Chapter 1508
No.1
Oliver yanked the passenger door open and scrambled inside. "Mommy, come on! Just a ride, I promise!"
Isabella noted only Sebastian was visible. Her bike needed repairs anyway. Without overthinking, she slid into the back seat.
Instant regret flooded her. Nathaniel sat there too.
Can I still escape? she thought desperately.
Sebastian saw her hesitation in the rearview mirror. He hit the accelerator before she could react.
Too late now, she sighed internally, scooting as far from Nathaniel as possible.
Fortunately, Nathaniel was engrossed in his financial tablet. He radiated his usual aura of aristocratic coldness, detached and undisturbed by his surroundings.
Maybe she was overthinking things.
Suddenly, the van swerved violently. Caught off guard, Isabella tumbled into Nathaniel.
No.2
Riiip!
The tablet in his hands cracked under their combined weight.
Silence.
An awkward, heavy silence engulfed the vehicle.
Damn his perfect profile. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
This was wrong. Why was her heart racing? She gripped the front seat headrest, trying to right herself.
Just as she almost succeeded, the van swerved again.
Isabella fell back into Nathaniel.
No.3
This time, her face planted directly against his firm, clothed abdomen.
His distinct masculine scent invaded her senses immediately. Isabella’s heartbeat quickened. Anger and embarrassment warred inside her.
‘Sebastian did that on purpose!’ she fumed silently.
Just as she was about to snap, Oliver’s small voice piped up from the front. “Sorry, Mommy. Please don’t be mad. Uncle Sebastian loves drifting. He was a professional racer.”
“Sebastian. Control the vehicle. This is a public road,” Nathaniel’s deep voice cut through, low and commanding.
Isabella swallowed her protest. Nathaniel’s hands steadied her arms. His tone softened, laced with genuine concern. “Are you alright?”
His expression was so earnest she doubted her own suspicion. She pulled away, putting space between them. “I’m fine,” she stated firmly, gripping the overhead handle tightly.
She was secure. Or so she thought.
The van swerved violently again.
No.4
Screech!
Isabella held her ground this time. Nathaniel, however, stumbled forward. His hand grabbed her dress for balance.
Rip!
The fabric at her waist tore, exposing her skin.
“Nathaniel Blackwood!” she hissed, her patience snapping.
The van abruptly stopped.
“Miss Montgomery, we’ve arrived,” Sebastian announced, turning with a guilty look. “My deepest apologies. I get carried away behind the wheel.”
“Uncle Sebastian! I told you to stop doing that! You always make Daddy fly!” Oliver scolded, scrambling to the back. “Daddy, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
No.5
Nathaniel straightened his suit. His gaze returned to Isabella, filled with apparent sincerity. “Miss Montgomery, my apologies for the inconvenience. I will replace the dress. Please, use this for now.” He draped his spare white shirt over her shoulders. His voice was surprisingly gentle.
Isabella’s fist clenched, but she held back. Oliver looked innocent. Sebastian seemed remorseful. Nathaniel appeared completely serious. They all seemed oblivious.
A man like Nathaniel wouldn’t resort to such cheap tricks…
“It’s unnecessary. Thank you for the ride. Keep the shirt. Consider the dress payment for the trip.”
She exited the van swiftly.
“I don’t leave debts unsettled. Especially not with a woman,” his voice stopped her. “I prefer clarity. I will deliver a new dress to you personally.”
Isabella nearly stumbled. She wanted neither the dress nor to see him again. But refusing might imply she wanted him indebted. It was simpler to escape.
She hurried away without a backward glance.
Once she was gone, Nathaniel’s expression shifted. A knowing smile touched his lips as he looked at Sebastian and Oliver. “Alright. What do you want?”
No.6
Sebastian grinned. “Get me out of all the family blind dates for a year!”
Oliver clapped his hands joyfully. “I want you to marry Mommy and give me a baby sister!”
“Consider it done.”
Isabella stepped into Rosewood Manor, still wearing Nathaniel's shirt. The memory of their encounter replayed relentlessly in her mind. Her cheeks burned with a heat she couldn't suppress.
Nathaniel wasn't the man she had envisioned for herself. Yet she couldn't deny the raw magnetism of his powerful physique. Those defined abs, solid and sculpted...
Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the figure closing in on her.
Slap!
The blow came without warning. A stinging pain erupted across her cheek.
Hidden guards immediately tensed, ready to intervene. Their leader, Maxwell, halted them with a sharp gesture. "Stand down. Boss's orders. We observe only."
No.7
One guard bristled. "We're just going to let someone assault her? She's our leader! No one touches her without consequences. I'm stepping in."
"Hold your position," Maxwell commanded calmly. "Trust her. She'll handle this. Just watch."
Isabella slowly lifted her gaze. A teenage boy stood before her, his silver-dyed hair stark under the lights. He wore ripped jeans and an oversized shirt, projecting a deliberately rebellious image.
It was Benjamin Kensington. Her eighteen-year-old biological brother. Corrupted by Victoria's influence, he saw Isabella only as a scheming adopted daughter, a gold digger preying on the Montgomery family.
He glared at her with pure venom. "How dare you do that to Victoria? She wouldn't hurt a fly! Why would you fabricate such lies? She cried herself to sleep because of you! She's too kind to even let me confront you! You're a soulless monster! You'd be dead in the gutter if our family hadn't taken you in!"
Isabella wordlessly wiped a trace of blood from her lip. A dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.
Benjamin had been in countless fights. But he had never seen a look so terrifying.
His bravado returned quickly. "Don't you look at me like that! You're just an adopted nobody! The security cameras here are all disabled. I could kill you right now, and no one would ever find your body or even care that you're gone."
Isabella paused. "The cameras are broken?"