Chapter 1435
No.1
The best strategy was to ally with Vivienne.
She picked up her phone and texted Benjamin: [Benjamin, are you settling in alright there?]
At Rosewood Manor.
Benjamin had just finished arranging his new room when he received Victoria's text. He replied: [Don't worry, Sis. Everything is perfect.]
All the daily necessities were brand new, and Nathaniel had even sent someone to install a new curved-screen computer in his room. He could play games to his heart's content.
Victoria texted: [How is Isabella's manor? Is she lonely living by herself? Invite her to come home and live with us—it's better for everyone to be together.] Benjamin thought about how cozy everything felt and sent a reassuring reply.
Benjamin: [Don't worry about me. She's perfectly fine, really.]
Victoria: [Good. I sent you those premium Bluetooth earphones—make sure you get them. Perfect for gaming sessions or listening to music.]
Benjamin: [Thanks, Vic.]
The earphones arrived that afternoon. They were the newest model from a top tech brand, sleek matte black with crystal-clear sound that made every track feel like a live performance.
No.2
Benjamin loved them. He didn’t even take them off during dinner.
Meanwhile, Victoria was reviewing a series of images sent directly to her encrypted email. Tiny, undetectable pinhole cameras hidden in the earphones had done their job perfectly. The photos were sharp, intimate, and automatically uploaded to her private server.
She opened the files. There was Isabella curled on the sofa reading, little Oliver tucked beside her. In another, Nathaniel was at his desk, documents spread before him, but his gaze was fixed on Isabella. There was even one where they were leaning close, speaking softly, a moment of quiet understanding.
Each image radiated domestic warmth. A burning jealousy twisted inside Victoria.
Why did Isabella get everything? A man like Nathaniel, devotion, a family… while she was cast aside by Alexander?
Isabella was damaged goods. A victim, a mother to a dead child. She didn’t deserve this happiness.
Nathaniel was a king. A man every woman dreamed of. What dark magic had Isabella used to ensnare him?
Her face a mask of bitter envy, Victoria forwarded the entire set of photos to Vivienne.
Let Vivienne see this. Let her simmer. Isabella’s perfect little world was about to crack.
After leaving the Blackwood patriarch's birthday, Vivienne had returned to her lab. Her assistant, Cassandra, entered quietly. “Ma’am, Mr. Blackwood went directly back to Rosewood Manor. He’s with her.”
No.3
Vivienne’s hands stilled. He left his own father’s party early just to run back to Isabella?
Isabella Montgomery. That cunning, low-class witch. This was a direct challenge.
Then her phone chimed. An anonymous message with attachments. She tapped the screen.
The images loaded. Nathaniel’s cold demeanor, softened entirely as he looked at Isabella. The three of them looked like a perfect, happy family.
The sight was a physical blow. The man who treated her with icy indifference was pouring all his warmth onto that woman.
Rage erupted. She swept her arm across the lab bench, sending glass beakers and reagents crashing to the floor. Chemicals mixed and sizzled, eating into the wood.
Cassandra rushed to contain the mess. “Should I send these to Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood?” she asked cautiously. “A woman of her… reputation… could never meet their standards.”
Vivienne’s voice was dangerously calm. “Not yet. First, I want her name trending everywhere. Draft press releases. Highlight her eighteen-year ‘epic romance’ with Alexander Whitmore.”
“But… if Mr. Blackwood is with her, he must already know. He clearly doesn’t care,” Cassandra pointed out.
A cold smile touched Vivienne’s lips. “I don’t need him to care. I need the public to believe Isabella’s heart belongs to Alexander. When these photos eventually leak… what will everyone see then?”
No.4
She picked up a scalpel, holding its tip in the blue flame of an alcohol burner. The flickering light carved shadows on her face, making her look utterly ruthless. A devil with a plan.
Isabella finally understood everything.
Vivienne was absolutely right.
The entire world believed Isabella was heartbroken over Alexander's betrayal.
They thought she had withdrawn from modeling because of him.
If photos of her with Nathaniel surfaced now, everyone would assume she had secretly moved on to the Blackwood heir.
The public would brand her as a calculated, manipulative woman.
Worse yet, if they exposed her past relationship with Alexander, Nathaniel's parents would think she still had feelings for her ex.
They would believe she was seeing both men simultaneously.
Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood would never accept such a woman as their daughter-in-law.
No.5
It was a flawless plan.
Vivienne truly was a genius.
Miranda immediately began executing the scheme.
Over the next two days, countless articles flooded the internet.
"Isabella's decade-long love for Alexander Whitmore."
"Isabella left the country to heal her broken heart, only to return and find her lover married to her sister."
"Everything Isabella sacrificed for Alexander."
"Isabella's world shattered on her wedding day."
These viral pieces kept the #ComfortIsabella hashtag trending for days.
In contrast, Victoria and Alexander's five-year relationship seemed trivial and insignificant.
No.6
Few people offered them wedding congratulations.
The public now viewed Alexander as a heartless cheater.
Victoria was labeled a scheming homewrecker who stole her sister's fiancé.
A woman who conspired to seize her sister's inheritance while seducing her sister's future husband.
Meanwhile, Victoria stood in a luxurious bridal fitting room.
She held herself with poised elegance as attendants adjusted her gown.
Her mood was radiant despite the ready-made nature of the dress.
The designer label was prestigious enough, and the design was acceptable.
Marrying Alexander and becoming Mrs. Whitmore was all that mattered.
Everything changed when Penelope rushed in, her hands trembling as she offered a phone.
No.7
Victoria's contentment vanished the moment she saw the screen.
Her face paled instantly.
Why was the entire internet sympathizing with Isabella?
Why was everyone calling her a homewrecker?
Strangers were wishing for her marriage to fail, hoping Alexander would abandon her.