Chapter 1549
No.1
As she passed Nathaniel, she paused, unable to resist one more attempt. “Christopher, please be good for me. Look, see these dark circles? I truly need to rest. Will you be a good boy and go home now?”
“Okay! I’ll listen to Mommy!” Oliver’s immediate agreement was unexpected. He even gathered the dishes and headed for the kitchen. “Sleep as long as you need, Mommy. Daddy and I will clean up and then we’ll leave. I promise we won’t disturb you.”
Isabella’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Since when had her son become so remarkably compliant?
Nathaniel was equally perplexed but chose not to question it. He turned to her. “Get some rest. We’ll handle this and then go.” He followed Oliver into the kitchen to help with the washing up.
She watched their retreating figures—one tall and commanding, the other small and earnest. A wave of unexpected, long-forgotten domestic warmth washed over her, emanating from the kitchen. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in five long years.
She entered her room and lay down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, an unwanted memory from half a decade ago forced its way to the surface.
Five years ago. Alexander Whitmore had invited her to The Grand Monarch, promising a surprise. But the first person she encountered there was Victoria Kensington. After sharing a single glass of wine with her, everything went black.
She awoke later in a bed at The Ritz-Carlton. Her virginity was gone. Alexander was lying beside her. For a long time, she truly believed she had given herself to him that night. She only discovered much later it was all part of Victoria’s vicious trap.
All these years, she had fought hard to bury the memory, to stop herself from dwelling on it. But recently, the resentment toward the unknown man in that bed had grown sharper. If not for him, she would never have been disgraced. Perhaps she wouldn’t feel such deep-seated resistance and wariness toward men’s advances. A man who would take advantage of an unconscious woman was no good man.
No.2
The soft click of the front door closing echoed from the living room. Isabella pulled herself from her dark thoughts. She reached for her phone and sent a swift text to Maxwell. “Dig deeper into what happened five years ago. Leave no stone unturned.”
“Understood.”
Outside, Nathaniel had paid no real attention to Alexander’s earlier words. Once they were clear of Rosewood Manor, he looked down at his son. “Why were you so unusually obedient back there?”
“Daddy, couldn’t you see Mommy was really angry with you?” Oliver replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, you didn’t have a good answer for her. She definitely thinks you’re being stupid. The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. Sometimes, it’s best to just do nothing.”
Nathaniel coughed, slightly affronted. Even his young son could see that Isabella thought him a fool?
Oliver offered more advice. “I think you need to figure out why Mommy released those photos herself. And why she refused your help. Everyone is mocking her now. If you can understand her real reasons and support her properly, you’ll stand out to her.”
Nathaniel carried Oliver to the car. As he drove, he pondered deeply. Isabella’s Guci photo should have been enough to utterly destroy Victoria’s. It should have doubled the sales. No one could have predicted the scandal that erupted instead.
His mind suddenly locked onto a single, crucial word: ‘sales’. His eyes narrowed, a new and chilling understanding dawning.
“That’s it! So this was Isabella’s real plan all along. Isabella Montgomery is truly one of a kind. To win using what looks like a losing strategy… That’s brilliant.”
No.3
Nathaniel pulled his car over to the side of the road. He took out his phone and sent a message.
[I look forward to witnessing your stunning underdog victory the day after tomorrow. When you win, I’ll have a special congratulatory gift prepared just for you.]
Isabella was lounging on her bed, scrolling through her phone. Her close friends were blowing up her WhatsApp, all trying to help her stage a comeback. A few were still begging her to just drop out of the dangerous game entirely.
Genevieve sent a flood of messages.
[Isabella, have you seen the public opinion online? Do you understand the influence SilverPeak Entertainment holds? Everyone is praising Victoria and tearing your photos to shreds. Your dream of starting your own online business is over before it began.]
[If you sign with SilverPeak, I promise I will make you a bigger star than Victoria Kensington. Furthermore, we can help you resolve this precarious situation you’re in. As for profit sharing, we can negotiate that later. No one else can save you but me!]
Isabella’s red lips curled in disgust. She couldn’t be bothered to reply. “There’s no point engaging with narcissists. The only way to deal with them is to crush them with sheer competence.” The real battle was the day after tomorrow. She would teach them all a lesson. She would show them what true talent and skill actually looked like.
Then, her agent Julian texted her.
[Isabella, what in the world are you thinking? The day after tomorrow is the final day.]
No.4
Isabella frowned slightly and typed a reply.
[I really wish I could tell you the plan, but the stakes are too high. Until this is over, it has to remain a secret. I’m sorry, but I can’t risk telling anyone right now.]
[Just remember one thing. I, Isabella Montgomery, would never do anything to truly jeopardize myself. All you need to do is wait calmly. Everything will be fine. If you absolutely must do something, go hire some internet trolls. Pay them to attack my photos even more viciously. The more venom they spew, the better.]
Julian had no response. Hadn’t her reputation suffered enough already? Even though he believed in Isabella’s abilities, the current situation seemed hopeless. How could she possibly turn this around? Oh well. Isabella was a willful woman. Even if she failed, she could always just retire and manage her diamond mines. Three hundred million tons of raw diamonds was a solid backup plan. He decided to stop worrying.
After sending her message, Isabella let out a soft sigh. She couldn’t believe no one had seen through her ruse. ‘What about the big boss?’ she wondered. As she sighed, a new WhatsApp notification popped up.
[I look forward to witnessing your stunning underdog victory the day after tomorrow. When you win, I’ll have a special congratulatory gift prepared just for you.]
Isabella’s brow furrowed. Nathaniel had actually figured out her master plan. Was it because of what she’d said earlier? Had she given herself away? It turned out he wasn’t as foolish as she’d thought.
She began typing a reply. But she’d only managed a few words before a memory from five years ago surfaced.
Five years ago, she lost her virginity. She got pregnant. She suffered a miscarriage…
No.5
The current trajectory of her relationships with Nathaniel and Oliver felt like a bad omen.
She thought for a long moment. Then, she slowly deleted everything she had just written. She tossed her phone aside and closed her eyes. Nathaniel was treating her so well. What would she have to do to make him give up on her? Should she tell him what happened five years ago?
Isabella Montgomery spent the entire day consumed by her thoughts.
Five years had passed since she forged her iron-willed persona.
Yet now, hesitation and confusion clouded her mind.
She switched her phone to airplane mode.
Collapsing onto her bed, she sank into quiet contemplation.
Meanwhile, Alexander Whitmore left Rosewood Manor with purpose.
He immediately summoned his personal assistant, Harrison Caldwell.
No.6
"Release the photos," Alexander commanded without hesitation.
Harrison nodded and executed the order precisely.
A flood of Isabella's old photographs instantly flooded the internet.
These images captured her most awkward teenage years.
Junior high Isabella sported outrageous, non-mainstream fashion.
Her hair stood in edgy, spiky formations.
Heavy eye makeup dominated her youthful face.
High school brought a gold-worshipper phase.
Every outfit shimmered with excessive sparkle and shine.
No.7
Her fashion choices were painfully unfashionable.
The photos revealed a perpetually hunched posture.
Helplessness radiated from her plain features.
One particularly damning image showed her crawling on all fours.
She had lost a bet to some society ladies.
The internet erupted within hours.
"ISABELLA MONTGOMERY'S PLASTIC SURGERY EXPOSED" trended nationwide.
"ISABELLA CRAWLING LIKE A DOG" followed closely behind.
Online commentary turned vicious and relentless.