earlier. A powerfully built body pressed against hers, mountainous and unyielding. She struggled to open her eyes, to see his face, but exhaustion overwhelmed her.
"No...! Stop...!"
A agonized whimper escaped her lips, fragile as a kitten fallen into a well.
Nathaniel's expression darkened. What trauma caused her such pain? His mind connected the fragments he knew: Victoria's attack on Isabella five years ago; Victoria facing prison because of it; the scandal that would ruin them all if exposed.
Unless...
A terrible suspicion formed in his mind.
Isabella moaned in distress, "Don't... release me...!"
No.7
Nathaniel's face grew stormy. He lay beside her, wrapping her in his arms while gently stroking her back. With his free hand, he retrieved his phone and texted Dominic. "Investigate what happened to Isabella five years ago."
Though he'd promised not to interfere, witnessing her torment made inaction impossible. He prayed the investigation wouldn't confirm his fears.
Cradling her head against his chest, he murmured soft assurances. "Don't be afraid, Isabella. I'm here."
His deep voice resonated through her, gradually soothing her back into calm sleep. Nathaniel remained awake all night, his mind racing through possibilities. With Dominic's efficiency, results would arrive by morning, revealing Isabella's past.
If his suspicions proved true...
Isabella Montgomery slept deeply for what felt like an eternity.
Her eyes fluttered open to an opulent ceiling.
What was she resting against?
She turned her head.
Nathaniel Blackwood lay beside her.