Chapter 1307
No.1
One after another, they dropped to the ground beside the luxury cars.
They rolled around, clutching their middles, moaning and crying in distress.
The hall descended into chaos.
The air was filled with the sounds of suffering.
Isabella watched the models fall around her.
A deep frown etched onto her face.
‘This isn’t good,’ she thought. ‘Trouble is here.’
Within seconds, everyone collapsed to the floor in agony.
Victoria Kensington was among them. She writhed on the ground, clutching her stomach weakly. Her cries were pitiful. "It hurts... Please, someone help..." Beads of sweat covered her forehead. Her suffering appeared genuine.
No.2
The event organizers sprang into action. Archibald Worthington barked orders. "Cut the music! Get medical assistance now!"
The background music ceased abruptly. Assistants rushed to reorganize the stage. They leveled the platforms that were previously set at varying heights.
Isabella Montgomery moved first. She approached the nearest model kneeling beside her. It was Genevieve Laurent! Genevieve had curled into a fetal position. She glared at Isabella with pure hatred. But the pain was too severe. She couldn't form any words.
Isabella reached out. She checked Genevieve's forehead. She felt for a pulse.
Genevieve's assistant saw this and shoved Isabella away. "Who do you think you are? A doctor? Get away from her!"
The push caught Isabella off balance. She fell to the floor. She didn't seem bothered. She sat casually, one leg bent. Her hand rested loosely on her knee. "Relax. It's acute food poisoning. Halophilic bacteria. It'll pass in two days."
Camille Laurent didn't understand the medical terms. She saw Isabella's calm demeanor and snapped. "You're not in any pain! Look at them! They're suffering!"
"Exactly. Stop pretending you know anything. Just shut up," another assistant joined in, this one from Seraphina Delacroix's team. The hostility toward Isabella was palpable.
Nathaniel Blackwood had already coordinated with the organizers. He ensured the audience was escorted out. His gaze found Isabella. He turned to Sebastian Blackwood. "Go. Check on them. Now."
No.3
"Why? It's not my sister-in-law who's sick. Don't you have other doctors for this?" Sebastian teased, remaining seated. He was a doctor but notoriously selective with patients.
Nathaniel's voice was low. "That's precisely why it's complicated."
Sebastian's smirk vanished. He understood the implication. He rushed forward immediately. He examined each supermodel, noting their symptoms. His expression turned grave. "It's acute food poisoning. Caused by halophilic bacteria."
Camille heard the term again. "What is halophilic bacteria?"
"Vibrio parahaemolyticus," Sebastian explained professionally. "A gram-negative bacillus. Thrives in salty environments. Can survive over forty-seven days in seawater. Causes severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. It's a popular choice on the black market. Tasteless. Easy to store. Not lethal, but excruciatingly painful."
A wave of shock passed through the group. "So this wasn't accidental? We were poisoned on purpose?"
"Who... who would do this to all of us?"
"We barely ate anything today..."
The models lay weakly in their assistants' arms, murmuring their fears. Suddenly, Seraphina Delacroix gasped. "The strawberries... We all ate the strawberries..."
No.4
Strawberries!
"That's right! Beatrice Holloway brought them..."
"But we all ate them. Why is Isabella completely fine?" Isadora Vasquez's weak voice cut through the murmurs.
Every eye in the room turned to Isabella. Amid the chaos of contorted, crying faces, she alone sat composed and unaffected. She looked utterly unperturbed.
Victoria's face paled. She quickly turned to Isadora. "Don't say such things! It can't be my sister! I know we've had our issues, but she would never do this!"
"You're right..." Isadora replied meekly.
But the seed of suspicion was planted. The other models had heard. Their distrust grew visibly. Seraphina Delacroix glared at Isabella, her voice accusing. "Isabella. It was you... You did this! Didn't you? Because we all bullied you! This is your revenge!"
“It’s absolutely her! She planned this humiliation all along!” Victoria Kensington’s voice was a venomous hiss. Pain twisted her features into something grotesque.
Isabella Montgomery met the accusing stares without flinching. A cold clarity washed over her. Now she understood Victoria’s sudden interest in the Auto Show. This was a meticulously laid trap. Every poisoned model pointed a finger directly at her…
No.5
Her expression remained unreadable. “Accusations require evidence,” she stated, her voice cutting through the tension. “Without it, you’re committing slander. I will not hesitate to pursue legal action.” Her tone was ice, leaving no room for argument.
A collective gasp rippled through the room. Victoria feigned weakness, her voice a fragile whisper. “She’s right… We need proof. I know my sister… She could never do this.” She then turned pleading eyes toward Nathaniel Blackwood and Archibald Worthington. “Mr. Blackwood, Mr. Worthington… Everyone is still here. The investigation must start immediately.”
“The strawberries were eaten recently. Evidence might still be found. The container… other clues… Please, call the police. We must clear my sister’s name…” She coughed violently, pretending to fight through agony for Isabella’s sake.
Gabriella Martinez rushed to support her. “Victoria, don’t speak! Save your strength!”
Isabella suppressed an eye-roll. The performance was nauseating. A wolf playing the sacrificial lamb. This move was clever. It discredited Isabella and simultaneously won the sympathy of the other models.
Seraphina Delacroix’s agent shouted, “Yes, involve the police! Find who did this to my Seraphina!”
“We demand justice!” another model cried out.
Eunice Kerr’s replacement, Genevieve Laurent, glared at Nathaniel. “This happened at your event! If you protect the guilty party, our fans will ruin you!”
Nathaniel’s face darkened. His gaze turned dangerously cold. “The police will be called. Not because of your threats. But to find the truth.” His piercing eyes briefly landed on Victoria, seeing through her facade. He gave a slight nod to his assistant, Julian Prescott, who immediately pulled out his phone.
No.6
A chill ran down Victoria’s spine. Nathaniel’s gaze always felt like it could strip her soul bare. Could he know? ‘No. Impossible,’ she reassured herself. Her plan was flawless. Days of meticulous preparation left no trace. The police would find nothing pointing to her. Everything would lead back to Isabella.
‘Just wait, Isabella. Your future is behind bars,’ she thought, a hidden smirk forming behind her mask of pain. She bowed her head, pretending to be overcome by illness.
The police arrived swiftly after the call. A thorough investigation commenced backstage and in the main hall. Everyone who touched the strawberries was a suspect. Test strips were used on fingertips to detect poison residue.
Nothing was found.
Suddenly, Gabriella blurted out, “Isabella must be tested too! She handled the strawberries first! She had the perfect opportunity—”
“Gabriella! Stop!” Victoria frantically tried to pull her back, putting on a show. “Don’t listen to her! She’s talking nonsense! My sister is not a suspect! She doesn’t need to be tested…”
Officer Donovan Pierce stepped forward, test strip in hand. “Anyone who had contact will be tested.” He moved toward Isabella. A sense of foreboding settled in her gut…
Isabella Montgomery was forced into a chair. Her eyes widened as Officer Donovan Pierce approached.
He extended the test strip toward her. "Ms. Montgomery," he instructed, "briefly pinch this with your fingers."
No.7
The strip was partially damp, embedded with complex components. Any trace of halophilic bacteria on her skin would trigger a color change from white to purple.
The crowd turned on her, voices sharp with accusation. "You claimed innocence! Hurry up and do it!"
"Where's that arrogance now? Prove it!"
"Scared? We need to see the results!"
The taunts grew into a deafening roar. Cornered, Isabella had no choice. She reached out. Her fingers squeezed the strip.
It turned purple immediately.
She was guilty. The evidence was on her fingertips.
"I knew it! It's her! She's pure evil!"
"Just over some petty arguments? How could she poison us?"