Chapter 1276
No.1
Instead of capitalizing on the moment to build goodwill, she posted...this?! Her obsession with making Alexander eat sh*t was truly something else. But this was Isabella. Expecting anything conventional was a mistake.
Julian swiftly changed the subject. “William Kensington called earlier. He wants you to come home. Your thoughts?”
“Why would I miss such entertaining drama?” A smirk played on Isabella’s lips.
Over at Montgomery Manor, the family was assembled in the grand living room.
Senior William Kensington slammed his hands on the ornate table. “Sophia Kensington! How could you?!”
“You are a Kensington! Have you no shame, throwing yourself at Diamond Prince Harrison Winslow? You’ve disgraced this entire family! All of Westchester is laughing at us!”
“Grandfather, this is Isabella’s fault! She set me up! If she owns the Gray Diamond Empire, why keep it a secret? Why let me host that press conference?!” Sophia stood her ground, defiance in her eyes.
“How dare you!” William’s fury erupted. He grabbed a teacup and hurled it directly at her head. “Did you ask her before publishing that photo? You posted it! You tried to seduce the Prince and pinned it on her! You deserve every bit of this humiliation! She’d be justified if she wanted you dead!”
“Ah!” Sophia cried out. The shattered porcelain had cut her forehead. Blood trickled down.
No.2
She pressed a hand to the wound, her anger boiling over. “Grandfather, have you lost your mind? Isabella is adopted! I am your real granddaughter! Why do you always take her side?!”
“Take her side? You feel no remorse?!” William roared, turning to the butler. “Reginald! Prepare the family punishment.”
The Kensington family punishment was thirty lashes. The whip was barbed. It tore the skin, leaving permanent scars.
Penelope Sinclair—Sophia’s mother—rushed forward, shielding her daughter. “Father, please! She’s young and foolish! I will discipline her! Victoria, say something! Your grandfather listens to you. Do you want to see your cousin whipped?”
Victoria Kensington cherished her kind image, but this was serious. She wanted no part of it.
Yet Penelope had dragged her in.
She had no choice but to step forward. “Sophia, just apologize to Grandfather. You were in the wrong this time.”
“I was wrong? All of you blame me! But do you see how vicious Isabella is? We saw her today! We told her about the press conference! She said nothing! She didn’t stop us! She planned this to destroy me!”
“And after all these years we raised her! She hid the diamond mine from us! She didn’t give a single penny to this family! She kept everything for herself!”
No.3
“Why defend someone so heartless and ungrateful? She’s just an adopted stray! She doesn’t deserve your sympathy!” Sophia raged, her voice shaking.
The others in the room frowned slightly. But the diamond mine profits concerned them far more than the scandal.
Isabella was adopted by the Kensingtons. Surely the diamond mine rightfully belonged to the family?
Isabella Montgomery stood silently, her gentle nature usually hidden beneath a calm exterior. But when it came to Sophia Kensington, her protective instincts surged fiercely.
She stepped forward, her voice soft yet unwavering. "Father, I understand Sophia's actions were unacceptable. But she wasn't entirely wrong in her feelings. We've cared for Isabella all these years. Shouldn't there be some acknowledgment? That diamond mine she discovered... Even if she chooses not to share it, shouldn't she have at least informed us?"
"Precisely," Gregory Kensington declared, his voice booming across the room. The second son of the Kensington family never missed an opportunity to express his opinions. "It's like forgetting the hands that fed you. Not only has she forgotten, but she's also biting those very hands!"
The atmosphere grew thick with condemnation toward Isabella.
Victoria Kensington saw her chance to play the compassionate mediator. She moved gracefully toward William Kensington, the family patriarch. "This isn't entirely fair," she interjected softly. "We can't blame Isabella for her secrecy. She never felt connected to us. But she would have told Grandfather."
She poured tea into William's cup with practiced elegance. "Grandfather always showed her such kindness. She respected him deeply. It doesn't make sense that she would keep this from him." Victoria's voice took on a coaxing tone. "Grandfather, isn't that true? Please tell them Isabella confided in you."
No.4
William's expression tightened. Speak for Isabella? Say what?
This was a massive discovery, yet she had never mentioned it. All these years, he had worried about her solitary life in Africa. He had instructed Reginald Thornton to monitor her wellbeing. He reserved those fifteen percent shares for her, protecting her interests against family pressure.
And Isabella...
Victoria noticed his hesitation. A flicker of triumph crossed her eyes, quickly masked by feigned concern. "Grandfather? Don't tell me she kept you in the dark as well?"
Before William could respond, Eleanor Kensington cut in sharply. "The audacity! Everyone knows how well you treated her. How could she hide something so important from you? This is unbelievable!"
"She's spread her wings now," Gregory sneered. "She wants to fly far away from us. Why would she share her wealth or her diamond mine?"
Emboldened by the family's outrage, Sophia looked at William with wounded eyes. "Grandfather, she doesn't value you. Why do you still defend her?"
"I may be impulsive, but I am your true granddaughter. Your blood flows in my veins. I've always used my allowance to buy you gifts."
"And Isabella? What has she ever done for you? Will you really punish me for someone who doesn't consider you family?"
No.5
William's mind drifted to memories of Sophia. Arrogant, yes, but she always showed him respect. Isabella, on the other hand...
In his advanced years, material wealth meant little. He craved genuine affection from his grandchildren. For five years, Isabella had sent no word. He had always treated his adopted granddaughter as his own. But did she ever see him as her grandfather?
"Who claims I don't consider Grandfather family?"
A clear, resonant voice echoed from the doorway. All heads turned. Isabella Montgomery stood there, her posture regal. She wore a crimson high-waisted dress that accentuated her slender figure and endless legs. She was, as always, breathtakingly stunning.
Jealousy coiled in Victoria's gut. Why did Isabella have to be so flawlessly beautiful? Victoria would give anything to shatter that perfect face and break those elegant legs.
She suppressed her venom and approached Isabella with false warmth. "Isabella, you've arrived just in time. Please, explain everything to Grandfather. I'm sure you had your reasons for cutting contact. I believe you had reasons for not telling him about the diamond mine. Grandfather always favored you. If you explain, he will understand."
Her words were crafted to seem supportive, but they only fueled the family's anger. Even William looked at Isabella with profound disappointment and hurt.
Isabella positioned herself at the room's center, facing their accusatory glares. Her sharp gaze swept over the assembly before settling on Victoria and Sophia. "Are you both certain I made no contact with Grandfather these past five years?" Her voice was laced with icy mockery.
Her intense stare made Sophia shift uncomfortably. A flash of guilt appeared in Sophia's eyes before she defiantly lifted her chin. "Are we mistaken? Grandfather knows the truth! Tell them, Grandfather! Did Isabella ever call? Did she ever send a gift? You worried constantly. You sent her money regularly. And she shows nothing but ingratitude!"
No.6
As anticipated, William's eyes clouded with deeper disappointment. His disillusionment with Isabella was now painfully visible.
Victoria watched with satisfaction as her grandfather’s expression darkened.
She maintained her innocent facade. “Sophia, please don’t say that. I’m sure Isabella didn’t mean it. She must have been overwhelmed with her diamond ventures and simply forgot to call Grandpa. Grandpa, please don’t be upset.”
Her words only deepened the gloomy atmosphere.
Busy? More like deliberately neglectful! William’s disappointment was palpable.
Isabella observed the performance between Sophia and Victoria with detached amusement. She looked like a queen being entertained by court jesters. “Are you two finished?”
She lifted her chin, a faint smirk playing on her lips. “Over the past five years, I attempted to contact Grandpa one hundred and ten times. Every call was blocked. I sent ten gifts. None reached him. I even tried emailing. Each message was intercepted by a hacker. How dare you question why I didn’t reach out?”
Her words were sharp and deliberate, each one landing with precision. She produced a thick stack of documents and flung them toward Sophia and Victoria.
The papers scattered in the air, evidence fluttering down for all to see. Purchase records. Mailing receipts. Call logs. All meticulously documented. Proof of deliberate interference. Photos of Sophia and her assistant Lillian collecting the gifts and discarding them.
No.7
The room froze, captivated by the damning evidence mid-air. Sophia’s face drained of all color.
How was this possible? How did Isabella uncover everything? And with such concrete proof?
William examined the falling documents. Understanding dawned. His face flushed crimson, his mustache quivering with rage. “Good. Very well! Sophia Kensington, you dared to do this behind my back? Reginald, fetch the whip. Make it sting!”
Not wishing to delay, Reginald produced a long, thorn-studded whip. It gleamed under the light, dried bloodstains still visible on its cruel barbs.
Terror seized Sophia. Her legs turned to jelly. “Grandpa, it wasn’t me!” she whimpered weakly. “She fabricated all of this! It’s lies!”
“Whip her. Now! Use all your strength!” William turned away, refusing to listen.
Seeing her beloved daughter facing such a brutal punishment, Penelope rushed forward. “Father, please! Forgive her! Just this once! She didn’t mean any harm!”
“Anyone who pleads for her will share her punishment,” William declared coldly.
Penelope fell silent. A desperate idea sparked in her eyes. She turned to Victoria. “Victoria, my dear niece, please! Speak for her! She’s never been beaten! She treasures her appearance! There will be scars!”