Chapter 1619
No.1
How could anyone save him under these circumstances?
Roland Graves and his men encircled Benjamin, suspended precariously above the water. Their eyes darted nervously toward Nathaniel Blackwood, filled with palpable dread.
Roland’s knife shook visibly in his unsteady grip. He swallowed hard, forcing out the words. “Boss Blackwood… I apologize for the disrespect. But you must see—we had no other option!”
“Time’s up.” Nathaniel’s mouth curved into a cold, faint smile.
Confusion flickered across the men’s faces—but it was too late. Nathaniel had already drawn a sleek, matte-black firearm from inside his tailored suit.
He raised it, aiming directly between Roland Graves’s eyes.
Roland’s gaze sharpened. He lifted the blade, ready to sever the rope. He was certain—Boss Blackwood would hesitate. He wouldn’t risk it.
Bang.
Nathaniel pulled the trigger.
No.2
Before the knife could even touch the rope, the bullet tore through Roland’s forehead. Blood sprayed.
Such impossible speed. It was over in less than a breath. He’d been stopped the instant he moved.
Roland’s body convulsed violently. The knife slipped from his fingers, vanishing into the dark lake below as he collapsed backward.
“Boss Graves!”
His remaining men scrambled to catch him. Thoughts of the promised five million vanished. Survival was all that mattered now. They dropped to their knees, begging.
“Forgive us, Boss Blackwood! We were wrong! This—this man is yours! Take him!”
They bowed low, dragging Roland’s body as they scrambled away, desperate to escape.
Nathaniel paid them no further mind. He tucked the weapon away and strode toward Benjamin. With a sharp tug, he loosened the knot securing the rope to the tree. Benjamin dropped heavily onto the grass.
Benjamin stared up, stunned. The man before him moved with lethal grace. Every gesture controlled, every action precise. Why would someone of his stature come to save him?
No.3
“Why did you help me?” Benjamin rasped, his voice weak.
Nathaniel looked down at him, a slight, almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. “I’m your brother-in-law.”
Five words. Delivered like a verdict. Quiet, yet burning with intensity.
Brother-in-law? Nathaniel Blackwood? His?
Benjamin ran through his sisters. Victoria—her reputation in ruins. Isabella—scandalized years ago. Sophia—still locked away, hidden from the world.
Which one could possibly be connected to Nathaniel Blackwood?
Just then, the door of the luxury car swung open. Oliver came running out on unsteady legs, his small voice urgent. “Daddy! Daddy, hurry! The bad man is proposing to Mommy!”
Proposing?
Nathaniel took the tablet from Oliver. On the screen, the glamour of the Celestial Gala unfolded. Alexander Whitmore was on one knee, holding out a massive bouquet of roses to Isabella.
No.4
Right on cue, her voice rang clear. “Alright. I have three conditions. Fulfill them, and we can be married tonight.”
Married. Tonight.
Was she actually considering it?
A man like Alexander would agree to anything—thirty conditions wouldn’t stop him.
Nathaniel’s fists clenched, his knuckles bleaching white. He was about to pull out his phone when Isabella began speaking again.
“First,” she stated, her tone icy and resolved. “You will testify publicly about every crime Victoria Kensington committed against me. You will personally ensure she is sent to prison.”
“First, kneel and apologize to me for everything you’ve done.”
“Second, tell everyone the truth about you and Victoria for the past fifteen years.”
“Third, transfer ninety-nine percent of your shares in Whitmore Enterprises to me.”
No.5
Her voice was steady, echoing through the grand hall.
Alexander’s expression froze instantly. Ninety-nine percent? She was demanding nearly everything. Did she intend to strip him of his entire company?
As for the first two conditions… He knew exactly what she meant. She wanted him to confess that Victoria was the real adopted daughter. That Victoria had paid a man to assault her all those years ago. If the truth came out, Victoria would be finished. The Montgomerys would cast her out. She would lose all claim to the family fortune and be sent directly to prison.
Even though Alexander hadn’t searched for Victoria and his feelings had cooled, they had still grown up together. She was his first love, the woman he had cherished most. How could he be the one to utterly destroy her?
Seeing his hesitation, a cold, mocking smile touched Isabella’s lips. “Alexander, you claim to have seen the error of your ways, yet you can’t even meet these basic demands. How can I possibly agree to marry you?”
Her words sparked murmurs through the crowd.
“What else did Victoria do to Isabella? Was it something criminal?”
“That’s not the point. The point is he’s clearly still protecting her. He’s still in love with Victoria!”
“Ugh. I wouldn’t want a husband like that. Isabella, think carefully!”
No.6
The court of public opinion had shifted.
Alexander’s face darkened further. “Isabella,” he warned, his voice low, “don’t push this too far. I promise I will cut all ties with her. Can’t we just let the past stay in the past? Regarding the shares, I can give you forty percent. Please, be reasonable. I don’t want us to part on bad terms.”
He emphasized ‘part on bad terms’ as he thrust the bouquet toward her again. A silent threat. If she remained stubborn, he would release the photos.
Isabella’s smile turned condescending. Did he truly believe she was so easily manipulated?
Suddenly, she dropped to one knee, her posture a mirror of his proposal, but her eyes held a chilling intensity. She spoke, her voice a whisper meant only for his ears. “If you’re here asking me to let the past go, why are you using it to threaten me? Do you really think I’m afraid? At worst, you release those photos and we all burn together. And today, I will make Victoria take a DNA test with the Montgomery family.”
She moved to snatch the photo hidden within the roses.
Alexander’s composure shattered. She was calling his bluff! She would rather drag everyone down with her than marry him!
If she preemptively exposed herself and accused Victoria of framing her, the public would turn on Victoria instantly. Her recent scandals had already eroded her credibility. And a DNA test…
No. It was too soon. Victoria hadn’t secured the majority of the Montgomery shares. Their plans weren’t in place.
No.7
Alexander shot to his feet, yanking the bouquet back before her fingers could close around the damning evidence. “Isabella,” he said, his voice strained but loud enough for the crowd, “if you need more time, I will give it to you. Whether it takes ten days or ten years, I will wait for your answer.”
He pressed the roses into her hands but kept the engagement ring, quickly pocketing it along with the hidden photo.
The audience was left bewildered, their brows furrowed in confusion. What just happened? Why did he suddenly back down? What had she said to him?
Nathaniel’s gaze was the most intense. He could read lips. He had seen every word Isabella uttered.
‘Release the photos?’ What photos was Alexander threatening her with? ‘Burn together?’ What did Alexander have that could destroy her?
Her conditions mentioned events from five years ago. What truly happened five years ago?
His sharp eyes shifted to Benjamin. His voice was a low, dangerous rumble. “What happened to Isabella five years ago?” He would find out. He would eliminate every single threat against her.
Nathaniel would make Alexander pay for threatening his woman.
At the mention of the incident five years ago, Benjamin’s expression turned grim. Though he didn’t particularly like his sister Isabella, it was still a family matter. Outsiders should never learn the ugly truth—especially when it involved Isabella’s reputation.