Chapter 1318
No.1
The force of the blow sent Victoria stumbling to the floor.
Eleanor rushed to Victoria’s side immediately.
She helped her up, glaring furiously at Isabella. “Isabella! How could you be so cruel! Gabriella is the one who framed you! Victoria is your sister! She has been defending you this whole time! She apologized to you! How could you strike her!”
“Mother… It’s alright… Really, I’m fine… I’m not hurt…” Victoria clutched her reddening cheek, tears still flowing. “It is my fault. I failed to see the truth sooner. I failed to control Gabriella. I share the blame. If she wishes to hit me, she may. I deserve it. It might ease my guilt…”
Her portrayal of distress and remorse instantly won the sympathy of the crowd.
Mutterings began to spread through the onlookers.
“Poor Victoria. She was dragged into this by her own agent.”
“Isabella is too harsh. Look, Victoria’s lip is bleeding. Look at those finger marks on her face. Tsk, tsk…”
“She was only locked up for a few days. It’s not like she suffered greatly. Victoria has apologized profusely. Why hit her with such force…”
No.2
Isabella’s gaze remained icy.
In this world, those who cried often received what they wanted.
But Isabella was not a crier.
Was she meant to play the villain simply because she refused to shed tears?
No.
She might not have the power to defeat every evil, but she certainly knew how to handle those who pretended to be victims.
She looked at Victoria with undisguised scorn.
She let out a cold, derisive laugh. “Alright, that’s enough acting. My friend still possesses a complete record of your conversations with Gabriella. If you continue this charade, I will not hesitate to ensure you join her in prison.”
Victoria’s face froze instantly.
No.3
The tears that had been welling in her eyes stopped falling abruptly.
Isabella had a copy of her chats with Gabriella!
This… This was catastrophic!
This would utterly destroy her!
Victoria’s entire body went rigid.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Muttered whispers began to ripple through the crowd.
Why had Victoria suddenly stopped crying? She was sobbing hysterically just moments ago. Did she feel guilty now?
Seeing the situation shift, Isadora stepped forward. “This is my fault. It has nothing to do with Victoria. She has always taught me to be a better person and repeatedly told me not to harm Isabella. But you’ve all witnessed how vicious Isabella can be. She never treated Victoria like a sister. She either hit her or verbally abused her constantly. I acted out of momentary rage. There’s no point in explaining further. Arrest me. Charge me. I accept full responsibility.”
No.4
Isadora’s performance seemed utterly sincere and believable.
Yet everyone had seen Victoria’s reaction. Her sudden silence was deeply suspicious. Wasn’t she clearly guilty too?
Isadora was obviously taking the fall for her!
An officer finally spoke. “Alright, Isabella is free to go. Victoria and Isadora, you will both remain to give your official statements.”
Isabella’s handcuffs were removed. Another officer moved to detain Victoria.
Victoria’s face had lost all color. The suspicion in the room was palpable. She didn’t dare play the victim again after Isabella’s sharp accusations. She had no choice but to go with the officers.
“Wait.” A cold, commanding voice cut through the noise.
Isabella’s gaze locked onto Victoria. “There is a signed agreement stating the responsible party must pay each model ten million dollars. Victoria, since you’ve essentially admitted fault, shouldn’t you be the one paying this sum on your agent’s behalf?”
Victoria froze. Eleven models. One hundred and ten million dollars total. There was no way Isadora could ever afford that.
No.5
Isadora was her closest ally and was sacrificing herself for her. Whether out of friendship or to ensure Isadora’s silence, Victoria had to pay. She was trapped.
But Victoria didn’t have a diamond mine like Isabella. All the money she’d earned modeling had been spent on her lavish lifestyle and currying favor with the Montgomery family.
She held family shares, but they were untouchable. Liquidating them was impossible.
Paying 110 million dollars would completely wipe out her entire savings. She would be left with nothing.
The eleven affected models immediately began to protest.
“Yes, the agreement was signed! We must be paid!”
“I can’t believe we were manipulated like this. It’s disgusting! It feels like swallowing a fly!”
“Pay up now! If you won’t, then Isadora must! The agreement states payment is due today! I want nothing more to do with any of you!”
The demands from the crowd grew louder.
No.6
Influencers broadcast the scene live. Reporters’ cameras flashed relentlessly in Victoria’s face.
Humiliation washed over her. She desperately wanted this to end so she could escape.
She had no other option. She pulled out her phone to transfer the funds to each model in full view of everyone.
Eleanor rushed over, trying to stop her. “Victoria, don’t be foolish! Isadora is your agent, but this is her mistake! You shouldn’t have to pay for it! A hundred and ten million is an enormous amount of money! I can’t let you do this!”
Victoria wanted to strangle her.
Was Eleanor an idiot? Couldn’t she see the position Victoria was in?
"You demanded my fifteen percent shares for allegedly harming others. By that logic, you should surrender at least ten percent of yours for allowing your agent to commit these crimes."
Ten percent of her shares.
Victoria nearly snarled in fury.
No.7
Not only did Isabella demand she pay the models 110 million dollars, but she was also targeting her ten percent stake. It was worth at least twenty billion.
How could Isabella be so ruthless.
Eleanor could no longer tolerate the situation. She shouted at Isabella, "Isabella, stop this! Why are you cornering your own sister like everyone else? It's tragic enough she's been implicated in this mess. Have you no humanity left?"
"Hah, you want me to be humane? Where was their compassion when they framed me for poisoning the models? Where was their humanity when they forced me to apologize for crimes I didn't commit? Where was it when they demanded I hand over my fifteen percent shares? You've defended and believed Victoria this entire time, but have you ever once believed or defended me since this began?" Isabella's voice was icy and sharp, her gaze piercing directly into Eleanor.
Eleanor was speechless. She felt a pang of heartache looking into Isabella's cold eyes.
Just as she prepared to speak, Isabella turned away. "Forget it. I'll ask grandfather about the equity transfer. Let's see if someone who allows their agent to poison and frame others is fit to hold twenty percent of the company shares!"
She immediately called Theodore Montgomery on her phone.
Theodore's voice came through clearly. "Isabella, I saw the broadcast. I know you're innocent. Victoria must take responsibility this time. Where's Atticus? Tell him to transfer ten percent of Victoria's shares to you immediately."
Isabella's phone was on speaker. Everyone heard Theodore's command perfectly.